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Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
The Question of When: A Practical Guide to Knowing When It's Time for Assisted Living, Memory Care, or Skilled
Nursing
Cory Fosco
https://coryfosco.com
Campion Hall Press
9798995236900, $24.95 Paperback/$9.99 eBook/$9.99 Audiobook
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Question-When-Practical-Knowing-Assisted/dp/B0GS69QCXD
The Question of When: A Practical Guide to Knowing When It's Time for Assisted Living, Memory Care, or Skilled Nursing
addresses the difficult decision of knowing when it's time to choose care for a declining loved one. From knowing when one's
home is no longer safe and what to do about that to understanding the differences between assisted living, memory care, and
skilled nursing, readers receive a wealth of knowledge not just about when it's time for a change, but how to contrast all the
options.
Cory Fosco surveys the basics of how to evaluate facilities and support systems. This will prove essential for all - especially
those who may hold little prior familiarity with such institutions and organizations.
Chapters also discuss how to have the "it's time for a change" conversation with a loved one who likely will resist making such
a move. This adds value for readers who struggle with not just identifying what to do and when to do it, but getting a loved one
on board with planning. "Action Steps" specifically outline what's involved:
"Pull up CMS Care Compare and look up any facility you are currently considering - or, if you are earlier in the process, look
up two or three facilities in your area as a practice exercise. Review each domain separately, read at least one state survey
report, and note what questions it raises. Then complete the sections of the When Readiness Checklist that you can complete
today, and note which sections need more work."
Fosco shows how to get everyone on board with the process, including the most obvious (but also the most commonly
neglected): one's physician:
"Of all the planning failures I have observed over 34 years, one of the most consistent is this: families who have been living
with a serious diagnosis for months or years and have never had a direct conversation with their loved one's physician about
trajectory, prognosis, and care planning. They have had plenty of appointments. They have discussed medications, test results,
and symptom management. But the larger conversation, the one about where this is going, what it will eventually require, and
what the family should be thinking about now - has simply never happened. Sometimes because the physician didn't initiate it.
Sometimes because the family didn't know to ask. Often because both parties were focused on the immediate and no one made
space for the longer view. That conversation is worth having deliberately. Not in the five minutes at the end of a routine
appointment, but as an appointment with a specific purpose."
The result is an exceptionally potent survey of next step possibilities and approaches that goes where every book about
advancing years should go in identifying when, where, and how to make changes in lifestyle and support systems.
Librarians will have many similar-sounding guides to consider for their collections, but The Question of When is head and
shoulders above most. It will attract a wide audience with its practical assessment strategies and important inclusion of
everyone involved in the process of supporting an elderly or infirm loved one.
For Such A Time As This
John O. Acree
https://authorjohnacree.com
Independently Published
9798334050259, $24.99, HC, 125pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/SUCH-TIME-AS-THIS/dp/B0DBB8S773
Synopsis: A gripping historical drama, "For Such a Time as This" by John O. Acree follows the compelling journey of
Standing Bear, the noble Chief of the Ponca Indian Tribe, as he battles injustice and fights for his people's survival.
Set against the harrowing backdrop of the Ponca's forced relocation and the infamous Trail of Tears, Acree deftly crafts a
powerful narrative that weaves courtroom battles, governmental deceit, and the unyielding spirit of a people determined to
endure.
With the publication of "Four Such a Time as This", Acree has masterfully brought to life the resilience and dignity of
Standing Bear and his tribe, making it an unforgettable read for those who value history, courage, and the triumph of the
human spirit. Discover the untold stories of heroism and perseverance in the pages of "For Such a Time as This".
Critique: Exceptional, informative, inspirational, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "For Such a
Time as This" by John O. Acree is an extraordinary and highly recommended pick for community and college/university
library Native American History/Biography collections and supplemental curriculum 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 this
hardcover edition of "For Such a Time as This" is also available in paperback (9798334049895, $14.99) and in a digital book
format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: Standing Bear (c. 1829-1908) was a Ponca chief and Native American civil rights leader who successfully
argued in U.S. District Court in 1879 in Omaha that Native Americans are "persons within the meaning of the law" and have
the right of habeas corpus, thus becoming the first Native American judicially granted civil rights under American law. His
first wife Zazette Primeau (Primo), daughter of Lone Chief (also known as Antoine Primeau), mother of Prairie Flower and
Bear Shield, was also a signatory on the 1879 writ that initiated the famous court case. (Wikipedia)
Red Men in Red Square: Chief Big Eagle and the Russian Indianists
Claude Clayton Smith
Shanti Arts
https://shantiarts.co
9781971191270, $24.95, PB, 250pp
9781971191287, $8.50, Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Red-Square-Claude-Clayton-Smith/dp/1971191272
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/red-men-in-red-square-claude-clayton-smith/1014682386
Shanti Arts
https://shantiarts.co/uploads/files/stu/SMITH_RED.html
Synopsis: Originally published in July 1994, and now brought back into print for a new generation of appreciative readers,
"Red Men in Red Square: Chief Big Eagle and the Russian Indianists" is a captivating and a true story that chronicles the
extraordinary journey of American writer Claude Clayton Smith and Chief Big Eagle of Connecticut's Golden Hill Paugussett
tribe as they travel to post-Soviet Russia in 1990-1991.
Invited by a Gorky Institute professor who is translating Smith's book on the Chief, they discover the "Indianists" (a passionate
subculture of Soviet nonconformists devoted to Native American traditions) and find themselves navigating a crumbling
Soviet empire, where the bleakness of everyday life contrasts sharply with the warmth and vibrancy of the people they
meet.
Through Smith's engaging account, readers are transported to a time of political upheaval and quiet resilience. "Red Men in
Red Square" offers a rare glimpse into an unlikely cultural exchange that defied borders and ideologies. Essential reading for
anyone fascinated by Native American/Russian history, identity, and the unexpected human connections that shape our
world.
This new edition of "Red Men in Red Square" updates the Indianist movement to the present day, with timely insight into the
Russia that Putin now rules with an iron hand.
Critique: Fascinating, informative, deftly crafted, unique, and an unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists, as
well as community and college/university library 20th Century Native American and Russian/Soviet Union History collections
and supplemental curriculum studies lists, this newly updated edition of "Red Men in Red Square: Chief Big Eagle and the
Russian Indianists" showcases author Claude Clayton Smith's distinctive flair for the kind of eye-for-detail and reader friendly
storytelling style and is an inherently engaging and memorable read from start to finish.
Editorial Note: There is an online listing of books by Claude Clayton Smith on Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/838506.Claude_Clayton_Smith
Serve Others. Live Without Fear.
Lance J. LoRusso
https://lancelorussobooks.com
LoRusso Press
9798995969815, $24.99, HC, 130pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Serve-Others-Live-Without-Fear/dp/B0H4WV2JH7
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/serve-others-live-without-fear-lance-j-lorusso/1150279174
Synopsis: Fear is an insidious, relentless, omnipresent force affecting our lives. It is all around us, supported and fueled by
negativity and stories of failure.
Fear has only one positive value: Motivation.
Properly harnessed, fear can provide the fuel you need to achieve your highest goals and most noble aspirations, and there is no
higher goal than to live your life in service to others.
Through stories of personal achievement, tragedy, triumph, and courage, "Serve Others. Live Without Fear.: How to Build a
Fear-Free Mindset in a Fear-Driven World" by Lance J. LoRusso provides a blueprint to keep fear from controlling you and
preventing you from reaching your potential. Whether you are an entrepreneur facing challenges every day, a public safety
professional putting your safety second to the well-being of others, or a person simply struggling to see a clear path forward in
an uncertain world, you will be enriched and empowered by the lessons inside.
With "Serve Others. Live Without Fear", you can come to feel the power that derives from pushing fear aside as you soar to
new heights. You have nothing to lose other than the boat anchor that fear becomes in the lives of most people, and everything
to gain.
Critique: Original, informative, insightful, motivational, and an inherently inspiring read from start to finish, "Serve Others.
Live Without Fear.: How to Build a Fear-Free Mindset in a Fear-Driven World" by Lance J. LoRusso is a deftly crafted and
'reader friendly' blend of biography and personal development/self-improvement that is an exceptional and unreservedly
recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Self-Help & Contemporary
Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Serve Others, Live Without Fear" from
LoRusso Press is also available in paperback (9798995969808, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).
Editorial Note: Lance LoRusso is a former law enforcement officer turned attorney and author, who draws upon the decades he
spent where law, violence, media pressure, and public service collide. He has worked as a patrol officer, hostage negotiator,
investigator, trainer, and public information officer, and has represented nearly 200 officers involved in shootings and other
critical incidents. Those experiences gives his writing an authenticity that comes from knowing what happens after the shots
are fired -- at the scene, inside the investigation, in the courtroom, and under the glare of the media. It also informs his
nonfiction, where Lance turns hard-earned experience into practical lessons on law enforcement, leadership, communication,
professional development, and navigating high-stakes careers. His work spans educational nonfiction, crime fiction, and
motivational memoir, but each draws from the same source: decades of experience with people making difficult decisions
when the stakes are real. Named the National Fraternal Order of Police's 2021 Attorney of the Year, Lance also serves as
General Counsel to the Georgia State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police.
Rowdy Girl: Confessions of a Vegan Cattle Rancher
Renee King-Sonnen
Bloomsbury Academic
c/o Bloomsbury Publishing
www.bloomsbury.com
9798216278351, $32.00, HC, 272pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Rowdy-Girl-Confessions-Cattle-Rancher/dp/B0FVKZ1B38
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rowdy-girl-renee-king-sonnen/1148523877
Synopsis: With raw honesty and vulnerability, "Rowdy Girl: Confessions of a Vegan Cattle Rancher" by Renee King-Sonnen
is a personal life story that illuminates the realities of animal agriculture through tracing her personal journey from a poor
upbringing to life as the wife of a Texas cattle rancher.
Unable to reconcile the cruel realities of her husband Tommy's business, Renee begins to question some of society's most basic
assumptions about the animals we eat and the food systems we uphold. These questions spark a profound transformation - and
a determination to save the very cattle her husband's livelihood depends on.
The couple's opposing worldviews lead to escalating conflict, pushing their marriage to the brink.
Seeking support, King-Sonnen connects with online vegan communities and launches a secret Facebook diary, The Vegan
Journal of a Cattle Rancher's Wife. With a growing following, she rallies support for an ambitious plan: buy Tommy's herd,
take over the ranch, and transform it into an animal sanctuary. The suspense peaks in December 2014, when Tommy agrees to
sell her the cattle for $30,000 -- if she can raise the funds before they're sent to slaughter.
More than a just memoir, "Renee King-Sonnen" is a fascinating story of personal spiritual awakening and ethical
transformation. Renee freely reveals the shared ground between ranchers and vegans (a commitment to compassion, tradition,
and sustainability) while challenging the foundations of animal agriculture. Through her deeply personal journey, Renee invites
readers to consider their own relationship with animals, the food they eat, and the possibility of living with greater
compassion.
Critique: Original, compelling, intensely personal, yet having a universal resonance with the readers, "Rowdy Girl:
Confessions of a Vegan Cattle Rancher" is an extraordinarily candid, impressively memorable, and well written memoir by
Renee King-Sonnen that is especially and unreservedly recommended as an addition to community, and college/university
library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted for the personal lists of readers with an
interest in the subject of vegetarianism and the cattle industry that this hardcover edition of "Rowdy Girl" from Bloomsbury
Academic is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $28.80).
Editorial Note: Renee King-Sonnen is the founder and executive director of Rowdy Girl Sanctuary (RGS), a non-profit that
provides sanctuary to farm animals at risk of being slaughtered and promotes an ethical vegan lifestyle. RGS is changing the
world for farmed animals through its Rancher Advocacy Program, an educational program that inspires ranchers to consider
alternatives to animal farming, and Families Choosing Compassion, a program that offers a compassionate alternative to
Future Farmers of America and 4-H. Renee is the subject of a documentary, Rowdy Girl.
Heroes Masked and Mythic
Christopher Wood
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476683157, $29.95, PB, 264pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Heroes-Masked-Mythic-Archetypes-Characters/dp/1476683158
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/heroes-masked-and-mythic
Synopsis: Epic battles, hideous monsters and a host of petty gods -- the world of Classical Mythology continues to fascinate
and inspire down to the present day.
Heroes like Herakles, Achilles and Perseus have influenced Western art and literature for centuries, and today are reinvented
into the modern superhero format.
What does Iron Man have to do with the Homeric hero Odysseus? How does the African warrior Memnon compare with
Marvel's Black Panther? Do DC's Wonder Woman and Xena the Warrior Princess reflect the tradition of Amazon women such
as Penthesileia? How does the modern superhero's journey echo that of the epic warrior?
With fresh insight into ancient Greek texts and historical art, "Heroes Masked and Mythic: Echoes of Ancient Archetypes in
Comic Book Characters" by Christopher Wood insightful examines modern superhero archetypes and iconography in art,
comics, and film as the crystallization of the hero's journey in the modern imagination.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a sixteen page Introduction, a two page
Epilogue, an eight page Glossary, sixteen pages of Chapter Notes, a six page Bibliography, and a four page Index, "Heroes
Masked and Mythic: Echoes of Ancient Archetypes in Comic Book Characters" is an original work of meticulous scholarship
that will have enormous appeal to readers with an interest in how today's popular culture is impacted (and shaped) by the
Classical Mythology of antiquity. A fascinating study from start to finish, "Heroes Masked and Mythic" is a solid and
unreservedly recommended pick for person, community, and college/university library Contemporary Literary Studies
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that this paperback edition of "Heroes Masked and Mythic" from McFarland & Company
is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99).
Editorial Note: Christopher Wood is an art historian, classical archaeologist and museum professional. An alumnus of the
American Academy in Rome and the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, he was a long-time lecturer in art
history at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
Sit Write Here
April Davila
St. Martin's Essentials
c/o St. Martin's Press
9781250425232, $19.00, PB, 224pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Sit-Write-Here-Mindfulness-Practices/dp/1250425239
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sit-write-here-april-davila/1148283871
Synopsis: With the publication of "Sit Write Here: 6 Mindfulness Practices to Help You Write More and Suffer Less",
award-winning novelist and certified mindfulness instructor April Davila presents a groundbreaking approach to writing that
integrates the practice of Insight Meditation.
Drawing from her personal journey and professional experience, Davila reveals how mindfulness can help writers improve
their craft and navigate common challenges such as writer's block, self-doubt, and ubiquitous distractions. Through practical
exercises and relatable anecdotes, she demonstrates how cultivating present-moment awareness can enhance creativity and
bring greater ease to the writing process.
Structured around six key practices, "Sit Write Here" guides writers to:
Get Writing by developing deep concentration to foster a state of creative flow.
Embrace Discomfort to better portray conflict on the page.
Keep Going by identifying and overcoming internal obstacles that masquerade as "writer's block."
Explore Emotions to deepen authenticity.
Engage Reality to refine the editing process with mindful awareness.
Find Equanimity to maintain resilience in the face of feedback and rejection.
Whether you are a seasoned author or just beginning your writing journey, "Sit Write Here" offers a compassionate and
practical framework to transform your writing practice. By embracing mindfulness, writers can not only enhance their craft but
also find greater fulfillment and joy in the creative process.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Sit Write Here: 6 Mindfulness Practices to Help You Write
More and Suffer Less" is a complete course of instruction on becoming a successful writer whether its in crafted a novel, a
novella, or a short story. Offering a wealth of time-tested and real world practical insights, exercises, and information, "Sit
Write Here" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university
library Writing/Publishing instructional reference collections and supplemental Creative Writing curriculum studies lists. It
should be noted for all aspiring or experienced writers that this paperback edition of "Sit Write Here" from St. Martin's
Essentials is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: April Davila (https://aprildavila.com) is an award-winning author, speaker, and writing coach. Publishers
Weekly called her debut novel, 142 Ostriches, a "vivid, uplifting debut" and the book went on to win the WILLA Award for
Women Writing the West. Writer's Digest listed her blog as one of the Best 101 Websites for Writers and she is the creator of
the 'Sit Write Here' writing coaching program, helping writers quiet their inner critics, overcome writer's block, and edit more
effectively.
The American History Shelf
Ribbons of Green
John Fleck & Robert P. Berrens
University of New Mexico Press
www.unmpress.com
9780826369680, $24.95, PB, 296pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Ribbons-Green-Albuquerque-Landscapes-Southwest/dp/0826369685
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ribbons-of-green-john-fleck/1148560112
Synopsis: Dry one year, overflowing the next, the Rio Grande has sustained its arid valley for millennia.
With the publication of "Ribbons of Green: The Rio Grande and the Making of Modern Albuquerque", co-authors John Fleck
and Robert P. Berrens seek to understand 21st century Albuquerque's relationship with the Rio Grande by exploring the social
and ecological interactions that describe how this high-desert city developed astride a capricious river.
In every phase of the Duke City's history, living with the Rio Grande posed problems that required collective action by its
stakeholders to irrigate, build river crossings, drain the valley's floor, and protect residents from flooding.
These collective decisions ultimately changed the course of the river, resulting in intentionally designed "ribbons of green" that
dominate today's cityscape. The Rio Grande in turn altered the collective psyche of Albuquerque. For many residents, the city's
bosque is their only interaction with nature, but these green corridors are very much a human creation.
"Ribbons of Green" explores how Albuquerque built its environment to create a valley floor that its residents have come to
adore and how, in a climate-altered world, we might keep it.
Critique: "Ribbons of Green: The Rio Grande and the Making of Modern Albuquerque" by co-authors John Fleck and Robert
P. Berrens is an original, informative, deftly crafted, and seminal study of the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico and the Rio
Grande river that both shaped the city and how the city was to shape the river. Exceptionally well written, organized and
presented for the benefit of the non-specialist reader with an interest in the subject, "Ribbons of Green" is informative
enhanced for the readers benefit with the inclusion of a fourteen page Bibliography, fifty-two pages of Notes, and a fifteen
page Index. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99), this trade paperback edition of "Ribbons of Green"
from the University of New Mexico Press is a unique and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional,
community, and college/university library Environmental Studies and Regional American History collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: A former science journalist, John Fleck is a writer in residence at the Utton Transboundary Resources
Center at the University of New Mexico School of Law and a professor of practice in water policy and governance by letter of
academic title in the Department of Economics at the University of New Mexico. From 2016 to 2021 he served as the director
of the University of New Mexico's Water Resources Program. He has been writing about water in the West since the 1980s and
is the author of Water Is for Fighting Over: And Other Myths about Water in the West and the coauthor (with Eric Kuhn) of
Science Be Dammed: How Ignoring Inconvenient Science Drained the Colorado River.
Editorial Note #2: Robert P. Berrens is an environmental economist and a Regents Professor in the Department of Economics
at the University of New Mexico. He is also the former coeditor of Contemporary Economic Policy and the associate editor of
Water Resources Research. His research interests include water resources, ecosystem services, biodiversity and endangered
species, forest resources, wildfire risk reduction, climate change, and environmental policy. He is a coauthor of Energy Use in
Bitcoin Mining: The Environmental Impact of Cryptocurrencies.
The Military History Shelf
The American Home Guard: State Militias from World War I to Today, 2nd edition
Barry M. Stentiford
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476658865, $55.00, PB, 268pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/American-Home-Guard-State-Militias/dp/1476658862
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-american-home-guard-barry-m-stentiford/1149528711
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-american-home-guard
Synopsis: Since colonial times Americans have used the militia to maintain local order during both war and peacetime. States
have intermittently created, maintained, deployed, and disbanded countless militia organizations outside the scope of the
better-known National Guard.
With the publication of "The American Home Guard: State Militias from World War I to Today, 2nd edition", Professor Barry
Stentiford tells the story of these militia units -- variously called home guards, State Guard, National Guard Reserve, and State
Defense Forces.
Ironically, the very existence of the National Guard made the creation of other militia forces necessary during periods of war.
State Militia forces were organized to fill the vacuum left when the National Guard was called up, depriving states of an
organized militia that could repel invasions, suppress riots, control strikes, or guard the waterfront.
This history analyzes the challenges that faced the State Guards as states sought to build their new militia with leftover men
and material. It also examines the roles of the State Guard: providing relief during and after natural disasters, providing
military training for future draftees, and broadening participation in military units during wartime by giving a role to men who,
because of their age or occupation, could not join the federal forces.
Today modern state militias, born to an ancient tradition, must define a role for themselves in a society that increasingly views
them as anachronistic.
Critique: The newly updated second edition of an original, seminal and groundbreaking study, "The American Home Guard:
State Militias from World War I to Today" by Professor Barry M. Stentiford is occasionally enhanced with the inclusion of
B/W historical photos, twenty-six pages of Chapter Notes, a six page Bibliography, and a three page Index. Informative,
documented, and an inherently interesting read from start to finish, "The American Home Guard: State Militias from World
War I to Today, 2nd Edition" is a prized and recommended pick for personal, community, and college/university library
American Military History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students and military
history buffs that this trade paperback edition of "The American Home Guard: State Militias from World War I to Today, 2nd
Edition" is also readily available from McFarland & Company in a digital book format (Kindle, $35.99).
Editorial Note: Barry M. Stentiford (Ph.D., history, University of Alabama) served in the Air Force, Army National Guard, and
Army Reserve. He is a professor of military history at the U.S. Army's School of Advanced Military Studies at Fort
Leavenworth, Kansas.
Vietnam-Perkasie: A Combat Marine Memoir, revised edition
W. D. Ehrhart
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476660455, $29.95, PB, 259pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Vietnam-Perkasie-Combat-Marine-Memoir-Revised/dp/147666045X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/vietnam-perkasie-wd-ehrhart/1150136675?ean=9781476660455
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/vietnam-perkasie-2
Synopsis: Now in an newly updated and revised edition, "Vietnam-Perkasie: A Combat Marine Memoir", is W.D. Ehrhart's
classic account of his 13 months as a Marine in Vietnam. It is the only memoir of the war that is written from the point-of-view
of the 18-year-old living the experience -- rather than the voice of the author recollecting the war later in life.
There is no wisdom of hindsight, no looking back after the passage of years or decades, no intellectualizing or sense making
with the benefit of reflection. This is the voice of a teenager finding himself in the midst of a war that makes less and less sense
as his time in Vietnam goes on.
In his memoir, Ehrhart delivers the war as he lived it. The reader knows what he knows: no more, no less. "Vietnam-Perkasie:
A Combat Marine Memoir" comes as close as any written account to what that war was like for a young American slogging
through the rice fields and villages of an alien land where death was always just a shadow away.
This new and revised edition includes a new preface and 32 additional photographs, all but two of which were taken by the
author in Vietnam in 1967-68.
Critique: Essential reading for students and military historians with an interest the Viet Nam War as experienced by a young
teenaged American, "Vietnam-Perkasie: A Combat Marine Memoir - Revised Edition" features a two-page 'Military History of
W.D. Ehrhart' and occasional B/W historical photographs. Unique, original, informative, fascinating, "Vietnam-Perkasie: A
Combat Marine Memoir - Revised Edition" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and
college/university library Viet Nam War History/Biography/Memoir collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It
should be noted for students and military history buffs that this trade paperback edition of "Vietnam-Perkasie: A Combat
Marine Memoir - Revised Edition" is also available from McFarland & Company in a digital book format (Kindle,
$19.99).
Editorial Note: Memoirist, poet, editor, and Marine veteran W.D. Ehrhart taught English and history at the Haverford School
in Haverford, Pennsylvania. The author of twenty books, his prose and poetry have appeared in hundreds of publications
including the Los Angeles Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Utne Reader, Reader's Digest, American Poetry Review and the
Virginia Quarterly Review. He was a major presence in the Ken Burns and Lynn Novick documentary The Vietnam War.
The Education Shelf
Still Committed
Terrance L. Green
ASCD
www.ascd.org
9781416634560, $33.95, PB, 166pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Still-Committed-Educators-Cultivate-Schools/dp/1416634568
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/still-committed-terrance-l-green/1150141214
Synopsis: In these unjust times, it's tempting for educators to shrink their vision to fit the moment, but that would mean giving
students less than they deserve. A commitment to racially just schools is about persistence in principle and creativity in
practice.
With the publication of "Still Committed: How Educators and Teams Cultivate Just Schools in Unjust Times", Professor
Terrance L. Green offers guidance for educators working together to advance equity in schools, whether they are part of
formally recognized equity teams, groups with a different name, or informal gatherings around a table.
The approach Professor Green lays out goes beyond shallow professional development and actionless conversations. He
explains how to use his 5D Framework for Equity Action (short for discern, dream, design, do, diagnose) to figure out where
your school is now, imagine something better, and make it a reality.
School and district leaders and teacher teams will learn how to do the following:
Uncover root causes and move beyond surface fixes.
Keep equity language both courageous and actionable in politically charged times.
Identify toxic elements and turn setbacks into opportunities.
Envision and design equity efforts.
Maintain accountability during implementation.
They will also get a collection of practical tools that can be adapted to any setting and reflective questions for both individuals
and teams to help apply what is being learned to everyday practice.
When educators work together, even in small groups, they can withstand opposition, generate innovative solutions, and push
schools and districts to transform in ways that no single person could achieve. "Still Committed" offers the way forward for
those who refuse to give up the fight for what's right.
Critique: "Still Committed: How Educators and Teams Cultivate Just Schools in Unjust Times" by Professor Terrance L.
Green provides practical, research-backed guidance for K - 12 educators who are still committed to racial justice and equity
work in schools. Exceptionally 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Still Committed" is an essential and
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, K-12 school district, and college/university library Teacher
Education/Theory collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this trade paperback edition of
"Still Committed" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $32.99).
Editorial Note: Terrance L. Green, PhD, is a tenured associate professor of educational leadership and policy at the University
of Texas at Austin, where he co-directs the Texas Principal Leadership Academy. Professor Green has worked with school
districts nationwide to equip leaders with strategies to build more equitable education systems together with families and
communities.
The Best 392 Colleges, 2027
Robert Franek, et al.
The Princeton Review
www.PrincetonReview.com
c/o Random House
https://randomhousebooks.com
9798217125234, $26.99, PB, 896pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Best-392-Colleges-2027-Depth/dp/B0G2X4XZ4D
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-best-392-colleges-2027-the-princeton-review/1148772790
Synopsis: The Princeton Review's college rankings started in 1992 with surveys from 30,000 students. Thirty-five years and
more than a million student surveys later, we stand by our claim that there is no single "best" college, only the best college for
you... and that "The Best 392 Colleges, 2027" will help you find it!
Straight from students to you, "The Best 392 Colleges, 2027" is comprised of:
392 in-depth school profiles based on candid feedback from more than 172,000+ students, covering academics, administration,
campus life, and financial aid
Insights on unique college character, social scene, and more
Direct quotes from students about their school's professors, campus culture, career services, and more
Also featured in "The Best 392 Colleges, 2027" are Ranking Lists & Rating Scores including lists of the top 25 colleges in 50
categories based on students' opinions of academics, campus life, facilities, as well as every school's Financial Aid, Selectivity,
and Quality of Life
There is also detailed admissions information about competitive applications, test scores, tuition, and average indebtedness, as
well as comprehensive information on selectivity, freshman profiles, and application deadlines at each school.
Of special note is the free access to 2 full-length practice tests online (1 SAT and 1 ACT) to help you prep for the important
admissions-exams part of your admissions journey.
Critique: A respected standard for assessing the best college for a particular student (and an enormously valued resource for
highschool counselors and parents as well), "The Best 392 Colleges, 2027" is a thoroughly 'student friendly' compendium of
in-depth profiles and ranking lists to finding the right college for the right student. "The Best 392 Colleges, 2027" is a critically
important, essential, and invaluable addition to personal, professional, highschool, and community library College/University
Admissions collections.
Editorial Note: The experts at The Princeton Review have been helping students, parents, and educators achieve the best
results at every stage of the education process since 1981. The Princeton Review has helped millions succeed on standardized
tests, and provides expert advice and instruction to help parents, teachers, students, and schools navigate the complexities of
school admission. In addition to classroom courses in over 40 states and 20 countries, The Princeton Review also offers online
and school-based courses, one-to-one and small-group tutoring, as well as online services in both admission counseling and
academic homework help.
The Psychology Shelf
Embracing Your ADHD Brain: An Actually Helpful Guide for Teens
Danielle Sullivan
Free Spirit Publishing
c/o Teacher Created Materials
https://www.teachercreatedmaterials.com
9798330914081, $17.99, PB, 144pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Embracing-Your-ADHD-Brain-Actually/dp/B0GM4BHF8Q
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/embracing-your-adhd-brain-danielle-sullivan/1149439146
Synopsis: "Embracing Your ADHD Brain: An Actually Helpful Guide for Teens" is a neurodiversity-affirming self-help guide
for teens and young adults, written by certified neurodiversity coach Danielle Sullivan. By helping teens recognize how
outdated social stigma can affect their sense of self, "Embracing Your ADHD Brain" empowers young readers to overcome
internalized shame and start working with their strengths and values to build the life they want.
With warm, inspiring language and an ADHD-friendly layout, "Embracing Your ADHD Brain" helps readers understand how
their brains work and make the most of their strengths. Inside, teen ADHDers will find tools and strategies for:
Emotional regulation: Identify and manage big feelings, create a feelings dictionary, and build calming routines.
Executive functioning: Use visual aids, structured breaks, body doubling, and systems to organize tasks and homework.
Sensory processing: Handle sensory overwhelm and improve awareness of body needs (like hunger, movement, and rest).
Strength-based living: Uncover personal strengths and use them to overcome challenges.
Social skills and communication: Develop active listening, express needs, and navigate tough conversations.
Motivation and rewards: Boost dopamine, use external rewards, and stay engaged with challenging tasks.
Problem-solving: Tackle obstacles creatively and confidently.
Values-based decision-making: Identify personal values and leverage them for motivation and goal-setting.
This invaluable resource offers readers evidence-based strategies from positive psychology, strengths-based coaching, and
more, helping teens and young adults understand, own, and thrive with ADHD.
Critique: Exceptionally well written and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Embracing Your
ADHD Brain: An Actually Helpful Guide for Teens" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended reading for young
readers ages 16-21 who are having to deal with ADHD. While an important addition to family, highschool, community, and
college/university library Psychology/ADHD collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback
edition of "Embracing Your ADHD Brain: An Actually Helpful Guide for Teens" from Free Spirit Publishing is also available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: Danielle Sullivan (www.neurodiverging.com/author/danielle) is a multiply certified neurodiversity coach and
autistic ADHDer who centers positive psychology, solution-focused approaches, and trauma-informed learning to help
neurodivergent humans succeed. She is the author of Embracing Your ADHD Brain. After her eldest child was diagnosed
autistic, Danielle was also diagnosed around age 30. In looking for resources for neurodivergent parents, she found very little
and began producing the "Neurodiverging Podcast" to develop and offer resources for others like her, who have kids like hers.
She later founded Neurodiverging Coaching, an equity-centered coaching platform for neurodivergent people.
The Science Shelf
Bakous Unified Field Theory: A Timespace Perspective
Ronny N. Bakous
Independently Published
9798172643347, $29.99, HC, 449pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Bakous-Unified-Field-Theory-Perspective/dp/B0HK71C17N
Synopsis: With the publication of "Bakous Unified Field Theory: A Timespace Perspective", Ronny N. Bakous presents a
proposed framework in which time is treated as the primary structural dimension of reality and space emerges through
temporal progression. At its foundation is the Bakous Energy Field (BEF), an underlying energetic substrate through which
gravity, matter, entropy, consciousness, and the laws of physics are interpreted as interconnected features of a single timespace
architecture.
This newly expanded second edition of "Bakous Unified Field Theory" develops the theory across cosmology, quantum
behavior, black-hole dynamics, particle interactions, entropy, consciousness, mathematical formalism, and testable predictions.
It also introduces further treatments of time-force, dimensional structure, harmonic field behavior, and the relationship between
energy and observable reality.
BUFT does not discard established physics, rather it seeks to extend and reinterpret it through a unified timespace perspective,
offering a broader theoretical framework for examining how the universe is structured, evolves, and can be empirically
tested.
Critique: A seminal, thought-provoking, iconoclastic, and groundbreaking study that is exceptionally well written and
thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Bakous Unified Field Theory: A Timespace Perspective" is an
ideal introduction to the Unified Field Theory for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.
While this hardcover edition of "Bakous Unified Field Theory" is unreservedly recommended for community, and
college/university library Science & Physics collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for
students, academia, and the general public that this hardcover edition of "Bakous Unified Field Theory" is also readily
available for personal reading lists in paperback (9798172645280, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: in addition to his work on BUFT, Ronny Bakous established a new branch of physics (quantum relativity)
designed specifically to underpin the development of this framework. His work is self-directed and a product of deep
intellectual engagement and is both a culmination and a beginning -- an invitation into a new physics.
The Cookbook Shelf
You Do You
Serena Wolf
https://www.serenagwolf.com
BenBella Books
www.benbellabooks.com
9781637748763, $35.00, HC, 240pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/You-Do-Endlessly-Adaptable-Confidence/dp/1637748760
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/you-do-you-serena-wolf/1148561304
Synopsis: Nothing kills appetites (and enthusiasm) for kitchen cooks and amateur chefs faster than trying to follow rigid rules
for cooking. But changing things up can also feel risky. What if you end up ruining a meal by changing something in a recipe?
Crafting a delicious meal should be an activity that, first and foremost, feels good.
With the publication of "You Do You: 100+ Endlessly Adaptable Recipes to Boost Your Culinary Confidence", Serena Wolf
features flexible, flavor-packed recipes that are incredible as written but designed to be tweaked endlessly, with tons of
substitution options to help get your creative juices flowing and encourage customization. With Serena's warm guidance, you'll
feel like you have a trusted friend and teacher in your kitchen, helping you fix any hiccups as you have fun making each recipe
your own.
On your adventure through fluffy frittatas, crispy quesadillas, and juicy reverse-seared steak, unlock your inner culinary genius
by: Understanding how to tailor any recipe to personal tastes and dietary restrictions; Getting innovative with the ingredients
you have on hand (instead of letting them go to waste or needing to run out to the grocery store); Confidently tweaking meals
and reimagining dishes in countless ways; Learning a variety of "little lessons to live by" -- foundational techniques, tips, and
tricks that will equip you to cook amazing meals on the fly with no recipe
With recipes that range from staple breakfasts and one-pan meals for busy weeknights to cocktails and even fancier fare, "You
Do You" is a cookbook for everyone, from beginners to seasoned home chefs alike. Because everyone is different -- and that's
a beautiful thing!
Critique: Endorsed by Martha Stewart, "You Do You: 100+ Endlessly Adaptable Recipes to Boost Your Culinary Confidence"
by Serena Wolf is beautifully illustrated throughout with color photos of finished dishes. Each recipe of its palate pleasing,
appetite satisfying dishes is thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and presentation. Inspiring to browse through
and a culinary delight to plan memorable menus with, "You Do You" is unreservedly recommended for personal, family,
professional, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "You Do You"
from BenBella Books is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).
Editorial Note: Serena Wolf (https://www.serenagwolf.com) cultivated her passion for food at Le Cordon Bleu Paris, receiving
her cuisine diploma in 2011. Since then, she has put her culinary skills (and sense of humor) to work as a private chef, culinary
instructor, recipe developer, and blogger at Domesticate-Me.com. She is also the author of The Dude Diet cookbook series and
the co-host of Spiraling, "the optimistic anxiety podcast". Serena's work has been featured by The TODAY Show, The
Huffington Post, SELF, Woman's Day, and The New York Post, as well as many other well-known publications and media
outlets.
Big Mamma: Pasta: 150 of the Best Italian Pasta Recipes
Big Mamma
White Lion Publishing
c/o Quarto Publishing Group
https://www.quarto.com
9781805705277, $36.00, HC, 416pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Big-Mamma-Pasta-Italian-recipes/dp/180570527X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/big-mamma-big-mamma/1149827775
Synopsis: You probably know the basics, but do you really know Italian pasta inside out? Between the hundreds of unique
shapes and the deep-rooted specialties cooked up in every single region, there's always a new culinary adventure waiting for
you -- such as the dishes showcased in "Big Mamma: Pasta: 150 of the Best Italian Pasta Recipes".
With the publication of "Big Mamma: Pasta", the chefs behind hit restaurants like Gloria, Circolo Popolare and Carlotta have
dug up their family secrets to share 150 of their ultimate pasta recipes.
Expect everything from comforting midweek meals to spectacular weekend feasts. Packed with incredible flavour
combinations, "Big Mamma: Pasta" will have you tossing fresh pasta like a true Italian pro in no time. -- So grab your apron
and get cooking!
Critique. This large format (8 x 1.69 x 9.9 inches, 3.73 pounds) hardcover edition of "Big Mamma: Pasta: 150 of the Best
Italian Pasta Recipes" from White Lion Publishing is an impressive and illustrated volume of authentic Italian pasta based
recipes for dishes that are palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, and health inducing culinary delights suitable for any dining
occasion be it formal or informal. While a highly recommended pick for personal, professional, and community library Ethnic:
Italian cookbook collections, and a true pasta lover's delight to browse through and plan menus with, it should be noted that
"Big Mamma: Pasta: 150 of the Best Italian Pasta Recipes" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $34.20).
Editorial Note: Founded in 2015 by Victor Lugger and Tigrane Seydoux, the Big Mamma family is made up of 34 joyful
trattorias and restaurants across 7 countries including: Pink Mamma in Paris, Circolo Popolare and Carlotta in London, Gloria
Osteria in Dublin and Bel Mondo in Madrid. Big Mamma plans to fill the world with the tastes and aromas of Italy, one
restaurant and cookbook at a time.
Phonomenal Nights
Yenvy Pham & Quynh-vy Pham, authors
Sasquatch Books
www.sasquatchbooks.com
9781632175915, $40.00, HC, 208pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Phonomenal-Nights-Vietnamese-Shareables-Cocktails/dp/1632175916
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/phonomenal-nights-yenvy-quynh-pham/1149385775
Synopsis: Dedicated to authentic Vietnamese cuisine, "Phonomenal Nights" is a DIY kitchen cook compendium of 'sharables'
and cocktails that takes entertaining from bland to legendary and piles the table high with color and crunch.
"Phonomenal Nights" is your ultimate guide to throwing a Vietnamese-style party that nobody wants to leave. Think
interactive wrap feasts, show-stopping party boards, and cocktails so good they'll spark a karaoke session. Every recipe carries
the spirit of a family who built a community from scratch -- one bowl of ph at a time.
Fish sauce is your new best friend. Fresh herbs are non-negotiable. Stuffy? Absolutely not.
As the beating heart of Seattle's Little Saigon, co-authors and James Beard finalists Yenvy and Quynh-vy Pham have one
mission: feed everyone, and feed them well Vietnamese style -- whether hosting two people or twenty.
The Pham family's wild stories mingle with doable, crowd-pleasing recipes ranging from Salmon ceviche on black sesame
crackers, to Wrap feasts overflowing with roasted lemongrass ribeye, to Make-ahead Prawn and Brown-Butter-Leek dumplings
-- and so much more!
Divided into five sections covering batch cocktails, wraps you can make table-side, extra fancy party boards, make-ahead
dumplings, and one-pot wonders that can simmer all day, "Phonomenal Nights" is the essential entertaining cookbook for
ethnic Vietnamese dining.
Critique: Beautifully illustrated throughout with full color photos of finished dishes, each recipe comprising "Phonomenal
Nights" is throughly American 'kitchen cook friendly in organized and presentation and features a succinct introductory
commentary, listing of ingredients, and easy to follow instruction. A pleasure to browse through and inspiring to plan menus
with, this large format (10 x 7.3 x 10 inches, 1.25 pounds) hardcover edition of "Phonomenal Nights" from Sasquatch Books is
an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, family, professional, and community library Vietnamese
themed Ethnic Cookbook collections. "Phonomenal Nights" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note #1: Quynh-vy Pham was born in Saigon, now known as Ho Chi Minh City. As the second-oldest of five
siblings, her earliest memories are tied to her parents' first pho restaurant, which set her on the path as a lifelong restaurateur.
When she's not behind the bar or adopting more Pomeranians, you'll find her living a life of leisure, hanging out with her
nieces and nephew, or catching up with friends over good food, strong drinks, or both.
Editorial Note #2: Yenvy Pham was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, where she grew up as the youngest of five in a big
Vietnamese family. Yenvy started working in her family's restaurant at the age of 12, and food has been her north star ever
since. Her love of Vietnamese flavors is at the core of everything she does. She opened her first coffee shop in 2021 to
celebrate the art of roasting and brewing. These days, she splits her time between running the restaurants, developing recipes,
and navigating the daily challenge of keeping the businesses alive and thriving. She lives for lively dinner parties, karaoke
nights, and making sure her neighborhood feels vibrant and full of life.
Matcha
Motoya Koyama
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805320693, $19.99, HC, 96pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Matcha-Authentic-Dessert-Award-Winning-Producer/dp/4805320699
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/matcha-motoya-koyama/1151050010
Synopsis: The Marukyu Koyamaen tea estate, founded in 1704, is the world's leading producer of top-quality matcha tea --
regularly winning Japan's national tea tasting competitions. Their matcha is the brand preferred by connoisseurs and Japanese
tea masters worldwide, and is unmatched for its fragrance, depth and elegance.
The 34 iconic recipes comprising "Matcha: Authentic Green Tea Drinks and Dessert Recipes from Japan's Award-Winning
Matcha Producer" covers the full range of matcha drinks and desserts including:
Classic frothy Matcha Tea, Bittersweet Matcha Lattes and fragrant Sweet Matcha Sake
Matcha cakes including the Matcha Cream Roll Cake and a buttery Matcha Crumble Pound Cake
Matcha-flavored candies like the melt-in-your-mouth Matcha Truffles and Green Tea Caramels
Cookies, like crisp-and-chewy Almond Matcha Financiers and Bittersweet Matcha Shortbread Biscuits
Traditional Japanese sweets like the fluffy Dorayaki Matcha Sweet Bean Pancakes and Matcha Mochi
Aromatic Roasted Green Tea Ice Cream and Extra Rich Matcha Ice Cream
Plus dozens of other authentic matcha recipes!
Bring the authentic flavors of Kyoto's iconic tea culture into your life with the extraordinary "Matcha: Authentic Green Tea
Drinks and Dessert Recipes from Japan's Award-Winning Matcha Producer"
Critique: Authentic, beautifully illustrated with full color photography, and a simply fascinating collection of Japanese tea
related recipes for traditional Matcha Desserts ranging from Rich and Light Matcha Cheesecake; Matcha Vodka Cocktail;
Bittersweet Matcha Latte; and Aromatic Roasted Tea Ice Cream; to Matcha Caramels; Virgin Sweet Matcha Sake; and Special
Assortment of Matcha Agar Jellies. Informatively enhanced for the kitchen cook's benefit with the inclusion of four
Appendices (including Basic Ingredients Used In This Book), "Matcha: Authentic Green Tea Drinks and Dessert Recipes from
Japan's Award-Winning Matcha Producer" is a unique and very special pick for personal, professional, and community library
Japanes/Ethnic cookbook collections.
Editorial Note: Motoya Koyama is the president and CEO of Marukyu Koyamaen, the venerable Japanese tea producer located
in Uji, outside of Kyoto. Founded in 1704, the tea estate supplies an unrivaled selection of top-quality Japanese teas to hotels,
shrines and temples, as well as Japan's top tea ceremony schools. Their matcha is the brand preferred by connoisseurs and tea
masters worldwide, and is unmatched for its fragrance, depth and elegance.
Hamasaku: Recipes and Stories from Kyoto's Legendary Kappo Restaurant
Hiroyuki Morikawa
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805320457, $40.00, HC, 224pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Hamasaku-Recipes-Stories-Legendary-Restaurant/dp/4805320451
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hamasaku-hiroyuki-morikawa/1151116726
Synopsis: From Robert De Niro, Charlie Chaplin and Grace Kelly to Nobel Prize-winning author Yasunari Kawabata and even
the Showa Emperor, Kyoto's Hamasaku restaurant has been a celebrity hotspot for nearly a century. Founded in 1927, it is one
of Japan's most famous restaurants, serving artistically presented kaiseki kappou meals featuring the finest seasonal seafood
and produce.
"Hamasaku: Recipes and Stories from Kyoto's Legendary Kappo Restaurant " is unique and beautifully illustrated cookbook
comprised of recipes for Hamasaku's signature dishes along with detailed information about the techniques, tableware and
history of the restaurant.
Featured are:
Essays and stories about the restaurant's long history, including the meals of celebrity writers, artists, actors and nobility
Lessons on cutting fish and vegetables; preparing perfect dashi broth; delicately simmering, grilling and frying seafood and
meats; and other techniques used by skilled kaiseki chefs
Over 80 recipes that allow fresh, seasonal ingredient to shine - like Spanish Mackerel in Miso, Vinegared Crab with
Chrysanthemum Greens, and Silky Sesame Tofu
Compiled and presented by Hiroyuki Morikawa (the restaurant's third-generation owner), Hamasaku: Recipes and Stories from
Kyoto's Legendary Kappo Restaurant" offers a rare glimpse behind the scenes at one of the world's most elite restaurants, yet
its tone is surprisingly warm and humble. Readers will want to curl up with it in bed, then head into the kitchen to prepare the
exquisite dishes presented in these pages.
Critique: This large format hardcover edition of "Hamasaku: Recipes and Stories from Kyoto's Legendary Kappo Restaurant"
by Hiroyuki Morikawa showcases authentic Japanese cuisine from one of Japan's iconic restaurants and is a delicious pleasure
to plan menus with. Beautifully illustrated throughout with full color photos of completed, palate pleasing, appetite satisfying
dishes, "Hamasaku: Recipes and Stories from Kyoto's Legendary Kappo Restaurant" will prove to be an extraordinary and
welcome addition to personal, professional, and community library Ethnic/Japanese cookbook collections. It should be noted
that it is also readily available for Japanese cuisine enthusiasts in a digital book format (Kindle, $31.19).
Editorial Note: Hiroyuki Morikawa is the third-generation owner of Hamasaku restaurant in Kyoto. He has a deep love for the
arts, including fine arts, kabuki, and music, and many of his dishes are served on beautiful pottery made by Kanjiro Kawai and
other legends of the folk craft movement. He can be found every day in his restaurant kitchen, ensuring that all guests have a
once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The Official SpongeBob SquarePants Cookbook
Jarrett Melendez
Ten Speed Press
https://crownpublishing.com/imprint/ten-speed
9798217273454, $28.00, HC, 176pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Official-SpongeBob-SquarePants-Cookbook-Treasured/dp/B0GC1VPMW4
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-official-spongebob-squarepants-cookbook-official-paramount-licensed/1149731566
Synopsis: SpongeBob, Patrick, and all their friends in Bikini Bottom have come together to share more than 50 of their most
treasured recipes from under the sea in "The Official SpongeBob SquarePants Cookbook"!
Family cooks of all ages can finally recreate foods featured in the television cartoon series like Hot Crossed Nuts, Canned
Bread (the best thing since sliced!), Radioactive Popcorn, and other surprises. And even more recipes for tiki-inspired meals,
colorful drinks, and gooey, decadent desserts -- all of them vegetarian-friendly or offer vegetarian alternatives.
Other delightful dishes include:
Sea Pickle Chips
Swedish Barnacle Balls
Sandy's Texas-Style Chili Con Carne
Double Dark Deep Sea Cake (CHOCOLATE!!)
Krakatoa Lava Cake
Patrick's Pink Punch
Bring the world of SpongeBob SquarePants home with this cookbook perfect for cooks of all levels -- and no Krusty Krab fry
cook training required!
Critique: Original, profusely illustrated with color photos of finished dishes, thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization
and presentation. and fun to plan palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, menus for any and all dining occasions both formal and
informal, "The Official SpongeBob SquarePants Cookbook" by Jarrett Melendez is a unique and unreservedly recommended
addition to personal, family, professional, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that this hardcover
edition of "The Official SpongeBob SquarePants Cookbook" from Ten Speed Press is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Jarrett Melendez is a GLAAD Media Award (and Eisner Award) nominated comic and graphic novel writer,
cookbook author, and food journalist who has written countless articles and developed hundreds of original recipes that have
appeared on Kitchn, Bon Appetit, Epicurious, Saveur, and Food52. He's written a total of ten cookbooks to date, including My
Pokemon Baking Book, RuneScape: The Official Cookbook, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Official Cookbook, The
Official Wednesday Cookbook, The Official Borderlands Cookbook, The White Lotus: The Official Cookbook, Persona: The
Official Cookbook, The Official SpongeBob SquarePants Cookbook, and Santa Claus Conquers the Martians: The Cookbook.
Jarrett grew up on the mean, deer-infested streets of Bucksport, Maine, but currently resides in Watertown, Massachusetts,
with his fiance Theo, a collection of Monokuro Boo plush pigs, and a carefully curated library of more than 100 cans of tinned
fish.
Taste of Home Cozy Comfort Recipes
Taste of Home (Editor)
c/o Trusted Media Brands
https://www.trustedmediabrands.com
9798889772279, $22.99, PB, 320pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Home-Cozy-Comfort-Recipes/dp/B0GPDS68YR
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/taste-of-home-cozy-comfort-recipes-taste-of-home/1149904530
Synopsis: Imagine serving up succulent meatloaf just like mom used to make, or a bubbling, cheesy casserole that fills the
whole house with an irresistible aroma. Each recipe comprising "Taste of Home Cozy Comfort Recipes" comes from a real
home cook and is paired with a beautiful, full-color photo, so you know exactly what deliciousness awaits. It's like having a
friend in the kitchen, guiding you to create those perfect, comforting meals.
"Taste of Home Cozy Comfort Recipes" is a prized DIY compendium of classic comfort dishes and new meal menu ideas that
are suitable for all dining occasions, both formal and informal, range from golden fried chicken and creamy Mac 'N' Cheese, to
savory soups and decadent desserts, to side dishes and savory snacks.
Critique: A 'kitchen cook friendly' compendium of more than 250 palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, emotionally comforting
recipes for 'any-night' meals and family gatherings, this trade paperback (8.06 x 0.7 x 8.94 inches, 1.84 pounds) edition of
"Taste of Home Cozy Comfort Recipes" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to personal, family,
professional, and community library cookbook collections. Profusely and beautifully illustrated with color photos of finished
dishes throughout, each individual recipe presents a listing of ingredients, cooking instructions, prep time, and serving
numbers. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Taste of Home Cozy Comfort Recipes" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Taste of Home is America's #1 food/lifestyle brand, inspiring togetherness through cooking, baking and
entertaining. Featuring recipes shared by today's home cooks, Taste of Home magazine has hundreds of thousands of
subscribers throughout North America and publishes best-selling cookbooks and newsstand specials. The brand's web site is a
top destination, featuring kitchen-tested recipes, how-to techniques, cooking videos and more. Taste of Home has more than 7
million fans on Facebook, 2.1 million followers on Instagram, 2.7 million Pinterest followers and receives more than 28
million unique monthly visitors. Visit Taste of Home on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to learn more.
Best Ever Batch Cooks
Good Food, author
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9780600640325, $24.99, HC, 240pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/GOOD-FOOD-Best-Batch-Cooks/dp/0600640329
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/good-food-best-ever-batch-cooks-good-food/1149600136
Synopsis: Whether your goal is to save time, reduce stress or simply waste less food, batch cooking is the perfect solution and
with the publication of Best Ever Batch Cooks: Over 100 Fuss-Free Freezable & Prep-Ahead Meals" from Good Food, recipes
from 100 of the best ever batch cooks make meal prep and planning easier than ever.
Batch cooking ensures that you always have something nourishing, delicious and ready to eat when you need it most. "Best
Ever Batch Cooks" has clear instructions for storing, freezing and reheating every single recipe, as well as an introduction
featuring tips for getting started and making the most of your freezer.
Recipes featured in Best Ever Batch Cooks" include:
Breakfasts such as American Blueberry Pancakes and Overnight Oats
Snacks and sharers such as Ploughman's Sausage Rolls and Jamaican Veggie Patties
Meat, poultry and fish such as Big-batch Bolognese and Mango, Lime & Chilli Prawn Fishcakes
Veggie dishes such as Easy Lentil Curry and Easy Vegetarian Chilli
Soups, salads and sides such as Spiced Lentil & Butternut Squash Soup and Green Bean Casserole
Bakes and desserts such as Rhubarb Crumble, Ultimate Sticky Toffee Pudding and the Best Ever Chocolate Brownies
Every recipe uses simple-to-source ingredients, is written using easy-to-follow steps, and is accompanied by full nutritional
values and a photograph of the finished dish.
Critique: Each of the 100 recipes showcased in "Best Ever Batch Cooks: Over 100 Fuss-Free Freezable & Prep-Ahead Meals"
from Good Books includes prep time, cooking time, serves number, an ingredients list, step-by-step instructions, and
nutritional information. Original, unique, 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and presentation, "Best Ever Batch Cooks"
will prove a welcome and popular addition to personal, family, professional, and community library cookbook collections.
Editorial Note: Good Food has been the home cooks' choice for over 35 years. It's the UK's most popular food media brand
with goodfood.com reaching over 50 million users. They are the proud owner of the UK's number one food website; a brilliant
app, a market-leading food magazine and the UK's largest food event - Good Food Show - as well as a hugely successful series
of cookbooks.
The Ultimate High-Fibre Handbook
Jenny Tschiesche
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9780600640462, $26.99, HC, 192pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-High-Fibre-Handbook-Support-Immunity/dp/0600640469
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ultimate-high-fibre-handbook-jenny-tschiesche/1149388352
Synopsis: Drawing on nutritional science and years of clinical practice, with the publication of "The Ultimate High-Fibre
Handbook: Boost Health ú Support Immunity ú Live Longer", nutritional expert Jenny Tschiesche breaks down how fiber
works alongside high-protein and low-carb diets, and its profound impact on digestion, microbiome health, blood sugar
regulation and longevity.
"The Ultimate High-Fibre Handbook" is the ultimate DIY guide to increasing your fiber intake naturally, without fiber
supplements or fads like fibermaxxing.
"The Ultimate High-Fibre Handbook" includes:
70 nourishing recipes that are naturally high in fiber
Step-by-step tips to gradually increase your fiber intake without discomfort
Hydration and cooking methods to maximize your fiber tolerance
Practical guidance on the best whole food fiber sources
From hearty lentil stews to seed-based breads and gut-friendly smoothies, "The Ultimate High-Fibre Handbook" is both a
recipe book and a roadmap to a healthier way of eating. Rediscover this vital, overlooked nutrient that is foundational to your
lifelong health.
Critique: "The Ultimate High-Fibre Handbook: Boost Health ú Support Immunity ú Live Longer" by Jenny Tschiesche is
beautifully illustrated with color photos of finished dishes. This is a thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' compendium of palate
pleasing, appetite satisfying, health promoting compendium of dishes that range from Black Bean Tacos, Spiced Lentil &
Spinach Soup, and Cinnamon Multigrain Porridge with Blueberries, to Berry & Beetroot Smoothie, Oat & Almond Energy
Bites; and Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies. While this hardcover edition of "The Ultimate High-Fibre Handbook" from
Hamlyn is a prized pick for personal, family, professional, and community library Health & Cookbook collections, it should be
noted that it is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).
Editorial Note: Presenter and nutrition expert Jenny Tschiesche is a renowned speaker, content creator and bestselling author.
She has a Foundation Degree and Diploma in Nutritional Therapy from Bedfordshire University and Institute of Optimum
Nutrition. Jenny is an inspired and inventive cook who has worked with athletes, sporting bodies, people dealing with illness,
parents, fussy eaters and children. She has helped thousands of clients and conducted seminars, workshops and lectures
globally - in schools, at festivals, to corporates and to Olympians. As a gifted presenter, she is also a regular contributor to the
national press, BBC radio and TV.
Lettuce Riot
Becky Selengut
Sasquatch Books
www.sasquatchbooks.com
9781632176646, $34.99, HC, 224pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Lettuce-Riot-High-Protein-Salads-Punch/dp/1632176645
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lettuce-riot-becky-selengut/1149817751
Synopsis: Move over, basic iceberg lettuce with ranch dressing; the world is tired of your sad, restrictive, and out-of-season
leaves and ready for DIY salads with vibrant texture, diverse ingredients, and riotous color and texture!
"Lettuce Riot: High-Protein Salads That Pack a Punch" focuses on the pure joy of protein-rich dinner salads in all their forms
-- asking, "What even is a salad?" (The answer, of course, is you can't pin salad down! You must surrender to its
ineffability.)
Showcasing 50 recipes de-emphasizing a greens-based salad (think dense bean salads and taco salads!), "Lettuce Riot:
High-Protein Salads That Pack a Punch" offers plenty of wry humor and wordplay, protein counts of each recipe backed by a
nutritionist, 35 full-color photos, and humorous margin doodles. Chef Becky Selengut (who is also the author of
"Misunderstood Vegetables") brings lightness and fun to a once-derided mainstay of the dinner table.
"Lettuce Riot: High-Protein Salads That Pack a Punch" features recipes for an impressive variety of salads ranging from Salt
and vinegar potato salad with dill pickles and potato chips; Cobb Salad with Katsu Tofu; Chickpea chopped salad with
chorizo, olives, almonds, fennel, piquillos and sherry vinegar dressing; and Grilled Chicken and Charred Corn with Lime,
Chili, Cilantro, and Cotija; to Buffalo Cauliflower, Chickpea, and Tempeh Salad with Red Cabbage and Blue Cheese Dressing;
and Jewish Deli Salad with Pickled Beets, Lox, Dill, Capers, Bagel Croutons, and Everything Spice.
Then there are the DIY recipes of mix-and-match dressings like Roasted shallot vinaigrette with balsamic and Greenest
Goddess dressing. Plus salad 'toppers' like Crispy Spiced Chickpeas and Shiitake Mushroom "Bacon".
Critique: "Lettuce Riot: High-Protein Salads That Pack a Punch" by Chef Becky Selengut is your new go-to guide to shaking
up your salads for maximum flavor impact. This large format (10 x 7.3 x 10 inches, 1.25 pounds) hardcover culinary volume
dedicated to salads and salad makings is profusely illustrated, offers clear ingredient lists and instructions for each unique
salad, and is unreservedly recommended for personal, family, professional, and community library cookbook collections. It
should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Lettuce Riot: High-Protein Salads That Pack a Punch" from Sasquatch Books is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.99).
Editorial Note: Becky Selengut (https://www.beckyselengut.com) is an educator and chef based in Seattle. She is the chef on
the M/V Thea Foss and the author of five other cookbooks: Misunderstood Vegetables, Good Fish, Shroom, How to Taste, and
Not One Shrine.
Rome: Classic Recipes from the Eternal City
Lucia Tersigni and Audrey Cosson
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781846017308, $32.99
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Rome-Classic-Recipes-Eternal-recipes/dp/1846017300
Rome: Classic Recipes from the Eternal City by Lucia Tersigni and Audrey Cosson is an Italian cookbook that pairs lovely
color photos of Rome and discussions of touring possibilities off the usual path with some 200 recipes that celebrate the city's
culinary flavors. Variations on common Italian fare that are unique to Rome are exemplified by recipes such as Fettuccine Alla
Papalina, which requires a pasta-making machine and an interest in sophisticated adaptations. This one includes a sauce of
cured ham, butter, onion, cream and cheese. A melt-in-the-mouth Coda Alla Vaccinara (Roman Oxtail Stew) flavored with
sage, bay leaves, cloves, wine, raisins, and pine nuts also expands the boundaries of traditional Italian fare. Readers, cooks, and
libraries interested in adopting a more regional approach to Italian cooking will find Rome: Classic Recipes from the Eternal
City a top-level "must have" acquisition.
A Tuscan Table: Seasonal Vegetarian Recipes from Italy
Luca Calvani
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781846017285, $34.99
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Tuscan-Table-Seasonal-Vegetarian-Recipes/dp/1846017289
Luca Calvani's A Tuscan Table: Seasonal Vegetarian Recipes from Italy captures both food and the atmosphere of Tuscany in
a celebratory title that blends full-page color photos with seasonal dishes from Luca Calvani's small Tuscan villa Le Gusciane.
Some dishes, such as Pumpkin Pie, will be familiar comfort fare; while others, such as Butternut Squash and Radicchio
Casserole or Braised Fennel with Raisins, Pine Nuts and Olives, offer surprising innovations. These celebrations of Tuscany's
seasonal opportunities will appeal to anyone interested in a recipe-centric cookbook that acknowledges local vegetarian
opportunities year-round.
The Money/Finance Shelf
No Loose Ends
Adam Zuckerman, author
Jess Wakefield, contributor
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
www.wiley.com
9781394374809, $35.00, HC, 480pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/No-Loose-Ends-End-Life/dp/1394374801
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-loose-ends-adam-zuckerman/1148032814
Synopsis: With the publication of "No Loose Ends: The Smart & Slightly Morbid Guide to Estate Planning & End-of-Life
Tasks", attorney, estate planning, and end-of-life educator Adam Zuckerman delivers a clear, plain-English guide to the entire
spectrum of planning, from wills and trusts to caregiving logistics, funeral decisions, digital assets, and what actually happens
after someone dies.
"No Loose Ends" does not just explain paperwork. It explains the system your family will rely on for funerary purposes.
With clarity, empathy, and a touch of dark humor, Zuckerman connects estate planning, end-of-life decisions, and post-death
responsibilities into one understandable framework. Readers gain the high-level context most families only learn in the middle
of a crisis.
"No Loose Ends" covers:
How wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives actually work together
What executors and family members realistically face after a death
The practical realities of probate, funeral planning, and settling an estate
How to organize financial, property, and digital information so it can be found and used
Where families commonly get stuck, and how to prevent loose ends
With insightful commentary by certified funeral service provider Jess Wakefield, "No Loose Ends" is specifically designed by
Adam Zuckerman to give readers confidence before meeting with an attorney, financial advisor, or funeral professional. "No
Loose Ends" will also help you ask better questions and make informed decisions.
Throughout "No Loose Ends", readers are guided to practical tools and additional resources from Buried in Work, bridging
education, action and more. This is because estate planning isn't just about documents. It's about clarity, preparation, and
making life easier for the people you love.
Critique: Comprehensive, exceptional, impressively well written, organized and presented for the benefit of the non-specialist
general reader, "No Loose Ends: The Smart & Slightly Morbid Guide to Estate Planning & End-of-Life Tasks" is especially,
particularly, and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, senior center, and college/university
library Funerary & Estate Planning, Last Will & Testaments Creation, Estate & Trust Law, and Wealth Management
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "No Loose Ends" from
Wiley is also readily available for Funerary Industry professionals and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.00).
Editorial Note #1: Adam Zuckerman is an attorney, MBA, and the Founder of Buried in Work, which provides resources that
help families and businesses simplify estate planning and end-of-life tasks.
Editorial Note #2: Jess Wakefield is a Certified Funeral Service Practitioner (CFSP) and past president of the Washington
State Funeral Directors Association.
For the Love of Money: Four Dizzying Decades Riding the Merrill Lynch Bull
James Patrick Rooney
Koehler Books
www.koehlerbooks.com
9798897472659, $29.95, PB, 366pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Money-Dizzying-Decades-Merrill/dp/B0H5FP5486
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/for-the-love-of-money-james-patrick-rooney/1150408272
Synopsis: Starting off in a toxic West Palm Beach penny stock boiler room, James Patrick Rooney joins Merrill Lynch's
"thundering herd" at the opening of arguably the most disruptive four decades in Wall Street history (1983 through 2017). As
the nascent Information Age rapidly transforms his trade, what follows in his professional memoir, "For the Love of Money:
Four Dizzying Decades Riding the Merrill Lynch Bull" is an eye-opening, often enraging account of congressional and C-suite
ineptitudes largely responsible for the decade-long "savings and loan crisis" and the irrational "new paradigm" economy,
culminating in back-to-back periods of wealth destruction rivaled only by the Great Depression.
"For the Love of Money" (at times cynical, while other times quite humorous) is as much a personal and spiritual growth
parable as it is one man's dizzying romp on the Merrill Lynch bull, presenting aspirational tales of angels and heroes along with
the wisdom of sages capable of guiding us toward an enduring sense of meaning and happiness. And it just may offer the
inspirational spark so many desperately need during our precarious times.
Critique: Remarkably informative, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "For the Love of Money: Four
Dizzying Decades Riding the Merrill Lynch Bull" by genuine insider James Patrick Rooney will be of special and particular
value and interest to readers concerned with how the stock market really works -- for good or ill. An inherently fascinating read
from start to finish, "For the Love of Money" is a unique and recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections and supplemental Wealth
Management/Economic History curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "For the Love of
Money" from Koehler Books is also available in paperback (9798897472642, $20.95).
Editorial Note: James Patrick Rooney was born in the Bronx and, after suffering a spinal cord injury (paraplegia) at nineteen
while at Providence College, migrated south to the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, and earned a business
management and economics degree. Settling in Jupiter, Florida, he began a career in financial services and started his
exceptional family. After four decades at Merrill Lynch as first vice president and senior wealth management advisor in the
Palm Beach market, Rooney published his first novel, "Sitting on a Rainbow: A 21st Century Irish American Morality Tale", a
mix of memoir, fiction and blarney.
The Photography Shelf
Colorado Wildlife Impressions
Brad Manard and Paul J. Marcottie, photographers
Farcountry Press
www.farcountrypress.com
9781560379317, $16.95, PB, 80pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Colorado-Wildlife-Impressions-Brad-Manard/dp/1560379316
Synopsis: From soaring golden eagles to elusive snowshoe hares, "Colorado Wildlife Impressions" by wildlife and nature
photographers Brad Manard and Paul J. Marcottie magnificently captures the untamed beauty of Colorado's most iconic
animals through breathtaking color photography and fascinating natural history insights.
"Colorado Wildlife Impressions" is a compendium of stunning full-color wildlife photography from across Colorado's diverse
landscapes, featuring elk, moose, bighorn sheep, black bears, marmots, pelicans, and more. Informative captions exploring
animal behavior and habitats.
Showcasing the work of acclaimed wildlife photographers Brad Manard and Paul J. Marcotte, "Colorado Wildlife
Impressions" is an ideal pick that is perfect for wildlife enthusiasts, photographers, hikers, and lovers of the Rocky
Mountains.
Blending artistry, storytelling, and a deep respect for nature, this captivating collection offers an unforgettable glimpse into the
remarkable wildlife that calls Colorado home.
Critique: Colorado Wildlife Impressions is a vivid, full-color photography book showcasing the wild animals of Colorado in
their natural habit. A treasure trove from cover to cover, Colorado Wildlife is the next best thing to personally hiking the
Colorado wilds in search of fauna, and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Wildlife Photography collections.
Editorial Note #1: An intimate photographer of Colorado's abundant wildlife, Brad Manard is recognized as the owner of
RMNPhotographer and as an advocate for Rocky Mountain National Park. For over forty years, he has been capturing striking
images of nature through his deep knowledge of the dynamic wildlife and majestic beauty surrounding him.
Editorial Note #2: Paul J. Marcotte is an award-winning wildlife photographer who grew up surrounded by the majestic Rocky
Mountains. His work emphasizes the intimate relationship between wildlife and their ever-shrinking habitat, blending a deep
respect for nature through his technical skills. In 2023, Paul was named Photographer of the Year by the North American
Nature Wildlife Landscape Photographer Association.
Vintage Japan
Ornella Civardi, author
Felice Beato, et al., photographers
Francesco Paolo Campione, preface
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805320679, $40.00, HC, 320pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Japan-Century-Photographs-Yokohama/dp/4805320672
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/vintage-japan-ornella-civardi/1149158960
Synopsis: Offering a rare and exclusive look at Japan as it existed for centuries prior to the modern era, "Vintage Japan: Rare
19th Century Photographs from the Yokohama Studio of Felice Beato" is a large-format hardcover volume that features 283
exquisite albumen silver prints taken by the pioneering British-Italian photographer Felice Beato in the 19th century, many of
them hand-colored by artists working at his Yokohama studio.
These historic photos offer glimpses of a lost world ranging from breathtaking landscapes and architectural marvels, to scenes
of everyday life and the people of Japan during the time of the Shoguns. The images are hand-colored, lending them a painterly
quality reminiscent of traditional nihonga paintings or ukiyo-e woodblock prints.
"Vintage Japan: Rare 19th Century Photographs from the Yokohama Studio of Felice Beato" also includes chapters on Geisha,
Samurai, Martial Combat, Tattoos, Arts and Crafts, Landscapes, Cities, Temples and Shrines, as well as stereoscopic images. It
is an essential addition to the library of any passionate enthusiast or art historian, and anyone wanting to explore the beauty and
complexity of premodern Japan.
Critique: An unarguably magnificent and unique compendium of historic and authentic Shogun era Japanese men and women,
"Vintage Japan: Rare 19th Century Photographs from the Yokohama Studio of Felice Beato" is a prime choice for personal,
professional, community, and college/university library Japanese History/Culture and Historic Photography collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for photography students and Japanese History buffs that this large
format (8.5 x 1.18 x 11 inches, 3.77 pounds) hardcover edition from Tuttle Publishing is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $31.19).
Editorial Note #1: Ornella Civardi has translated the works of many celebrated Japanese writers and poets including Yukio
Mishima, Yasunari Kawabata, Junzaburo Nishiwaki, and Yoko Ogawa. She has a degree in Oriental Languages and Literature
from the Ca' Foscari University in Venice. In 2005, she won the prestigious Alcantara Prize for her Italian translation of
Kawabata's Palm-of-the-Hand Stories.
Editorial Note #2: Felice Beato (1832-1909) was an Italian-born photographer known for his extensive work in the
Mediterranean, East Asia, and South Asia, particularly in India, China, Japan, and Burma. He documented major events like
the Crimean War, the Indian Rebellion of 1857, and the Second Opium War. He ran a studio based in Yokohama, Japan, for
twenty years and was a pioneer in producing albums of his photographs that were hand-colored by a team of artists.
Editorial Note #3: Francesco Paolo Campione teaches cultural anthropology at the University of Insubria, Italy, and is also the
Director of the Museo delle Culture (MUSEC) in Lugano, Switzerland. He has curated over 90 art exhibitions in Italy,
Switzerland, and other countries, and has published dozens of catalogues and over 120 articles in scholarly journals.
Alleys & Ruins: A Photographic Memoir
Xavier Nuez
https://www.nuez.com
Old Light Editions
9798995624608, $125.00, HC, 304pp
Ordering: www.nuez.com/book
Synopsis: "Alleys & Ruins" by Xavier Nuez is a magnificently illustrated and a kind of 'you are there' large-format
photography memoir. The printing, paper, binding, scale, and photographic sequencing are integral to this truly remarkable and
visual study.
Xavier Nuez's storytelling style is as eloquent and it is engaging. Here is a sample:
"In 1987, I walked into a job interview and my brain snapped.
Within a day, I went from outgoing and confident to unable to hold a conversation. There was no diagnosis, no treatment, and
no name for what had happened to me.
Six years later, I walked into a dark alley at night with a camera, and the fear stopped. So I kept going. For twenty-five years
and 1,200 nights across more than fifty cities, I wandered the alleys and ruins of North America with a fifty-year-old
Hasselblad, chased by gangs, guns pointed at me. And I kept going back, because the only place the dread couldn't find me was
in the dark.
This is the story I planned to take to my grave."
Strip away the photography and you still have a riveting narrative. Strip away the memoir and you still have a singular,
haunting body of contemporary photography. Together, they create something without a clean precedent."
This book tells two stories. One is how I became the kind of person who would plant a camera in a city's most dangerous
places and think, "Yeah... this feels right. I'll just stand here flashing bright lights for the next three hours. Hope nothing bad
happens." The other is the collection of things that happen when a man does such a thing, consistently, for twenty-five
years."
Critique: Original, exceptional, memorable, intensely personal yet with a universal resonance, "Alleys & Ruins" by Xavier
Nuez is comprised of 240 photographs and is a simply extraordinary and inherently fascinating illustrated memoir from start to
finish. While this hardcover edition of "Alleys & Ruins" from Old Light Editions is a unique and unreservedly recommended
pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir &
Photography collections.
Editorial Note: Xavier Nuez is an acclaimed, award winning art photographer whose unusual, innovative and painterly
approach to lighting and photography has created a distinct celebration of all things scary, ugly or boring.
The Biography/Memoir Shelf
Harboring The Enemy: The Civil War Heroine History Forgot
R. C. Duffy
https://www.rcduffy.com
American Legacy Media
https://www.americanlegacymedia.com
9780981848983, $14.95, PB, 173pp
Publication Release Date: November 11, 2026
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Harboring-Enemy-Heroine-History-Forgot-ebook/dp/B0HJ78QXNB
Net Galley
https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/880007
Synopsis: Charleston, 1861.
Anna Itgen is a twenty-year-old German immigrant, newly married and expecting her first child, when cannon fire erupts from
Fort Sumter and upends her world. Within months, her husband is killed at the Battle of Port Royal.
Then as a single mother, Anna works alongside her neighbors to survive the Union blockade, all while a Confederate prison
sits within view of her window, packed with starving captives. She begins slipping bread to guards and prisoners alike.
Anna hides an escaped Union officer in her cellar and is summoned before the Confederate provost marshal on charges that
could hang her. Choosing her integrity over self-preservation, Anna Itgen risked everything for a stranger who wore the wrong
uniform.
"Harboring The Enemy: The Civil War Heroine History Forgot" by R. C. Duffy is her true and documented story.
Critique: A deftly written biography based on meticulous research and impressively 'reader friendly' in organization and
presentation, "Harboring The Enemy: The Civil War Heroine History Forgot" by R. C. Duffy is a simply fascinating read from
start to finish. A fact based biography that reads with all the emotional suspense and thrills of a novel, "Harboring The Enemy"
is an impressively original and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and
college/university library American Civil War History/Biography collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: R. C. Duffy (https://www.rcduffy.com) is an accomplished educator, writer, and lifelong advocate for literacy
and learning. With extensive experience teaching English composition and literature in both secondary and post-secondary
settings, Duffy has dedicated a career to helping students develop strong communication, critical thinking, and analytical
writing skills. Her work has included teaching college composition, concurrent enrollment courses, and English language arts,
where she has earned a reputation for creating engaging learning experiences that challenge students intellectually while
supporting their individual growth.
Pilgrimage of the Spirit
Puja A. J. Thomson
Roots & Wings Press
9781928663188, $18.95, PB, 230pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Pilgrimage-Spirit-Journey-Countries-Cultures/dp/1928663184
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pilgrimage-of-the-spirit-puja-a-j-thomson/1150467950
Synopsis: With the publication of her personal travelogue and memoir, "Pilgrimage of the Spirit: My Journey Across
Countries, Cultures, and Faiths", Puja A. J. Thomson shares her questioning of her beliefs and how she found the courage to
follow her inner guidance as it she swept across continents, encountering differing cultures and faiths.
Not merely a tourist seeking entertainment, she grows beyond the limitations of her upbringing in Scotland. In her teens, she
connects with Christians behind the Iron Curtain in Communist East Germany; as a young woman, she meets her spiritual
teacher in India, becomes a follower, and is given a new name. She explored new ideas of love and generosity within her open
marriage in the USA. She later lives in Osho's Commune at Rajneeshpuram, Oregon, before making her home in New
York.
She learned that there are as many paths as people, and we are all one in our shared humanity, even with those who appear to
be different. Through joy and heartbreak, she discovers there is light and dark within everyone, even beloved spiritual
teachers.
"Pilgrimage of the Spirit" will inspire readers to follow their own intuition to people and places that call them!
Critique: "Pilgrimage of the Spirit: My Journey Across Countries, Cultures, and Faiths" showcases author Puja A. J.
Thomson's genuine flair for the kind of narrative and anecdotally driven storytelling style that fully engages the reader's total
attention from start to finish. Part memoir, part travelogue, and with astute insights and inherently thought-provoking
commentaries, "Pilgrimage of the Spirit" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, community, and
college/university library Contemporary Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted for readers with an interest in the
subject that this paperback edition of "Pilgrimage of the Spirit" from Roots & Wings is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.95).
Editorial Note: There is an online listing of books by Puja A. J. Thomson on Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15008253.Puja_A_J_Thomson
How to Lose a Life You Love
Mike Karame
Mike Karame Publishing
https://mikekarame.com
9781764794510, $29.99, HC, 280pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/How-Lose-Life-You-Love/dp/1764794516
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-lose-a-life-you-love-mike-karame/1150927432
Synopsis: In his riveting memoir, " How to Lose a Life You Love: A Memoir of Conditioning, Collapse, and Sovereignty",
Mike Karame addresses the question -- What happens when the life you built becomes the life that buries you?
For nearly thirty years, Mike had devoted himself to creating the life he had always imagined. Nineteen of those years were
spent running his own horse club in Lebanon, while motorcycles, paragliding, kitesurfing, business, and travel became part of a
life driven by discipline, risk, adventure, and freedom.
From the outside, it looked like a life chosen. But beneath it lay a quieter truth. Much of it had been shaped long before he
realized he had a choice.
In the pages of his life story Mike traces the invisible conditioning that teaches us to trade our own voice for approval,
obedience, success, and belonging. From a childhood marked by war, control, and emotional absence, to a life built through
ambition, rebellion, and risk, to a devastating collapse in Australia that cost him almost everything, and to the unexpected love
he found in the ruins, this memoir asks one central question:
What remains when everything is taken away?
Raw, reflective, and deeply human, How to Lose a Life You Love is not a personal life story about losing everything. It's a
memoir about finding the part of yourself that was never lost.
Critique: Candid, informative, insightful, thought-provoking, and an inherently compelling read from start to finish, "How to
Lose a Life You Love: A Memoir of Conditioning, Collapse, and Sovereignty" by Mike Karame is especially recommended to
the attention of readers with an interest in unusual and personal transformation themed memoirs. Exceptionally well written
and presented, "How to Lose a Life You Love" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for community and
college/university library Contemporary Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this
hardcover edition of "How to Lose a Life You Love" from Mike Karame Publishing is also available in paperback
(9781764794503, $24.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: As a writer, Mike Karame (https://mikekarame.com) explores the hidden forces that shape our choices, the
identities we inherit, and what remains when the life we built falls away. Drawing on nearly three decades of adventure,
entrepreneurship, and profound personal loss, he invites readers to question the stories they've mistaken for their own and
rediscover the freedom that cannot be taken away.
Greek by Osmosis: My Life on A Small Greek Island
Laura Aristidou Candris
Independently Published
9798218745615, $14.99, PB, 334pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Greek-Osmosis-Small-Island-Recipes/dp/B0G368HMC2
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/greek-by-osmosis-laura-candris/1149012985
Synopsis: "Greek by Osmosis: My Life on A Small Greek Island" by Laura Aristidou Candris is a warm and witty memoir
chronicling an American woman's decades-long immersion into life on a small Greek island after falling in love with a
charming Greek student.
From navigating a real estate market with no agents, to building a house via faxes and faith, Laura discovers a special world
without secrets, ruled by Island Time, mysterious bureaucracy, and endearing customs. Along the way, she battles
cement-eating ants, goat invasions, and attacks by a murder of crows, while learning to cook Greek foods at her angelic
mother-in-law's elbow.
With humor and heart, she captures the joys and frustrations of learning Greek and adapting to island life -- where the night
sky stuns, hospitality abounds, and even doing the laundry is an adventure. Infused with Greek words, recipes, and mishaps,
"Greek by Osmosis" is a kind of love letter to an island, a marriage, and the beautifully chaotic adventure of becoming part of
another culture.
With its deft blending of heartfelt storytelling, vivid sensory detail, authentic Greek cuisine recipes, and affectionate
observations Laura invites her readers to experience Greece not as tourists, but through the eyes of an insider who reveals the
beauty hidden within everyday island life.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Greek by Osmosis: My Life on A Small Greek Island" by
Laura Aristidou Candris is a simply fascinating life story that will have immense appeal for readers with an interest in
contemporary Greek culture, travelogues, and cooking. While "Greek by Osmosis" is especially and unreservedly
recommended for community library Contemporary Biography/Memoir collections, it should be noted for personal reading
lists that this paperback edition is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Laura Aristidou Candris is a graduate of Transylvania University (in
Lexington, Kentucky, not Romania) where she met Aris, the charming and brilliant Greek student she married at age nineteen.
Like many who love writing, she chose law school, earning her degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
Laura practiced law for thirty-four years, all but two of them in Pittsburgh, and became a mediator late in her career. She was
also a corporate spouse: Aris rose from Senior Engineer B to become President and CEO of Westinghouse Electric Company --
and she never got a nickel of legal work from it.
They loved everything about Pittsburgh -- except the weather and the roads. The climate drove them to retire to Naples,
Florida, for the months they're not on the beloved Greek island. In Naples, Laura serves on nonprofit boards, volunteers in the
community, participates in four book groups, cooks, and writes.
Northern Lights and Rocket Flights
Neal Brown
Springer
https://www.springer.com/us
9783032145970, $39.99, HC, 285pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Northern-Lights-Rocket-Flights-Biographies/dp/303214597X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/northern-lights-and-rocket-flights-neal-brown/1148766199
Synopsis: "Northern Lights and Rocket Flights: My Years at Poker Flat Research Range" is the personal memoir of Neal
Brown, a man who dedicated over four decades to the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute and inspired
countless individuals with his passion for discovery and education.
Born in 1938, Neal's journey led him from early work with NASA to becoming a beloved figure in Alaska science education.
His fascination with the aurora borealis drew him to Fairbanks in the mid-1960s. This marked the beginning of a lifelong
commitment to understanding the aurora, Earth's atmosphere, and space.
Poker Flat Research Range is the only university-owned rocket range in the world and is a premier facility for launching
sounding rockets for scientific research. Neal served as the director for 18 years, overseeing numerous rocket launches and
other research projects, and enormous improvements in the infrastructure there. Later, he led the Alaska Space Grant Program,
promoting education and research in aerospace and earth sciences across the state.
This is also the story of (as Neal Brown describes it): "What we had were a bunch of experienced hooligans with Alaska
homesteader personalities who had a hunch they could do it better and cheaper than "those NASA guys""
Critique: Impressively well written, exceptionally informative, and an inherently interesting read from start to finish, "Northern
Lights and Rocket Flights: My Years at Poker Flat Research Range" will hold a very special appeal with readers interested in
the personal and professional life story of the late Neal B. Brown -- a scientist deeply involved in the development of American
rocket and space technology research. This hardcover edition of "Northern Lights and Rocket Flights" from Springer is a very
special and unreservedly recommended pick for community and college/university library Contemporary American
Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that it is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $39.99, B&N).
Editorial Note: Neal B. Brown (1938-2021) was a pioneering rocket scientist, atmospheric physicist, and one of the early
architects of America's upper-atmosphere research program. (https://www.nealbrownrockets.com)
Jens Jensen: Nature's Artist
William H. Tishler
University of Illinois Press
www.press.uillinois.edu
9780252049842, $110.00, HC, 192pp
9780252089503, $24.95, PB, 192pp
9780252049019, $19.95, Kindle, 227pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Jens-Jensen-Natures-William-Tishler/dp/0252049845
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/jens-jensen-william-tishler/1149004724
Synopsis: "Jens Jensen: Nature's Artist" is a biography of the influential landscape architect who was celebrated as one of the
great landscape architects of his era and drew upon his love of nature to transform Illinois and the Midwest.
Chicago's Columbus Park and the Lincoln Memorial Garden in Springfield, Illinois remain part of his vast living legacy, while
Jensen's conservation work influenced the establishment of national parks and natural spaces.
A member of the Prairie School, Jensen's affinity for nature found expression not only in public spaces but in his estate designs
for Henry Ford and other industrialists.
With the publication of "Jens Jensen: Nature's Artist", William H. Tishler tracks Jensen's career and provides a wealth of new
information on his personal life: his fierce dislike of and independence from the eastern establishment, as well as his bold
proposals for the Indiana Dunes and other spaces.
Tishler also examines Jensen's semi-retirement in Door County and his creation of The Clearing, a folk school devoted to
connecting human beings with nature.
Critique: Informative enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of an informative Foreword by Darrel G. Morrison
and a four page Introduction, "Jens Jensen: Nature's Artist" by William H. Tishler also features fourteen pages of Notes and a
five page Index. Exceptionally well written and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Jens Jensen:
Nature's Artist" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections.
Editorial Note: William H. Tishler is a Professor Emeritus of Planning and Landscape Architecture at the University of
Wisconsin - Madison. He is also the editor of Midwestern Landscape Architecture, American Landscape Architecture:
Designers and Places, and Jens Jensen, Writings Inspired by Nature.
John M. Schofield
Robert Wooster
University of Oklahoma Press
www.oupress.com
9780806197227, $55.00, HC, 410pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/John-Schofield-Soldier-Statesman-Campaigns-Commanders/dp/0806197226
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/john-m-schofield-robert-wooster/1149687130
Synopsis: John M. Schofield (September 29, 1831 - March 4, 1906) had a career spanning multiple decades ranging from the
Civil War and Reconstruction to the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. He left a lasting impact on the American military.
Despite his accomplishments as a general and statesman, Schofield is arguably one of the most overlooked figures in the
history of nineteenth-century United States.
"John M. Schofield: Soldier-Statesman of the Civil War and Gilded Age" is an informatively rich biography that is
exhaustively researched and masterfully written by historian and academician Robert Wooster who draws upon fresh
scholarship to place Schofield's remarkable career of military service within the broader contexts of American politics and
social reform.
Despite narrowly escaping expulsion before graduating from the U.S. Military Academy, Schofield advanced at a young age to
the rank of general, holding several Union Army commands during the Civil War. Decades later he would be recognized with a
Medal of Honor for his courage at the 1861 Battle of Wilson's Creek.
His career of service had only just begun, though. In the wake of Reconstruction and in an era of limited government, Professor
Wooster explains, the nation needed its soldiers to serve as diplomats, administrators, and agents of empire. Schofield rose to
these challenges, moving on to serve, among other roles, as envoy to France, U.S. secretary of war, and, in retirement, as
advisor to presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.
Today he is familiar to many as the namesake for the Schofield Barracks on Oahu, Hawaii, established to defend Pearl
Harbor.
Through this unflinching biography, covering both Schofield's successes and shortcomings, Professor Wooster delivers a broad
narrative that moves beyond military experiences and unearths the complex relationship between the U.S. Army and American
politics in the nineteenth century. At the same time, this exhaustive study reveals the inner workings and trajectory of the
American military as it moved forward into the twentieth century.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of illustrated Figures and Maps, two pages of
Abbreviations, sixty-two pages of Notes, a twenty-eight page Bibliography, and a thirteen page Index, "John M. Schofield:
Soldier-Statesman of the Civil War and Gilded Age" by Professor Robert Wooster is an extraordinary and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, community, and college/university library American Biography/Memoir collections and
supplemental American Civil War studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and Civil War buffs that this
hardcover edition of "John M. Schofield: Soldier-Statesman of the Civil War and Gilded Age" from the University of
Oklahoma Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $32.95).
Editorial Note: Robert Wooster is retired Regents Professor of History at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. He is the
author of several books, including The United States Army and the Making of America: From Confederation to Empire,
1775-1903, and The American Military Frontiers: The United States Army in the West, 1783-1900.
The General Fiction Shelf
The Other Side of Tanner
Pam Avery
https://www.pamaveryprinted.com
Shades Creek Press
9798256293963, $24.95, HC, 298pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Other-Side-Tanner-Pam-Avery/dp/B0HFVTLMGN
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-other-side-of-tanner-pam-avery/1151129192
Synopsis: An emotionally compelling and deftly crafted novel that deftly combines political intrigue, family drama, mystery,
romance, and redemption into a sweeping story about the secrets people keep-and the healing that comes when those secrets
finally come to light, Pam Avery's new novel, "The Other Side of Tanner" is set against the backdrop of the North Georgia
mountains, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Florida.
Critique: Original, exceptional, and an inherently riveting read from start to finish, "The Other Side of Tanner" is brought to an
impressive level of literary excellence by author Pam Avery's distinctive style of character and narrative driven storytelling.
Certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular pick for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections, it
should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "The Other Side of Tanner" is also available in
paperback (9798256294441, $17.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).
Editorial Note: Pam Avery (https://www.pamaveryprinted.com) writes from the heart of the South, capturing the beauty of
ordinary moments, the strength of community, and the stories that often go untold.
Evie Walters Takes the Wheel
Kathleen Fox
https://www.kathleenfoxbooks.com
Lake Union Publishing
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662543999, $28.99, HC, 299pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Evie-Walters-Takes-Wheel-Novel/dp/1662543999
Synopsis: Evie Walters has lived most of her seventy-one years according to others' expectations. But on the day of her
husband's funeral, she receives an anonymous delivery: an egret orchid. The same flower a Montana ranch hand once gave her
decades ago -- Novel Daniels, the boy who thought she could do anything.
So now, she does.
Defying her children's plans to move her into a retirement home, Evie buys a camper van and leaves life in North Carolina
abruptly behind. Accompanied by her devoted rescue dog, she heads west to find her cowboy, befriending an unlikely cast of
characters along the way. Free-spirited young vanlifers, roadside waitresses, eccentric billionaires, and kindhearted widowers
all show Evie a side of life worth living.
But Evie's drive toward the future takes her back to the past, to memories of the family ranch and childhood dreams. Now,
with a second chance as open as the road before her, there's no telling who Evie Walters will become.
Critique: Original, exceptional, carefully crafted, and a fun read from start to finish, "Evie Walters Takes the Wheel" is all the
more impressive when considering that it is author Kathleen Fox's debut as a novelist. Memorable characters, a reader
engaging storyline, unexpected and entertaining plot twists, "Evie Walters Takes the Wheel" is a solid and unreservedly
recommended pick for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading
lists (especially for 'later in life' romance fans) that this hardcover edition of "Evie Walters Takes the Wheel" is also readily
available in paperback (9781662544019, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).
Editorial Note: Kathleen Fox (https://www.kathleenfoxbooks.com) is a wanderer, happiest when her van is packed, her dogs
are snoring in the passenger seat, and the road ahead promises at least three good stories and one questionable decision. An
explorer of back roads, small towns, and the wonderfully weird corners of the world, Kathleen grounds her fictional work in
underrepresented rural voices and unexpected moments that only "van life" brings. When she's not chasing horizons or trading
puns with her husband, Kathleen calls the coast of South Carolina home.
Looks Perfect
Jessica Siskin
https://www.jessicasiskin.com
Little A
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662542459, $28.99, HC, 287pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Looks-Perfect-Novel-Jessica-Siskin/dp/1662542453
Synopsis: One million people follow Stella Lerner's every move. And now the buzzy fashion designer is fulfilling her lifelong
dream and taking her indie clothing brand global with the help of the industry's biggest investor. Sounds perfect. Except
offline, the optics aren't so great.
Her relationship with her boyfriend, Alex, is crumbling just as the pressure to curate her image online only builds. Feeling
trapped between the picture-perfect life she's promised her followers and the messy reality she's facing, Stella anonymously
joins a new dating app. Blindr promises deep, private conversations, free from the burden of anyone's expectations, especially
her own. That's when Stella connects with a stranger called Pineapple who's intuitive, honest, and empathetic. Stella may be
watched by millions, but this man, who's never even laid eyes on her, makes her feel seen.
What starts as a diversion becomes a journey of radical transformation. As Stella's search for authenticity intensifies, every
chat with Pineapple takes her further down a path she never could've imagined.
Critique: A deftly crafted and original novel by Jessica Siskin, "Looks Perfect" will hold a very special appeal to readers with
an interest in stories about workplace romances and contemporary city life. Siskin's impressive and natural flair for the kind of
character and narrative driven storytelling style makes for a truly fun read from start to finish. While unreservedly
recommended as a pick for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Looks Perfect" from Little A is also readily available in paperback
(9781662542435, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: Jessica Siskin (https://www.jessicasiskin.com) earned her MFA from the New School. She is a former fashion
executive and the founder of Misterkrisp, a popular Instagram based food art business specializing in custom Rice Krispies
Treats and social media content. She is the author of Treat Yourself!, a cookbook featuring her inventive food art and edible
creations.
The Catalysts 2: Silent Night
Joseph Guzzo
Resource Publications
c/o Wipf and Stock Publishers
www.wipfandstock.com
9798385284139, $18.00
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Catalysts-2-Silent-Night/dp/B0HC87L74M
The Catalysts 2: Silent Night returns to the cat-centric stories of the first novel to add further tales and insights into stray cats in
general and one tribe of adoptees in particular.
The further adventures of the Gioppolo family and their extraordinary cats Red and Fatty will delight both newcomers and
prior fans with a survey that incorporates reincarnation and miracles with a new cat's presence in the family's circle. The cats
talk and tell the family many things, but underlying their appearances and disappearances are mysteries even cats aren't
compelled to confess.
As the outside world becomes involved and the media descends, the family faces the impact of their fabulous talking cats and
what this means for shifting the world's reality about felines and animals in general, even though their vet Lena readily informs
the press that the cats are all too ordinary.
Readers of all ages will find The Catalysts 2: Silent Night a delightful reflection on living with cats, new possibilities and
paradigms about their abilities, and the impact of destiny. Parents who read the story aloud to the very young will find many
discussion points within about relationships between humans and animals, cat-centric abilities and impossibilities, and how
family spokesman Martin Betters ultimately lives up to his name.
Delightful in its whimsical family and cat portraits, The Catalysts 2: Silent Night is highly recommended reading for families
interested in stories about not just extraordinary cats, but their impact on the people and world around them.
The Historical Fiction Shelf
The Twelve Tables: A Novel of Ancient Rome
Richard Barager
Koehler Books
www.koehlerbooks.com
9798897475247, $28.95, HC, 280pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Twelve-Tables-Novel-Ancient-Rome/dp/B0HF6M1163
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-twelve-tables-richard-barager/1151083890
Synopsis: ROME, 462 BC.
To save his family's failing farm, sixteen-year-old Marcus Atilius is sold into debt servitude by his own father. Plunged into the
city's underbelly, Marcus must endure a world of cutthroat trading stalls and gritty warehouses, all while navigating a
forbidden entanglement with a woman far above his station. Survival demands sharp guile and moral compromise.
As a bitter class struggle pushes Rome toward the brink of civil war, Marcus vows to beat the elites at their own ruthless game
to win his freedom and a fortune worthy of the woman he loves.
Yet his rise brings a fateful choice. An historic demand sweeps the city for the Twelve Tables -- a revolutionary legal code to
protect plebeians from patrician tyranny. With a corrupt aristocrat holding the tether to his trading empire, will Marcus protect
his hard-won power, or risk everything for the soul of Rome?
Critique: As a novelist, Richard Barager's genuine flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style raises
"The Twelve Tables" (his historical novel set in Ancient Rome) to an impressive level of literary excellence. Deftly crafted
with an astute attention to background detail, "The Twelve Tables" is a fun and fascinating read from start to finish -- and one
that is especially and unreservedly recommended for fans of historical novels set in antiquity, as well as community library
Historical Fiction. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "The Twelve Tables" from Koehler Books is also readily
available in paperback (9798897475230, $19.95).
Editorial Note: Richard Barager (www.RichardBarager.com) is the author of The Atheist and the Parrotfish and Altamont
Augie. Richard completed undergraduate studies and medical school at the University of Minnesota and was a nephrologist in
private practice for thirty-five years. Long devoted to medicine and fiction, he now writes full-time (and no longer at night!).
He believes fiction explores meaning in ways science cannot and has a way of discovering the truth.
The Bootlegger's Daughter: A San Francisco Tale
Joseph Andrew Cerny
Starling Publishing
https://www.starlingpublishing.com/portfolio/the-bootleggers-daughter
9798993547527, $24.99, HC, 355pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Bootleggers-Daughter-San-Francisco-Tale/dp/B0G22D4WLQ
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-bootleggers-daughter-joseph-andrew-cerny/1148837693
Synopsis: What secrets hide behind a child's wagon?
Born to Irish immigrant parents in a San Francisco still rebuilding from the devastating 1906 earthquake, young Ann White
comes of age during some of America's most transformative decades.
As Prohibition takes hold, her father turns to bootlegging to support the family, drawing Ann into the hidden world of
Prohibition-era bootlegging of hidden whiskey, whispered secrets, and difficult choices.
What begins as a childhood in a hardworking Irish immigrant family soon becomes a journey through the Spanish Flu
pandemic, the Great Depression, World War II, and the ever-changing landscape of San Francisco.
Rich with historical detail and unforgettable characters, this sweeping family saga explores resilience, sacrifice, love, and the
enduring strength of a woman determined to persevere through life's greatest challenges.
From the hidden corners of Prohibition-era speakeasies to the hopes and heartbreaks of a family striving for a better future,
"The Bootlegger's Daughter" is an inspiring story of courage, heritage, and survival that will stay with readers long after the
final page.
Critique: Although a deftly crafted work of historical fiction, and all the more impressive when considering that this is Joseph
Andrew Cerny debut as a novelist, "The Bootlegger's Daughter" is inspired by a remarkable true story, and one that transports
his readers to the vibrant, turbulent streets of early twentieth-century San Francisco, where opportunity and hardship walk hand
in hand. The author's genuine flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style is particularly effective in
drawing the reader full attention from start to finish. An impressive and unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading
lists and community library historical fiction collections, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "The Bootlegger's
Daughter" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9798993547510, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$2.99).
Editorial Note: Joseph Cerny was born in San Francisco and is a descendant of several bootleggers. In 1988, after graduating
from the University of California, San Diego, with degrees, including one in American History, he attended Old
Dominion/Eastern Virginia Medical School and graduated in 1992. After a career as a family physician spanning nearly thirty
years, Cerny is now a volunteer for Placer County Museums in Northern California. He dresses up in period clothing and gives
tours of old- town Auburn, a former Gold Rush town, in the foothills of the Sierra Mountains. He also gives tours of Bernhard
House, an old hotel converted into a home, with wine-making complexes on the property.
Hymns of Blue Hollow
Kemma MarShall
https://kemmamarshall.allauthor.com
Blue Hollow Publishing
https://bookshop.org/shop/Blue_Hollow_Publishing
9798998692550, $25.99 hc / $4.99 Kindle 466pp
9798998692512, $25.99 (IngramSpark paperback)
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Hymns-Blue-Hollow-Southern-Historical/dp/B0HCKF8QT3
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hymns-of-blue-hollow-kemma-marshall/1148788723
Synopsis: In the Appalachian hills of 1941 Tennessee, where moonshining is a way of life, Esther Primm knows the rules.
Keep your head down. Survive and want nothing. Trust no one. She has lived by them her entire life. But there is one thing she
has never survived.
Being seen.
When her world is swept away, Esther finds herself in a place she was always warned never to go. There, she finds a secluded
estate and Clarissa Johnson, an older Black woman who has spent a lifetime staying on her side of the fence. And Ian Huggler,
a brooding German widower carrying a grief he can't speak of, who looks at Esther in a way no one ever has.
But the life Esther escaped isn't finished with her.
An obsessed preacher believes she still belongs to him, hiding his darkness behind Sunday sermons, while the local sheriff
watches everything and says nothing. Each of them is hiding something. And in Blue Hollows, secrets don't stay buried. They
come for you.
Critique: Original, eloquent, deftly crafted, and a simply riveting read from cover to cover, "Hymns of Blue Hollow" by
Kemma MarShall is a compelling historical romance set in the American south and showcases the author's impressively
genuine flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style full engages the reader from start to finish. While
unreservedly recommended for community library Historical Romance collections, it should be noted for the personal reading
lists of dedicated romance fiction fans that "Hymns of Blue Hollow" from Blue Hollow Publishing is also readily available in
paperback (9798346013068, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Kemma MarShall (https://kemmamarshall.allauthor.com) is an author, artist, and researcher who calls North
Carolina home, where the whispers of the Appalachian hills and the stories of her ancestors fuel her creative soul. With 26
years of marriage and a family shaped by love and resilience, she draws from the richness of her own life to craft deeply
layered and evocative tales that linger in the heart and mind.
Firebrands
Vicky Oliver
https://vickyoliver.com
Histria Books
www.histriabooks.com
9781592117642, $19.99, PB, 300pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Firebrands-Sizzling-Gilded-Age-Style-Morals/dp/1592117643
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/firebrands-vicky-oliver/1149543562
Synopsis: It's the fabled 'Gilded Age" and the city of New York is fairly crackling with unrest, ambition, and the scent of
revolution.
Helena James (suffragist, speaker, and trouble magnet) stands at the heart of it all, rallying crowds and rattling politicians. But
when her beloved sister Summer falls for Derrick Dupre, a mysterious tycoon with a velvet smile and a hidden past, Helena's
fight for justice gets personal.
Brimming with twisty suspense, romance, forbidden lust, and humor, with the publication of Firebrands, novelist Vicky Oliver
deftly explores the lighter side of the feminist movement, the darker side of industrialization, and the loving but confounding
side of sisterhood.
Critique: As an accomplished author, Vicky Oliver has a singular gift for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling
style that makes her 'Gilded Age' novel of 'money and morals', "Firebrands", come alive for the reader from start to finish.
Original, exceptional, an entertaining read from start to finish that is unreservedly recommended for community library
Historical Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Firebrands" from
Histeria Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Vicky Oliver (https://vickyoliver.com) graduated from Brown University with a double major in English
Honors and Political Science and received her Master in Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Creative Writing [Fiction] from the New
School in 2022. She has published six nonfiction books covering career topics, three at Sourcebooks and three at Skyhorse,
including 301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions (Sourcebooks), which sold almost 100,000 copies. Vicky Oliver
has also published 15 personal narrative essays (four in anthologies) and serves as the Nonfiction Editor as well as an Art
Editor at LIT magazine, the journal of the New School's MFA program. She also co-hosts the Resilient Women podcast for
Relatable Media.
Dear Future Occupants
Keith Stahl
University of Wisconsin Press
https://uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299359843, $19.95, PB, 256pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Future-Occupants-Keith-Stahl/dp/0299359840
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dear-future-occupants-keith-stahl/1149352355
University of Wisconsin Press
https://uwpress.wisc.edu/Books/D/Dear-Future-Occupants
Synopsis: "Dear Future Occupants" by Keith Stahl is set in 1979 with patriarch Bud relocating his family to his conservative
hometown of Greenhill, Connecticut.
Despite dubious restaurant experience, he uses his wife's inheritance to purchase a diner in hopes of proving himself. Things
begin to fall apart when police find an all-too-literal skeleton in the family's basement. A series of misfortunes, accidents, and
comedic events follow, including the creation of a vending-machine-sandwich/drug-dealing business and a protest-turned-siege
at the local hospital.
Charting one family's rise to subversive glory in a genteel New England town, "Dear Future Occupants" is colonial gothic
novel is told through found documents and multiple perspectives, including those of Bud; Victor, the middle son; and Herman,
the ahead-of-their time, nonbinary, eldest child whose journal entries serve as a kind of Greek chorus throughout.
In this breathless, exuberant work, novelist Keith Stahl brilliantly captures the foundational dichotomies at the heart of the
American experience: a puritanical distrust of anything fun and a nearly anarchic love of pleasure and freedom. Moving and
bitterly humorous, "Dear Future Occupants" is a paean to the working class and the diversity that holds a family together.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, wickedly funny, and a memorably fascinating read from start to finish, "Dear Future
Occupants" showcases author "Keith Stahl's impressive flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style that
lifts his novel to an impressive level of literary excellence. While especially and unreservedly recommended for both personal
reading lists, as well as community and college/university Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted that
this paperback edition of "Dear Future Occupants" from the University of Wisconsin Press is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $18.95).
Editorial Note: Keith Stahl (https://www.keithstahl.net) is a former restaurateur who teaches creative writing at Syracuse
University and Writers Voice. He is the author of the poetry collection From the Gunroom. Originally from Connecticut, he
lives in New York.
The LGBTQ Fiction Shelf
The Pacific End
Jacob Anthony Moniz
https://www.jacobanthonymoniz.com
Votive Editions
9798234111357, $16.99, PB, 324pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Pacific-End-Jacob-Anthony-Moniz/dp/B0HHGL7HBP
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-pacific-end-jacob-anthony-moniz/1151231752
Synopsis: When Caleb Simao returns to his rural California hometown to prepare his childhood home for sale, he expects a
brief visit.
Instead, memories of Brandon Murphy resurface.
Ten years earlier, Caleb and Brandon's relationship grew on the margins of a community shaped by religious conservatism.
What they built felt, at first, like a way out. But it had also made them vulnerable. Against mounting pressures, their bond
fractured, ending in betrayal and a moment of violence neither one could fully process.
Now, moving through the familiar landscapes of his past, Caleb is drawn back to that final year together. As he attempts to
build a life elsewhere-and pursue a tentative new relationship -- Caleb must confront questions of desire and repression,
distance and return, and what it means to carry someone with you long after they've gone.
Critique: An impressively original and carefully crafted LGBTQ+ coming of age novel by Jacob Anthony Moniz, "The Pacific
End" showcases the author's exceptional and character driven storytelling style. An inherently compelling read from start to
finish, this paperback edition of "The Pacific End" from Votive Editions is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended
pick for personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library LGBTQ+ Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Jacob Anthony Moniz (https://www.jacobanthonymoniz.com) is a writer and visual artist from California. He
holds degrees from UC Santa Cruz, NYU, and the University of Notre Dame. His writing has appeared in Catamaran Literary
Reader, Penumbra, Chicago Quarterly Review, The Ocotillo Review, and Southeast Review, among other journals and
publications.
The Literary Fiction Shelf
If She Needed Me Again And Other Stories
James Brennan
Atmosphere Press
www.atmospherepress.com
9798901745564, $16.00, PB, 156pp
Publishing Release Date: January 5, 2027
Synopsis: "If She Needed Me Again And Other Stories" is a sharply observed and deftly crafted short story anthology by James
Brennan with themes of private disappointments and quiet acts of defiance carry the weight of turning plot points. Written with
tenderness, humor, and an eye for the contradictions people rarely admit aloud, each of these stories find drama in the ordinary
places where love frays, pride falters, and grace arrives unexpectedly.
Critique: All the more impressive when considering that "If She Needed Me Again And Other Stories" is seventy year old
English Professor James Brennan's debut short story collection. The stories comprising "If She Needed Me Again And Other
Stories" are eloquent, original, deftly crafted, provocative and memorable -- and collectively are an inherently interesting read
from start to finish. While this paperback edition of "If She Needed Me Again And Other Stories" from Atmosphere is
especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary American Literary
Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that it is also available for personal reading lists in a digital
book format (Kindle, $9.00).
Editorial Note: The short fiction of James Brennan has appeared in Slab, Edge, Halcyone, Evening Street Review, Sequestrum,
and elsewhere. He earned his MFA at Bennington and his ALM at Harvard Extension School. He is also a Professor of English
at Quinsigamond Community College.
A Pearl Is Just An Accident
Julie Esther Fisher
https://julieestherfisher.com
Silent Clamor Press
https://www.silentclamor.com/a-pearl-is-just-an-accident
9781971238302, $28.99, HC, 356pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Pearl-Accident-Julie-Esther-Fisher/dp/1971238309
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-pearl-is-just-an-accident-julie-esther-fisher/1149970919
Synopsis: "A Pearl Is Just An Accident" by author Julie Esther Fisher is a compendium of interconnected stories about Eliza
James and the collective subject of confronting a treacherous legacy of family secrets and childhood trauma. From her work as
a paintings conservator (someone who restores damaged art to its original beauty) to the fractured memories of her London
upbringing, Eliza's journey reveals how the past refuses to stay buried.
Whether Eliza is uncovering hidden scars beneath centuries-old portraits or wrestling with the devastating relationship between
her parents, she discovers that some damage runs too deep for any restoration. Through exquisite prose that moves across the
Atlantic from London flats to art studios, from family dining rooms to a brief refuge in the Scottish Highlands, Julie Esther
Fisher crafts an unflinching portrait of survival and the weight of inherited pain, touched with wry humor.
The collection's title story, 'A Pearl Is Just An Accident' explores how we transform life's most unwanted intrusions-like the
irritant that becomes a pearl through layers of protective nacre. Fisher excavates the buried archaeology of trauma with
unflinching precision, revealing how damage can calcify into something harder, stranger, and unexpectedly luminous. With the
meticulous eye of a master restorer and the sensibility of a poet, she maps the territory where beauty and brutality intersect,
where survival becomes its own form of art.
Simply stated, "A Pearl Is Just An Accident" is a devastating examination of how we inherit damage from those meant to
protect us, and how we might-against all odds-transform that legacy into something we can bear. These stories illuminate the
slow, necessary work of building protective layers around our deepest wounds, creating something that might even shine.
Critique: Original, exceptional, deftly crafted, memorable, and a compelling read from start to finish, "A Pearl Is Just An
Accident" is an extraordinary series of connected short stories that showcase author Julie Esther Fisher's genuine flair for the
kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style that raises her stories to an impressive level of literary excellence.
While "A Pearl Is Just An Accident" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library
Contemporary American Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists of readers with an interest in
the psychological fiction genre that this hardcover edition from Silent Clamor Press is also readily available in paperback
(9781971238005, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Julie Esther Fisher (https://julieestherfisher.com) has published stories and poetry in Alaska Quarterly Review,
Chicago Quarterly Review, Waxwing, The Citron Review, On the Seawall, and many other places. Winner of several awards,
including Grand Prize Recipient of the Stories That Need to be Told Anthology, Sheila-Na-Gig's Editor's Choice Award for
poetry, and Sunspot Lit's Rigel Award, she has been short-listed in numerous other contests and received multiple Best of the
Net and Pushcart nominations. Her poetry chapbook, On the Lip of Night, is published by Finishing Line Press.
T.V. Holiday's Angelface
T.V. Holiday
Independently Published
ASIN: B0GYVBMV86, $3.00, Kindle, 65pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/T-V-Holidays-Angelface-Holiday-ebook/dp/B0GYVBMV86
Synopsis: Haunted by memories of a woman he never allowed himself to pursue, a man is forced to confront whether loyalty,
fear, and responsibility have led him away from the life he was meant to live.
"Angelface" by T.V. Holiday is a contemporary literary novella on the subject of love, timing, and the emotional cost of the
roads we choose in life.
Critique: Original and an interesting read from start to finish, "Angelface" by T.V. Holiday is an impressive work of deftly
crafted fiction that effectively showcases the author's character and narrative driven storytelling style and raises his novella to
an impressive level of literary excellence. Simply stated, "Angelface" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick
for personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library Contemporary American Literary Fiction
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: T.V. Holiday is a multi-award-winning author from Cleveland, Ohio who resides in Southern California. He is
a former United States Marine where he reached the rank of sergeant and served as a Combat Correspondent. In his spare time,
he enjoys working out, reading, and going salsa dancing.
A Peculiar Coupling
Christine Wilson
Vanguard Press
c/o Pegasus Publishers
https://pegasuspublishers.com
9781837941926, $16.99, PB, 314pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Peculiar-Coupling-Christine-Wilson/dp/1837941920
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-peculiar-coupling-christine-wilson/1148775216
Synopsis: "A Peculiar Coupling" by novelist Christine Wilson is the story of Vera Slater, a modest, middle-aged woman living
in post-war New Zealand.
After three decades as a housewife and now facing financial ruin, she is compelled to enter the workforce. Employment
changes everything for her. She discovers that a lack of formal education, life experience and reduced circumstance matter
little when motivation and self-belief are at hand.
George her husband of thirty years cannot keep up. Her fulfilment becomes his dismay as she embraces her new life
wholeheartedly.
Vera is inspirational, demonstrating that humble beginnings need not spell the extinction of one's hopes and dreams.
Critique: Original, exceptional, and showcasing author Christine Wilson's genuine flair for the kind of character and narrative
driven storytelling style raises her novel, "A Peculiar Coupling" to an impressive level of literary excellence. A fun and
fascinating read from start to finish, this paperback edition of "A Peculiar Coupling" from Vanguard Press is unreservedly
recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library Contemporary Literary Fiction
collections.
Editorial Note: Christine Wilson is also the author of "The Elusive Silver Lining" (Vanguard Press).
The 45th Parallel
David F. Paxton
Mission Point Press
https://www.missionpointpress.com
9781968761523, $29.95, HC, 364pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/45th-Parallel-David-F-Paxton/dp/1968761527
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-45th-parallel-david-f-paxton/1150197983
Synopsis: From her secluded estate in western Maine, Clarice Vishnekova (a former wartime intelligence operative) uses her
considerable fortune to support an unconventional circle of scientists, researchers, and proteges pursuing ideas years ahead of
their time. Their work explores a changing climate, the possibilities of quantum science, and even the limits of the human
lifespan.
But Clarice is pursuing another legacy as well: the completion and performance of the great classical work she has spent a
lifetime preparing to create.
For a woman increasingly aware that time is finite, both ambitions are deeply personal. Clarice has spent decades carrying the
consequences of choices made during her secret service in World War II. Now the past is resurfacing through old relationships,
unanswered questions, and connections that may reach into the work being done around her.
As scientific promise collides with commercial ambition and long-buried secrets, Clarice must decide how much of the future
can (or should) be shaped by one person's vision.
Narrated across dual timelines and through multiple character-centered viewpoints, author David F. Paxton's visionary novel,
"The 45th Parallel" moves between wartime Europe and the opening years of the twenty-first century in Maine, Michigan, and
Costa Rica. It is a sweeping literary speculative novel about mystery and memory, scientific possibility, mortality, forgiveness,
and the legacy one life leaves behind.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, engaging, and a simply fascinating read from start to finish, "The 45th Parallel" by author
David F. Paxton showcases an extraordinarily impressive flair for the kind of imaginative, character and narrative driven
storytelling style the raises his novel to an impressive level of literary excellence. While an unreservedly recommended pick
for community and college/university library Contemporary American Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for
personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "The 45th Parallel" from Mission Point Press is also readily available in
paperback (9781968761530, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.95).
Editorial Note: David F. Paxton resides in coastal West Michigan. He is a former health system administrator, public school
teacher, short story scribbler, wild land/Great Lakes tripper, and professional musician.
(www.missionpointpress.com/authors/david-f.-paxton)
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
The Cotswold Christmas Bookshop
Jill Steeples
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781785134098, $43.50 / $36.98, PB, Large Print, 510pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/search/the%20cotswold%20christmas%20bookshop
Synopsis: Licking her wounds, Isla heads home to the Cotswolds. Keeping her devastating redundancy a secret from her proud
parents, she seeks refuge at Finch's, the enchanting bookshop she worked in as a teenager. With the owners struggling with
their health, Isla steps in to manage the shop hoping to convince them that the business has a future.
Isla likes nothing more than chatting to people about books, but her safe haven is soon disturbed when she comes face-to-face
with her first love, Charlie Brace, made worse by the arrival of Guy Madley, the incredibly handsome property consultant who
has advice for owners Jon and Miriam.
As Christmas approaches, Isla has decisions to make. Does her future lie in London or can a whole heap of books and a
sprinkling of festive magic offer a life that she could never even have dreamed of?
Critique: Deftly written by experienced romance novelist Jill Steeples, this large print paperback edition of "The Cotswold
Christmas Bookshop" from Boldwood Books is a wonderfully fun read from cover to cover -- making it a popular and
recommended addition to both the personal reading lists of Christmas themed romances and community library Contemporary
Romance Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Jill Steeples (https://jillsteeples.com) is an author who specializes in feel-good, escapist fiction. Set in the close
communities of cosy English villages, her books explore the themes of starting over, friendship and love across the ages, as
well as the healing properties of nature and the great outdoors. Her novels are described as heart-warming and uplifting,
designed to leave a smile on your face.
Hope and Hot Chocolate on Mistletoe Lane
Victoria Walters
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781805571032, $43.50 / $36.98, PB, Large Print, 510pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/search/hope%20and%20hot%20chocolate%20on%20mistletoe%20lane
Synopsis: Holly Wynter never planned to return to Birchbrook. But when an old friend calls with a festive job opportunity, it
could be just what her fledgling events business needs. So reluctantly, she agrees to return to create the world's best festive
experience at Birch Tree Farm. Even though she hates Christmas with all her lonely heart.
Paul Ryan hasn't seen Holly for ten years, ever since that fateful day she ran away. While she dreamed of a high-flying career
in the city, he stayed in Birchbrook, helping his parents run the local cafe. Though these days he's been wondering if he's meant
for something bigger.
As Christmas lights twinkle across the town, old memories resurface and long-buried feelings begin to stir. But Holly can't stay
in Birchbrook, even if it might hold the key to her happiness.
Could this holiday season be the chance to finally admit they want to be (and maybe always have been) more than best
friends?
Critique: A holiday romance not to be missed, this large print paperback edition from Boldwood Books, "Hope and Hot
Chocolate on Mistletoe Lane" by Victoria Walters is a fun and engaging read from start to finish -- and one that is especially
and unreservedly recommended for both personal reading lists and community library Contemporary Romance
collections.
Editorial Note: Victoria Walters is a full-time author living in Surrey. Victoria writes sweet and spicy rom coms set in the book
world, and her new autumnal small town romance "Love and Latties at Pumpkin Hollow". Victoria is also the author of the
bestselling uplifting and romantic series "Glendale Hall" and the cosy crime series "The Deadley End Mysteries". She can be
followed on Instagram at @vickyjwalters, on X at @Vicky_Walters or on Facebook and TikTok at Victoria Walters
author.
Looks Perfect
Jessica Siskin
https://www.jessicasiskin.com
Little A
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662542459, $28.99, HC, 287pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Looks-Perfect-Novel-Jessica-Siskin/dp/1662542453
Synopsis: In the age of Social Media, one million people follow Stella Lerner's every move. And now the buzzy fashion
designer is fulfilling her lifelong dream and taking her indie clothing brand global with the help of the industry's biggest
investor. Sounds perfect. Except offline, the optics aren't so great.
Her relationship with her boyfriend, Alex, is crumbling just as the pressure to curate her image online only builds. Feeling
trapped between the picture-perfect life she's promised her followers and the messy reality she's facing, Stella anonymously
joins a new dating app. Blindr promises deep, private conversations, free from the burden of anyone's expectations, especially
her own. That's when Stella connects with a stranger called Pineapple who's intuitive, honest, and empathetic. Stella may be
watched by millions, but this man, who's never even laid eyes on her, makes her feel seen.
What starts as a diversion becomes a journey of radical transformation. As Stella's search for authenticity intensifies, every
chat with Pineapple takes her further down a path she never could've imagined.
Critique: Original, exceptional, and a fully engaging read from start to finish, "Looks Perfect" by novelist Jessica Siskin will
hold a very special appeal for readers with an interest in stories of workplace romance and big city life. With an impressive
character and narrative driven storytelling style, Jessica Siskin's "Looks Perfect" is especially and unreservedly recommended
as an addition to personal reading lists and community library Contemporary Romance collections. It should be noted that this
hardcover edition of "Looks Perfect" from Little A is also readily available in paperback (9781662542435, $16.95) and in a
digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: Jessica Siskin (https://www.jessicasiskin.com) earned her MFA from the New School. She is a former fashion
executive and the founder of Misterkrisp, a popular Instagram-based food art business specializing in custom Rice Krispies
Treats and social media content. She is the author of Treat Yourself!, a cookbook featuring her inventive food art and edible
creations. Jessica lives in New York City.
Nowhere to Go but Everywhere
Jessica Rao
Ten 16 Press
c/o Orange Hat Publishing
https://www.orangehatpublishing.com
9781645388197, $16.99, PB, 282pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Nowhere-but-Everywhere-Jessica-Rao/dp/1645388190
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/nowhere-to-go-but-everywhere-jessica-rao/1150853011
Synopsis: Helena Vinci might like grunge and Camel Lights, but she's not a fan of frat boys or anything else about Albany
college life.
When she drops out and takes a job waiting tables near the Capitol, her plan is to save up to see "the real world" out west. But
soon she finds herself trapped in a new way, torn between two men - a sexy DJ and a fellow slacker with wanderlust - plus a
third in the form of a politician who promises financial security, but at a price.
When and how will Helena learn that you don't have to go on the road to find yourself?
Critique: An original, deftly crafted, engaging, and fascinating read from start to finish, "Nowhere to Go but Everywhere" is a
piercing coming-of-age novel by Jessica Rao about the perils and pleasures of of a young woman learning to chart her own
path and deal with life's unexpected twists, turns and surprises. Jessica Rao's eloquent and character driven storytelling style
raises her novel to an impressive level of literary excellence, making it an unreservedly recommended pick for personal
Romantic Adventure reading lists and community library Contemporary Romance and Women's Fiction collections. It should
be noted that this paperback edition of "Nowhere to Go but Everywhere" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Jessica Rao (https://jessicarao.com) is an award-winning journalist and media professional who has held
contributor roles at CNBC and Gannett and overseen communications for Fortune 500 companies. In addition to her media
career, she is the Vice President of the White Plains Library Foundation and she hosts and produces literary events. She lives
outside of New York City with her family.
Not Another Christmas Movie
Ashley Cowan
Alcove Press
www.alcovepress.com
9798892426961, $29.99, HC, 320pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Not-Another-Christmas-Movie-Novel/dp/B0GFD3CYDJ
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/not-another-christmas-movie-ashley-cowan/1149136984
Synopsis: Thirtysomething Annie Meyers is having a rough year. Her situation with the noncommittal Chris has fizzled out,
and her best friend's impending engagement is the final crunch of the candy cane. Her solution: to spend the holiday slugging
boxed rose and ignoring the rest of the world.
That is, until she falls asleep and wakes up in her worst nightmare: a made-for-TV Christmas movie version of her quaint
hometown. To make matters worse, Chris is now the town's hunky widower and owner of a Christmas tree farm. But Annie
isn't trapped alone: Her dorky childhood neighbor, Nick, is here too. Only, he's not quite as dorky as she remembers.
After some mild panic, Annie and Nick realize their escape hinges on playing into classic rom-com tropes. The plan is simple:
Annie will woo Chris (the now "perfect boyfriend") and Nick, his childhood sweetheart, Bailey.
But after holiday hoedowns, ice-skating dates, and cookie-baking montages, Annie begins to wonder if the real magic of
Christmas (and love) is much closer to home.
Critique: An original, deftly crafted blend of romance, fantasy, satire, and rom-com sensibilities, "Not Another Christmas
Movie" by Ashley Cowan is a fun read from cover to cover. Cowan's genuine and creatively imaginative character and
narrative driven storytelling style fully engages the reader from start to finish. While highly recommended as a popular pick for
community library Contemporary Romance collections, it should be noted for rom-com and 'feel good fiction' fans that this
hardcover edition of "Not Another Christmas Movie" from Alcove Press is also available for personal reading lists in
paperback (9798892426978, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Ashley Cowan is a published playwright, with work featured in the Applause Acting Series: 25 10-Minute
Plays for Teens, and her plays have been staged everywhere from San Francisco theaters (and bars moonlighting as theaters) to
Texas middle schools and community centers across the tri-state area.
The Lost Perfumes of Paris
Christine Wells
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063336919, $18.99, PB, 368pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Perfumes-Paris-Legendary-Perfumery/dp/006333691X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-lost-perfumes-of-paris-christine-wells/1148902929
Synopsis: Elodie Limeaux's beloved mother, Aurore, was the most legendary perfumer in France before World War II,
renowned for the exquisite fragrances she created for the family company, the House of Limeaux. Now in her twenties, Elodie
longs to join the family business. Her father, however, has refused to let her follow in her late mother's footsteps and Elodie
has had to fight to become a mere lab assistant at Limeaux.
But Elodie plans to enter the Essence of Paris contest run by the French Perfume Institute, hoping that a win will secure
investment from Swiss banker Monsieur Caspari, who is looking to launch a new scent for women -- and possibly to buy the
House of Limeaux.
Impressed with Elodie's drive and talent, Caspari agrees to back her, provided that she collaborates with his son, Marcelo.
Elodie is forced to agree, although Marcelo strikes her as a wealthy dilettante -- albeit an extremely charming one.
When they join forces, though, Elodie is surprised to discover Marcelo's passion for perfume is genuine, his obsession as deep
as hers. With Marcelo by her side, Elodie battles family betrayals and corporate sabotage, searching for that elusive essence of
Paris that will launch her career...and possibly the love of a lifetime.
Critique: An original and expertly crafted historical romance by Christine Wells, "The Lost Perfumes of Paris" is a post-World
War II novel of romance, passion, betrayal, and the legendary art of French perfumery. With a storytelling elegance that raises
her novel to an impressive level of literary excellence and a fun read from cover to cover, Christine Wells' "The Lost Perfumes
of Paris" is especially and unreservedly recommended for the personal reading lists of dedicated romance fans, as well as
community library Historical Romance collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "The Lost Perfumes of
Paris" from William Morrow & Company is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) and as a complete and
unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing, 9798228976764, $49.95, MP3-CD).
Editorial Note: There is an online listing of books by Christine Wells on FantasticFiction:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/w/christine-wells
Sugar Sand Land
Patricia Leavy
www.patricialeavy.com
She Writes Press
www.shewritespress.com
9798896361565, $17.99, PB, 224pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Sugar-Sand-Land-Reality-Romance/dp/B0GPDKB31P
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sugar-sand-land-patricia-leavy/1149520378
Synopsis: Twenty-eight-year-old beauty Emerson Blue is the second most followed celebrity on social media. A
self-proclaimed "living piece of art" who rose to fame as a reality star and then parlayed her celebrity into a megabucks career
as an influencer, she seems to have everything.
Forty-eight-year-old Grammy winner Renn Walker is a fallen country music star. Years ago, he was canceled following
allegations of sexual misconduct, and he has lived in seclusion ever since. Once a beloved figure, he seems to have lost it
all.
When Emerson and Renn meet, sparks fly. Against all odds, a star obsessed with popularity and a recluse shunned by the world
fall in love. Everyone in the public and media has an opinion and thinks they know Emerson and Renn. But in a world
dominated by social media (a world that blurs the lines between what's public and private, what's real and what's illusion) do
we ever really know anyone?
Critique: An original and fun read from cover to cover, "Sugar Sand Land" by Patricia Leavy will hold a special appeal for
dedicated fans of contemporary romance novels. While an unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists and
community library collections, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "Sugar Sand Land" from She Writes Press is
also currently available in a digital book format (Kindle, $0.99).
Editorial Note: Patricia Leavy (www.patricialeavy.com) is an award-winning, best-selling author. Formerly Associate
Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of Gender Studies at Stonehill College, she has published more than fifty books
and has received career awards from the National Art Education Association, the American Creativity Association, the
American Educational Research Association, and more. In 2018, she was honored by the National Women's Hall of Fame and
SUNY-New Paltz when they established the "Patricia Leavy Award for Art and Social Justice" and in 2024 the London
Arts-Based Research Centre established "The Patricia Leavy Award for Arts-Based Research".
The Western Fiction Shelf
Man From Red River
Kirk Hamilton
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444857573, $26.00 / $22.10, PB, Large Print, 192pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781444857573
Synopsis: The McKenna boys, Wade and Mike, came to Amarillo to buy cattle for their new ranch. They had high hopes for
their future...but what they didn't realize at the time was that one of them had no future left to live.
A bushwhack and murder left the surviving McKenna with a vengeance quest. But his targets were well-connected, and
well-protected. He was beaten, he was shot at, and he was left for dead, but there was no quit in him. He was going to kill the
men who'd slaughtered his kin...and nothing was going to stop him!
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a true action/adventure western novel of gun smoke vengeance, this large print paperback
edition from the Linford Western Library series of the "Man from Red River" by master storyteller Kirk Hamilton is a thrilling
read from cover to cover and highly recommended as a choice pick for the personal reading lists of dedicated western fans and
a prized addition to community Western Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: There is an online listing of books by Kirk Hamilton at FantasticFiction:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/kirk-hamilton
A Six Gun Says Goodbye
E. Jefferson Clay
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444857566, $26.00 / $22.10, PB, Large Print, 224pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/uk/search/9781444857566
Synopsis: Hank Brazos' reunion with his commanding officer was cut short when Colonel Clairborne was kidnapped. His
daughter received a ransom demand for twenty thousand dollars. For Brazos, the course was clear: save Clairborne, then pay
the kidnappers in spades with bullets and fists.
Duke Benedict had other ideas -- continue the hunt for Bo Rangle and stolen Confederate gold.
They went their separate ways, only to rendezvous in a gunfire hellstorm when the kidnappers decided to kill them both as
down-payment for the Colonel's safety!
Critique: E. Jefferson Clay is a master of the action/adventure western genre. "A Six Gun Says Goodbye" once again
demonstrates his gifted storytelling style that makes his novels a 'must' for his growing legions of fans. This large print
paperback edition of "A Six Gun Says Goodbye" from the Linford Western Library series is an unreservedly recommended
pick for personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: There is an online listing of books by E. Jefferson Clay at FantasticFiction:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/e-jefferson-clay
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Blood Rituals: A Van Hazard Mystery
Douglas J. Ostling
Cryptic Glyph Press
https://crypticglyphpress.com
9798992980134, $16.00, PB, 386pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Rituals-Van-Hazard-Mystery/dp/B0H6N9PRK3
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blood-rituals-douglas-j-ostling/1151127691
Synopsis: "Blood Rituals" is a dark, twisty mystery suspense thriller by novelist Douglas J. Ostling in which resolute insurance
investigator Van Hazard is hired to recover an ancient Mayan manuscript that's left a bloody trail from Mexico to
Manhattan.
The Xibalba Codex was stolen from a murdered curator before its unveiling in a New York museum. The chief suspects
include a pair of bitter rivals with links to the priceless artifact: the mercurial tomb robber with a mysterious past who found it
in a Yucatan jungle temple, and an eccentric scholar and descendant of Mayan shaman priests who believes he's the
manuscript's rightful custodian. Hazard's unwavering pursuit of the Codex is hindered by a treacherous ring of antiquities
traffickers, the beguiling lure of a haunted old flame, and the festering wrath of an overdue debt dead set on final
reckoning.
It should be noted that "Blood Rituals" is a stand-alone entry in Douglas Ostling's the Van Hazard Mystery Series featuring the
volatile investigator's exploits recovering lost and stolen art. Hazard is a man at war with personal demons and an increasingly
unhinged world. Kyoko Dunne, his fearless partner in crime-solving, usually keeps him from going over the edge, but this time
he'll have to survive a deadly curse to collect his fee.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a simply riveting read from start to finish, "Blood Rituals" showcases author Douglas
Ostling's impressive flair for the kind of imaginative, character and narrative driven storytelling style that is ideally suited for
the suspense thriller genre. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Blood Rituals" from Cryptic Glyph
Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).
Editorial Note: Douglas J. Ostling, is an author of full-length fiction and short stories who has also written, produced, and
directed dramatic works for independent TV. He has been assistant director of the Summer Writers Conference at New York
University and was assistant producer of Readers Almanac when it aired on National Public Radio. Blood Rituals is a
standalone follow-up to The Art of Obsession, his introductory entry in the Van Hazard Mystery Series.
The Chromatic Protocol
Wesley K. Alexander
https://wesleykalexander.com
Independently Published
9798199608404, $24.99, HC, 287pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Chromatic-Protocol-Wesley-K-Alexander/dp/B0H3PHS8S9
Synopsis: FBI analyst Sarah Chen cannot recognize faces. That may be the only reason she can see the killer.
Sarah has spent her life compensating for prosopagnosia -- a neurological condition that makes every human face unreadable.
She identifies people by voice, gait, posture, and behavior. It is how she survived after a bombing in Mumbai left her damaged
at age seven.
At least, that's the story she was given.
When an Assistant U.S. Attorney is strangled inside the Hoover Building by something the cameras can barely see, Sarah is
pulled into a case no one else can explain. Eight days earlier, another victim died the same way. Both men served on a
classified DARPA committee. Both received encrypted messages signed only -- M.W.
The killer is wearing a metamaterial suit that bends visible light. Invisible, disciplined, and methodical, he moves through the
federal system as if he already knows every protocol designed to stop him.
Sarah's team has the science to find him: thermal vents, UV scatter, particulate displacement. But the man inside the suit is
always one step ahead.
Then the classified files reveal the truth Sarah was never meant to learn. Her face blindness was not caused by a bomb. It was
engineered. She was Subject One.
Now the one analyst trained to see what everyone else misses must decide what to do with a truth that rewrites her entire life --
while hunting a killer with nothing left to lose, and a scientist who believes invisibility is only the beginning!
Critique: Original, high tension, and a compelling read from start to finish, "The Chromatic Protocol" by Wesley K. Alexander
is a riveting high-concept techno-thriller on the themes of 'perception, institutional betrayal, and the cost of finally seeing
clearly'. Author Wesley Alexander's genuine flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style is ideal for the
techno-thriller genre, making it an unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library
Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "The Chromatic Protocol" is also readily
available in paperback (9798199506625, $15.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: Wesley K. Alexander (https://wesleykalexander.com) is a lifelong aviator and technologist who has launched
his fiction writing debut with "The Chromatic Protocol" -- a speculative thriller about perception, technology, and institutional
secrecy. His fiction explores the fragile line between what people see, what they remember, and what powerful systems can
make them believe. He blends grounded procedural tension with near-future technological unease, focusing on the systems
people trust before they realize those systems can be turned against them. Wes also publishes technical writings relating to
aviation and recently published the Part 108 BVLOS Readiness Playbook for uncrewed aircraft operations.
Death on the Royal Yacht
S. J. Bennett
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892427142, $29.99, HC, 336pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Death-Royal-Yacht-Majesty-Investigates/dp/B0GNZ33ZZJ
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/death-on-the-royal-yacht-s-j-bennett/1149731543
Synopsis: 1966, Caribbean Sea.
The Queen of England is touring the islands of the West Indies aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia. Her schedule is packed with
official visits, but when her new diary secretary, young Pamela Sinclair, is found dead in her cabin, the whole trip threatens to
be thrown off course.
Pamela's death from an overdose of prescription pills is surrounded by details that don't add up. It looks as though she was
afraid of someone on board, and Joan McGraw (the Queen's loyal sidekick and assistant private secretary) is the leading
suspect.
With the whole world watching, the real circumstances surrounding her death must be uncovered, and quickly. Luckily for the
Queen, she and Joan are experts at floating from one engagement to the next as the tour continues and the killer roams free --
for now.
Critique: The sixth book in author S. J. Bennett's unique 'Her Majesty The Queen Investigates' murder mystery series, "Death
On The Royal Yacht" continues to demonstrate author S. J. Bennett's effective storytelling style that makes his novels a
genuine tread for cozy mystery fans. Unique among cozy mystery amateur female sleuths, is that our heroine is the Queen of
England who must (this time on the high seas) investigate a murder and find out 'whodunnit' after all manner of clues and plot
twists. An entertaining and fun read from cover to cover, "Death On The Royal Yacht" is a highly recommended pick for both
personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of
"Death On The Royal Yacht" from Crooked Lane Books is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: There is an online listing of books by S. J. Bennett available at FantasticFiction:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/s-j-bennett
Deck the Halls with Boughs of Murder
Jacqueline Frost
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892427357, $29.99, HC, 304pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Deck-Halls-Boughs-Murder-Christmas/dp/B0GFD4WMRN
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/deck-the-halls-with-boughs-of-murder-jacqueline-frost/1149863016
Synopsis: New parents Holly White and Sheriff Evan Gray are sleep deprived but incandescently happy to be celebrating their
baby's first Christmas. Their family, friends, and neighbors are spoiling the newest addition. Adding to the perfect holiday
season is the recent completion of their newly built home. All that's left to do is move in and send off those change-of-address
cards.
But their cup full of cheer turns sour when Holly discovers a dead body.
It all started with a sweet trip down memory lane -- Candy Cane Lane and Toyland being two of Holly's favorites as a child,
and she had been looking forward to sharing them with her baby. Then she stumbled upon the body of Greysen, the animal
keeper, left among the reindeer at the petting zoo.
Earlier in the day, Holly witnessed a fight between Greysen and a stranger. The reindeer petting zoo had originally been empty
that day with no reindeer in sight until they reappeared along with a corpse.
As Holly fights to keep the Christmas spirit alive, she is Greysen's only chance at justice -- and her baby's only chance at a
happy first Christmas.
Critique: Another deftly crafted cozy mystery by a master of the genre, "Deck the Halls with Boughs of Murder" by Jacqueline
Frost is a fun read from cover to cover. The newest and seventh entry to Frost's popular 'A Christmas Tree Farm' murder
mystery series, "Deck the Halls with Boughs of Murder" is a 'must' for the growing legions of Jacqueline Frost fans and an
unreservedly recommended popular pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of dedicated cozy mystery buffs that this hardcover edition of "Deck the Halls with Boughs of Murder"
from Crooked Lane Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99)
Editorial Note: There is an online listing of books by Jacqueline Frost on Fantastic Fiction:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/f/jacqueline-frost
A Body in the B&B
Katie Marsh
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781836787471, $43.50 / $36.98, PB, Large Print, 510pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/search/a%20body%20in%20the%20b
Synopsis: It's a perfect location for murder.
When sisters Jennifer and Lizzie Christie inherit their aunt's dilapidated B&B, in the beautiful Lake District village of Lupton
Water, the only thing they have in common is how much they hate their housemate, Declan Moss.
The two of them fell out thirty years before, and now they're mid-life, mid-menopause, and about to be mid-disaster. And not
just because Jennifer's cat Clementine and Rose's dog Gizmo have taken an instant dislike to each other.
But when Declan's body is found in the bathtub, the sisters are top of the suspect list. Can they and their pets bury the hatchet
long enough to find out who the killer is? Or will they become the next victims?
Critique: Launching a new cozy mystery series by author Katie Marsh, "A Body in the B&B" is replete with deftly crafted
characters, a series of unexpected plot twists, and two unlikely and amateur female sleuths who happen to be feuding sisters! A
fun and thoroughly engaging read from start to finish, this large print paperback edition "A Body in the B&B" from Boldwood
Books is an extraordinary and especially recommended pick for personal and community library Mystery/Suspense collections.
It should also be noted that "A Body in the B&B" is also available as a complete and unabridged audio book (9781836787402,
$93.95 / $79.86, CD & 9781836787419, $93.95 / $79.86, MP3-CD).
Editorial Note There is an online listing of books by Katie Marsh on FantasticFiction at:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/m/katie-marsh
Mrs Hudson and the Samarkand Conspiracy
Martin Davies
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444863079, $43.50 / $36.98, PB, Large Print, 352pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/search/mrs%20hudson%20and%20the%20samarkand%20conspiracy
Synopsis: It's summer in London, and things are quiet. But while Holmes and Watson chafe at their inactivity, a train, carrying
a vital encoded communication, is entering a tunnel in an obscure region of the Balkans -- never to be seen again.
The case of the disappearing train is only the beginning of the nation's difficulties. The missing message must be found and
decoded, and a diplomat's wife must be rescued from the clutches of a pernicious blackmailer.
The nation is in danger, and if a diplomatic scandal of disastrous proportions is to be avoided, even Sherlock Holmes'
brilliance (augmented by his housekeeper Mrs. Hudson) may not be enough!
Critique: Another deftly crafted 'Holmes & Hudson' historic mystery by Martin Davies, "Mrs Hudson and the Samarkand
Conspiracy" is a fun read from cover to cover and a 'must' for the legions of Sherlock Holmes fans -- especially those that had
always held that Sherlock's housekeeper represented more than met the eye. Davies fully captures the spirit of the Sherlock
Holmes canon and this large print paperback edition from Boldwood Books is an ideal pick for personal and community
library Historical Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that it is also available as a complete and unabridged audio
book (9780750553193, $111.95 / $95.16, CD & 9780750553209, $111.95 / $95.16, MP3-CD).
Editorial Note: There is an online listing of books by Martin Davies on FantasticFiction at:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/d/martin-davies
A Season For Justice
John Pilkington
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781807346218, $43.50 / $36.98, PB, Large Print, 510pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781807346218
Synopsis: England, 1618.
Ex-magistrate Robert Belstrang receives a plea from a dying friend, Sir Richard Mountford, to visit him at Foxhill Manor.
However once he arrives, he discovers that Sir Richard is not dying, but merely desperate.
His brother John has been killed in an explosion at the family's iron foundry, down in the remote Forest of Dean. They cast
cannons for the Royal Armouries - a royally privileged and lucrative business. But Sir Richard does not believe John's death
was an accident, and implores Belstrang (the only man he can trust) to investigate.
But when Belstrang starts to ask questions, the mystery only deepens and once the truth begins to unfold, it does so with
dangerous implications reaching far beyond England's shores.
This time Belstrang must follow the trail to the bitter end, which could result in the saving of his own estate - or his total
ruin.
Critique: John Pilkington is a master of the historical mystery genre with "A Season for Justice" -- the concluding title in his
simply outstanding 'Justice Belstrang Mystery' series set in 17th Century England. A fascinating, entertaining, fully engaging
read from start to finish, this large print paperback edition of "A Season for Justice" from McFarland & Company is an
extraordinary and highly recommended addition to personal reading lists and community library Historical Mystery/Suspense
collections.
Editorial Note: There is an online listing of books by John Pilkington on FantasticFiction at:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/p/john-pilkington
FireLine
Peter Berk
Ie Snaps! by Ingramelliott
c/o IngramElliot Publishing
https://www.ingramelliott.com/fireline.html
9781952961465, $29.99, HC, 208pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/FireLine-Peter-Berk/dp/1952961467
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fireline-peter-berk/1150529251
Ingram Elliot Publishing
https://www.ingramelliott.com/fireline.html
Synopsis: An unhinged scientist introduces a nano-based chemical compound into the Potomac that's designed to purify the
world's waterways but that instead sets the river on fire and rapidly spreads directly toward Manhattan, with only the young
chemist who first warned against the experiment the worlds best hope of stopping it.
"FireLine" Is a simply riveting novel in which author Peter Berk takes his readers from the heart of Washington, D.C. to the
Statue of Liberty -- all of which are directly impacted by an out-of-control firestorm snaking its way to the Atlantic where it
could go on to threaten every corner of the world.
A science gone astray, apocalyptic disaster novel, "FireLine" also touches on such personal redemption, heroism in the face of
seemingly insurmountable obstacles, friendship and even father-son dynamics.
Critique: Deftly crafted, "FireLine" by Peter Berk is a compelling techno-thriller that explores the complex intersection of
artificial intelligence, advanced technology and the potentially catastrophic consequences when powerful systems move
beyond human control that (according to today's AI experts) could lead to an extinction event for the human race.
Berk brilliantly combines his original and compelling techno-thriller with timely questions that are now the stuff of the evening
news broadcast and governmental debate about the rapid advances of AI and how much control should we surrender to
technology -- and what happens when we can no longer take it back? A novel for our times, "FireLine" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It
should be noted that this hardcover edition of "FireLine" from Ie Snaps! by IngramElliott is also available in paperback
(9781952961458, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Peter Berk (https://freshfiction.com/author.php?id=50957) has written eight novels, six TV pilots and a dozen
screenplays, including several with his father, Howard Berk, which became the basis for the TimeLock series of novels. The
original TimeLock novel was a Finalist in three categories of the 2023 Chanticleer International Book Awards (Science
Fiction, Mystery and Suspense, and Global Thriller) and was named a Distinguished Favorite in the TechnoThriller category of
the 2024 Independent Press Award. TimeLock 2: The Kyoto Conspiracy was published in 2023 and late 2024 saw the
publication of Peter's political murder mystery, First Line of Defense (and the publication of his son Jordan's time travel
thriller, The Timestream Verdict). In the summer of 2025, IngramElliott published TimeLock 3: The Millennium Paradox and
at least two more novels in the TimeLock series are currently in the works.
Fighting Edge
Margaret Mizushima
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892426701, $29.99, HC, 336pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Edge-Timber-Creek-Mystery/dp/B0G5WYZQNZ
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fighting-edge-margaret-mizushima/1149863039
Synopsis: A routine welfare check becomes a nightmare when Deputy Mattie Walker finds a young mother dead and a
hysterical toddler, possibly the only witness to a brutal crime. Before the investigative team can start piecing together what
happened, Mattie discovers another criminal act in Timber Creek.
During a traffic stop for speeding, Mattie observes a nervous driver and a teenage passenger frozen with fear. A quick sweep of
the car with her K-9 partner, Robo, reveals a dangerous mix of drugs and suspected human trafficking, providing Mattie with
grounds to arrest the driver. After she places the teenager in protective custody, the sheriff's department hands the case over to
the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
As the team gathers evidence and information, Mattie's husband, veterinarian Cole Walker, notices suspicious activity during
ambulatory calls at dog kennels, indicating yet a third crime lurking in the shadows. What begins as isolated incidents quickly
reveals a chilling truth: Organized crime has infiltrated their rural mountain community.
Every clue leads to more questions, and each answer brings them closer to greater danger. Do Mattie and her law enforcement
partners have what it takes to shut down this criminal ring before it claims more victims? And could its next victim be
someone Mattie loves?
Critique: The eleventh title in novelist Margaret Mizushima's 'Timber Creek K-9 Mystery' series, "Fighting Edge" will be
especially appreciated by readers with an interest in deftly crafted police procedural murder suspense thriller mysteries with
women sleuths and K-9 police dogs. A terrific read from cover to cover, "Fighting Edge" will prove to be an immensely and
enduringly popular pick for the personal reading lists of the growing legions of Margaret Mizushima fans and community
library Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: Margaret Mizushima served as past president of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Mystery Writers of America
and was elected Writer of the Year by Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. She and her husband recently moved from Colorado,
where they raised two daughters and a multitude of animals, to a home in the Pacific Northwest. There is an online listing of
her books at: https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/margaret-mizushima
Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel
Lucy Foley
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063376694, $30.00, HC, 304pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Grand-Alpine-Hotel-Mystery/dp/0063376695
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-at-the-grand-alpine-hotel-lucy-foley/1148769663
Synopsis: High in the Swiss Alps, accessible only by a single, winding railway, stands the luxurious Grand Alpine Hotel. With
glorious mountain views and exclusive access to powdery slopes, it draws guests from far and wide including.
The notorious actress.
The high-flying politician.
The society wife.
The reckless friend.
The shrewd doctor.
But not everyone is here for a winter holiday.
Beneath the champagne and furs, dark histories simmer; old grudges emerge like cracks in the ice. And someone is watching
from the shadows. A polite, unassuming woman with an extraordinary mind: Miss Marple.
When a body is found and a blizzard cuts off all escape, only Miss Marple can connect the clues before the killer strikes again.
Because it isn't a question of who has a motive, but who's next...?
Critique: Miss Marple is the legendary amateur female sleuth created by the equally legendary Agatha Christie (15 September
1890 - 12 January 1976). Now with the publication of "Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel" author Lucy Foley continues the
legacy Agatha Christie/Miss Marple legacy with a new and deftly crafted 'whodunnit' that will hold enormous appeal for fans
of the cozy mystery format in general, and a truly fashioned Agatha Christie style murder mystery by novelist Lucy Foley.
While an absolutely and unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense
collections, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel" from William Morrow is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note #1: There is an online listing of books by Lucy Foley at Book Series in Order:
https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/lucy-foley
Editorial Note: There is an online listing of books by Agatha Christie at Book Series in Order:
https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/agatha-christie
Tear The City Down
Andre Hardy
Grand Central Publishing
c/o Hachette Book Group
www.hachettebookgroup.com
9781538777480, $30.00, HC, 432pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Tear-City-Down-Andre-Hardy/dp/1538777487
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tear-the-city-down-andre-hardy/1149187924
Synopsis: Coltrane Davis is a combination of modern day knight, con artist, and hustler. He has risen to wealth and success,
graduating from San Diego's back alleys to the halls of power through his partnership with Saul Sollman, a crooked kingmaker
among the city's elite.
Running multimillion dollar scams with Saul, he has been Saul's fixer, but now he wants out of the hustle so that he can focus
on his teenage daughter's burgeoning tennis career and finally be the dad he has always wanted to be.
But when the Los Angeles Chargers' star running back vanishes one evening before a big game, Coltrane is drawn into an
investigation of what happened by Saul and his protege, the player's agent; the stakes escalate with a gut-punch when the trail
leads into San Diego's underworld of drugs and prostitution and reveals clues to the disappearance of his daughter's best friend,
whose loss has haunted him.
Torn by the unreconcilable demands of the life he can't seem to quit and the fierce desire he has to protect his own, Coltrane
brings himself and his loved ones to the brink of destruction in his quest to free himself once and for all of Saul's control -- and
focus on what really matters: family.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a simply riveting read from start to finish, "Tear The City Down" by Andrew Hardy will
hold a special appeal for anyone with an interest in urban themed criminal suspense thrillers. "Teach The City Down"
showcases Hardy's impressive flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style that makes his novel come
alive in a kind of 'theatre of the mind' experience for the reader. While especially and unreservedly recommended for
community library Contemporary Suspense/Thriller Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this
hardcover edition of "Tear The City Down" from Grand Central Publishing is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Andre Hardy (https://www.andrehardy.com) is a Los Angeles - based crime novelist, a former NFL running
back, and a member of the International Thriller Writers. His work explores power, loyalty, and the hidden systems that decide
who rises, who falls, and who gets erased. A recipient of the prestigious Barbara Peters/Poisoned Pen Scholarship, Hardy
brings a seasoned, hard-boiled perspective to the mystery/suspense genre.
Murder on Thin Ice
Laurie Cass
Alcove Press
www.alcovepress.com
9798892426992, $29.99, HC, 336pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Thin-Ice-Bookmobile-Mystery/dp/B0GFD5KY87
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-on-thin-ice-laurie-cass/1149863040
Synopsis: It's winter in northwest lower Michigan, which means librarian Minnie Niswander and her cat, Eddie, are staying
cozy in the bookmobile. But not everything is as it should be.
When an elderly housebound patron, Gerald Arnold, fails to answer his door, Minnie knows something is wrong. Her fears are
confirmed when the police discover Gerald's body beneath the surface of a small frozen lake.
Minnie knows that the kind and cautious Gerald would never have been so careless as to fall through the ice, and she suspects
foul play. But law enforcement rules the old man's death an accident, and Minnie knows she will have to take the investigation
into her own hands.
As she and Eddie dig deeper, Minnie is troubled to learn that Gerald (and many of her friends) had been suspects in a
decades-old cold case. Were the two murders connected? If so, it looks like justice is long overdue.
Critique: Author Laurie Cass is a master of the cozy mystery genre. Her newest 'whodunnit' in her 'A bookmobile Cat Mystery'
series, "Murder on Thin Ice" features librarian Minnie Niswander and her cat Eddie. Laurie's character and narrative driven
storytelling style makes for a fun read for mystery buffs from start to finish. While highly recommended for community library
Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of the growing legions of Laurie Cass fans that
this hardcover edition of "Murder on Thin Ice" is also readily available from Alcove Press in paperback (9798892427005,
$19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: There is an online listing of books by Laurie Cass on Fantastic Fiction:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/laurie-cass
Bark Humbug
David Rosenfelt
Minotaur Books
c/o Macmillan Publishers
https://us.macmillan.com
9781250427830, $28.00, HC, 320pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Bark-Humbug-Carpenter-Mystery-Novel/dp/1250427835
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bark-humbug-david-rosenfelt/1149312809
Synopsis: This time, Andy is serious about retiring. Besides, he can't hear the sound of his phone ringing over the football
game. But when the local newspaper asks him to participate in their Christmas spread of local celebrities and their dogs, he
pauses the game and brings Tara along for the ride.
When the photographer comes to take pictures of him and the dogs, he instead opens the door to Sharon Lowery, who devised
the newspaper story just to get Andy's attention and beg him for help. Her brother, Jon, is wanted for murder and is on the run.
However, if Andy agrees to hear Jon out, he'll turn himself in with the hope that Andy will represent him and reunite him with
his dog.
It's a dangerous situation, and between the media circus surrounding the murder and Jon's volatile position, Andy knows that
when Jon is found, someone could get hurt. But Andy respects Sharon's dedication to her brother, and in an effort to keep
Jon--and the public--safe, Andy agrees to talk to Jon. Andy decides to help Jon and slowly uncovers a web of conspiracies.
Determined to keep Jon out of jail, Andy gathers the crew to investigate.
Critique: With the publication of "Bark Humbug", author David Rosenfelt returns with another Andy Carpenter Mystery, this
time featuring Andy Carpenter's classic disdain for Christmas but his love for dogs and justice. An original and fun cozy
mystery style read from start to finish, "Bark Humbug" is a 'must' for the growing legions of David Rosenfelt fans. While
especially and unreservedly recommended as an essential addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it
should be noted for fans of the always trying to retire Andy Carpenter that this hardcover edition of "Bark Humbug" from
Minotaur Books is also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: There is an online listing of books by David Rosenfelt on FantasticFiction at:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/r/david-rosenfelt
Fighting Edge
Margaret Mizushima
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892426701, $29.99, HC, 336pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Edge-Timber-Creek-Mystery/dp/B0G5WYZQNZ
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fighting-edge-margaret-mizushima/1149863039
Synopsis: A routine welfare check becomes a nightmare when Deputy Mattie Walker finds a young mother dead and a
hysterical toddler, possibly the only witness to a brutal crime. Before the investigative team can start piecing together what
happened, Mattie discovers another criminal act in Timber Creek.
During a traffic stop for speeding, Mattie observes a nervous driver and a teenage passenger frozen with fear. A quick sweep of
the car with her K-9 partner, Robo, reveals a dangerous mix of drugs and suspected human trafficking, providing Mattie with
grounds to arrest the driver. After she places the teenager in protective custody, the sheriff's department hands the case over to
the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
As the team gathers evidence and information, Mattie's husband, veterinarian Cole Walker, notices suspicious activity during
ambulatory calls at dog kennels, indicating yet a third crime lurking in the shadows. What begins as isolated incidents quickly
reveals a chilling truth: Organized crime has infiltrated their rural mountain community.
Every clue leads to more questions, and each answer brings them closer to greater danger. Do Mattie and her law enforcement
partners have what it takes to shut down this criminal ring before it claims more victims? And could its next victim be
someone Mattie loves?
Critique: A part of author Margaret Mizushima's 'Timber Creek K-9 Mystery' series, "Fighting Edge" showcases her
extraordinary flair for imaginative, character and narrative driven storytelling style that is ideal for the suspense thriller genre.
With an extraordinary appeal for fans of female sleuths, police procedurals, and the use of a K-9 to crime solve, "Fighting
Edge" is an original and fun read from start to finish. Unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Fighting Edge" from Crooked Lane
Books is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: There is an online listing of books by Margaret Mizushima on FantasticFiction:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/m/margaret-mizushima
Death by Misadventure
Jane Bitomsky
www.janebitomskybooks.com
Lake Union Publishing
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662540585, $16.99, PB, 265pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Death-Misadventure-Novel-Jane-Bitomsky/dp/1662540582
Synopsis: Elizabethan England -- April 29, 1585.
Coroner John Derrick is summoned to the cozy village of Bramley to investigate a naked dead man found beneath a
waterwheel. An unfortunate drowning, by all indications. But upon closer inspection, the case takes a macabre turn: The
deceased is missing a certain piece of his anatomy.
Impelled by the grisly discovery to uncover the culprit, John must contend with bumbling villagers in his quest for the truth.
Only sixteen-year-old maid Rebecca Laurence seems to offer any help.
In Elizabethan England, servants rarely get a second glance. Rebecca prefers it that way, moving quietly through her world,
picking up secrets like dirty clothing. Knowledge is power at a time when women are afforded little, and she deftly wields hers
to protect her own clandestine affairs.
As John wades through the evidence, Rebecca treads into dangerous waters. And if she's not careful, she could find herself in
over her head!
Critique: With the publication of "Death by Misadventure", author Jane Bitomsky proves herself a master of the historical
mystery genre. Demonstrating an impressive flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style that raises her
Elizabethan era mystery to an impressive level of literary excellence, "Death by Misadventure" is a fun read from start to finish
and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be
noted for historical mystery buffs that this paperback edition of "Death by Misadventure" from Lake Union Publishing is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $1.99).
Editorial Note: Jane Bitomsky (www.janebitomskybooks.com) is an award-winning author of historical fiction. Born in
Australia, Jane attended the University of Queensland, where she attained her BA and LLB degrees with honors and her PhD
in early modern English history. Her scholarly writing has appeared in academic journals, and her fictional work has earned
accolades in the US and UK, including the 2024 Killer Nashville Claymore Award for Best Historical, Second Prize in the
2023 Yeovil Literary Prize, and Third Prize in the 2022 First Novel Prize. Jane lives with her family in New Zealand.
The Ferryman's Daughter
Yasmin Angoe
https://yasminangoe.com
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662529702, $28.99, HC, 411pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Ferrymans-Daughter-Bloodlines-Yasmin-Angoe/dp/1662529708
Synopsis: Forensic science teacher Sanaa Karrem buried her past as deep as she could. When her serial killer father, known as
"the Ferryman", disappeared eighteen years ago, she tried to disappear with him. She changed her name, built a new life. And
for a while, it all felt like a distant nightmare.
But when bodies turn up with pennies on their eyes, Sanaa recognizes her father's signature. The nightmare becomes real again.
Soon, Sanaa starts receiving threatening messages and increasingly disturbing "gifts". The killer is toying with her, and she
can't tell anyone -- not even her own fiance, Detective Marcus Morelli, lead investigator on the case.
As the body count rises, Sanaa leans on her expertise as a former medical examiner to close in on the killer. What she finds is a
horrific manifestation of her father's legacy, hitting shockingly close to home. But what disturbs her most is how much that
legacy still lingers within her!
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a simply riveting read from start to finish, "The Ferryman's Daughter" showcases author
Yasmin Angoe's impressive flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style that makes her serial killer
themed suspense thriller novel come to life, providing the reader with a vivid 'theatre of the mind' experience. While
unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal
reading lists that this hardcover edition of "The Ferryman's Daughter" from Thomas & Mercer is also readily available in
paperback (9781662529726, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $1.99).
Editorial Note: Yasmin Angoe (https://yasminangoe.com) is a first-generation Ghanaian American and the author of "Her
Name Is Knight" and "Not What She Seems". Winner of the 2020 Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color
Award, she was also a nominee for the 2024 Goodreads Choice Award for Mystery & Thriller and a two-time finalist (2023
and 2025) for the Library of Virginia's People's Choice Award for Fiction. Yasmin has served in education for nearly twenty
years and works as a developmental editor. She's a member of several writers' organizations, including Crime Writers of Color,
Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers.
The Chase
Felix Francis
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892426657, $29.99, HC, 336pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Chase-Dick-Francis-Novel/dp/B0G5X37YPH
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-chase-felix-francis/1149863015
Synopsis: Forty-nine-year-old Fabian Tulley is only trying to run his own art gallery in London's Mayfair in peace. But
someone seems determined to ruin his life. Accused of selling a fake Alfred Munnings painting, he is unable to prove his
innocence because the police are holding the piece as evidence. While running a retail sale at Cheltenham Racecourse, some of
his other paintings are vandalized. Then a couple of men try to run him down in the racecourse parking lot.
To make matters even worse, his clients are being threatened to stay away from his gallery, and his landlords are trying to
cancel his lease. Everything is against him, but with someone threatening his life's work, Fabian is determined to fight
back.
And what a fight it turns out to be.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, compelling, "The Chase" by Felix Francis is this author's newest release and will have a
special and particular interest for fans of police procedural, suspense/thriller 'whodunnit' murder mysteries. A fun and riveting
read from cover to cover, "The Chase" is unabashedly and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary
Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the growing legions of Felix Francis fans that this hardcover edition of
"The Chase" from Crooked Lane Books is also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle,
$14.99).
Editorial Note: There is an online listing of books by Felix Francis on Fantastic Fiction:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/f/felix-francis
'Tis the Season to Be Scary
Vicki Delany
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892426633, $29.99, HC, 304pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Tis-Season-Scary-Year-Round-Christmas/dp/B0G5WPZCTM
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tis-the-season-to-be-scary-vicki-delany/1149863047
Synopsis: It's Halloween, and the townsfolk of Rudolph, New York, are donning masks and costumes for the Yuletide Inn's
grand fundraising gala to support the local hospital. Shop owner Merry Wilkinson has yet another treat to celebrate: Her best
friend, Vicky Casey, has a new cookbook set to publish. Vicky's publishers, a prominent critic of her book, and a former opera
star rumored to have been involved with Merry's mother are all set to attend the gala.
As the drinks flow, the guests dance, and the canapes are served, things begin spiraling out of control. The book critic makes a
scene, and tensions begin to rise. Then Merry realizes that she is not the only one who never actually paid for a gala ticket. But
when someone drops dead after eating a cake pop from the lavish dessert buffet, everything comes to a head, and all eyes turn
to Vicky, who made the treats. As it turns out, Vicky's book might be doomed before it hits the shelves.
With her friend's name and livelihood at stake and the fundraiser in serious danger, Merry must keep her wits about her. Surely
she's only imagining the ghost of Ebenezer Scrooge watching her from the shadows.
Critique: A deftly crafted novel by a true master of the cozy mystery genre, "Tis The Season To Be Scary" by Vicki Delany is a
fun and fascinating read from cover to cover. An original and deftly crafted story with an amateur female sleuth compelled to
solve a puzzling murder, "Tis The Season To Be Scary" will prove to be a prized pick for community library Mystery/Suspense
collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated cozy mystery fans that this hardcover edition of "Tis
The Season To Be Scary" from Crooked Lane Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Vicki Delany (https://vickidelany.com) is one of Canada's most prolific and varied crime writers and a national
bestseller in the United States. She has written more than fifty books: clever cozies to Gothic thrillers to gritty police
procedurals to historical fiction and novellas for adult literacy. She is a past chair of the Crime Writers of Canada and
cofounder and organizer of the Women Killing It Crime Writing Festival. She is the recipient of the 2019 Derrick Murdoch
Award for contributions to Canadian crime writing. Vicki lives in Ontario.
A Field Guide to Death and Deceit
Michelle L. Cullen
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892426787, $29.99, HC, 336pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Field-Guide-Death-Deceit-Novel/dp/B0G7CL8PFV
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-field-guide-to-death-and-deceit-michelle-l-cullen/1148963813
Synopsis: When an odd request leads Harry Lancaster to agree to meet his former sweetheart Willow at a farm on the outskirts
of town, Emma's suspicions run high, and she insists on joining him. Instead of Willow greeting them when they arrive, they
discover the farm's owner dead, with a corn rake embedded in his back.
After being interrogated by the police, Harry and Emma return to his home to find a bereft Willow, who admits she lost her life
savings in a real estate scam involving the farm. Worried Willow will become the main murder suspect, Harry decides to help
her, despite Emma's concerns.
Critique: The sequel to author Michelle L. Cullen's "A Field Guide to Murder", once again Harry and Emma Lancaster find
themselves having to solve another murder in "A Field Guide to Death & Deceit". As a novelist, Michelle Cullen once again
proves herself to be a master of the cozy mystery genre. A fun read for cozy mystery fans from cover to cover, "A Field Guide
to Death & Deceit" 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 dedicated cozy mystery buffs that this hardcover edition of "A
Field Guide to Death & Deceit" is also readily available in paperback (9798892426794, $19.99) and in a digital book format
(Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: There is an online listing of books by Michelle L. Cullen on Fantastic Fiction:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/michelle-l-cullen
A Killer for Christmas
Kim Harrington
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892425025, $29.99, HC, 320pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Killer-Christmas-Novel-Kim-Harrington/dp/B0GC485289
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-killer-for-christmas-kim-harrington/1148495501
Synopsis: Christmasville, Maine, is the only place where Kelsey Hendricks has ever felt happy.
When she loses both her job and her boyfriend, the move is a no-brainer, especially when she sees a listing for a position as
Christmasville's social media manager. Surrounded by twinkling lights and candy canes and with the perfect job, this tinsel
town is working its magic on Kelsey. With two heartthrobs vying for her attention, her life is now just like a Christmas
movie.
Except for the murders.
The first one is dismissed as an accident. But after the second, and definitely the third, it becomes abundantly clear that Santa
is leaving coal in someone's stocking this year.
Determined to bring back the holly jolly spirit to the town before tourists begin canceling their reservations, Kelsey must sleuth
her way out of a chilling murder mystery and back to a holiday rom-com!
Critique: Original, charming, clever, and an entertaining mix of mystery and romance, "A Killer for Christmas" by Kim
Harrington is a fun read from start to finish and a 'must' for the legions of dedicated cozy mystery fans. While this hardcover
edition of "A Killer for Christmas" from Crooked Lane Books is unreservedly recommended for community library
Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that it is also readily available in paperback
(9798892425032, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: There is an online listing of books by Kim Harrington on Fantastic Fiction:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/kim-harrington
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Eternal Dusk Part 1
James Upsilon
James Upsilon Books
https://www.jamesupsilonbooks.com
9798992499551, $2.99, Kindle, 315pp
Pre-Publication Review: Publishing Release Date: January 19, 2027
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HHFMT71N
Author's Website
https://www.jamesupsilonbooks.com/portfolio
Synopsis: Set in Averium, a world in which every choice for good or ill alters the fabric of magic itself, "Eternal Dusk Part 1"
by novelist James Upsilon is the story of Astrid, a Black Mage, among the last of her kind, sworn to seek vengeance on the
Light Mages who slaughtered her people based on the color of their blood -- and their attempt to overthrow all of
Averium.
Her life's purpose is to bring the kingdom to its knees, a single Mage against an enemy as numberless as the sands of the sea.
But how far is she willing to go to find revenge? Will she sink to the level of her adversaries? Or are there lines even she is
unwilling to cross?
Teresa is a paradox, a timid half-medusa who has spent the last decade trapped in an old church in fear of her life. Though she
has no desire for revenge herself, she joins Astrid in her quest out of devotion. To her, the world is new and beautiful, but also
frightening and complex. She must fight to find her place in a nation that sees her very existence as a threat.
Cyrus is the ArchKnight, chosen by the Goddess of Light and Unity, sworn to protect The Realms at any cost. Twelve years
ago, he ordered the atrocity that brought about the end of the decades-long Great War with the Black Mages, killing Astrid's
mother in the process.
Now, his worst fears are confirmed: A Black Mage has been spotted on the outskirts of Averium. He will do whatever it takes
to protect his people's fragile peace, even if he must cross further ethical lines. What remains to be seen is what it will cost him
to do so.
"Eternal Dusk Part I" is a story that tells both sides of a conflict in which no party is entirely innocent, but no misdeed without
its reason. Will the people of Averium find their moral footing amid their biases and shifting values? Or will The Realms fall
into greater chaos?
Critique: Original, exceptional, nuanced, and riveting, "Eternal Dusk Part 1" showcases author James Upsilon's extraordinary
flair for the kind of imaginative, character and narrative based storytelling style that is ideal for the heroic fantasy saga genre.
Emotionally and psychologically engaging from start to finish, this Kindle Edition of "Eternal Dusk Part 1" is especially and
unreservedly recommended (when print editions are available in January 2027) for community library Epic Fantasy collections
and (now that it is currently available in a digital book format) a 'must' for the personal reading lists of all dedicated epic saga
fantasy fans.
Editorial Note: James Upsilon has been writing almost as long as he can remember. He has broad interests and has crafted
literary works in a variety of genres and styles. There is an online listing of his books at:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/51764201.James_Upsilon
The Infirmary for Dragon Burns and Midair Mishaps
Elizabeth Hrib
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781807955328, $43.50 / $36.98, PB, Large Print, 510pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/search/the%20infirmary%20for%20dragon%20burns%20and%20midair%20mishaps
Synopsis: Burn nurse Eden has accepted a job from her old mentor at the Infirmary for Dragon Burns and Midair Mishaps,
hoping for peace and quiet in Ember Ridge -- a charming mountain town famous for singed tourists and reckless dragon
riders.
Instead, she arrives to find the infirmary in chaos.
Her mentor is stranded out of town, wild dragons are causing havoc and Eden is left running the infirmary on her first day.
Worse, she keeps crossing paths with Vaela, the town's dragon wrangler, whose talent for surviving impossible situations is
matched only by a talent for getting under Eden's skin.
Vaela is everything Eden hates: brooding, reckless and arrogant.
But when local dragons begin acting strangely and the kingsguard descends on Ember Ridge, whispers spread of the Wretch --
the most feared dragon in the realm. Eden and Vaela are forced into an uneasy partnership to save the town, but every
argument between them sparks into something hotter and far more dangerous than they expected.
Because falling for a dragon wrangler was never part of Eden's plan. But neither is watching Ember Ridge (and her guarded
heart) go up in flames!
Critique: A deftly blended combination of fantasy, romance, adventure, and dragons, "The Infirmary for Dragon Burns and
Midair Mishaps" by Elizabeth Hrib is an original, clever, and fun read from cover to cover. While this large print paperback
edition of "The Infirmary for Dragon Burns and Midair Mishaps" from Boldwood Books is a solidly and unreservedly
recommended pick for community library Fantasy Fiction collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of
dragon themed fantasy fans that it is also available as a complete and unabridged audio book (9781807955243m $93.95/$79.86
CD & 9781807955250, $93.95/$79.86 MP3-CD).
Editorial Note: There is an online listing of books by Elizabeth Hrib on FantasticFiction:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/elizabeth-hrib
In the Algorithm We Trust
Ryan David Ginsberg
https://www.ryandavidginsberg.com
The Ginsberg Publishing House
9798986976662, $11.99, PB, 249pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/ALGORITHM-TRUST-Ryan-David-Ginsberg/dp/B0FGN68PRG
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-the-algorithm-we-trust-ryan-david-ginsberg/1147764139
Synopsis: Following the Siege of Washington, D.C., the power of the Algorithm is made absolute. Now, every left ear bears a
Data Gathering Device, granting the Algorithm access to every thought and desire. Cameras surveil Americans' every move.
Dissenters are publicly tortured. The history of pre-Algorithmic Times has been altered. And border walls keep all foreigners
out and Americans in.
This is the America Hugo Rodriguez is born into. A Data Gathering Device is implanted at the moment of his birth,
immediately beginning his process of indoctrination. Every moment of his life, even the moments he spends in his crib, is
dedicated to gathering data for the Algorithm to then use in its customization of everything: his TV shows, his education, his
friendships, his relationships, and his propaganda. But when Hugo visits his first zoo, where all dissenters are kept on public
display and the Algorithm personalizes only their method of torture, he learns for the first time what is really at stake. Not just
his perfect life. Not just his Perfect Match. But his freedom.
A chilling, provocative, political and techno-satire, "In the Algorithm We Trust" focuses not on rebellion and uprise, but
instead the most critical element of any dystopia: those who just go along with the system, until they too become
complicit.
Critique: There are two novels that everyone concerned about personal freedom in an unfree world are "1984" by George
Orwell and now "In the Algorithm We Trust" by Ryan David Ginsberg. As an author, Ginsberg demonstrates a genuine flair
for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style that makes an extrapolation of current technological and
political trends vivid and real and possible. An inherently fascinating and deftly crafted read from start to finish, "In the
Algorithm We Trust" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists, as well as community
and college/university library Dystopian Fiction collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that
this paperback edition of "In the Algorithm We Trust" from The Ginsberg Publishing House is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).
Editorial Note: Ryan David Ginsberg (https://www.ryandavidginsberg.com) lives in California's Central Valley with his wife
and three dogs. When he isn't writing, Ryan works as an educator, teaching students around the county to be empathetic,
inquisitive, and thoughtful about the world around them. Either that, or he's posting online to TikTok or Instagram, where he
shares his writing and commentary on politics, technology, and the state of modern society.
The Enigmatic Madam Ingram
Meihan Boey
Harper Perennial
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063508941, $19.99, PB, 512pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Enigmatic-Madam-Ingram-Novel-Cassidy/dp/006350894X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-enigmatic-madam-ingram-meihan-boey/1144983341
Synopsis: When Letty Ingram arrives in Singapore in 1906, she is an enigma even unto herself. To the residents of the small
Scottish village where she lives, she is a wealthy, half-Malay recluse who emerges from her home only for walks with her great
beast of a hound. To Letty, she is a woman trying to lift a curse that causes her lose consciousness and wake up in strange
places (sometimes, with blood on her hands) and no memory of what occurred.
Letty has traveled across the world in hopes that the renowned medium Madam Kay can help her break the curse, but Letty is a
mystery of tangled magics the likes of which Madam Kay and the rest of her supernaturally gifted family have never seen.
Fortunately, the Kays know an expert with even more insight into otherworldly matters than they do: the formidable Miss Leda
Cassidy.
But even Miss Cassidy finds Letty to be a puzzle, one that pulls a fog over her memories as well. As she dives deeper into
Letty's past and find it unexpectedly intertwined with her own, Miss Cassidy begins to realize that if she's going to free Letty
from her curse, she's going to have to take on an ancient foe: the terrifying jungle spirit known as the Bungadarah.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a fun read for historical fantasy and occult fiction fans from start to finish, "The
Enigmatic Madam Ingram" showcases author Meihan Boey's exceptionally impressive flair for the kind of character and
narrative driven storytelling style that the rapt attention of the reader throughout. The second title in Meihan Boey's 'Miss
Cassidy' series, this paperback edition of "The Enigmatic Madam Ingram" will prove to be a solid and popular pick for
community library Historical Fantasy Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists for fantasy fans that this
paperback edition of "The Enigmatic Madam Ingram" from Harper Perennial is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$12.95) and as a complete and unabridged audiobook (Blackstone Publishing, 9798228987500, $45.95, MP3-CD).
Editorial Note: Meihan Boey (https://meihanboey.wordpress.com) is the author of the novels The Formidable Miss Cassidy,
which was the co-winner of the 2021 Epigram Books Fiction Prize and winner of the 2022 Singapore Book Award for Best
Literary Work; and The Enigmatic Madam Ingram, a finalist for the 2023 Epigram Books Fiction Prize; as well as the science
fiction novella The Messiah Virus. She is also the vice president of the Association of Comic Artists of Singapore and has
scripted several comics, including Supacross and The Once and Marvellous DKD.
The Poetry Shelf
Life Travels
Tina Harrach Denetclaw
Finishing Line Press
https://finishinglinepress.com
9798899904455, $27.99, HC, 44pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Life-Travels-Tina-Harrach-Denetclaw/dp/B0GVXLFCR5
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/life-travels-tina-harrach-denetclaw/1149815312
Finishing Line Press
https://finishinglinepress.com/product/life-travels-by-tina-harrach-denetclaw
Synopsis: "Life Travels" is Tina Harrach Denetclaw's debut as a published poet. Each of the poems comprising this collection
were written at a time when calm courage was the only path forward for Tina and her Navaho husband, this collection of
articulate verse deftly explores the underpinnings of a life prepared to embrace purpose in the face of adversity; to sense self
and place when the moorings are unlashed; to gather the small moments; to see beauty in the arc of time and the remarkable
people who fill one's life.
Here is a sampling of her word-smithing style:
Smudge
In the winter night sky
facing south
near to the horizon
it's the smudge of light
just behind the scorpian
steam rising from the teapot.
Sometimes I get lost
in my own neighborhood
But I always know which way it is
to the center of our
Galaxy.
Critique: Original, unique, deftly crafted, meditative, memorable, the poetry and verse comprising "Life Travels" showcases
the word-smithing eloquence, imagination, and articulate talents of Tina Harrach Denetclaw. Raised to an impressive level of
literary excellence, it is all the more impressive when considering that "Life Travels" is her debut as a published poet. Simply
stated, "Life Travels" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Contemporary American Poetry collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be
noted for literary students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover
edition of "Life Travels" from Finishing Line Press is also available in paperback (9798899904073, $17.99).
Editorial Note: Tina Harrach Denetclaw is a clinical pharmacist by trade. Her poetry and creative nonfiction have appeared in
Eclectica Magazine, Silver Birch Press | Poetry and Prose... from Prompts Series, The RavensPerch, Leading the Way: The
Wisdom of the Navajo People, Synkroniciti, and Pulse: Voices from the Heart of Medicine. She was a semi-finalist for the
Brett Elizabeth Jenkins Poetry Prize, and in the Finishing Line Press 2025 Open Chapbook Competition. She and her Dine
(Navajo) husband live in Northern California where her husband is a biology professor, first reader of her poems, and favorite
muse for her writing. They have five cats.
The Graphic Novel Shelf
On Their Frontlines: The Lives of Japanese War Brides, Vol. 1
Marina Lisa Komiya, author/illustrator
Diana Taylor, translator
Takumi Graphics
c/o Fantagraphics
https://www.fantagraphics.com
9798875002298 $22.99 pbk / $16.99 Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Their-Frontlines-Lives-Japanese-Brides/dp/B0FWHSRRM7
Synopsis: This sensitive and affecting manga debut follows the lives of two Japanese war brides following WWII, and the
simmering tensions around identity, sexuality, and cultural change as their country rebuilds from the devastation.
A New York Public Library Best New Comic for Adults 2026
After Japan lost the War, the country was thrown into devastation. No one felt this devastation as much as Japanese women,
who, left with few paths to choose from, took low-wage jobs, fell into sex work, and wed American G.I.s. In their affecting
graphic novel debut, Marina Lisa Komiya follows the lives of two Japanese women and the American soldiers they marry in
this tumultuous time period.
Best friends (and possibly lovers) before the War, Haru and Yoriko are separated in the evacuation of their town during the air
raids. As they search for each other afterward, Haru gets by as a waitress, while Yoriko sells her body at a brothel. Their
fortunes change when they each meet respectful American soldiers, who take their hand. Arthur, a Japanese-American,
grapples with the inner conflict of his dual identity, while Scott is at once fascinated by Japanese culture and wracked with
guilt over the destruction American forces have wrought.
Amidst the postwar desolation, love and understanding finds a way, in this powerful work of manga that explores sexuality,
identity, and unlikely cross-cultural connection.
Critique: Expertly translated by Diana Taylor, Marina Lisa Komiya's On Their Frontlines: The Lives of Japanese War Brides,
Vol. 1 is a historical fiction black-and-white manga (Japanese graphic novel) chronicling the difficult lives of two Japanese
war brides, each of whom weds an American G.I. in the aftermath of World War II. Haru and Yoriko were once best friends
and possibly lovers; separated during the evacuation of their town during air raids, each faces an uphill battle just to eke out a
living. Haru earns a pittance of wages as a waitress, while Yoriko joins a brothel and sells her body. Each meets an American
G.I., which opens the possibility of marriage as a door to a better life. The G.I.'s are themselves complex characters; Arthur is a
Japanese-American balancing his dual identity amid a war-torn nation struggling to rebuild, while Scott admires Japanese
culture and feels deep guild over the destruction caused by American forces. On Their Frontlines is a profound and powerful
exploration of emotion, desperation, sexuality, morality, and humanity, highly recommended for both personal and public
library graphic novel collections.
Legends & Lattes: The Graphic Novel
Travis Baldree, author
Samuel Sattin, adaptor
Shanti Rittgers & Sarah Webb, illustrators
Ten Speed Graphic
c/o Ten Speed Press
https://crownpublishing.com/imprint/ten-speed
9781984862310, $28.00, HC, 208pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Legends-Lattes-Graphic-Samuel-Sattin/dp/1984862316
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/legends-lattes-travis-baldree/1149674208
Synopsis: After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword. The battle-weary orc aims to start afresh,
opening the city of Thune's first-ever coffee shop. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success, not to mention the fact
that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.
If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her dreams a reality, she won't be able to go it alone. After all, the true
rewards of an uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether they are drawn together by ancient magic,
flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup -- Viv may find something deeper here than she ever imagined!
Critique: Collaboratively produced by the team of author/storyteller Travis Baldree, adapted to a graphic novel format by
Samuel Sattin, and the artistic talents of co-illustrators Shanti Rittgers and Sarah Webb, "Legends & Lattes: The Graphic
Novel" is a full-color, action packed, epic fantasy action/adventure in a graphic novel format. A fun read from cover to cover,
this hardcover edition of "Legends & Lattes: The Graphic Novel" from Titan Comics is a very highly recommended and certain
to be enduringly popular pick for personal, community, and college/university library fantasy themed graphic novel collections.
It should be noted for dedicated fantasy fans that "Legends & Lattes: The Graphic Novel" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note #1: Travis Baldree is an author; a Locus, Nebula, and Hugo Award finalist; and a full-time audiobook narrator
who has lent his voice to hundreds of stories. Before that, he spent decades designing and building video games like
Torchlight, Rebel Galaxy, and Fate.
Editorial Note #2: Samuel Sattin is a best-selling, Eisner-nominated writer, editor, and narrative designer of immersive stories
across animation, comics, games, and publishing. His books include the national bestselling UNICO Awakening series,
Buzzing, Side Quest, The Silent End, and (as co-author) both A Kid's Guide to Anime & Manga and The Essential Anime
Guide. He also adapted Cartoon Saloon's Academy Award-nominated Irish Folklore Trilogy into acclaimed graphic
novels.
Editorial Note #3: Sarah Webb is an illustrator and cartoonist from Alaska, currently living in Los Angeles. She is the author
and artist for the webcomic Kochab, and has drawn backgrounds for TV animation at Cartoon Network, Disney TVA, and
Nickelodeon. Her favorite drink is a very sweet matcha latte.
Editorial Note #4: Shanti Rittgers is an Indonesian-American illustrator living in Los Angeles. They've designed characters for
animation and games, and made Google Doodles. Once a barista, they now practice medieval combat sports in their free time.
They take their coffee as black as the night sky.
Edgar Allan Poe: A Tale of Mystery and Intervention
Norm Konyu
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781806182169, $12.99, HC, 56pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Edgar-Allan-Poe-Mystery-Intervention/dp/1806182165
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/edgar-allan-poe-norm-konyu/1149650145
Synopsis: hen theatrical producer Thomas Evans meets his old friend Edgar Allan Poe in a gloomy tavern, he has a mission: to
pull Poe back from the abyss, if only for one evening. As skulls crowd the table and death-haunted ideas spill forth, Thomas
counters Poe's macabre obsessions with verse, wit, and impossible hope... urging him to imagine a life beyond despair.
"Edgar Allan Poe: A Tale of Mystery and Intervention" by Norm Konyu is graphic novel comprised of wondrous art, with each
sumptuous double-page spread reinterpreting a classic Poe tale (The Raven, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Fall of the House of
Usher, The Masque of the Red Death, and more) twisting familiar symbols into something both reverent and slyly subversive.
The result is a work steeped in dread and humour, rich with atmosphere, shivers, and visual invention.
"Edgar Allan Poe: A Tale of Mystery and Intervention" concludes with an insightful postscript in which Aurora-Award winner
Norm Konyu unpacks each literary reference and reflects on Poe's lasting influence on his own work and modern horror.
Perfect for Halloween and beyond, Edgar Allan Poe is a love letter to the weird, the macabre, and the stories that refuse to let
us go.
Critique: Original, unique, dramatic, and a fun read from cover to cover, "Edgar Allan Poe: A Tale of Mystery and
Intervention" by author/illustrator Norm Konyu is an impressive and memorable tribute to one of America's iconic storytellers
and is unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library Graphic Novel collections. It should
be noted that this hardcover edition of "Edgar Allan Poe: A Tale of Mystery and Intervention" from Titan Comics is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Norm Konyu (https://mooseboy.co.uk) has been a professional animator for companies such as the BBC,
Dreamworks, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network. In 2024, he won the Aurora Award for the Best Graphic Novel Category
with A Call to Cthulhu, and is the creator of The Junction, Downlands, and The Space Between the Trees. He was also the
Senior Animator on BAFTA and International EMMY award-winning preschool series Hey Duggee. A Canadian, Norm
currently resides in the UK.
Castle Swimmer: Volume 4
Wendy Martin
Ten Speed Graphic
c/o Ten Speed Press
9780593835913, $29.00, HC, 288pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Castle-Swimmer-4-Wendy-Martin/dp/0593835913
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/castle-swimmer-wendy-martin/1148911999
Synopsis: In this fourth volume of "Castle Swimmer", Kappa and Siren continue their thrilling journeys beyond the sea
kingdom walls. Accompanied by his new companions Pim and Pagoon, Siren ventures into the shadowy ocean depths in
search of a cure for his curse. Facing terrifying creatures that prey on their deepest fears and desires, the trio uncover more
about Siren's prophecy and the darkness entwined with his fate.
Meanwhile, Kappa continues to battle the great demigod crab with the last of the Octalia people, learning to harness his
magical powers and grow his strength. Despite being on separate missions, Kappa and Siren remain connected through their
unwavering dedication to each other, even if it is just an inflicted hallucination.
Readers will enjoy reading the adventures of Kappa and Siren as they bravely push forward into the unknown and face more
mythical obstacles in this captivating continuation of the Castle Swimmer saga. "Castle Swimmer: Volume 4" is a beautiful
illustrated graphic novel that is comprised of episodes 66-86 of Webtoon's Castle Swimmer series.
Critique: Original, imaginative, and an unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, and college/university
library LGBTQ+ and Romance/Adventure themed graphic novel collections, this hardcover edition of "Castle Swimmer:
Volume 4" from Ten Speed Graphic is also readily available in paperback (9780593835920, $18.99).
Editorial Note: Wendy Martin was born in the Midwest and grew up in Iowa. She spent her childhood raising animals, but she
spent even more time drawing them. As she grew older, she dedicated more time to the arts and creating fantasy comics and
stories, particularly ones that involved characters who were half human and half animal. After graduating high school, she
worked as a waitress and continued making comics on the side until Castle Swimmer, a story about two mermen, was picked
up by Ten Speed Graphic and allowed her to draw comics full time. Castle Swimmer is her first series.
Moon Eaters
Victor Santos
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781806180295, $24.99, HC, 192pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Moon-Eaters-Victor-Santos/dp/1806180294
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/moon-eaters-victor-santos/1149611650
Synopsis: Tommy Blackfoot thought prison was the worst place he'd ever been - until the night he walked free.
Reunited with June, the woman he's been writing to for years, Tommy hopes for a fresh start. But the past has been waiting for
him. The Children of Hati, a violent cult-like gang he once escaped, descend on the remote motel where the pair meet,
determined to drag Tommy back into their brutal fold... or bury him for good.
As night falls, waves of berserk, wolf-obsessed zealots close in, and June reveals she's far more than a romantic pen pal. What
begins as a reunion becomes a relentless battle for survival - one filled with savage fights, occult conspiracies, and the
consequences of a life lived on the run.
A blood-pounding crime-horror hybrid, "Moon Eaters" delivers a classic pulp action/adventure at its most visceral.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted by author/illustrator Victor Santos in a B/W format, "Moon Eaters" is a vividly rendered noir
story in a graphic novel format and a riveting read from start to finish. While especially recommended for personal,
community, and college/university library suspense/thriller themed graphic novel collections, it should be noted that this
hardcover edition of "Moon Eaters" from Titan Comics is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.99).
Editorial Note: Victor Santos is the Eisner and Harvey nominee creator and co-creator of graphic novels such as Filthy Rich,
Rashomon, Bad Girls, Against Hope, and Violent Love, and has worked with companies like Netflix, Fnac, Porche, the video
game company Corvus Belli, and artists such as Deadmau5 amongst others. His tetralogy Polar, published by Dark Horse, was
adapted into an Original Netflix live-action movie starring Mads Mikkelsen and Vanessa Hudgens, and some of the rights of
his other works have been bought and find themselves in different stages of development.
The Audiobook Shelf
Death in the Dordogne
J. R. Leigh
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781806566518, $93.95 / $79.86, CD (8 Hours 45 Minutes)
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/search/death%20in%20the%20dordogne
Synopsis: In need of a break, DI Archie Darling and his trusty Dalmatian companion Juno set off in their camper van to
explore the quiet beauty of rural France.
Their journey begins in the Dordogne, to attend the wedding of an old friend Craig. Archie is instantly charmed by the
incomparable soothing rhythms of French village life and the picturesque wedding venue, the Manoir la Poisse. So, when one
guest is found dead and then another, Archie is reluctant to get involved.
When it becomes clear however that the French police are keen to brush the truth of the deaths under the carpet, Archie's
professional sleuthing instinct proves impossible to resist. Before he knows it, Archie is creating his own list of suspects from
the many wedding guests, an alarming number of whom have dubious alibis, and ticking off clues.
And as he gets closer to unmasking the killer, Archie and Juno are faced with a dilemma - risk the consequences of meddling
or leave town before they're in the crosshairs of a killer!
Critique: A part of author J. R. Leigh's 'Di Archie Darling Mystery' series, "Death in the Dordogne" is now available for his
growing legions of fans in complete and unabridged audio book CD and MP3-CD formats from Boldwood Books. Deftly
narrated by vocal actor Gerard Logan, "Death in the Dordogne" is an absolute 'must' for dedicated cozy mystery enthusiasts and
a high priority recommended for community library mystery/suspense themed audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: There is an online listing of books by J. R. Leigh on FantasticFiction:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/l/j-r-leigh
Editorial Note #2: There is an online listing of books narrated by Gerard Loga on Audible:
https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=Gerard+Logan
Crusader's War
Michael Jecks, author
David Thorpe, narrator
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781837033065, $130.95 / $111.31, CD (11 Hours 20 Minutes)
9781837033072, $130.95 / $111.31, CD (11 Hours 20 Minutes)
9781837033126, $43.50 / $36.98, PB, Large Print, 510pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/search/crusader's%20war
Synopsis: Once-close brothers, Fulk and Odo, now find themselves on very different paths - separated by past tragedies and
Odo's growing religious fanaticism. While Odo descends into ruthless zealotry, believing himself God's chosen leader and
abusing his stolen wife Sybille, Fulk struggles to hold onto his humanity amid the carnage of war.
But the fractured pilgrim army must continue their Holy crusade, marching from the triumphant siege of Nicaea to the
towering, commanding walls of Jerusalem. The journey is hard and full of peril -- and some dangers are hiding in plain
sight.
Finding unexpected solace in the companionship of the resilient former courtesan Guillemette, Fulk must navigate a
treacherous landscape, ravaged by starvation, disease, and the horrors of discontent within their own camp.
But will the conquest of Jerusalem bring these crusaders ultimate redemption and the chance for a new life, or will the
gruesome cost of this war damn them all forever?
Critique: Michael Jecks is a master of the historical action/adventure genre with his novel, "Crusader's War" continuing the
story of a medieval era crusade where life was short, cheap, and brutal. Effectively narrated by highly skilled vocal actor David
Thorpe, this complete and unabridged audio book is available in both CD and MP3-CD editions from Boldwood Books and
offers the listener a true 'theatre of the mind' experience. "Crusader's War" is an especially recommended addition to personal
lists and community library Historical Fiction themed audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: There is an online listing of books by Michael Jecks on FantasticFiction:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/j/michael-jecks
Editorial Note #2: There is an online listing of books narrated by David Thorpe on Audible:
https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=David+Thorpe
Barbarian and the Throne
Adam Lofthouse, author
David Thorpe, narrator
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781836785552, $130.95 / $111.31, CD (11 Hours 45 Minutes)
9781836785569, $130.95 / $111.31, MP3-CD (11 Hours 45 Minutes)
9781836785613, $43.50 / $36.98, PB, Large Print, 510pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/search/barbarian%20and%20the%20throne
Synopsis: Constantinople, 388 AD.
Videricus, son of Vithimer, heir to the throne of the Greuthungi, runs from the City Guard, his latest theft from the markets in
hand. Unwittingly he bumps into a colossus of a man. Armored in glistening scales, draped in a gold trimmed white cloak, the
man is Stilicho, a protectore of Rome. Little does Videricus know his life is about to change forever.
Videricus and his companion Ulrich join the Roman army and fight under Stilicho, as he leads his men against a band of
renegade Goths. In battle, Videricus must first learn what it is to be a killer of men, before he can hope to grow into a respected
leader.
But as the Eastern emperor, Theodosius, prepares himself once more for the brutality of a civil war, Videricus walks a
dangerous line between loyalty and devotion. And on the banks of the River Frigidus, flanked by the snow peaked Alps, east
will face west in a devastating battle that will change the course of the empire forever.
Critique: "Barbarian and the Throne" by novelist Adam Lofthouse is part of the author's epic saga series 'Shadow of Rome".
Now available in the complete and unabridged CD and MP3-CD audio book formats and brilliantly narrated by the vocal
storytelling talents of David Thorpe, this story of adventure in armies of Ancient Rome will prove to be an immediate and
enduringly popular pick for personal and community library audiobook collections.
Editorial Note #1: There is an online listing of books by Adam Lofthouse at FantasticFiction:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/l/adam-lofthouse
Editorial Note #2: There is an online listing of books narrated by David Thorpe on Audible:
https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=David+Thorpe
The Curse of the Saltmarsh Girl
Clare Marchant, author
Helen Stern, narrator
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781807038342, $104.95 / $89.21, CD (8 Hours 10 Minutes)
9781807038359, $104.95 / $89.21, MP3-CD (8 Hours 10 Minutes)
9781807038427, $43.50$36.98, PB, Large Print, 510pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/search/the%20curse%20of%20the%20saltmarsh%20girl
Synopsis: 1665: When Margery arrives in Saltmarsh looking for her mother, she finds silence, secrets, and backs turned.
But she is not the only thing that has arrived. As the Plague falls on the village, leaving almost no man, woman or child alive,
rumors circulate - about a demon dog, about lights floating above the waters, about voices in the dark... And about a girl, one
who has brought a curse.
With Margery's mother missing, it becomes clear that these remote, desolate marshes are about to become the most dangerous
ground she's ever stepped on...
Now: A beautiful young opera singer named Angel Bailey has arrived in Saltmarsh. She's there to visit her adoptive brother,
but she's also running away. Because, after years of longing to know where she came from, she's received word from a woman
claiming to be her sister, saying their birth mother's dying wish is to meet the child she abandoned.
But when Angel becomes fascinated with the story of another mother and daughter, and a centuries old curse on the marsh, the
land beneath her feet is about to shift forever!
Critique: An original, exceptional, and deftly crafted historical novel by a master of the genre, Clare Marchant's "The Curse of
the Saltmarsh Girl" is brought to life in a true 'theatre of the mind' experience in the form of a complete and unabridged audio
book impeccably narrated by the vocal storytelling talents of Helen Stern. "The Curse of the Saltmarsh Girl" is available in
both CD and MP3-CD formats from Boldwood Books and unreservedly recommended for personal and community library
Historical Fiction audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: There is an online listing of books by Clare Marchant on Fantastic Fiction:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/m/clare-marchant
Editorial note #2: There is an online listing of books narrated by Helen Stern on Audible:
https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=Helen+Stern
Murder at Christmas
T. A. Williams, author
Simon Mattacks, narrator
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781837031566, $93.95 / $79.86, CD, (6 Hours 30 Minutes)
9781837031573, $93.95 / $79.86, MP3-CD, (6 Hours 30 Minutes)
9781837031634, $43.50 / $36.98, PB, Large Print, 510pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/search/murder%20at%20christmas
Synopsis: Private investigator Dan Armstrong, accompanied by his wife and his canine sidekick, Oscar, are spending the days
before Christmas in a luxurious Alpine chalet tucked away in a hidden valley. It should be the perfect escape, except the owner
is in fear for his life in a house full of secrets.
Amid perfect winter wonderland scenery, the more Dan discovers about his host and the other guests, he realises that all is not
as it seems. What should be a happy family party is riddled with rancour, mistrust and hatred.
Then the snow falls fast and heavy -- and within moments, someone is dead. Accident, suicide, or murder? As the snow closes
in, Dan has to work out if he's looking for a killer, or whether he and Oscar are barking up the wrong tree.
Critique: The latest 'whodunnit' by gifted novelist T.A. Williams in his simply outstanding 'Armstrong & Oscar Cozy Mystery'
series, "Murder At Christmas" is aptly narrated by the superb storytelling skills of Simon Mattacks. Complete and unabridged,
available in a CD or MP3-CD format from Boldwood Books, "Murder At Christmas" is a guaranteed popular pick for personal
and community library Mystery/Suspense audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: There is an online listing of books by T. A. Williams on FantasticFiction:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/w/t-a-williams
Editorial Note #2: There is an online listing of books narrated by Simon Mattacks on Audible:
https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=Simon+Mattacks
The Library CD Shelf
Live at the 2026 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
David Bode
davidbodemusic.com
MunckMix Live Recordings
$15.00 CD / $9.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://davidbodemusic.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-the-2026-new-orleans-jazz-heritage-festival
New Orleans native saxophonist David Bode presents Live at the 2026 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, a live stage
recording of his performance along with a multitude of talented music artists on woodwinds, trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone,
keyboards, drums, and more. Brief interludes of stage banter in between beloved jazz favorites and one of Bode's own songs
("Cold Train Funk") make Live at the 2026 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival the next best thing to being in the show's
audience! Live at the 2026 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is a treasure for jazz connoisseurs, highly recommended. The
tracks are Introduction; Happy People (Kenny Garrett); Lover, You Should've Come Over (Jeff Buckley); Stage Banter 1;
Monkey Puzzle (James Black); Stage Banter 2; Lush Life (Billy Strayhorn); Syeeda's Song Flute (John Coltrane); Stage Banter
3; Cold Train Funk (David Bode); Stage Banter 4; Airbag (Radiohead); Dear Prudence/Don't Let Me Down
(Lennon/McCartney).
Naptown Blues - Songs of Leroy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell
Christopher Wyze & The Tellers
https://christopherwyzeandthetellers.com
Big Radio Records
$25.00
Big Radio Records
https://www.bigradiorecords.com/product-page/naptown-blues
Naptown Blues - Songs of Leroy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell is a tribute album to two legendary blues artists of the pre-war
era. The CD includes a 24-page insert and history booklet about Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell. Christopher Wyze & The
Tellers have created a resounding and memorable performance of select, genre-defining blues songs, in this resonant treasure,
ideal for both personal and public library music collections. Highly recommended! The tracks are I'm Going Back To
Tennessee; Naptown Blues; How Long - How Long Blues; The Truth About The Thing; My Own Lonesome Blues; Midnight
Hour Blues; Kokomo Blues; Tired of Your Low Down Ways; You Got To Reap What You Sow; Prison Bound Blues; and
Birthday in Jail.
Reunion
Mama's Broke
Free Dirt Records
freedirt.net
$23.99 vinyl / $TBA CD
Free Dirt Records
https://freedirt.net/products/mamas-broke-reunion
Mama's Broke is the multitalented Canadian duo of Amy Lou Keeler and Lisa Maria. Reunion is their soulful
folk-without-borders album of twelve original songs. The heartfelt compositions are brought to life by Amy Lou Keeler on
vocals, guitar, banjo, and shruti box; Lisa Maria on vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, and banjo; Paul Kowert on double bass;
Philippe Bronchtein on pedal steel; and Bill Allison on double bass. The music of Reunion immerses the listener in the
moment, and encourage thoughtful reflection. Reunion is a treasure for fans of the genre, highly recommended. The tracks are
Failing; Heaven; Build it Up; All Alone; The Nameless; The Forsaken Lover; Wildflowers; Dig Deep and Win Wisely;
Bridges; Fifolet Waltz; Old Fashioned Love Song; and No Great Reunion.
Aphelion
April Stace
https://www.aprilstace.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $TBA digital
Creator's Website
https://www.aprilstace.com/aphelion
Aphelion is a captivating, new age harp music album by harpist, composer, Episcopal priest, and theology professor April
Stace. The beautiful, original songs inspire serenity and wonder for the great mysteries of life. Aphelion is a treasure for
connoisseurs of masterful harp music, highly recommended. The tracks are Intuition; Holding onto Winter; Train Song;
Writing Again; Little Steps; Rice's Hill; Garden; Ojito; Darkness A Gift; Souvenir; wild Patience; Rainbow; Divertissement;
and Aphelion/Trisagion.
A Distant Land
Rich Halley
Pine Eagle Records
$20.00 CD / $9.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://richhalley.bandcamp.com/album/a-distant-land
Saxophonist Rich Halley and his quartet present A Distant Land, an instrumental album of captivating original, instrumental
songs. Performed by Rich Halley on tenor saxophone, Michael Vlatkovich on trombone, Andrew Jones on bass, and Carson
Halley on drums, A Distant Land consists of five of Halley's brand new, original compositions plus three wondrously
spontaneous improvisations. A Distand Land is ambitious, inspiring, wistfully creative, and highly recommended especially for
connoisseurs of improvisational ensemble music. The tracks are Mismatch; Crossways Logic; A Distant Land; Message From
Maputo; The Edge of Sunrise; Subterfuge; South of South; and Harnessing the Churn.
the Other.
theriot
thisistheriot.com
ks theory
$TBA CD / $9.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://thisistheriot.bandcamp.com/album/the-other
"the Other." is an unconventionally titled, chamber jazz music CD by musical polymath Kyle Saulnier, also known as "theriot".
All but two tracks are theriot's original compositions. All tracks are instrumental except for the final track ("I Know the End")
which features vocals by Francesca Blanchard. Performed by theriot on acoustic bass and baritone saxophone, plus an
ensemble of extraordinarily talented performers on trumpet, bass clarinet, flute, violin, viola, cello, vibraphone, guitar, drums,
and more, "the Other." pushes the boundaries of musical expression to explore themes of lifelong change, the struggle against
depression, and the masks used to maintain a pretense of calm and normalcy. Highly recommended, especially for
connoisseurs of original, experimental jazz. The tracks are the Other, pt. 1; the darkest hour; the Sweetest; Interlude: the Sound
of Silence (Paul Simon); fathers and sons; interlude: pas de deux; the Other, pt. 2; and I Know the End (Phoebe
Bridgers/Conor Oberst/Christian Lee Hutton/Marshall Vore).
We Are Home
Josh Cohen
themusicofjoshcohen.com
T. Sound
$25.00 CAD CD / $9.00 CAD digital
Bandcamp
https://themusicofjoshcohen.bandcamp.com/album/we-are-home
We Are Home is an album of original jazz music composed by bassist, author, and educator Josh Cohen, and performed by
Rob Christian on tenor saxophone and flute, Lucian Gray on guitars, Jeremy Ledbetter on piano and keyboards, Mateo
Mancuso on drums, Elmer Ferrer on additional nylon & steel string guitars, and Josh Cohen on bass and voice for the three
tracks with vocals - "Next Steps", "Elevate", and "My Lima". Together, the ensemble creates an extraordinary, textured
soundscape that appeals to the senses and the imagination. We Are Home is a choice pick for jazz connoisseurs, highly
recommended. The tracks are Supernueve; Five on the Floor; Next Steps; Newborn; Operation Mexi-Can; Inner Embrace;
Elevate; and My Lima.
Mood Music
Louis Durra
https://louisdurra.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $9.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://louisdurra.bandcamp.com/album/mood-music
Creator's Website
https://louisdurra.com/music/mood-music
Pianist, composer, and bandleader Louis Durra presents Mood Music, a music album of eight original songs by Durra, two
co-written by Durra, plus a performance of the classic "Strangers in the Night" (a favorite song of Durra's mother). Mood
Music lives up to its title with smooth, undulating musical currents that immerse the listener in their free flow. Performed by
Durra on piano, Domenic Genova on bass, Jerry Kalaf on drums, Barry Coates on guitar, and Sam Riney on flute, Mood Music
is a choice pick for connoisseurs of atmospheric jazz, highly recommended. The tracks are About the Same (Durra); Mood
Music (Durra); Hold Fast to Dreams (Durra); Strangers in the Night (Bert Kaempfert, Charles Singleton, Eddie Snyder);
You-Know-What (Durra); The Tide (Durra); Tidal River, Mendocino (Sam Riney, Barry Coates, Louis Durra, Jerry Kalaf);
Gewitter (Durra); Ned (Durra); Can't Decide (Durra); and Still Awake (Sam Riney, Barry Coates, Luis Durra, Jerry
Kalaf).
Ride Five
Takashi Matsunaga
https://www.takashimatsunaga.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $9.03 MP3
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Ride-Five-Takashi-Matsunaga/dp/B0H6C3JGWT
Creator's Website
https://www.takashimatsunaga.com/score
Pianist, composer, educator, and music theorist Takashi Matsunaga presents Ride Five, a bold album of Matsunaga's original
creations, performed by Matsunaga on piano and Christian McBride on bass. The seven instrumental songs are
improvasational masterpieces, performed without relying on conventionally fixed compositions yet drawing on principles of
music theory to provide structure to their free-flowing creativity. Ride Five is a "must-have" for connoisseurs of avant-garde,
cutting edge music, highly recommended. The tracks are Time in Motion; Pure; Air in Bloom; Unfolding Drops; Pure,
Becoming; One, Becoming; and Untamed Drift.
Hard Bop: For the Record
Greg Chako
CincyJazzman.com
Mint400 Records
https://www.mint400records.com
$TBA CD / $9.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://gregchako.bandcamp.com/album/hard-bop-for-the-record
Jazz guitarist Greg Chako presents Hard Bop: For the Record, a music album of original songs all composed and arranged by
Chako himself. Performed by Greg Chako on guitar, Brooks Giles on tenor & soprano saxophones, Spencer Mark on
trombone, David Lloyd on bass, and Alex Merk on drums, Hard Bop: For the Record lives up to its title with exciting beats
and motivational rhythms. Hard Bop: For the Record is a vivacious celebration of the genre, highly recommended. The tracks
are Mozambique; Second Chance; Ballad to the Bone; Soar With the Wind; Bop for Bud; Mr. Higgins; Time to Play;
Mellow-Dee; April Wind; and For the Record.
Momentism
Jamie Safir
www.jamiesafir.com
Chill Tone Records
$15.00 CD / $25.00 vinyl / $9.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://jamiesafir.bandcamp.com/album/momentism
British pianist, composer, and bandleader Jamie Safir presents Momentism, an extraordinary debut leader album of original,
instrumental music performed by Safir on piano, Conor Chaplin on bass, Luke Tomlinson on drums, and Iain Ballamy on
saxophone. All songs are composed by Safir; the rich texture and ever-changing dynamics of the music immerse the listener in
a captivating soundscape. Momentism is a treasure for connoisseurs of adventurous original jazz, highly recommended. The
tracks are Momentism; Boulevardier; Zacharius; Hirsute Pursuit; Amethyst; Duke Balington; Black Star Sapphire (For
Strayhorn) Clocker; The World In The Evening; Mad Sad Bad; and Espirit D'Escalier.
Lost in Geneva
The Kris Davis Trio featuring Robert Hurst & Johnathan Blake
4166 Records
$18.00 CD / $12.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://krisdavis.bandcamp.com/album/lost-in-geneva
Grammy-winning pianist Kris Davis, bassist Robert Hurst, and drummer Johnathan Blake present their second album Lost in
Geneva, featuring eight new or reimagined songs by Davis plus one composition each from Hurst and Blake, and an exciting
new interpretation of a piece by composer Morton Feldman. Lost in Geneva draws upon the moments of everyday life to paints
a vibrant, immersive soundscape, and is a choice pick for contemporary jazz enthusiasts. Highly recommended. The tracks are
The Subtext; Congestion Pricing; Lost in Geneva; Where Does That Tunnel Go?; The Ballerina; Mourning Dove The Bluesy
Bird in Bob's Backyard; Nature Piece 5; Clues; The Deer Fly; and Northern Flicker.
Kevin Sun I and Kevin Sun II
Kevin Sun
Endectomorph Music
www.endectomorph.com
$20.00 CD / $15.00 digital each
Bandcamp (Kevin Sun I)
https://thekevinsun.bandcamp.com/album/kevin-sun-i
Bandcamp (Kevin Sun II)
https://thekevinsun.bandcamp.com/album/kevin-sun-ii
Master saxophonist and inspired composer Kevin Sun presents a duo of self-portrait music albums ($20.00 CD / $15.00 digital
for each), titled Kevin Sun I and Kevin Sun II. Nearly all songs are Kevin Sun's original creations. Kevin Sun I is performed by
Kevin Sun on tenor saxophone, Max Light on guitar, Walter Stinson on bass, and Jon Starks on drums; Kevin Sun II is
performed by Kevin Sun on tenor saxophone, Christian Li on piano, Walter Stinson on bass, and Kayvon Gordon on drums.
The duo of original, instrumental albums span a musical odyssey that showcases Sun's gift for intricate composition, accented
with moments of improvisational glory. Kevin Sun I and Kevin Sun II are an avant-garde jazz experience, highly
recommended especially for connoisseurs. The tracks of Kevin Sun I are Go In; Scrollwork; Souls of Fire (A Moment's Peace,
from DARK SOULS); Forenoon; Between Night and Day; Hold Music; Bedrooms; and Riot in Lagos. The tracks of Kevin
Sun II are Unformed, Shrouded by Fog (Souls Prologue); Souls of Mist; Songs No. 2; Laura Palmer's Theme; Belong, Sonny;
Forest Corridors III; and Chanson.
The Political Science Shelf
The Oligarchs' Arithmetic of Plunder
Leslie St. James
Crown and Lantern Books
9798996383603, $67.99, PB, 1200pp
9798996383610, $34.99, Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Oligarchs-Arithmetic-Plunder-Leslie-James/dp/B0H6ZWTTV4
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-oligarchs-arithmetic-of-plunder-leslie-st-james/1150504424
Synopsis: For three decades after World War II, the United States operated under a set of enforceable constraints that forced
capital to absorb its own costs. Wages rose with productivity. Pensions were funded. Jobs were stable. A single working-class
income could sustain a family, buy a house, and send children to college. Then in the 1970's and '80s those constraints were
dismantled.
The dismantling was not an accident of globalization or the invisible hand. It was the result of a fifty-year campaign by named
individuals operating through identifiable institutions: think tanks, courts, regulatory agencies, financial firms, and the political
coalitions they assembled.
Step by step, the load-bearing elements of the postwar settlement were removed. Labor law was hollowed out. Pensions were
converted from employer obligations into worker risk. Immigration was weaponized against wages. Arbitration clauses
replaced courts. Stock buy-backs replaced reinvestment. The wealth that once circulated through workers, communities, and
the public balance sheet now flows to a narrow stratum of dynastic families and the new tech oligarchy that has joined
them.
"The Oligarchs' Arithmetic of Plunder, Volume I: The Worker" by Leslie St. James is a forensic accounting of how this
happened. It is the first volume of a planned four-volume investigation. It. draws upon regulatory filings, court records,
financial disclosures, and decades of published reporting, as it traces the dismantling chapter by chapter. The architecture of
enforced equilibrium. The campaigns that breached it. The extractive dominance that followed. And the counterrevolution now
culminating in techno-feudalism, where data centers, algorithmic management, and programmable identity threaten to replace
what remains of American democratic constraint.
This political/economic study is written for two readers simultaneously.
To the American: here is what was done to us, and how.
To the reader abroad: here is a mechanism you can recognize early, before it takes the same form in your own country.
In the pages of "The Oligarchs' Arithmetic of Plunder, Volume I: The Worker", the names are real, the money is traceable, and
the arithmetic is documented.
Critique: A deftly crafted, erudite, seminal and groundbreaking study based on extensive and meticulous research, "The
Oligarchs' Arithmetic of Plunder, Volume I: The Worker" is American political and economic history documenting the
dramatic changes imposed upon the working class by what would come to be called the 1% during the second half of the 20th
Century and leading to the economic, political, social, and cultural framework of a dysfunctional American today. "The
Oligarchs' Arithmetic of Plunder, Volume I: The Worker" by Leslie St. James is an extraordinary, iconoclastic, revelatory, and
unreservedly recommended addition to personal and professional reading lists, as well as community and college/university
library Political, Economic, and Class Sociology collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. The first of a four
volume series, "The Oligarchs' Arithmetic of Plunder, Volume I: The Worker" is essential reading for economic and political
science students, academia, governmental policy makers, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest
in the subject.
Editorial Note: Leslie St. James writes on political economy, labor history, and the mechanics of
concentrated wealth. He holds an MBA from the Wharton School and an MS in computer engineering from the University of
Southern California, and has worked in the technology industry, at investment banks, and at investment research firms. The
work that follows comes not from the academy or the policy networks that usually narrate these subjects, but from inside the
firms and markets it examines. His approach throughout is forensic. His claims are built from named firms, documented
transfers, and money that can be traced from source to destination,
so that a reader who distrusts the messenger can still verify the message against the public record.
The 21st Century Millian Manifesto
Harry Zeng
Outskirts Press, Inc.
www.outskirtspress.com
9781977294272, $12.95, PB, 56pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.co.uk/21st-Century-Millian-Manifesto-Framework/dp/1977294278
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-21st-century-millian-manifesto-harry-zeng/1151219820
Synopsis: With the publication of "The 21st Century Millian Manifesto: A New Framework for Democracy, Merit, and
Liberty", Harry Zeng presents a comparative political treatise proposing a modernized, meritocractic electoral framework
designed to break hyper-partisan deadlock in Western democracies.
Synthesizing John Stuart Mill's classical liberal philosophy with contemporary 21st-century geopolitical analysis, the manifesto
critiques the structural deficiencies of both the Chinese party-state and the US duopoly, offering an actionable blueprint to
revitalize modern civil society through institutional meritocracy.
Critique: Deftly crafted and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "The 21st Century Millian Manifesto:
A New Framework for Democracy, Merit, and Liberty" by Harry Zeng is a seminal, compelling, thought-provoking and
groundbreaking study that is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library International Relations collections and supplemental Contemporary Political Science curriculum
studies lists. It should be noted for political science students, academia, governmental policy makers, and political activists that
this paperback edition of "The 21st Century Millian Manifesto" from Outskirts Press is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Harry Zeng is a Political Science and Japanese Double Major at Carleton College. Formed by a global
education across China, Switzerland, Japan, and the United States, his work synthesizes classical liberal philosophy with
contemporary systems design. The 21st Century Millian Manifesto is his foundational contribution to civic reformation.
The Business Shelf
muddled, meager & messy
Wendy Beth Moore
Iguana Books
https://iguanabooks.ca
9781771807678, $17.99, PB, 131pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/muddled-meager-messy-masterclass-entrepreneurs/dp/1771807679
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/muddled-meager-messy-wendy-beth-moore/1149920361
Synopsis: Marketing doesn't fail because you're bad it. It fails because it's muddled, meager, messy and drowned in noise.
After 40 years in marketing, entrepreneur Wendy Beth Moore has seen the same pattern derail businesses again and again:
chasing shortcuts instead of doing the work that actually drives results.
A masterclass in marketing for entrepreneurs & small business owners, this fully updated 15th Anniversary Edition of
"muddled, meager & messy" cuts through hype with practical, hard-earned insight.
There are no magic bullets here. Just the disciplined work of clarifying your value, understanding your customer and building
marketing that holds up in the real world.
If you are ready to rethink your marketing and tighten up your approach, "muddled, meager & messy" gives you the clarity to
build marketing for your business that will hold up over time.
Critique: Critically important and informative reading for entrepreneurs, business owners, and corporate executives, this 15
Anniversary Edition of "muddled, meager & messy" by Wendy Beth Moore is extraordinarily and thoroughly 'reader/user'
friendly in organization and presentation. This combination of DIY instructional guide and how-to manual is unreservedly
recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library collections and MBA curriculum studies
lists. It should be noted for MBA students, academia, aspiring entrepreneurs, and novice business owners/managers that this
paperback edition of "muddled, meager & messy" from Iguana Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.99).
Editorial Note: Wendy Beth Moore is a revenue growth strategist with 40 years of experience helping businesses cut through
marketing noise and drive meaningful results. Grounded in behavioural science and practical strategy, she focuses on how
people actually think, decide and choose. Her work across B2C and B2B industries has earned international recognition for
effectiveness and innovation. (https://iguanabooks.ca/book-author/wendy-beth-moore)
Technology Strategy
Tom Clark
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398628526, $69.00, HC, 328pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Technology-Strategy-Practical-Delivering-Business/dp/1398628522
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/technology-strategy-tom-clark/1148456927
Synopsis: "Technology Strategy: A Practical Guide to Delivering Business Value" by Tom Clark is a practical guide for CIOs,
CTOs, IT directors and senior technology leaders who want to align digital investment with business goals, deliver measurable
impact and position technology as a driver of organizational growth.
Specifically written for professionals navigating complex, fast-changing technology landscapes, "Technology Strategy"
provides a step-by-step approach to building and executing a business-driven technology strategy. It equips leaders with the
skills to diagnose organizational needs and link technology priorities directly to strategic objectives.
"Technology Strategy" will enable business professionals to:
Identify quick wins that deliver immediate business value
Optimize resources and ensure effective service delivery
Strengthen vendor management and governance processes
Build communication strategies that secure stakeholder buy-in
Track performance and drive digital transformation with confidence
Whether you are shaping a new strategy or accelerating progress in an established organization, "Technology Strategy" will
help you to transform IT from an operational necessity to a strategic advantage.
"Technology Strategy" covers digital transformation, IT governance, resource optimization, vendor management, business
alignment, and more.
Critique: A comprehensive instructional guide that is exceptionally well organized and presented, "Technology Strategy: A
Practical Guide to Delivering Business Value" by technology leadership specialist Tom Clark is an extraordinary, 'reader
friendly', and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, corporate, community, and college/university library
Business Management collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for MBA students,
academia, corporate executives, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in management information systems and
strategic business planning in an era of an advancing computer and AI technology, that this hardcover edition of "Technology
Strategy" is also available in paperback (9781398628496, $42.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $42.99).
Editorial Note: Tom Clark is an accomplished technology leader with experience across multiple industries. He has spent two
decades in technology leadership roles. He is an Honorary Advisor of the Global ESG Leadership Organization and Honorary
Member of PepTalks. He has been named a Global 100 CIO and both a UK 100 CIO and one of the UK's Top 100 Technology
Leaders. He was named Chief Technology Officer of the Year at the Digital Technology Leaders Awards. He is based in the
UK.
Vibrant Publishers
https://www.vibrantpublishers.com
Founded in 2001 by Avani and Deep Udeshi, Vibrant Publishers emerged from a simple but powerful belief: quality education
should be accessible, practical, and designed for how people actually learn in today's fast-paced world. They recognized that
traditional learning materials weren't keeping up with the needs of modern students and professionals. So we set out to create
something different -- resources that are both comprehensive and approachable, thorough yet concise. They have become a
premier publisher of books for test-takers, career changers, aspiring managers, and lifelong learners. Every title reflects their
impressive commitment to excellence, accuracy, and real-world applicability. Some of their newest titles their outstanding
'Self-Learning Management Series' include:
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Organizational-Development-Essentials-Always-Wanted/dp/1636517196
Organizational Development Essentials You Always Wanted to Know, 2nd Edition
Ankur Mithal & Kientz
9781636517247, $66.49 HC, $38.99 PB, $36.99 Kindle, 224pp
Organizations today face relentless pressure to adapt -- driven by AI advancements, ESG mandates, hybrid work models, and
accelerating change. Now in an updated second edition "Organizational Development Essentials You Always Wanted to
Know" equips you with the frameworks, tools, and confidence to lead meaningful, lasting organizational change. This new
updated edition incorporates AI-supported data analysis, expanded diagnostic approaches, and a stronger focus on
measurement and evolving organizational realities, making it highly relevant for modern OD practice.
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Corporate-Finance-Essentials-Always-Wanted/dp/1636516874
Corporate Finance Essentials You Always Wanted to Know
Makarand Bhopatkar
9781636516899, $66.49 HC, $29.99 PB, $29.99 Kindle, 258pp
"Corporate Finance Essentials You Always Wanted to Know" is a comprehensive, accessible guide that demystifies the core
financial decisions driving every business. Written in clear, semi-formal language, this DIY instructional guide bridges the gap
between complex financial theory and real-world corporate practice and is an ideal corporate finance guide textbook alternative
for self-paced learners. Each chapter includes a concise summary and quiz questions to reinforce your learning, and case
activities in key chapters provide hands-on practice.
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Business-Sustainability-Essentials-Always-Wanted-ebook/dp/B0GSQQ7VVN
Business Sustainability Essentials You Always Wanted to Know
Dr. Ritka Mahajan
9781636516837, $66.49 HC, $38.99 PB, $36.99 Kindle, 246pp
In today's modern business landscape, delivering profits is no longer enough. Stakeholders, regulators, and markets
increasingly demand responsible, transparent, and sustainable practices. "Business Sustainability Essentials You Always
Wanted to Know" provides the clarity, tools, and frameworks professionals need to integrate sustainability into every level of
business strategy. Going beyond theory to offer chapter summaries, quizzes, activities, and access to exclusive online
resources, Dr. Ritika Mahajan (a sustainability educator who has contributed to UN Environment Programme projects and
designed curriculum for global institutions) reflects both academic rigor and real-world consulting experience.
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Learning-Development-Essentials-Organizational-Self-Learning-ebook/dp/B0GSQMTXNC
Learning and Development Essentials
Albert Singh
9781636516806, $66.49 HC, $38.99 PB, $36.99 Kindle, 254pp
"Learning and Development Essentials" is a practical DIY guide to designing impactful corporate learning programs, applying
proven learning and development (L&D) principles, and measuring the ROI of learning initiatives. This comprehensive,
hands-on guide helps professionals understand how to build effective employee learning and talent development programs that
drive measurable business results. "Learning and Development Essentials" also includes a dedicated chapter on instructional
design models, explaining key learning frameworks used to create productive and engaging learning experiences. Also featured
are practical real-world examples, case studies, and interactive elements such as tips, fun facts, and activities that help readers
actively engage with the material and apply concepts faster.
Critique: Each of these four titles from Vibrant Publishers' 'Self-Learning Management Series' are thoroughly 'reader/user'
friendly in organization and presentation, making them unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, corporate,
community, and college/university library Business Management collections and supplemental classroom and DIY studies
curriculums.
Editorial Note #1: Ankur Mithal is a business professional with 15+ years of experience across OD, operations, and consulting,
with leadership roles at Standard Chartered, IBM Daksh, and HCL BPO.
Editorial Note #2: Michael Kientz is an organizational development expert with 30+ years of experience, having led global
learning and OD initiatives at Citigroup and Compassion International.
Editorial Note #3: Makarand Bhopatkar is a finance educator with over 25 years of experience in financial management,
financial markets, corporate finance, and valuation. He has trained professionals at leading global institutions including
Morgan Stanley, Societe Generale, Deutsche Bank, L&T, and Barclays. A CFA charterholder who has also completed the CQF
and FRM levels, HhHe has taught CFA candidates worldwide and developed extensive financial training materials and
valuation models
Editorial Note #4: Dr. Ritika Mahajan is a sustainability scholar at MNIT Jaipur, former coordinator of TERI's MBA in
Sustainability Management, and policy consultant to UNEP and MSME India.
Editorial Note #5: Albert Singh brings over 15 years of diverse experience across e-commerce, cloud, and BFSI sectors,
specializing in talent development strategies that drive real impact.
The Theatre/Cinema Shelf
Lowriding
Stephen Rife
Perago Press
9780998382173, $29.95, PB, 440pp
Publishing Release Date: November 2026
Synopsis: "Lowriding: Cinema in the Era of Customized Content" is an updated and abridged edition of author and film critic
Stephen Rife's detailed cinematic history study "Brass Ring: Achievement, Error, and Amendment of the Hollywood
Blockbuster" (2019). Students of film history interested in changing forms of cinematic presentation and how they have
evolved over the years will find plenty of history and food for thought in "Lowriding", as it provides an in-depth, critical
examination of film changes from analog to digital; examines changing viewer experience as a result of these departures; and
considers the differences between traditional and modern productions.
Readers will ideally be college-level students or serious film critics and scholars who will appreciate "Lowriding" with its
outstanding attention to detail, which demands no less than complete attention, a film background, and critical thinking skills
from its audience.
Those with such experience will find that the heady blend of film history, critical analysis, and social inspection weaves an
account that moves between past and present cinematic experience as it selects quotes from industry professionals and movies,
considers past, present, and future forms of cinematic expression, and delves into the underlying historic technological, social,
and artistic influences upon both producer and audience.
Students, contemporary film producers, critics, and industry analysts will find it's worth the time and effort to read "Lowriding:
Cinema in the Era of Customized Content" as a compendium of reflective history, analysis, and insight.
Critique: Exceptional, analytical, iconoclastic, and a fascinatingly detailed cinematic history/criticism study that, although
primarily an abridgement of film critic Stephen Rife's seminal and groundbreaking study "Brass Ring: Achievement, Error, and
Amendment of the Hollywood Blockbuster", this edition of "Lowriding: Cinema in the Era of Customized Content" from
Perago Press is updated with new and additional commentary, examples, illustrations, as well as an eleven page Bibliography.
Thought provoking and extraordinarily well written, organized and presented, "Lowriding: Cinema in the Era of Customized
Content" is a unique and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library
Cinematic History/Criticism collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Stephen Rife is an educator and video artist whose work has been screened at such venues as Exit Art, the
Exploding Cinema, and the Walker Art Center.
The Needlecraft Shelf
Irresistibly Cute Mini Amigurumi
Boutique-sha
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9780804860178, $17.99, HC, 96pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Irresistibly-Cute-Amigurumi-Easy-Make/dp/0804860173
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/irresistibly-cute-mini-amigurumi-boutique-sha/1149158958
Synopsis: "Irresistibly Cute Mini Amigurumi: Easy-to-Make Small Crocheted Animals, Dolls and Charms" from the Japanese
needlecraft company shows you how to create an adorable collection of 60 amigurumi mini figures: small stuffed toys and
animals which are unbelievably cuddly, easy and inexpensive to make!
The colorful projects featured in "Irresistibly Cute Mini Amigurumi" are ideal for beginners and are illustrated with
Japanese-style diagrams that are easy to follow and clearly explained.
Over 100 color photographs and 650 diagrams are included along with detailed step-by-step instructions for making each
piece. Elegant lace thread is used, which comes in a wide range of colors and is available in any craft store.
The delightful mini amigurumi projects comprising "Irresistibly Cute Mini Amigurumi" includes:
Adorable animals like teddy bears, dinosaurs, stackable turtles, sea otters and a curious owl
A stylish dress-up doll with braided hair, complete with handbags, hats, skirts, tops and overalls
Decorative bumblebee charms and wearable cat and sheep brooches
Seasonal holiday objects including a Halloween mobile and festive garland and tree ornaments
Miniature donuts and cakes, and a tiny basket of colorful vegetables
Plus dozens of other charming objects
These crocheted mini figures are ideal for decorating, gifting, or adding playful handmade details to everyday life.
Critique: Original, authentic, clearly illustrated, and thoroughly 'needlecrafter friendly' in organization and presentation,
"Irresistibly Cute Mini Amigurumi: Easy-to-Make Small Crocheted Animals, Dolls and Charms" is a unique and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft/Crochet instructional DIY reference
collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Irresistibly Cute Mini Amigurumi" from Tuttle Publishing is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Boutique-sha is a leading Japanese publisher of books and magazines on arts and crafts, cooking, gardening,
lifestyle and more.
Best Dressed Crab and Friends
Karla Courtney
The GMC Group
www.gmcbooks.com
9781784947217, $26.99, PB, 144pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Best-Dressed-Crab-Friends-Creatures/dp/1784947210
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/best-dressed-crab-and-friends-karla-courtney/1149268277
Synopsis: "Best Dressed Crab and Friends: Knitted Sea Creatures with an Ocean of Outfits" by Karla Courtney features six
knitted sea creatures to make, paired with an ocean of outfits to create and dress them in.
Now even the most novice of needlecrafters can create six beautifully life-like sea creatures that include a crab, turtle, lobster
and puffin. Each one crafted through surprisingly simple-to-follow patterns. But what makes them truly irresistible is their
wardrobe. From a crab in a fanny pack and puffer vest to a sea turtle with a removable gingerbread shell, these garments are
creative, detailed, and designed to be mixed, matched and reimagined.
With 44 individual garments and accessories (including customizable sweaters with color work motifs) this impressive
collection is rich with personality and playful detail. Each project is paired with clear, accessible patterns and supported by a
comprehensive techniques section, plus fun marine facts from renowned scientists and fishermen, including lobsterman Jacob
Knowles.
Whether you're knitting the sea turtle's oversized, life-like shell - complete with a hidden pocket for a hot water bottle - or
dressing your puffin in a varsity jacket, you'll find joy in every stitch.
Critique: Of special note is that Karla Courtney (the designer behind the viral sea-creature knitting videos with over 15 million
views) in "Best Dressed Crab and Friends: Knitted Sea Creatures with an Ocean of Outfits " is able to deftly blend storytelling,
style and skill in a thoroughly 'reader/user' way that no other knitting collection does. Original, unique, special, "Best Dressed
Crab and Friends: Knitted Sea Creatures with an Ocean of Outfits" from The GMC Group is an extraordinary, fun, and
unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft/Knitting instructional reference
collections.
Editorial Note: Karla Courtney (https://www.karlacourtney.com) is an award-winning writer, photographer and knitting pattern
designer whose work blends storytelling, humor and a deep love for coastal life. She grew up in Toronto and spent summers in
Arnold's Cove, Newfoundland. Her travel writing and photography (often focused on remote and cold regions) has appeared in
Qantas Magazine, Conde Nast Traveller (US) and other leading publications.
Simple Sashiko: 20 Projects to Create and Inspire
Susie Johns
The GMC Group
www.gmcbooks.com
9781784947231, $26.99, PB, 144pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Sashiko-Projects-Create-Inspire/dp/1784947237
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/search?q=9781784947231
Synopsis: "Simple Sashiko: 20 Projects to Create and Inspire" by Susie Johns is a DIY collection of 20 easy projects, decorated
with striking geometric embroidery.
Sashiko, meaning 'little stabs', uses evenly spaced running stitches to create eye-catching geometric patterns. Originally
employed as a form of darning to mend clothes, it is now a popular form of decorative embroidery and visible mending. With
its clean, minimalist look, sashiko is perfect for modern interiors; it is also a great way of using up spare textiles and extending
the life of old clothing.
The twenty appealing projects comprising "Simple Sashiko" show how to apply this technique to a wide range of useful and
attractive items. A comprehensive introductory section covers all the tools, materials and basic techniques you will need, so
even a complete beginner can make a beautiful and unique piece. Learning the simple art of traditional Japanese stitching has
never been so easy or so useful.
The projects featured in "Simple Sashiko" Include: tea towel, cushion cover, table mats, covered buttons, stylish knot bag and a
furoshiki wrapper (an eco-friendly alternative to gift wrap).
Critique: This large format (8 x 2 x 10 inches, 1.15 pounds) paperback edition of "Simple Sashiko: 20 Projects to Create and
Inspire" by Susie Johns is exceptionally well illustrated, organized and presented -- making it ideal for novice and experienced
needlecrafters alike. "Simple Sashiko: 20 Projects to Create and Inspire" is original, 'user friendly' in organization and
presentation, and very highly recommended for personal, professional, and community library Embroidery, Sewing, Fiber Arts
& Textiles collections.
Editorial Note: Susie Johns is an artist, craft author and teacher whose patterns and designs appear regularly in craft magazines
in the UK. She has written numerous books on practical subjects, such as painting, collage, crochet, knitting and embroidery,
and has demonstrated various crafts on television. Susie is a well known sought after crafting teacher who lives in London.
(www.searchpressusa.com/author/9/susie-johns)
100 Essential Knitting Motifs
Sian Brown
The GMC Group
www.gmcbooks.com
9781784947224, $24.99, PB, 136pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/100-Essential-Knitting-Motifs-Stitches/dp/1784947229
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/100-essential-knitting-motifs-sian-brown/1148971793
Synopsis: Adding motifs to your knitting projects is the perfect way to personalize them, and this book features 100 of the
most colorful and attractive designs. If you're new to knitting, they're a great way to try out different techniques, and as they
only use small amounts of yarn, motifs are perfect stash-busters.
With photographs of every swatch, there are clear patterns and detailed charts throughout. A handy techniques section gives
clear instructions for all stitches used, so even a complete novice can make great motifs. The perfect resource for beginners,
this is also an inspirational reference guide for more experienced knitters.
Critique: This large format (8.5 x 0.4 x 10.8 inches, 1.2 pounds) trade paperback edition of "100 Essential Knitting Motifs" by
knitting expert Sian Brown is a handy compendium featuring 100 colorful motifs to personalize knitting projects. Thoroughly
'user friendly' in organization and presentation, and with illustrated step-by-step instructions for each knitting project, "100
Essential Knitting Motifs" from The GMC Group is especially and unreservedly recommended as a high priority pick for
personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft/Knitting instructional reference collections.
Editorial Note: There is a lengthy online listing of books by Sian Brown on Goodreads at:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/2108724.Sian_Brown
The Interior Design Shelf
The Nurturing Home: Living with Kotoisa, the Finnish Way to Happiness
Susanna Laiho
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781846016219, $29.99
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Nurturing-Home-Kotoisa-Finnish-Happiness/dp/1846016215
The Nurturing Home: Living with Kotoisa, the Finnish Way to Happiness by Susanna Laiho Hawkins advocates a different
vision for a home atmosphere - one which promotes peace, simplicity, and slower thinking, habits, and contemplative efforts.
Of special interest are color photos that accompany insights about the transformation process. "The house as it was" and
"Dreaming what it could be" are just a few examples of sections that document the process of interior design transformation
and the results of changing original interior layouts to promote calmness and coherence. Tips for budgeting without
compromising such values and analyzing the options incorporate a range of possibilities and approaches for making the
Finnish philosophy of peace part of an overall approach to change that begins at and with one's home.
The Art Shelf
Bomb It!: The Story of Graffiti Art
Balthazar Pagani, author
Damiano Restivo, illustrator
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500030349, $24.95, HC, 232pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Bomb-Story-Graffiti-Damiano-Restivo/dp/B0FTD5NK33
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bomb-it-damiano-restivo/1148430933
Synopsis: "Bomb It!: The Story of Graffiti Art" by author/storyteller Balthazar Pagani and artist/illustrator Damiano Restivo is
compelling nonfiction graphic novel style story of graffiti art from the early days of "bombing" the NYC subway in the late
1960s to graffiti's present day popularity in art galleries and museums.
Readers will follow the odyssey of graffiti art from its beginnings in 1960s NYC to the explosion of tags and "bombed"
subway trains of the 1970s, and from the rise of hip-hop and street culture to its dissemination across the globe. Bomb It! tells
graffiti's story through the eyes of a photographer whose lens captured the graffiti scene from 1960s New York City through to
the present day. It also follows the history of graffiti from an activity condemned by authorities as criminal in nature to its
emergence as an art form celebrated by museum-goers and gallery owners.
"Bomb It!: The Story of Graffiti Art" is an exciting graphic novel style volume takes its readers to the dark subway tunnels and
train cars where graffiti flourished as an underground art. It follows the birth of rap, breakdancing, and hip-hop culture in the
1980s and how these urban art forms grew out of the graffiti movement. The story chronicles artist Jean-Michel Basquiat's rise
and fall, the fated romance between West Coast artists Margaret Kilgallen and Barry McGee, and the commercial 1990s, with
Futura and other graffiti artists working for record and fashion labels.
At the turn of the millennium graffiti culture had spread all over the world, from Invader and Blek le Rat on the streets of Paris
to OSGEMEOS painting skyscrapers in Sao Paulo. The book explores the tension between the old-guard graffiti artists who
stuck to the streets, and those who found successful commercial careers. Graffiti will be with us always, with the power to
challenge the status quo and question authority -- and now its story can be told in a remarkable graphic format that will appeal
to both aficionados and those just learning about this incredible art form.
Critique: Original, informative, and presented in a graphic novel style featuring 220 color illustrations, "Bomb It!: The Story of
Graffiti Art" is an extraordinary and detailed history of the American art form known as Graffiti. This fascinating study ranges
from its days an a outlaw form of protest and expression to museum and gallery enforced artistic legitimacy. This trade
paperback edition of Balthazar Pagani and Damiano Restivo's "Bomb It!: The Story of Graffiti Art" is an impressive, 'reader
friendly', and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library American
Popular Art History: Graffiti collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Damiano Restivo is an artist and comic-book illustrator based in Italy.
Editorial Note #2: Balthazar Pagani is the founder of WeAreBeside, based in Milan. He produced the Graphic Lives series of
graphic novels and is the author of How to Draw a Graphic Novel.
The Fishing Shelf
The Art of the Trout Fly: 100 Exquisite Patterns
Lucas Utrera
Familius
www.familius.com
9798893961218, $24.99, HC, 232pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Trout-Fly-Exquisite-Patterns/dp/B0GMKRX2LJ
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-art-of-the-trout-fly-lucas-utrera/1150071297
Synopsis: Fly tying is where angling and art meet, requiring both function and beauty, a traditional practice that has shaped the
history of fly fishing.
Umpqua signature fly tyer Lucas Utrera uses design and art principles (such as color theory, form, symmetry, and the golden
ratio) to push the boundaries of traditional fly tying.
Balancing innovation and tradition, The Art of the Trout Fly: 100 Exquisite Patterns" showcases Utrera's most unique flies,
including the biot wing caddis, the vicolor melted glue ant, and the parachute emerger. With stunning macrophotography, clear
descriptions, and complete material lists for each fly, this collection celebrates beauty in the simplest forms.
More than an instruction manual, "The Art of the Trout Fly: 100 Exquisite Patterns" is a coffee table style keepsake with gold
foil details that will captivate anglers and art lovers alike.
Critique: Magnificent full color photography combines with a succinct commentary and a DIY 'Recipe' for making each of the
featured and showcased Trout Flys. This extraordinary instruction guide is in itself a work of art and is an essential and core
pick for the dedicated trout angler. While unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Fly Fishing collections, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "The Art of the Trout Fly:
100 Exquisite Patterns" from Familius is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.49).
Editorial Note: Lucas Utrera was born in Cordoba, Argentina, but currently lives in Miami, Florida. He is an industrial
designer, art director, and professional fly tyer with almost 30 years of experience. Featured in major international publications
and nominated as World's Best Fly Tyer in 2022, he shares his unique flies through his social media account @UtreraFlyTying
to inspire other fly tyers to go further, break some rules, and be carried away by creative instinct.
The Parenting Shelf
Potty Mouths: The shit I would say if I could talk
John Vanis
Outskirts Press, Inc.
www.outskirtspress.com
9781977294197, $32.95, HC, 26pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Potty-Mouths-shit-would-could/dp/1977294197
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/potty-mouths-john-vanis/1151114483
Synopsis: Ever wonder if your baby could talk?
They would probably speak the brutal truth- "Where's the DAMN bottle?" to "Wipe my ASS!"
"Potty Mouths: The shit I would say if I could talk" by John Vanis is not your ordinary children's book. It is a laugh-out-loud
look at early parenthood through the most chaotic narrator imaginable - a newborn with zero filter and a full arsenal of
profanity.
This adult-humor picture book flips the script on traditional baby stories, delivering sharp satire, raw honesty, and the kind of
exaggerated inner monologue every exhausted parent has secretly imagined.
Packed with outrageous baby commentary, over-the-top rants, and brutally funny observations about feeding, crying, sleeping,
and surviving the newborn stage, "Potty Mouths" deftly blends parenting humor, satire, and illustrated comedy into a fast,
punchy read. Each page channels the voice of a tiny tyrant who's hungry, confused, overstimulated, and absolutely done with
everyone's nonsense - making it perfect for parents who appreciate bold jokes and aren't afraid of a little (okay, a lot of)
profanity.
Again -- this book isn't for kids. It's for the parental grown-ups who need a break, a laugh, and a reminder that parenting is
messy, ridiculous, and sometimes best handled with humor. If you've ever wondered what your baby really thinks, John Vanis
gives you the unfiltered version -- and it's gloriously chaotic!
Critique: Original, unique, with a universal resonance for anyone having to raise a baby of their own, and laugh-out-loud funny
from cover to cover, "Potty Mouths: The shit I would say if I could talk" by John Vanis (himself a father who is also drawing
upon his own experiences with having kids) is an unreservedly recommended pick for personal and community library
Parenting and Humor collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Potty Mouths" from Outskirts Press is also
readily available in paperback (9781977293107, $17.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: John Vanis is not an award winning author. However, according to his children, he has won 'Best Dad of the
Year' award for the past thirteen years. And now, he's exploiting his silly adventures with his kids for monetary purposes,
LOL.
The Buddhist Studies Shelf
Way Beyond Happiness
Sandra Woien, editor
Carus Books
www.carusbooks.com
9781637700792, $29.95
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Way-Beyond-Happiness-Buddhism-Psychotherapy/dp/1637700792
Way Beyond Happiness: Buddhism, Stoicism, and Psychotherapy blends philosophy with spiritual and psychological
inspection to consider the foundations of stoicism, Buddhist thinking, and tackling life changes and impact.
Readers interested in the deeper psychological threads of discussion which run through these topics will find this collection
excels in considering revised definitions, case histories, and examples of these elements in daily life, ultimately tackling the
roots of happiness, dissatisfaction, and stoic thinking.
Libraries interested in intellectual discourses that hold the potential to reach into general-interest audiences via examples that
resonate will find Way Beyond Happiness will attract patrons beyond the usual circles of Buddhist thinkers.
The Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Humanity's Tipping Point and the Return to Unity
Cheryl Seas Gorder
Independently Published
9798182493550, $17.95, PB, 161pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Humanitys-Tipping-Point-Return-Unity/dp/B0H6PN72R1
Synopsis: For thousands of years, humanity has searched for answers to life's deepest questions. Why am I here? Why do I feel
disconnected? What is consciousness? Is there a deeper purpose to our lives?
In a world marked by division, anxiety, and rapid change, many people sense that something deeper is happening beneath the
surface of current events. But what if these challenges are not signs of collapse -- but symptoms of transformation?
"Humanity's Tipping Point and the Return to Unity" is thought-provoking exploration in which Cheryl Seas Gorder draws
upon wisdom traditions, psychology, mythology, spirituality, and emerging scientific perspectives to reveal a powerful pattern
hidden beneath humanity's greatest stories:
The journey from unity, through separation, and ultimately toward conscious reunification.
At a time of unprecedented division and uncertainty, Gorder offers a hopeful vision of humanity's future -- and a reminder that
what appears broken may actually not just be awakening, but remembering.
Perhaps the greatest tipping point facing humanity is not technological, political, or economic, but the journey to unity. -- And
perhaps that journey has already begun!
Critique: Timely, thought-provoking, observant, insightful, as well as an inherently fascinating, inspiring, and informative read
from start to finish, "Humanity's Tipping Point and the Return to Unity" by Cheryl Seas Gorder is an exceptional and
unreservedly recommended addition to the personal reading lists of anyone with an interest in philosophy, religion, spirituality,
and metaphysics. Extraordinarily well written, organized and presented for the reader's benefit, "Humanity's Tipping Point and
the Return to Unity" is also an unreservedly recommended acquisition selection for community and college/university library
collections and supplemental Philosophy/Spirituality curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: It should be noted that there is a Spanish language edition: "El Punto de Inflexion de la Humanidad y el
Retorno a la Unidad" (9798182493550, $17.95, PB, 170pp).
Editorial Note #2: There is an online listing of books by Cheryl Seas Gorder at:
https://www.amazon.ca/Books-Cheryl-Gorder/s?rh=n%3A916520%2Cp_27%3ACheryl%2BGorder
The Literary Studies Shelf
Following the Footsteps of Laura Ingalls Wilder: An Editor's Reflections
Nancy Tystad Koupal
South Dakota Historical Society Press
https://www.sdhspress.com
9781941813713, $29.95, HC, 176pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Following-Footsteps-Laura-Ingalls-Wilder/dp/B0HF3P3WSC
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/following-the-footsteps-of-laura-ingalls-wilder-nancy-tystad-koupal/1151070770
Synopsis: A part of the Pioneer Girl Project, with the publication of "Following the Footsteps of Laura Ingalls Wilder: An
Editor's Reflections" Nancy Tystad Koupal compiles more than a decade's worth of blog posts, covering a vast range of topics
related to Laura Ingalls Wilder including: LauraPalooza conferences, behind-the-scenes accounts of publishing the Pioneer Girl
Project and Little House books, fascinating vignettes about Wilder's life and their influence on her writing, and more.
The final chapter includes a full-length essay that investigates the puzzle of Wilder's posthumously published Little House
novel, The First Four Years.
Koupal also muses on her own life's work as an editor, which has given her extraordinary perspective into the working
relationship between Laura Ingalls Wilder and her daughter and editor, Rose Wilder Lane.
Koupal argues that Lane's editing, often brilliant, allowed Wilder's deep understanding of her stories and characters to sing.
"Even as her skills increased, Wilder listened to her editor,"
Koupal writes. "She continued to rely on Lane for the polish and restraint that editors impose, for the sure advice about which
episodes to omit, what episodes to combine, and how to craft effective openings and transitions that complemented the music
of the whole. But Wilder was always the author, Lane the editor, and together, they created classics of American
literature."
"Following the Footsteps of Laura Ingalls Wilder: An Editor's Reflections" weaves Koupal's insight into the intricacies of
editing with her lifelong fascination with Laura Ingalls Wilder. The result is a captivating and highly readable series of blog
entries that Wilder fans of all backgrounds are sure to learn from and enjoy.
Critique: Occasionally illustrated with historic B/W photos, "Following the Footsteps of Laura Ingalls Wilder: An Editor's
Reflections" is a 'must' for the legions of Laura Ingalls Wiler fans and will prove of immense interest to authors, publishers,
and hardcover bibliophiles with an interest in the editorial process. Extraordinarily informative and a simply fascinating read
from start to finish, this hardcover edition from the South Dakota Historical Society Press is a unique and unreservedly
recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library collections and supplemental Laura
Ingalls Wilder curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Nancy Tystad Koupal (www.pioneergirlproject.org) is the Director Emeritus of the Pioneer Girl Project and
founding director (1997-2020) of the South Dakota Historical Society Press. She received an M.A. in English from Morehead
State University in Kentucky and did postgraduate work in American literature at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Koupal is the editor of Pioneer Girl: The Path into Fiction (2023), Pioneer Girl: The Revised Texts (2022), Pioneer Girl
Perspectives (2017), and Our Landlady (1996), a collection of L. Frank Baum's satirical newspaper columns.
The Foundations of Tarzan
Jon C. Stott
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476687872, $39.95, PB, 199pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Foundations-Tarzan-Sources-Themes-Adaptations/dp/1476687870
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-foundations-of-tarzan-jon-c-stott/1149642050
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-foundations-of-tarzan
Synopsis: Since Edgar Rice Burroughs first published Tarzan of the Apes in 1912, the story has been retold and adapted many
times in a variety of media. After such success, Burroughs claimed that this book launched him from impoverished husband
and father to wealthy, famous writer without any experience or training. However, Burroughs's biography tells a different
story: he actually grew up in a well-to-do family and drew from knowledge of classic literature while writing his most
renowned tale.
With the publication of "The Foundations of Tarzan: Sources, Themes and Adaptations of the First Two Novels", Professor
Jon C. Stott examines the first two Tarzan novels, "Tarzan of the Apes" and "The Return of Tarzan", as coming-of-age stories
in which the jungle orphan is finally recognized and accepts his role as the British nobleman Lord Greystoke.
"The Foundations of Tarzan" also identifies the literary influences of the Tarzan books ranging from classical mythology to
Kipling's "The Jungle Book" -- and examines each novel and nine subsequent adaptations, exploring the themes, symbolic
landscapes and continuing relevance of Tarzan.
Critique: Simply stated, "The Foundations of Tarzan: Sources, Themes and Adaptations of the First Two Novels" by Professor
Jon C. Stott is essential reading for the legions of Edgar Rice Burroughs fans with its fascinating insights into this literary
treasure. A sterling example of original and meticulous literary scholarship, "The Foundations of Tarzan" is an especially and
unreservedly recommended pick for personal, community, and college/university library 20th Century American Literary
Criticism & Popular Culture collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Jon C. Stott, a professor emeritus at the University of Alberta, has previously published works on independent
baseball and the beer industry.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
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