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Internet Bookwatch

Volume 29, Number 3 March 2019 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Writing/Publishing Shelf Education Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Science Shelf Business Shelf
Fiction Shelf Western Fiction Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Christian Studies Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf
Sports Shelf Computer Shelf Technology Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Self-Help Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Library CD Shelf Library DVD Shelf
Railroading Shelf Political Science Shelf Needlecraft Shelf
Woodworking Shelf Fishing Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf
LGBT Studies Shelf Gardening Shelf Humor Shelf
Psychology Shelf Social Issues Shelf Biography Shelf
Dance Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf Military Shelf
Judicial Studies Shelf International Studies Shelf American History Shelf
World History Shelf Civil War Shelf Photography Shelf
Library Science Shelf Parenting Shelf Art Shelf
Wisconsin Shelf Holocaust Studies Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice


Cybersecurity
Joaquin Jay Gonzalez III & Roger L. Kemp, editors
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476674407, $39.95, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com

Billions of people are connected through billions of devices across the globe. In the age of this massive internet, professional and personal information is being transmitted and received constantly, and while this access is convenient, it comes at a risk. Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by the team of Joaquin Jay Gonzalez III (Professor of Public and Business Administration at Golden Gate University and an Adjunct Professor at the University of San Francisco and San Francisco State.) and Roger L. Kemp (who has been a city manager on both the East and West coasts for more than 25 years and holds International City/County Management Association credentials), "Cybersecurity: Current Writings on Threats and Protection" is an invaluable handbook of cybersecurity best practices is for public officials and citizens, employers and employees, corporations and consumers. Comprised of 56 succinct essays addressing the development of state-of-the-art software systems and hardware for public and private organizations, "Cybersecurity" should be considered essential reading for anyone charge with the responsibility of securing personal, professional, corporate, and governmental information in this age of the internet. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community, academic, corporate, and governmental agency cybersecurity collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Cybersecurity" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

A History Of Trees
Simon Wills
White Owl Books
http://www.whiteowlbooks.co.uk
c/o Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (distribution)
9781526701596, $49.95, HC, 203pp, www.pen-and-sword.co.uk

"A History of Trees" by dedicated wildlife and nature photographer Simon Wills is a unique and beautifully illustrated volume that reveals such fascinating topics as how trees got their names, what our ancestors thought about trees, and how trees were used in the past. A fascinating compilation of interesting stories that are not widely known, readers will learn that the nut from which tree was predicted to pay off the UK's national debt, and why Europe's most popular pear called the 'conference'. Simon Wills tells the history of twenty-eight common trees in an engaging and entertaining way, and every chapter is illustrated with his photographs. A simply fascinating and impressively informative read from cover to cover, "A History Of Trees" will prove to be an enduringly valued addition to community, college, and university collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "A History Of Trees" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, 15.00 British Pounds) from White Owl Books or Pen & Sword Books.

The Salmon Way
Amy Gulick
Braided River
c/o Mountaineers Books
1001 SW Klickitat Way, Suite 201, Seattle, WA 98134-1161
www.mountaineersbooks.org
9781680512380 $29.95 amazon.com

Featuring striking, full-color photography throughout, The Salmon Way: An Alaska State of Mind is a coffee table book about the environmental history of wild salmon in the state of Alaska, and the connections between salmon and the land, the people (especially native populations), and other wildlife. Native Alaskans have depended upon the salmon to survive throughout history; yet today, wild salmon are imperiled in the region. Threats include large- scale development, overfishing, environmental degradation and more. The Salmon Way explores the salmon's integral role to both survival and culture, as well as the search to establish a sustainable, long-term relationship with salmon. The Salmon Way is both a work of natural history and a modern-day environmental parable, highly recommended especially for personal and public library collections.

House of Secrets
Allison Levy
Tauris Parke
c/o I.B. Tauris
c/o Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.bloomsbury.com
9781788313605, $25.00, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com

"House of Secrets: The Many Lives of a Florentine Palazzo" tells the remarkable story of Palazzo Rucellai from behind its celebrated facade. The house, beginning with its piecemeal assemblage by one of the richest men in Florence in the fifteenth century, has witnessed endless drama, from the butchering of its interior to a courtyard suicide to champagne-fueled orgies on the eve of World War I to a recent murder on its third floor. When Allison Levy, an art historian, serendipitously discovered a room for let in the house, she lands in the vortex of history and is tested at every turn -- inside the house and out. Her residency in Palazzo Rucellai is informed as much by the sense of desire giving way to disappointment as by a sense of denial that soon enough must succumb to truth. "House of Secrets" is about the sharing of space, the tracing of footsteps, the overlapping of lives. It is about the willingness to lose oneself behind the facade, to live between past and present, to slip between the cracks of history and the crevices of our own imagination. A unique and riveting read from cover to cover, "House of Secrets" is a deftly written extraordinary story that will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library collections. This is the kind of extended yet personally resonating history that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf.

Lasers, Death Rays, and the Long, Strange Quest for the Ultimate Weapon
Jeff Hecht
Prometheus Books
www.prometheusbooks.com
9781633884601, $25.00

Lasers, Death Rays, and the Long, Strange Quest for the Ultimate Weapon provides an intriguing history of the laser and comes from a veteran science writer who chronicles its use and development in military circles as the ultimate weapon. From the initial 1950s visions of lasers of death to modern times, discussions survey civilian and military laser usage and tools and chronicle the odd developers, inventions, and concepts of laser technology that leads to its modern use and applications. Lay audiences without a scientific background will appreciate this lively slice of science which incorporates drama and excitement into its mix.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Writing Children's Books
Anthony D. Fredericks
Blue River Press
http://brpressbooks.com
9781681570815, $14.99, PB, 306pp, www.amazon.com

It is all too common for authors wanting to write a book for children to get stuck on the fundamental (and universal) question of all writers -- Where do I start? That's simply because they're unsure about the nature of the children's book market and the skills necessary for literary success. "Writing Children's Books: Everything You Need to Know from Story Creation to Getting Published" by Anthony D. Fredericks answers the plight of these writers by providing proven strategies and insider information. A fully comprehensive, step-by-step, how-to guide "Writing Children's Books" shows, in eye-opening detail, exactly how children's authors, both beginning and novice, can have a productive and successful writing career. As the only writer's instruction manual to deal exclusively with all the concerns, issues, and questions of prospective children's authors, Writing Children's Books" features simplicity, step-by-step directions; and offers strategies and data that guarantee literary success. "Writing Children's Books" includes a plethora of techniques, strategies, and information to guide any potential children's author from blank sheet of paper (or computer screen) to viable, publishable manuscript. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Writing Children's Books" is a complete course of instruction and will prove to be an enduringly valued reference and resource in the field of writing books for preschoolers, K-12, and the Young Adult market in fiction and non-fiction alike. While very highly recommended for community library Writing/Publishing instructional reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Writing Children's Books" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Artists Write to Work
Kate Kramer
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764356490, $16.99, HC, 128pp, www.amazon.com

Artists need to write, every day, to support their studio practice and careers. While working artists already know this, newly minted art graduates and emerging artists usually have to learn this the hard way -- most often when a gallery owner asks for basic documents like an artist resume, biography, and statement to support an upcoming exhibition! Conversational and instructive, "Artists Write to Work: A Practical Guide to Writing about Your Art" by Kate Kramer (who is a lecturer in critical writing at the University of Pennsylvania and has worked as a curator, gallery director, art historian, public art administrator, and writer) is practical primer specifically designed to help artists learn the best writing and research strategies for the documents they must craft including: letters, biographies, statements, proposals, applications, wall text, and more. Kramer aligns writing strategies with art school curriculum (foundations, topics, capstones, professional development). "Artists Write to Work" is the instructional guide and manual that every artist will turn to again and again. In addition to models, templates, worksheets, and sample analyses of calls for entry, "Artists Write to Work" references readily available and public resources throughout. Ultimately, this primer brings writing process into practice so the art work can continue to thrive. Simply stated, "Artists Write to Work" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, art school, and university library Writing/Publishing collections and supplemental studies reading lists.

The Comic Hero's Journey
Steve Kaplan
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
9781615932870, $26.95, PB, 176pp, www.amazon.com

A traditional hero or heroine going on a journey is the traditional stuff of the movies. But for the comic hero, it's often quite, quite different. The hero deliberately chooses to go on the adventure; the comic hero often has no choice. The hero has a wise old man; the comic hero often meets an idiot who inadvertently says something that can teach him a thing or two. In "The Comic Hero's Journey: Serious Story Structure for Fabulously Funny Films", Steve Kaplan (who for years, has been the film and television industry's most respected and sought-after expert on comedy) will shows the aspiring script writer the diverse paths that comedy takes in "The Comic Hero's Journey". Exceptionally accessible in organization and presentation, "The Comic Hero's Journey" is a complete course of specialized script writing instruction and highly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library instructional reference and resource collections.


The Education Shelf

Simple Signing with Young Children, revised edition
Carol Garboden Murray
Gryphon House, Inc.
PO Box 10, 6848 Leon's Way, Lewisville, NC 27023
www.gryphonhouse.com
9780876598092, $29.95, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com

Carol Garboden Murray holds a master's degree in special education and early childhood development. She has worked with young children and families for many years as a teacher and program director. She is the founder of the Early Childhood Institute of the Hudson River Valley and is the educational director of the Abigail Lundquist Botstein Nursery School at Bard College in Annandale on Hudson, New York. Now in a newly revised edition of "Simple Signing with Young Children: A Guide for Infant, Toddler, and Preschool Teachers" she draws upon her years of experience and expertise to create an instructive compendium and resource for teachers and parents working with very young children whose vocabularies have not yet caught up with their thoughts and emotions, preschool aged children who are often struggling to communicate. Sign language can help them express themselves effectively to adults and peers without the emotional outbursts caused by frustration! Unique, effective, and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Simple Signing with Young Children" is confidently and unreservedly recommended for daycare center, school district, college, and university Childhood Education collections and supplemental studies reading lists.

The Joy Of Movement
Mary Lynn Hafner, PT, DPT
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
www.redleafpress.org
9781605546421, $22.95, PB, 133pp, www.amazon.com

Mary Lynn Hafner, PT, DPT, is a licensed physical therapist, a movement systems, and mobility expert. She is the owner of My Neighborhood Physical Therapist, PLLC, a per diem physical therapist and a movement teacher at the Sammamish Community YMCA in Washington. In "The Joy Of Movement" she draws upon her years of experience and expertise to showcase a compendium of lessons plans and large-motor activities designed specifically for preschool children. Exceptionally well organized and presented, "The Joy Of Movement" is an ideal and very highly recommended curriculum resource for daycare center, preschool, and kindergarten teachers and support staff. It should be noted that "The Joy of Movement" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.77).

Classroom Cultures
Michelle G. Knight-Manuel & Joanne E. Marciano
Teachers College Press
1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027
www.tcpress.com
9780807759561, $34.95, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com

The collaborative work of Michelle G. Knight-Manuel (Associate Dean and Professor of Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, and a former middle school teacher and high school college advisor) and Joanne E. Marciano (Assistant Professor in the Department of Teacher Education in the College of Education at Michigan State University), "Classroom Cultures: Equitable Schooling for Racially Diverse Youth" is a practical resource that will assist secondary educators in creating equitable schooling environments for racially diverse youth. "Classroom Cultures" makes visible the successes, challenges, and actual classroom practices of educators implementing culturally relevant pedagogies; draws clear connections between considerations of equity, race, and culturally relevant pedagogies and classrooms, school culture, and college access; provides critical inquiry-based practices for the ongoing professional development of educators working with diverse student populations across urban, suburban, and rural communities. Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Classroom Cultures" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to school district, college, and university library Teacher Education collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of education students, classroom teachers, school administrators, and non- specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Classroom Cultures" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $31.30).

All Learning Is Social and Emotional
Nancy Frey, Douglas Fisher, and Dominique Smith
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street
Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
www.ascd.org
9781416627074, $28.95, PB, 197pp, www.amazon.com

Classroom teachers are charged with several responsibilities including: Building students' sense of identity and confidence in their ability to learn, overcome challenge, and influence the world around them; Helping students identify, describe, and regulate their emotional responses; Promoting the cognitive regulation skills critical to decision making and problem solving: Fostering students' social skills, including teamwork and sharing, and their ability to establish and repair relationships: Equipping students to becoming informed and involved citizens. Along with a toolbox of strategies for addressing 33 essential competencies, "All Learning Is Social and Emotional: Helping Students Develop Essential Skills for the Classroom and Beyond" offers real-life examples highlighting the many opportunities for social and emotional learning within the K-12 academic curriculum. Children's social and emotional development is too important to be an add-on or an afterthought, too important to be left to chance. Using an integrated SEL approach to help students build essential skills that will serve them in the classroom and throughout their lives, "All Learning Is Social and Emotional" is unreservedly recommended for school district, college, and university library Teacher Education instructional reference and resource collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "All Learning Is Social and Emotional" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.65).

Off to a Good Start
Emily A. Jones & Kathleen M. Feeley
Woodbine House
6510 Bells Mill Road, Bethesda, MD 20817
www.woodbinehouse.com
9781606132616, $24.95, PB, 186pp, www.amazon.com

"Off to a Good Start: A Behaviorally Based Model for Teaching Children with Down Syndrome" is the first volume of a two volume set "Foundations for Learning" and is comprised of the compelling research about the benefits of using ABA methods with children with Down syndrome, describes ABA principles and procedures, and provides the ABA-based curriculum that has been successfully employed for almost 20 years to successfully teach infants through kindergartners with Down syndrome. "Off to a Good Start" covers: An overview of ABA and how to apply its principles and strategies to teach skills; Background information on the characteristic learning profile of children with Down syndrome and how strengths (such as visual learning abilities and the desire to interact with others) can be used to overcome weaknesses; The importance of inclusion and high expectations; How to choose target skills to teach and set up learning opportunities; Using prompts and reinforcement to shape desired behavior and skills: The importance of generalizing skills learned in one setting to another; How to minimize behavior which interferes with learning; Tracking and evaluating progress; How to build a team of caregivers and professionals to teach using ABA. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Off to a Good Start" is very highly recommended as a core component of professional, school district, college, and university library Special Education collections in general, and Down Syndrome supplemental studies lists in particular.

The Best Value Colleges, 2019 Edition
Robert Franek
The Princeton Review
c/o Random House Inc.
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
www.PrincetonReview.com
9780525567868, $22.99, PB, 480pp, www.amazon.com

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 new 2019 edition of their annual "The Best Value Colleges" showcases two hundred colleges and universities that provide students and their families with the best financial and career returns on their tuition investment. These are the schools that offer generous financial aid, excellent academics, and valuable career-building experiences for a successful post-college outcome! Each school was selected on the basis of 40+ data points, including academics, cost of attendance, financial aid, and post-grad salary figures. Here are definitively profiled 200 schools that offer fantastic value, with insight into their career services offerings. Of special note are the top 25 schools with the Best Alumni Network, Best Career Placement, Top Financial Aid, and more; The highest-paying majors and great schools that offer them; Starting and mid-career salary information for graduates of each school; Percentages of alumni who report having meaningful jobs and who majored in science/technology/engineering/math (STEM) fields. "The Best Value Colleges, 2019 Edition" is unreservedly recommended for families of graduating high school students, high school counselors, and community library Contemporary Education collections.

50 Shades of Teaching
Todd Cole
Dorrance Publishing Company
585 Alpha Drive, Suite 103, Pittsburgh, PA 15238
www.dorrancepublishing.com
9781480989436, $9.00, PB, 30pp, www.amazon.com

Todd Cole is an elementary school teacher recently retired from Laurel Elementary School in New Castle, Pennsylvania, where he taught first grade for 25 years and fourth grade for 9 years. In the pages of "50 Shades of Teaching" he draws upon his years of experience and expertise to provide 50 bits of wisdom that are serious, funny, practical, and thoughtful. Above all, they're presented for the purpose of supporting one of the most noble (and undervalued) of professions -- the teaching children. "50 Shades of Teaching" is especially and unreservedly recommended for school district, college, and university library Teacher Education collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of student teachers, K-12 classroom teachers, school administrators, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "50 Shades of Teaching" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.00).


The Cookbook Shelf

Simply Healthy
Edwin Cabrera, Sherri Flynt, and Erica Hechler
Advent Health Press
www.adventhealth.com
9780990419136, $24.99, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com

Diet is fundamental to controlling diabetes. But can diabetes recipes be both healthy and delicious? Simple to make but tasty too? Fortunately with "Simply Healthy: The Art of Eating Well, Diabetes Edition" the answer is a resounding Yes! The team of Chef Edwin Cabrera, Sherri Flynt and Erica Hechler shows how, with 72 recipes, diabetics and their families can relish fabulous flavors combined with wonderful convenience in their meals. "Simply Healthy" includes: Gorgeous and inspiring full-color photos of each dish; Quick and easy options for breakfast, dinner, sides, salads, appetizers, and spreads; Must-try recipes reviewed by a registered dietitian/certified diabetes educator; Complete nutritional analysis and serving sizes for every recipe; Convenient recipe categories, including gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, low sugar, low sodium, and more; Informative segments that break down into understandable language what you need to know about living with diabetes. From Middle Eastern Falafel Patties, to Tuscan Bean Stew, to Crispy Pumpkin Seed Chicken, to Bright Edamame Bean Hummus, "Simply Healthy" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to family and community library cookbook collections for diabetics and non-diabetics alike!

The New 500 Low-Carb Recipes
Dana Carpender
Fair Winds Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartous.com
9781592338634, $22.99, PB, 336pp, www.amazon.com

Low-carb cooking has evolved. Just a decade ago, low-carb menus relied on ingredients like artificial sweeteners, unhealthy vegetable oils, protein additives, and processed foods from grocery store shelves, like low-carb branded snack bars and packaged meals. Today's low-carb cooking is influenced by larger food movements, such as clean eating; farm-to-table ingredients; higher fat ratios, thanks to the popularity of ketogenic diets; and less stigmatization of foods that have substantial inclusion in a low-carb diet, namely animal foods and saturated fat due to the growth of the Paleo and traditional foods movements. "The New 500 Low-Carb Recipes" provides the family chef with fully updated recipes for making low-carb dishes better both nutritionally and taste-wise. With recipes ranging from breakfast fare and lunches, to family dinners and celebratory dining occasions, "The New 500 Low-Carb Recipes" is a culinary treasure for anyone seeking to enjoy the benefits of a low-carb diet for themselves and others. While very highly recommended for family and community library cookbook collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The New 500 Low-Carb Recipes" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.49).

Field to Fork
The Old Farmer's Almanac
Sellers Publishing
161 John Roberts Road, South Portland, ME 04106
https://www.rsvp.com
9781416246640, $19.95, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com

Beautifully illustrated with full page color photography of the finished dishes, "Field to Fork" is an impressive collection of classic recipes drawn from the pages of The Old Farmer's Almanac. This compilation of more than 120 seasonal recipes is enhanced for the benefit of the home cook with Old Farmer's Almanac tips, facts and folklore. With palate pleasing, appetite satisfying recipes ranging from Herby Bulgur Salad; Sweet Refrigerator Pickles; Green Tomato Salsa; Pumpkin Biscuits; and Not-Too-Spicy Veggie and Lentil Chili; to Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables; Carmel Apple Crumb Pie; Orange Pork Chops; Sweet Potato and Sausage Casserole; and Cranberry Beet Cake with Orange Walnut Glaze, "Field to Fork" will prove to be an enduringly favorite for any personal, family, or community library cookbook collection!

One Yummy Mummy: Family Food Made Easy
Jolene Cox
Orpen Press
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, 124 Byers Road, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
www.dufoureditions.com
9781786050625, $22.00, PB, 244pp, www.amazon.com

We all want to serve healthy home-cooked meals to our families, but finding the time, inspiration and energy to do this can be difficult. In her debut cookbook, "One Yummy Mummy: Family Food Made Easy", Jolene Cox inspires family chefs by sharing 105 easy-to-make recipes that include such favorites such as chicken curry in a hurry, healthy pot noodles and herby beef and onion pie. "One Yummy Mummy: Family Food Made Easy" is a unique and thoroughly 'user friendly' cookbook in that all food images were taken by Jolene in her own kitchen, with no fancy lighting or trickery. The food really speaks for itself, while Jolene's bubbling vitality and down-to-earth personality jumps off every culinary page. A delight to browse through and inspiring to plan menus with, "One Yummy Mummy: Family Food Made Easy" is a very highly recommended addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

The Crock-Pot Ladies Big Book of Slow Cooker Dinners
Heidi Kennedy, Katie Handing, Sarah Ince
Harvard Common Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9781558329249, $24.99, PB, 328pp, www.amazon.com

Showcasing more than 300 quick and easy recipes for truly memorable dishes that are presented in an exceptionally 'kitchen cook friendly' for the time-stressed family chef format, "The Crock-Pot Ladies Big Book of Slow Cooker Dinners" is an impressive compendium of do-it- yourself recipes that range from Cheese-Stuffed Beefy Manicotti; Salisbury Steak Meatballs; Drunken Peach Whiskey Pork Chops; and Curried Lamb Shanks; to Orange Marmalade-Glazed Carrots; Warm Corn Casserole; Super Easy Baked Potatoes; and Holiday Pecan Spiced Potatoes. There is a whole section devoted to crock pot slow cooker recipes for desserts featuring Baked Oatmeal with Spicy Pears; Dried Cranberry and Maple Bread Pudding; Silky Chocolate Fondue; Slow Cooker Chocolate Chip Pan Cookies, and more! Of special note is the chapter devoted to 'Staples: Homemade Stocks, Sauces, and Seasoning Mixes. Impressively well organized and presented, "The Crock-Pot Ladies Big Book of Slow Cooker Dinners" is especially and wholeheartedly recommended for personal, family, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "The Crock-Pot Ladies Big Book of Slow Cooker Dinners" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.49).

Ethiopia
Yohanis Gebreyesus
Interlink Publishing Group
46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MA 01060-1804
www.interlinkbooks.com
9781623719630, $35.00, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com

Ethiopian cuisine has been influenced by a cultural history enriched with a religious mix of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as well as some of the most fertile land on the continent. The delicious dishes showcases in "Ethiopia: Recipes and Traditions from the Horn of Africa" include Doro Wat (chicken stewed with berbere spice, Siga Tibs), flashfried beef, and Asa Shorba (a hearty spiced fish soup), plus vegetarian dishes such as Gomen (collard greens with ginger and garlic), Azifa (green lentil salad), and Dinich Alicha (potatoes and carrots in an onion turmeric sauce). Along with beautifully executed photography of the stunning landscapes and vibrant artisans of Ethiopia combined with insightful cultural and historical details "Ethiopia: Recipes and Traditions from the Horn of Africa" demonstrates why Ethiopian food should be considered one of the world's most singular and enchanting ethnic cuisines. While very highly recommended for community library Ethnic Cookbook collections, it should be noted for personal cookbook collections that "Ethiopia: Recipes and Traditions from the Horn of Africa" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Models Do Eat
Jill de Jong
BenBella Books
10300 N. Central Expressway, Ste 400, Dallas, TX 75204
www.benbellabooks.com
9781946885517, $19.95, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Jill de Jong was born in Holland, and her successful modeling career brought her to the US. She eventually made the career shift from full-time modeling to health coach, personal trainer, and chef. Jill draws upon her years of experience and expertise in "Models Do Eat" to showcase more than 100 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes specifically designed to create beautiful and healthy results for themselves and their loved ones. A team of inspiring women collaborated with Jill in this project. These are models love to eat and they eat a lot. With approaches from paleo and gluten-free eating to vegetarianism and veganism, and everything in-between, "Models Do Eat" is proof that there's not just one "correct" way to eat well and feel beautiful. With recipes for palate pleasing, appetite satisfying dishes ranging from Mediterranean Breakfast Cups; Gluten-Free Endless Energy Matcha Muffins; Wholesome Mushroom Tacos; and Coconut Basil Sweet Potato Fries; Bison Stew and Bone Broth; Charred Cauliflower with Peppers & Egg; Raw Vegan Cheesecake Bars; and more, "Models Do Eat" will prove to be an extraordinarily popular addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Models Do Eat" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Leon Fast Vegan
Rebecca Seal, Chantal Symons & John Vincent
Octopus Publishing
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781840917932, $29.99

Leon Fast Vegan provides over a hundred recipes divided into three sections for different vegan meals from breakfast to dinner, and includes a separate section of side dishes, sauces and dressings, and another of sweet vegan desserts. Leon is a healthy fast food chain that incorporates world influences with fare that is easy to produce. These vegan dishes include outlines of preparation and cooking times, ingredients lists, and easy step-by-step assembly details for such fare as Miso-Sesame Slaw, vegan cream cheese Stuffed Figs, Chocolate Caramel Tart, and more. Vegan cooks looking for innovative fare will find this cookbook excels in exciting dishes not to be found in competing vegan cookbooks.


The Science Shelf

Interplanetary Robots
Rod Pyle
Prometheus Books
www.prometheusbooks.com
971633885028, $18.00

Interplanetary Robots: True Stories of Space Exploration considers the experiments and potential of robotic exploration of our solar system, and covers not just scientific challenges but political interactions with scientific endeavors. This dual approach to the past, present and future of robotic spaceflight combines an exciting narrative style with a consideration of the positive ways that machines can replace the human explorer, offering a planet-by-planet survey of the history of unmanned space projects. Anyone interested in space travel at any level of expertise, from lay readers to non-NASA scientists and NASA participants, will find these articles lively considerations of pros, cons, and potentials.


The Business Shelf

Startup Money Made Easy
Maria Aspan
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
www.amacombooks.org
9781400212248, $19.99, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com

In "Startup Money Made Easy", Maria Aspan (an award-winning business journalist and an editor-at-large at Inc. magazine where she oversees money coverage and writes about startups, technology, finance, and gender) gathers the best advice from the magazine's pages, spotlighting celebrated entrepreneurs and inspiring stories. Here are stories of FUBU founder Daymond John, who mortgaged his family home for start-up capital and built a $6 billion empire; Makeup artist Bobbi Brown, who turned a modest lipstick line into a profitable 30-store enterprise; Alexa von Tobel, who dropped out of Harvard Business School to launch the equity-magnate LearnVest.com; Mark Cuban, Sallie Krawcheck, Max Levchin, and other founders who overcame financial obstacles on their way to the top. Interwoven with the stories are on-target tips that explain how to: Raise your first $10,000 in capital; Power through the lean years; Get friends and family to back you up; Round up outside investors; Go public or sell, while still staying in charge; Reward people with great salaries and benefits; Eliminate tax season surprises: Grow without growing pains -- and so more! Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Startup Money Made Easy" is comprehensive, inspiring, and real world practical instructional guide and reference that is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library Business Management collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of business students, entrepreneurs, corporate managers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Startup Money Made Easy" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Brilliance Audio, 9781978671461, $24.99, CD).

Crowdfunding Scenarios Explained
Delmar C. Gillette
Morgan James Publishing
11815 Fountain Way, Suite 300, Newport News, VA 23606-4448
www.morganjamespublishing.com
9781683508595, $9.95, PB, 102pp, www.amazon.com

"Crowdfunding Scenarios Explained: If, How, and When to Tax Money from Crowdfunding" tackles head on the current version of using a "crowd" to raise funds for a charitable project, a business concept, or an idea for a toy or tool or other device. Most taxpayers are not knowledgeable about if or when the proceeds (income) they receive from crowdfunding efforts are taxable. "Crowdfunding Scenarios Explained" is specifically designed to explain to non- specialist general readers how and why they could be taxable, along with presenting several true-to-life illustrations and related concepts. Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Crowdfunding Scenarios Explained" is a comprehensive, slender, pocket-sized little instruction manual and reference that is unreservedly recommended for community, corporate, and academic library Business Management collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Crowdfunding Scenarios Explained" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.45).

Breaking Bad Habits
Freek Vermeulen
Harvard Business Review Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
http://hbr.org/books
9781633696822 $18.00 pbk / $9.97 Kindle amazon.com

Breaking Bad Habits is a guide to the downsides of entrenched "best practices" in business. "Best practices" can become outdated, expensive, or a hindrance to innovation, and managers may be reluctant to change them because they worked in the past. Breaking Bad Habits offers a roadmap to identifying popular yet ultimately detrimental ideas, processes, and strategies, and transforming them for the better, along with a wealth of real-world examples. Breaking Bad Habits is a "must-read", especially for business and managerial professionals seeking to break out of a rut! Also highly recommended is "Harvard Business Review Leader's Handbook" by Ron Ashkenas and Brook Manville (9781633693746, $29.99 pbk / $17.49 Kindle).

Good Charts Workbook
Scott Berinato
Harvard Business Review Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
http://hbr.org/books
9781633696174, $35.00, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com

Being able to create effective graphs and charts as a means of messaging is essential for success in any business or corporation. Offering a wealth of practical tips, effective tools, and instructive exercises, the "Good Charts Workbook" by Harvard Business Review Senior Editor and dataviz expert Scott Berinato is the ideal hands-on instructional guide and reference. The "Good Charts Workbook" takes a step-by-step approach through the key challenges in creating good charts (controlling color, crafting for clarity, choosing chart types, practicing persuasion, capturing concepts) with warm-up exercises and mini-challenges for each. The "Good Charts Workbook" includes helpful prompts and reminders throughout, as well as white space for users to practice the Good Charts talk-sketch-prototype process. A 'must-have manual' for better understanding the dataviz around you and for creating better charts to make your case more effectively, the "Good Charts Workbook" is especially and unreservedly recommended for professional, corporate, community, college, and university library Business Management collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of MBA students, entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that the "Good Charts Workbook" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99).


The Fiction Shelf

On A Particular Service
David Donachie
Charwood Large Pring
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444839258, $35.00, HC, Large Print, 384pp, www.amazon.com

Set in 1796, "On A Particular Service" is the story of Lieutenant John Pearce, an American who is going home aboard a hospital ship crammed with human cargo. But added to the difficulties of insufficient ballast to match the heavy swells of the Mediterranean in midwinter, Pearce must also avoid capture by an Algerine warship. His problems soon mount when in attempting to steer his disparate band of friends, the Pelicans, clear of being pressed into service aboard a British frigate, the group risk being hanged for desertion once home. By cunning and bluff, Pearce seeks to protect his friends, but his troubled love life with Emily suffers. In a whirlwind of action, there are forged wills, devious trades, contrived murders and dangerous spy missions, with so much deceit that Pearce does not know who to trust. All he can hope to do is survive. A deftly crafted novel of adventure with a great many unexpected plot twists and turns, this large print edition of "On A Particular Service" is an impressively entertaining read from cover to cover and unreservedly recommended, especially for community library Historical Action/Adventure collections.

The Captain's Girl
Nicola Pryce
Magna Large Print
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9780750546775, $35.50, HC, Large Print, 444pp, www.amazon.com

In 1793, as the French Revolution threatens the stability of England, so too is discontent brewing in the heart of Celia Cavendish. Promised to the brutal Viscount Vallenforth, she must find a way to break free. Inspired by her cousin Arbella, who followed her heart and eloped with the man she loved, she vows to escape her impending marriage. Celia enlists the help of her neighbors, Sir James and Lady Polcarrow, to make a new life for herself. But can the Polcarrows' mysterious friend Arnaud, captain of the cutter L'Aigrette, protect Celia from a man who will let nothing stand in his way? And will Arnaud himself be friend or foe? An inherently absorbing and unfailingly entertaining historical romance novel, this large print edition of "The Captain's Girl" by Nicola Pryce is certain to be an immediate and popular addition to personal reading lists and community library Historical Romance collections.

The Birth of China
E. Ted Gladue
Commonwealth Books
P.O. Box 770354, Coral Springs, FL 33077
9781892986115, $17.99, PB, 225pp, www.amazon.com

Sean Semineaux, on a merchant ship, coming out of New Zealand in 1986, has to fight for his survival as the ship sinks in the middle of the Pacific in the midst of strange circumstances. Semineaux survives and washes up on the China coast. The only problem, the year is 261 BC, and, at first he thinks he has gone mad, but he becomes a witness to the first unification of China in 221 BC. "The Birth of China" is an exceptionally well written and compelling novel that showcases author E. Ted Gladue's genuine flair for combining originality within an accurately detailed historical framework. An inherently fascinating and thoroughly entertaining read from cover to cover, "The Birth of China" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community library Historical Fiction collections and personal reading lists.

Lights on the Mountain
Cheryl Anne Tuggle
Paraclete Press
PO Box 1568, Orleans, MA 02653
www.paracletepress.com
9781640601666, $17.99, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com

Barely old enough to vote when he loses his parents in an accident and inherits the family farm, Jess Hazel struggles to find meaning in the life he has always loved. Unable to shake the memory of a strange light he has seen hovering on the mountain peak above his valley home, he embarks on a pilgrimage, a halting inner odyssey riddled with fits and false starts. The beauty of this finely crafted story lies in the unlikely people Jess encounters along the way, transmitters of a grace which at first hounds, then quietly eludes. Through events both tragic and joyous, Jess is led on a journey of self-discovery through ancestral sin, unexpected love, loss, holiness, compassion, forgiveness and redemption. Like the creek which cuts through the Allegheny foothills of its Western Pennsylvania setting, hope runs through every chapter of author Cheryl Anne Tuggle's novel, "Lights on the Mountain". A fully engaging and ultimately inspiring novel by an author with a genuine flair for originality and narrative storytelling, "Lights on the Mountain" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Lights on the Mountain" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

How the Light Gets In
Jolina Petersheim
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
www.tyndale.com
9781496434173, $25.99, HC, 400pp, www.amazon.com

When Ruth Neufeld's husband and father-in-law are killed working for a relief organization overseas, she travels to Wisconsin with her young daughters and mother-in-law Mabel to bury her husband. She hopes the Mennonite community will be a quiet place to grieve and piece together next steps. Ruth and her family are welcomed by Elam, her husband's cousin, who invites them to stay at his cranberry farm through the harvest. Sifting through fields of berries and memories of a marriage that was broken long before her husband died, Ruth finds solace in the beauty of the land and healing through hard work and budding friendship. She also encounters the possibility of new love with Elam, whose gentle encouragement awakens hopes and dreams she thought she'd lost forever. But an unexpected twist threatens to unseat the happy ending Ruth is about to write for herself. On the precipice of a fresh start and a new marriage, Ruth must make an impossible decision: which path to choose if her husband isn't dead after all. One of those novels that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf, Jolina Petersheim's "How the Light Gets In" is unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "How the Light Gets In" is also available in a paperback edition (9781496402233, $15.99), in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99), and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Oasis Audio, 9781640911604, $33.99, CD).


The Western Fiction Shelf

The Last Warrior
W. Michael Farmer
Five Star Publishing
10 Water Street, Suite 310, Waterville, ME 04901
http://gale.cengage.com/fivestar
9781432849955, $25.95, HC, 386pp, www.amazon.com

The third title in W. Michael Farmer's simply outstanding 'Mescalero Apache' series, "The Last Warrior, The Life and Times of Yellow Boy" continues the powerful story of the Mescalero Apaches and their fight for tribal survival against determined ignorance from autocratic government overseers, countering attacks from those misusing their supernatural powers, and choosing sides in White Eye conflicts. Yellow Boy, the last warrior, stands in the turmoil helping to save his tribal culture, destroying a witch seeking blood vengeance, and bringing justice to an American crime. A work of fiction that pays impressive attention to historical detail, "The Last Warrior" is a riveting read from cover to cover and very highly recommended as an addition to community library Western Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists of dedicated western fans that "The Last Warrior" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).

Lone Star Silver
Jackson Cole
Sagebrush Large Print Westerns
Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785415630, $35.50, PB, Large Print

A wave of lawlessness hits the silver-rich Tamarra Hills of Texas, including the deaths of two Texas Rangers. Now Texas Ranger "Lone Wolf" Jim Hatfield must face down deadly foes in order to restore peace, but whom can he trust? The largest rancher in the valley with political ambitions, or the misshapen dwarf with the face and voice of an Adonis? Then there is the one hundred strong army of outlaws fully equipped with the latest long range rifles under the leadership of the Mexican bandit Cartina. Author Jackson Cole has penned a truly riveting western novel that, in this large print edition, is especially commended for both the personal reading lists of all dedicated western fans and community library Western Action/Adventure collections.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Chocolate Cream Pie Murder
Joanne Fluke
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street, Floor 21, New York, NY 10018-2522
www.kensingtonbooks.com
9781496718860, $27.00, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com

When The Cookie Jar becomes the setting of a star-studded TV special about movies filmed in Minnesota, Hannah hopes to shine the spotlight on her bakery -- and not the unsavory scandal swirling around her personal life. But that's practically impossible with a disturbing visit from the shifty character she once believed was her one and only love, a group of bodyguards following her every move, and a murder victim in her bedroom. Now, swapping the crime scene in her condo for her mother Delores's penthouse, Hannah and an old flame team up to solve a case that's messier than an upended chocolate cream pie. As suspects emerge and secrets hit close to home, Hannah must serve a hefty helping of justice to an unnamed killer prowling around Lake Eden before someone takes a slice out of her! Another deftly scripted and inherently compelling read from first page to last, "Chocolate Cream Pie Murder" showcases author Joanne Fluke's knack for narrative storytelling and impressive gift for presenting her readers with more plot twists and turns than a Coney Island roller coaster. While very highly recommended as an addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated mystery buffs that the "Chocolate Cream Pie Murder" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

A Room Full of Night
T. R. Kenneth
Oceanview Publishing
1620 Main Street, Suite 11, Sarasota, FL 34236
www.oceanviewpub.com
9781608093229, $26.95, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com

Stag Maguire is a burnt-out journalist hardly able to prop himself up in the wake of tragedy but who nevertheless agrees to help a friend move. They find an urgent message (HELP ME) written on a piece of silk tacked behind a long-forgotten portrait. The message from an address in Berlin is urgent; though it had to have been written pre-World War II. Curious, Stag and his friend, begin to research the address and whomever might have written the message. They trace the address to an apartment, a sealed time capsule that has not been lived in since 1942. And from one phone call to that apartment, the men unleash a nefarious plot and brutal security forces long thought vanquished. Events begin to cascade without mercy, and Stag (a broken man from the Midwest) finds himself pitted against a vestige of the Third Reich with powerful forces ensuring the propagation of Heydrich's infamous SD (Nazi's intelligence agency) in today's world. Will ordinary-man Stag Maguire prevail in his lone stand against evil? "A Room Full of Night" is a simply riveting read from cover to cover and features more unexpected plot twists and turns than a Coney Island roller coaster! While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Suspense/Thriller collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "A Room Full of Night" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

The Malta Exchange
Steve Berry
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.minotaurbooks.com
9781250140265, $28.99, HC, 416pp, www.amazon.com

The pope is dead. A conclave to select his replacement is about to begin. Cardinals are beginning to arrive at the Vatican, but one has fled Rome for Malta in search of a document that dates back to the 4th century and Constantine the Great. Former Justice Department operative, Cotton Malone, is at Lake Como, Italy, on the trail of legendary letters between Winston Churchill and Benito Mussolini that disappeared in 1945 and could re-write history. But someone else seems to be after the same letters and, when Malone obtains then loses them, he's plunged into a hunt that draws the attention of the legendary Knights of Malta. The knights have existed for over nine hundred years, the only warrior-monks to survive into modern times. Now they are a global humanitarian organization, but within their ranks lurks trouble (the Secreti) an ancient sect intent on affecting the coming papal conclave. With the help of Magellan Billet agent Luke Daniels, Malone races the rogue cardinal, the knights, the Secreti, and the clock to find what has been lost for centuries. The final confrontation culminates behind the walls of the Vatican where the election of the next pope hangs in the balance. A riveting great read from cover to cover, "The Malta Exchange" clearly showcases author Steve Berry's narrative driven storytelling skills. This is the stuff of which block buster movies are made! While unreservedly recommended, especially for community library Suspense/Thriller collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Malta Exchange" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete an unabridged audio book (Macmillan Audio, 9781250316530, $39.99, CD).

Open Carry
Marc Cameron
Kensington
c/o Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street, Floor 21, New York, NY 10018-2522
www.kensingtonbooks.com
9781496721723, $26.00, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com

U.S. Marshal Arliss Cutter is a born tracker. Raised in the Florida swamp lands, he honed his skills in the military, fought in the Middle East, and worked three field positions for Marshal Services. When it comes to tracking someone down (or taking someone out) Cutter's the best. But his newest assignment is taking him out of his comfort zone to southeast Alaska. Cold, dark, uninhabited forests often shrouded in fog. And it's the kind of case (the shocking murder of a Tlingit Indian girl) that makes his blood run cold. But the murder is just the beginning. Now, three people have disappeared on Prince of Wales Island. Two are crew members of the reality TV show, Fishwives. Cutter's job is to find the bodies, examine the crew's footage for clues, and track down the men who killed them. But it won't be easy, because the whole town is hiding secrets, every trail is a dead end -- and the hunter has become the hunted! Another absorbing, action packed, compulsive page turner of a mystery suspense from the pen of Marc Cameron, "Open Carry" is a riveting great read from cover to cover. While very highly recommended, especially for community library Mystery/Suspense/Thriller collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Open Carry" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Code of Valor
Lynette Eason
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.revellbooks.com
9780800735586, $29.99, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com

What Detective Brady St. John really needs is a relaxing vacation. Unfortunately, just as the sun is setting on his second day at a friend's cabin on Lake Henley, he hears a scream and races to rescue a woman from her would-be killer. When the killer escapes only to return to finish the job, Brady vows to utilize all of his many resources to keep her safe--and catch those who would see her dead. Financial crimes investigator Emily Chastain doesn't trust many people. And even though she let the detective who saved her life in on a few pertinent facts about why she was being attacked, there are some things you just don't share with a stranger. Little does she suspect that the secret she is keeping just might get them both killed. Another riveting read by an author with a genuine flair for investing his readers in a page-turning thriller, Lynette Eason's "Code of Valor" is certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated mystery buffs that "Code of Valor" is also available in a paperback edition (9780800727048, $15.99), in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Tantor Audio, 9781515934547, $29.99, CD).

The Chef's Secret
Crystal King
Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
www.simonandschuster.com
9781501196430, $28.00, HC, 384pp, www.amazon.com

When Bartolomeo Scappi dies in 1577, he leaves his vast estate comprised of properties, money, and his position to his nephew and apprentice Giovanni. He also gives Giovanni the keys to two strongboxes and strict instructions to burn their contents. Despite Scappi's dire warning that the information concealed in those boxes could put Giovanni's life and others at risk, Giovanni is compelled to learn his uncle's secrets. He undertakes the arduous task of decoding Scappi's journals and uncovers a history of deception, betrayal, and murder - all to protect an illicit love affair. As Giovanni pieces together the details of Scappi's past, he must contend with two rivals who have joined forces -- his brother Cesare and Scappi's former protege, Domenico Romoli, who will do anything to get his hands on the late chef's recipes. An erudite, engaging, entertaining, and compulsive page turner of a read, "The Chef's Secret" by Crystal King is certain to be an enduringly popular addition to personal reading lists and community library Historical Fiction collections. It should be noted that "The Chef's Secret" is also available in a paperback edition (9781501196423, $16.99), a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99), and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781508282303, $39.99, CD).

The Enemy of My Enemy
W.E.B. Griffin
G. P. Putnam's Sons
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9780735213067, $29.00, HC, 400pp, www.amazon.com

A month ago, James Cronley managed to capture two notorious Nazi war criminals, but not without leaving some dead bodies and outraged Austrian police in his wake. He's been lying low ever since, but that little vacation is about to end. Somebody (Odessa, the NKGB, the Hungarian Secret Police?) has broken the criminals out of jail, and he must track them down again. But there's more to it than that. Evidence has surfaced that in the war's last gasps, Heinrich Himmler had stashed away a fortune to build a secret religion, dedicated both to Himmler and to creating the Fourth Reich. That money is still out there in the hands of Odessa, and that infamous organization seems to have acquired a surprising (and troubling) ally. Cronley is fast finding out that the phrase "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" can mean a lot of different things, and that it is not always clear which people he can trust and which are out to kill him. Another deftly scripted and compulsive page turner of an action/adventure novel from the pen of W.E.B. Griffin, "The Enemy of My Enemy" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of the legions of W.E.B. Griffin fans that "The Enemy of My Enemy" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99). Librarians should note that there is a large print edition of "The Enemy of My Enemy" (Random House Large Print, 9781984827586, $31.99, PB, 464pp) as well.

Hunt Them Down
Simon Gervais
https://simongervaisbooks.com
Thomas & Mercer
9781503903210, $24.95, HC, 325pp, www.amazon.com

Former Army Ranger Pierce Hunt is no stranger to violence. Fresh off a six-month suspension, he's itching to hit a notorious Mexican drug cartel where it hurts, even if that means protecting crime boss Vicente Garcia, a witness in the case against sadistic cartel leader Valentina Mieles. But things spiral out of control when the cartel murders Garcia and kidnaps his granddaughter and an innocent bystander, Hunt's own teenage daughter. Mieles wants the new head of the Garcia family on a plate -- literally. Hunt has seventy-two hours to deliver, or Mieles will execute the girls live on social media. With the clock ticking, Hunt goes off the grid and teams up with Garcia's daughter, a former lover and current enemy. To save the girls, Hunt will have to become a man he swore he'd never be again: an avenging killer without limits or mercy. Another simply riveting read from author Simon Gervais, "Hunt Them Down" showcases his mastery of narrative driven storytelling and his flair for embedding his novels with more twists and turns than a Coney Island roller coaster. While very highly recommended, especially for community library Suspense/Thriller action adventure collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Hunt Them Down" is also available in a paperback edition (9781503904507, $15.95), a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99), and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Brilliance Audio, 9781978636583, $24.99, MP3 CD).

Widows' Revenge
Lynda La Plante
Zaffre
9781499862041, $27.99, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Against all the odds, Dolly Rawlins and her gangland widows managed the impossible: a heist their husbands had failed to pull off - at the cost of their lives. But though they may be in the money, they're far from easy street. Shocked by her husband's betrayal, Dolly discovers Harry Rawlins isn't dead. He knows where the four women are and he wants them to pay. And he doesn't just mean getting his hands on the money. The women can't keep running. They have to get Harry out of their lives for good. But can they outwit a criminal mastermind who won't hesitate to kill? Especially when one of them has a plan of her own -- to kill or be killed. Another original and inherently riveting read from by novelist Lynda La Plante, "Widows' Revenge" is the sequel to her groundbreaking thriller, "Widows" (now a major motion picture) and will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Widows' Revenge" is also available in a paperback edition (9781785768293, $17.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Batter Off Dead
Maymee Bell
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781683318781, $26.99, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Sophia Cummings may be unlucky in love, but she knows that the way to a man's heart is through his sweet tooth. This evening, she plans to use that knowledge (and her skills as a New York City-trained pastry chef) to open the hearts and wallets of Rumford, Kentucky's richest men. Sophia, proprietress of For Goodness Cakes, has been commissioned to cater the Heart of the Town Library charity fundraiser at Grape Valley Winery. She's spent all her dough to make this a successful event, raise her profile, and win more plum catering jobs. At first, the going is as smooth as an elegant chocolate ganache. After nibbling Sophia's tasty treats, Ray Peel, the winery's landlord, announces he will pay off Rumford's library loan. But the evening soon turns decidedly frosty when Ray is murdered before he can make good on his promise, and before he can pay Sophia for her catering services. For Goodness Cakes will collapse if Sophia can't collect what she's owed. So Sophia once again puts on her sleuthing apron to figure out who iced Ray. The latest installment of author Maymee Bell's 'A Southern Cake Baker Mystery' series, "Batter Off Dead" is a mystery buff's delight that also includes authentic Souther recipes! While very highly recommended for both personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted that "Batter Off Dead" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Hooks Can Be Deceiving
Betty Hechtman
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781683318842, $26.99, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com

Molly Pink's excitement level is off the hook: The Craftee Channel's new cable talk show "Creating with Crochet" has scheduled an upcoming taping at the bookstore. While she's there, TV host Rory Graham is to work with the Tarzana Hookers on a Make and Take bracelet project to draw bookstore customers to the yarn section. It's a win-win...or so it "seams". The situation gets a bit knotted when channel producer Michael Kostner confides to Molly his concern that Rory may have oversold her ability as a crocheter. When the producer's worst fears are realized, it's up to Molly to make sure Rory comes through. Guiding Rory through crocheting-for-beginners will have to wait, though, as Molly suddenly has to untangle the mysterious death of a new Tarzana Hookers member. Marianne Freeman and her live-in companion, Connie Richards, haven't exactly been gabby since they joined the Hookers, but Connie's voice is silenced permanently when she is electrocuted while walking on a wet lawn electrified by an old radio plugged into a faulty extension cord. The fingers point at Marianne, but Molly is fast on the case to protect one of her own. Was Marianne the killer...or the intended target? Why does her younger brother want to keep her from talking to the cops? And why is this whole case starting to remind Molly Pink of an old TV movie? Of special note is the inclusion of recipes and crochet patterns deftly incorporated into author Betty Hechtman's superbly crafted mystery novel "Hooks Can Be Deceiving". Certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Contemporary Mystery collections, it should be noted for dedicated mystery buffs that "Hooks Can Be Deceiving" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.80).

The Second Goodbye
Patricia Smiley
Midnight Ink
2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989
www.midnightinkbooks.com
9780738752365, $15.99, PB, 312pp, www.amazon.com

Assume nothing is the touchstone for every homicide investigation Detective Davie Richards undertakes. She approaches her latest case the same way, determined to learn as much about the victim as she does about the killer. But there's nothing about thirty-four-year-old Sara Montaine or her death that makes sense. Was Sara a saint caring for her dying husband or a gold-digger with a sketchy background? Did she commit suicide or was she murdered? Before her marriage, Sara lived comfortably without any obvious source of income, unusual for an orphan raised in foster care. As Davie digs deeper, she unearths Sara's troubled past and a viper's nest of villains who are willing to kill to keep their secrets hidden. Another gem of a mystery novel by author Patricia Smiley, "The Second Goodbye" is an inherently compelling read from first page to last and one that will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated mystery buffs that "The Second Goodbye" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.59).


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Shadow Pact
Tally Adams
www.TallyAdams.com
Brown Books Publishing Group
www.BrownBooks.com
9781612542850 $7.99 amazon.com

Shadow Pact is a dark fantasy about Emily's quest to find her missing sister Amber, which embroils her in an ongoing supernatural conflict between vampires and werewolves. The handsome vampire-werewolf hybrid William rescues Emily from a dire situation, but far greater dangers await - a sinister vampire queen, a blood-crazed Coven, a werewolf king greedy for power, and more. Exciting to the very end, Shadow Pact is a "must-read" for connoisseurs of the genre, highly recommended.

Samuel Johnson's Eternal Return
Martin Riker
Coffee House Press
79 Thirteenth Avenue NE, Suite 110, Minneapolis, MN 55413
http://coffeehousepress.org
9781566895286, $16.95, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com

When Samuel Johnson dies, he finds himself in the body of the man who killed him, unable to depart this world but determined, at least, to return to the son he left behind. Moving from body to body as each one expires, Samuel's soul journeys on a comic quest through an American half-century, inhabiting lives as stymied, in their ways, as his own. A ghost story of the most unexpected sort, Martin Riker's extraordinary debut is about the ways experience is mediated, the unstoppable drive for human connection, and the struggle to be more fully alive in the world. The debut novel of author Martin Riker, "Samuel Johnson's Eternal Return" is an extraordinarily engaging and impressively crafted read from first page to last. Showcasing Riker's genuine flair for originality and narrative driven storytelling skills, "Samuel Johnson's Eternal Return" is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Samuel Johnson's Eternal Return" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.19).

L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future: Volume 35
David Farland, editor
Galaxy Press
7051 Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 200, Hollywood, CA 90028
www.galaxypress.com
www.writersofthefuture.com
9781619866041, $15.95, PB, 450pp, www.amazon.com

An internationally acclaimed anthology of award-winning science fiction and fantasy short stories and featuring 24 award-winning Sci-Fi and Fantasy authors and illustrators, this 35 volume of "L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future" showcases the annual Galaxy Press competition featuring expertly crafted stories and art that span the gamut from hard core sci-fi to epic fantasy. One of science fiction and fantasy's most celebrated annual publications, "L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future: Volume 35" should be considered a 'must have' addition to both community and academic library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated SciFi and Fantasy fans that "L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Star Trek Discovery: The Way to the Stars
Una McCormack
Gallery Books
c/o Simon and Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com
9781982104757, $16.00

Star Trek Discovery: The Way to the Stars will reach Star Trek fans with a novel based on the Discovery series and provides an original tie-in novel. Sylvia Tilly was a novice Starfleet cadet, but played an important role in the ship finding a way home from the Mirror Universe. This story expands the upon the life and influences on the sixteen-year-old, offering a vivid story that flushes out the TV character, yet stands on its own nicely for those new to either Tilly or the Discovery series. The result is a compelling story that Trek fans and sci-fi buffs alike will relish.

Baen Books
www.baen.com

All the Plagues of Hell by Eric Flint and Dave Freer (9781481483612, $25.00) provides a new novel in the Heirs of Alexandria series, and provides an alternate Renaissance-era Milan where magic, gods, and aristocracies rule. In this world some dangerous magic and plots to marry and murder underlie a host of political troubles and turmoil. Power struggles, sorcery, threats to destroy rulers and lands, and soldiers facing calls to duty beyond battle make for a fast-paced alternate world that is thoroughly engrossing, exciting, and tests the historical acuity of readers who will find plenty of old and new history to enjoy. James L. Cambias's Arkad's World (9781491483704, $24.00) tells of young Arkad, the only human in an alien city across the Galaxy who finds his world and future changed by three humans who arrive on the planet in search of a treasure. Arkad decides to join their quest, but it's an endeavor plagued by attacks, danger, strange creatures and the group's own traitors. A fast-paced adventure evolves which is moving and hard to put down.


The Christian Studies Shelf

The Glory of Grace
Lewis Allen & Time Chester
Banner of Truth
PO Box 621, Carlisle, PA 17013
www.banneroftruth.org
9781848718340, $14.00, PB, 184pp, www.amazon.com

"The Glory of Grace: An Introduction to the Puritans in Their Own Words " address the questions of: Who were the Puritans? What did they seek to achieve? What were their successes and failures? Are they of any importance to Christians today? The story of the Puritans is what all Christians need to know in order to discover the important story of how these men and women sought to follow Jesus Christ. Their convictions resulted in a brave and joyful faith, and the writing they have left us on the Christian life continues to be a rich resource for our own discipleship. Meeting the Puritans by listening to them has enriched both of us more than we can express. And so, "The Glory of Grace" is an introduction to a people who had a deep love for Jesus Christ and a great vision for the Christian life. Each chapter contains a concise introduction followed by carefully selected excerpts from key Puritan works, together with suggestions for further reading, making it an ideal addition to personal, church, seminary, community, college, and university library Christian Studies collections in general, and Puritan History supplemental studies reading lists in particular.

Salt Lake School of the Prophets, 1867-1883
Devery S. Anderson, editor
Signature Books
www.signaturebooks.com
9781560852346, $47.95, HC, 700pp, www.amazon.com

Ministerial training was an early goal of Mormonism. The priesthood-led institution called the School of the Prophets was established in Kirtland, Ohio in 1833 by Joseph Smith and was basically a divinity school for prospective missionaries. However, instead of prophecy and revelation, the topics of study included penmanship, English grammar, arithmetic, philosophy, literature, government, geography, and history. For seven weeks there was even a course in Hebrew, but it was discontinued. Still, it was in this setting that Joseph Smith received his revelation on diet and health and some of the spiritual manifestations associated with the Kirtland temple dedication. Brigham Young re-established the school in the Salt Lake Valley in 1867; his successor, John Taylor, resuscitated it for a while in 1883. Young's emphasis was theology, first as an appendage to Deseret University, and then as a separate institution. Compiled and edited by Devery S. Anderson (who is also the editor of a three-volume documentary history of LDS temple worship), presented in "Salt Lake School of the Prophets, 1867-1883" for the first time are all available minutes for the Utah period. A seminal contribution to the growing library of Mormon historical and theological literature, "Salt Lake School of the Prophets, 1867-1883" is unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library Mormonism collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Salt Lake School of the Prophets, 1867-1883" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Inside an Amish Home
Herald Press Editors
Herald Press
P.O. Box 866, Harrisonburg, VA 22803
www.heraldpress.com
9781513804255, $10.99, HC, 96pp, www.amazon.com

It's rare for outsiders to see inside the homes of Old Order Amish people, who live their Christian faith in community, simplicity, and humility. Impressively produced by the editorial staff of the Herald Press, "Inside an Amish Home: A Rare And Intimate Portrait" presents an Amish family home in the Midwest gives outsiders an authentic and profusely illustrated glimpse into the intimate spaces where their family life unfolds. Patterns of work, play, fellowship, and worship become visible, and the warmth and light of the rooms bear witness to their love for God and for each other. A unique and original volume, "Inside an Amish Home" is very highly recommended for personal and community library collections.

The Testament of the Lord
Alistair Stewart, translator
St. Vladimir's Seminary Press
575 Scarsdale, Road, Crestwood, NY 10707-1699
www.svspress.com
9780881416114, $25.00, PB, 170pp, www.amazon.com

The 58th volume in the 'Popular Patristics Series' from St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, "The Testament of the Lord: Worship & Discipline in the Early Church", this is one of several ancient Church Order texts. Written in the first four centuries of the Church, these are materials that directed Christian conduct and morality, ecclesiastical organization and discipline, and the Church's worship and liturgical life. Beginning with an apocalyptic section in which the risen Lord himself addresses the reader, "The Testament of the Lord" then describes the building of a church, the mode of appointment for clergy and monastics, and the conduct of daily prayers and of other liturgical services. The text is newly translated from the extant Syriac (with an eye to Ethiopic manuscripts) into English by Alistair Stewart, and the introduction makes the case for a fourth century Cappadocian redactor who gave the work its present shape, though much of its material goes back at least to the third century. An impressive work of theological scholarship, "The Testament of the Lord" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as seminary, college, and university library Christian Theology & History collections and supplemental studies curriculums.

A Parish Guide for Bereavement Ministry & Funeral Planning
Jill Maria Murdy
Twenty-Third Publications
1 Montauk Avenue, #200, New London, CT 06320
www.23rdpublications.com
9781627853927, $16.95, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com

The death of a loved one is a shock and planning a funeral can feel like a burden in a time of stress and grief. Created for pastoral ministers, deacons, pastors and parish leaders by Jill Maria Murdy (who is currently in her 17th year as Director of Liturgy and Music at St. Frances Cabrini Parish, West Bend, Wisconsin), "A Parish Guide for Bereavement Ministry & Funeral Planning" is a helpful resource to pastorally accompany Catholic funeral planning -- either in advance of or after the death of a loved one. It is also a comforting planning tool for Catholics to have at home when facing aging or illness. An essential resource in for use in the chapel or to be handed out to families after an anointing, "A Parish Guide for Bereavement Ministry & Funeral Planning" will prove to be an enduring and invaluable instructional reference and resource.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

The Intellect and the Exodus
Jeremy Kagan
The Toby Press
c/o Koren Publishers Jerusalem Ltd.
PO Box 8531, New Milford, CT 06776-8531
www.tobypress.com
9781592645138, $29.95, HC, 316pp, www.amazon.com

Developing the Judaic concept of emuna, or faith in God, is extraordinarily challenging in our day. Emuna may have sat comfortably with us as we dwelt among the worshiping cultures of the ancient Near East. But several thousand years of exposure to rationally based Western cultures has transformed our consciousness, personalities, and outlook to the point that God often seems like an idea pasted incongruously onto our vision of reality. How can we achieve an emuna that is integrated, consistent with our rational context, yet still retains its Near Eastern soul? In 'Intellect and the Exodus', Rabbi Jeremy Kagan traces the history of our experience of emuna, building on the perspective it provides to gain powerful insights into the nature of emuna in the modern world. He then shows how the story of the Exodus is structured to foster a perception of reality in us, out of which an awareness of God emerges naturally. That perceptual component, however, must be complimented with an inner sense of God that has a genuine basis. That basis is to be sought in the depths of the self. Exceptionally well written, organized, presented, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "The Intellect and the Exodus" is an extraordinary, engaging, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, rabbinic, college, and university library Judaic Theology collections and supplemental studies lists.


The Sports Shelf

Rock Climbing Anchors, second edition
Topher Donahue & Craig Luebben
Mountaineers Books
1001 SW Klickitat Way, Suite 201, Seattle, WA 98134-1161
www.mountaineersbooks.org
9781680511406, $24.95, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com

Now in a fully updated and expanded second edition, "Rock Climbing Anchors: A Comprehensive Guide" by Topher Donahue (who at the age of 14 was one of the youngest American climbing guides in the history of the sport) and Craig Luebben (an AMGA certified guide and instructor) offers a complete and profusely illustrated course of instruction that will prove to be of life-saving value for all rock climbing enthusiasts from the absolute novice to the seasoned professional. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, this new edition of "Rock Climbing Anchors" is thoroughly 'user friendly' throughout and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library rock climbing instructional reference collections.

It's Hard. But It's Fair
Charles M. Choice
Dorrance Publishing Company
585 Alpha Drive, Suite 103, Pittsburgh, PA 15238
www.dorrancepublishing.com
9781480954649, $30.00, PB, 150pp, www.amazon.com

In the pages of "It's Hard. But It's Fair", Charles M. Choice shares his experiences of the Major League as the father of player Michael Choice. Michael is a hardworking, dedicated, and talented baseball player who has had his dad and other family members supporting him along the way. Through Charles' eyes, we see what it took for Michael to get to the show. Michael and Charles' story will prove that dreams do come true. An inherently fascinating and informative read for anyone with an interest in professional baseball, "It's Hard. But It's Fair" is a unique and highly recommended addition to personal reading lists and community library Sports/Athletics collections.


The Computer Shelf

Cloud Computing Basics
T.B. Rehman
Mercury Learning
www.merclearning.com
9781683923503, $49.95

Cloud Computing Basics is designed as a basic primer to accompany a course in cloud computing, or as a desk reference for industry professionals new to cloud services, and offers a review of the latest developments in cloud computing systems. From details on management concepts, assets management, disaster recovery and more to case studies illustrating different cloud applications, this basic survey is a winning discussion recommended for any newcomer.


The Technology Shelf

Fundamentals of Polymer Engineering, third edition
Anil Kumar & Rakesh K. Gupta
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781498759502, $139.95, HC, 616pp, www.amazon.com

Now in a fully updated and expanded third edition, "Fundamentals of Polymer Engineering" by Anil Kumar (who has been Professor of Chemical Engineering at IIT Kanpur since 1980 and serves as a consultant for RS Enterprises, Kanpur, India) and Rakesh K. Gupta (who is the George B. & Carolyn A. Berry Professor and Department Chair of Chemical Engineering at West Virginia University, where he has been teaching since 1981) explores the chemistry of synthesis, mechanisms of polymerization, reaction engineering of step-growth and chain-growth polymerization, polymer characterization, thermodynamics and structural, mechanical, thermal and transport behavior of polymers as melts, solutions and solids. "Fundamentals of Polymer Engineering" also covers essential concepts and breakthroughs in reactor design and polymer production and processing. It contains modern theories and real-world examples for a clear understanding of polymer function and development. Additionally, "Fundamentals of Polymer Engineering" addresses new materials, applications, processing techniques, and interpretations of data in the field of polymer science. It discusses the conversion of biomass and coal to plastics and fuels, the use of porous polymers and membranes for water purification, and the use of polymeric membranes in fuel cells. Recent developments are brought to light in detail, and there are new sections on the improvement of barrier properties of polymers, constitutive equations for polymer melts, additive manufacturing and polymer recycling. An ideal textbook that specifically commended for senior undergraduate students and first year graduate students in polymer engineering and science courses, as well as professional engineers, scientists, and chemists, "Fundamentals of Polymer Engineering" provides examples and problems that are included at the end of each chapter for concept reinforcement. While unreservedly recommended for corporate, college and university library Polymer Technology collections and supplemental studies lists, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Fundamentals of Polymer Engineering" is also available in a digital book format (eTextbook, $46.36).

Learn Robotics with Raspberry Pi
Matt Timmons-Brown
No Starch Press
245 - 8th Street, San Francisco, CO 94103-3910
www.nostarch.com
9781593279202, $24.95, 240pp, www.amazon.com

Matt Timmons-Brown is the creator of the world's most-popular Raspberry Pi YouTube channel: The Raspberry Pi Guy. In "Learn Robotics with Raspberry Pi" Matt daws upon his years of experience and expertise to take even the most inexperienced robot makers to becoming a successful and accomplished robot builder. Aspiring robot makers will start off building a two-wheeled robot powered by a Raspberry Pi minicomputer and then program it using Python, the world's most popular programming language. Gradually showing how to improve a robot by adding increasingly advanced functionality until it can follow lines, avoid obstacles, and even recognize objects of a certain size and color using computer vision. "Learn Robotics with Raspberry Pi" shows how to: Control a robot remotely using only a Wii remote; Teach a robot to use sensors to avoid obstacles; Program a robot to follow a line autonomously; Customize a robot with LEDs and speakers to make it light up and play sounds; See what a robot sees with a Pi Camera. Also covered are such fundamental electronics skills as: How to wire up parts; Use resistors and regulators; Determine how much power the robot needs. By the end, aspiring robot makers will have learned the basics of coding in Python and know enough about working with hardware like LEDs, motors, and sensors to expand their creations beyond simple robots. Exceptionally and accessibly well organized, illustrated, and thoroughly 'user friendly' in presentation, "Learn Robotics with Raspberry Pi" is unreservedly recommended for school and community library Contemporary Technology & Robotics instructional reference collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Learn Robotics with Raspberry Pi" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Artech House
www.artechhouse.com

Practicing engineers and students new to linear systems will welcome this real-world discussion which pairs a refresher course with a series of basics facts. Yefim Poberezhskiy and Gennady Pobserezhskiy's Signal Digitalization and Reconstruction in Digital Radios (9781630813802, $159.00) provides a detailed resource on analog signals in digital radios, and teach readers how to analyze and understand signal processing procedures and reconstruction methods. Various methods of conducting this analysis based on improving the characteristics of D&R circuitry make for an involving study that moves between theory and real-world applications, providing a survey of new signal transmission and reception methods revised by modern digitization approaches. Herbert Falk's IEC 61850 Demystified (9781630813291, $159.00) focuses on implementation processes in the IEC, from the early work conducted by General Motors to modern applications and communication strategies. Basic research and theory blend principles and reviews with discussions of distributed energy resources and technical systems, providing technology collections and professionals in the field with a discussion including mathematical analyses, client and server relationships, and various operations. Sorin Fericean's Inductive Sensors for Industrial Applications (9781630812553, $189.00) provides a weighty, in-depth survey of all inductive sensor classes for industrial applications ranging from automotive use to white goods, and provides professionals and students with an exploration that uses three contemporary analysis models to provide overviews. Numerical examples help link theories while examples of modern commercial parts are included. Surveys of implementations to different kinds of LC oscillators and digital inductive sensors contribute to a survey packed with detail and examples. All are solid contributions highly recommended for any college-level reference holding.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

The 6 Keys
Jillian Michaels
Little, Brown & Company
c/o Hachette Book Group
1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104
www.hachettebookgroup.com
9780316448642, $28.00, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com

With "The 6 Keys: Unlock Your Genetic Potential for Ageless Strength, Health, and Beauty", Jillian Michaels shows how to conquer the mayhem, myths, and misunderstandings associated with aging. Scientists and doctors have identified six major age inciters: Metabolism; Damaged Macromolecules; Epigenetics; Inflammation; Stress Adaptation; Telomeres. "The 6 Keys" presents an ageless health, fitness, and beauty plan that addresses all six of them -- and gets them working for you instead of against you. Empowering and rigorously researched, "The 6 Keys" outlines powerful lifestyle interventions, dietary guidelines, exercise plans, and vanguard strategies for cultivating mindfulness that restore and protect human performance, keeping fit, healthy, and beautiful for life. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The 6 Keys" is impressively 'user friendly' and real world practical, making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to community library Health & Medicine collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The 6 Keys" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Shrink Diet
Philippe Tahon
Octopus Publishing
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781912023868, $12.99

Shrink Diet: Retrain Your Brain & Lose Weight for Good comes from a psychologist who has originated an easy program to help lost weight and boost mental acuity: one which involves neither calorie counting nor exercise. The goal is lasting weight loss through life-changing habits, and as chapters cover gaining control over life, readers receive an affirming, positive perspective that goes above and beyond most "diet books" to address mental as well as physical changes. Audiences willing to address mental and physical health through adjustments to their perspectives will find Shrink Diet easy to follow and inspirational.


The Self-Help Shelf

Feed Your Soul
Carly Pollack
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608685783, $16.95, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com

Countless diets, cleanses, and thirty-day challenges are geared to help people lose weight, heal their digestion, and have more energy. Yet these temporary protocols fall short when it comes to true transformation. Nutritionist Carly Pollack lived a vicious cycle of weight ups and downs until trial and error, and over a decade of formal study in health and healing, led her to the insights she has since shared with thousands. In the pages of "Feed Your Soul: Nutritional Wisdom to Lose Weight Permanently and Live Fulfilled", Carly presents her unique understanding of body science, brain wiring, and spiritual principles to facilitate real, lasting change. Carly helps you reframe your thinking to, for example, see comfort foods as the numbing toxins they truly are and focus on long-term goals rather than immediate gratification. This no-nonsense guide will show you how feeding your soul can change your life, your health, and your body. Exceptionally well written, organized, presented, and 'real world' practical, if you only have time for one self-help title this year, make it Carly Pollack's "Feed Your Soul". While very highly recommended, especially for community library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Feed Your Soul" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Growing Forward When You Can't Go Back
Laurie Pawlik
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton Road, Ada, MI 49301
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764232176, $12.99, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com

After life is shattered by loss or a traumatic experience (whether big or small) it can seem impossible to heal or even move on. Deep down you believe God intends good for you, but you just don't have the energy or strength to figure out how to move forward. Author Laurie Pawlik (a writer with 25 years of teaching, social work, and Bible study experience) has been there, and In "Growing Forward When You Can't Go Back" she shares how she was able to flourish despite multiple losses. Through practical tips and thought-provoking questions, Laurie helps her readers to take small yet powerful steps toward healing and letting go. She also offers insights and encouragement from the lives of strong women in the Bible. Readers will glimpse the painful losses these women experienced and learn how they flourished despite seasons of hardship and grief; discover how God shows His presence and power in the valleys, deserts, and storms; and you'll feel a fresh sense of hope that, with God, we can redefine ourselves, remake our lives, and grow forward into a beautiful new season. While very highly recommended for personal and community library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Growing Forward When You Can't Go Back" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

The Story of Lee, volume 3
Sean Michael Wilson and Piarelle
NBM Publishing
160 Broadway, Ste. 700, East Wing, New York, NY 10038
www.nbmpub.com
c/o Independent Publishers Group (dist.)
www.ipgbook.com
9781681121956 $11.99 amazon.com

The final black-and-white graphic novel in a complex trilogy set in modern times, The Story of Lee, volume 3 is about two college students: Lee, a young woman from Hong Kong studying in Britain, and Matt, a British native. The two have fallen in deeply love, but they each have different visions for the future. Matt dreams of joining a band and hitting the road, while Lee is focused on obtaining her degree. Is the rift between Lee and Matt irreparable? Another Chinese student takes a romantic interest in Lee, and trouble brews back in Hong Kong when Lee's father becomes unable to work - will Lee have to leave her independent life in the UK to return home and help her mother? An emotionally moving tale with three-dimensional characters, The Story of Lee is highly recommended.

Marvel Powers of a Girl
Lorraine Cink, author
Alice X. Zhang, illustrator
Marvel Press
c/o Disney Hyperion
www.disneyhyperionbooks.com
9781368025263, $16.99, HC, 144pp, www.amazon.com

The late Stan Lee's Marvel Universe is a place where the personalities, powers, and straight-up legends of countless heroic women have captured readers enthusiasm and allegiance for generations. "Marvel Powers of a Girl" Lorraine Cink is a unique and perfect start (or addition) to any Marvel fan's collection! Using her in-depth knowledge and passion for Super Heroes, Cink explores the lives of the exceptional and diverse women of the Marvel Universe. Filled with inspirational lessons and clever observations, each section digs into what these relatable women can teach us all about growth, bravery, and the true meaning of strength. Paired with over one hundred original, vibrant, and emotive illustrations from the talented Alice X. Zhang, "Marvel Powers of a Girl" deftly balances the responsibility and the fun the comes with being a hero. Impressively organized and presented, "Marvel Powers of a Girl" will prove to be an especially popular addition to community library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated Marvel fans that "Marvel Powers of a Girl" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).

The Valley of Fear
Rodolphe, author
Leo, illustrator
Cinebook Ltd.
www.cinebook.com
c/o National Book Network (dist.)
www.nbnbooks.com
9781849183949, $11.95, PB, 48pp, www.amazon.com

Trent's superior tasks him with helping a lady who came to the police to report the disappearance of her husband. The Canadian mounted police sergeant is stunned to discover that the woman he has been assigned to assist is Agnes -- the woman he is still in love with. Her husband is the manager of a railway construction site far to the northwest, and he hasn't been heard from in weeks. Worse, his last letters spoke of a mysterious danger threatening the camp. The pair go to investigate. The fourth volume in the Trent graphic novel series by author Rodolphe and illustrator Leo is a compelling read from cover to cover and while very highly recommended, especially for community library graphic novel collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Valley of Fear" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).

Bear's Tooth: Werner
Yann, author
Alain Henriet, illustrator
Cinebook Ltd.
www.cinebook.com
c/o National Book Network (dist.)
www.nbnbooks.com
9781849183512, $11.95, 48pp, www.amazon.com

It is April 1945 and the Third Reich is collapsing. In Berlin, surrounded by Soviet troops, a small aircraft lands under enemy fire. Daring pilot Hanna Reitsch escorts an important officer to Hitler's bunker -- and is granted an audience with the Fuhrer, from which she emerges visibly upset. Meanwhile, in a German hospital in the countryside, Max comes to after a long coma. His task remains the same: to kill Hanna. But what new mission has she been given? The third and final book of the 'Bear's Tooth' trilogy, "Werner" is a simply riveting graphic novel from first page to last. Superbly illustrated by Alain Henriet whose artwork brings Yann's original story fully to life, "Bear's Tooth: Werner" will prove to be an extraordinary and enduringly popular addition to community library graphic novel collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Bear Tooth: Werner" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).

Kriss of Valnor
Jean Van Hamme, author
Grzegorz Rosinski, illustrator
Cinebook Ltd.
www.cinebook.com
c/o National Book Network (dist.)
www.nbnbooks.com
9781849184229, $11.95, PB, 48pp, www.amazon.com

Continuing one of the best graphic novel ancient action/adventure series, "Kriss of Valnor" continues the story of Thorgal with his wife Aaricia and her children being sold as slaves to an Imperial prince who believes that the northern warrior has died. But Thorgal's family refuse to believe that he is dead, and keep trying to escape, eventually wearing off their new owner's patience. Condemned to a year of hard labour in the silver mines, Aaricia and the children meet someone unexpected there: Kriss of Valnor, a wielding the whip of a forewoman who is yet a prisoner like them. Despite their mutual hatred, the two women will have to work together to escape. A deftly crafted chapter of story that is superbly crafted by Grzergorz Rosinski fully supported by the artwork of Jean Van Hamme, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Kriss of Valnor" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).


The Audiobook Shelf

Bending Toward Justice
Doug Jones with Greg Truman, authors
Read by Doug Jones
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.macmillanaudio.com
9781250316479 $44.99 amazon.com

Alabama senator Doug Jones, presents Bending Toward Justice: The Birmingham Church Bombing that Changed the Course of Civil Rights, now available in an unabridged audiobook rendition. The title refers to a famous quote by Martin Luther King Jr.: "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." Here is the true story behind the racially motivated bombing of a black church, a crime that killed four girls. The FBI closed the case in the 1960s without indictments, due to reluctant witnesses, a lack of physical evidence, and extensive racial prejudice. Years later, Alabama Attorney general William Baxley reopened the case, and convicted one of the bombers in 1977. Another bomber passed away in 1994, and author Doug Jones (then a U.S. Attorney) tried and convicted the final two in 2001 and 2002. A dramatic saga about the long-running struggle to bring judgement to murderers, Bending Toward Justice is utterly compelling. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library audiobook collections. 12 CDs, 15 hours.

The Book of No, updated
Susan Newman, PhD with Cristina Schreil, authors
Read by Virginia Wolf
HighBridge Audio Books
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
https://highbridgeaudio.com
9781684419517 $29.99 amazon.com

Now in an updated edition adapted to unabridged audiobook format, The Book of No: 365 Ways to Say It and Mean It - and Stop People-Pleasing Forever is a guide by social psychologist Dr. Susan Newman to taking control of one's life. How can one say "no" to endless demands at work, from friends or family, or even from pushy salespeople, without feeling guilty or harming relationships? Here are strategies for recognizing manipulation, avoiding overwork, and improving quality of life. Establishing strong boundaries can strengthen friendships, and ensure that one has the energy to be there for family or children when most needed. The Book of No is highly recommended for both personal and public library audiobook collections. 6 CDs, 7 hours.

The Environment: A History of the Idea
Paul Warde, Libby Robin, and Sverker Sorlin, authors
Read by Henrietta Meire
HighBridge Audio Books
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
https://highbridgeaudio.com
9781684419159 $29.99 amazon.com

The Environment: A History of the Idea is the unabridged audiobook rendition of a studious, intellectual history about the emergence of the concept of "the environment" in modern scientific, economic, and political discourse. Chapters recount the how the phrase "the environment" gained such importance in the period following World War II, a time when mankind's capability for untold devastation became all too clear, as did the need for global order and conservation. Thus did the terminology to express, and even dispute the environmental crisis evolve. The Environment: A History of the Idea is a seminal and invaluable addition to public and college library audiobook collections, highly recommended. 6 CDs, 7 1/2 hours.

Domina
Guy De La Bedoyre, author
Julian Elfer, narrator
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
https://tantor.com/new-releases.html
9781515940555, $29.99, CD, www.amazon.com

Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero -- these are the names history usually associates with the rise of the early Roman Empire. Yet, not a single one of these emperors was the blood son of his predecessor and depended on female lineages in their attempts to create dynasties. In "Domina: The Women Who Made Imperial Rome" we are treated to a truly fascinating, detailed, captivating history by Guy De La Bedoyre a prominent scholar whose studies have specialized in the history of the Roman Empire. Drawing up the records of the era, "Domina" documents the Julio-Claudian women whose bloodline, ambition, and ruthlessness made it possible for the emperors' line to continue. "Domina" asserts that the women behind the scenes-including Livia, Octavia, and the elder and younger Agrippina-were the true backbone of the dynasty. Gy De la Bedoyere draws on the accounts of ancient Roman historians to revisit a familiar time from a completely fresh vantage point. Expertly narrated by Julian Elfer, this complete and unabridged audio book edition of "Domina" is an inherently fascinating and impressively presented study of dynastic power and gender interplay in ancient Rome. (12.5 Hours, 11 CDs).

I.M.: A Memoir
Written and read by Isaac Mizrahi
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.macmillanaudio.com
9781427274649 $39.99 amazon.com

Written and read by acclaimed fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi, I.M.: A Memoir describes the life of a creative genius in his own words. The gay son of a Syrian Jewish Orthodox family, Mizrahi's exceptional talent for creating eye-catching clothing designs manifested at a young age, and led him to high fashion and celebrity circles - his path crossed those of Audrey Hepburn, Meryl Streep, Oprah Winfrey, and many more. Here are Mizrahi's true-life tales of cabaret performances; his lifelong struggle to maintain a healthy weight; his efforts to cope with insomnia and depression; the difficulties of being an openly gay man during decades when homophobia was widely rampant; reflections on the AIDS epidemic that exacted a devastating toll upon the gay community; glimpses into the lives of the rich and famous; and universal, emotional truths. I.M.: A Memoir is an unforgettable whirlwind of a life story, highly recommended. It should be noted that I.M.: A Memoir is also available in a hardcover edition from Flatiron Books (9781250074089, $28.99) and a Kindle edition ($14.99).

The Strange Birth, Short Life, and Sudden Death of Justice Girl
Julian David Stone, author
Read by Stefan Rudnicki
www.JulianDavidStone.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
31 Mistletoe Road, Ashland, OR 97520
www.BlackstoneAudio.com
9781504768023 $39.95 amazon.com

Award-winning director and writer Julian David Stone presents The Strange Birth, Short Life, and Sudden Death of Justice Girl, now in an unabridged audiobook rendition masterfully performed by Grammy and Audie Award winner Stefan Rudnicki. The novel is set in 1955 New York City, following scriptwriter Johnny Dirby, who walks away from his steady job to protest rampant McCarthyism. Dirby's last-second tweaks to a Superman-inspired parody kick off the shockingly popular success of the heroine "Justice Girl", and thrust him into the unexpected spotlight. An actress out to blacklist Dirby, a network president desperate to get complete control of the "Justice Girl" show, a rapturous legion of Justice Girl fans and more populate this tongue- in-cheek, twentieth-century parable. Highly recommended! 12 CDs, 14 1/2 hours.

Team of Vipers
Cliff Sims
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.macmillanaudio.com
9781250238184, $39.99, CD, www.amazon.com

For the Trump administration's first 500 days, Cliff Sims stood with at the side of President Donald J. Trump in the eye of the political storm raging inside and around the presidency. Now having left that administration he has written and narrated a complete and unabridged audio book for his insider's 'tell all' memoir "Team of Vipers". Sims tells the story that no one else has written -- simply because no one else could. His is personal and candid story of what it was really like in the West Wing as a member of the President's team. "Team of Vipers" is a revelatory story of power and palace intrigue, backstabbing and bold victories, as well as painful moral compromises -- occasionally with himself. Very highly recommended for anyone with an interest in the Trump administration and current politics on the national level, "Team of Vipers" will prove to be an extraordinarily timely and popular addition to both community and academic library audio book and Political Science collections.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette
Maria Semple, author
Read by Kathleen Wilhoite
Hachette Audio
1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104
www.HachetteAudio.com
9781549113512 $20.00 amazon.com

Where'd You Go, Bernadette is the unabridged audiobook rendition of unique novel (which has been adapted into a major motion picture starring Cate Blanchett) about a nuclear family with complicated connections and hidden secrets. When fifteen-year-old Bee earns a family trip to Antarctica as a reward for her stellar grades, her agoraphobic mother Bernadette tries to prepare for travel. But after years of attempting to adapt to life in Seattle, Bernadette is on the brink of total collapse. Disasters pile up, Bernadette disappears, and Bee and her father are left in the lurch. Bee tries to piece together what happened and why through emails, invoices, school memos, and more. Poignant, profound, and superbly performed by Kathleen Wilhoite, Where'd You Go Bernadette is highly recommended for both personal and public library audiobook collections. 9 CDs, 9.5 hours.

All In
Shelley Shepard Gray, author
Read by Tavia Gilbert
Blackstone Audiobooks
31 Mistletoe Road, Ashland, OR 97520
www.BlackstoneAudio.com
9781538427668 $32.95 amazon.com

Masterfully performed by award-winning narrator Tavia Gilbert, All In is the unabridged audiobook rendition of an original romance novel between Meredith Hunt, the independent- minded owner of a successful Pilates studio, and Ace Vance, a single father who fixes classic cars for a living. Their first meeting is a chance encounter, in which Ace rescues Meredith from a mugger. A spark of attraction with the potential to blossom into something far greater starts to form, but both Meredith and Ace have their own emotional obstacles to overcome. Thoughtful and heartwarming, All In is a choice delight for connoisseurs of the genre, highly recommended for romance audiobook connoisseurs and public library collections. 7 CDs, 8 hours.

True Yoga
Jennie Lee, author and performer
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781721307005 $19.99 amazon.com

True Yoga: Practicing with the Yoga Sutras for Happiness & Spiritual Fulfillment is an unabridged MP3 audiobook (plays on MP3-CD enabled players or transfers to portable devices) by yoga therapist Jennie Lee. Here are practical methods that anyone can learn to maintain positive thoughts, keep stress under control, improve communication, and more. Lee breaks down the Eight Limbs of Yoga, as outlined in the Yoga Sutras, into thoroughly accessible plain terms. Yoga is an excellent practice to foster harmony in body, mind, and spirit; True Yoga is a superb guide to harnessing timeless wisdom, in order to transform one's life for the better. Highly recommended. 1 disc, 5 hours 58 min.

Hachette Audio
www.hachetteaudio.com

Two excellent new audiobooks narrated by their authors are recommended for listeners seeking inspirational pieces. Sarah Knight's Calm the F*ck Down (9781549119255, $30.00) is about how to keep one's calm in the midst of chaos, and will attract any listener seeking to take control of life and personal anxiety patterns towards living it. From discussions of different stages of freaking out and how to handle each to cultivating productive worrying that imparts growth and lessons, this audio provides many keys to overcoming debilitating anxiety. Joel Osteen's All Things Are Working For Your Good (9781478999737, $23.00) discusses setbacks and how to handle them as growth opportunities, and provides 365 days of admonitions on how to make sense of life. A better appreciation of God accompanies insights on control and overcoming life challenges in an inspirational, spiritual listen.


The Library CD Shelf

Starlight Dreams
Karen Biehl
Maestra Music
maestramusica.com
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com

Starlight Dreams: Etudes for Piano is a heart-touching, instrumental album of new age solo piano compositions crafted to promote relaxation. The sparkling soundscape calls to the listener, encouraging them to search out and journey toward their goals. A treasure for personal and public library collections, Starlight Dreams is highly recommended. The tracks are "Awakenings", "Invocation", "Union", "Meditation on a Moonlit Lake", "Chanson Des Vents", "On Angel Wings", "The Journey", "Raindrops", "Starlight Waltz", "Promenade", "Aurumn Amble", "The Beginning", and "Meditation on a Moonlit Lake (Full Version)".

Reflection
Shoshana Michel
www.ShoshanaMusic.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com

Reflection is the fourth solo piano CD by Shoshan Michel, and embodies her own journey to know herself as a composer and confront life's challenges head-on. The music carres the inevitable force of an ocean current, and reflects the full gamut of life's emotions. Reflection is a choice pick for connoisseurs, highly recommended for both personal and public library collections, and also makes an excellent gift. The tracks are "A New Day Today", "Shooting Stars", "Finding Bliss", "Soothing the Tempest Within", "Bittersweet", "Island in the Mist", "The Moon's Lament", "In a Time Lapse", "Forever and a Day", "Labyrinth", and "Through the Eyes of a Child". 47 min., 6 sec.

Cappadocia
Jeff Johnson and Phil Keaggy
Ark Records, Inc.
arkmusic.com
$14.99 CD / $7.92 MP3 amazon.com

Cappadocia is an instrumental music CD, inspired by an area in central Turkey where colorful soil has eroded into graceful, steep cliffs and rock spires known as "fairy chimneys". This land was once a refuge for Christians seeking to practice their faith in peace, especially during the first few centuries after their religion came into being. The album Cappadocia seeks to capture its namesake's timeless beauty and spirituality, combining new age music with inflections from world music. Acoustic and electric guitar master Phil Keaggy and keyboardist Jeff Johnson have woven a soundscape enriched with contributions from a vast medley of additional influences, from flute to Spanish-style acoustics, a Turkish chumbus, fretless bass, ukulele and much more. Cappadocia is a unique, reflective treasure, highly recommended to connoisseurs of visionary soundscapes. The tracks are "Cappadocia", "Quo Vadis (Where Are You Going)?", "Valley of Swords and Roses", "Parousia (A Presence)", "That Which Is Hidden", "Chapel of Stone", "Dove Visions", and "Trinity". 52 min., 21 sec.

Man Made Fire
Petite Celine
Privately Published
$TBA www.petiteceline.com

Franco-American indie singer Petite Celine presents Man Made Fire, her new indie pop album that freely incorporates global elements, even phrases from other languages (Spanish, Portuguese, French, or German) in brief passages. Passionate, vivacious, and brimming with energy, Man Made Fire sets the imagination alight! Highly recommended, especially for connoisseurs of the genre. The tracks are "We Were All Good Kids", "Explorame", "Que Sommes Nous", "No No More", "Man Made Fire", "Cartographers", "Wine and Cheese", "Jezebel", "The Great Unknown", and "Tigre Fondant".


The Library DVD Shelf

New Mexico Ancestral Pueblo People & Fort Union
Bennet Watt HD Productions, Inc.
www.Bennett-Watt.com
9781604902167 $24.95

Part of the Discoveries... America National Parks series of high-definition video essay documentaries about the stunning, scenic, and historic American locations that the National Park Service exists to protect, New Mexico Ancestral Pueblo People & Fort Union is a DVD showcasing ancient ruins and communities once inhabited by Ancestral Pueblo People in New Mexico, among a wealth of other notable locations: Aztec Ruins National Monument, Bandelier National Monument, the Fort Union National Monument (originally established on the Santa Fe Trail as a garrison and supply depot), and much more. The wondrous scenery of New Mexico captivates the imagination, in this beautiful and educational treasure, highly recommended especially for public library collections and armchair travelers. 57 min.

Tracking Edith
A film by Peter Stephan Jungk
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036
$24.95 www.firstrunfeatures.com

Tracking Edith is a documentary about the double life of filmmaker Peter Jungk's great-aunt, Edith Tudor-Hart. Edith was a skilled photographer - and also a KGB spy, who made history by brokering the introduction between Kim Philby and Soviet agent Arnold Deutsch, enabling the espionage of Britain's most notorious double agent and the core of the Cambridge Five spy ring. Assembled twenty years after Edith's passing with aid from military historians, photo archivists, ex-KGB agents, and members of Edith's family, Tracking Edith is a true-life spy story that transfixes the viewer to the very end. Highly recommended! 92 min.

Hot to Trot
A film by Gail Freedman
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036
$24.95 www.firstrunfeatures.com

Hot to Trot is an award-winning documentary on DVD about the world of same-sex competitive ballroom dance. Mainstream competitive ballroom dance is known for its rigid gender roles: all couples must have one man and one woman, and only the man is allowed to lead. Independent, same-sex dance competitions arose to defy these rules. Hot to Trot follows four charismatic men and women on and off the dance floor, as they prepare themselves for the quadrennial Gay Games. The power of dance as a road to overcome personal difficulties, ranging from drug addiction to estrangement from one's family, is also explored in this breathtaking revelation that the beauty, joy, and proud self-expression of dance need not be limited to heterosexual pairing or traditional gender roles. 88 min.

Beginner Tai Chi for Health
Helen Liang
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
www.ymaa.com
9781594396694 $29.95 amazon.com

Beginner Tai Chi for Health is a fitness DVD guide created especially for beginners, offering a mirror-view workout that is easy to follow. Tai Chi is an ancient practice excellent for improving strength, flexibility, balance, posture, and grace. Tai Chi master Helen Liang leads the viewer through a qigong warm-up, a Tai Chi class, and a cool down meditation. A separate chapter offers step-by-step instructions of the 16-movement Tai Chi form, shown from multiple angles. No exercise equipment is required. Beginner Tai Chi for Health is a superb resource, and its energizing core routine can be performed in as little as fifteen minutes - perfect for people who are short on time. Highly recommended! 92 min.

Ackley Bridge, series 2
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$59.99 www.acornonline.com

Set in a fictional twenty-first century town, Ackley Bridge is an award-winning, school-based British drama; now series 2 is available on DVD. Series 2 continues the complicated saga of a high school striving to integrate its community of white and Pakistani residents. Here are tales of an intelligent young student who conceals her sexual identity beneath a false engagement; a girl struggling to maintain stability in spite of her drug-addicted mother; and a strict headmistress whose academic regime frustrates both staff and students. A dramatic, character-driven exploration of the strengths and weaknesses of human nature, Ackley Bridge is highly recommended. Bonus materials include a recap of series 1 and behind-the-scenes featurettes. 12 episodes on 3 DVDs, 576 mi. plus bonus, SDH subtitles.

The Simple Heist, series 1
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
www.acornonline.com
$39.99 amazon.com

The Simple Heist, series 1 begins an unorthodox crime drama on DVD, filmed in Swedish with English subtitles. Two women in their sixties, struggling and on the brink of poverty, decide to engage in a crime spree to secure money and take control of their lives. But their scheme quicky goes awry, and both women become enmeshed in blackmail, car chases, and the threat of a deadly biker gang. Elements of dry, tongue-in-cheek satire permeate this dark, riveting thrill ride! 6 episodes on 2 DVDs, 276 min., widescreen.


The Railroading Shelf

Gloucester Locomotive Sheds
Steve Bartlett
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781473875593, $49.95, HC, 232pp, www.amazon.com

Gloucester, England was a busy and fascinating rail center where ex-GWR and ex-LMS (Midland Railway) routes met, each with main line passenger and freight services, local passenger trains and extensive freight trips providing an endless panorama of railway activity. In the pages of "Gloucester Locomotive Sheds: Horton Road & Barnwood" by Steve Bartlett (who is a fourth generation railwayman), the principal ex-GWR Gloucester Horton Road and ex-LMS (Midland Railway) Gloucester Barnwood motive power depots are covered in depth with their locomotive allocations, operational duties and changing responsibilities over the years fully described. Not forgotten are both depots' sub-sheds at Brimscombe, Cheltenham Malvern Road, Lydney, Ross-on-Wye, Dursley and Tewkesbury along with the duties and local routes that they covered. An in-depth study that is visually supported with more than 200 black and white period photographs, many of which are previously unpublished, each of the motive power depots covered are supported by detailed plans of the shed layouts. A comprehensively detailed historical study, "Gloucester Locomotive Sheds: Horton Road & Barnwood" is an impressively informed and informative volume that is wholeheartedly recommended for both community and academic library British Railroading History collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated railroading enthusiasts that "Gloucester Locomotive Sheds: Horton Road & Barnwood" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.97).

Great Western Railway Gallery
Laurence Waters
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526707031, $60.00, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com

For decades, the great Western or 'Gods' Wonderful Railway' was arguably the most famous railway in England. Much of that original railway that survives today was the work of one of the greatest engineers of his time, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The company was also served by locomotive engineers such as Gooch, Armstrong, Churchward, Collett and Hawksworth, who produced a series of locomotives that were well designed, elegant and powerful. Using previously unpublished material from the extensive 'Great Western Trust' collection at Didcot Railway Centre, "Great Western Railway Gallery: A Pictorial Journey Through Time" by retired professional photographer and photography teacher Laurence Waters wonderfully and informatively illustrates in both black and white and color many facets that made the Great Western 'Great'. An exceptional photographic study, the "Great Western Railway Gallery" will be an enduringly valued and appreciated addition to personal, community, and academic library Railroading History collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted for personal reading lists of dedicated railway buffs that "Great Western Railway Gallery" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $28.80).


The Political Science Shelf

From Crisis to Communisation
Gilles Dauve
PM Press
PO Box 23912, Oakland, CA 94623
www.pmpress.org
9781629630991, $16.95, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com

Rising out of the radical Marxist French millieu and events of 1968 to criticize global capitalism and encourage revolution in theory and practice, "From Crisis to Communisation" by Gilles Dauve places libertarian communist theory in historical and contemporary context. Communisation means something quite straightforward: a revolution that starts to change social relations immediately. The concept was born out of a specific period, and this book investigates how people personally and collectively experienced the crises of the 1960s and 1970s. The notion is now developing in the maelstrom of a new crisis, among other reasons because of its ecological dimension, that has the scope and magnitude of a crisis of civilization. "From Crisis to Communisation" does not glorify existing struggles as if their present accumulation was enough to result in revolution. Radical theory is only meaningful if it addresses the question of how can proletarian resistance to exploitation and dispossession achieve more than aggravate the crisis? How can it reshape the world? An erudite, thoughtful, and thought-provoking study, "From Crisis to Communisation" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to both community and academic library Contemporary Political Science collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non- specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "From Crisis to Communisation" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).


The Needlecraft Shelf

sew + quilt
Susan Beal
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
www.taunton.com
9781631869365, $24.95, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com

In the pages of "sew + quilt: techniques + projects for hand-stitching + patchwork", experienced needlecrafter Susan Beal provides clear, step-by-step instructions for 4 fundamental hand-stitching techniques and 4 foundational quilt blocks as the foundation for learning how to use hand-stitching as an embellishment to add texture and color to quilt projects. Each fundamental technique includes a small project as a learning tool, followed by 12 more-generous yet accessible patchwork projects that build on the basics. A mix of traditional and modern patterns for both smaller, faster quilts and larger quilts. Step-by-step instruction, with lots of illustrations and photos, plus tips and advice on everything a quilter needs to experience the joy of making something beautiful and personal. Beautifully and usefully illustrated throughout, "sew + quilt" is an ideal instructional guide and reference for beginning quilting students, and unreservedly recommended for community library Needlecraft & Quilting collections.

Colorful Batik Panel Quilts
Judith Vincentz Gula
Landauer Publishing
c/o Fox Chapel Publishing Company
1970 Broad Street N., East Petersburg, PA 17520
www.FoxChapelPublishing.com
9781947163058, $14.99, PB, 64pp, www.amazon.com

Batik is a technique of wax-resist dyeing applied to whole cloth, or cloth made using this technique which originated from Indonesia. Batik is made either by drawing dots and lines of the resist with a spouted tool called a canting, or by printing the resist with a copper stamp called a cap. The applied wax resists dyes and therefore allows the artisan to color selectively by soaking the cloth in one color, removing the wax with boiling water, and repeating if multiple colors are desired. In the profusely illustrated pages of "Colorful Batik Panel Quilts" fabric artist Judy Gula shows how to use hand-made batik panels in traditional quilt settings, or turn them into works of art with the addition of embellishment. The creative journey begins with an introduction to Judy's design process, and then moves on to 3 easy step-by-step projects and a gallery tour of 24 stunning art quilts. With "Colorful Batik Panel Quilts" even the most novice of quilting enthusiasts will learn how to make one-of-a-kind art quilts and home decor with instructions for embellishing with borders, beading, free-motion quilting, and more -- plus a step-by-step guide to 15 hand stitches! Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Colorful Batik Panel Quilts" is very highly recommended for personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft instructional reference collections.

Martingale & Company
www.shopmartingale.com

Three new needlework books are excellent picks highly recommended for collections and individuals looking for new project ideas. Carrie Nelson's Pin Pals: 40 Patchwork Pinnies, Poppets, and Pincushions with Pizzazz (9781604689594, $22.99) pairs quilting with notions, outlining pincushions that are quick to make. Materials lists, assembly instructions, and full-page color photos of completed "pinnies" accompany a fine display of different quilting styles that will delight not just quilters but needleworkers who are recipients of these useful gifts. Teresa Mairal Barreu's Turnabout Patchwork: Simple Quilts with a Twist (9781604689848, $22.99) offers an easy concept of quilting based on a simple block. The 'turnabout technique' is used to slice and turn these slices into a unique production, with each chapter focusing on a single block and how it can be sewed, sliced, turned, and resewed. 24 quilt patterns for laps, runners, and more offer plenty of construction option. Betsy Chutchian's Hope's Journey: Classic Blocks, Reproduction Quilts, and Stories of Bygone Days (9781604689617, $27.99) displays antique-inspired blocks and quilts and shares patterns that translate to a variety of sizes. Nearly thirty traditional blocks patterns and 11 small quilt ideas are accompanied by small color photos throughout which clarify assembly and cutting directions for all quilters.


The Woodworking Shelf

Wooden Toy Spacecraft
Gonzalo Ferreyra
Spring House Press
www.springhousepress.com
9781940611839, $24.95, PB, 168pp, www.amazon.com

Making toys out of wood is an ancient and honored activity in every culture around the world. In the 20th Century, wooden toy designs have changed very little since long before we first landed on the moon: plenty of cars, p-prop planes, trucks, and trains -- and, yes, that occasional Buck Rodgers-era rocket. But few projects that hinted at the world of the future. Now in the pages of "Wooden Toy Spacecraft" by woodworking expert Gonzalo Ferreyra, the iconic wooden toy blasts off into the 21st century with a do-it-yourself compendium of 12 state-of-the-art spacecraft that can be built in a weekend. Going well beyond tired old rocket ships, "Wooden Toy Spacecraft" offers up an intergalactic fleet of original designs that can fly proudly alongside the classics kids (and adults!) know from film, television, and our real-world history of space exploration. Dozens of detailed photographs and clear, concise instructions make even the most challenging techniques easy to conquer. With a few pieces of lumber, some cut-offs from a scrap box, and a healthy dose of future-vision, space geeks of all ages can craft a beautiful, awe-inspiring vehicle to proudly display or to gift to that special kid for hours of imaginative play. Unique, original, fun, and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Wooden Toy Spacecraft" is unreservedly recommended to all dedicated woodworkers and toymakers!

Slingshots & Key Hooks
Geoffrey Fisher
Fox Chapel Publishing Company
1970 Broad Street N., East Petersburg, PA 17520
www.FoxChapelPublishing.com
9781497100046, $19.99, PB, 144pp, www.amazon.com

With information on how to forage responsibly and suggestions on sources for the best wood to use, Geoffrey Fisher shows how the natural bounty of woodland can be used to stunning effect in the creation of fifteen everyday objects made from foraged and gathered wood. Whether building a bee hotel or an insect house to help your garden's ecosystem thrive, crafting a slingshot, whistle, jump rope or cup and ball game to give away, or making a key hook or table brush to organize your home, the result of each will be entirely unique while also effortlessly stylish. In the profusely illustrated pages of "Slingshots & Key Hooks" are to be found all the basic woodworking techniques and tools for each individual project -- plus Geoffrey also shows how best to prepare materials, including checking for disease, drying and stripping bark. Of special note is the provision of a detailed guide for establishing an essential tool kit. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Slingshots & Key Hooks" is unreservedly recommended for personal, school woodshop, and community library woodworking instructional reference collections.


The Fishing Shelf

The Hunt for Giant Trout
Landon Mayer
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-6921
www.stackpolebooks.com
9780811737197, $29.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com

The waters in the United States that grow extremely large trout have for many years been closely guarded, and the techniques for catching these large fish were only known by a select group of die hard anglers. Compiled by Landon Mayer, "The Hunt for Giant Trout: 25 Best Places in the United States to Catch a Trophy" is listing of top destinations in the US for trophy trout and features interviews with expert guides and fly designers, stunning images, and essential where-to and timing information to increase your chances of success. In the pages of "The Hunt for Giant Trout", Landon Mayer and several others (expert anglers all) deftly describe in detail how to hunt giants from Alaska to Maine, revealing what makes each fish and fishery unique; including over 30 distinct patterns and recipes for tying them. With essential advice and tips from top anglers such as Dave Whitlock, Pat Dorsey, Blane Chocklette, Tommy Lynch, Nanci Morris Lyon, Arlo Townsend, Chad Johnson, and many more, "The Hunt for Giant Trout" is an extraordinary, profusely illustrated, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library instructional reference collections for the sport of freshwater fishing.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

The Secrets of the Universe in 100 Symbols
Sarah Bartlett
Chartwell Books
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9780785836964, $14.99, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Symbols carry weight and significance. Over time they grow as different cultures attribute new meanings to old signs. For example, the swastika, widely known now to be the key symbol for Hitler's Nazi party, used to be a Buddhist symbol for success. From the Aztec Calendar Stone and the Spear of Destiny, to magic circles and Navaho sand paintings, each relic, symbol, and depiction is presented and analyzed in detail to reveal the beliefs and practices of past civilizations from all around the globe. Philosophers, astrologers, prophets, poets, and artists from every age and culture have whispered secrets to pharaohs, statesmen, kings, and queens. In Renaissance Europe, two powerful women (Catherine of Medici and, later, Elizabeth I of England) patronized the most important magi of the time. John Dee's obsidian mirror revealed the future of the nation to Elizabeth, while Nostradamus divulged spiritually inspired prophecies to Catherine at the Musee du Louvre in Paris. Organized into three chapters (The Art of Divination; Enchantments, Symbols, and Talismans; and In Search of Secret Knowledge) Sarah Bartlett's "The Secrets of the Universe in 100 Symbols" provides an engaging and informative text that brings to light for a new generation of readers the secrets and intrigues that surround each mysterious object and the obscure arts of the people who used them, while highlighting how to decode their signs and symbols. Certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community and academic library Metaphysical Studies collections, as well as the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.

Water Witchcraft
Annwyn Avalon
Weiser Books
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser/Conari
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
www.redwheelweiser.com
9781578636464, $16.95, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com

Annwyn Avalon is a witch, priestess, and the founder of Triskele Rose, an Avalonian witchcraft tradition. She has devoted her life to the study of art, witchcraft, and magic. In "Water Witchcraft: Magic and Lore from the Celtic Tradition" she draws upon her years of experience and expertise to take her readers into the world of water magic. The water magic and lore in this informative and instructional volume focuses on the Celtic tradition, but draws on other water magic traditions as well, and features rainwater, as well as lakes, rivers, oceans, canals, swamps, and other watery locations, together with the folk and magical customs that have been and are still practiced at these places. "Water Witchcraft" also teaches the reader how to set up a water altar at home, how to connect with water spirits, and how to gather or create water witch tools. Readers are encouraged to visit local water sites but will also find an abundance of material to perform at home. Included are practical examples, visualizations, and exercises so any reader can start to take up spell work and establish their spiritual connection to water. Exceptionally 'user friendly' in tone, commentary, organization and presentation, "Water Witchcraft" is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library Metaphysical Studies collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Water Witchcraft" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).


The LGBT Studies Shelf

Her Widow
Joan Alden
Dog Ear Publishing
4011 Vincennes Road, New Augusta, IN 46268-3005
www.dogearpublishing.net
9781457562983, $18.00, PB, 202pp, www.amazon.com

In "Her Widow", Joan Alden provides a candid account of a shared life between an professional photographer and art director for Harper Collins and her novelist and painter partner during a single and especially eventful year. Exceptionally well written and a thoroughly engaging read from cover to cover, "Her Widow" is a truly compelling and memorable story of love and loss, romance and marriage, and the ultimate resilience of the human spirit. While very highly recommended, especially for community and academic library Contemporary American Biography and LGBT collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Her Widow" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).


The Gardening Shelf

In Bloom
Clare Nolan
CompanionHouse Books
c/o Fox Chapel Publishing Company
1970 Broad Street N., East Petersburg, PA 17520
www.FoxChapelPublishing.com
9781620083284, $26.99, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com

Now anyone can enhance the appearance of their home with flowers after reading "In Bloom: Growing, Harvesting, and Arranging Homegrown Flowers All Year Round", a beautifully designed instructional reference and guide that is fairly brimming with inspirational photographs. This is where Clare Nolan reveals her secrets for growing a bountiful harvest as well as styling spectacular displays that will fill your home with color and the gorgeous scent of the garden year-round. Clare takes the mystique out of the growing process ranging from choosing the plants to suit both your garden and home and laying out your cutting patch, to planning ahead so you get your perfect palette of color, texture and shape to play with at the right time. An entire chapter on arranging will inspire you to create spectacular arrangements for your home without the need for complicated floristry techniques. Being able to step out of the back door and pick a single stem for beside the bed, pull together a posy for a friend or create a colorful centerpiece is an exciting and rewarding addition to the whole "grow your own" experience. With "In Boom" is it possible to grow your own flower shop at the bottom of your garden! Beautifully and profusely illustrated in full color throughout, "In Bloom" is unreservedly recommended for personal and community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "In Bloom" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.64).


The Humor Shelf

The Ultimate Droodles Compendium
Roger Price, artist
Arranged and annotated by Fritz Holznagel
Tallfellow Press
www.Tallfellow.com
9781931290692 $16.95 amazon.com

The Ultimate Droodles Compendium collects the simple yet hilarious drawings of Roger Price, known simply as droodles. For example, the droodle of "Pig Emerging from a Fog Bank" shows only a pig snout in grey. Fritz Holznagel provides illuminating annotations, as well as a supplementary section with a brief biography of Roger Price and his droodles. A unique treasure for connoisseurs of minimalist wit, The Ultimate Droodles Compendium is highly recommended.


The Psychology Shelf

The Psychology of Zelda
Edited by Anthony M. Bean, PhD
BenBella Books
10300 N. Central Expressway, Ste 400, Dallas, TX 75204
www.benbellabooks.com
9781946885340 $16.95 pbk / $9.95 Kindle amazon.com

The Psychology of Zelda: Linking Our World to the Legend of Zelda Series is an anthology of essays by learned doctors, psychologists, and clinicians contemplating the ramifications of the popular and iconic "Legend of Zelda" video game series. Individual writings include "It's Dangerous to Go Alone: The Hero's Journey in the Legend of Zelda", "The Song of the Ritos: The Psychology of the Music within the Legend of Zelda Series", "The Legend Herself: From Damsel in Distress to Princess of Power", and much more. Psychologists and lay readers alike will enjoy this new medley of learned perspective on a popular video game and its reflections on the human condition. Highly recommended.


The Social Issues Shelf

Some Of My Friends Are...
Deborah L. Plummer, PhD
Beacon Press
24 Farnsworth Street, Boston, MA 02210
www.beacon.org
9780807023891 $25.95 hc / $15.99 Kindle amazon.com

Author Deborah L. Plummer, PhD applies her life experience as a practicing psychologist and as a chief diversity officer to Some Of My Friends Are... The Daunting Challenges and Untapped Benefits of Cross-Racial Friendships, a careful examination of friendships between people of different races. Such relationships are vital to promoting social progress, yet modern polls show that the majority of American social networks consist primarily of people with the same racial or ethnic background. How can America as a nation better embody the principle of "E Pluribus Unum?" Some Of My Friends Are... scrutinizes how factors including leisure, politics, humor, social support, faith, social media, and education affect cross-racial friendships. Individual chapters include "Two-Button Choice: Acquaintance or Lover", "Same Treatment Does Not Mean Equal Treatment", "Difficult Laughs Made Easier", and more. Peppered with insightful true-life anecdotes, Some Of My Friends Are... is a thought-provoking, insightful, and highly recommended for personal and public library social issues collections.

No Vacancy: Homeless Women in Paradise
Michael E. Reid
2 Leaf Press
www.2leafpress.org
9781940939711 $17.09 amazon.com

No Vacancy: Homeless Women in Paradise is a serious-minded examination of homeless women who live amid one of the most affluent sea-side communities in California. The scarcity of affordable housing pushes far too many local woman into desperate situations. These women are often California natives; many of them are aging, and a common thread is that sudden job loss or other financial hardship disrupted their lives. No Vacancy: Homeless Women in Paradise paints a disturbing picture, even as it tells of the grassroots struggle to aid women in need. A clarion call to beware the deadly societal toll of unaffordable housing, No Vacancy is highly recommended, especially for public library social issues shelves.


The Biography Shelf

Margaret Tudor: The Life of Henry VIII's Sister
Melanie Clegg
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781473893153, $34.95, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com

When the thirteen year old Margaret Tudor, eldest daughter of Henry VII and his wife Elizabeth of York, married King James IV of Scotland in a magnificent proxy ceremony held at Richmond Palace in January 1503, no one could have guessed that this pretty, redheaded princess would go on to have a marital career as dramatic and chequered as that of her younger brother Henry VIII. Left widowed at the age of just twenty three after her husband was killed by her brother's army at the battle of Flodden, Margaret was made Regent for her young son and was temporarily the most powerful woman in Scotland -- until she fell in love with the wrong man, lost everything and was forced to flee the country. In a life that foreshadowed that of her tragic, fascinating granddaughter Mary Queen of Scots, Margaret hurtled from one disaster to the next and ended her life abandoned by virtually everyone: a victim both of her own poor life choices and of the simmering hostility between her son, James V and her brother, Henry VIII. This superbly crafted, meticulously researched, and inherently fascinating biography of Margaret Tudor by author and historian Melanie Clegg is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and academic library biography collections. Enhanced with the inclusion of a two page Bibliography and a seven page index, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Margaret Tudor: The Life of Henry VIII's Sister" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.77).

A Dinner of Herbs
John Verney
Paul Dry Books
1700 Sansom Street, Suite 700, Philadelphia, PA 19103-5214
www.pauldrybooks.com
9781589881327, $17.95, PB, 250pp, www.amazon.com

In 1943, after parachuting into Sardinia to raid a German airfield, John Verney and several of his comrades from the British irregular forces were captured and sent to a POW camp in Italy's Abruzzo region. As the Allies attempted to retake the country, Verney and two others made their escape. For months, they survived on the generosity and bravery of the local Italians who fed them and kept them hidden in haylofts and mountain caves -- despite the scarcity of resources and the dangers they themselves faced by harboring English soldiers. Twenty years after the war, Verney revisited the scenes of his imprisonment and escape, and the result is "A Dinner of Herbs" which is both an enchanting evocation of Southern Italy and an exhilarating story of wartime daring. Verney deftly recounts the ironic upsides of being a prisoner of war ("for the first time in four long years, I was free to do entirely what I wanted, which was to read as much as possible and try to learn to draw and write") as well as the anxiety aroused by the possibility of attempting an escape. He describes the extremes of boredom, hunger, discomfort, and mutual irritation that he and his companions faced after their escape, and the immense capacity for tolerance and goodness that they discovered in each other -- and especially in the desperately poor Italian families who helped them. An inherently fascinating, extraordinarily candid, and impressively written account, "A Dinner of Herbs" is especially recommended for community and academic library American Biography collections, as well as the personal reading lists of anyone with an interest in another personal account of life behind the lines in the European Theatre of World War II.


The Dance Shelf

Appreciating Dance, fifth edition
Harriet Lihs
Princeton Book Company
614 Route 130, Highstown, NJ 08520
www.dancehorizons.com
9780871273956, $39.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com

Now in a fully updated and significantly revised fifth edition with new information, including suggestions for YouTube viewing at the end of each chapter, "Appreciating Dance: A Guide to the World's Liveliest Art" by Harriet Lihs (who was an Associate Professor of Dance at Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas) and the editorial staff of Dance Horizons is a thorough and accurate history of various forms of dance, analyzing everything from social dance, and ballet to modern dance, tap, jazz, theatrical dance and contemporary dance. In it readers will find: a brief biography of notable dancers and choreographers; information needed to expand the enjoyment of performance; the intersection of dance and religion; the history of dance through the beginning of the 21st century; and budding dance trends. Impressively informed and informative, illustrated with black/white photography, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Appreciating Dance" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to the personal reading lists of all dance enthusiasts, as well as community and academic library Dance History collections and supplemental studies reading lists.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Return of the Wolf: Conflict and Coexistence
Paula Wild
Douglas & McIntyre
c/o Harbour Publishing
PO Box 219, Madeira Park, BC, Canada, V0N 2H0
www.douglas-mcintyre.com
9781771622066, $32.95, HC, 272pp, www.amazon.com

Wolves were once common throughout North America and Eurasia. But by the early twentieth century, bounties and organized hunts had drastically reduced their numbers. Today, the wolf is returning to its ancestral territories, and the "coywolf" (a smaller, bolder wolf-coyote hybrid) is becoming more common. In "Return of the Wolf: Conflict and Coexistence", author Paula Wild gathers first-hand accounts of encounters with wolves and consults with wildlife experts for suggestions on how minimize conflict, respond to aggressive wolves and coexist with the apex predator. Impressively informative, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Return of the Wolf: Conflict and Coexistence" is enhanced for academia with the inclusion of a four page Appendix (Wolf Safety Checklist), a six page listing of Selected Sources, and a seven page Index, making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Contemporary Wildlife collections in general, and Wolf Ecology supplemental studies reading lists in particular.


The Military Shelf

Command: The Twenty-First-Century General
Anthony King
Cambridge University Press
One Liberty Plaza, Fl. 20, New York, NY 10006
www.cambridge.org
9781108476409, $79.99, HC, 504pp, www.amazon.com

In the wake of the troubled campaigns in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, military decision-making appears to be in crisis and generals have been subjected to intense and sustained public criticism. Taking these interventions as a starting point, in the pages of "Command: The Twenty-First-Century General", Anthony King (Chair of War Studies in the Politics and International Studies Department at Warwick University) deftly examines the transformation of military command in the twenty-first century. Focusing on the army division, Professor King argues that a phenomenon of collective command is developing. In the twentieth century, generals typically directed and led operations personally, monopolising decision-making. They commanded individualistically, even heroically. As operations have expanded in range and scope, decision-making has multiplied and diversified. As a result command is becoming increasingly professionalized and collaborative. Through interviews with many leading generals and vivid ethnographic analysis of divisional headquarters, Professor King provides a unique insight into the transformation of command in western armies. An exceptionally well organized and presented work of scholarship and analysis, "Command: The Twenty-First-Century General" is an impressively thoughtful and thought-provoking read and will prove to be an enduringly valued contribution to community, governmental, college, and university library Contemporary Military Science collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, military policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Command: The Twenty-First-Century General" is also available in a paperback edition (9781108700276, $25.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.00).

Leathernecks
Merrill L. Bartlett & Jack Sweetman
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
www.nip.org
9781591145967, $55.00, PB, 504pp, www.amazon.com

"Leathernecks: An Illustrated History of the United States Marine Corps" combines a lively, well-researched narrative with a generous selection of illustrations, many in color, and numerous maps to provide a topically and chronologically balanced history of the U.S. Marine Corps from its inception to the present day. The combination of a wealth of art, a substantial text, and a balanced perspective make the work unique in the literature of the Corps. Many of its illustrations have never before been published or have appeared only in black and white. The history of the American Marine Corps is one of the greatest military success stories of all time."Leathernecks" details how and why a force that throughout the first century of its existence seldom exceeded the strength of an infantry regiment eventually attained a strength greater than that of many armies and developed what is arguably the world's most potent military mystique. Because the history of any institution is the product of the actions of the individuals who comprise it, we have included cameos of some of the individuals who made exceptional contributions to the Corps' rich heritage. Exceptionally well researched, written, organized and presented, "Leathernecks" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, college, and university library American Military History collections and supplemental studies reading lists.


The Judicial Studies Shelf

Zero Tolerance
Wendy S. Lazar, editor
American Bar Association
321 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60610
https://www.americanbar.org
9781641050722, $49.95, PB, 92pp, www.amazon.com

Compiled and edited by Wendy S. Lazar (who is a partner at Outten & Golden LLP in New York where she practices in many areas of employment law with a focus on executive agreements, including retention, expatriate, non-competition, talent, severance, and compensation arrangements), "Zero Tolerance: Best Practices for Combating Sex-Based Harassment in the Legal Profession" is a comprehensive update to the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession's previous sexual harassment material. The primary goal of this manual is to provide all too necessary tools to legal organizations and victims of harassment and bullying. It strives to enhance our common understanding of workplace abuse and expand it to include non-sexual abusive behavior, while introducing protections for individuals with a range of sexual orientations, genders, and racial and ethnic identities. Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Zero Tolerance" is a timely and unreservedly recommended addition to professional, law firm, college, and university library Judicial Studies collections and supplemental studies lists.

The Baron and the Marquis
John D. Bessler
Carolina Academic Press
700 Kent Street, Durham, NC 27701
www.cap-press.com
9781531013059, $65.00, PB, 540pp, www.amazon.com

"The Baron and the Marquis: Liberty, Tyranny, and the Enlightenment Maxim That Can Remake American Criminal Justice" by John D. Bessler (Associate Professor of Law, University of Baltimore School of Law, and Adjunct professor, Georgetown University Law Center) explores the history of the maxim that articulates what is now known as the parsimony principle. That maxim shaped the American and French Revolutions, and it set the dividing line between tyranny and liberty. Jefferson believed only absolute necessity justified punishment, and the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789) similarly allowed only strictly and obviously necessary punishments. In "The Baron and the Marquis", Professor Bessler shows the maxim's modern-day implications for capital punishment, prolonged solitary confinement, and mass incarceration, arguing that unnecessary punishments are excessive and cruel and unusual. An extraordinary work of seminal scholarship, "The Baron and the Marquis" is an especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers that "The Baron and the Marquis" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $52.00).


The International Studies Shelf

Afghanistan At Peace
Sandra Miller Ross & Edward S. Ross
Rare Bird Books
453 S. Spring Street, Suite 302, Los Angels, CA 90013
9781644280164, $50.00, HC, 192pp, www.rarebirdbooks.com

In 1970, the prominent entomologist Ed Ross and his wife Sandy were on a legitimate scientific expedition abroad that focused on achieving a significant scientific result, i.e., to find and identify a special insect, an embiid. Over a period of years, in the course of Ed's research, the couple had already visited very remote and exotic locales all over the world, including places many people have never heard of. They had seen people living nearly stone-age lives, witnessed primitive rites, thrice camped their way across Africa, and Ed never set foot in a hotel during his yearlong entomological survey of India. But none of this could have prepared them for Afghanistan. As world-traveled as they were, they found themselves completely surprised and enthralled by this unique, ancient, and enduring culture. "Afghanistan At Peace" is a photographic tour-de-force account of what they saw and the people they met. A simply fascinating browse from first page to last, "Afghanistan At Peace" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community and academic library collections, and a 'must read' for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in Afghanistan History & Culture.


The American History Shelf

A History of Private Policing in the United States
Wilbur R. Miller
Bloomsbury Academic
c/o Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.bloomsbury.com
9781472533364, $114.00, HC, 248pp, www.amazon.com

Private law enforcement and order maintenance have usually been seen as working against or outside of state authority. "A History of Private Policing in the United States" by Wilbur R. Miller (Professor of History at Stony Brook University) surveys private policing since the 1850s to the present, arguing that private agencies have often served as a major component of authority in America as an auxiliary of the state. Professor Miller defines private policing broadly to include self-defense, stand your ground laws, and vigilantism, as well as private detectives, security guards and patrols from gated community security to the Guardian Angels. He also covers the role of detective agencies in controlling labor organizing through spies, guards and strikebreakers. "A History of Private Policing in the United States" is essentially an overview integrating various components of private policing to place its history in the context of the development of the American state. A work of seminal and erudite scholarship, "A History of Private Policing in the United States" is an extraordinary study that is enhanced for academia with the inclusion of thirty-four pages of Notes, a six page Selected Bibliography, and a fifteen page Index. While especially and unreservedly recommended for college and university library American Law Enforcement History collections and supplemental studies reading lists, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "A History of Private Policing in the United States" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $82.08).

New Mexico Historical Chronology: From the Beginning
Don Bullis
Rio Grande Books
925 Salamanca NW, Los Ranchos, NM 87107
www.riograndebooks.com
9781943681419, $68.95, HC, 1028pp, www.amazon.com

"New Mexico Historical Chronology: From the Beginning" is the ideal starting place for anyone seeking to learn about the New Mexico of yesteryear. The succinctly concise entries provide solid information drawn several sources for his entries that are perfect jumping-off spots for further research. A comprehensive encyclopedia of New Mexico history that is deftly laid out chronologically will prove to be an enduringly valued and comprehensive volume that is more than just an assemblage of cited facts and biographical summaries, it is an inherently interesting read for history buffs with an interest in New Mexican history. While unreservedly recommended, especially for community, college, and university library American History collections in general, and New Mexico History studies curriculums in particular, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "New Mexico Historical Chronology: From the Beginning" is also available in a paperback edition (9781943681211, $58.95).

It Happened in Rocky Mountain National Park, second edition
Phyllis J. Perry
Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
www.rowman.com
9781493037209, $16.95

It Happened in Rocky Mountain National Park: Stories of Events and People that Shaped a National Park appears in its second updated edition to examine the people and episodes of Colorado's largest park, and brings to life the eccentric and talented individuals who entered the park and made regional history. Wildfires, bear attacks, and amazing situations all come to life in a history that reads with the drama of fiction, but the excitement and truth of facts assembled in a vivid story.


The World History Shelf

A Narrow Sea
Jonathan Bardon
Gill Books
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, 124 Byers Road, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
www.dufoureditions.com
9780717180592, $41.00, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com

"A Narrow Sea: The Irish-Scottish Connection in 120 Episodes" by the eminent Irish historian Jonathan Bardon (a former lecturer in history at queen university Belfast), is the first history of the special relationship between Ireland and Scotland and is based on his BBC Ulster Radio series. "A Narrow Sea" deftly traces the epic sweep of Ireland's relationship with Scotland, exploring the myriad connections, correlations, personalities and antagonisms that have, over the centuries, defined the relationship between these two spirited neighbors. In 120 brief, episodic chapters, "A Narrow Sea" offers a stirring and panoramic view of a connection that has shaped the course of history. Roving freely across the centuries, from the first migrations of the regions' paleolithic tribes and their encounters with Greek and Roman explorers, to the grand colonial projects of the Vikings, Normans and Stuarts, "A Narrow Sea" is the story of how a shared culture laid the basis for two very different nations. A fascinating, informative, and exceptional history, "A Narrow Sea" is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library history collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "A Narrow Sea" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Jews in Medicine
Ronald L. Eisenberg, MD, JD, DSIS
Urim Publications
c/o KTAV Publishing House
527 Empire Boulevard, Brooklyn, New York 11225
www.UrimPublications.com
9789655243000, $34.95, HC, 464pp, www.amazon.com

Requiring no specialized medical or Jewish knowledge to appreciate this book, "Jews in Medicine: Contributions to Health and Healing Through the Ages" by Dr. Ronald L. Eisenberg (Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School and a radiologist at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center) documents the fascinating history of medical contributions made by Jewish physicians throughout the ages. Profiles of more than 450 individual Jewish physicians are divided by region and area of specialization, all within a historical context ranging from Talmudic times to the modern era, and from Islamic and Christian lands to the spread of Jewish communities in Europe after the Spanish Inquisition. The large section devoted to the modern era focuses on European and American physicians, including the substantial number of Jewish Nobel Prize winners in the field. "Jews in Medicine" concludes with a description of physicians who were leaders in the Zionist movement and those who contributed to the development of medicine in the State of Israel. A unique and impressively informative contribution to Jewish History in general, and the History of Medicine in particular, "Jews in Medicine" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library collections and supplemental studies reading lists.


The Civil War Shelf

A Burned Land
Robert R. Laven
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476675589, $35.00, PB, 194pp, www.amazon.com

Often neglected by contemporary historians, the actions in Missouri and Kansas had an important influence on the course of the Civil War, with profound effects for the communities and people in the region. In "A Burned Land: The Trans-Mississippi in the Civil War", Robert R. Laven (a military veteran and retired Department of Defense Intelligence analyst) focuses on the experiences of the soldiers, officers and civilians on both sides. Outside of Virginia and Tennessee, Missouri was perhaps the most hotly contested territory during the war. "A Burned Land" brings to life the events in the region that contributed to the internecine strife in the Western Theater. The fighting in Missouri culminated with an expedition that re-wrote the books on tactics and the use of mounted infantry. An impressively informative and exceptionally well written contribution to the growing library of American Civil War histories, "A Burned Land" with its meticulous attention to historical detail will prove to be a welcome and valued addition to community and academic library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading list of students, academia, and Civil War buffs that "A Burned Land" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).


The Photography Shelf

Athens Twice Seen
Richard W. Moore
Peter E. Randall Publisher
www.perpublisher.com
9781942155195, $28.00, PB, 80pp, www.amazon.com

Early in the 2000s, photographer Richard Moore began making "twice-seen" images, with vintage and contemporary photographs, merging surrealism and history. "Athens Twice Seen" features combined photographs of historic monuments and areas of Athens, and was sponsored by The Hellenic American College and the NH Institute of Art. An inherently fascinating volume of period and contemporary photographic images that is very highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Photography collections, "Athens Twice Seen" could well serve as an original and unreservedly recommended template for similar photographic exercises featuring other landmark areas of cultural and civic history.


The Library Science Shelf

Digital Archives
Milena Dobreva, editor
Facet Publishing
www.facetpublishing.co.uk
9781783301140, $129.95, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com

Compiled and edited by Milena Dobreva (Associate Professor in Library and Information Studies at UCL Qatar), "Digital Archives: Management, Access And Use" is a seminal collection of nine articles by erudite contributors that offers a wide-ranging overview of how rapid technological changes and the push for providing wide access to digitized cultural heritage holdings are changing the landscape of archives. "Digital Archives" which will help the aspiring and seasoned librarians alike to understand the drivers for change in archives and their implications. Reassessment of the role of archives in the digital environment will serve to develop critical approaches to current trends in the broader heritage sector, including cultural industries experimenting with sustainable business models for cultural production, digitization of analogue cultural heritage, and the related IPR issues surrounding the re-use of digital objects and data for research, education, advocacy and art. The contributors also present state-of-the-art solutions in building digital archives on networked infrastructure, trusted digital repositories to ensure long-term access, and tools to serve emerging needs in digital humanities. "Digital Archives" is especially relevant reading for digital archivists and practitioners involved in the design and support of digital archives; professionals and researchers involved in projects working with digital archival materials; students in library, information and archive studies. While "Digital Archives" is especially and unreservedly recommended for public, private, academic, and governmental library collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of student librarians, library staff members, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Digital Archives" is also available in a paperback edition (9781856049344, $79.28).


The Parenting Shelf

Adopting Hope
Lorri Antosz Benson
Familius
1254 Commerce Way, Sanger, CA 93657
www.familius.com
9781641700368, $16.99, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com

All My Children actress Jill Larson moved mountains as a single mother to adopt her daughter from China. George Fadok, a former Navy commander, grappled with "changing the rules" eighteen years after placing his daughter in a closed adoption. Angela Paxton, wife of the Texas attorney general and an adoptee, never thought she would ever meet her birthmom, but when she did, it changed her life. With insights from all three adoption triad viewpoints, "Adopting Hope" shares a wealth of lessons learned and tips for every person contemplating an adoption journey including: How to have the courage to adopt; How to decide on an open vs. a closed adoption; How to handle a foreign adoption; How to survive the agonizing wait to become parents; How to tell your adopted child "the story"; How to make your adopted child feel loved; How to negotiate a relationship with your child's birth parents; How to help your child work through feelings of loneliness or rejection; How to dispel negative attitudes you will encounter about adoption; And so much more, including suggestions from birthparents and adoptees! An informative and inherently inspiring read from cover to cover, "Adopting Hope" should be considered critically important (and inspiring) reading for anyone contemplating or in the process of adopting a child, either here at home or abroad. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Adopting Hope" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).


The Art Shelf

Creating Beauty
Rosalie Berberian
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road,. Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764357466, $59.99, HC, 272pp, www.amazon.com

Rosalie Berberian, recognized as an authority on the silver, jewelry, and art enamels of the American Arts & Crafts Movement, was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Conference of Arts & Crafts in 2008 for her pioneering work. In "Creating Beauty: Jewelry and Enamels of the American Arts & Crafts Movement" she draws upon her years of experience and expertise to showcase more than 530 beautifully photographed examples of jewelry and art-enamel work and presents the first comprehensive study of the work and aesthetic vision of the American Arts & Crafts Movement. The lives and art of the era's top craftsmen (84 jewelers, enamelists, and metalsmiths) are explained with careful consideration to the contexts and influences that shaped them. The belief that beauty should be part of everyday life was paramount in the design reform movements of the early 20th century. Dozens of creators are featured here, including Josephine Hartwell Shaw, Frank Gardner Hale, Robert Riddle Jarvie, the Kalo Shop, Louis Comfort Tiffany, and the Roycroft. Although jewelry and enamel work pieces received appreciative critical acclaim in that period, during today's revival of interest in the US Arts & Crafts movement, they have attracted scant attention from art historians. This simply outstanding collection is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, academic, and community library collections. It will prove to be an enduringly valuable resource for collectors, historians, academicians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.


The Wisconsin Shelf

The Making of Pioneer Wisconsin
Michael E. Stevens
Wisconsin Historical Society Press
816 State Street, Madison, WI 53575
www.wisconsinhistory.org
9780870208898 $18.95 amazon.com

Enhanced with an index for ease of reference, The Making of Pioneer Wisconsin: Voices of Early Settlers collects a wealth of primary testimonies from settlers who established homes in Wisconsin between the mid-1830s and 1850. A black man speaks open about his love of "sweet freedom"; a young wife confronts life far away from her friends and family; a teenager ruminates about heading westward. Here are letters, diaries, and newspaper articles, together offering a rich picture of trials, hardship, and hope. Scholarly text provides nuanced context to this welcome contribution to public library Wisconsin History collections. Highly recommended.

Wisconsin Post Office Mural Guidebook
David W. Gates Jr.
Post Office Fans
PO Box 11, Crystal Lake, IL 60039
www.postofficefans.com
9781970088090, $9.95, PB, 52pp, www.amazon.com

David W. Gates Jr. is a post office enthusiast who has traveled thousands of miles nationwide in search of historic post office buildings and art. He regularly blogs about his work at: www.PostOfficeFans.com. Some of Wisconsin's 35 New Deal era post office buildings house historic artwork created during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Not all the murals remain in their original location. In some cases, the fate of the art, and buildings remains unknown. The "Wisconsin Post Office Mural Guidebook" identifies which towns have murals and which ones have been moved. "The Wisconsin Post Office Mural Guidebook" also covers: What buildings and towns have murals viewable by the public; What buildings have been sold and if the artwork moved; What buildings are privately owned, removing access to the public; What murals have been destroyed. This is the perfect book for the post office enthusiasts and history buffs; for up-to-date photos and additional stories, you can go to www.postofficefans.com. While a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to all Wisconsin community, college, and university library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that the "Wisconsin Post Office Mural Guidebook" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).


The Holocaust Studies Shelf

Death March Escape
Jack J. Hersch
Frontline Books
www.frontline-books.com
c/o Pen & Sword Books
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526740229 $34.95 hc / $11.49 Kindle amazon.com

Written by the son of the titular Holocaust survivor, Death March Escape: The Remarkable Story of a Man Who Twice Escaped the Nazi Holocaust tells the true story of Dave Hersch, who twice escaped the lethal death marches that the Nazis forced on concentration camp prisoners at the end of World War II. Blending elements of memoir, history, and biography, Death March Escape portrays the horrifying reality of the Mauthausen and Gusen concentration camps, and describe incredible bids for freedom against all odds. Forty black-and-white photographs and four maps round out this welcome contribution to public library Holocaust Studies collections.


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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
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