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| Volume 34, Number 10 | October 2024 | Home | IBWIndex |
Table of Contents
| Reviewer's Choice | Writing/Publishing Shelf | AI Shelf |
| Political Science Shelf | Economic Studies Shelf | Health/Medicine Shelf |
| Education Shelf | Cookbook Shelf | Interior Design Shelf |
| American History Shelf | World History Shelf | Civil War Shelf |
| Military Shelf | Wildlife Shelf | Psychology Shelf |
| Biography/Memoir Shelf | General Fiction Shelf | Historical Fiction Shelf |
| Literary Fiction Shelf | Romantic Fiction Shelf | Western Fiction Shelf |
| Mystery/Suspense Shelf | Fantasy/SciFi Shelf | Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf |
| Library CD Shelf | Blu-ray Shelf | Multimedia Shelf |
| Nautical Shelf | Mythology Shelf | Native American Studies Shelf |
| Art Shelf | Crafts Shelf | Business Shelf |
| Christian Studies Shelf | Buddhist Studies Shelf | Wine/Liquor Shelf |
| Photography Shelf | Sports Shelf | Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf |
| Parenting Shelf | Travel Shelf | Literary Studies Shelf |
| Metaphysical Studies Shelf |
Reviewer's Choice
Savannah Mandel
Chicago Review Press
www.chicagoreviewpress.com
9781641609920, $28.99, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ground-Control-Argument-Human-Exploration/dp/1641609923
Synopsis: In the 1960s and '70s, America spent $24 billion (around $150 billion in today's dollars) to land humans on the moon and "win" the space race. And while humans took their first steps on an extraterrestrial landscape, protesters at Cape Canaveral asked: Why waste money on space when there are so many issues here on Earth?
More than 50 years later, an oligopoly of commercial space companies (SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic) has begun sending civilians into space. These civilians are the first generation of what will undoubtedly be an extensive family of space tourists. Commercial space companies aim to expand access to space, find new sources of energy, mine outer space resources, and conquer extraterrestrial lands. But their goals remain that of a capitalist and imperialist class, intent on new frontier profiteering.
With the publication of "Ground Control: An Argument for the End of Human Space Exploration", Savannah Mandel uses cultural anthropology to trace the trajectory of the space industry as it faces the social, political, and economic repercussions of commercial space ventures head-on. In doing so, Mandel holds the space industry accountable for its actions by asking the same questions that some thought leaders asked in the 1960s:
Should we go? Is it worth it to send humans to space? What cultural outcomes will result from continued human space exploration and the colonization of other worlds? And last, what can we learn about our present selves by studying our most extreme visions of the future
Critique: Organized into three major sections (A Letter to Those Lifting Off; A Letter to those Left in Space; A Letter to Those Left Behind), and featuring an informative Introduction (The Protest), an Epilogue (Earthward Augaries and Activisms), a four page listing of Acknowledgments, twenty pages of Notes, an eighteen page Bibliography, and a six page Index, "Ground Control: An Argument for the End of Human Space Exploration" by author and cultural anthropologist Savannah Mandel offers a compelling and iconoclastic assessment of the emerging space industry. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99), "Ground Control" is a significant and unreservedly recommended addition to community and college/university library Astronautic and Space Exploration History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Savannah Mandel (www.savannahmandel.com) is one of just several dozen space anthropologists worldwide and a PhD candidate in science, technology, and society at Virginia Tech. Mandel has conducted fieldwork at Spaceport America in addition to working with more than eighty commercial space companies. She holds several degrees in cultural anthropology and has had research featured in Ozy magazine, Anthropology Now, The Geek Anthropologist, Physics Today, and many more media outlets.
Field Guide to Family Business Research
Keith H. Brigham & G. Tyge Payne, editors
Edward Elgar Publishing
www.e-elgar.com
9781800884137, $145.00, HC, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/Field-Family-Business-Research-Guides/dp/1800884133
Synopsis: Co-authored by professor of entrepreneurship Keith H. Brigham and G. Tyge Payne, "The Field Guide to Family Business Research" is a concise and accessible guidebook that addresses the unique challenges associated with conducting high-quality family business research. Intended for both new and more experienced scholars, experts provide essential guidelines and insightful best practices for overcoming these challenges.
Comprehensive in scope and split into three key parts, the contributors to "The Field Guide to Family Business Research" address general, qualitative and quantitative challenges and their various solutions. Individual chapters examine three primary research challenges: failure to demonstrate a clear and unique contribution to the extant literature; failure to properly frame and align an argument's theory and hypothesis; and finally, failure to measure and conduct appropriate methodological and empirical approaches to a study. Ultimately, the solutions presented offer a better understanding of the unique aspects of conducting research in the family business domain.
With a wealth of expertise and practical information, "The Field Guide to Family Business Research" is an invaluable guide will be of great benefit to anyone conducting research in family business. It will be especially helpful to researchers and students of business management, law, public policy and social policy as well as consultants and practitioners in the field of family business.
Critique: Comprised of seventeen informative articles addressing various aspects of research and a family business (with several cogent examples), "The Field Guide to Family Business Research" is an exceptionally well organized and presented compendium of 'real world' practical introduction to approaching and applying research methodologies to family business practices and policies to insure success. Exceptionally well organized and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in presentation, "The Field Guide to Family Business Research" is a solid pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Family Business Management collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Field Guide to Family Business Research" is also available from Edward Elgar Publishing in a paperback edition (9781035344475, $53.21, Amazon).
Editorial Note #1: Keith H. Brigham is Professor of Entrepreneurship, Director, Tom Love Division of Entrepreneurship and Economic Development, Price College of Business, University of Oklahoma.
Editorial Note #2: G. Tyge Payne is Professor of Entrepreneurship, Stephenson Department of Entrepreneurship & Information Systems, Louisiana State University.
Ghosts of the British Museum
Noah Angell
Monoray
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781800961340, $24.99 HC, $1.99 Kindle, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ghosts-British-Museum-Colonial-Restless/dp/1800961340
American readers might initially wonder at the applicability of the British-based Ghosts of the British Museum: A True Story of Colonial Loot and Restless Objects, but its real value lies in a travelogue of spooky history that pairs supernatural overtones with history, travel, and true art crime. All these elements give the story a rich undercurrent of attraction, whether readers are coming from an art world background, are interested in true crime, or are planning actual visits to British museums. The history/folklore backdrop and blend holds vivid language, ghostly insights, and an attraction that will reach into general-interest library audiences as well as hose with specific attractions to British art history.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
Dan Beachy-Quick
University of Michigan Press
www.press.umich.edu
9780472039708, $24.95, PB, 176pp
https://www.amazon.com/How-Draw-Circle-Reading-Writing/dp/0472039709
Synopsis: What is it to write a poem? What work do words do when placed with care and vision into the intensely charged space of poetic effort?
"How to Draw a Circle: On Reading and Writing" by Dn Beachy-Quick does not seek to answer those questions, but to encounter them as fully and honestly as one can. The thread running through the essays is an ongoing investigation into poetry as an epistemological experiment, one which binds the imagination to the worldly, and trusts that creative endeavor is a form of participation in the ongoing creation of the world.
It does so in part by focusing on thinkers, poets, writers, and literary movements where such thinking for a while prevailed, from Socrates to Melville, Mythology to Romanticism. Here the poem is approached as something deeply rooted in human consciousness, done so not to make an atavistic claim about poetry's history, but to show the ways in which oldest tradition gives us ever-new eyes.
The hope this study reveals that poetry (poetic expression, the wild wonder of working in words) turns us back toward the world in more vibrant, more open, more ethical ways. "How to Draw a Circle" summons lyric powers -- not as an argument, but as a participation in the ways poetry works in us and on us.
Critique: One of the best critiques and commentaries on the art and impact of poetry and verse upon the human mind and emotions in many a year, this paperback edition of Dan Beachy-Quick's "How to Draw a Circle: On Reading and Writing" from the University of Michigan Press is a thoughtful and thought-provoking study that is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Literary/Poetry Criticism collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and anyone who has (or aspires to) crafting poetry of their own that "How to Draw a Circle: On Reading and Writing" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.95).
Editorial Note: Dan Beachy-Quick is University Distinguished Teaching Scholar at Colorado State University. His books of poetry include, Circle's Apprentice (2011, Winner of the Colorado Book Award in Poetry), gentlessness (2015), Variations on Dawn and Dusk (2019, long-listed for the National Book Award in Poetry) and Arrows (2020). In 2016 he was named a Guggenheim Fellow in Poetry. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Beachy-Quick)
The AI Shelf
Mark Abraham & David C. Edelman
Harvard Business Review Press
http://hbr.org/books
9781647826277, $32.00, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Personalized-Customer-Strategy-Age-AI/dp/1647826276
Synopsis: Consumers want personalized experiences, but few companies are rising to the challenge. Those that succeed in personalization build trusted relationships with millions of customers and engage with them at every step throughout their journey. Through the power of AI, they rethink their operations and unleash the creativity of their teams to fine-tune every interaction, delighting customers in the process.
But most companies are not doing personalization well, leading to wasted money, squandered effort, and missed expectations. To be done effectively, personalization must be a critical element of an organization's strategy.
"Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI" is a playbook for delivering true personalization at scale. In this comprehensive instructional guide, Boston Consulting Group's Mark Abraham and Harvard Business School's David C. Edelman describe Five Promises of Personalization:
Empower Me: Understand each customer's needs and how best to meet them.
Know Me: Win customers' trust and permission to use their data to improve their experience.
Reach Me: Reach out to the right customer, in the right channel, at the right time.
Show Me: Tailor unique content to be relevant to each customer, enabled by generative AI.
Delight Me: Design new ways of working and ensure continuous improvement, so a customer's experience feels magical.
With detailed examples across industries (including retail, health care, banking, technology, and travel) "Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI" will help executives learn how to put personalization at the center of their strategy, accelerate growth, and capture their share of the $2 trillion personalization prize.
Critique: There is no question but that artificial intelligence (AI) is impacting the corporate world of commerce and that influence seems to be growing at an ever increasing (and expanding) rate. The edition of "Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI", co-authored by Mark Abraham and David C. Edelman is timely and essential reading for corporate executives, board members, business managers, and entrepreneurs. Exceptionally 'reader friendly' in style, organization and presentation, "Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI" is an urgently timely, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, business school, and college/university library AI and Contemporary Business Management collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for MBA students, academia, corporate/business professionals, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in either subject that "Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.27) as well.
Editorial Note #1: Mark Abraham is a senior partner at Boston Consulting Group and founder of the firm's Personalization business. He and his team have accelerated the personalization efforts of more than a hundred iconic brands and built some of BCG's largest ventures and AI platforms, including Fabriq by BCG, for personalization.
Editorial Note #2: David C. Edelman is a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, an executive advisor and board member to brands and technology providers, and an advisor to BCG. Previously, he was chief marketing officer at Aetna. He has worked with dozens of companies on personalization, AI, and agile marketing at both BCG and Digitas.
The Political Science Shelf
Glenn A. Fine
University of Virginia Press
www.upress.virginia.edu
9780813952468, $29.95, HC, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/Watchdogs-Inspectors-Accountable-Government-Presidency/dp/0813952468
Synopsis: In the United States, an inspector general leads an organization charged with examining the actions of a government agency, military organization, or military contractor as a general auditor of their operations to ensure they are operating in compliance with generally established policies of the government, to audit the effectiveness of security procedures, or to discover the possibility of misconduct, waste, fraud, theft, or certain types of criminal activity by individuals or groups related to the agency's operation, usually involving some misuse of the organization's funds or credit. In the United States, there are numerous offices of inspector general at the federal, state, and local levels; the Office of the Inspector General of the United States Army is a military example. The framework of offices of inspector general within the United States government was established with the Inspector General Act of 1978. (Wikipedia)
With the publication of "Watchdogs: Inspectors General and the Battle for Honest and Accountable Government", Glenn Fine (who served as the inspector general of the Department of Justice from 2000 to 2011 and the acting inspector general of the Department of Defense from 2016 to 2020) explains why all Americans should be familiar with this critical pillar of our democracy.
Drawing on his own experiences in numerous high-profile investigations over two decades, from 9/11 to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Fine provides a fascinating insider's view of government at the highest levels, illuminating how federal officials spend our tax dollars and how inspector general oversight seeks to make government more honest and accountable.
Full of revealing stories ranging from the FBI's handling of evidence in the Timothy McVeigh trial to the treatment of post-9/11 detainees to investigating the US Navy's most infamous corruption scandal, "Watchdogs" fully illustrates the mission of inspectors general in improving government operations, deterring wasteful spending, and curtailing corruption, and the ways they work every day in America's unique system of oversight.
Critique: Simply stated, "Watchdogs: Inspectors General and the Battle for Honest and Accountable Government" is essential reading for anyone with an interest in governmental accountability and reforms, especially in terms of protecting governmental institutions and American citizens from corruption and misconduct on the part of public officials at every level of local, state, and national government. "Watchdogs" is an essential and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Contemporary Political Science collections. It should be noted for students, academia, political activists, politicians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Watchdogs" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $26.46) as well.
Editorial Note: Glenn A. Fine formerly served as the acting Inspector General of the Department of Defense and as the Inspector General of the Department of Justice. He is a nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution, an adjunct professor at Georgetown Law School, and has taught at Stanford Law School. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Fine)
The Economic Studies Shelf
Chady El Khoury, editor
International Monetary Fund
https://www.imf.org/en/home
9798400204654, $30.00, PB, 210pp
https://www.amazon.com/Countering-Financing-Terrorism-Practices-Effectiveness/dp/B0C799L7ZZ
Synopsis: IMF member countries face significant challenges when it comes to improving the effectiveness of their fight against terrorism financing. Compiled and edited by Chady El Khoury, "Countering the Financing of Terrorism: Good Practices to Enhance Effectiveness" is intended to assist anti-money laundering and combating terrorism financing (AML/CFT) policymakers and practitioners in identifying key challenges and good practices for strengthening the effectiveness of counter terrorism financing frameworks.
The book's six chapters comprising "Countering the Financing of Terrorism: Good Practices to Enhance Effectiveness" cover (1) improving the understanding of terrorist financing risks; (2) the role of the private sector in detecting and disrupting terrorist financing activities; (3) the production and use of financial intelligence to counter terrorism and terrorist financing; (4) investigating, prosecuting, and sanctioning terrorism financiers; (5) terrorism-related targeted financial sanctions; and (6) international cooperation in combating the financing of terrorism.
"Countering the Financing of Terrorism: Good Practices to Enhance Effectiveness" presents contributions by experts from the IMF, United Nations, Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units, INTERPOL, and Europol.
Critique: Simply stated, "Countering the Financing of Terrorism: Good Practices to Enhance Effectiveness" is vitally important and timely reading for anyone with a professional and/or personal interest in defeating terrorist organizations by interdicting/preventing their financing through banking institutions through money laundering and other illegal national/international financial forms of transactions. This paperback edition of "Countering the Financing of Terrorism: Good Practices to Enhance Effectiveness" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, governmental, financial institution, and college/college Terrorism & Economics collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an organization of 190 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world.
The Health/Medicine Shelf
Maureen Boyle, editor
Routledge
www.routledge.com
9781032465425, $49.99, PB, 286pp
https://www.amazon.com/Emergencies-Around-Childbirth-Maureen-Boyle/dp/1032465425
Synopsis: Supporting readers to perform effectively in urgent or emergency situations that can occur in a hospital, at a birth centre or at home, this fully updated fourth edition of "Emergencies Around Childbirth: A Handbook for Midwives" by Maureen Boyle (who is a Senior Lecturer in Midwifery at the University of West London, UK) presents the necessary knowledge and skills for student and practising midwives.
With contributions from highly experienced midwives, "Emergencies Around Childbirth: A Handbook for Midwives" is practical guidebook whose fourth edition now incorporates a new chapter on legal issues for safe practice, as well as additional content on professional issues. Also included is an essentially new chapter on cardiac problems, recognizing that midwives are often the lead professional caring for women with cardiac anomalies, as many are undiagnosed until the emergency.
As with previous editions, "Emergencies Around Childbirth: A Handbook for Midwives" continues to provide key, up-to-date information on high-risk medical and obstetric situations, from serious infection to uterine complications to resuscitation.
Critique: Simply stated, "Emergencies Around Childbirth: A Handbook for Midwives, 4th Edition" is essential reading for practicing and student midwives and those who teach them. It is also an invaluable informational resource for Women's Health Rights activists with respect to the current national discussions over the necessity for providing health care services to pregnant women with medical issues that can threaten their lives and/or create miscarriages. While especially and unreservedly recommended for medical school and college/university library Midwifery collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that this new 4th edition of "Emergencies Around Childbirth: A Handbook for Midwives" from Routledge is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $37.99).
Adult Dysphagia
Yvette M. McCoy & Ed M. Bice
Plural Publishing
https://www.pluralpublishing.com
9781635506921, $74.95, PB, 131pp
https://www.amazon.com/Adult-Dysphagia-Clinical-Reasoning-Decision-Making/dp/1635506921
Synopsis: Co-authored by dysphagia experts Yvette M. McCoy and Ed M. Bice "Adult Dysphagia Clinical Reasoning and Decision-Making Guide" from Plural Publishing is the ideal resource for assessing and treating swallowing disorders.
Readily accessible for day-to-day evaluation, this one-of-a-kind text gives clinicians quick access to key clinical information to help them think critically and provide actionable solutions for their patients. With a focus on the clinical process and implementing sound, clinical reasoning skills to inform decision-making, this resource aids speech-language pathologists in developing situation-based assessment and treatment plans.
Compact and easy to use, this professional guide can be leveraged as a practical tool by clinicians to facilitate positive, actionable patient outcomes for treating dysphagia in adults. Utilizing case studies with clinically relevant charts, diagrams, and flow sheets, this text helps speech-language pathologists develop a clinical process that involves critical thinking.
With essential, evidence-based material for swallowing assessment and treatment, as well as alternate treatment solutions to implement in their clinical caseload, clinicians will acquire informed clinical reasoning and decision-making skills.
The PluralPlus companion website for this text includes interactive case studies. Recognizing that there are many possible solutions to treating a particular problem, the interactive case studies expand on information within the resource with case analysis and alternate solutions. Immediate feedback for choices will suggest further considerations and additional options to guide clinicians to think critically about how clinical decisions are made.
The key features of "Adult Dysphagia Clinical Reasoning and Decision-Making Guide" include:
Case studies
Simple diagrams to describe complex, abstract concepts
Features "Deeper Dive" opportunities to go beyond the essential material
Inclusion of clinical notes and boxed focal points for practical application
Critique: Dysphagia is difficulty in swallowing. Although classified under "symptoms and signs" in ICD-10, in some contexts it is classified as a condition in its own right. It may be a sensation that suggests difficulty in the passage of solids or liquids from the mouth to the stomach, a lack of pharyngeal sensation or various other inadequacies of the swallowing mechanism. Dysphagia is distinguished from other symptoms including odynophagia, which is defined as painful swallowing, and globus, which is the sensation of a lump in the throat. A person can have dysphagia without odynophagia (dysfunction without pain), odynophagia without dysphagia (pain without dysfunction) or both together. A psychogenic dysphagia is known as phagophobia. (Wikipedia)
"This paperback edition of "Adult Dysphagia Clinical Reasoning and Decision-Making Guide" from Plural Publishing is exceptionally well written, organized and presented, making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, medical school, and college/university library medical reference collections and supplemental Speech Pathology, Communications, and SpeechTherapy supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Yvette M. McCoy, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Speech-Language Pathology in the College of Health at Moravian University. She currently holds her board certification in swallowing disorders. Ms. McCoy has numerous peer-reviewed publications and serves on the American Board of Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders Executive Committee as Secretary and the Pennsylvania Speech-Hearing Association as Vice President of Membership and Ethics. (https://www.speakwellsolutions.com)
Editorial Note #2: Ed M. Bice, MEd, CCC-SLP, (https://dysphagiacafe.com/author/ebice) is a Clinical Consultant for IOPI Medical and works clinically at a nonprofit speech and hearing clinic. He has experience in various settings, including acute care, outpatient, home health, and skilled nursing. Mr. Bice has held various leadership positions, including Vice President of Clinical Services and Chief Operating Officer. He has been a guest on national and international dysphagia podcasts and has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals. Mr. Bice teaches swallowing courses at the University of Maryland, has served as an expert witness, and has been an invited speaker for universities, state, national, and international conventions.
The Education Shelf
Robert Franek
The Princeton Review
c/o Random House Inc.
www.PrincetonReview.com
9780593517505, $26.99, PB, 896pp
https://www.amazon.com/Best-390-Colleges-2025-Depth/dp/0593517504
Synopsis: The Princeton Review's college rankings started in 1992 with surveys from 30,000 students. Over 30 years and more than a million student surveys later, "The Best 390 Colleges: 2025" is an exhaustively comprehensive compendium that offers aspiring students and their parents with 390 in-depth school profiles based on candid feedback from 160,000+ students, covering academics, administration, campus life, and financial aid; Insights on unique college character, social scene, and more; Direct quotes from students about their school's professors, campus culture, career services, and more.
"The Best 390 Colleges: 2025" also features lists of the top 25 colleges in 50 categories based on students' opinions of academics, campus life, facilities, as well as ratings for every school on basis of Financial Aid, Selectivity, and Quality of Life.
Of special note is the "Inside Word" on competitive applications, test scores, tuition, and average indebtedness, as well as comprehensive information on selectivity, freshman profiles, and application deadlines at each school. Plus free access to 2 full-length practice tests online (1 SAT and 1 ACT) to help you prep for the important admissions-exams part of your admissions journey.
Critique: Thoroughly 'user/researcher friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Best 390 Colleges: 2025" is a core and unreservedly recommended addition to family, highschool counselor, community, and college/university library College/Graduate School Reference & Resource collection.
Editorial Note #1: Robert Franek (http://www.robfranek.com) is the Editor-in-Chief at The Princeton Review, is a nationally sourced expert on colleges and higher education issues. Over his 29-year career, he has been a test-prep tutor/teacher, college admissions administrator, editor, publisher, author, lecturer, and media contributor. He has visited more than 1,200 high schools and more than 1,000 colleges and grad schools. He has directed more than 95 of The Princeton Review's education surveys. As Editor-in-Chief at The Princeton Review, Rob is the publishing director of a line of more than 150 books published by Penguin Random House.
Editorial Note 2: The experts at The Princeton Review have been helping students, parents, and educators achieve the best results at every stage of the education process since 1981. The Princeton Review has helped millions succeed on standardized tests, and provides expert advice and instruction to help parents, teachers, students, and schools navigate the complexities of school admission. In addition to classroom courses in over 40 states and 20 countries, The Princeton Review also offers online and school-based courses, one-to-one and small-group tutoring, as well as online services in both admission counseling and academic homework help.
Social Skill of the Week Curriculum
Amy Riccio, Laura Sokolofsky, and Beth McGraw
Boys Town Press
www.boystownpress.org
9798889070184, $37.95, PB, 210pp
https://www.amazon.com/Social-Skill-Week-Curriculum-Classrooms/dp/B0D7NP7DP5
Synopsis: "Social Skill of the Week Curriculum: 42 Weeks of Lesson Plans for K-6 Classrooms" provides a simple and effective curriculum specifically designed to help classroom teachers empower all students with the skills they need to be more successful at school and in life.
Created primarily for K-6 general education classrooms, the curriculum features forty-two life skills, allowing teachers to focus on one skill per week during an average school year. Each lesson is divided into daily activities that can be taught in five to fifteen minutes, depending on the chosen activities (role-plays, large- and small-group discussion, journaling, video learning, and reading).
In addition to the forty-two primary skills, there are eight extension skills that closely align with and complement a specific skill. Primary and extension skills can be taught together, during the same week, or the extension skill can be taught separately.
The lessons are written to support daily Planned Teaching, an instructional strategy which draws upon the best evidence-based instructional practices for behavior. The lessons also can be taught in any order, so educators can choose a Skill of the Week schedule that best meets the needs of their learning community.
The curriculum includes basic skills, such as Introducing Yourself and Following Instructions, and more advanced skills, such as Valuing Differences and Interrupting or Changing Negative or Harmful Thoughts. All of the skills are easily adaptable to reflect a student's specific abilities and cultural norms, and each lesson can be shortened or expanded based on time and student needs.
The lessons also include a skill poster that highlights the skill name, its behavioral steps, and a visual illustration of what the skill looks like in practice. The posters are available as downloads, offering teachers the opportunity to post them in their classrooms or distribute them to students to color and decorate.
Critique: In creating "Social Skill of the Week Curriculum: 42 Weeks of Lesson Plans for K-6 Classrooms", veteran educators and seasoned counselors Amy Riccio, Laura Sokolofsky, and Beth McGraw have drawn upon their decades of experience working with diverse student populations in elementary and middle schools, self-contained classrooms, and alternative education settings. "Social Skill of the Week Curriculum" is highly recommended for use with students in grades K-6 and an ideal contribution to in-service teacher education workshops. This large format (8.5 x 1 x 11 inches, 1 pound) paperback edition of "Social Skill of the Week Curriculum" from Boys Town Press is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to elementary school, scholl district, and college/university library Education Curriculum Development collections and supplemental Teacher Education curriculum studies lists.
The Cookbook Shelf
Rowena Scherer
Collective Book Studio
https://thecollectivebook.studio
9781685551728, $29.95, HC, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/Taste-World-Celebrating-Global-Flavors/dp/1685551726
Synopsis: From Rowena Scherer, founder of Eat2Explore, "A Taste of the World: Celebrating Global Flavors" is a carefully curated collection of recipes celebrating global cuisine and designed to be made by families with kids of all ages. Each recipe is a full meal and includes step-by-step instructions so parents can safely have their kids join in the fun while learning about other cultures through their traditional foods.
"A Taste of the World" offers: 64 kid-friendly recipes ranging from Pork Katsu from Japan and Vegetable Korma from India to Lamb Kebabs from Morocco and Black Bean Enchiladas from Mexico; Short selections of facts of 20 different countries as well as adorable in-color illustrations of their landmarks; Full-color photographs of each finished dish and the steps along the way.
Critique: "A Taste of the World: Celebrating Global Flavors" is a fun way to plan memorable menus that begin as family affairs in the kitchen where children can join their parents to make palate pleasing, appetite satisfying dishes to fit any and all dining occasions both formal and informal. Beautifully illustrated, thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "A Taste of the World: Celebrating Global Flavors" is a prized and unreservedly recommended pick for family, personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "A Taste of the World: Celebrating Global Flavors" from the Collective Studio is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Rowena Scherer (https://eat2explore.com/pages/our-story) grew up in Malaysia and her fondest memories are from when she cooked in the kitchen with her family. Years later, after working on Wall Street and living all over the world, she decided she wanted to create the same lasting memories with her children. She attended the French Culinary Institute, began to source hard-to-find non-perishable ingredients that highlighted her cherished foods, and started eat2explore, an explorer box filled with authentic recipes, activities, and collectibles that offered a worldwide cultural education through the exploration of food.
The Modern Hippie Table
Lauren Thomas, author
Kristy Horst, photographer
Collective Book Studio
https://thecollectivebook.studio
9781685550066, $35.00, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Modern-Hippie-Table-Recipes-Beautifully/dp/1685550061
Synopsis: "Simple and nostalgic" meets "new and sophisticated" in author and blogger Lauren Thomas' lifestyle cookbook, "The Modern Hippie Table: Recipes and Menus for Eating Simply and Living Beautifully".
From tablescapes to menu planning to cocktail mixing, hosts are invited to slow down and create sanctuary at home, using food and conversation to forge family bonds and lifelong friendships at the table.
"The Modern Hippie Table" offers: 70+ recipes including Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Tofu and Veggie Fried Rice, Ten-Minute Smoky Tomato Penne, Vegan Chocolate Donuts with Strawberry Icing, and dozens more; A combination of fresh ingredients and original takes on dinner staples; Gorgeous, accessible decorating ideas for aesthetic table setting.
With an array of suggested menus for easy meal planning and stunning photography from Kristy Horst, "The Modern Hippie Table" encourages everyone to find joy and ease in the art of cooking and entertaining for gatherings big and small.
Critique: Beautifully illustrated with full color photos of finished dishes by photographer Kristy Horst, thie large format (7.75 x 1 x 10 inches, 2.25 pounds) hardcover edition of "The Modern Hippie Table: Recipes and Menus for Eating Simply and Living Beautifully" is an inspiring resource for planning memorable meals with family and friends for any and all dining occasions and celebrations. Thoroughly 'kitchen cook friend' in organization and presentation, and also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99), "The Modern Hippie Table: Recipes and Menus for Eating Simply and Living Beautifully" will prove to be a prized pick for personal, professional, and community/public library lifestyle and cookbook collections..
Editorial Note #1: Lauren Thomas (https://laurenthomas.org) began writing her debut lifestyle cookbook, The Modern Hippie Table, after her creative journey as a lifestyle blogger inspired women to feel good in their own skin, reinvent their passion for the home and to have fun in the kitchen. Whether she's working with flavors in the kitchen or setting the scene for a beautiful evening, Lauren's passion for merging good food and conversation brings people together at the table and can turn an evening into a lasting memory.
Editorial Note #2: Kristy Horst (https://fable.co/author/kristy-horst) is a seasoned photographer with an absolute love of her trade. A pro with a critical perspective who has pursued her craft for over 20 years, she spent the bulk of her career as lead photographer at top-tier creative agencies. Now heading up her own photography business, she enjoys the ability to pursue projects that inspire and excite.
A Day in Hong Kong: A Cantonese Cookbook
ArChan Chan
Smith Street Books
c/o Rizzoli
www.rizzoliusa.com
9781923049475, $29.95, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Day-Hong-Kong-Cantonese-Cookbook/dp/192304947X
Synopsis: "A Day in Hong Kong: A Cantonese Cookbook" is a culinary journey through a vibrant Chinese city that is bursting at the seams with incredible food and the people who love to eat it. Now American kitchen cooks can experience the city through Hong Kong's most iconic dishes, then recreate them for their families and friends at home.
From bustling wet markets to fine-dining restaurants, "A Day in Hong Kong: A Cantonese Cookbook" takes you on a delicious food adventure from breakfast through to dinner, showcasing the diverse tastes and ingredients of Chinese cuisine. Start the day with a traditional Hong Kong breakfast: congee (rice porridge) and yau cha kwai (oil fried bread sticks). As the day progresses, street-eat recipes include Sichuan-style chao shou (wontons), fresh and steaming har gow dim sum (steamed shrimp dumplings), and ngau lam mein (beef brisket noodles). There are plenty of sweets, too, including "pineapple" bread, alongside a cup of HK-style milk tea.
Capture the delicious flavors of Hong Kong at home with 70 recipes and insider tips on where to find the best local eats. "A Day in Hong Kong: A Cantonese Cookbook" is the ultimate culinary guide for food and travel enthusiasts alike.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with full page, full color photos of finished dishes, "A Day in Hong Kong: A Cantonese Cookbook" is a delightful blend of travel guide and cookbook that is a please to browse through and to plan memorable DIY menus for any and all dining occasions. A culinary compendium memorable and iconic Cantonese dishes, "A Day in Hong Kong: A Cantonese Cookbook" is unreservedly recommended for personal, family, professional, and community/public library Ethnic Cookbook collections.
Editorial Note: Hong Kong-born chef ArChan Chan adopted her love for food at a young age, watching her grandmother prepare each flavorful meal with a desire to nurture, connect, and share precious moments with family over food. After relocating to Melbourne, Australia, Chan worked in the kitchens of the city's most iconic restaurants, before being appointed head chef at Ricky & Pinky. She is currently heading the kitchen at Singapore's LeVeL 33.
Chef AJ's Sweet Indulgence
Chef AJ, author
Glen Merzer, contributor
BPC
c/o The Book Publishing Company
www.BookPubCo.com
9781570674242, $34.95, HC, 296pp
https://www.amazon.com/Chef-AJs-Sweet-Indulgence-Guilt-Free/dp/1570674248
Synopsis: Chef AJ's love affair with desserts began with the gift of an Easy Bake Oven when she was seven years old. While her passion for creating them has not wavered, her choice of sweeteners changed from sugar to the natural sweetness found in whole foods. Her outrageously delicious plant-based desserts are gluten- and sugar-free and contain no added salt or oil.
Each of the 150+ recipes comprising her newest cookbook, "Chef AJ's Sweet Indulgence: Guilt-Free Treats Sweetened Naturally with Fruit" have indicators that rate each dessert for sweetness (Subtly Sweet, Nice & Sweet, Superbly Sweet) and fat content (Low-fat, Semi-decadent, Rich & Decadent) allowing you to select just the right treat for the occasion and company.
"Chef AJ's Sweet Indulgence: Guilt-Free Treats Sweetened Naturally with Fruit" is the ultimate recipe collection of bars, brownies, cakes, cheesecakes, cobblers, cookies, crisps, cupcakes, ice cream, mousses, muffins, pies, and tarts (often accompanied by mouth-watering photos) will inspire you to create healthy rather than guilty pleasures.
Critique: A palate pleasing delight to simply browse through one inspiring page at a time, "Chef AJ's Sweet Indulgence: Guilt-Free Treats Sweetened Naturally with Fruit" is an ideal resource for the kitchen cook to plan dessert and snacking menus with for any and all dining occasions both form and informal. Comprised of more than 150 vegan and gluten-free dessert recipes, "Chef AJ's Sweet Indulgence: Guilt-Free Treats Sweetened Naturally with Fruit" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, family, professional, and community library Dessert Cookbook collections. It should be noted that this large format (8 x 1 x 10 inches, 2.5 pounds) hardcover edition of "Chef AJ's Sweet Indulgence: Guilt-Free Treats Sweetened Naturally with Fruit" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note #1: Chef AJ (www.facebook.com/chef.aj1) has followed a plant-exclusive diet for almost fifty years. She hosts the popular daily YouTube show Chef AJ Live! She also hosted the series Healthy Living with Chef AJ, which aired on FoodyTV. In 2018, she was inducted into the Vegan Hall of Fame. She is the author of the books, Unprocessed 10th Anniversary Edition and The Secrets to Ultimate Weight Loss, and the co-author of Own Your Health.
Editorial Note #2: Glen Merzer (www.glenmerzer.com) is a playwright and screenwriter. His podcast The Glen Merzer Show can be found on YouTube. He is also the author of America Goes Vegan! and Food is Climate.
A Couple Cooks: 100 Recipes to Cook Together
Sonja & Alex Overhiser, authors
Shelly Westerhausen Worcel, photographer
Chronicle Books
www.chroniclebooks.com
9781797222998, $40.00, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Couple-Cooks-Recipes-Cook-Together/dp/1797222996
Synopsis: Whether it's a weeknight dinner or a homespun candlelit date night, somebody has to get dinner on the table. And what if that task was something you could do in tandem with someone you feel close to, making the work more pleasurable and spending quality time together? "A Couple Cooks: 100 Recipes to Cook Together" by co-authors Sonja and Alex Overhiser is the ideal cookbook and guide to making this dream a reality.
Showcasing over 100 recipes for all occasions that range from everyday dinners and large gatherings to intimate dinners for two, "A Couple Cooks" is specifically designed to make meal planning and prep a stress-free and enjoyable experience. With designated roles for each partner, each recipe is crafted to be made lovingly by two:
Having friends over for a weekend dinner? Have your sous chef put out Whipped Ricotta Crostini with Hot Honey while you're prepping the Smoky Spinach and Artichoke Lasagna.
Craving a sweet pick-me-up at the end of a long week? Prep the dry ingredients while your partner preps the wet ingredients, and chow down on hard-earned Brown Butter Miso Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars together.
Brimming with vibrant photography by Shelly Westerhausen Worcel, "A Couple Cooks" also includes tips and tricks for hosting, upping the romance in the home, table setting and styling, and enhancing your home bar cart. Much more than your average weeknight cookbook, A Couple Cooks" will prove to be an inspiring and hardworking guide on how to make the most of the quotidian moments that make up our days by relishing time spent together, working as a team.
Critique: This large format (8.05 x 1.06 x 11.4 inches, 3.8 pounds) hardcover edition of "A Couple Cooks: 100 Recipes to Cook Together" from Chronicle Books is an elegant compendium of thoroughly 'kitchen cook' friendly recipes that will be as fun to make together with a friend or spouse as they are palate pleasing and appetite satisfying. Ideal for menu planning and as a dating activity at home, "A Couple Cooks: 100 Recipes to Cook Together" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that this edition of Sonja and Alex Overhiser's "A Couple Cooks" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $27.99).
Editorial Note #1: Sonja and Alex Overhiser are the photographer and writer behind the award-winning food blog 'A Couple Cooks', the winner of the IACP Best Individual Blog award. They are also the authors of Pretty Simple Cooking, named a best vegetarian cookbook by Epicurious and Food & Wine, and "Voraciously: Plant Powered," a series with the Washington Post. Sonja is cofounder of the Food + Wellness Equity Collective and Indy Women in Food.
Editorial Note #2: Shelly Westerhausen Worcel is the author and photographer behind Vegetarian 'Ventures, a meat-free blog that focuses on the adventurous side of vegetarian cooking. She is a freelance recipe developer, writer, and photographer whose work has been featured in Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Saveur, and Vegetarian Living. She stopped eating meat at age twelve, and, growing up in Indiana, she's watched (and helped!) Midwestern vegetarian cuisine develop into the rich and tasty scene it is now.
Spicy Salsas & Moles
Ericka Sanchez & Nicole Presley
Familius
www.familius.com
9781641708920, $19.99, HC, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Spicy-Salsas-Moles-Cookbook-Mexican/dp/1641708921
Synopsis: With the publication of "Spicy Salsas & Moles: A Cookbook for Lovers of Mexican Heat", Mexican American co-authors and recipe creators Erica Sanchez and Nicole Presley are dishing up all their dirty secrets for authentic salsa in this authentic collection guaranteed to make you sweat.
From cooked salsas and fresh salsas to moles and enchilada sauces, your taste buds will be tingling with every tempting full-color photo. With a range of heat levels, you can turn up the spice with Mango Habanero Salsa or go for a slow burn with Smoky Red Pepper Salsa. Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with full page, full color photos of finished dishes, this very special cookbook includes instructions for prepping and seasoning your molcajete, and a recipe for homemade tortilla chips that gives a whole new meaning to the term "love triangle".
Critique: A simply outstanding culinary collection showcasing some of the best of Mexican cuisine in general, and recipes to turn even skeptics into salsa lovers in particular, "Spicy Salsas & Moles: A Cookbook for Lovers of Mexican Heat" by recipe developers Ericka Sanchez and Nicole Presley will prove an important and invaluable addition to personal, family, professional, and community/public library Ethnic Cookbook collections. It should be noted that this edition of "Spicy Salsas & Moles: A Cookbook for Lovers of Mexican Heat" from Familius is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note #1: Ericka Sanchez (https://nibblesandfeasts.com) is a recipe developer, food stylist, and the creator of the award-winning culinary website nibblesandfeasts.com. Ericka's cooking style is inspired by her life as a bicultural Latina living in California and her cherished memories in the kitchen with her grandmother and mother in Mexico, where she lived until she was eight years old. (www.simplyrecipes.com/ericka-sanchez-6755231)
Editorial Note #2: Nicole Presley (https://presleyspantry.com) is a culinary enthusiast and recipe developer passionate about culture and food. Her childhood and life experiences drove her to create Presley's Pantry, a platform from her East LA kitchen that celebrates family, food, and original recipes.
A Recipe for Every Day of the Year
Francesca Huntingdon
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9780600638261, $24.99 HC, $11.99 Kindle, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Recipe-Every-Day-Year-timeless/dp/060063826X
A Recipe for Every Day of the Year: A Year of Timeless, Seasonal and Trusted Recipes is a seasonal celebration of key dates, festivities, and winning dishes which reinforce gatherings and fresh seasonal fare. Over three hundred recipes embrace easy directions, sweet and savory dishes, and international influences, represented in such fair as Asian-fused Ginger Pork Chops, Indian-jazzed Mango, Coconut & Lime Lassi, or an Indonesian Gado Gado Salad.
While some dishes will be familiar, others will be refreshingly different. What A Recipe for Every Day of the Year lacks in photographic reinforcement is more than made up in the diversity of dishes, which will appeal to cooks and libraries seeking an appealingly novel, diverse year-round recipe collection.
The Interior Design Shelf
Atlanta Bartlett & Dave Coote
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781784729547, $39.99 HC, $17.99 Kindle, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Romantic-Minimalist-Simple-Homes-Soul/dp/178472954X
The Romantic Realist: Simple Homes With Soul comes from two designers who focus on adding elements of romance into their reworking and decorating approaches, applying minimalism to simplify its creation and reinforcement in a home. Full-page color photo examples back a discussion accompanied by insights on the environment, locale, and design intentions of each space. This approach gives students of interior design a wide range of discussions and examples of how minimalism and romanticism can combine in the design world. Students of design as well as arts libraries will want to include The Romantic Realist for its wide-ranging discussions of how different approaches to design can be applied to a broad range of abodes and atmospheric intentions.
The American History Shelf
John May
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476695242, $29.95, PB, 269pp
https://www.amazon.com/Founding-English-America-Introduction-Jamestown/dp/1476695245
Synopsis: In 1577, John Dee, a scientist/philosopher who served as an advisor to Queen Elizabeth I, proposed to her the creation of colonies in the New World. Neither Elizabeth nor Walter Raleigh imagined the task would be so difficult or take more than 30 years.
The effort started with an exploration of the coast of today's North Carolina and the settlement of a colony on Roanoke Island in 1585. This ended tragically and became known as The Lost Colony, its fate a mystery to this day. James I resumed the effort with the founding of Jamestown in 1607 on an island in the James River in today's Virginia.
With the publication of "The Founding of English America: An Introduction to the Lost Colony and Jamestown", John May relates the histories of the Roanoke and Jamestown colonies to enable a full understanding of the founding of English America. Important events in America's beginnings, including the wreck of the Sea Venture (which inspired William Shakespeare's The Tempest), the Algonquin chief Powhatan's plans to make the newcomers useful to him, and the relationship between Pocahontas and English Captain John Smith are highlighted.
Critique: Exceptional, informative, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Founding of English America: An Introduction to the Lost Colony and Jamestown" also features a Tudor Family Tree, a ten page Dramatis Personae, a six page Introduction, a fourteen page Epilogue, forty-eight pages of Chapter Notes, a six page Bibliography, and a twelve page Index. A solid pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library American History collections, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Founding of English America: An Introduction to the Lost Colony and Jamestown" is also available from McFarland & Company in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99) as well.
Editorial Note: John May is an author and former business executive who resides in Pittsboro, North Carolina. His first work, a historical novel, was a finalist for the Thomas Wolfe Prize.
The World History Shelf
Paul Martin
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805318386, $45.00, HC, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Swords-Armor-Masterpieces-Warriors/dp/4805318384
Synopsis: Paul Martin is a world-renowned scholar of Japanese swords and with the publication of "Japanese Swords and Armor: Masterpieces from Thirty of Japan's Most Famous Samurai Warriors" takes us on a journey of discovery of samurai culture through an examination of valuable weapons and armor belonging to thirty of Japan's most celebrated warriors, many of which are classified as Important Cultural Propertiesor National Treasures and therefore rarely seen by the public.
"Japanese Swords and Armor" covers the entire development of the samurai class, from the 10th to the 19th centuries, and offers a compelling journey into the minds and aesthetic sensibilities of the legendary warriors through a wealth of iconography with art images, exclusive photographs and life-size reproductions of some of the most prestigious swords in history.
"Japanese Swords and Armor" provides a close-up look at scores of magnificent blades, fittings and armor which belonged to thirty of the most famous warriors and leaders in Japanese history including:
A wooden sword commissioned and owned by Miyamoto Musashi - Japan's greatest swordsman; an exact replica of the sword he wielded at the legendary duel on Ganryu-jima Island
The tachi blade worn by Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the powerful unifier of Japan - which was later presented to the Meiji Emperor
The katchu (armor) belonging to Minamoto no Yoshitsune, hero of the Genpei Wars and later gifted as a votive offering to the Kasuga Shrine in Nara
The naginata (halberd) said to be the favored weapon of Tomoe Gozen, Japan's famous female Samurai, that was immortalized in the classic book Tale of the Heike
And many more!
These masterful works of art are presented in 200 stunning color photos including eight double gatefolds. This is a must-have work for all enthusiasts and experienced collectors, as well as for those approaching this fascinating subject for the first time.
Critique: This large format (10 x 10 x 1.06 inches, 3.31 pounds), beautifully illustrated, hardcover, coffee-table style edition of Paul Martin's "Japanese Swords and Armor: Masterpieces from Thirty of Japan's Most Famous Samurai Warriors" will prove to be an enduringly popular and prized addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Japanese History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Japanese Swords and Armor: Masterpieces from Thirty of Japan's Most Famous Samurai Warriors" is also readily available from Tuttle Publishing in a digital book format (Kindle, $42.75).
Editorial Note: Paul Martin is a Tokyo-based Japanese sword and culture specialist who brings expertise from his tenure as a curator at the British Museum, where he managed the Japanese arms and armor collections. With a Master's Degree in Asian Studies, he's a Trustee for the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Sword Culture and founder of the Shin-Gobankaji Project. He is the first non-Japanese recipient and two-time winner of Tokyo's sword appraisal competition. Paul has translated for major Japanese sword exhibitions, authored key books and DVDs, and appeared on global TV networks from the Discovery Channel, to History Channel, National Geographic, NHK World, and the BBC.
They Did It First
Kenneth F. Kitchell, Jr.
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
www.bolchazy.com
9780865168848, $19.00, PB, 238pp
https://www.bolchazy.com/They-Did-It-First-P3991
Synopsis: How did the ancients treat their pets? What did they do if they needed a quick bite to eat? What sorts of games did their children play? Such details emerge in "They Did It First: The Skills of the Ancient Greeks and Romans" by historian Kenneth F. Kitchell, Jr.
This impressive compendium of "out-of-the-way" facts and amusing anecdotes, sheds light on daily life in classical Greece and Rome. "They Did It First" also provides a multifaceted look at the ancient world, ranging from the obscure to the surprisingly familiar, by deftly weaving together evidence from written sources and material culture. As author and historian Kitchell proceeds through an assortment of topics, parallels between antiquity and the modern world become clear.
Like its companion quotation collection, Kenneth Kitchell's "They Said It First The Wisdom of the Ancient Greeks and Romans", this miscellany comprising his "The Did It First" is suitable for both casual readers and those looking for an accessible reference guide. Well-considered citations of both primary and secondary sources encourage further research, perfect for anyone curious about the activities and inventions of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
Critique: A fun, informative, and fascinating read from start to finish, "They Did It First: The Skills of the Ancient Greeks and Romans" is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of numerous B/W illustrations, Notes on the Text, a listing of References, an Appendix (Ancient Authors Cited), eighteen pages of Notes, and a twenty-three page Bibliography. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "They Did It First" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Greco/Roman history collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Kenneth F. Kitchell, Jr. is Professor Emeritus of Classics and former Director of the MAT Program at University of Massachusetts. He received a PhD from Loyola University of Chicago. Kitchell has won several teaching awards and has presented over 150 scholarly talks. He has been active in promoting the study of classics for such groups as the Classical Association of the Middle West and South, where he served as president, and the American Philological Association, as Vice-President for Education, and as the president of the American Classical League. With Thomas J. Sienkewicz, Kitchell is the coeditor of the LEGAMUS series and coauthor of Disce! An Introductory Latin Course (2010). Kitchell is coauthor with Sean Smith of Catullus: A LEGAMUS Transitional Reader (2006), author of Animals in the Ancient World from A to Z (2014), as well as the author of numerous articles and book chapters.
The Civil War Shelf
David A. Powell
Savas Beatie LLC
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611216950, $39.95, HC, 624pp
https://www.amazon.com/Atlanta-Campaign-Dalton-Cassville-1-19/dp/1611216958
Synopsis: For scope, drama, and importance, the Atlanta Campaign was second only to Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign in Virginia. Despite its criticality and massive array of primary source material, it has lingered in the shadows of other campaigns and has yet to receive the treatment it deserves. David A. Powell's "The Atlanta Campaign, Volume 1: Dalton to Cassville, May 1-19, 1864" published by Savas Beatie is the first in a planned five-volume treatment will end that oversight.
Once Grant decided to go east and lead the Federal armies against Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, he chose William T. Sherman to do the same in Georgia against Joseph E. Johnston and his ill-starred Army of Tennessee. Sherman's base was Chattanooga; Johnston's was Atlanta. The grueling campaign opened on May 1, 1864.
While Grant and Lee grappled with one another like wrestlers, Sherman and Johnston parried and feinted like fencers. Johnston eschewed the offensive while hoping to lure Sherman into headlong assaults against fortified lines. Sherman disliked the uncertainty of battle and preferred maneuvering. When Johnston dug in, Sherman sought his flanks and turned the Confederates out of seemingly impregnable positions in a campaign noted Civil War historian Richard M. McMurry dubbed "the Red Clay Minuet."
Contrary to popular belief Sherman did not set out to capture Atlanta. His orders were "to move against Johnston's army, to break it up and to get into the interior of the enemy's country... inflicting all the damage you can against their war resources." No Civil War army could survive long without its logistical base, and Atlanta was vital to the larger Confederate war effort. As Johnston retreated, Southern fears for the city grew. As Sherman advanced, Northern expectations increased.
This first installment of The Atlanta Campaign relies on a mountain of primary source material and extensive experience with the terrain to examine the battles of Dalton, Resaca, Rome Crossroads, Adairsville, and Cassville -- the first phase of the long and momentous campaign. While none of these engagements matched the bloodshed of the Wilderness or Spotsylvania, each witnessed periods of intense fighting and key decision-making. The largest fight, Resaca, produced more than 8,000 killed, wounded, and missing in just two days. In between these actions the armies skirmished daily in a campaign its participants would recall as the "100 days' fight."
Like Powell's The Chickamauga Campaign trilogy, this multi-volume study will break new ground and promises to be this generation's definitive treatment of one of the most important and fascinating confrontations of the entire Civil War.
Critique: The first book in a five-volume study of the Atlanta Campaign, "The Atlanta Campaign: Volume 1: Dalton to Cassville, May 1 - 19, 1864" by author and American Civil War historian David A. Powell is informatively enhanced with the inclusion of a number of Maps, an eleven page Order of Battle, an eleven page Bibliography, and a fifteen page Index. A monumental beginning to an impressively researched and presented history of the Union army's Atlanta Campaign against the Confederate army, this first volume must receive critical acclaim and a comprehensive work of meticulous scholarship and leave the reader looking eagerly toward the next four installments in this simply outstanding series. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99), "The Atlanta Campaign: Volume 1: Dalton to Cassville, May 1 - 19, 1864" is an essential and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, and college/university library American Civil War History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: David A. Powell (https://emergingcivilwar.com/contributor/david-a-powell) is a 1983 graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and the award-winning author of many books, including The Chickamauga Campaign trilogy.
Holding Charleston by the Bridle
W. Clifford Roberts, Jr. & Matthew A. M. Locke
Savas Beatie LLC
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611217148, $32.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Holding-Charleston-Bridle-Castle-Pinckney/dp/1611217148
Synopsis: On the eve of the Civil War, the London Times informed its readers that Castle Pinckney has "been kept garrisoned, not to protect Charleston from naval attack from the ocean, but to serve as a bridle upon the city."
Located on a marshy island in the center of Charleston's magnificent harbor, the large cannons on the ramparts of this horseshoe-shaped masonry fort had the ability to command downtown Charleston and the busy wharves along East Bay Street. This inescapable fact made Pinckney an important chess piece in the secession turmoil of 1832 and 1850, and in the months leading up to the 1861 bombardment of Fort Sumter.
"Holding Charleston by the Bridle: Castle Pinckney and the Civil War: by co-authors W. Clifford Roberts, Jr. and Matthew A. M. Locke is the first book on the subject and ranges from the fort's innovative design as part of America's "Second System" of coastal fortifications, to the modern challenges of preserving its weathered brick walls against rising sea levels.
The impressive bastion was constructed as a state-of-the-art seacoast fortress on the eve of the War of 1812. Luminaries including President James Monroe and Gens. Winfield Scott, Robert E. Lee, and P. G. T. Beauregard inspected its casemates and barracks. The history of Pinckney is as impressive as its list of visiting VIPs.
Defending the fort was one of Winfield Scott's major concerns during the Nullification Crisis of 1832. Seminole Indians and Africans from the illegal slave ship Echo were held there. In 1860, Maj. Robert Anderson knew Pinckney was the key to protecting his small Federal garrison at Fort Moultrie, but his requests to Washington for troops to hold it went unheeded. That December, three companies of Charleston militia scaled Pinckney's walls and seized the fort in a daring act that pushed the nation to the edge of civil war.
After First Manassas (Bull Run), 156 captured Yankee officers and enlisted men were sent to the island, and in 1863, members of the famous 54th Massachusetts were held there as POWs. The fort's guns helped defend Charleston during the war's longest siege. By 1865, the old fortress had been transformed into an earthen barbette battery with a Brooke Rifle and three giant 10-inch Columbiads. During Reconstruction Pinckney became an "American Bastille" for Southerners accused of crimes against the government.
Co-authors Roberts and Locke rely on extensive primary research and archaeological evidence to tell the full story of Castle Pinckney for the first time. Given its importance to America's history, it is a history long overdue.
Critique: A seminal and ground-breaking study with occasional B/W illustrations, eighteen Appendices, a ten page Bibliography, a one page listing of Abbreviations, and an eleven page Index, "Holding Charleston by the Bridle: Castle Pinckney and the Civil War" is an extraordinary, comprehensive, and brilliant addition to the growing library of American Civil War histories. While also available for the personal reading lists of students and Civil War buffs in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99), "Holding Charleston by the Bridle: Castle Pinckney and the Civil War" is a welcome and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Civil War collections and supplemental Civil War History curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: W. Clifford Roberts, Jr. is a retired businessman and educator and co-author of Atlanta's Fighting 42nd: Joseph Johnston's "Old Guard" (2020). Cliff was raised outside of Washington, D.C. He has a BA in Southern History from Vanderbilt University (1981) and an MBA from Emory University (1983). Cliff is an active board member of several historical, preservation, and genealogical associations.
Editorial Note #2: As a passionate student of the Civil War and living historian, Matthew Locke visited Charleston in 1999, fell in love with the city, and became fascinated with Castle Pinckney. He moved to South Carolina in 2001 and began researching the history of the Castle and Shute's Folly Island. In 2021, he was appointed as a Guardian of Castle Pinckney and works there with archeologists, historians, and conservationists.
Civil War Scoundrels and the Texas Cotton Trade
Walter E. Wilson
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476681276, $39.95, PB, 223pp
https://www.amazon.com/Civil-Scoundrels-Texas-Cotton-Trade/dp/1476681279
Synopsis: During the Civil War, scoundrels from both the Union and Confederate sides were able to execute illicit, but ingenious, schemes to acquire Texas cotton. Texas was the only Confederate state that bordered a neutral country (Mexico), was never forcibly conquered, and its coast was impossible to effectively blockade.
Using little known contemporary sources, with the publication of "Civil War Scoundrels and the Texas Cotton Trade", Walter E. Wilson reveals how charlatans exploited these conditions to run the blockade, import machinery and weapons, and defraud the state's most prominent political, military and civilian leaders in the process.
Best known for his role in the romantic entanglements of his co-conspirator William Sprague, Harris Hoyt stands out due to his sharp intellect and fascinating character. Hoyt was able to draw most of Abraham Lincoln's inner circle into his web of deceit and even influenced the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson.
"Civil War Scoundrels and the Texas Cotton Trade" is the first account to expose the depth and breadth of the many Texas cotton trading scams and the sheer audacity of the shadowy men who profited from them, but managed to escape the gallows.
Critique: A simply fascinating read from start to finish, "Civil War Scoundrels and the Texas Cotton Trade" is an extraordinary and welcome addition to the growing library of American Civil War History & Biography studies. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, this seminal and ground-breaking history is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Civil War collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, nonspecialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Civil War Scoundrels and the Texas Cotton Trade" is also available from McFarland & Company in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.99).
Editorial Note: Walter E. Wilson is a retired Navy Captain and the former head of U.S. Naval Intelligence operations in Europe. He has authored numerous articles and reviews.
The Military Shelf
Mick Ryan
Naval Institute Press
www.nip.org
9781682479520, $34.95, HC, 360pp
https://www.amazon.com/War-Ukraine-Strategy-Adaptation-Under/dp/1682479528
Synopsis: The current Russo-Ukraine War is a vital learning opportunity for military strategists across the globe. The first and clearest lesson to be gleaned from it is this: the soundness of a military's strategy and the nimbleness with which it can adapt to unforeseen circumstances are the two most important factors in deciding victory or defeat.
With the publication of "The War for Ukraine: Strategy and Adaptation Under Fire", retired major general (Australian Army) Mick Ryan analyzes the war through these twin lenses of strategy and adaptation, detailing how each army has succeeded or failed to plan for and adapt to this twenty-first century war.
Ryan examines the foundations of Ukrainian and Russian strategy for their ongoing war, looking back over several decades to reveal how both sides have evolved their military strategy and force structure. Each has undertaken institutional-level reforms of their military and national security enterprises in the decade leading up to this war. But because the emergent behavior of military forces after fighting begins cannot be fully predicted, these prewar reforms only constitute a starting point for adaptation during the war.
Part I of "The War For Ukraine" covers the role of strategic leadership, with a focus on evolution of strategy since February 2022. From there, Part 2 of "The War For Ukraine" delves into how the Ukrainians and Russians have adapted their tactics, organizations, operational approaches, and strategic foundations for war-making throughout the conflict.
Central to this discussion are the ways that, regardless of cutting-edge technology, human elements have remained a crucial deciding factor in Ukraine. Ryan shows how good leadership allows a nation to navigate the ambiguity and uncertainty of conflict, while poor leadership leaves it vulnerable to surprises.
Likewise, "The War for Ukraine" offers case studies of the importance of an institution's ability to nurture and reward human learning as it relates to combat. This study provides strategists, policymakers, and military leaders with a basis from which to plan for constant adaption in military organizations. General readers of contemporary global conflict will also find "The War for Ukraine of great interest.
Critique: Informative enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a Chronology (February 2022 - July 2023), sixty-eight pages of Notes, a thirty-two page Select Bibliography, and a nineteen page Index, "The War for Ukraine: Strategy and Adaptation Under Fire" is a seminal and ground-breaking study. Essential reading for anyone with an interest in contemporary military strategy and the present conflict between Russia and Ukraine, "The War for Ukraine: Strategy and Adaptation Under Fire" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, military strategists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The War for Ukraine: Strategy and Adaptation Under Fire" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.22).
Editorial Note: Mick Ryan is a retired major general in the Australian Army and a distinguished graduate of Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, as well as the USMC Command and Staff College and USMC School of Advanced Warfare. Ryan is a passionate advocate of professional education and lifelong learning. He has commanded at platoon, squadron, regiment, task force, and brigade levels. Ryan has also led strategic planning organizations in the Australian Army and led several reform programs in the past decade. He is a Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Lowy Institute. He is the author of War Transformed: The Future of Twenty-First Century Great Power Competition and Conflict (Naval Institute Press, 2022).
The Wildlife Shelf
Mark O'Shea & Simon Maddock
Princeton University Press
https://press.princeton.edu
9780691248301, $29.95, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Frogs-World-Guide-Every-Family/dp/0691248303
Synopsis: With more than 7,600 known species, frogs exhibit an extraordinary range of forms and behaviors, from those that produce toxins so deadly that they could kill a human many times over to those that can survive being frozen in ice.
"Frogs of the World: A Guide to Every Family" by co-authors Mark O'Shea and Simon Maddock is an essential guide to this astonishingly diverse group of animals. Offering an in-depth introduction that covers everything from the origins and evolution of frogs to their life cycles and defense strategies, "Frogs of the World" is replete throughout with beautiful illustrations that accompany profiles of species from each family, shedding invaluable light on the enormous range of appearance, habitats, and behavior of these marvelous creatures.
In addition to featuring hundreds of stunning color photographs, "Frogs of the World: A Guide to Every Family" covers taxonomy, anatomy, locomotion, reproduction, diet, and more. Also discussed is the conservation of the world's frogs.
Critique: Comprehensive, impressively organized, informative and fascinating, "Frogs of the World: A Guide to Every Family" is a seminal and invaluable resource for herpetologists, naturalists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in amphibians. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.17), "Frogs of the World: A Guide to Every Family" from Princeton University Press is an extraordinary and recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Outdoors & Nature Reference collections and supplemental Amphibian/Frog Biology curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Mark O'Shea (https://researchers.wlv.ac.uk/M.OShea) is professor of herpetology at the University of Wolverhampton in the UK and the author of many books, including Snakes of the World and Lizards of the World (both Princeton). Simon Maddock is a lecturer in ecology and evolution at Newcastle University in the UK. He works on the ecology, evolution, and conservation of threatened amphibians and reptiles.
Grizzly Confidential
Kevin Grange
Harper Horizon
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9781400338252, $29.99, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Grizzly-Confidential-Astounding-Americas-Fearsome/dp/1400338255
Synopsis: Kevin Grange is a former paramedic and park ranger at Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. "Grizzly Confidential: An Astounding Journey into the Secret Life of North America's Most Fearsome Predator" is the story of his quest which took him from his home in the Tetons to an eerie, mist-shrouded island of gigantic bruins; from the Bear Center at Washington State University (where scientists believe the secrets of hibernation might help treat diabetes, heart disease, and obesity in humans) to the dark underbelly of for-profit wildlife parks, illegal animal trade and black markets hawking bear bile.
Along the way, he meets fascinating biologists and activists and discovers that everything he knew about grizzlies was wrong. Ultimately, his odyssey leads him to find answers on a remote corner of the Alaskan Peninsula where, for the last fifty years, humans have coexisted peacefully alongside the largest gathering of brown bears on the planet.
While "Grizzly Confidential" is about bears, iut is also about the inspiring people who look after them. This is a fast-paced, gripping, true life story that educates, entertains, and gives a sneak peek into the secret life of a well-known species. Part science, part travelogue, and a passionate plea for bear conservation, "Grizzly Confidential" is a lively account for anyone who loves the outdoors and learning about the natural world.
Critique: A simply fascinating read from cover to cover, "Grizzly Confidential: An Astounding Journey into the Secret Life of North America's Most Fearsome Predator" by Kevin Grange will be of special appeal to readers with an interest in endangered species, the biology of bears, environmentalism, and wildlife naturalist biographies/memoirs. While available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99), this hardcover edition of "Grizzly Confidential" from Arcade Books is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Wildlife Protection collections in general and Bears in particular.
Editorial Note: Kevin Grange is a firefighter paramedic in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He is the award-winning author of Wild Rescues: A Paramedic's Extreme Adventures in Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton, Lights and Sirens: The Education of a Paramedic, and Beneath Blossom Rain: Discovering Bhutan on the Toughest Trek in the World, He has written for National Parks, Backpacker, Utne Reader, Yoga Journal, and the Orange County Register. He has worked as a park ranger and paramedic at Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Grand Teton National Parks.
Secrets of the Octopus
Sy Montgomery
National Geographic
www.natgeo.com
9781426223723, $30.00
https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Octopus-Sy-Montgomery/dp/1426223722
Sy Montgomery's Secrets of the Octopus comes from an animal lover who has produced a long line of prior animal books on everything from pigs to birds. Here Sy tackles the octopus, providing new science about its behavior and natural history and celebrating their variety and attraction. The incredible full-page color photos accompany equally vivid explorations of the octopus via stories and encounters that personalize their countenance and abilities. Libraries seeking an octopus book that is contemporary in its science and thoroughly appealing in its language will find Secrets of the Octopus an engaging acquisition -- especially given the increased interest in the octopus by modern audiences.
The Psychology Shelf
Erin Leonard
Sheldon Press
https://www.sheldonpress.co.uk
9781399815437, $19.99, PB, 176pp
https://www.amazon.com/How-Outsmart-Narcissist-Emotional-Intelligence/dp/1399815431
Synopsis: It might be surprising to learn that the emotional qualities that allow you to remain close to others, empathize, collaborate, compromise, perspective-take, and easily resolve conflict, in most healthy relationships, can actually backfire with a toxic person.
Why? Because you see the good. You trust. You empathize. You take things "on the chin", for the betterment of the group. These emotionally intelligent attributes serve you well with non-narcissists and allow you to remain close and connected to others. They may also help you resolve conflict amicably and maintain healthy relationships. Yet, with a narcissist these EI features are often manipulated and exploited.
Unfortunately, a narcissist typically garners your trust before they do anything else. Once they have it, however, they abuse it by unscrupulously working behind your back against you. Before you realize what is happening, they have quickly convinced you that you are the "real" problem in the relationship.
In the absence of a solid education about your vulnerabilities regarding this dynamic and specific emotionally intelligent strategies to inoculate the narcissist, you may endure an inhumane amount of emotional abuse in almost every area of your life -- work, dating, marital, and familial.
"How to Outsmart a Narcissist: Use Emotional Intelligence to Regain Control at Home, at Work, and in Life" by psychotherapist Erin Leonard will help you outsmart the narcissist(s) in your life.
Critique: Exceptionally 'reader/user friendly' in style, substance, organization and presentation, "How to Outsmart a Narcissist: Use Emotional Intelligence to Regain Control at Home, at Work, and in Life" is a critically important and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Popular Psychology & Self-Help collections and supplemental Personality Disorder curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this edition of "How to Outsmart a Narcissist: Use Emotional Intelligence to Regain Control at Home, at Work, and in Life" from Sheldon Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Dr. Erin Leonard has been a practicing psychotherapist for 25 years. Currently, she owns and practices at Recore Counseling in Indiana. Dr. Leonard has appeared on WGN and FOX affiliates in Chicago, Dallas, Boston, Memphis, Atlanta, and Phoenix. She is a TV contributor for WNDU, South Bend, WISH TV, Indianapolis, and WGN, Chicago. In 2016, she won the bronze Living Now Award, and in 2018 was awarded the title of worldwide leader in healthcare and inducted into the International Association of Healthcare Providers. As a journalist for Psychology Today with over 7 million readers, she enjoys helping people in the areas of emotional intelligence, empathy, narcissism, attachment, and parenting. Her TikTok platform helps her reach a wider audience and keeps her in touch with people who are looking for trustworthy advice. (https://www.recorecounseling.net)
The Biography/Memoir Shelf
Jeffrey A. Denman
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476693293, $14.99, PB, 260pp
https://www.amazon.com/John-Quincy-Adams-Reluctant-Abolitionist/dp/1476693293
Synopsis: As a Harvard alumnus, diplomat, U.S. President, member of Congress and attorney before the Supreme Court, John Quincy Adams had a unique relationship with slavery. Prickly and curmudgeonly, he danced with abolitionists, but never became one himself. However, Adams did harbor an intense hatred for the arguments of Southern slaveholders, and eventually found himself in the center of America's greatest struggle.
Informed by Adams' revealing and often tormented musings from his vast diary, with the publication of "John Quincy Adams, Reluctant Abolitionist", historian Jeffrey A. Denman provides the reader with a sweeping narrative that offers a unique and gripping account of John Quincy Adams' battle with slavery, while exploring the many fault lines in American society that led to the Civil War.
Of special note is the inclusion of the dramatic showdowns in the House of Representatives and Supreme Court, as well as Adams' attempts at outsmarting Southern politicians and his efforts to keep slavery at the forefront of Congressional activities.
Critique: A seminal and fascinating study, "John Quincy Adams, Reluctant Abolitionist" by Jeffrey A. Denman is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library American Abolition of Slave History/Biography collections. Supported with twenty-six pages of Chapter Notes, an eight page Bibliography, and a seven page Index, "John Quincy Adams, Reluctant Abolitionist" is also available for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.49).
Editorial Note: Historian Jeffrey A. Denman (www.jeffreyadenman.com) is the co-author of Greene and Cornwallis: The Pivotal Struggle of the American Revolution, 1780-1781. His research focuses primarily on the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth centuries in American history. He has also written several articles dealing with various aspects of the American Revolution, the Civil War, and World War II in various historical publications.
Lula
Fernando Morais
Verso
www.versobooks.com
9781804294925, $34.95, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Lula-Fernando-Morais/dp/1804294926
Synopsis: "Lula" by Fernando Morais is the biography of Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Lula is among the greatest political figures in Brazilian history. The only president in the country with a working-class background, combined with a party that was profoundly original in its roots, he exercised charismatic power and influence in a more lasting way than any other public figure in the republican period.
Since 2011, Fernando Morais, one of Brazil's leading writers, has gained direct, frank and frequent access to Lula. To these dozens of hours of testimonies, he has added a reporter's flair and captivating prose to compose a biography that paints a picture in all its grandeur and complexity.
In a narrative that makes use of flashforwards and flashbacks to maintain an electrifying pace, Morais goes from Lula's childhood to the annulment of his convictions, in 2021, passing through the new unionism, the ABC strikes, the foundation of the PT and the first election campaign. Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
Lula is arguably among the greatest political figures in Brazilian history. The only president in the country with a working-class background, combined with a party that was profoundly original in its roots, he exercised charismatic power and influence in a more lasting way than any other public figure in the republican period.
Since 2011, Fernando Morais, one of Brazil's leading writers, has gained direct, frank and frequent access to Lula. To these dozens of hours of testimonies, he has added a reporter's flair and captivating prose to compose a biography that paints a picture in all its grandeur and complexity.
In a narrative that makes use of flashforwards and flashbacks to maintain an electrifying pace, Morais goes from Lula's childhood to the annulment of his convictions, in 2021, passing through the new unionism, the ABC strikes, the foundation of the PT and the first election campaign.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of some B/W photos, a fourteen page Appendix (An X-ray of the Large Communications Companies' War against Lula and His Party", a three page listing of Political Party and Public Agency Abbreviations, and a Map of the ABC Region (the largest industrial center in Latin America), this edition of Fernando Morais' "Lula: A Biography" from Verso is exceptionally well written, organized and presented. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), "Lula: A Biography" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library Brazilian History & Biography collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Fernando Morais (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Morais) was born in Mariana, Minas Gerais, in 1946. Journalist, he worked for Jornal da Tarde, Veja, and several other Brazilian titles. He received the Esso Award three times and the Abril Journalism Award four times. He was a deputy (1979-1987) and Secretary of Culture (1988-1991) and Secretary of Education (1991-1993) of the State of Sao Paulo. He is the author of many books including The Last Soldiers of the Cold War: The Story of the Cuban Five from Verso and which was turned into a film for Netflix under the title Wasp Network - Who Were the Cuban Five?
The Second Shot: A Green Beret's Last Mission
Gene Yu
Little A
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662510564, $28.99, HC, 236pp
https://www.amazon.com/Second-Shot-Green-Berets-Mission/dp/166251056X
Synopsis: Evelyn Chang and her husband were vacationing in the Philippines when they were ambushed by terrorists. Evelyn's husband was killed. She was kidnapped and disappeared into the lawless netherworld of the Sulu Archipelago. There was no hope of a rescue.
Former Green Beret Gene Yu was five years out of the military, unemployed, and struggling with his transition back to the real world when Evelyn's family asked for help. His improbable mission: infiltrate one of the most dangerous corners of the world and get her back. Alone.
Mindful of "every young Asian kid in America struggling to fit into a dominant white culture," Gene's harrowing, self-deprecating, and provocative memoir is really the story of two rescues. One, a personal liberation and the discovery of self-identity beyond both literal and figurative battlefields. The other is set amid the excruciating ordeals of a jungle war zone, where an Asian American man, once self-described as "nobody squared," defied all stereotypes and expectations to become a woman's last hope of survival.
Critique: A true life memoir that reads like a bestseller action/adventure novel, "The Second Shot: A Green Beret's Last Mission" by Gene Yu is the stuff of which block buster movies are made. A simply riveting, compulsive page turner of a book, "The Second Shot: A Green Beret's Last Mission" is a unique, special, and unreservedly recommended pick for community and college/university library American Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "The Second Shot: A Green Beret's Last Mission" from Little A (an Amazon Publishing imprint) is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781662510540, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $1.99).
Editorial Note: Gene Yu was born in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1979, and entered the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1997, where he majored in computer science and graduated top of his class. Gene served in Korea and Japan as a US Army Armor and Special Forces officer. He deployed for four combat tours in Iraq and the southern Philippines, and is a recipient of two Bronze Star Medals and the Combat Infantryman Badge. In 2015, Gene founded Blackpanda Group, a cybersecurity insurance and emergency response services company headquartered in Singapore, and currently serves as the CEO. Gene is also an alumnus of Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and Stanford Graduate School of Business. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Yu)
A Prairie Faith
John J. Fry
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
www.eerdmans.com
9780802876287, $24.99, PB, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Prairie-Faith-Religious-Ingalls-Biography/dp/0802876285
Synopsis: What role did the Christian faith of author Laura Ingalls Wilder (February 7, 1867 - February 10, 1957) play in her life and in her writing?
The beloved Little Housebooks by Laura Ingalls Wilder have sold over 60 million copies since their publication in the first half of the twentieth century. Even her unpolished memoir, "Pioneer Girl", which tells the true story behind the children's books, was widely embraced upon its release in 2014.
But despite Wilder's enduring popularity, few fans know much about her Christian beliefs and practice.
With the publication of "A Prairie Faith: The Religious Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder", biographer John J. Fry shines a light on Wilder's quiet faith in this unique life story.
Fry surveys the Little Housebooks, Pioneer Girl, and Wilder's lesser-known writings, including her letters, poems, and newspaper columns. Analyzing this wealth of sources, he reveals how Wilder's down-to-earth faith and Christian morality influenced her life and work.
Interweaving these investigations with Wilder's perennially interesting life story, "A Prairie Faith" illustrates the Christian practices of pioneers and rural farmers during this dynamic period of American history.
Critique: Skillfully researched and written, "A Prairie Faith: The Religious Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder" by John J. Fry is an extraordinarily informative, insightful, and inspiring read from start to finish. A 'must read' for the legions of Laura Ingalls Wilder fans, "A Prairie Faith: The Religious Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community and college/university library American Women's Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "A Prairie Faith: The Religious Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.14) as well.
Editorial Note: John J. Fry is professor of history, dean of faculty, and director of Foundations at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois. He is also the author of The Farm Press, Reform, and Rural Change, 1895- 1920 and the editor of Almost Pioneers: One Couple's Homesteading Adventure in the West.
We Carry Smoke and Paper
Melody S. Gee
University of Iowa Press
www.uiowapress.org
9781609389758, $22.00, PB, 200pp
https://www.amazon.com/We-Carry-Smoke-Paper-Conversion/dp/1609389751
Synopsis: Answering an unexpected call to faith in her thirties, Melody Gee contends with what saying "yes" to conversion requires of an adopted daughter of Chinese immigrants. Faced with a new framework for her place in the world, grief and doubt shadow her tentative steps toward becoming a believer. She looks for answers and consolation in her family's story of immigration trauma and cultural assimilation, in the ways their burdens and limitations made her answer-seeking both impossible and inevitable.
"We Carry Smoke and Paper: Essays on the Grief and Hope of Conversion" is comprised of essays by Melody Gee that explore the parallels between conversion and language acquisition, isolated liturgies, cultural inheritances, stalled initiations, disrupted storytelling, and adoption, Gee examines conversion's grief and hope, losses and gains, hauntings and promises.
"We Carry Smoke and Paper" is essentially a memoir about what we owe to those who sacrifice everything for us, and it is about the many conversions in a lifetime that turn our heads via whispers and shouts, calling us to ourselves.
Critique: Eloquent, emotionally and intellectually engaging, informatively insightful, Melody Gee is able to raise her memoir, "We Carry Smoke and Paper: Essays on the Grief and Hope of Conversion", to an impressive level of literary excellence. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.90) from the University of Iowa Press, "We carry Smoke and Paper" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library Asian/American Biography & Emigrant/Immigrant Memoir collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Melody S. Gee (https://poets.org/poet/melody-s-gee) is the author of three books of poetry. Born in Taiwan and raised in California, she now lives in St. Louis, Missouri.
Chaos in Color
R. Layla Salek, Ph.D
River Grove Books
c/o Greenleaf Book Group Press
www.greenleafbookgroup.com
9781632997029, $19.95, PB, 308pp
https://www.amazon.com/Chaos-Color-Memoir-Childhood-Forgiveness/dp/1632997029
Synopsis: From a young age, Layla Salek has experienced some people as colors -- her mother brown, her father green, her husband rainbow. As she notes, sometimes, when words fail, colors speak.
"Chaos in Color: A Memoir of Childhood Trauma and Forgiveness" is the captivating memoir of Layla's journey from childhood to adulthood with a mother who suffered from untreated bipolar disorder. Each chapter paints a vivid, heartbreaking picture of the abuse, neglect, and trauma that she experienced as she grew up at the mercy of her mother's bipolar swings, an incompetent mental health system, and the strangers with whom she was often left.
But dissipating those times of darkness were moments of love, joy, and happiness that she felt while being cared for by others in her life. These moments inspired her to start her own family, complete a doctorate in psychology, and work with children with mental illness and severe behavior disorders.
Layla's story traces how personal and familial trauma is carried into adulthood and how it can be released through forgiveness. This honest, provocative memoir offers a relatable account for others who have experienced similar trauma, as well as hope for healing and a future full of light.
Critique: Eloquent, candid, poignant, interesting, inspiring, with her personal life story, "Chaos in Color: A Memoir of Childhood Trauma and Forgiveness", behavioral psychologist Layla Salek raises her memoir to an impressive level of literary excellence and is an especially, unreservedly recommended addition to community and college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections and supplemental Bipolar Disorder Coping/Survival curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for personal and professional reading list that this edition of "Chaos in Color" from River Grove Books is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).
Editorial Note: R. Layla Salek, PhD, is retired from a twenty-year private practice. She trained professionals and parents in behavior psychology techniques to help children with behavioral disorders (see www.drsalek.com). She sits on multiple boards and is the founder of Susie Bean Gives (www.susiebean.org). She is also a travel photographer and writer and is working on her second book, Dear Caregiver.
Inheritance
Kelly M. Moore
Dorrance Publishing Company
www.dorrancepublishing.com
9798893418903, $16.00, PB, 148pp
https://www.amazon.com/Inheritance-Kelley-M-Moore/dp/B0D9HHNGPZ
Synopsis: When Kelley M. Moore's youngest daughter was seventeen and a senior in high school, her entire world changed with the discovery of her daughter's alcohol and drug addiction.
"Inheritance" is her inspiring and deeply personal memoir in which Moore shares the road to recovery through the eyes of a mother, the intense emotional and physical turmoil it takes on not only the person afflicted with the disease, but to the family unit as a whole.
Moore learned through her daughter's journey to sobriety of the generational effects, the inheritance of the disease from one generation to the next, and the steps families can take to provide a positive and honest atmosphere for a family member's healing.
Moore's own journey is a testament to the enormous role family can play in recovery. While her daughter fought, and still fights, to maintain sobriety, mother, father, sister, and daughter find themselves absorbed into new roles, and discover new lifelong passions for aiding others on their road to recovery.
Critique: Impressively candid, exceptionally insightful, especially well written, organized and presented, this paperback edition of "Inheritance", Kelly M. Moore's life story from Dorrance Publishing will hold a very special value to readers with an interest in parenting adolescent and young adult children with addictions. While a solid and unreservedly recommended addition to community and college/university library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Inheritance" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.00) as well.
Editorial Note: Kelley M. Moore is an advocate for those individuals struggling with addiction and their families. She has dedicated her life to assisting others in finding their sobriety and has worked professionally in the addiction field for almost twenty years. She has helped to change laws, led support groups for families, and was available 24/7 for anyone who needed help in taking the right direction. She never felt she worked a day in her life.
The Pink Dress
Jane Little Botkin
She Writes Press
www.shewritespress.com
9781647427405, $17.99, PB, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pink-Dress-Memoir-Reluctant-Beauty/dp/1647427401
Synopsis: Growing up in West Texas, Jane Little Botkin didn't have designs on becoming a beauty queen. But not long after joining a pageant on a whim in college, she became the first protege of El Paso's Richard Guy and Rex Holt, known as the "Kings of Beauty" -- just as the 1970's counterculture movement began to take off.
A pink, rose-covered gown (a Guyrex creation) symbolizes the fairy tale life that young women in Jane's time imagined beauty queens had. Its near destruction exposes reality with her failed relationship with her mother, and her parents' failed relationship with one another. Weaving these narrative threads together is the Wild West notion that anything is possible, especially do-overs.
"The Pink Dress: A Memoir of a Reluctant Beauty Queen" awakens nostalgia for the 1960s and 1970s, the era's conflicts and growth pains. A common expectation that women went to college to get "MRS" degrees (to find a husband and become a stay-at-home wife and mother) often prevailed. How does one swim upstream against this notion among feminist voices that protest "If You Want Meat, Go to a Butcher!" at beauty pageants, two flamboyant showmen, and a developing awareness of self?
Torn between women's traditional roles and what women could be, Guyrex Girls evolved, as did Jane Little Botkin.
Critique: A fascinating, informative, and at times nostalgic memoir, "The Pink Dress: A Memoir of a Reluctant Beauty Queen" is an exceptonal and well written read from start to finish. Absorbing, compelling, thoughtful and thought- provoking, "The Pink Dress" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library American Women Biographies/Memoirs collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this edition of Jane Little Botkin's "The Pink Dress" is also readily available from She Writes Press in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Jane Little Botkin (https://janelittlebotkin.com) melds personal narratives of American families often with compelling stories of western women. A member of Western Writers of America since 2017, Jane judges entries for the WWA's prestigious Spur Award, reviews new releases, and writes articles for various magazines. Her books have won numerous awards, including two Spur Awards, two Caroline Bancroft History Prizes, and the Barbara Sudler Award; she has also been a finalist for the Women Writing the West's Willa Literary Award and Sarton Book Award. She is currently working on a biography of Mary Ann (Molly) Goodnight for the University of Oklahoma Press.
The General Fiction Shelf
Alison Espach
Henry Holt & Company
www.henryholt.com
9781250899576, $28.99, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Wedding-People-Novel-Alison-Espach/dp/1250899575
Synopsis: It's a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She's immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn't here for the big event.
Phoebe is here because she's dreamed of coming for years -- she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she's here without him, at rock bottom, and determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe and Phoebe's plan -- which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can't stop confiding in each other.
In turns absurdly funny and devastatingly tender, Alison Espach's "The Wedding People" is ultimately an incredibly nuanced and resonant look at the winding paths we can take to places we never imagined -- and the chance encounters it sometimes takes to reroute us.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, clever, memorable, emotionally engaging, and a fun read from start to finish, "The Wedding People" by novelist and creative writing teacher Alison Espach will hold a very special attraction for readers with an interest in contemporary fiction for women readers. While also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99), "The Wedding People" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community/public library General Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Alison Espach (www.alisonespach.com) is the author of the novels The Adults, a New York Times Editors' Choice and a Barnes & Noble Discover pick, and Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance, which was named a best book of 2022 by the Chicago Tribune and NPR. Her short stories and essays have appeared in McSweeney's, Vogue, Outside, Joyland, and other places. She is also Professor of Creative Writing at Providence College in Rhode Island.
That You Remember
Isabel Reddy
Belle Isle Books
https://www.belleislebooks.com
c/o Brandylane Publishers
https://www.brandylanepublishers.com
9781958754061, $30.95, HC, 254pp
https://www.amazon.com/That-You-Remember-Isabel-Reddy/dp/1958754064
Synopsis: In 2019, Aleena Rowan, adrift in the wake of a failed marriage, receives a box of her father's desk diaries from the years he worked as a coal executive. She expects to find nothing more than the cost of business lunches and meeting notes. Instead, she finds a mysterious name, Sara, scrawled on a slip of paper in her father's handwriting.
Frank Rowan met Sara Stone while fishing on a frigid January day, and sees her again waiting tables at Otter Creek's only restaurant. It is 1970, and Frank and Sara's relationship grows despite the impossible distance between a New York corner office and a Kentucky coal hollow. Initially, Sara sees Frank as her ticket to a better life, but other forces compete with her dreams - like protecting her town from the increasingly perilous coal slurry dam.
Critique: All the more impressive when considering that "That You Remember'" is author Isabel Reddy's debut as a novelist, this fascinating work of fiction is told from both sides of the coal industry as Reddy brings to life the conflicts and undercurrents of an Appalachian mining town on the eve of disaster. Raising a work of romance and rural fiction to an impressive level of literary excellence, this hardcover edition of "That You Remember" from Belle Isle Books is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community library Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this edition of Isabel Reddy's "That You Remember" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781958754054, $17.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Isabel Reddy began her career in clinical research as a science writer. She has been a guest columnist for numerous newspapers and has an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College. (https://thatyouremember.com)
The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells
Rachel Greenlaw
Avon Books
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063378254, $18.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Woodsmoke-Womens-Book-Spells-Novel/dp/0063378256
Synopsis: Carrie Morgan ran from Woodsmoke ten years ago, and the decision has haunted her ever since. Spending a decade painting and drifting around Europe, she tries to forget her family's legacy and the friends she left behind. But the Morgan women have always been able to harness the power of the mountains surrounding the town, and their spells (and curses) are sewn into the soil. The mountains, they say, never forget.
Sure enough, when Carrie's grandmother dies and leaves behind her dilapidated cottage, she returns to renovate -- certain she will only be there for one winter. She meets Matthieu as the temperature dips, a newcomer who offers to help refurbish the cottage. Before long, and despite warnings from her great-aunt Cora of the old stories, Carrie finds herself falling for the charming stranger. But when the frost thaws in spring, Matthieu goes missing.
Carrie is convinced he's real, and he's in danger. As she fights her way across the mountains to find him, she must confront all the reasons why she left Woodsmoke and decide whether the place she's spent the last decade running from is the home she's been searching for.
Critique: Aptly described as 'A witchy, spellbinding tale of magic and love', "The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells" by novelist Rachel Greenlaw is impressively original and an inherently fascinating, emotionally engaging, and simply riveting read from cover to cover. With a special appeal to readers with an interest in deftly crafted novels that rise to an impressive level of literary excellence, "The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells" is an extraordinary and very special addition to personal and community library collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Rachel Greenlaw (www.rachelgreenlaw.com) is also the author of One Christmas Morning. She grew up in North Cornwall, surrounded by wild moorland. She studied English with creative writing at Falmouth University before moving to an island in the middle of the Atlantic, where she lives with her husband and two children.
The River Knows My Name
Mortada Gzar, author
Luke Leafgren, translator
Amazon Crossing
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781542038966, $28.99, HC, 207pp
https://www.amazon.com/River-Knows-My-Name/dp/1542038960
Synopsis: Fifteen-year-old Charlotte is restlessly coming of age in early twentieth-century Basra, Iraq. The daughter of a Seattle doctor and missionary, Charlotte craves an adventure of her own making. Just the thought of the steppes, hills, valleys, and the winding river stirs Charlotte's imagination and sends her compass of flight dancing.
So, preferring the wondrous unknown to solicitude, Charlotte packs up copies of her father's Gospels and a statue of the Baby Jesus and runs away. Then, in a desperate search to find his daughter, Charlotte's own father goes missing. With the help of two women (the mission's Sister Baghdadli and Shathra, a guide to the lost) Charlotte embarks on a quest steeped in local lore, and as mysterious and marvelous as the river itself. In turn, Charlotte may find what's she's been looking for all along: the ability to stake a claim on her own identity.
Critique: Original, exceptional, eloquently crafted, inherently fascinating and an entertaining read from start to finish, "The River Knows My Name" is rich and immersive novel with which author Mortada Gzar (ably translated into English by Luke Leafgren) explores the power of belief, the drive for escape, and the exhilaration of self-discovery. While also available in a paperback edition (9781542038973, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99), "The River Knows My Name" is a solid and highly prized pick for personal reading lists for fans of Religious/Metaphysical Historical Fiction, as well as community and college/university library Literary Fiction collections.
Editorial Note #1: Mortada Gzar (www.mortadagzar.co) is an Iraqi American writer, filmmaker, visual artist, and political cartoonist. He is the author of the memoir I'm in Seattle, Where Are You?, which was long-listed for the PEN Translation Prize; four novels; a children's book; and a short-story collection. He has also illustrated two books for children and has had his work published in Words Without Borders, World Literature Today, and Iraq + 100: The First Anthology of Science Fiction to Have Emerged from Iraq, as well as numerous Arabic newspapers. Gzar is the creator of the Seattle Arab Film Festival, and his film Language was awarded a grant by the Doha Film Institute. He was born in Kuwait in 1982, grew up in Basra, Iraq, and now lives in Seattle, Washington.
Editorial Note #2: Luke Leafgren (https://complit.fas.harvard.edu/people/leafgren-luke) is an assistant dean of Harvard College, where he also teaches courses on translation. He has published seven translations of Arabic-language novels and received the Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation twice - once in 2018 for his translation of Muhsin Al-Ramli's The President's Gardens and again in 2023 for his translation of Najwa Barakat's Mister N.
The Trade Off
Samantha Greene Woodruff
Lake Union Publishing
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662516467, $16.99, PB, 383pp
https://www.amazon.com/Trade-Off-Samantha-Greene-Woodruff/dp/1662516460
Synopsis: Bea Abramovitz has a gift for math and numbers. With her father, she studies the burgeoning Wall Street market's stocks and patterns in the financial pages. After college she's determined to parlay her talent for the prediction game into personal and professional success. But in the 1920s, in a Lower East Side tenement, opportunities for women don't just come knocking. Bea will have to create them.
It's easier for her golden-boy twin brother, Jake, who longs to reclaim all their parents lost after fleeing the pogroms in Russia to come to America. Well intentioned but undisciplined, Jake has a charm that can carry him only so far on Wall Street. So Bea devises a plan. They'll be a secret team, and she'll be the brains behind the broker. As Jake's reputation, his heedless ego, and the family fortune soar, Bea foresees catastrophe: an impending crash that could destroy everything if she doesn't finally take control.
Critique: Of special note is that although a work of fiction, "The Trade Off" was inspired by the true story of a pioneering investment legend. A truly memorable novel raised to an impressive level of literary excellence, this edition of "The Trade Off" by author Samantha Green Woodruff deftly incorporates the elements of identity, sacrifice, family loyalties, and the complex morality of money. While also available from Lake Union (an Amazon imprint), "The Trade Off" is an extraordinary and recommended pick for personal reading lists and community/public library Contemporary General Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Samantha Greene Woodruff (www.samanthawoodruff.com) is also the author of The Lobotomist's Wife. She also took classes at the Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College, where she accidentally found her calling as a historical fiction author. Her writing has appeared in Newsweek, Writer's Digest, Female First, Read 650, and more.
The Historical Fiction Shelf
Connilyn Cossette
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764238925, $17.99, PB, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Shield-Mighty-Historical-Biblical-Testament/dp/0764238922
Synopsis: Captured by the Philistines as a young boy, Zevi has grown into a formidable warrior. As a captain in King Saul's army, he is assigned a crucial mission: recruit soldiers, gather tribute for the royal coffers, and find talented artisans for the king's court. But when he is sent to Maresha, the town he was forced to leave as a child, he is dismayed when the elder council rejects King Saul and his campaign, leaving the town vulnerable to retribution and the threat of outside enemies.
Yochana, a widow and skilled woman of business, is captivated by a stranger who enters her perfume shop. Upon discovering he is not only a soldier but a captain responsible for enlisting young men to die in battle, fury and pain from her past loss resurfaces. But when Zevi's actions in Maresha entangle Yochana in his radical scheme, they'll be forced to face present dangers while confronting scars of the past.
Critique: A deftly blended and original novel of Biblical history and Christian romance, "Shield of the Mighty" by novelist Connilyn Cossette is a fun and riveting read from start to finish. Raising Christian Historical Fiction to an impressive level of literary excellence, this paperback edition of Connilyn Cossette's "Shield of the Mighty" from Bethany House Publishers is a welcome and highly recommended pick for community library Historical Romance collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Shield of the Mighty" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Connilyn Cossette (www.ConnilynCossette.com) is a Christy Award and Carol Award-winning author whose books have been found on ECPA and CBA bestseller lists. When she is not engulfed in the happy chaos of homeschooling, devouring books whole, or avoiding housework, she can be found digging into the rich ancient world of the Bible to discover gems of grace that point to Jesus and weaving them into an immersive fiction experience.
Virginia
Shannon McNear
Barbour Publishing
www.barbourbooks.com
9781636099279, $16.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Virginia-4-Daughters-Lost-Colony/dp/1636099270
Synopsis: The colony at Roanoke disappeared into the shadows of history. But, what if at least one person survived to leave a lasting legacy?
With the publication of "Virginia" by Shannon McNear, we return to the "what if" questions surrounding the Lost Colony and explore the possible fate of Virginia Dare -- the first English child born in the New World.
What happened to her after her grandfather John White returned to England and the colony he established disappeared into the mists of time? Legends abound, but she was indeed a real girl who, if she survived to adulthood, must have also become part of the legacy that is the people of the Outer Banks.
In the spring of 1602 by English reckoning, "Ginny," as she is called by family and friends, is fourteen and firmly considered a grown woman by the standards of the People. For her entire life she has watched the beautiful give-and-take of the Kurawoten and other native peoples with the English who came from across the ocean. She's enjoyed being the darling of both English and Kurawoten alike -- but a stirring deep inside her will not be put to rest.
One careless decision lands her and fellow "first baby" Henry Harvie, along with their Croatoan friend Redbud, in enemy hands. Carried away into Mangoac territory, out of the reach of Manteo and the others, she must learn who she truly -- not only the daughter of Elinor and Ananias Dare but also a child of the One True God, who gives her courage to go wherever the path of her life might lead.
Critique: The fourth volume in author Shannon McNear's "Daughters of the Lost Colony" series, "Virginia" portrays history with vivid authenticity gained from extensive research. The other three simply outstanding novels comprising this unique series include: "Elinor", "Mary", and "Rebecca". Especially and unreservedly recommended for community/public library Christian Historical Fiction collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of anyone with an interest in mystery, suspense and romance that "Virginia" is also available from Barbour Publishing in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Also of interest:
Elinor by Shannon McNear (Book 1 -- Daughters of the Lost Colony)
Mary by Shannon McNear (Book 2 -- Daughters of the Lost Colony)
Rebecca by Shannon McNear (Book 3 -- Daughters of the Lost Colony)
The Literary Fiction Shelf
Alex Pickett
University of Wisconsin Press
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299349141, $17.95, PB, 200pp
https://www.amazon.com/Camera-Lake-Alex-Pickett/dp/0299349144
Synopsis: Fleeing her family, a woman finds unexpected solace in an empty hotel. Following a shattering professional failure, a therapist becomes convinced someone is watching his every move. A coach's disciplinary tactic doesn't so much backfire as it implodes his players' lives.
Inhabiting a (mostly) Midwestern landscape, the characters specialize in Alex Pickett's novel, Camera Lake", break rules. Believing themselves to be good people, they try to bend their situations to fit their needs or fulfill their desires. The results are rarely completely disastrous or successful, but are tinged with a humor that rides comfortably alongside embarrassment, regret, and longing -- and in the process remind us that it is exceptionally difficult to live up to our expectations.
Critique: With a distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style, author Alex Pickett raises his novel, "Camera Lake" to an impressively high level of literary excellence. An inherently riveting, thought provoking, and memorable read from start to finish, "Camera Lake" is a significant and recommended addition to personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted that his paperback edition of "Camera Lake" from the Wisconsin University Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.05).
Editorial Note: Alex Pickett (www.rapickett.com/about) is a Wisconsin-born writer based in London and the author of The Restaurant Inspector. His stories have appeared in numerous publications, including The Southern Review, Subtropics, Passages North, and Green Mountains Review.
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
Noelle Douglas
Alcove Press
www.alcovepress.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9781639108886, $19.99, PB, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Crush-Novel-Noelle-Douglas/dp/1639108882
Synopsis: Marketing executive Elena Voss's newest assignment for Sparkle Cookie, a large cookie conglomerate, was meant to be a much-needed break from her toxic boss and the stressful city. She never expected to get into a public (and embarrassing) argument with a sexy baker in New Hope, Pennsylvania. But the townsfolk aren't exactly thrilled about a corporate chain bakery coming in to ruin their small-town feel.
Lawrence Higgins (and his dog Sugar) have been a beloved staple in New Hope for years. Their bakery specializes in cookies, but with Sparkle Cookie's upcoming grand opening, he's worried about rent spikes and stolen customers. Elena wants to write Lawrence off as an opponent she can crush, but his good looks and passion for baking make it difficult to stay professional.
Elena and Lawrence immediately butt heads at a town hall meeting. When a cookie competition makes them join forces, sparks fly, and they find first impressions are often wrong. Can their blossoming connection survive the ensuing cookie war?
Critique: The stuff from which Hallmark 'feel good' rom-com movies are made, "The Christmas Crush" by author Noelle Douglas from Alcove Publishing is a fun read from cover to cover and will have her readers looking eagerly towards her next novel. While highly recommended for community library Romance Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Christmas Crush" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798228249844, $44.95, CD).
Editorial Note: Noelle Douglas studied pastry and all things delicious in culinary school. After a few years in the industry, she switched gears to pursue her love of reading and writing. Now she works at a library. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/51111850.Noelle_Douglas)
Mary's Calico Hope
Anne Blackburne
Barbour Publishing
www.barbourbooks.com
9781636098555, $14.99, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Marys-Calico-Hope-Heart-Amish/dp/163609855X
Synopsis: If God wills it, Mary Yoder will do it, even if that means using crutches for the rest of her life.
She was badly injured in a buggy accident as a child. Still, she is content living in the Dawdi Haus connected to her parents' farmhouse and with her work weaving baskets and raising specialty roosters whose feathers she uses to make excellent trout lures. She is truly happy at twenty-nine, but... she wouldn't mind finding a husband -- if the Lord wills it.
Along comes Reuben King, a Mennonite doctor. They are attracted to one another, but how could they ever be together? She's a baptized Amish woman, so it seems impossible. Also, he wants her to have surgery to improve her mobility and lessen her day-to-day pain. She's sick and tired of surgeries! But if God wills it, she'll do it. And just maybe there will be a way for these two unlikely souls to connect.
Critique: Amish romance storytelling at its very best, "Mary's Calico Hope" by author Anne Blackburne is part of 'The Heart of the Amish' series from Barbour Publishing that includes "The Flower Quilter" by Mindy Steele, "Ruth's Ginger Snap Surprise" by Anne Blackburne, "The Quilt Room Secret: by Lisa Jones Baker, and "Courting the Amish Bishop" by Mindy Steele. An original and fun read from start to finish, "Mary's Calico Hope" is unreservedly recommended for community library Romance Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Mary's Calico Hope" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.49) as well.
Editorial Note: Anne Blackburne (www.anneblackburne.com) lives and works in Southeast Ohio as a newspaper editor and writer. She is the mother of five grown children, has one wonderful grandchild, and a spoiled poodle named Millie. For fun, when she isn't working on Amish romance or sweet mysteries, Anne directs and acts in community theater productions and writes and directs original plays.
Of Gold and Shadows
Michelle Griep
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764244001, $29.99, HC, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Gold-Shadows-Times-Lost-Treasures/dp/0764244000
Synopsis: In 1888 Victorian England, Ami Dalton navigates a clandestine dual life. By day, she strives to establish herself as a respected Egyptologist, overcoming the gender biases that permeate academia. But with a heart for saving black-market artifacts from falling into the wrong hands, she is most often disguised as her alter ego, the Shadow Broker.
After eight years in India, Oxford's most eligible bachelor, Edmund Price, has come out of the shadows to run for Parliament and is in search of an Egyptologist to value a newly acquired collection. Expecting a renowned Oxford professor, Edmund instead finds himself entangled with Ami, the professor's determined daughter.
As they delve into the treasures, their connection deepens, but trouble emerges when a golden griffin (rumored to bear the curse of Amentuk) surfaces, and they're left to wonder if the curse really is at play, or if something more nefarious is hiding among the shadows!
Critique: A skillfully crafted and original story, "Of Gold and Shadows" by author/storyteller Michelle Griep is a highly prized and fun read from start to finish. Of special attraction to readers with an interest in Christian Historical Romance Fiction, "Of Gold and Shadows" is a masterfully written novel that novelist Michelle Griep has raised to an impressive level of literary excellence. While also readily available in a paperback edition (9780764242564, $17.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.49), "Of Gold and Shadows" is a fully entertaining and highly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library Historical Romance collections.
Editorial Note: Michelle Griep (https://michellegriep.com) is a Christy Award-winning author of historical romances that both intrigue and evoke a smile. She can be followed on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor
Roseanna M. White
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764244056, $29.99, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-at-Sugar-Plum-Manor/dp/0764244051
Synopsis: As the beloved stepdaughter of the Earl of Castleton, Lady Mariah Lyons cherishes her home at Plumford Manor, but her idyllic world will be threatened when the estate passes to Cyril Lightbourne, a childhood friend she hasn't seen or heard from in years.
Once, Mariah dreamed their friendship would kindle into something more, but that was before she heard Cyril was courting the cruel hearted Lady Pearl. Now Mariah is willing to welcome him as a friend and pray he will be the heir her stepfather needs, but she'll keep her heart locked safely away from anyone with such poor taste.
Cyril Lightbourne has long avoided returning to Plumford Manor, yet he reluctantly arrives in time for Christmas. When his friendship with Lady Mariah reignites, he finds himself caught between his affection for her and her family's misunderstanding of his attachment to Lady Pearl.
Then, more trouble arrives in the form of a Danish lord on a mission to win Mariah's hand by Christmas.
Will the magic of the holiday season help lead to the discovery of true love, or will duty to country leave all longing for what could have been?
Critique: Christian historical romance at its very best, "Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor" by Roseanna M. White" is an inspirational historical holiday themed romance that was inspired by The Nutcracker, and set in Edwardian-era England. A fun and skillfully crafted read from start to finish, "Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor" will prove to be a prized pick for community/public library Historical Romance Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of historical romance fans that this hardcover edition of "Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor" from Bethany House Publishers is also readily available in a paperback edition (9780764242922, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note: Roseanna M. White (www.RoseannaMWhite.com) is the Christy Award-winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years.
The Fiance Dilemma
Elena Armas
Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9781668011348, $19.99, PB, 432pp
https://www.amazon.com/Fiance-Dilemma-Novel-Elena-Armas/dp/1668011344
Synopsis: Josie Moore has given the opposite sex (and love) plenty of chances. Four exactly, if you count all her failed engagements, and five if you include her no-longer-absentee father. Nonetheless, when the influential man decides to announce his retirement with a splashy magazine piece and Josie learns that her romantic history isn't great PR for the family, she jumps at the chance to offer a solution.
Matthew Flanagan is in the mud. Literally. Not only has he been fired from his job, but after taking a wrong turn on his way to Green Oak, North Carolina, his car is stuck. So, he grabs a duffel bag with his essentials and goes in search of a place to crash until he gets his life (and vehicle) back on track. But instead, he stumbles upon his best friend's sister, Josie, greeting him as her fiance.
What starts as a big misunderstanding quickly turns into a fake engagement, with Matthew playing the role of the doting fiance as he and Josie are swept into a PR whirlwind. The ring on Josie's finger makes her stomach turn, but she knows this is only temporary. They have rules in place, and one of them is that no matter what, there will be no exchange of "I dos". But that's easier said than done, as lines soon start to blur, and the rest of the small town comes to believe the fifth fiance is truly The One.
Critique: A fun read for all dedicated Rom-Com fans, "The Fiance Dilemma" by novelist Elena Armas will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular pick for community/public library Contemporary Romance collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of Rom-Com fans that this edition of "The Fiance Dilemma" from Atria Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781797178813, $44.99, CD)
Editorial Note: Elena Armas (www.authorelenaarmas.com) is a Spanish writer, self-confessed hopeless romantic and proud book hoarder. Now, she's also the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Spanish Love Deception, The American Roommate Experiment and The Long Game.
Dare to Au Pair
Maia Correll
CamCat Books
www.camcatpublishing.com
9780744310320, $16.99, PB, 360pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dare-Au-Pair-Maia-Correll/dp/0744310326
Synopsis: It was just a typical day at her summer job when recent business school grad and meticulous ten-year planner, Kat McLauren, took an unplanned au pair position in the French Riviera to schmooze a future employer.
She haphazardly upholds her reputation while rejuvenating a local tourism magazine, grappling with three unruly kids, and avoiding a romance with the host family's eldest son.
But if a summer full of well-aged wine, sizzling flirtation, and a bit of betrayal can promise one thing, it's that sometimes the best things in life are the ones we don't plan for!
Critique: With all the elements of a great Rom-Com, "Dare to Au Pair" by first time romance novelist Maia Correll reveals the author to be a master of the genre. A fun read from cover to cover, "Dare to Au Pair" is the stuff of which Hallmark movies are made and is an especially good choice for community/public library Contemporary Romance Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated romance fans that this edition of "Dare to Au Pair" from CamCat Books is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $1.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Maia Correll (https://maiacorrell.com) strives to take her readers on a journey in every genre from romance to fantasy and anything in between. As an author and screenwriter, she's focused on empowering, inspiring, and entertaining primarily within the realms of contemporary sci-fi/fantasy and commercial fiction for Middle Grade through Adult audiences.
Plot Twist
Carmen Sereno
Amazon Crossing
9781662516597, $16.99, PB, 381pp
https://www.amazon.com/Plot-Twist-Carmen-Sereno/dp/1662516592
Synopsis: Siobhan Harris doesn't think of her minimum-wage life in Manhattan as aspirational, but when her debut novel is published, she becomes an instant bestseller and a romance sensation. With fame comes foes, however, and Siobhan finds herself embroiled in a Twitter feud that's about to change the course of her career just as it's beginning.
An established crime novelist, Marcel Black is savvy in the ways of the publishing world but less than an expert on the merits of romance. So when his opinions are publicly challenged by the fresh-faced Siobhan, Marcel doubles down until their heated back-and-forth ends with an influencer's challenge: to put their genres' compatibility to the test, Siobhan and Marcel should write a book together.
To leave their mark, this unlikely pair will have to contend with differences in taste, style, and experience... and the building tension between them that's looking a lot less like enemies' contention and a lot more like a love connection.
Critique: Of interest to all romance fans, "Plot Twist", while a work of fiction, also reveals what it is like to write as co- author collaborators. A fun and deftly crafted read from cover to cover, "Plot Twist" by novelist Carmen Sereno will prove an immediate and enduringly popular pick for community/public library Contemporary Romance Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Plot Twist" from Amazon Crossing is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Carmen Sereno was born in Barcelona in 1982, where she still lives. She studied journalism at the Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona and has worked as a writer for several media and corporate communication offices. In 2018, she won the first CHIC Romance Novel Prize with Maldito sindrome de Estocolmo, her literary debut and first part of a duology completed with Azul Estocolmo. She is also the author of Nadie muere en Wellington and Bajo el cielo de Berlin.
The Western Fiction Shelf
I. J. Parnham
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444853261, $24.00, PB, Large Print, 202pp
Synopsis: When Leopold Hopeman bequeaths his fortune to the townsfolk of Little Creek, they use the money wisely and found the prosperous Hopeman Town. But with the booming settlement attracting men who want only personal gain, Mayor Tucker hires former Pinkerton detective Nimrod Dunn to find out why the fortune is now being squandered.
Nimrod soon uncovers the likely culprit, but his investigation takes a strange twist when he learns that Mayor Tucker has a dark secret and that he might not be the benevolent man everyone thinks he is. With Nimrod both carrying out an investigation for the mayor and at the same time investigating him, he'll need all his cunning to uncover the truth while staying one step ahead of the many guns lining up against him.
Critique: An impressively original and carefully crafted western, this large print paperback edition of experienced author/storyteller I. J. Parnham's riveting novel from the Linford Western Library collection is a fun and memorable read from cover to cover. "Hopeman's Legacy" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library collections and a 'must' for all dedicated western action/adventure fans.
Editorial Note: Ian Parnham is the author of 37 western novels published as I. J. Parnham, Scott Connor, and Ed Law. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/676220.I_J_Parnham)
Sundown Comes Twice
Art Isberg
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444853414, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 231pp
Synopsis: Judd Miller and his brother work to start a small ranch outside the town of Red Bluffs. But other interests in their valuable property lead to the powerful mayor of the town, working with other crooked officials, to fleece the brothers of their deeded ground, culminating in the killing of Judd's brother, Randall.
Unknown to Judd, the transcontinental railroad is coming through, with an interest in buying his property to shorten their route through the mountains. Judd flees attempts to kill him, turning instead to a gunfighter to avenge Randall's death, while exposing the men who conspired against him. Can a young widow and a reformed preacher be enough to battle and beat the odds?
Critique: A carefully crafted and impressively fun read from cover to cover, this large print paperback Linford Western Library edition of "Sundown Comes Twice" by skilled author and storyteller Art Isberg is very highly recommended and an ideal pick for community/public library Action/Adventure Western Novel collections and the personal reading lists of all dedicated western fiction fans.
Editorial Note: Art Isberg has been a freelance writer for the past four decades. Over 300 of his short stories have featured in west coast newspapers, state historical societies, and widely circulated in the outdoor press. His past western novels have included Blood Red Star, Showdown in Badlands, Will Keen, Indian Scout, The Long Riders, and The Legend of Link Bonner. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/1681798.Art_Isberg)
Trooper Iron Eyes
Rory Black
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444853131, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 223pp
Synopsis: Tracking down a wanted outlaw, the emaciated and heavily scarred bounty hunter called Iron Eyes finds himself embroiled in the Indian wars. Badly wounded, he rides into Fort Liberty. Commanding office Colonel Brice Jay assumes that the bounty hunter is near death and takes a shine to his magnificent palomino stallion.
When Iron Eyes recovers he finds that Jay has decided to take the stallion no matter what. Deviously, Colonel Jay decides to send out a small party of troopers into the Indian-filled forest to rescue two abducted sisters from the hands of Sioux warrior Red Feather.
Iron Eyes must lead the troopers or face execution for horse theft.
Critique: another amazing title in western author Rory Black's uniquely original 'Iron Eyes' series, "Trooper Iron Eyes" is replete with unexpected plot twists and a riveting read from first page to last. This large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library collection will prove a welcome pick for personal reading lists and community/public librar western action/adventure fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Rory Black has written more than 100 novels for Black Horse western under his own name, Michael D. George, as well as numerous pen names such as Boyd Cassidy, John Ladd, Dean Edwards, Dale Mike Rogers, Walt Keene, Ty Walker, Max Gunn, and Roy Patterson. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/273423.Rory_Black)
The Last Bounty
Doug Bluth
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444853285, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 245pp
Synopsis: Grizzled bounty hunter Logan Slade travels to Wyoming territory in search of a bounty on lawman killer Mordecai Hodges. Along the way he is waylaid and rescued by the beautiful young widow Louanne Merrigold. Now, the fiercely independent Logan finds himself smitten, and in the middle of a land dispute between Louanne and her hostile neighbor, the ambitious cattleman Derek Shaw. But Logan isn't the only one with eyes for the widow Merrigold. He must overcome steep odds in the fight to win Louanne's heart in what may be his last bounty hunt.
Critique: Western action/adventure at its bounty-hunting best, this Linford Western Library large print paperback edition of "The Last Bounty" by western novelist Doug Bluth is a fun read from start to finish and especially recommended for both personal reading lists and community/public library Western Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Doug Bluth (the pen name of James MacHaffie) lives and work in Okinawa Japan, where he teaches English and writes fiction. He is the author of three previous western novels.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Sherri Dodd
Black Rose Writing
www.blackrosewriting.com
9781685133887, $17.95, PB, 289pp
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Under-Redwood-Moon-Paranormal/dp/1685133886
Synopsis: At the age of eight, Arista Kelly was frantically swept up by her parents and whisked off to an isolated town in the California redwoods. Two days later, her parents were gone.
Now at the age of twenty-three, she has settled quite nicely into an eclectic lifestyle, much like Bethie -- her great aunt, and guardian since childhood. She enjoys the use of herbs and crystals to help her commune with the energy and nature around her and finds pleasure in the company of her beloved pet, Royal.
Usually quite satisfied with her mundane life high in the Santa Cruz Mountains, things become unsettling when a new recurring vision of an ominous tattoo as well as increased activity from the ghostly presence within her own cottage invade her once-harmonious existence.
But life in this mountain sanctuary takes an even darker turn when the body of Arista's former classmate is found in the nearby river. As other young women fall prey to a suspected serial killer, Arista realizes that the terror is coming to her.
Critique: A brilliant and original blending of a supernatural suspense thriller and a deftly crafted murdery mystery, "Murder Under Redwood Moon" (the first title in her 'Murder, Tea & Crystals' trilogy) showcases author Sherri Dood's exceptional and distinctive storytelling talents. An inherently fascinating read from start to finish, "Murder Under Redwood Moon" is one of those unique novels that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book has been finished and set back upon the shelf. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community/public library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Murder Under Redwood Moon" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Sherri L. Dodd (https://sherridodd.com) was raised in southeast Texas. Walking barefoot most days and catching crawdads as they swan the creek beds, she had a love for all things free and natural. Her childhood ran rampant with talk of ghosts, demons and back country folklore. Her first real step into writing was the non-fiction fitness book, Mom Looks Great - The Fitness Program for Moms published in 2005, and its accompanying blog. Now, transmuting the grief of her father's passing, she has branched into Fiction, specifically a Paranormal Witch Cozy with a bit of bite!
Murder She Wrote: A Killer Christmas
Jessica Fletcher & Terrie Farley Moran
Berkley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
www.penguin.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9780593640722, $28.00, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-She-Wrote-Killer-Christmas/dp/0593640721
Synopsis: Christmas is not an easy time to sell a house, but in Boston tycoon John Bragdon, Cabot Cove Realtor Eve Simpson has found a buyer for the old Jarvis homestead. Unfortunately, Eve gets a lump of coal in her stocking in the form of Kenny Jarvis, who has been missing for years and presumed dead but has now come back to stop his sister from selling their childhood home.
Eve presses on, organizing a welcome dinner for Bragdon and his wife, Rose Marie, to meet the leading citizens of the town, including Jessica Fletcher. Dinner is interrupted by an uninvited guest -- not Santa Claus but Kenny, who threateningly promises Rose Marie she will never live in his house.
When Rose Marie is found dead a few days later, Kenny is the natural suspect. But Jessica isn't so sure he's on the naughty list!
Critique: Another fun read for the legions of Jessica Fletcher fans and deftly co-authored by novelist Terrie Farley Moran, this hardcover edition of "Murder She Wrote: A Killer Christmas" from Berkley Prime Crime is a specifically recommended pick for all community and public library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for Murder She Wrote fans and cozy mystery devotees that "Murder She Wrote: A Killer Christmas" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798228249103, $39.99, CD).
Editorial Note #1: Jessica Fletcher is a bestselling mystery writer and amateur female sleuth who has a knack for stumbling upon real-life mysteries in her various travels. Award-winning writer Terrie Farley Moran co-authors this bestselling series of 'whodunnit' mysteries.
A Merry Little Murder Plot
Jenn McKinlay
Berkley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
www.penguin.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9780593639368, $28.00, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Little-Murder-Library-Lovers-Mystery/dp/0593639367
Synopsis: During the most wonderful time of the year, famous author Helen Monroe arrives in Briar Creek to be the writer in residence, but her "bah humbug" attitude excludes her from the many holiday celebrations the town residents enjoy.
To try to spread some Christmas cheer, library director Lindsey Norris invites the new writer in town to join her crafternoon club. Helen politely refuses and when an altercation happens between Helen and another patron, Lindsey begins to suspect the author has been keeping to herself for a reason.
Another newcomer, Jackie Lewis, reveals she's visiting Briar Creek to be near Helen because she believes they are destined to meet. Having dealt with a stalker in the past, Lindsey feels compelled to tell Helen about Jackie, as she suspects that Helen is unaware her "number one" fan is in town.
When Jackie's body is later discovered in the town park beneath the holiday-light display with a copy of Helen's latest manuscript in her hand, the reclusive novelist becomes the prime suspect in the murder of her self-proclaimed mega-fan. Helen's frosty demeanor melts when Lindsey offers her help, and now the librarian and her crafternoon pals must prove the author innocent before "The End" becomes Helen's final sentence.
Critique: Another fun read for all dedicated cozy mystery fans, "A Merry Little Murder Plot" by award winning novelist Jenn McKinlay raises the genre to an impressive level of literary excellence. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798228247215, $39.99, CD), this hardcover edition of "A Merry Little Murder Plot" from Berkely Prime Crime is a high priority pick for the personal reading lists of all Jenn McKinlay fans and community/public library Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: Jenn McKinlay (https://jennmckinlay.com) is the author of several mystery and romance series. Her work has been translated into multiple languages in countries all over the world.
Cold Trail
Taylor Moore
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063292468, $30.00, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Cold-Trail-Garrett-Kohl-Novel/dp/0063292467
Synopsis: On leave from the DEA, Garrett Kohl is ready to settle down and build a stable foundation for his family. But that's easier said than done. In order to give his girlfriend, Lacey, and adopted son, Asadi, the life they deserve, and get out from under crippling debt, some risks have to be taken. And shocking alliances have to be formed.
First, Garrett partners with an old nemesis to form his new energy venture: Savage Exploration. Then his estranged, aloof sister, Grace, reemerges, keen on brokering a contract to connect the Kohl Ranch energy play to a pipeline on the Texas coast. But the company's earlier success is endangered when an explosion at a nearby natural gas plant injures several workers. Garrett begins to suspect foul play and embarks on a winding investigation, teaming up with his old war buddy, Kai Stoddard, and reaching out to his CIA contacts, uncovering a sinister conspiracy overseas.
From an ex-CIA intelligence officer and consultant for the Department of Defense, this exhilarating thriller follows a man's turbulent journey to fight for his family and hold on to the land that he calls home, culminating in an explosive final showdown that he never could have expected.
Critique: "Cold Trail" is the fourth pulse-pounding thriller in author Taylor Moore's action/adventure series featuring DEA Special Agent Garrett Kohl. A simply riveting read from start to finish, this deftly crafted suspense/mystery will hold a very special appeal for readers and is vigorously recommended for community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Cold Trail" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Taylor Moore is the author of Ricochet, Firestorm, and Down Range, which was nominated for the Barry Award for Best First Novel, named a Strand Magazine Best Mystery of the year, and selected for the Texas Library Association's Lariat Reading List. He is a former CIA Intelligence Officer who worked in both analysis and operations and later consulted for the Department of Defense in Theater Security Cooperation, Force Protection, and Counternarcotics.
A Very Bad Thing
J. T. Ellison
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662520334, $28.99, HC, 495pp
https://www.amazon.com/Very-Bad-Thing-J-T-Ellison/dp/1662520336
Synopsis: A great writer knows when to deliver a juicy plot twist. But for one author, the biggest twist of all is her own murder.
With a number of hit titles and a highly anticipated movie tie-in, celebrated novelist Columbia Jones is at the top of her game. Fans around the world adore her. But on the final night of her latest book tour, one face in the crowd makes the author collapse. And by the next morning, she's lying dead in a pool of blood.
Columbia's death shocks the world and leaves Darian, her daughter and publicist, reeling. The police have nothing to go on -- at first. But then details emerge, pointing to the author's illicit past. It turns out that many people had motive to kill Columbia. And with a hungry reporter and frustrated cop on the trail, her secrets won't stay buried long. But how many lives will they shatter as the truth comes out?
Critique: A fun, fascinating, and finely crafted 'whodunit' murder mystery by the impressively talented novelist J. T. Ellison, "A Very Bad Thing" is a 'must' for dedicated mystery buffs in general, and the growing legions of Ellison fans in particular. While also readily available for personal reading lists in a paperback edition (9781662520310, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99), this edition of "A Very Bad Thing" from Thomas & Mercer is a solid choice for community/public library Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: J. T. Ellison (www.jtellison.com) is the author of more than thirty novels and the Emmy Award - winning co-host of the literary TV show A Word on Words. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker. With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards. Her titles have been optioned for television and published in twenty-eight countries.
Burnt Ends
Laura Wetsel
CamCat Books
www.camcatpublishing.com
9780744311211, $29.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Burnt-Ends-Laura-Wetsel/dp/0744311217
Synopsis: Private Investigator Tori Swenson gets a strange accidental death case that looks like murder at one of her uncle's drive-ins and decides it's time to get revenge on her estranged family.
Pretending to want a reunion, she appears at her uncle's party to secretly investigate them. When her uncle suddenly dies, Tori's case takes a sinister turn that makes her a suspect in her uncle's death and the killer's next target.
To uncover who dethroned the barbecue king, Tori will have to face her own fiery demons while pursuing a killer who wants to make dead meat out of her.
Critique: A riveting, original, and skillfully crafted murder mystery featuring a female sleuth and an entertaining wealth of unexpected plot twists and turns, "Burnt Ends" by Laura Wetsel is a prized pick for community/public library contemporary suspense/thriller mystery collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Burnt Ends" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.49), as well as in a large print paperback edition (9780744311242, $30.99, 472pp).
Editorial Note: Laura Wetsel (www.laurawetselbooks.com) writes mysteries and thrillers. Besides being a writing sleuth, her other life chapters have included being a Russian literature academic, an English teacher in Russia, and an editor of government reports.
Den of Iniquity
J. A. Jance
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063252585, $30.00, HC, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Den-Iniquity-J-Beaumont-Novel/dp/0063252589
Synopsis: Former Seattle homicide cop J. P. Beaumont faces trouble in the small town of Ashland, as both his personal and professional lives are thrown into turmoil. Beau's daughter and son-in-law are having marital troubles, and his grandson, a senior in high school, shows up on his doorstep, wanting to live with Beau and his wife Mel as he finishes out the school year.
Meanwhile, a friend from his past asks for Beau's help in looking into what appears to be an accidental death. A young man died of a fentanyl overdose, but those closest to him are convinced that he would never have used the drug, and that something much more sinister has happened. Beau agrees to unofficially reopen the case, and his investigation leads him to uncover similar mysterious deaths that all point to a most unlikely suspect.
As the case becomes more complicated than he could have imagined, and past and present mysteries collide, it will take everything Beau has to track down a dangerous vigilante killer. The result is an unforgettable read, and "newcomers and longtime series fans alike will be thrilled"
Critique: The 23rd title in author J. A. Vance's hard boiled detective series 'J. P. Beaumont', "Den of Iniquity" is a skillfully crafted novel and riveting read from start to finish. A traditional 'whodunnit' murder mystery of pulse-pounding suspense, this hardcover edition for "Den of Iniquity" is a solid pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. For the personal reading lists of J. A. Vance's legions of fans, "Den of Iniquity" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99). It should be noted by librarians that Den of Iniquity" is available in a large print paperback edition (9780063386402, $34.00) as well.
Editorial Note: J. A. Jance (www.jajanceauthor.com) is the author of the J. P. Beaumont series, the Joanna Brady series, the Ali Reynolds series, six thrillers about the Walker Family, and one volume of poetry.
Violet Kelly and the Jade Owl
Fiona Britton
Allen & Unwin Book Publishers
https://www.allenandunwin.com
PR: https://www.allenandunwin.com/contact-us
9781761067464, $17.99, PB, 296pp
https://www.amazon.com/Violet-Kelly-Jade-Fiona-Britton/dp/176106746X
Synopsis: Sydney, 1930: In a well-heeled corner of Paddington, just a short distance from the razor gangs of Darlinghurst and Kings Cross, sits La Maison des Fleurs, an upscale brothel run by the indomitable Madame. The star of La Maison is Violet Kelly -- beautiful, clever and determined to make something of herself in a world that has already taken so much.
When a former associate of Madame's emerges to claim a long-owed favor involving a kidnapped girl and an ancient curse, Violet is drawn into a risky game of cat and mouse that takes her from dangerous underworld dealings to raucous parties to untold stories about her own past, and, eventually, right into the heart of La Maison des Fleurs.
But how much is she willing to risk to save her friends, her home and the life she's come to love? And will it be enough?
Critique: A centuries-old curse, a house of secrets, and a young woman determined to find out the truth, "Violet Kelly and the Jade Owl" is a skillfully written and fun read from start to finish. A deftly crafted historical mystery featuring an amateur female sleuth and more unexpected plot twists and turns than a Texas tornado, "Violet Kelly and the Jade Owl" showcases author Fiona Britton's distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community/public library Historical Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of cozy mystery fans that "Violet Kelly and the Jade Owl" is also readily available from Allen & Unwin in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.64).
Editorial Note: Fiona Britton (www.fionabritton.com.au) is a Sydney, Australia writer, living and working on Bidjigal land. She has a PhD in English (Creative Writing) from University of Western Australia. Fiona likes stories about funny, fearless women who get to have it all.
Black River
Nilanjana Roy
Pushkin Vertigo
c/o Pushkin Press
www.pushkinpress.com
9781782279440, $17.95, PB, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Black-River-Nilanjana-Roy/dp/178227944X
Synopsis: Teetapur, an unassuming village just a few hours outside of bustling Delhi, is famous for nothing -- until one of its children, 8-year-old Munia, is found dead, hanging from the branch of a Jamun tree.
In the largely Hindu village, suspicion quickly falls on an itinerant Muslim man, Mansoor Suspicion ignites like wildfire, fueled by religious tensions that simmer beneath the surface.
The responsibility of uncovering the elusive truth (and prevent the lynching of the prime suspect) now rests on the weary shoulders of Sub-Inspector Ombir Singh. With only one other officer beneath him, and just a single working revolver between them, can he bring justice to a grieving father and an angry village -- or will Teetapur demand vengeance instead?
Offering readers a gripping mystery and a sweeping state-of-the-nation saga, "Black River" stands as a searing critique of modern India, weaving an intricate narrative that captures the essence of a nation grappling with its own complexities and contradictions.
Critique: A skillful and deftly crafted psychological thriller of a novel from start to finish, "Black River" showcases author Nilanjana Roy's impressive and distinctive storytelling talents in a novel of murder, prejudice, and mob mentality set in modern India. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community/public library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Black River" is also readily available from Pushkin Vertigo (and imprint of Pushkin Press) in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Nilanjana Roy (https://nilanjanaroy.com) is a Delhi-based journalist, literary critic, editor and author. She has written and reviewed for numerous publications including the Guardian, New York Times, and Huffington Post, and has a weekly column in the Financial Times, and her novel The Wildings was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize. Black River is Nilanjana's adult debut. It grew out of her years of reporting on gender from New Delhi and the surrounding states for the New York Times, and from exploring the capital and the Yamuna river on long walks.
Return to Midnight
Emma Dues
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662518812, $16.99, PB, 303pp
https://www.amazon.com/Return-Midnight-Emma-Dues/dp/1662518811
Synopsis: Nearly ten years ago, five Ohio university students were murdered in an off-campus Victorian home. The media dubbed it the Midnight House Massacre. Ever since, survivor and novelist Margot Davis has wanted to forget it, and never again utter the killer's name. Until she's compelled to write her side of the story. To do that, she's returning to Midnight House.
It'll be a chance for Margot to reconnect with other survivors, heal the trauma, and dispel the ugly conspiracy theories of obsessed true crime fanatics. But when news of Margot's book gets out, she receives a threatening note that demands she stop lying. Or else. It chills Margot's blood. Because she hasn't been telling the whole truth.
As the threats continue, each more sinister than the last, a journalist comes to Margot with new suspicions about that brutal October night. Now, to save her own life, Margot must reveal her well-guarded secrets -- ones that, for good reason, she's been too terrified to share.
Critique: A memorable, original, and compulsive page-turner of a suspense/thriller by an impressively talented author, Emma Dues' "Return to Midnight" is a terrific read that will have immense appeal to fans of the psychological thriller genre. Especially and unreservedly recommended for community/public library Mystery/Suspense Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Return to Midnight" by Thomas & Mercer is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).
Editorial Note: Emma Dues (www.emmaduesauthor.com) is a middle school teacher by day, thriller writer by night. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and family of rescue cats. When Emma isn't writing or at school, she's counting down to Halloween and watching scary movies.
A Murder in Old Town
Kay Cordtz
Sunstone Press
www.sunstonepress.com
9781632936783, $19.95, PB, 166pp
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Old-Town-Kay-Cordtz/dp/163293678X
Synopsis: Fortuna is a tall, elegant grandmother from Northern New Mexico who is living on the streets of Albuquerque after fleeing her abusive husband. She witnesses the aftermath of a crime and is entangled in the lives of the criminal and others who become connected to him.
These include Gus, a young man determined to leave his troubled past behind for the love of a damaged girl; Rod, an aging rake who mistakenly believes that Albuquerque will be a soft place to fall; and Juan, a promising young man on the rise whose bad choice of companions traps him in a criminal enterprise.
The story unfolds in and around Old Town Albuquerque and was inspired by actual events there. The fates of the characters (who lives, who dies, and which lives are changed forever) unspool over a period of a few summer days.
Critique: A deftly crafted work of fiction that is based on real historical events "A Murder in Old Town" is all the more impressive when considering that it is author Kay Cordtz debut as a novelist. With a distinctive storytelling style that raises a suspense thriller to an significant level of literary excellence and a riveting read from start to finish, "A Murder in Old Town" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community/public library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery fans that "A Murder in Old Town" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Kay Cordtz has been a nonfiction writer for fifty years, working as a newspaper and magazine reporter, press secretary to New Mexico federal, state and local officials and a science writer at two national laboratories. She also writes about music and musicians for several magazines. This is her first work of fiction.
Killer Insight
Karoline Anderson
Flare Books
c/o Catalyst Press
https://www.catalystpress.org
9781963511031, $19.95, PB, 280pp
https://www.amazon.com/Killer-Insight-Karoline-Anderson/dp/1963511034
Synopsis: When a local woman's body is found in a shallow grave on one of Seattle's pristine hiking trails, Detective Kaitlyn Kruse and her partner Joe Riley are under pressure to find her killer as swiftly as possible. But more than one body is recovered at the site, and (alarmingly) they all look a bit like Kaitlyn.
Fortunately, Kaitlyn has a secret weapon. She dreams of her past lives, and their memories are always eager to help her solve the crime at hand. But Kaitlyn's dreams are getting more desperate every night, like one of her past selves is trying to tell her something... and a shady black sedan is tracking her every move. It may be too late to stop the inevitable -- but Kaitlyn is determined to get justice for the dead before she becomes one of them.
Critique: All the more impressive when considering that "Killer Insight" is the debut novel of author Karoline Anderson, this rousing 'whodunnit' mystery (with it's touch of the supernatural), launches the Detective Kaitlyn Kruse series to the delight of all dedicated mystery fans. An original and fun read from start to finish, "Killer Insight" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of supernatural/paranormal murder mysteries that "Killer Insight" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.95) as well.
Editorial Note: Karoline Anderson (www.kaitlynkruse.com) is a pediatrician with a love of books. Born in Vancouver, Canada, she currently lives with her husband, golden retriever Jax, and cat Smoky on a lake in Nebraska. She runs whenever she can and has completed several triathlons and one marathon. Her two amazing daughters are off making their own way in the world and are always making her proud.
Lt. Gridley Nelson Mysteries
Ruth Fenisong
Stark House Press
www.starkhousepress.com
The Stark House Press is dedicated to brining 'time lost' mysteries and their authors to a new generation of appreciative readers. Three of their titles are dedicated to the long out of print and deftly crafted mysteries featuring cases of Lt. Gridley Nelson by the impressively talented author Ruth Fenisong. All three collections are unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections and the personal reading lists of dedicated old school mystery fans.
https://www.amazon.com/Grim-Rehearsal-Dead-Yesterday-Fenisong/dp/B0CW1XD3V5
"Grim Rehearsal / Dead Yesterday" (9798886010800, $19.95, PB, 292pp)
"Grim Rehearsal" -- Press agent Pierce Kirby is thrilled when his Uncle Doc visits, and takes him that night to a Manhattan play. They all know Pierce at the theater, so he takes his uncle backstage to introduce him around. While he is arguing with Ginette, the leading lady, his uncle wanders off. When Pierce can't find him, he figures that his uncle got tired of waiting and walked back to his hotel. The next morning Pierce is informed that Uncle Doc has been found murdered, and probably right there in the theater. That's when he meets acting-Captain Gridley Nelson. But Pierce isn't satisfied with the pace of Gridley's investigation, and so sets out to discover who killed his uncle himself. But who in the theater could have wanted the harmless old man dead? And why?
"Dead Yesterday" -- Thea had been a beautiful model until she met Count Dino Mazzani. But after they married, his true womanizing colors came out. And after his death, she just let herself go. Now, overweight and barely recognizable, she sits in her apartment and drinks. Until her old love, Grant Barstow, shows up. Seeing the shock in his face, the countess has her maid clean up the apartment. Then Coley Spenser, her late husband's former valet, makes an appearance, looking for cash and whatever else he can find... soon followed by Thea's niece, whom Thea has never met before, but who bears a striking resemblance to her younger self. What Spenser finds and how Thea reacts to seeing her niece for the first time leads to a room full of death for Gridley Nelson.
https://www.amazon.com/Wench-Dead-Miscast-Murder/dp/B0D52H2PLZ
"The Wench is Dead / Miscast for Murder" (9798886010909, $19.95 PB, $5.99 Kindle, 332pp)
"The Wench is Dead..."
Dene is on vacation, staying with her married friends Vera and Sam at their Long Island summer retreat. It is here she meets Paul Debrulet, a tall, handsome and somewhat mysterious man who lives on the estate. The attraction is immediate. But Paul seems to be a man with a secret, and try as she can, Dene can't figure out what it is. Then Lt. Gridley Nelson's wife, Kyrie, joins the group for a dinner party, and she recognizes Debrulet - he looks just like an accused wife-killer whose picture she'd seen in one of her son's true crime magazines. When an accidental hit-and-run death occurs at party's end, it begins to look like Paul is involved... in fact, it begins to look a lot like murder.
"Miscast for Murder"
Bess Rohan had lived a sheltered life with her divorced mother, so when she moves to New York City, nothing prepares her for Link Bassett, the TV and radio personality who finagles her into lunch with him. Nor is she prepared to see Kevin Culhane, the once-famous singer, seated with an attractive young lady nearby. Culhane is the father who left her as a child. The day becomes stranger still as she stands outside her father's hotel room... unaware that inside, lying face down on the bed, is the body of the young lady Culhane had been having lunch with - strangled to death. And now it becomes the task of Lt. Gridley Nelson to determine whether her estranged father is as guilty of murder as he appears!
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-needs-face-mystery-novel/dp/B0006APVQ2
"Murder Needs a Name / Murder Needs a Face" (9798886010589, $19.95 PB, $5.99 Kindle, 342pp)
"Murder Needs a Name"
The radio show has ended for the day, and the actors and writers are out for dinner, including their sponsor, Abner Ridenour. After the dinner breaks up, Jane and Abner announce their intention of eloping, so Catherine offers them her cottage for their honeymoon. Which doesn't sit well with Daudette, who still holds a torch for Abner. Or young John Severence, their announcer, who feels the same way about Jane. That night, Jane disappears. And the next day, Daudette is found murdered. Lt. Gridley Nelson has a large cast of suspects for the latter, and a nagging suspicion that the two crimes are somehow connected. But who is this Daudette, she of the phony French accent... and what has happened to Jane?
"Murder Needs a Face"
An unidentified man is found dead in the Greenhedge courtyard, killed by a blow to the head from a bottle. Franca is wracked with guilt because that night she had thrown a milk bottle out of the window to chase away a yowling cat. But Lt. Gridley Nelson figures that this is a case of murder. The group of apartment dwellers are a close-knit group, however, and try to block his attempt to get a straight answer, much less the name of the victim. The reticent renters include the Murtees - a browbeat husband and his raucous wife. The Coopers - a blind father and his over-protective nightclub singing daughter. Mr. Curtis, the love-sick manager. And a rather seedy couple, Vinnie & Myrtle Booth. Someone here knows something about the mysterious body, but this group would rather die than talk.
Editorial Note: Ruth Fenisong (April 29, 1904 - September 1978) was the child of Jewish immigrants. During the Thirties she was employed by the Federal Theater Project, writing and staging plays, often with a Leftist slant. Fenisong began her mystery career during World War II with Murder Needs a Name, featuring Lieutenant Gridley Nelson, the Princeton-educated son of an upscale family who decides he wants to be a cop. Nelson was the hero of thirteen mysteries by Fenisong, written between 1942 and 1962. New York Times critic Anthony Boucher frequently praised her novels, singling Nelson out as a "quietly perceptive detective." Fenisong lived for years in Greenwich Village with her life partner Kathleen Gallagher, an English teacher from Ireland, often traveling to Europe together and other locales together.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Zac Topping
Tor Books
c/o Tor/Forge Books
www.tor-forge.com
9781250322432, $28.99, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Rogue-Sequence-Novel-Zac-Topping/dp/125032243X
Synopsis: Ander Rade is a super-soldier, a genetically engineered living weapon, and has been dutifully following orders since he gave himself to Xyphos Industries' Gene-Mod Program several years ago. But when a mission goes sideways, he's captured, imprisoned, and forced into brutally violent fighting pits for the better part of the next decade... until agents from the Genetic Compliance Department of the United American Provinces appear in the visiting room.
Things have changed since Rade was captured. Shortly after his incarceration, the World Unity Council banned human genetic engineering and deemed all modified individuals a threat to society. Overnight, an entire subculture of people became outlaws simply for existing. But instead of leaving Rade locked behind bars, the GCD agents have come with an offer: Freedom in exchange for his help tracking down one of his former teammates from that ill-fated mission all those years ago.
It's an offer Rade can't refuse, but he soon realizes that the situation is far more volatile than anyone had anticipated, and is forced to take matters into his own hands as he tries to figure out whose side he's really on, and why.
Critique: "Rogue Sequence" by Zac Topping is action/adventure science fiction at its very best. An original and fun read from start to finish, "Rogue Sequence" will prove an immediate and enduringly popular pick for community library Science Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated Sci-Fi fans with an interest in stories featuring genetic engineering coupled with space marine style action/adventure that "Rogue Sequence" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781250815026, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) as well.
A Bitter Taste: Legend of the Five Rings
Josh Reynolds
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
9781839083013, $16.95, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bitter-Taste-Legend-Daidoji-Mystery/dp/1839083018
Synopsis: In the fantasy empire of Rokugan, when a Crane Clan auditor turns up dead in a soy brewery, all eyes turn to nobleman-turned-detective, Daidoji Shin... but not to solve the man's murder; rather, Shin is the suspect. Now Shin must attempt to figure out who killed the victim and, more importantly, who framed him, all while outwitting the authorities on his trail -- including a dogged Kitsuki investigator with a score to settle.
Caught in a spider's web of intrigue and with his enemies closing in, time is running out for Dadoiji Shin...
Critique: A Daidoji Shin mystery in "A Bitter Taste", Japanese gentleman sleuth Daidoji Shin faces his trickiest case yet when he finds himself being framed for murder in this deftly crafted cozy style fantasy mystery from novelist Josh Reynolds' Legend of the Five Rings series. A riveting and fun read from start to finish, "A Bitter Taste" is especially recommended for the personal reading lists of readers with an interest in Japanese style action/adventure fantasy fiction by a master of the genre. While unreservedly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted that "A Bitter Taste" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Tantor Audio, 9798874761530, $45.95, CD).
Editorial Note: Josh Reynolds is the author of over thirty novels and numerous short stories, including the wildly popular Warhammer: Age of Sigmar and Warhammer 40,000. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1323117.Josh_Reynolds)
The Wedding Witch
Erin Sterling
Avon Books
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063411166, $30.00, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Wedding-Witch-Novel-Erin-Sterling/dp/0063411164
Synopsis: Bowen Penhallow has always been a loner, studying dark and ancient magic on a mountaintop in Wales. He prefers it that way. But when his friend Colin (who happens to be a ghost) asks him to attend a Yuletide wedding at a grand estate deep in the Welsh countryside, Bowen reluctantly agrees.
Tamsyn Bligh is not a witch, but she makes her living off of them. As a procurer and seller of magical items, Tamsyn's business is not always above board, but she's been trying to fix that (mostly.) Bowen is an occasional customer (as well as the star of several of Tamsyn's dirtiest dreams) but she's been around enough witches to know that, as a human, getting involved with one is not the smartest idea.
But she has finagled an invite to the Witchy Wedding of the Century in the hopes of finally making a score big enough to retire. Just one priceless magical artifact from Tywyll House would set her up for life.
But Tamsyn isn't the only one sneaking about in Tywyll House, and the mix of a very strong spell combined with a wedding mishap transports Bowen and Tamsyn into Tywyll House's past, to the Yuletide Celebration of 1958. As Bowen and Tamsyn work together to get back to the present, they must also face off with the origins of Tywyll House's haunting, the suspicions of their fellow witches... oh, and the fact that somewhere between the mistletoe and the bonfire, they might be falling in love.
Critique: An original and fun read from cover to cover, "The Wedding Witch" by fantasy/romance novelist Erin Sterling will hold a very special appeal to readers with an interest stories of romance, comedy, witches, and ghosts. From the author of "The Hex Ex" and "The Kiss Curse", Erin Sterling's "The Wedding Witch" is a guaranteed entertainment and unabashedly recommended for community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this Avon Books edition of "The Wedding Witch" is also available in a paperback edition (9780063297593, $18.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Erin Sterling is the author of The Ex Hex and The Kiss Curse. Writing as Rachel Hawkins (www.rachelhawkinsbooks.com), she is also the author of The Wife Upstairs, as well as multiple books for young readers. Her work has been translated in over a dozen countries. She studied gender and sexuality in Victorian literature at Auburn University.
Storm Furies
Web Spencer
Baen Publishing
www.baen.com
9781982193546, $28.00 HC, $9.99 Kindle, 448pp
https://www.amazon.com/Storm-Furies-Elfhome-Wen-Spencer/dp/1982193549
Storm Furies continues the Elfhome series with yet another vivid, action-packed addition to the fray that is Tinker's world. Here the oni have invaded Pittsburgh on Elfhome, making Tinker and her friends a focal point in a war that's been in the making for centuries. Tinker is tasked with saving everybody, but as the storm furies invade and rule, it feels like she can't even save herself. Swift action, fine tension, and more challenges to Tinker's sense of self, choices, and worldview keep Storm Furies fast-paced, unpredictable, and character-driven to the point that it's hard to put down. Newcomers and prior fans of Tinker alike will find the story absolutely riveting.
To Turn the Tide
S.M. Stirling
Baen Publishing
www.baen.com
9781982193359, $28.00 HC, $9.99 Kindle, 464pp
https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Tide-S-M-Stirling/dp/1982193530
To Turn the Tide portrays the approaching end of the world from nuclear war and the efforts of one man to survive it by escaping via time machine into the past. Unfortunately, the machine's inventor didn't get to use it... the beneficiaries are a team of American grad students and a professor who find themselves in the times of the late Roman Empire. This tasks even their extensive, shared historical knowledge as they struggle to not just survive, but reconcile the history they have studied with the reality of the times, which is very unexpected. The survival challenge thus is juxtaposed with historical and psychological inquiry and tension to create a story that stands out from either apocalyptic or time travel sagas with the blended taste of something satisfyingly different. Libraries will find it essential to acquire and easy to recommend.
The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
Yuzuru Kuki, author/artist
Udon Entertainment
https://store.udonentertainment.com
9781772943443, $13.99, PB, 168pp
https://www.amazon.com/Manga-Biographies-Charles-Creator-Peanuts/dp/1772943444
Synopsis: Charles M. Schulz (November 26, 1922 - February 12, 2000) is the creator of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Woodstock, and many more wonderful characters who inhabit the world of Peanuts. Now, in a Manga graphic novel style format, readers learn how a shy, young Schulz first became a cartoonist and how he spent nearly 50 years drawing the beloved newspaper comic strip which has captivated the hearts of readers worldwide.
Critique: The Manga Biographies series explores the fascinating lives of legendary figures who accomplished extraordinary feats, all told through the fantastic lens of Japanese manga storytelling. This Udon Entertainment edition of "Manga Biographies: Charles M. Schulz The Creator of Snoopy and Peanuts" by manga artist and author Yuzuru Kuki will prove to be an extraordinarily popular addition to personal, middle school, highschool, and community/public library 20th Century American Biography collection -- and is a 'must' for the legions of Charles M. Schulz fans!
Editorial Note: The characters of Peanuts and related intellectual property are owned by Peanuts Worldwide, which is 41% owned by WildBrain Ltd., 39% owned by Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and 20% owned by the family of Charles M. Schulz, who first introduced the world to Peanuts in 1950, when the comic strip debuted in seven newspapers. Since then, Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang have made an indelible mark on popular culture. In addition to enjoying beloved Peanuts shows and specials on Apple TV+, fans of all ages celebrate the Peanuts brand worldwide through thousands of consumer products, as well as amusement park attractions, cultural events, social media, and comic strips available in all formats, from traditional to digital. In 2018, Peanuts partnered with NASA on a multi-year Space Act Agreement designed to inspire a passion for space exploration and STEM among the next generation of students.
Giga Town: The Guide to Manga Iconography
Fumiyo Kouno, author/artist
Udon Entertainment
https://store.udonentertainment.com
9781772943085, $12.99, PB, 132pp
https://www.amazon.com/Giga-Town-Guide-Manga-Iconography/dp/1772943088
Synopsis: Manga symbols - "manpu" in Japanese - are iconic or symbolic expressions used uniquely in manga, such as sweat drops, popping veins, and smoke puffs.
"Giga Town: A Guide to Manga Iconography!: by Fumiyo Kouno is an informative introduction and guide to Japanese manga iconography, collecting and explaining these symbols, with a short manga featuring the frolicking animals of the famous Japanese scroll Choju-jinbutsu-giga to explain each one!
"Giga Town: A Guide to Manga Iconography" also includes an informative afterward that teaches the flow of manga reading, a great addition for beginning manga readers!
Critique: A unique and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Manga Art & Graphic Novel collections, "Giga Town: The Guide to Manga Iconography" by author and manga aritst Fumiyo Kouno is impressively comprehensive and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation -- making it an ideal pick for middle school, highschool, and public library collections.
Editorial Note: Fumiyo K no is an experienced Japanese manga artist from Nishi-ku, Hiroshima, Japan known for her 2004 manga Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms, as well as her 2007 manga In This Corner of the World which got an anime film adaptation in 2016 by MAPPA. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fumiyo_K%C5%8Dno).
Jimi Hendrix: Purple Haze
Mellow Brown & DJ Ben Ha Meen, authors
Tom Mandrake, illustrator
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781787731899, $29.99, HC, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Jimi-Hendrix-Purple-Mellow-Brown/dp/1787731898
Synopsis: A graphic novel from co-authors Mellow Brown and DJ Ben Ha Meen, and illustrated by Tom Mandrake, "Jimi Hendrix: Purple Haze" from Titan Comics is 21st Century psychedelic rock 'n' roll odyssey that sees the legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix embark on a quest to the very centre of the universe in search of a magical talisman powerful enough to unlock the incredible latent power of his music so that he can share it with a universe starved of the rock 'n' roll by a tyrannical intergalactic force hellbent on silencing all music from the universe and enslaving all life.
Critique: An original and fun read from start to finish (and a 'must' for the legions of Jimi Hendrix fans!), this large format (7.7 x 0.6 x 11.7 inches, 1.51 pounds) hardcover edition of "Jimi Hendrix: Purple Haze" will have an immense appeal to fans of science fiction/fantasy manga style graphic novels. While also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $28.49), "Jimi Hendrix: Purple Haze" is especially and unreservedly recommended for both community and college/university library Graphic Novel collections.
Editorial Note #1: Mellow Brown studied at Cleveland State University, where he became a software engineer and developed the skills to help urban communities with open-source technology. Today, he is a screenwriter that has previously written for the TV series 'American Gods'.
Editorial Note #2: Writer and composer, DJ Ben Ha Meen is a WGA screenwriter and a graduate of Howard University. Benham's knowledge of and love for the music of Jimi Hendrix is without compare.
Editorial Note #2: Tom Mandrake (www.tommandrake.com) is a graduate of the legendary Kubert School and an American comic book artist, perhaps best known for his collaborations on Grimjack, Firestorm, The Spectre, Martian Manhunter, and Sgt. Rock for DC Comics. For Marvel Comics, Mandrake has worked on the New Mutants. He recently completed his epic American Civil War vampire epic Kros.
The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn: Volume 1
Tri Vuong
Ten Speed Graphic
c/o Ten Speed Press
https://crownpublishing.com/imprint/ten-speed
9781984863270, $26.99, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Strange-Tales-Oscar-Graphic-Novel/dp/1984863274
Synopsis: Oscar Zahn is just like any other paranormal investigator -- he's working hard to make the world a better place, one exorcism at a time. So what if he's just a floating skull wearing a trench coat? He's still got a heart of gold!
In this first installment of the online webcomic sensation "The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn", readers will fully enjoy following Oscar and his mysterious assistant Agnes as they embark on a terrifying yet heartwarming journey across ethereal realms, rescuing lost souls and solving creepy mysteries.
Their travels take them across great distances and even through time, as Oscar sleuths out why the spirits he contends with are restless and malcontent. Yet the more mysteries he solves, the clearer it becomes that there's a greater game afoot, one that involves Oscar's own forgotten origin story.
Readers will love this beautifully illustrated paranormal graphic novel from Tri Vuong, the beloved creator of Webtoon's The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn.
This first volume collects episodes 1 - 65 of the Webtoon comic The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn.
Critique: A 'must' for the legions of Tri Vuong fans, this graphic novel hardcover edition of "The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn: Volume 1" from Ten Speed Graphic (an imprint of Ten Speed Press), is a fun read from start to finish for fans of the paranormal and supernatural -- and will leave them looker eagerly toward a second volume of Oscar Zahn adventures. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Fantasy Graphic Novel collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn: Volume 1" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781984863287, $19.99).
Editorial Note: Tri Vuong is a comic artist and writer based out of Toronto, Canada. He is the creator of the popular webcomic The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn and the co-creator of the critically acclaimed graphic novel Everyday Hero Machine Boy. He is a veteran of the video game and animation industry whose list of clients includes LEGO, Skybound Entertainment, Image Comics, Ubisoft, Editions Dupuis, Corus Entertainment, and many more.
The Library CD Shelf
Joel Frahm Trio
joelfrahm.com
Anzic Records
anzicrecords.com
$20.00 CD / $10.00 digital
https://joelfrahm.bandcamp.com/album/lumination
Lumination is a contemporary jazz album by the Joel Frahm Trio: Joel Frahm on tenor saxophone, Dan Loomis on bass, and Ernesto Cervini on Drums. All songs are original compositions by individual members of the trio. Brimming with creativity, exciting improvisations, and highly charged energy reflecting of the trio's adventurous global touring, Lumination is highly recommended for instrumental jazz connoisseurs and also makes an excellent gift. The tracks are The Nurse Is In, Disco Nern, Loomie Nation, Moonface Lament, Loo-Lee, False Spring, Kern You Dig It?, Na Estrada, Vesper Flights, and Catch 22.
Golden City
Miguel Zenon
miguelzenon.com
Miel Music
$TBA CD/ $10.00 digital
https://miguelzenon.bandcamp.com/album/golden-city
Grammy-winning alto saxophonist and composer Miguel Zenon presents Golden City, an album commissioned by SF JAZZ and the Hewlett Foundation as a tribute to California history, and designed to be performed by an all-star, trombone- focused nonet. A lively, engaging work, Golden City fully acknowledges the dark aspects of California's sometimes violent and discriminatory past as well as the state's positive transformations. Golden City is an extraordinary musical tour worthy of the Golden State, and highly recommended. The tracks are Sacred Land; Rush; Acts of Exclusion; 9066; Displacement and Erasure; SRO; Wave of Change; Sanctuary City; Cultural Corridor; The Power of Community; and Golden.
Run the Gauntlet
The Kris Davis Trio featuring Robert Hurst & Johnathan Blake
krisdavis.net
Pyroclastic Records
pyroclasticrecords.com
$17.02 CD / $14.49 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/Run-Gauntlet-Kris-Davis-Trio/dp/B0D87PNX6C
In the music album Run the Gauntlet, Grammy-winning pianist and composer Kris Davis combines her talents with bassist Robert Hurst and drummer Johnathan Blake to celebrate the lives and musical accomplishments of six extraordinary female pianists: Geri Allen, Carla Bley, Marilyn Crispell, Angelica Sanchez, Sylvie Courvoisier, and Renee Rosnes. Inspirational, emotional, and memorable, Run the Gauntlet is a treasure for connoisseurs of creative piano playing, highly recommended. The tracks are Run the Gauntlet; Softly, As You Wake; First Steps; Little Footsteps; Heavy-Footed; Beauty Beneath the Rubble; Beauty Beneath the Rubble Meditation; Knotweed; Coda Queen; Dream State; and Subtones.
Pieces of Home
Dan and Claudia Zanes
https://danandclaudia.com
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
https://folkways.si.edu
$16.98 CD / $9.49 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/Pieces-Home-Dan-Claudia-Zanes/dp/B0D775H1XX
Pieces of Home is an album steeped in American and Haitian folk traditions, by married music artists Dan and Claudia Zanes. The harmony of their vocals adds an exceptional vibrance to old and new songs celebrating friendship, love, and community. Heartwarming, empathetic, and down-to-earth, Pieces of Home is a welcome addition to personal and public library folk music collections, and also makes a wonderful gift. The tracks are Little Pal of Mine; Breathe, I'm Here; Fly Like a Raven; Tomorrow's Train; Friend in Springtime; Guide My Feet (for Ella Jenkins); Se On Tifi; Nobody Smells the Way You Do; Sweet and Cool; Walkin' Talkin' Baltimore; Jump-O!; My God; Believe; Conversations; and Cranberry Rock.
Vanishing Points
Calgareal
Privately Published
$20.00 CAD CD / $10.00 CAD digital
https://calgareal.bandcamp.com/album/vanishing-points
Calgareal is a music collective skilled in choir performance and a wide variety of instruments including saxophones, clarinet, flamenco guitar, violin, viola, flute, piccolo, upright bass, drums, and more. Vanishing Points is their debut full- length studio album of compositions written entirely by various Calgareal members. The songs blur the boundaries between jazz and world music, drawing inspiration from the music of France, Quebec, China, Spain, and the Balkans. An exciting, multifaceted collaboration, Vanishing Points invites the listener on a whirlwind creative tour and is highly recommended for connoisseurs of groundbreaking original music. The tracks are Cercle; Dialogue 1; La Soupe; Il Lago Accanto; Dialogue 2; Mood Music; Dialogue 3; Danza; Dialogue 4; Points de Fuite; and Here, There, Now, Then.
Hold on to Me
Marie Goudy's Paloma Sky
mariegoudy.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $9.00 CAD digital
https://mariegoudy.bandcamp.com/album/hold-on-to-me
Hold on to Me is the debut full-length album by jazz-pop quintet Marie Goudy's Paloma Sky: Marie Goudy on trumpet and voice, Jocelyn Barth on voice, Stu Harrison on piano, Nick Arsenault on bass and voice, and Andrew Scott on drums and voice. Special guest Alison Young contributes alto sax to one track. All compositions and arrangements are by Marie Goudy. The smooth, passionately performed lyrics complement the masterful instrumentation, in this superb pick that will appeal to a wide audience. Highly recommended. The tracks are Cardinal in the Snow; Hold on to Me; Her Glory; Made for Me; At the Shore (words by Alex Dawson); Dance of the Stars; I Missed You; Close to Me; The Huntress; and Mexico.
Aloft
Bryn Roberts with Matt Penman and Quincy Davis
bryn-roberts.com
Elastic Recordings
elasticrecordings.com
$20.00 CD / $10.00 digital
https://brynroberts.bandcamp.com/album/aloft-elastic-recordings
Aloft is the debut contemporary jazz album of a talented trio of musicians - Bryn Roberts on piano, Matt Penman on bass, and Quincy Davis on drums. Together, they present five original songs and two classic standards. The dynamic energy of the trio's performance makes Aloft a choice pick for jazz enthusiasts. Highly recommended! The tracks are Let's Agree (That You Agree With Me); Steen's Scene; Aloft; My Ship (by Kurt Weill & Ira Gershwin); Stevedore Cosplay; Amaryllis; and You Do Something To Me (by Cole Porter).
My Life So Far
Kent Blazy
kentblazy.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $8.99 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D3816YX1
Country music songwriter and guitarist Kent Blazy's thriving career began in the 80's and has a long track record of number one hits. His brand new album is My Life So Far, a biographical work that celebrates the people who influenced his life, and contemplates the pivotal choices he selected. All songs are Kent Blazy's original compositions except "For a Minute There (Full Demo)" which was co-written by Garth Brooks and Kent Blazy. Performed with enthralling skill, My Life So Far is a "must-have" for Kevin Blazy's fans and country music connoisseurs, highly recommended. The tracks are Our Big Love; Feeling Alive Again; Thank Him Every Day; Can't Sleep With You; Who Really Rescued Who; This One's for You (This Song's for You); Still My Only Child; The Devil's Music; Nature of the Beast; Empty House; and For a Minute There (Full Demo).
Long Days & Short Stories
Daryl Mosley
www.darylmosley.com
Pinecastle Records
www.pinecastlemusic.com
$14.99 CD / $9.49 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/Long-Short-Stories-Daryl-Mosley/dp/B0DCC3LHV3
The fourth album by Daryl Mosley, Long Days & Short Stories blends elements of Bluegrass, Americana, Country, and Gospel into a nostalgic music collection grounded in the "small town" values of faith, family, honesty, and humility. Daryl Mosley's folksy vocals are supported by talented performers on the mandolin, guitar, banjo, fiddle, bass, and piano. The songs reflect the importance of empathizing with one's fellow human beings, and cherishing acts of kindness both great and small. Long Days & Short Stories is heart-touching, memorable, and highly recommended. The tracks are When the Good Old Days Were New; Everything That's Right; When I Can't Reach Up (featuring Jeff and Sheri Easter); A Friend Like You; I Can Pray; I'm Still Here; Me and Mr. Howard; Forever After All; Still the Solid Rock (featuring New Tradition); You Never Gave Up On Me; and I'm Still Here (bonus track).
Dusk and Dawn
Rich Halley
www.richhalley.com
Pine Eagle Records
$TBA
https://richhalley.bandcamp.com
Dusk and Dawn is an original full-length album by the talented quartet of Rich Halley on tenor saxophone, Michael Vlatkovich on trombone, Clyde Reed on bass, and Carson Halley on drums. Showcasing Halley's compositions and unfettered improvisations, Dusk and Dawn resonates in the mind and the heart of the listener long after the final note. Highly recommended, especially for jazz connoisseurs! The tracks are Spherical Aberration; The Return; Retrograde; After Dawn; Spatter; Stretching the Sinews; and The Hard Truth.
Owl Dreams
Dharma Down
www.dharmadown.com
Dharma Down Records
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DF9F9MDS
Dharma Down is the jazz music quartet of Duncan Hardy on alto sax and qanum, Mike Effenberger on piano, Scott Kiefner on acoustic bass, and John Mettam on drums. Owl Dreams is their debut album, showcasing ten original songs plus a modern rework of a thousand-year-old classical Arabic song. Drawing upon middle eastern influences, Owl Dreams is a captivating auditory experience and highly recommended for both jazz and world music connoisseurs. The tracks are Jalla Man (arranged traditional song); Bubu Jinn; Baghdad; Ex One Blues; A Murder Of Cheerleaders; Tadafuq; Among The Reeds; East 73rd Street; Michel; Jurjina; and Thoughts and Prayers.
It Gets Better
Jeff Rupert, Kenny Barron, Peter Washington, and Joe Farnsworth
Rupe Media
$TBA CD / $8.91 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCXMMLMN
It Gets Better is a jazz music album consisting of six original compositions and three standards, expertly performed by Jeff Rupert on tenor sax, Kenny Barron on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Joe Farnsworth on drums. The songs have a common theme of optimism, cherishing the values of hope and the will to improve. Smoothly and succinct, It Gets Better is an emotionally uplifting experience, highly recommended. The tracks are Petrichor (In the Cote D'a zur); Comanche Crush; Lana Turner; It Gets Better; Pharaoh's Daughter; Like Someone in Love; Nowhere to Go But Up; Not My Blues; and Promenade in Blue.
The Blu-ray Shelf
Sentai Film Works
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com
c/o RLJ Entertainment (distribution)
$69.98
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com/products/816726027364-monster-musume-complete-collection-blu-ray
Monster Musume Complete Collection is 2-disc blu-ray set of all twelve episodes plus two OVAs (original video animations) of this playfully sexy and funny anime series about a modern-day young man who ends up living with multiple monster girls! What begins as a clerical error in a government program intended to help monster people assimilate into mainstream life turns Kimihito's life upside down as he is assigned show hospitality to the lamia-girl Miia. Then more monster girls come to stay, and despite the government's rules against monsters dating their hosts, some of the girls definitely have an interest in him! Monster Musume Complete Collection is simultaneously cute, character-driven, and raunchy, and is recommended especially for anime fans who enjoy the "accidental harem" comedy subgenre. Although Monster Musume Complete Collection is rated TV-MA for nudity and sexual themes, it doesn't explicitly show sexual acts (other than the occasional censored background event). 2 Blu-ray discs, 350 minutes, English and Japanese audio with optional English subtitles.
The Multimedia Shelf
Kitaro
Domo Music Group
www.domomusicgroup.com
$24.99
Zen - Live In Katsuyama is music CD and bonus DVD of a live performance by Kitaro and his ensemble at the Daishizan Seidai-ji Temple of Fukui, Japan, commemorating the 35th anniversary of the temple's founding. The temple is especially well-known for its 17-meter statue of the Birushana Nyorai, commonly known as the Great Buddha of Echizen. The DVD shows the energetic performance on the temple's storied grounds, in front of the legendary statue. Zen - Live In Katsuyama is an extraordinary musical tribute, and a priceless treasure especially for world music collections and armchair travelers. Highly recommended! The tracks are Prayer For Mother Earth; Monks Prayer (DVD only); Mercury; Silk Road; Aqua; Requiem; Hajimari; Sozo; Koi (DVD only); Orochi; Sitara; Gaia; Matsuri; and Reimei.
The Nautical Shelf
David Gendell
The Lyons Press
www.lyonspress.com
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
9781493084449, $34.95, HC, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Days-Schooner-America-Annapolis/dp/1493084445
Synopsis: The schooner America was a technological marvel and a child star. In the summer of 1851, just weeks after her launching at New York, she crossed the Atlantic and sailed to an upset victory against a fleet of champions. The silver cup she won that day is still coveted by sportsmen.
Almost immediately after that famous victory, she began a decades-long run of adventure, neglect, rehabilitations, and hard sailing, always surrounded by colorful, passionate personalities.
America ran and enforced wartime blockades. She carried spies across the ocean. And she was on the scene as yachtsmen and business titans spent freely and competed fiercely for the cup she first won.
By the early twentieth century, she was in desperate need of a thorough refit. The old thoroughbred floated in brackish water at the United States Naval Academy, stripped of her sails and rotting in the sun. Refitting America would be a massive project -- expensive and potentially distracting for a nation struggling to emerge from the Great Depression and preparing for a world war.
But the project had a powerful sponsor. On a windy evening in December 1940, the eighty-nine-year-old America was hauled "groaning and complaining" up a marine railway at Annapolis: the first physical step in a rehabilitation rumored to have been set in motion by President Franklin Roosevelt himself.
The haul-out brought the famous schooner into the heart of the Annapolis Yacht Yard, a privately owned company with a staff capable of completing such a project, but with leadership determined to convert their facility into a modern warship production plant on behalf of the United States and its allies.
With the publication of "The Last Days of the Schooner America: A Lost Icon at the Annapolis Warship Factory", Annapolis sailor and author David Gendell traces the history of the famous vessel, from her design, build, and early racing career, through her lesser-known Civil War service and the never-before-told story of her final days and moments on the ground at Annapolis.
The schooner's story is set against a vivid picture of the entrepreneurial forces behind the fast, focused rise of the Annapolis Yacht Yard as the United States prepares for and enters World War II. As wooden warships are built around her, America waits for a rehabilitation that would never happen.
To bring this unique story to life, Gendell delved into archival sources and oral histories and interviewed some of the last living people who saw America at the Annapolis Yacht Yard.
Critique: Informative enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a four page listing of Sources, sixteen pages of Notes, and a twelve page Index, "The Last Days of the Schooner America: A Lost Icon at the Annapolis Warship Factory" by David Gendell is an impressive and seminal study that is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Maritime History collections and supplemental U. S. Naval History curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for readers with an interest in the subject that this edition of "The Last Days of the Schooner America: A Lost Icon at the Annapolis Warship Factory" is also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $28.04).
Editorial Note: Sailor and author David Gendell is an Annapolis native with an extensive sailboat racing background. In 1995, he cofounded SpinSheet, a Chesapeake Bay sailing magazine, and served as its editor for twelve years. In 2004, he cofounded PropTalk, a Chesapeake Bay powerboating magazine. He is a Coast Guard licensed captain and the author of "Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse: A Chesapeake Bay Icon" -- devoted to the 1875 lighthouse.
The Mythology Shelf
Camille Townsend
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500025536, $25.95, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Aztec-Myths-Ancient-Stories-Legends/dp/0500025533
Synopsis: From their remote origins as migrating tribes to their rise as builders of empire, the Aztecs were among the most dynamic and feared peoples of ancient Mexico, with a belief system that was one of the most complex and vital in the ancient world.
With the publication of "The Aztec Myths: A Guide to the Ancient Stories and Legends" historian and academician Camilla Townsend returns to the original tales, told at the fireside by generations of Indigenous Nahuatl speakers. Along the way, she deals with human sacrifice, the raising of great temples, and the troubling legacy of the Spanish conquest.
Few cultures are generally understood to have been so controlled by their religion as the Aztecs, and few religions are envisioned as being as violent and celebratory of death as theirs. In this introduction to the Aztec myths, Professor Townsend draws from sixteenth-century historical annals and songs written down by Nahuatl-speaking peoples, now known as the Aztecs, in their own language to counter this narrative, inherited from the conquering Spaniards. In doing so, she reveals a rich tapestry of mythic tradition that defies modern expectations.
Professor Townsend retells stories ranging from the creation of the world, revealing the Aztec cosmological vision of nature and the divine, to legends of the Aztecs' own past that show how they understood the foundation of their state and the course of their wars. She considers the impact of colonial contact on the myths and demonstrates that Indigenous engagement with the new cultural customs introduced by the Europeans never entirely uprooted old ways of thinking.
Critique: Featuring 112 illustrations, this edition of Professor Camille Townsend's "The Aztec Myths: A Guide to the Ancient Stories and Legends" from Thames & Hudson is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a four page Bibliography, three pages of Notes, a one page listing of Acknowledgments, and a five page Index. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Aztec Myths: A Guide to the Ancient Stories and Legends" is a welcome and recommended addition to personal, community, and college/university library Aztec History & Religion collections, as well as supplemental Folklore/Mythology curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers that this edition of "The Aztec Myths: A Guide to the Ancient Stories and Legends" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.73).
Editorial Note: Camilla Townsend (www.wilsoncenter.org/person/camilla-townsend) is the Distinguished Professor of History at Rutgers University and a vocal supporter of the rights of Indigenous peoples. She is the author of numerous books, including Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs, which won the Cundill History Prize in 2020. Her other books include Malintzin's Choices: An Indian Woman in the Conquest of Mexico, Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma, and Annals of Native America: How the Nahuas of Colonial Mexico Kept Their History Alive.
Classical Myth: An Introduction
Barry P. Powell
University of Michigan Press
www.press.umich.edu
9780472039722, $39.50, PB, 280pp
https://www.amazon.com/Classical-Myth-Introduction-Barry-Powell/dp/0472039725
Synopsis: Myths are not just the stories from the ancient Greeks and Romans -- they represent deep truths from the essential concerns people face in their lives. Modern readers may already have heard of the Trojan Horse or how Oedipus married his own mother, but why have these stories lingered?
With the publication of "Classical Myth: An Introduction", Barry B. Powell (who is the Halls-Bascom Professor of Classics Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison) provides the historical and theoretical background necessary for us to understand not only the concept of what a myth is, but the cultural context of how it emerged, and the different approaches to interpreting myth that were put forward by ancient theorists and their more recent successors.
Then Professor Powell helps his readers to understand classical myth as it is found in its primary sources: the works of Homer and Hesiod, and the Greek tragedians and historians, Ovid and Vergil. By examining a number of prominent themes in classical myth, this comprehensive study explores the relationship between myth and art, politics, society, and history of the ancient world.
Of special note is that this completely revised second edition features new illustrations and will of immense aid to readers who want to understand myths or study their original sources.
Critique: With the inclusion of figures, maps, and charts, this newly revised and expanded second edition of "Classical Myth: An Introduction" by Professor Barry B. Powell is especially and particularly recommended for personal/professional reading lists, as well as community and college/university library Grecko-Roman History/Culture/Religion collections and supplemental Mythology/Folklore curriculum studies lists.
The Native American Studies Shelf
Theodore Brasser
Firefly Books Ltd.
www.fireflybooks.com
9781554074334, $65.00, HC, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Native-American-Clothing-Illustrated-History/dp/1554074339
Synopsis: Native Americans crafted beautiful clothing out of skins, pigment, quills and sinew. "Native American Clothing: An Illustrated History" is a collection of photographs and an informative reference that celebrates Native American decorative genius. Many of the 300 photographs from more than 60 leading museums and private collections have never been published previously.
Withe the publication of "Native American Clothing: An Illustrated History", Theodore Brasser describes the clothing in fascinating detail, from moccasins and tunics to sashes, bags and ceremonial and burial costumes. Brasser also explains who made what and how, as well as the meanings of the different kinds of decoration, such as beadwork, embroidery, applique, patchwork, weaving and dyeing. There are also many examples of native pottery and other historic artifacts that depict themes used in the clothes.
"Native American Clothing" provides a thorough historical background of the many influences on this clothing, including:
Mythology
Social status
Political standing
Wealth
Climate
Geography
Contact with European settlers
Also covered is the entire North American continent and is organized by tribal groups and regions:
Southeast
Northern east coast
Eastern Great Lakes
Eastern sub-Arctic
Great Lakes
Plains
Southwest
Plateau/desert
California
Northwest coast
Western sub-Arctic
Arctic
Of special note are the numerous maps showing the ranges of the tribes and conveying how trade and travel spread cultural themes.
Critique: This large format (9.32 x 1.17 x 11.2 inches, 4.45 pounds) hardover edition of "Native American Clothing: An Illustrated History" features an authoritative, detailed text beautifully and profusely illustrated with museum quality color reproductions. While also available in a substantial paperback edition (9780228104889, $39.95) "Native American Clothing: An Illustrated History" is a highly recommended acquisition for personal, professional, community, college/university library Native American History/Culture collections and supplemental Native American curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Theodore Brasser was a curator at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, professor of art history at Carleton University and professor of anthropology at Trent University. He has written extensively for American Indian Art magazine and numerous museum and scholarly publications.
A Brief Colorado Indian History of the 1800s Through A Factual Lens
Roberta Carol Harvey
Sunstone Press
www.sunstonepress.com
9781632936721, $32.95, HC, 142pp
https://www.amazon.com/Colorado-Indian-History-Through-Factual/dp/1632936720
Synopsis: In 1998, Colorado state lawmakers mandated that American Indian history and culture be included in the curriculum of high schools in Colorado, based on the persistent efforts of Comanche State Senator Suzanne Williams.
In 2003, they broadened the law mandating that in order to graduate students must satisfactorily complete a civil government course which includes the history, culture and social contributions of American Indians and other groups. Colorado Revised Statute 22-1-104.
"A Brief Colorado Indian History of the 1800s Through A Factual Lens" by historian Roberta Carol Harvey on Colorado's American Indian history is based on primary sources will provide substantial help in fulfilling this Colorado educational mandate.
Critique: Succinctly informative, exceptionally well organized, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in presentation, "A Brief Colorado Indian History of the 1800s Through A Factual Lens" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, K-12 School District, community, and college/university library Native American History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "A Brief Colorado Indian History of the 1800s Through A Factual Lens" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781632936714, $22.95).
Editorial Note: Roberta Carol Harvey is a citizen of the Navajo Nation, an attorney, and an historian. She holds BA, MBA and JD degrees from the University of Denver and is a lecturer on Indian law related to policy, land, water and natural resources. She is committed to Indian self-determination, ending assimilation policies and promoting accurate education. She is also the author of The Earth Is Red: The Imperialism of the Doctrine of Discovery; The Eclipse of the Sun: The Need for American Indian Curriculum in High Schools; The Iron Triangle: Business, Government, and Colonial Settlers' Dispossession of Indian Timberlands and Timber; All that Glitters Is Ours; The Theft of Indian Mineral Resources; Social Contributions of Colorado's American Indian Leaders for the Seven Generations to Come and Warrior Societies, A Manifesto, all from Sunstone Press.
The Iron Triangle
Roberta Carol Harvey
Sunstone Press
www.sunstonepress.com
9781632936257, $48.95, HC, 560pp
https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Triangle-Government-Dispossession-Timberlands/dp/1632936259
Synopsis: "The Iron Triangle: Business, Government, and Colonial Settlers' Dispossession of Indian Timberlands and Timber" by Roberta Carol Harvey is a history and study of the timberland and timber resources and a part of a series on the dispossession of Indian natural resources by the "iron triangle" of the federal government, big business and colonial settlers.
The primary period covered in this book is 1840-1900. The areas focused on include the Great Lakes and the Pacific Northwest. Congress acknowledged that from "...the beginning, Federal policy toward the Indian was based on the desire to dispossess him of his land." Under the United States' dictatorial "doctrine of discovery," Indians were mere tenants on their land, with no right to the natural resources. The trajectory was clear: removal, cession of millions of acres of land, interment on reservations, allotment of tribal land to individuals to break up tribes, and the sale of those allotments.
Disease, starvation, extermination, massacres, private wars and war crimes ensued. This opened the "inexhaustible mineral, agricultural and natural resources within their dominion" for white exploitation. Congressional legislation opened the land of the west for $1.25 per acre or at times for free, without buying Indian land, just to get settlers' boots-on-the-ground. Land sharks, in collusion with federal agents, cheated Indians out of their land and timber.
Big business used its political and economic clout to assure its control of the country's natural wealth. Lumber barons monopolized the timber industry and set prices. By 1920, three-fifths of the United States' original timber was gone. Indians served as menial laborers for logging companies, cutting timber and peeling bark. "Scalped" of the wealth inherent in their natural resources, they were left destitute.
"The Iron Triangle: Business, Government, and Colonial Settlers' Dispossession of Indian Timberlands and Timber" is for them.
Critique: A seminal and ground breaking study, "The Iron Triangle: Business, Government, and Colonial Settlers' Dispossession of Indian Timberlands and Timber" is a massively exhaustive and comprehensive work of stellar scholarship that is exceptionally well written, organized and presented. An original and high value contribution to Native American history in general, and Native American Demographic Studies in particular, "The Iron Triangle" is especially and unreseervedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Native American Studies collections and supplemental curriculum lists. It should be noted for students, academicians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Iron Triangle" is also readily available from Sunstone Press in a paperback edition (9781632934420, $36.95) as well.
Editorial Note: Roberta Carol Harvey is a citizen of the Navajo Nation, is an attorney and historian. She holds BA, MBA and JD degrees from the University of Denver and is a lecturer on Indian law related to policy, land, water and natural resources. She is committed to Indian self-determination, ending assimilation policies and promoting accurate education. She is also the author of "The Earth is Red: The Imperialism of the Doctrine of Discovery" and "The Eclipse of the Sun: The Need for American Indian Curriculum in High Schools" from Sunstone Press.
The Art Shelf
Tyler Thrasher & Terry Mudge
Sasquatch Books
www.sasquatchbooks.com
9781632174925, $35.00, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Universe-100-Colors-Wondrous-Science/dp/1632174928
Synopsis: Co-authored by Tyler Thrasher and Terry Mudge, "The Universe in 100 Colors: Weird and Wondrous Colors from Science and Nature" is gorgeous compendium contains 100 amazing colors that you might otherwise live your whole life unaware of. These colors exist in the strangest of places, and serve extremely specific functions in nature, or were human-made with one goal in mind.
In this oversized, design-forward volume you will find entries for each of the 100 colors, organized in gradient order, with structural and impossible colors set at the end. Each entry has a 2-page spread with a full-page image of the color plus snappy descriptions, and easy-to-understand category symbols. Some entries include diagrams. Even includes structural colors and colors outside the range of human visibility! Also included is a brief introduction to color theory, a myth-busting section, plus index, glossary, and notes.
Here is your universe in living color:
Cosmic Latte: The average color of the universe.
Dragon's Blood: A tropical tree that bleeds red resin with incredible medicinal potential.
Sonoluminescence: A color created by sound!
Eigengrau: The color we perceive in the absence of light (and no, it's not "pitch black").
Critique: Unique, informative, and inherently fascinating, "The Universe in 100 Colors: Weird and Wondrous Colors from Science and Nature" is ideal and instructive reading for anyone who has an interest in optics, the physics of color, or the use of color in graphic design. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99), this hardcover edition of Tyler Thrasher and Terry Mudge's "The Universe in 100 Colors: Weird and Wondrous Colors from Science and Nature" from Sasquatch Books is a very special and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Art & Color collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Tyler Thrasher is a self-taught chemist and botanist with a BFA in computer animation and art history. He spent much of his childhood living in greenhouses, which would go on to inspire his love for nature. During college Tyler spent his free time crawling through caves, which inspired a body of art that involved synthesizing crystals onto preserved insects and organic matter such as skulls. This quickly became his full-time job and ultimately unraveled a deeper fascination for nature and experimentation, which has carried over into the idea for "The Universe in Color".
Editorial Note #2: Terry Mudge opened the Stemcell Science Shop in 2016 with the goal of elevating the lackluster standard in scientific goods. After several successful years Terry launched his monthly Matter box, one of the most popular science subscription boxes around. He now spends his time hunting down fascinating pieces of nature and science to keep people tantalized by the infinite possibilities of the universe.
Lyle Ashton Harris: Our First and Last Love
Lyle Ashton Harris et al.
Gregory R. Miller & Co.
Queens Museum of Art/Rose Art Museum
c/o Distributed Art Publishers (DAP)
www.artbook.com
9781941366653, $50.00, HC, 168pp
https://www.amazon.com/Lyle-Ashton-Harris-first-last/dp/1941366651
Synopsis: Gathering photographs, assemblages, video installations and archival selections from his celebrated and lesser-known series, Our first and last love charts new connections across the artistic practice of New York based artist Lyle Ashton Harris. Informed by an adolescence that unfolded in New York City and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, as well as several years spent living in Ghana, Harris explores the complexities of African and African American collective identity while forging his own personal narrative as a Black queer man.
"Lyle Ashton Harris: Our First and Last Love" and its accompanying solo survey exhibition chronicles Harris' approach to representation and self-portraiture while tracing recurrent themes and formal techniques in his work over the last 35 years. Central to this curated selection is Harris' most recent series titled Shadow Works, mixed-media assemblages of photographic prints embedded in Ghanaian printed textiles with cowrie shells, pottery, handwritten notes, clippings of the artist's dreadlocks and other personal ephemera.
In both the exhibition and its catalog, these works serve as thematic anchors underscoring Harris' layered approach to his ongoing creative explorations.
Critique: This large format (10.3 x 0.8 x 11.7 inches, 2.31 pounds) hardcover edition of "Lyle Ashton Harris: Our First and Last Love" from Gregory R. Miller & Co. (and drawing from the collections of the Queens Museum of Art and Rose Art Museum) is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a two page Director's Foreword, two Appendices (The 'Shadow Works Archive' & 'Exhibition Vitrines with Selected Artist's Ephemera', a two page Checklist of Works, and a one page listing of Contributor Biographies. "Lyle Ashton Harris: Our First and Last Love" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Arts/Photography Criticism collections and for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in American Black Artist & Photographer monographs, catalogs, and exhibitions.
Editorial Note: Lyle Ashton Harris (www.lyleashtonharris.com) is an American artist who has cultivated a diverse artistic practice ranging from photographic media, collage, installation art and performance art. Harris uses his works to comment on societal constructs of sexuality and race, while exploring his own identity as a queer, black man.
Yokai Bestiary
Lance Red
Wellfleet Press
Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartoknows.com
9781577154457, $24.99, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Yokai-Bestiary-Enchanting-Japanese-Monsters/dp/1577154452
Synopsis: Yokai is a Japanese term for mystical beings that encompasses a range of supernatural phenomena, including demons, monsters, ghosts, and shapeshifters. Sometimes cute, sometimes frightening, but always enchanting, the creatures are often at the center of popular anime and manga stories.
With the publication of "Yokai Bestiary: How to Draw Eerie and Enchanting Japanese Ghouls and Monsters", artist and illustrator Lance Red shows aspiring artists how to draw 35 types of yokai while learning the folklore behind them.
Created for artists of all skill levels, this DIY step-by-step drawing instructional guide shows you how to block in major shapes, provide proper shading to give dimension and depth to your drawings, and draw small but culturally significant details.
Among the yokai types, you will learn to draw:
Kitsune, fox demons with multiple tails
Kappa, reptile-like spirits with a turtle's shell on their backs
Tengu, monsters with bird-like characteristics
Kodama, tree spirits
Nekomata, cats with two tails
And many more!
With both drawing instruction and Japanese mythology to engage your mind, "Yokai Bestiary" will transport you to a fantastical land of beasts and spirits.
Critique: Offering a complete course of DIY instructions for learning how to produce Japanese mythical images, "Yokai Bestiary: How to Draw Eerie and Enchanting Japanese Ghouls and Monsters" is a 'must' for all aspiring Manga artists and Japanese style illustrators. Also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99) and thoroughly 'user friendly' in style, organization and presentation, "Yokai Bestiary: How to Draw Eerie and Enchanting Japanese Ghouls and Monsters" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and art school library Japanese Art instructional guide collections.
Editorial Note: Lance Red (https://lance.red) is a fantasy illustrator and character designer living in Michigan. He provides detail-rich illustration assets for the game and book-publishing industries as well as private commissions. He has also recently started sharing more of his process with an education focus on his Patreon, which includes creating artwork for tabletop games, adventure books, conventions, and more as well as teaching budding artists through online library programs.
Pencil Drawing Portraits
Samet Turkan
Walter Foster Publishing
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartous.com
9780760391372, $19.99, PB, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pencil-Drawing-Portraits-step-step/dp/0760391378
Synopsis: From social media star and professional artist Samet Turkan, "Pencil Drawing Portraits" includes DIY drawing projects, helpful tips, 'user friendly' instructions for adding light and shadow to create dimension, realistic artwork, and more.
Aspiring artists will gain confidence by drawing the subjects laid out in this instructional guide, and then apply those skills to drawing even more portraits, whether using reference photos or loved ones as subjects. Geared toward beginners but valuable for artists of any skill level looking to improve their drawing skills, this essential guide breaks down drawing into a fun, approachable hobby.
"Pencil Drawing Portraits" covers: Drawing tools and materials; Sketching; Adding light and shadow; Proportions in drawing; Creating realistic facial expressions; Drawing expressive eyes; Creating hair, mouths, and noses -- And more!
Pencil-drawn illustrations demonstrate each step, and plenty of projects are included for a well-rounded and insightful look at drawing portraits. Get off to a great start drawing portraits in pencil with this beginner-friendly guide!
Critique: Even the most basic of beginners will quickly learn how to draw people of all ages and ethnicities with the easy-to-follow DIY instructions and 20 step-by-step projects that comprise this large format ( 8.5 x 0.32 x 11 inches, 1.2 pounds) paperback edition of Samet Turkan's "Pencil Drawing Portraits" from Walter Foster Publishing. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.990, "Pencil Drawing Portraits" is especially recommended for personal, professional, community, art school, and college/university library Figure Drawing/Portraiture Art collections.
Editorial Note: Samet Turkan is a young artist living in Istanbul, Turkey. He is @clsamet online, and his passion for art and approachable drawing style have allowed him to build his large, engaged following quickly. Now a full-time artist, Samet seeks to help others learn to draw as well.
Draw Amazing Faces
Pypah Santos
Quarry Books
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartous.com
9780760389218, $22.99, PB, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Draw-Amazing-Faces-Basics-Develop/dp/0760389217
Synopsis: The ability to create stunning portraits is a foundational skill for all aspiring artists. "Draw Amazing Faces: Learn the Basics and Develop Your Own Style " is the ideal instructional DIY reference for crafting stunning portraits from scratch and provides:
1. Step-by-step guidance for constructing heads from diverse angles, mastering proportions, sketching facial features, and eliciting a spectrum of expressions
2. Techniques for both male and female faces of different ages
3. Signature techniques for rendering hair, including different types, textures, and styles
4. Shading and rendering techniques that infuse vitality into your portraits
5. Inspiration for developing your distinct style in portraying fantastic faces
6. QR codes linked to videos that further demonstrate important techniques
"Draw Amazing Faces" is a welcome introduction to the portraiture. With artist Pypah Santos' expertise, aspiring artists will be able to fully master the intricacies of portraying faces using her straightforward techniques. Whether you're a fine artist, illustrator, comic book artist, you will elevate your artistry, infuse life into your sketches, and uncover your distinct style, all while honing your ability to create awe-inspiring, lifelike faces.
Critique: This large format (8.5 x 0.36 x 11 inches, 1.4 pounds) paperback edition of "Draw Amazing Faces: Learn the Basics and Develop Your Own Style" from Quarry Books is especially recommended for DIY readers with an interest in creating portraiture art and a welcome pick for personal, professional, community, art school, and college/university library Figure Drawing/Portraiture Art instructional reference collections. It should be noted that this editon of Pypah Santos' "Draw Amazing Faces: Learn the Basics and Develop Your Own Style" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.49) as well.
Editorial Note: Filipa "Pypah" Santos (www.pypahsart.com) was born and raised in Porto, Portugal, then moved to the United Kingdom to pursue her art education. She now lives and works as a freelance artist and YouTube content creator in Manchester, England. Pypah is driven to help others explore their creative interests, improve their art skills, and develop their own style. She has partnered with Starbucks UK, Arteza (art supplies), Craftamo (brushes), Archer & Olive, and other brands. Seh can be followed on: Instagram: @pypahs_art, YouTube: @Pypahsart, TikTok: @pypahs.art, and Pinterest: @pypahs_art
The Crafts Shelf
Shufunotomo, editor
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805318775, $19.99, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Book-Origami-Beginners-Folding/dp/4805318775
Synopsis: "The Complete Book of Origami: A Beginner's Guide to the Most Popular Folded Paper Models" from Shufunotomo is a essential DKY introduction to origami folders of all ages and skill levels from the novice to the aspiring professional.
"The Complete Book of Origami" provides all the step-by-step instructions you need to create the classic and most beautiful origami models with simple and inexpensive squares of paper! This jam-packed instructional guide shows you how to fold the models everyone loves to make. It is fully illustrated in color with simple and clear step-by-step instructions for every model.
The 85 elegant models comprising "The Complete Book of Origami" include: Classic Traditional Models like the stately Crane and crested Samurai Helmet (every paper folder needs to know how to fold these 16 models!); Colorful Flowers & Plants (including the classic Rose, elegant Iris, and pleated Hydrangea); Cute Birds, Animals, Fish & Insects (the ever-popular Flapping Bird and Fox Puppet, plus the Carp, Penguin, Parakeet, Peacock and 20 more!); Origami Toys (like the Transforming Face, the Spinner, and the Sumo Wrestler); Decorative Paper Boxes (including the Star Box, the Chrysanthemum Dish and 5 other useful and attractive paper containers) -- And many more!
Critique: Truly ideal for beginners and a great reference for more experienced folders, "The Complete Book of Origami: A Beginner's Guide to the Most Popular Folded Paper Models" is the ultimate DIY introduction to the art and craft of origami and a welcome addition to personal, professional, community, art school, and community/college library Origami instructional reference collections. It should be noted that this large format (7.4 x 0.7 x 9.9 inches, 1,3 pounds) paperback edition of "The Complete Book of Origami" from Tuttle Publishing is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Shufunotomo is a leading Japanese publisher of magazines and books on crafts, fine arts, cooking, health, childcare, interior decoration and more.
The Business Shelf
Erin Wade
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
www.wiley.com
9781394264438, $28.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mac-Cheese-Millionaire-Building-Business/dp/1394264437
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Mac & Cheese Millionaire: Building a Better Business by Thinking Outside the Box", successful author, entrepreneur, and culinary innovator Erin Wade shares her inspiring and often hilarious journey of leaving her corporate lawyer job to open a hit mac and cheese restaurant, taking you through the challenges and victories that paved her path to success. By sharing the lessons that helped her sell millions of dollars in cheesy carbs, she delivers the tools you need to create change and surpass all your expectations.
"The Mac & Cheese Millionaire" isn't just a personal narrative; Erin Wade offers a masterclass in redefining what it means to love your work. Because while her journey started out of a love of mac and cheese, Wade found that what she ultimately fell in love with was business. What follows is the story of starting a small business, all of the ensuing trials and tribulations, and ultimately building a unique, feminist work culture that helped transform the restaurant industry.
"The Mac & Cheese Millionaire" features: Funny and inspiring personal anecdotes that illustrate the power of tapping into your own singular brand of leadership; Strategies for creating a one-of-a-kind work culture based on greater meaning, purpose, and connection; Tools to embrace a feminine leadership style that offer an enduring competitive advantage to entrepreneurs.
With leadership takeaways for businesses of all sizes, "The Mac & Cheese Millionaire" is an essential read for small business owners, professional women, aspiring entrepreneurs, and, of course, comfort food-lovers. Wade's story demonstrates how blending passion, innovation, and a bit of culinary magic can lead to unparalleled success. Whether you're dreaming of launching your own venture or seeking to infuse your current role with more meaning and joy, let "The Mac & Cheese Millionaire" be your personal guide to successfuly transforming your professional life.
Critique: Providing a complete course in entrepreneurship, "The Mac & Cheese Millionaire: Building a Better Business by Thinking Outside the Box" is an extraordinary and thoroughly 'real world practical' DIY guide that is exceptionally 'reader/user friendly' in style, organization and presentation. A core addition to personal, professional, community, business school, and college/university library Business Ethics, Hospitality Travel/Tourism, Business Management/Entrepreneurship collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists, "The Mac & Cheese Millionaire: Building a Better Business by Thinking Outside the Box" is unreservedly recommended reading for MBA students, academia, corporate officers/business managers, entrepreneurs in the food/service industry, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.
Editorial Note: Erin Wade (www.ErinWade.co) is an author, a chef, and an entrepreneur. Erin founded Homeroom, a hit mac and cheese restaurant in Oakland, California. She authored The Mac + Cheese Cookbook, as well as a viral op-ed in The Washington Post about her restaurant's solution to sexual harassment. Erin's work improving business culture has also been covered in Forbes and The New York Times. Learn more at ErinWade.co
Venture Clienting
Tobias Gutmann, Sebastian Greiss, and Christian Huttnheim
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398616998, $176.00, HC, 344pp
https://www.amazon.com/Venture-Clienting-Partner-Startups-Create/dp/1398616990
Synopsis: Venture clienting enables companies to tap into new technologies, business models and ideas and foster a culture of agility and growth. Co-authored by the team of Professor Tobias Gutmann, Sebastian Greiss, and Christian Huttenhein, "Venture Clienting: How to Partner with Startups to Create Value" from Kogan Page presents a set of frameworks, tools and methodologies designed to help readers master venture clienting in their organizations.
"Venture Clienting" takes a deep dive into the fundamental building blocks of venture clienting, exploring everything the reader needs to systematically build and run a successful venture client unit. From strategy and organization to infrastructure, communication, process, enabling processes, governance and control, culture and stakeholder management, "Venture Clienting" delves into the practicalities of each component.
"Venture Clienting" aslo answers key questions such as: How can you build effective venture client units? What are the secrets to running a venture client unit that is lean, agile and cost-efficient? What are the key challenges in venture clienting and how can they be overcome? It is packed with practical insights, examples and cases such as the Microsoft and OpenAI Moonshot Partnership, BSH Startup Kitchen and AVL.
Empower your business to innovate faster and more efficiently with "Venture Clienting", an essential guide for companies and startups seeking to drive strategic growth through venture clienting.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, impressively comprehensive, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Venture Clienting: How to Partner with Startups to Create Value" is an invaluable and 'real world' practical, step-by-step DIY guide to how organizations can drive innovation and unlock value through venture clienting. Also available in a paperback edition (9781398616943, $52.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $49.40), "Venture Clienting" is a critically important addition to personal, professional, community, corporate, and college/university library Business Financing collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Tobias Gutmann is Assistant Professor of Product Innovation at EBS Business School, where he is the Co-Director of the Institute for Technology, Innovation & Customer Centricity (TICC) and Head of the Siemens Product Innovation Lab. He has advised multiple multinational corporations in the areas of strategic innovation, technology management and corporate entrepreneurship. He has been a Visiting Professor at Copenhagen Business School and UC Berkeley. He is based in Munich, Germany.
Editorial Note #2: Sebastian Greiss advises clients at 27pilots, a Deloitte business, in establishing and operating Venture Client units on a global scale, leveraging the venture client model and its potential in stimulating top and bottom-line growth. He founded StationX, the Venture Client Unit, at Siemens Mobility, bridging the gap between entrepreneurs and corporations to foster transformative partnerships. His career has spanned the formation of over 50 enduring partnerships between startups and corporate units. He is based in Munich, Germany.
Editorial Note #3: Christian Huttenhein is the founder of Corporate Startup Readiness, a consultancy advising companies on venture clienting and startup solutions. He has also founded and led Bosch Industry Consulting, worked for Bosch Ventures, a global venture capital firm with $1bn assets under management, and served as the Venture Partner and Co-Founder of Open Bosch, the Venture Client Unit of the Bosch Group. He is also a serial entrepreneur and sold his third startup in 2022. He is based in Frankfurt, Germany.
The Inclusion Journey
Allegra Chaman and Mousumi Kanjilal Williams
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398616745, $134.00, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Inclusion-Journey-Creating-strategy-engagement/dp/1398616745
Synopsis: Written for all HR professionals, talent managers and leaders concerned with inclusion in their organization, "The Inclusion Journey: Creating a strategy that improves employee engagement and company results" by co-authors Allegra Chaman and Mousumi Kanjilal Williams explains how to identify the actions that will make real impact, implement meaningful change, track and report on progress and build diversity and inclusion strategies that result in long-term growth.
Taking a 'real world' practical approach, "The Inclusion Journey" allows readers to assess their company's current situation when it comes to diversity and inclusion and define their objectives for the future. It also shows how to produce a prioritized action plan that will enable the business to work towards its goals and track the progress along the way.
"The Inclusion Journey" covers everything from the business benefits of inclusion and the current inclusion gaps in the organization, through to assembling the right people and resources needed to close these gaps. There is also guidance on how to get stakeholder buy-in for EDI activity and advice on how to link diversity and inclusion goals to overall business objectives.
Packed full of real world examples, interviews, exercises and checklists throughout, there are also downloadable worksheets to provide practitioners with everything they need to see the business benefits of inclusion in practice and have the tools they need to achieve these in their own organization.
Critique: Impressively well organized and presented, "The Inclusion Journey: Creating a strategy that improves employee engagement and company results" is a seminal study that is especially recommended for community, corporate, and college/university library Corporate/Business Management collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for personal and professional reading lists that "The Inclusion Journey" is also available from Kogan Page in a paperback edition (9781398616721, $41.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $37.90).
Editorial Note #1: Allegra Chapman is the co-founder of Watch this Sp-_ce, a multi award winning diversity and inclusion consultancy and has over 10 years' experience in helping organizations to define their values and purpose. Based in West Sussex, UK, she was named as one of the UK's most inspirational female entrepreneurs of 2023.
Editorial Note #2: Mousumi Kanjilal Williams is the co-founder of Watch this Sp_ce. She has spent more than 20 years helping national and international corporations to drive innovation and growth through inclusive teams. Based in Brighton, UK, she is also a writer, campaigner, conference speaker and mentor for The Girls' Network.
Innovative Internal Communication
Joanna Parsons
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398616462, $134.00, HC, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/Innovative-Internal-Communication-creativity-technology/dp/139861646X
Synopsis: Internal communication and innovation are critical for business success.
Technological advancements and changing employee expectations are reshaping the workplace, meaning traditional communication methods are no longer sufficient. With the publication of "Innovative Internal Communication: How creativity, curiosity and technology can create lasting impact", communications expert Joanna Parsons explains how adopting an innovation mindset and placing employees at the forefront can revolutionize your internal communication, enhance employee engagement and ultimately contribute to the achievement of organizational goals.
Covering the different obstacles practitioners may face, "Innovative Internal Communication" provides practical ways to overcome every challenge in order to free up space for innovation and experimentation in your work.
From maximizing impact through psychology and behavioural science, to how to best balance the technology that is available with the human touch, "Innovative Internal Communication" takes your communications beyond the basics of best practice and onto the next level of effective communication. In this hands-on instructional guide, learn how you can drive change in your organization and encourage a culture of continuous learning and improvement, ensuring that your internal communications can continue to adapt to meet evolving employee expectations.
Critique: A complete and 'user friendly' course in the importance, creation, and maintenance of effective communications within a corporate structure, Joanna Parsons' "Innovative Internal Communication: How creativity, curiosity and technology can create lasting impact" from Kogan Page must be considered a core addition to community, corporate, and college/university library Business Management/Communications collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Innovative Internal Communications" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781398616448, $41.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $36.09).
Editorial Note: Joanna Parsons (www.thecuriousroute.com) is a professional communications consultant, author and trainer based in Dublin, Ireland. She is the Founder and Director of The Curious Route. She sat on the Board of Directors with the Institute of Internal Communications (IoIC) and in 2022 was awarded an IoIC Fellowship in recognition of her contribution to the profession. Previously she was Head of Internal Communications with An Garda Siochana, the Irish national police force. She is also a Lecturer in Strategic Internal Communication with the Public Relations Institute of Ireland.
Smart Rivals
Feng Zhu & Bonnie Yining Cao
Harvard Business Review Press
http://hbr.org/books
Blackstone Audiobooks
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9781647826048, $32.00, HC, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Rivals-Innovative-Companies-Giants/dp/1647826047
Synopsis: Companies and corporations are fighting the wrong battle. The consensus has been to learn the best practices from tech giants and then imitate them. But new paths for growth aren't created by imitation; they're forged by radical differentiation.
With the publication of "Smart Rivals: How Innovative Companies Play Games That Tech Giants Can't Win" from the Harvard Business Review Press, Harvard Business School professor Feng Zhu and former Bloomberg journalist Bonnie Yining Cao collaborate to show business leaders how to create competitive advantages by offering product features and benefits that tech giants and other competitors cannot match in the digital/AI age.
Taking readers on a global journey, Zhu and Cao showcase a variety of companies (including Domino's, Nike, and Sephora) and fascinating case studies, such as Belle (the leading women's footwear retailer in China); EbonyLife (Nigeria's top media conglomerate); and Telepass (Italy's popular electronic toll payment service). Through these diverse examples, they illustrate how companies identify their path for growth in the digital age by leveraging their unique capabilities.
Drawing on original research and insights gleaned from leaders in a wide range of industries, Smart Rivals is a blueprint for uncovering your company's hidden strengths. It will help spark innovative solutions and capabilities (including new products, services, strategies, and advantages) that mere imitation could never provide.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of eighteen pages of Notes, a four page listing of Acknowledgments, and an eight page Index, "Smart Rivals: How Innovative Companies Play Games That Tech Giants Can't Win" is a seminal and groundbreaking study that is critically important reading for company policy makers and entrepreneurs with an interest in strategic business planning technologies and strategies. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Smart Rivals: How Innovative Companies Play Games That Tech Giants Can't Win" is especially commended as an addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Business Management collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that "Smart Rivals: How Innovative Companies Play Games That Tech Giants Can't Win" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.27) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798874826819, $35.99, CD).
Editorial Note #1: Feng Zhu, MBA Class of 1958 Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, is an expert on competitive strategies, digital transformation, and innovation. He codirects the Platform Lab at the Digital Data Design Institute at Harvard.
Editorial Note #2: Bonnie Yining Cao is an award-winning former journalist for Bloomberg. She has written extensively about companies in tech and traditional industries in the United States and emerging markets. She is currently pursuing her PhD in business administration at Harvard Business School.
The Christian Studies Shelf
Jeffry Odell Korgen, author
Christopher Cardinale, illustrator
Paulist Press
www.paulistpress.com
9780809157105, $16.95, PB, 112pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dorothy-Day-Jeffry-Odell-Korgen/dp/0809157101
Synopsis: Dorothy Day (November 8, 1897 - November 29, 1980) was an American journalist, social activist and anarchist who, after a bohemian youth, became a Catholic without abandoning her social activism. She was perhaps the best-known political radical among American Catholics. (Wikipedia)
"Dorothy Day: Radical Devotion" by author Jeffry Odell Korgen and artist/illustrator Christopher Cardinale introduces readers to the amazing life of Dorothy Day, reviews her impact on the Catholic church, peace and justice movements, as well as providing an informative understanding of the process of canonization.
Critique: Unreservedly recommended for family, middle school, highschool, seminary, community, and college/university library Catholic Biography collections, this large format (8.5 x 11 inches) graphic novel style paperback biography of "Dorothy Day: Radical Devotion" is an ideal introduction to the life and faith of Dorothy Day and is particularly appropriate for young readers ages 13 to 93!
Editorial Note #1: Jeffry Odell Korgen is the author of numerous books and comics on Catholic social and pastoral ministry. He has worked with many Catholic organizations on evaluation and program development and coordinated the local phase of Dorothy Day, Servant of God's canonization process for the Archdiocese of New York. He lives in Wellfleet, Massachusetts.
Editorial Note: Christopher Cardinale has worked as a graphic novelist and community muralist in New York City since 2000. He illustrated the graphic novel, Mr. Mendoza's Paintbrush, by Luis Alberto Urrea and the award-winning children's book, Which Side Are You On?: The Story of a Song, by George Ella Lyon.
The Buddhist Studies Shelf
Cortland Dahl
Shambhala Publications, Inc.
www.shambhala.com
9781645470977, $19.95, PB, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Meditators-Guide-Buddhism-Awareness-Compassion/dp/1645470970
Synopsis: Buddhism is rooted in the simple idea that you can train your mind to suffer less and flourish more. "A Meditator's Guide to Buddhism: The Path of Awareness, Compassion, and Wisdom" is an experiential guide in which Cortland Dahl will take you on a journey through the core principles and meditation practices of the Buddhist tradition.
The journey begins with teachings on the Four Noble Truths, practical observations that will help you understand the causes of unhappiness, and how you can access inner calm and deep insight through meditation. The journey continues with teachings on compassion, buddha nature, and the profound principle of emptiness, before culminating in a discussion of meditation practices that use common experiences like dreams and strong emotions to awaken.
Through accessible teachings and relatable stories, you will learn simple methods to transform your mind and embrace true, unshakeable happiness.
Critique: An ideal and informative introduction to Buddhist meditation practices, this edition of Cortland Dahl's "A Meditator's Guide to Buddhism: The Path of Awareness, Compassion, and Wisdom" from Shambhala Publications is exceptionally well written, organized and 'user friendly' in presentation. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Mahayana Buddhism Studies & Meditation collections, it should be noted that "A Meditator's Guide to Buddhism: The Path of Awareness, Compassion, and Wisdom" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Cortland Dahl (https://centerhealthyminds.org/about/people/cortland-dahl) is a scientist, a Buddhist scholar, a translator, and a meditation teacher. Beginning in the early 1990s, his passion for training the mind led him on a journey to Buddhist centers across Asia, culminating in eight years living in Tibetan refugee settlements near Kathmandu, Nepal. He is actively involved in scientific research on meditation and human flourishing at the Center for Healthy Minds, and he cofounded Tergar, a network of meditation centers with activities on six continents, with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche.
The Wine/Liquor Shelf
Jeanette Hurt
The University Press of Kentucky
www.kentuckypress.com
9781985900899, $19.95, HC, 176pp
https://www.amazon.com/Whiskey-Sour-Modern-Classic-Cocktail/dp/1985900890
Synopsis: A whiskey sour is a mixed drink or shot containing whiskey, lemon juice, and sugar (Simple Sugar), and traditionally garnished with a cherry or sometimes a lemon wedge. It is a blend of sour, bitter, and sweet flavors. It can be made as a shot or a mixed drink. (Wikipedia)
Certain cocktails carry societal connotations and cultural meaning. Some drinks are regional symbols such as the mint julep, which is inextricably tied to the Kentucky Derby. Classic drinks like the old fashioned or the Manhattan tend to denote a more sophisticated or mature drinker, whereas wine coolers and tropical cocktails often appeal to those who prefer lighter and fruitier alcoholic drinks. Enter the whiskey sour. A cocktail from the sour family, the iconic drink is usually made with bourbon whiskey, lemon juice, and sugar. While its ingredients are strikingly similar to those in an old fashioned, the whiskey sour is far less revered and, in certain circles, maligned for its sweetness.
With the publication of "The Whiskey Sour", liquor expert and historian Jeanette Hurt elevates the reputation of the classic cocktail by exploring its rich history -- starting in the 1600s with punch, the predecessor to sours, and bringing the reader through to the twentieth century when the whiskey sour was well-established.
Seasoned mixologists and new cocktail enthusiasts will be educated about the development of the traditional recipe and encouraged to make their own creations by incorporating modern riffs, syrup additions, and fun enhancements. Part historical narrative, part recipe book, this friendly and approachable guide challenges the stigma surrounding the cocktail as a drink for unrefined tastes and illustrates the elegant, romantic, and complex facets of the whiskey sour -- a perfectly sweet, tart, and balanced cocktail.
Critique: With B/W illustrations throughout, Jeanette Hurt's "The Whiskey Sour" from the University Of Kentucky Press is an easily portable (4.9 x 0.8 x 7.6 inches, 9.6 ounces) hardcover instructional reference and history that will prove to be a highly and enduringly prized pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Cocktail/Mixed Drink reference collections. It should be noted that this edition of "The Whiskey Sour" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.95).
Editorial Note: Jeanette Hurt (www.jeanettehurt.com) is a writer, recipe developer, and cocktail historian, and specializes in the intersection of culture and consumption. She is the author of numerous books including The Joy of Cider: All You Ever Wanted to Know About Drinking and Making Hard Cider, The Unofficial ALDI Cookbook, Wisconsin Cocktails, and Drink Like a Woman: Shake. Stir. Conquer. Repeat. Her writing has appeared in Forbes, theKitchn, Simply Recipes, Wine Enthusiast, and Huffington Post.
Larousse Cocktails
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9780600638537, $50.00, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Larousse-Cocktails-ultimate-expert-recipes/dp/0600638537
Synopsis: Larousse is the pre-eminent French cookery brand, publisher of the world-renowned classic Larousse Gastronomique since 1938. Larousse is synonymous with expert culinary advice that has been trusted by generations.
A definitive guide to classic and timeless cocktails, "Larousse Cocktails" is an impressive compendium of DIY recipes for more than 200 cocktails for every taste and occasion.
Amateurs and professional alike can learn how to make exquisite cocktails in the comfort of their home, restaurant or bar. With inventive recipes and a complete guide to cocktail-making equipment, "Larousse Cocktails" will help even the most novice reader in all the basics of bartending.
Featuring rum, gin, tequila, vodka, champagne, cognac and whiskey recipes, as well as non-alcoholic alternatives, "Larousse Cocktails" is a comprehensive instructional 'how-to' guide that is an ideal reference for cocktail connoisseurs.
With "Larousse Cocktails" anyone anywhere can learn how to make the cocktails of their dreams, ranging from reliable classics to extravagant creations.
Critique: This large format (8.55 x 1.25 x 10.1 inches, 3.14 pounds), profusely illustrated, hardcover edition of "Larousse Cocktails: The ultimate expert guide with more than 200 recipes" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Cocktail/Alcoholic Beverages reference collections. It should be noted that it is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.99).
Cocktails in Paris
Audrey Laroux, author
Kelly Smith, illustrator
Smith Street Books
c/o Rizzoli
www.rizzoliusa.com
9781923049420, $19.95, HC, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Cocktails-Paris-Fashionable-drinks-seasons/dp/1923049429
Synopsis: "Cocktails in Paris: Fashionable drinks for all seasons" is a DIY illustrated guide to mixology a la Francaise, with 50 cocktail recipes for sipping before, during, and after dinner, as well as notes on glassware, garnishes, syrups, and French bar staples like Champagne, Pastis, and Lillet.
From an effervescent Suze spritz in the courtyard at sunset, to cozying up in front of the fireplace with a boozy boulevardier, nothing says savoir-vivre quite like apero hour.
Critique: Featuring elegant illustrations by Australian artist throughout, "Cocktails in Paris: Fashionable drinks for all seasons" is comprised of 50 glamorous cocktails inspired by the Parisian City of Lights. An ideal and thoroughly 'user friendly' 'how-to' manual for creating cocktails for any and all occasions both formal and informal, this hardcover edition of Audrey Larous's "Cocktails in Paris: Fashionable drinks for all seasons" from Smith Stree Books is an ideal reference and highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Alcoholic Drinks instructional reference collections.
Editorial Note #1: Audrey Laroux is a French-American mixologist and author. Laroux's recipes offer a sip of Parisian elegance, making her a go-to for cocktail lovers around the world.
Editorial Note #2: Kelly Smith is an Australian artist, working predominantly in fashion and beauty illustration, but also in collage and content creation. She has worked with several luxury brands and high-profile clients including Valentino, Armani, Maybelline New York, Jenny Packham, H&M, L'Oreal, Vogue, Clarins, Chantecaille, and Net-a-Porter.
Malort
Josh Noel
Chicago Review Press
www.chicagoreviewpress.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9780914091677, $19.99, PB, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/Malort-Redemption-Revered-Reviled-Spirit/dp/0914091670
Synopsis: Malort may be the worst thing you'll ever taste. Known primarily for its intense bitterness, the infamous Chicago liqueur has been compared to "a forest fire, if the forest was made of earwax." Yet lurking in the horror and the mockery lies the truth of Malort: we keep going back for more. For nearly a hundred years, we've gone back.
Jeppson's Malort could have died a hundred deaths in that time. Its survival wasn't always a given. It also was no accident. There was one man's dogged persistence. One woman's patience and dedication. There were cultural shifts and fortunate timing that helped transform a drink rooted in centuries-old Swedish tradition into the American sensation it is today.
With the publication of "Malort: The Redemption of a Revered and Reviled Spirit", Josh Noel presents a story of love, relationships, and how one generation finds meaning where generations before did not. Such transformations happen in art, in history, and in food, and it happened to Jeppson's Malort.
Critique: "Malort: The Redemption of a Revered and Reviled Spirit" is a uniquely American and true story that is equal parts culture, business, and personal relationships, including a secret love, federal prison, a David vs. Goliath court battle, and, ultimately, the 2018 sale of Jeppson's Malort, which made Pat Gabelick, a 75-year-old Chicago woman who spent much of her life as a legal secretary, into an unlikely millionaire. An inherently fascinating read from start to finish, "Malort: The Redemption of a Revered and Reviled Spirit" isn't only the history of a distinctive liquor, it is the exploration of evolving modern tastes and cultural shifts. While highly recommended as a popular pick for community and college/university library Alcoholic Spirits & Home Brewing collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Malort: The Redemption of a Revered and Reviled Spirit" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798228008038, $45.95, CD).
Editorial Note: Josh Noel (www.joshnoel.net) is the author of Barrel-Aged Stout and Selling Out. He wrote about beer and travel for the Chicago Tribune for over a decade; he has also contributed to This American Life and to the New York Times and other publications. He has become one of the nation's most recognizable beer journalists, winning multiple awards from the North American Guild of Beer Writers.
The Photography Shelf
Mark Lisk
Familius
www.familius.com
9781641708913, $24.99, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Idaho-Discover-Nature-Photography-Collection/dp/1641708913
Synopsis: With stunning full color captioned images taken by Mark Lisk, "Idaho: Discover the Gem State" is a premier compendium of magnificent nature/landscape photography. Perfect for the armchair travel, this coffee-table style treasure offers a astonishing visual journey through the picturesque wonders of Idaho.
Critique: Mark Lisk is a prolific photographer whose photos comprising "Idaho: Discover the Gem State" highlight the state's most beautiful spots and famous natural landmarks. The large format (9 x 9 x 1.97 inches, 1.74 pounds) hardcover edition of "Idaho: Discover the Gem State" from Familius is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Landscape/Travel Photography collections. It should be noted that "Idaho: Discover the Gem State" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: Mark Lisk (www.markliskphotography.com/index) is a graduate of the Brooks Institute of Photographic Arts and gathers within his camera worlds of color and expanse that few ever see or capture in any form. Lisk's photographs is showcased within seven books: Idaho Impressions (1997), Salmon River Country (2005), Desert Water (2005), Idaho: Portrait of a State (2007), Owyhee Canyon Lands (2008), Owyhee Canyonlands: An Outdoor Adventure Guide (2013), and his newest book, Sawtooth/Whiteclouds (2016).
Silver: Moments into Memories
Genevieve de Manio
Goff Books
https://goffbooks.com
c/o ORO Editions
www.oroeditions.com
9781957183855, $65.00, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Silver-Wedding-Photographs-Genevieve-Manio/dp/1957183853
Synopsis: For more than 25 years, Genevieve de Manio has worked in the world's finest venues, photographing events in Boston, New York, the Southeastern United States and Europe.
A visual storytelling professional, with a keen photojournalist's eye and warm sensitivity to her subjects, with the publication of "Silver: Moments into Memories" Genevieve documents, in beautiful and evocative images, the weddings of her clients.
While "Silver: Moments into Memories" is a photographic retrospective, it also tells Genevieve's "Gigi" story -- from the moment she realized she was a wedding photographer to today, 25 years later. She states "...the story these photographs tell is one of surprise and delight, love, and gratitude. I am passionate about what I do, constantly exploring and forever grateful that my life and my livelihood are entwined. My days are filled with a seamless flow of rigorous preparation, intense activity, and quiet reflection. Building trust and connection with couples on the cusp of new adventures, I turn moments into memories."
Critique: This large format (10.6 x 1.1 x 12.9 inches, 4.3 pounds) hardcover coffee-table style edition of Genevieve de Manio's epic volume, "Silver: Moments into Memories" from Goff Books is an inherently fascinating compendium of iconic and memorable B/W & Color photos of wedding participants (especially the brides). A brilliant, inspiring, memorable, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Contemporary Photography and Wedding/Celebration/Event Photography collections.
Editorial Note: Genevieve de Manio (https://demaniophotography.com) has a passion for wedding photography. She has worked at the finest venues throughout the United States and around the world. Her acclaimed photographs, for both well-known and little-known clients, are widely praised and published. She is a graduate of Hollins University and the Portfolio Center (since renamed Miami Ad School) in Atlanta, Georgia and works from her home studio in Carlisle, Massachusetts.
America the Beautiful: A Story in Photographs
National Geographic
www.natgeo.com
9781426223365, $19.99
https://www.amazon.com/America-Beautiful-Photographs-Geographic-Collectors/dp/1426223366
This gorgeous new arrival from National Geographic will appeal to a wide audience. America the Beautiful: A Story in Photographs packs in over 250 high-quality color images from National Geographic's archives, takes a cross-country visual journey, and captures America's well-known and lesser-covered attractions. Historian Jill Lepore's accompanying introduction and commentary by various citizens on all 50 states (plus six territories) beings to life the vast human and natural resources which comprise this nation.
Beyond the Selfie
Rosie Hardy
Ilex
https://www.ilexinstant.com
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781781579381, $26.99 PB, $13.99 Kindle, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Selfie-Self-Portraiture-Digital/dp/1781579385
Beyond the Selfie: The Art of Self Portraiture in the Digital Age takes a step beyond the usual photographer's general focus to narrow attention to the ever-popular selfie. Readers may not think this topic would deserve an entire book, but Rosie Hardy's many explorations of how to move beyond typical and much-used selfie approaches to incorporate the basics of neo-professional self-portraiture is invaluable. Chapters cover suitable locations, shooting lighting, aperture, and props, incorporating insights into body image in a selfie, and using the photo to tell a story. Hardy employs the first-person and her own experiences to bring technical advice to life, adding full-page color examples throughout that illustrate how to translate one's personality and interests into a powerful photo. Photographers and libraries interested in photographic art should consider Beyond the Selfie essential for taking the step beyond amateur self-portraiture into images that are far more effective and reflective.
The Sports Shelf
Jerry Gaillo
University of Nebraska Press
www.nebraskapress.unl.edu
9781496235442, $34.95, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Big-Cat-Baseball-Famer-Johnny/dp/1496235444
Synopsis: Johnny Mize (January 7, 1913 - June 2, 1993) was one of the greatest hitters in baseball's golden age of great hitters. Born and raised in tiny Demorest, Georgia, in the northeast Georgia mountains, Mize emerged from the heart of Dixie as a Bunyonesque slugger, a quiet but sharp-witted man from a broken home who became a professional player at seventeen, embarking on an extended tour of the expansive St. Louis Cardinals Minor League system.
Mize then spent fifteen seasons terrorizing Major League pitchers as a member of those Cardinals, the New York Giants of Mel Ott and Leo Durocher, and finally with the New York Yankees, who won a record five straight World Series with Mize as their ace in the hole - the best pinch hitter in the American League. Few hitters have combined such meticulous bat control with brute power the way Mize did. Mize was a line-drive hitter who rarely struck out and also hit for distance, to all fields, and usually for a high average. Nicknamed the Big Cat, "nobody had a better, smoother, easier swing than John," said Cardinals teammate Don Gutteridge. "It was picture perfect."
Tabbed as a can't-miss Hall of Famer, then all but forgotten, Mize spent twenty-eight years waiting for the call from Cooperstown before he was finally inducted in 1981, delighting fans with his straightforward commentary and sly sense of humor during a memorable induction speech.
From the backroads of the Minor Leagues to the sunny Caribbean, where he played alongside the best Black and Latin players as a twenty-one-year-old, and to the Major Leagues, where he became a ten-time All-Star, home run champion, and World Series hero, Mize forged a memorable trail along baseball's landscape.
Critique: "Big Cat: The Life of Baseball Hall of Famer Johnny Mize" by journalist and baseball historian Jerry Grillo is the first complete biography of the legendary baseball player nicknamed the Big Cat by his legions of fans. A fun, informative, and fascinating read from start to finish, this edition of "Big Cat" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community and college/university library 20th Century Sports/Baseball History & Biography collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated baseball fans that "Big Cat" is also readily available from the University of Nebraska Press in a digital book format (Kindle, $26.22) as well.
Editorial Note: Jerry Grillo is a longtime journalist and author of The Music and Mythocracy of Col. Bruce Hampton: A Basically True Biography. His work has appeared in Georgia Trend, Atlanta Magazine, Paste Magazine, Newsday, and jambands.com, among other publications.
Love and Loss: The Short Life of Ray Chapman
Scott H. Longert
Ohio University Press
www.ohioswallow.com
9780821425688, $32.95, HC, 190pp
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Loss-Short-Life-Chapman/dp/0821425684
Synopsis: The son of a coal miner from a small Illinois town, Cleveland Indians shortstop Ray Chapman lived the American dream until his untimely death at age twenty-nine. In his brief life, he reached the pinnacle of baseball success as the best shortstop in the American League.
While many professional ballplayers struggled with meager salaries, the handsome Chapman had married heiress Kathleen Daly, one of Cleveland's wealthiest women. With a child on the way and an executive job in the offseason, Chapman was moving toward a privileged place in society until an errant fastball fractured his skull and ended his life the next day.
Late in the 1920 pennant race, the Indians were in New York for a key series against the Yankees. New York pitcher Carl Mays threw a high hard one that Chapman could not evade. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors tried in vain to save his life.
The tragedy did not end there. His widow took her own life eight years later, and their daughter, Rae, subsequently died from meningitis. Today, people visit Chapman's impressive grave in Cleveland's Lake View Cemetery, leaving baseballs and gloves in his memory. Though gone over a hundred years, he is well remembered as a Cleveland icon.
"Love and Loss: The Short Life of Ray Chapman" by baseball historian Scott H. Longert goes far beyond the well-worn accounts of Chapman's untimely death to illustrate the fullness of his short life.
Critique: Impressively researched, exceptionally well written, informative and fascinating, Scott Longert's "Love and Loss: The Short Life of Ray Chapman" from the Ohio University Press will prove a welcome and prized addition for community and college/university library Baseball History/Biography collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all baseball history fans that this hardcover edition of "Love and Loss" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9780821425664, $19.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, 9.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Scott H. Longert (https://scottlongert.com) is the author of numerous books on Cleveland baseball history from the post - Civil War era through the middle of the twentieth century. He has an MA in American history from Cleveland State University and has appeared on numerous broadcast media shows, on baseball documentaries, and at the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
Dan Sendker
BearManor Media
www.bearmanormedia.com
9798887715377, $50.00, HC, 550pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dance-Comedians-Runner-Unauthorized-History/dp/B0DBZYBYLT
Synopsis: In 1949, director Chuck Jones and writer Mike Maltese made history with "Fast and Furry-ous," the first Looney Tunes cartoon starring the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote. 75 years later, these beloved characters have become bona fide cultural icons.
With the publication of "Dance of the Comedians - 75 Years of the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote - An Unauthorized History" by cinematic historian Dan Sendker covers the entire history of the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote, tracing their long career in cartoons, comic books, films, television shows, video games, and more. Sendker leaves no stone (or giant falling boulder) unturned as he examines just what makes these characters so famous, and why they still endure today.
This edition of "Dance of the Comedians" from BearManor Media includes:
The literary and folkloric influences behind the characters
Full credits and synopses of every Road Runner cartoon
Information on the shorts pitting Wile E. against Bugs Bunny and the Ralph
Wolf and Sam Sheepdog series
Modern revivals featuring the characters
Never-before-seen photos and artwork
Cameos, parodies, and references to the characters across pop culture
Biographical profiles of the artists in Chuck Jones' famed animation unit, including recollections from family members and the last surviving artists themselves
& Insight on the cancelled Coyote vs. Acme film
What the "E" in Wile E. Coyote stands for...seriously!
Critique: An absolute 'must read' for the legions of Road Runner fans and an impressively seminal work of original and detailed historical scholarship, "Dance of the Comedians - 75 Years of the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote - An Unauthorized History" is especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Cinematic & Animation History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Dance of the Comedians" is also readily available from BearManor Media in a paperback edition (9798887715360, $39.00).
Fifties Blondes
Richard Koper
BearManor Media
www.bearmanormedia.com
9781593939915, $42.00, HC, 400pp
https://www.amazon.com/Fifties-Blondes-Sexbombs-Sirens-Hardback/dp/1593939914
Synopsis: With the publication of "Fifties Blondes: Sexbombs, Sirens, Bad Girls and Teen Queens", cinema historian Richard Koper provides an illustrated look at the lives and careers of the sexiest women of the 1950s. From major star to starlet, Koper shows (with hundreds of rare photos taken from his personal collection) that gentlemen still prefer blondes!
Among the 100 actresses who are featured in the book are famous Hollywood names like Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, Kim Novak and Anita Ekberg, as well as starlets like Jeanne Carmen, Gloria Pall, Sandra Giles and Kathy Marlowe. Also featured within the pages of "Fifties Blondes" are England's reigning blondes Diana Dors, Belinda Lee and Carole Lesley, and fifties cult fan's favourites: Mamie Van Doren, Cleo Moore, Beverly Michaels, Barbara Nichols and Joi Lansing.
Critique: Profusely illustrated with B/W photos and succinct bios of the featured and showcased actresses, this hardcover edition of Richard Koper's "Fifties Blondes: Sexbombs, Sirens, Bad Girls and Teen Queens" from BearManor Media will prove a welcome and enduringly appreciated contribution to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Cinematic History/Biography collections and supplemental Movie/Video Reference curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for cinematic history fans that "Fifties Blondes" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781593935214, $32.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).
The Parenting Shelf
Tal Eyre, author
Bernardo Franca, illustrator
Familius
www.familius.com
9781641709118, $17.99, HC, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dad-Mode-Ways-Connect-Child/dp/1641709111
Synopsis: You're going to be a dad! These are words that don't feel real until nine months later when the new baby arrives. You hold that small life in your arms for the first time, and BOOM, Dad Mode activated! All your feelings as a proud new dad coalesce into one astounding commitment: lifelong connection to your child. But how do you do this dad thing?
"Dad Mode: 25 Ways to Connect with Your Children" by author Tal Eyre is the ultimate guidebook to jumpstarting 'Dad Mode' and fostering an unbreakable connection with your child.
Organized into bite-sized chapters, with action steps and a full-color illustration by Bernardo Franca for each way, "Dad Mode" makes connection easy for dads in a hurry. It covers topics from oxytocin and parenting styles to emotional intelligence and family culture, focusing on children ages 0-12. Everything you need to connect, reconnect, and remain connected for life is at the tips of your fingers!
Critique: Essential reading for anyone who is going to be a father (and who are already the father of young children), "Dad Mode: 25 Ways to Connect with Your Children" is exceptionally 'reader/user friendly' in style, substance, organization and presentation. While also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.90), "Dad Mode: 25 Ways to Connect with Your Children" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library Parenting collections and reading lists.
Editorial Note: Tal Eyre is the son of successful authors Richard and Linda Eyre. He earned a master's degree in Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. He and his partner, Anita, and live with their daughter, Annina, in the mountains of Switzerland.
The Travel Shelf
Mark Weinberger
The Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
9781493031207, $17.95, PB, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Minnesota-Off-Beaten-Path%C2%AE-Discover/dp/1493031201
Synopsis: Tired of dodging the same old tourist traps? Whether you are a visitor or a local looking for something different in the land of 10,000 lakes, let "Minnesota: Off the Beaten Path" by Mark Weinberger show you the North Star State you never knew existed.
With "Minnesota: Off the Beaten Path" the adventure seeking traveler can ski, hike, or just relax at the Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center; visit a three-billion-year-old rock in Yellow Medicine County; or fill up at the world's only Frank Lloyd Wright designed service station in Carlton County -- and so much more!
So if you've "been there, done that" one too many times on conventional trips to Minnesota, then get off the main road and venture to the many showcased 'off the beaten path' destinations for truly memorable experiences.
Critique: Impressively 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, this edition of Mark R. Weinberger's "Minnesota: Off the Beaten Path" from Globe Pequot is a truly essential guide for planning daytrips and vacations at and for any time of the year in the state of Minnesota. Ideal for planning itineraries and a high valued addition to personal, professional, and community library American Midwest Travel Guide collections, it should be noted for aspiring travelers that "Minnesota: Off the Beaten Path" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: Mark Weinberger is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Powder, Mountain Sports and Living, and Silent Sports.
Day Trips from the Twin Cities
Lisa McClintick
The Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
9781493075812, $22.95, PB, 250pp
https://www.amazon.com/Day-Trips%C2%AE-Twin-Cities-Traveler/dp/1493075810
Synopsis: With the publication of "Day Trips from the Twin Cities" by Lisa McClintick, residents of (and visitors to) Minneapolis/St. Paul Minnesota can discover the simple pleasures of a fun day trip. "Day Trips from the Twin Cities" is DIY guide that is packed with hundreds of exciting things for locals and vacationers to do, see, and discover within a two-hour drive of the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area. With full trip-planning information, "Day Trips from the Twin Cities" helps to make the most of a brief getaway.
Critique: A fact filled compendium of places to go, how to get there, and what to do there, "Day Trips from the Twin Cities" is the ideal DIY travel guide. Exceptionally 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Day Trips from the Twin Cities" is unreservedly recommended for personal and community library Upper Midwest Travel Guide collections. It should be noted for personal use that "Day Trips from the Twin Cities" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.50).
Editorial Note: Award-winning travel writer/photographer Lisa Meyers McClintick (www.LisaMcClintick.com) contributes regularly to Midwest Living, USA Today's Go Escape magazine, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Family Vacation Critic and her own blog, www.10000Likes.com.
Here Not There: 100 Unexpected Travel Destinations
Andrew Nelson
National Geographic
www.natgeo.com
9781426222580, $30.00
https://www.amazon.com/Here-Not-There-Unexpected-Destinations/dp/1426222580
Andrew Nelson's Here Not There: 100 Unexpected Travel Destinations focuses on destinations well off the typical tourist path. These include choosing Lecce, Italy over the much busier and better known classic Florence; the unexpected theatre attractions to be experienced in Cleveland, Ohio; and the choice of Portugal's Azore islands over overly-popular Hawaii. It also surveys major attractions of other nations which typically don't receive much American attention, such as the astounding ruins in Borobudur, Indonesia and the amazing memorial to love that is Bibi Ka Maqbara in Aurangabad, India. Each attraction is profiled as an alternative to more familiar and major attractions, making it easy to choose based on desired experience and undesirable crowds. Packed with color photos, Here Not There shows that adventure travel is not over-touristed and tapped out. Choosing lesser-known destinations that contrast well with more familiar options is a snap with this book in hand, which will appeal to libraries, armchair travelers, and destination planners alike.
The Literary Studies Shelf
Debra Gettelman
Princeton University Press
https://press.princeton.edu
9780691260419, $99.95, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Imagining-Otherwise-Readers-Nineteenth-Century-Novels/dp/0691260419
Synopsis: As the publication of novels exploded in nineteenth-century Britain, writers such as Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and George Eliot learned from experience (sometimes grudgingly) that readers tend to make their own imaginative contributions to fictional worlds. With the publication of "Imagining Otherwise: How Readers Help to Write Nineteenth-Century Novels", Professor Debra Gettelman shows how Victorian writers acknowledged, grappled with, and ultimately enlisted the prerogative of readers to conjure alternatives and add depth to the words on the page.
Professor Gettelman provides incisive new readings of novels such as Sense and Sensibility, Little Dorrit, and Middlemarch, exploring how novelists known for prescriptive and didactic narrative voices were at the same time exploring the aesthetic potential for the reader's independent imagination to lend nuance and authenticity to fiction.
Modernist authors of the twentieth century have long been considered pioneers in cultivating the reader's capacity to imagine what is not said as part of the art of fiction. Professor Gettelman uncovers the roots of this tradition of novel reading a century earlier and challenges literary criticism that dismisses this spontaneous, readerly impulse as being unworthy of serious examination.
As readers demand novels with relatable characters and fan fiction grows in popularity, the reader's imagination has become a determining element of today's literary environment. "Imagining Otherwise" published by Princeton University Press takes a deeper look at this history, offering a critical perspective on how we came to view fiction as a site of imaginative appropriation.
Critique: While also available for personal reading lists in a paperback edition (9780691260426, $29.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.17), "Imagining Otherwise: How Readers Help to Write Nineteenth-Century Novels" is an inherently fascinating and thought-provoking read. A seminal work of ground-breaking scholarship that is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of an Introduction (Imagining Readers), a ten page Bibliography, twenty pages of Notes, and a six page Index, "Imagining Otherwise" will prove of interest to students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in 19th Century/Victorian Era Literary Criticism and the literary impact reader's had on what novelists wrote. Simply stated, "Imagining Otherwise" by Professor Debra Gettelman is an original and unreservedly recommended addition to community and college/university library General Books/Reading collections and supplemental Victorian/19th Century Literary Criticism curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Debra Gettelman is associate professor of English at the College of the Holy Cross whose fields of study include: 19th Century British Literature and Culture; the Novel; Book History; and Film Adaptation.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Darkness Prevails, author
Wellfleet Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartoknows.com
9781577154334, $19.99, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Phantom-Phenomena-Worlds-Terrifying-Supernatural/dp/1577154339
Synopsis: Unexplained Encounters is the number one podcast on the popular horror podcast network Eeriecast created by spooky storyteller extraordinaire Darkness Prevails. The podcast features allegedly real accounts of the unexplained, from ghost stories to mysterious creatures to supernatural encounters and beyond.
With the publication of "Phantom Phenomena: Tales of the World's Most Terrifying and Supernatural Events" Darkness Prevails take a deeper, more detailed dive into specific encounters with stories that include:
A werewolf stalking an isolated farm in central Sweden ("The Werewolf of the Pig Farm")
One man saved from a gruesome traffic accident by a ghostly savior ("The Ghost on I-4")
Opening the door to a trick-or-treater playing a harmless trick... or is it?
A narrow escape from a terrifying cryptid prowling the Scottish Highlands
Four friends encountering a town seemingly caught in between this world and the next
A drifter's experience happening upon an old, abandoned gas station
One man's childhood memory of a home, a mirror, and a haunting -- And many more!
Each eerie story is accompanied by spine-tingling illustrated art that goes beyond ordinary, expected depictions of ghosts, monsters, and night terrors, as well as fact boxes that provide more information on the creepy creatures and ghastly ghosts encountered.
Critique: A thrilling, chilling, and fun read from cover to cover, "Phantom Phenomena: Tales of the World's Most Terrifying and Supernatural Events" will hold a very special appeal to fans of dark fantasy, the supernatural, and the paranormal. An impressively entertaining anthology of short stories to be read with the lights on, this hardcover edition of "Phantom Phenomena" from Wellfleet Press is an intensely recommended pick for community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Phantom Phenomena" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Darkness Prevails (www.eeriecast.com), author of Freaky Folklore, is a spooky storyteller extraordinaire hailing from the Ozarks of Arkansas. When he's not busy spinning yarns about things that go bump in the night on Eeriecast: The Horror Podcast Network or on his wildly successful YouTube channel, Darkness Prevails, he can often be found wandering through the misty woods, searching for evidence of Bigfoot (or at least an excuse to use his night-vision goggles).
The Stained Glass Tarot
James Edwards
Destiny Books
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
www.innertraditions.com
9798888500828, $35.00, Card Deck & Booklet, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Stained-Glass-Tarot-Illuminated-Journey/dp/B0CSBTMWYX
Synopsis: Inspired by the intricate symbols and colors of the stained glass windows of cathedrals and other sacred places, "The Stained Glass Tarot: An Illuminated Journey through the Cards" created by James Edward is 78-card tarot set that draws the reader into a meditative state as they contemplate the mystical symbolism and stunning artwork of the cards.
The accompanying guidebook provides thorough meanings for each card of both Major and Minor Arcana, and for their upright and reversed appearances, as well as evocative verses that invite the reader to explore each card's esoteric symbolism.
For the 22 Major Arcana, James Edward explains how each card fits into the progressive soul's journey from The Fool to The World. For the Minor Arcana, he explains the significance of each of the suits and their key attributes and influences. He describes a number of ways to interpret each card and how to decide which interpretation to favor. He also includes a variety of card spreads and offers a glimpse into tarot history and its connections to astrology, numerology, alchemy, the Western esoteric tradition, and the teachings of Carl Jung.
This illuminating tarot set provides not only a highly detailed manual but also mesmerizing images that draw the eye and calm and focus the mind for an authentic divinatory experience.
Critique: A magnificently crafted set of 78 tarot cards plus an informative and thoroughly 'user friendly' DIY instructional booklet make this boxed set edition of James Edward's "The Stained Glass Tarot: An Illuminated Journey through the Cards" from Destiny Books a high value and unreservedly recommended addition to the community and college/university collections of all aspiring and practicing tarot readers.
Editorial Note: James Edward has been active in witchcraft and the occult for more than 20 years. A scientist by training, he is an animist as well as a Spiritual Ecologist.
Mini Tarot: Rider Waite Smith
Margo Robert-Winterhalter
Findhorn Press
www.findhornpress.com
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
www.innertraditions.com
9798888501795, $19.99, Card Deck & Booklet, 104pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mini-Tarot-Rider-Waite-Smith/dp/B0CSBSTV2D
Synopsis: Accessible to beginners and initiated tarot readers alike, "Mini Tarot: Rider Waite Smith" is new mini Tarot deck inspired by the style of the well-loved Rider Waite Smith Tarot offers a new interpretation of Pamela C. Smith's iconic images by French illustrator Nicolas Galkowski.
Complemented by a 104-page booklet, the 78-card full-color deck features a novel approach to Tarot interpretation by offering the fundamental concepts of the cards in a way that combines tradition and intuition. Each card of both the Major and Minor Arcana is featured with three or four keywords and a few sentences that highlight the main aspects and meanings of the card.
These brief yet evocative definitions, alongside original card spreads, enable you to arrive at an interpretation both personal and unique by allowing the space between the words to fill with your own inner knowing and insight into the issues and questions at hand.
This accessible approach to the Tarot empowers you to dive deeper into personal development and open yourself to intuitive ways of perceiving and interpreting the world, as well as providing a path for engaging with other, more complex divination tools.
The smaller-sized, gilt-edged cards make for smooth handling while the sturdy case with magnetic closure will serve as an attractive ritual item on any altar as well as making this mini deck a perfect traveling companion.
Critique: This highly portable (3 x 2.2 x 4.33 inches, 9.8 ounces) edition of the "Mini Tarot: Rider Waite Smith" set includes 78 full-color, gilt-edged cards featuring new interpretations of Pamela C. Smith's iconic images, while the accompanying instructional booklet presents a more intuitive interpretation approach by offering quick access to each card's meaning through fundamental keywords. Of special note is the travel case for the deck with a magnetic closure that allows for easy handling and enhanced portability of this mini deck. This miniature tarot edition is a unique and high value pick for personal and professional tarot collectons.
Editorial Note: Margot Robert-Winterhalter is a Tarot reader and psychotherapist, following a career as doula and history teacher. She facilitates courses and retreats, teaching a concrete approach to the Tarot to help people gain deeper insight into themselves and their actions. Margot lives in Troyes, France. Nicolas Galkowski is an illustrator and graphic designer who works with specific color palettes to create deeply meaningful images. Nicolas lives in Nantes, France.
The Council of Horses Oracle
Sandra Wallis & Kim McElroy
Bear & Company
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
www.innertraditions.com
9781591434931, $19.99, Card Deck, Guidebook, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Council-Horses-Oracle-40-Card-Guidebook/dp/1591434939
Synopsis: Allowing the tarot practitioner to tap into the earthly and spiritual wisdom of horses, "The Council of Horses Oracle" is a 40 card deck and instructional guidebook that embraces humanity's millennia-old relationship with horses as interactive guides to transformation.
Each beautifully illustrated card conveys the captivating presence of the horse, offering an encounter with the equine soul while transmitting healing frequencies directly from the mystical Council of Horses. Serving as portals of transformation, the cards allow you to actively engage with horses as sentient beings who choose to support the well-being of humankind.
The accompanying guide book explains how to work with the cards, alongside a history of the horse as an intermediary between humans and the divine. From modern-day mystics to legendary horse avatars like unicorns, kelpies, Pegasus, and Chiron, the horse of each card offers guidance and courageous questions to help you determine if you are on the right path, off track, or need a nudge in a more positive direction.
Critique: Unique, fascinating, inspiring, meditative, visually striking, "The Council of Horses Oracle: A 40-Card Deck and Guidebook" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal and professional Tarot & Oracle card deck collections.
Editorial Note #1: Sandra Wallin, (www.sandrawallin.com) is a beloved educator, psychotherapist, and horse listener. A sought-after speaker, she teaches equine-guided wellness worldwide.
Editorial Note #2: Kim McElroy (www.spiritofhorse.com) is an award-winning equine artist renowned for her visionary artistic and written creations.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
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