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Library Bookwatch

Volume 20, Number 1 January 2025 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Writing/Publishing Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Science Shelf American History Shelf
World History Shelf Civil War History Shelf Military History Shelf
Education Shelf Business Shelf Money/Finance Shelf
Economic Studies Shelf Biography/Memoir Shelf General Fiction Shelf
Historical Fiction Shelf Literary Fiction Shelf Romantic Fiction Shelf
Western Fiction Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Graphic Novel Shelf Audiobook Shelf Library CD Shelf
Library DVD Shelf Photography Shelf Library Science Shelf
Genealogy Shelf Art Shelf Parenting Shelf
Mathematics Shelf Computer Shelf Pets Shelf
Wildlife Shelf Military Studies Shelf Political Science Shelf
Folktale/Fairytale Shelf Theatre/Cinema Shelf Architecture Shelf
Literary Studies Shelf Criminology Shelf Holocaust Studies Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

The Night Garden: Of My Mother
Sandra Tyler
Pierian Springs Press
https://pierianspringspress.com
9781953136770, $29.00, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Night-Garden-My-Mother/dp/195313677X

Synopsis: When her 86-year-old mother falls and breaks her hip, Sandra Tyler is 42, with a nursing infant and precocious toddler. Tyler's mother insists on hiring her own caregivers -- a motley patchwork of lost souls, including the too-friendly who think Scrabble is a good idea. But when she has a near-fatal fall, it is Sandra herself who hires a live-in aide, Chandice, who moves into her mother's house as if it were her own, with her KitchenAid mixer, bake pans, and apple-and-kale concoctions.

Where should Tyler's allegiance lie when her mother threatens to fire Chandice for overloading the washing machine? At what cost to their relationship should she no longer defer to her mother's staunch guidance?

As her mother's dementia worsens, Chandice warns Sandra about other daughters who have "gone crazy" watching their mothers become unrecognizable. After her mother's death, Sandra is admitted to a psychiatric ward, where she sleeps the "sleep of the dying," as her mother slept in her final weeks.

In the timelessness of this ward, Sandra wonders -- was her closeness with her mother not one of being best friends, but something inherent in their dispositions as a writer and artist-in that compulsion to be seen and heard?

With empathy and affectionate comedy, "The Night Garden: Of My Mother" candidly explores what it means for a daughter to have her focus fractured by conflicting responsibilities while still seeking, above all else, her mother's approval, protection and love.

Critique: Heartfelt, eloquent, emotionally engaging, "The Night Garden: Of My Mother" is inherently fascinating and candidly presented, making it of special value to readers with an interest in motherhood, adult children caring for parents with dementia, inevitable grief and ultimate recovery from debilitating bereavement. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, this hardcover edition of from Pierian Springs Press of "The Night Garden: Of My Mother" by Sandra Tyler is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists as well as community and college/university library Adult Parenting collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Sandra Tyler (www.sandratyler.com) earned her BA from Amherst College, and her MFA in creative writing from Columbia University. She has taught creative writing at Columbia University, NY; Wesleyan University, CT; Manhattanville College, NY. She is the editor-in-chief and founder of the premier online literary and fine art magazine, The Woven Tale Press. Sandra is also the author of "Blue Glass" and "After Lyudia" -- both published by Harcourt Brace.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Dramatic Storytelling & Narrative Design, second edition
Ross Berger
CRC Press
c/o Routledge
https://www.routledge.com
9781032571621, $$160.00, HC, 232pp

https://www.amazon.com/Dramatic-Storytelling-Narrative-Design-Transmedia/dp/1032571624

Synopsis: Now in a newly updated and expanded second edition, "Dramatic Storytelling and Narrative Design: A Writer's Guide to Video Games and Transmedia" by Ross Berger provides an industry professional's first-hand perspective on narrative design's practical usage, day-to-day roles and responsibilities, and keys to breaking in and succeeding.

"Dramatic Storytelling and Narrative Design" also delves into the foundations of compelling storytelling through structural analysis and character archetype breakdowns.

The understanding of game narrative is widened to include examples from other media. "Dramatic Storytelling and Narrative Design" breaks down the structure of popular games and show how the structural elements are applied in practice. In addition to discussing industry trends, "Dramatic Storytelling and Narrative Design" also illustrates how the leveraging of transmedia can make a video game franchise endure over time.

This updated new edition also contains brand new chapters on Conflict and The Future of Interactive Storytelling, as well as deepened coverage on Character and World and Roles and Responsibilities. The author adds new discussion to the Analysis of Narrative in Contemporary Games through an examination of the HBO television adaption of The Last of Us.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, updated, organized and presented, this new second edition of Ross Berger's "Dramatic Storytelling and Narrative Design: A Writer's Guide to Video Games and Transmedia" from CRC Press will be of particular value and benefit to anyone with an interest in the craft of storytelling, narrative design, and game writing. Offering a complete course of insightful instruction and DIY application information, "Dramatic Storytelling and Narrative Design, second edition" is especially and unreservedly recommended as a critical and high value addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Writing/Publishing collections. It should be noted for students, script writers, aspiring storytellers, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "Dramatic Storytelling and Narrative Design: A Writer's Guide to Video Games and Transmedia, second edition" is also available in paperback (9781032571614, $64.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $51.99).

Editorial Note: Ross Berger (www.rossberger.space) is a writer, narrative designer, and transmedia strategist based in Los Angeles. Ross is a member of the Writers Guild of America West (animation caucus) and the Television Academy and is currently an adjunct professor at University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts and ArtCenter College of Design.


The Social Issues Shelf

Counterinsurgency Strategy: A Path to Effective Policing
Howard Rahtz
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
https://www.ccthomas.com
9780398094539, $28.95, PB, 176pp

https://www.amazon.com/Counterinsurgency-Strategy-Path-Effective-Policing/dp/0398094535

Synopsis: "Counterinsurgency Strategy: A Path to Effective Policing" by Howard Rahtz opens with American military action in Mosul, Iraq, in 2003.

The civil authority in a city of 1.7 million people had collapsed, government ministry buildings had been looted, and criminal gangs and ethnic conflict raged out of control. General David Petraeus, utilizing the military's Counterinsurgency Doctrine (COIN), restored security, allowing the re-emergence of the local economy.

General Petraeus and his men worked with the local leaders to hold elections and, in short order, restored civil society. The COIN principles used by General Petraeus in Iraq have application to the violent crime issues plaguing cities in the United States. Increasing disorder in the face of declining police legitimacy and a growing trust gap between police and the communities they serve are analogous to the situation facing military commanders combating insurgencies.

Given the current debate on police militarization occurring across the country, "Counterinsurgency Strategy" reviews the history of police militarization, the provision of military equipment to police through the Department of Defense, and the impact of militarization on police tactics. COIN operational values in the context of the militarization debate are also reviewed.

A paradox in policing is the growth of militarism concurrent with the movement toward Community Policing. While Community Policing has received significant attention among military COIN adherents, discussion of COIN strategy among police researchers has been nearly nonexistent.

"Counterinsurgency Strategy" examines the commonalities of COIN strategy with the philosophy of Community-Oriented Policing. Effective policing efforts to reduce crime and disorder are highlighted, and the role of the COIN strategy in these efforts is reviewed. A detailed guide to adapting COIN strategy and tactics for local police departments is also provided.

"Counterinsurgency Strategy" seeks to provide for neighborhood safety based on police legitimacy, effective security, and a whole-of-government effort to address local community problems.

Critique: A seminal and ground-breaking study, "Counterinsurgency Strategy: A Path to Effective Policing" by Howard Rahtz is an extraordinary read that is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of an eight page Bibliography and an eight page Index. A complete course of instructive history and application, "Counterinsurgency Strategy--A Path to Effective Policing" is a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, police academy, military, and college/university library Law Enforcement & Counterinsurgency collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: After a nearly 20 year career working in the addictions field, at age 42, Howard Rahtz (https://howardrahtz.com) became a Cincinnati Police Officer. His writing history began with his assignment as a Sergeant supervising the Community Policing Unit. In researching the area of Community Oriented Policing, he was surprised to see none of the writing had been done by actual police officers. This finding inspired his first book, "Community Policing: A Handbook for Beat Officers and Supervisors". During his police career, Howard served as a Police Academy Commander, Hostage Negotiator, and Commander of the Central Vice Control Unit. His experience has served as the bedrock of his writing, including "Race, Riots and The Police", which won an Indie Books award in 2016.


The Cookbook Shelf

Taste of Home Comfort Food Classics
Taste of Home, editor
Taste of Home, publisher
https://www.tasteofhome.com
c/o Trusted Media Brands
https://www.trustedmediabrands.com
9798889770978, $19.99, PB, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Home-Comfort-Food-Classics/dp/B0CWZ2P59S

Synopsis: Comfort food is where the heart is! Now from the comfort-food authorities at Taste of Home comes "Comfort Food Classics", the ultimate roundup of more than 200 go-to dishes for bringing joy and lifting spirits. Serve the stick-to-your-ribs greats that families clamor for from potpies, mashed potatoes and hot wing dip to chicken soup, cinnamon rolls, mac 'n' cheese, and so much more. Count your way down to the ultimate comfort as you page through the magnificent culinary compendium showcasing the Top 25 Comfort Foods of all time!

At-a-Glance Icons help you prepare foods on your timetable, and pro tips from our Test Kitchen ensure that Comfort Food Classics is one cookbook you'll enjoy reaching for time and again. Which cozy creation will steal your family's hearts? With so much hearty, wholesome dishes inside, choosing which recipe to tackle first just might be the toughest job!

Of special note is the inclusion of a Bonus Chapter celebrating every season and holiday with special-occasion menus. From glazed Easter ham and Thanksgiving pumpkin pie to Christmas cookies and burgers perfect for Independence Day. Plus dozens of tips & hints to 'Make It Your Own'.

Comfort food means different things to different families, so you'll discover lots of exciting ideas from other home cooks to personalize recipes.

Critique: Beautifully, profusely, and inspirationally illustrated throughout with full color photographs of finished dishes, each individual DIY recipes is thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and presentation -- allowing even the most novice of family chefs to prepare truly memorable, palate please and appetite satisfying meals for all formal and informal dining occasions. While readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99), "Taste of Home: Comfort Food Classics" is a pleasure to browse through and to plan menus with -- making it an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for family, personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections.

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 6.4 million fans on Facebook, 2 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.

Corn Dance: Inspired First American Cuisine
Loretta Barret Oden, author
Beth Dooley, contributor
University of Oklahoma Press
www.oupress.com
9780806190785, $34.95, HC, 264pp

https://www.amazon.com/Corn-Dance-Inspired-American-Cuisine/dp/0806190787

Synopsis: Growing up in Shawnee, Oklahoma, among a host of grandmothers and aunties, Loretta Barrett Oden learned the lessons and lore of Potawatomi cooking, along with those of her father's family, whose ancestors arrived on the Mayflower. This rich cultural blend came to bear in the iconic restaurant she opened in Santa Fe, the Corn Dance Cafe, where many of the dishes showcased in "Corn Dance: Inspired First American Cuisine" had their culinary debut, setting Loretta on her path to fame as one of the most influential Native chefs in the nation, a leader in the new Indigenous food movement, and, with her Emmy Award - winning PBS series, Seasoned with Spirit: A Native Cook's Journey, a cross-cultural ambassador for First American cuisine.

"Corn Dance: Inspired First American Cuisine" tells the story of Loretta's journey and of the dishes she created along the way. Alongside recipes that combine the flavors of her Oklahoma upbringing and Indigenous heritage with the Southwest flair of her Santa Fe restaurant, Loretta offers entertaining and edifying observations about ingredients and cooking culture. What kind of quail might turn up in your vicinity, for instance; what to do with pin on nuts, sumac, or nopales (cactus paddles); when to add a bundle of pine needles or a small branch of cedar to your braise: these and many practical words of wisdom about using the fruits of the forest, stream, or plain, accompany Loretta's insights on everything from the dubious provenance of fry bread to the Potawatomi legend behind the Three Sisters -- corn, beans, and squash, the namesake ingredients of Three Sisters and Friends Salad, served at Corn Dance Cafe and now at Thirty Nine Restaurant at First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City, where Oden is the Chef Consultant.

Amply illustrated and adapted to bring the taste of Native tradition into the American home kitchen, "Corn Dance: Inspired First American Cuisine" invites kitchen cooks and their families to join Loretta Oden on her inspiring journey into the Indigenous heritage, and the exhilarating culinary future, of North America.

Critique: This large format (7 x 0.89 x 10 inches, 2.2 pounds) hardcover edition of Loretta Barrett Oden's "Corn Dance: Inspired First American Cuisine" from the University of Oklahoma Press includes contributions by Beth Dooley, a List of Notes from Loretta's Kitchen, an informative Introduction, a two page listing f Sources of Selected Ingredients, and an Index. Unique and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and presentation, "Corn Dance: Inspired First American Cuisine" will prove to be an extraordinarily popular addition to personal, professional, and community library Ethnic Cookbook collections. It should be noted for those with an interest in authentic Native American cuisine that "Corn Dance: Inspired First American Cuisine" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.95).

Editorial Note #1: Loretta Barrett Oden is a renowned Emmy Award - winning Native American chef, food historian, lecturer, and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. She currently lives in Oklahoma City. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loretta_Barrett_Oden)

Editorial Note #2: Beth Dooley (www.bethdooleyskitchen.com) is a James Beard Award - winning food journalist and holds an Endowed Chair at Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture. She is the author of eight cookbooks, including (with Sean Sherman) The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen: Best American Cookbook and (with Lucia Watson) Savoring the Seasons of the Northern Heartland.

Forgotten Skills of Cooking
Darina Allen
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781804192764, $39.99, HC, 576pp

https://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Skills-Cooking-Recipes-Time-honoured/dp/1804192767

Synopsis: Based on the hugely popular courses at Darina Allen's Ballymaloe Cookery School, "Forgotten Skills of Cooking: 700 Recipes Showing You Why the Time-honoured Ways Are the Best" is a massive cookbook that reveals the lost art of making creamy butter and yoghurt, keeping a few hens in the garden, home-curing and smoking bacon, and even foraging for food in the wild -- and so much more.

So many of our happiest childhood memories are connected to food. With "Forgotten Skills of Cooking" family cooks can rediscover the flavors of all-time favorites such as traditional stuffed roast chicken, figgy toffee pudding, and freshly baked scones with strawberry jam. Darina also offers lots of thrifty tips for using up leftovers in delicious ways.

Essential reading for urban and rural dwellers alike, "Forgotten Skills of Cooking" is the definitive modern guide to traditional cookery skills.

Critique: Also available in a digital book format (Kindle, 18.99), and enhanced for the kitchen cook's benefit with a twenty page Index (so that specific recipes can be easily found), a four page listing of Resources, and two pages of Household Tips, this hard cover edition of Darina Allen's "Forgotten Skills of Cooking: 700 Recipes Showing You Why the Time-honoured Ways Are the Best" from Kyle Books is an unreservedly recommended addition for personal, family, professional, and community library cookbook collections.

Editorial Note: Darina Allen (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darina_Allen) is Ireland's best-known food ambassador and the bestselling author of Ballymaloe Cookery Course and Forgotten Skills of Cooking, which won the prestigious Andre Simon award in 2009. She campaigns for local produce, is a member of Slow Food Ireland and set up Ireland's first farmers' market. She has won many awards including the Guild of Food Writers' Lifetime Achievement award in 2013.


The Science Shelf

The Blue Machine: How the Ocean Works
Helen Czerski
W. W. Norton & Company
www.wwnorton.com
9781324086345, $19.99, PB, 464pp

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Machine-How-Ocean-Works/dp/1324086343

Synopsis: All of Earth's oceans, from the equator to the poles, are a single engine powered by sunlight, driving huge flows of energy, water, life, and raw materials. In The Blue Machine, physicist and oceanographer Helen Czerski illustrates the mechanisms behind this defining feature of our planet, voyaging from the depths of the ocean floor to tropical coral reefs, estuaries that feed into shallow coastal seas, and Arctic ice floes.

Through stories of history, culture, and animals, she explains how water temperature, salinity, gravity, and the movement of Earth's tectonic plates all interact in a complex dance, supporting life at the smallest scale (plankton) and the largest -- giant sea turtles, whales, humankind.

From the ancient Polynesians who navigated the Pacific by reading the waves, to permanent residents of the deep such as the Greenland shark that can live for hundreds of years, she introduces the messengers, passengers, and voyagers that rely on interlinked systems of vast currents, invisible ocean walls, and underwater waterfalls.

Most important, however, Czerski reveals that while the ocean engine has sustained us for thousands of years, today it is faced with urgent threats. By understanding how the ocean works, and its essential role in our global system, we can learn how to protect our blue machine. Timely, elegant, and passionately argued, "The Blue Machine" presents a fresh perspective on what it means to be a citizen of an ocean planet.

Critique: We humans are poisoning the oceans of the Earth with our plastics, creating 'dead zones' in the oceans with our garbage, and destroying ocean habitats with our human fostered climate change impacts. An articulate, informative, skillfully crafted study that is especially appropriate for the non-specialist general reader, The Blue Machine: How the Ocean Works" is a critically recommended and decidedly important addition to personal, professional, community, governmental, and college/university library Oceanographic Science collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, environmentalists, governmental policy makers, and anyone with an interest in the health of our planetary oceans and seas that "The Blue Machine: How the Ocean Works" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Helen Czerski (www.helenczerski.net) is a physicist and oceanographer at University College London. She is also author of "Storm in a Teacup", a columnist for the Wall Street Journal, and writes regularly about the physics of everyday life. She lives in London.


The American History Shelf

American Visions: The United States, 1800-1860
Edward L. Ayers
W. W. Norton & Company
www.wwnorton.com
9780393881264, $32.50, HC, 368pp

https://www.amazon.com/American-Visions-United-States-1800-1860/dp/0393881261

Synopsis: With so many of our histories falling into dour critique or blatant celebration, "American Visions: The United States, 1800-1860" by Professor Edward L. Ayers offers hope as well as honesty about the American past.

The early decades of the nineteenth century saw the expansion of slavery, Native dispossession, and wars with Canada and Mexico. Mass immigration and powerful religious movements sent tremors through American society. But even as the powerful defended the status quo, others defied it: voices from the margins moved the center; eccentric visions altered the accepted wisdom, and acts of empathy questioned self-interest.

Professor Ayers's rich history examines the visions that moved Frederick Douglass, Margaret Fuller, the Native American activist William Apess, and others to challenge entrenched practices and beliefs. So, Lydia Maria Child condemned the racism of her fellow northerners at great personal cost. Melville and Thoreau, Joseph Smith and Samuel Morse all charted new paths for America in the realms of art, nature, belief, and technology. It was Henry David Thoreau who, speaking of John Brown, challenged a hostile crowd "Is it not possible that an individual may be right and a government wrong?"

Through decades of award-winning scholarship on the Civil War, Professor Ayers has himself ventured beyond the interpretative status quo to recover the range of possibilities embedded in the past as it was lived. In the pages of "American Visions: The United States, 1800-1860" he turns that distinctive historical sensibility to a period when bold visionaries and critics built vigorous traditions of dissent and innovation into the foundation of the nation. Those traditions remain alive for us today.

Critique: Featuring 8 pages of B/W historical illustrations, forty pages of Notes, and a sixteen page Index, "American Visions: The United States, 1800-1860" is as fascinating as it is informative. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented for the benefit and appreciation of American history students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject, "American Visions: The United States, 1800-1860" is an especially recommended pick for personal, community and college/university library collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "American Visions: The United States, 1800-1860" from W.W. Norton is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781324086307, $21.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.19).

Editorial Note: Edward L. Ayers (www.edwardayers.com), a recipient of the National Humanities Medal, has won the Bancroft and Lincoln Prizes for his innovative histories of Civil War America. He is president emeritus of the University of Richmond, where he is executive director of New American History.


The World History Shelf

The Making of the Middle Sea
Cyprian Broodbank
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500026441, $45.00, ;HC, 688pp

https://www.amazon.com/Making-Middle-Sea-Mediterranean-Beginning/dp/0500026440

Synopsis: For millennia, the Mediterranean has been one of the global cockpits of human endeavor. World- class interpretations exist of its classical and subsequent history, but there has been remarkably little holistic exploration of how its societies, culture, and economies first came into being, despite the fact that almost all the fundamental developments originated well before 500 BCE.

With the publication of "The Making of the Middle Sea: A History of the Mediterranean from the Beginning to the Emergence of the Classical World" by Professor Cyprian Broodbank offers a full interpretive exploration into the rise of the Mediterranean world from its beginning, before the emergence of our own species, up to the threshold of classical times.

Extensively illustrated and ranging across disciplines, subject matter, and chronology, from early humans and the origins of farming and metallurgy to the rise of civilizations (Egyptian, Levantine, Hispanic, Minoan, Mycenaean, Phoenician, Etruscan, early Greek), "The Making of the Middle Sea" is a masterpiece of archaeological and historical writing. Winner of the Wolfson History Prize, this edition of "The Making of the Middle Sea from Thames & Hudson now features a new preface exploring the most recent archaeological research on the Mediterranean world.

Critique: This large format (7.7 x 1.5 x 10 inches, 2.2 pounds) hardcover edition of "The Making of the Middle Sea: A History of the Mediterranean from the Beginning to the Emergence of the Classical World" by Professor Broodbank is visually enhanced with the inclusion 408 illustrations (49 in color), and features nineteen pages of Notes, a twenty-four page Bibliography, a two page listing of Sources of Illustration, and a sixteen page Index. Extraordinary, comprehensive, fascinating, informative, and impressively well written, organized and presented, "The Making of the Middle Sea: A History of the Mediterranean from the Beginning to the Emergence of the Classical World" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Mediterranean history collections. It should be noted for archaeology and history students, as well as non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Making of the Middle Sea: A History of the Mediterranean from the Beginning to the Emergence of the Classical World" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $34.00).

Editorial Note: Cyprian Broodbank is professor of archaeology and the director of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge. He was professor of Mediterranean archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London from 1993 to 2014. His previous book, An Island Archaeology of the Early Cyclades, won the James R. Wiseman award of the Archaeological Institute of America (for all fields of archaeology), and the Runciman Prize (for all fields of Hellenic Studies). is professor of archaeology and the director of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge. He was professor of Mediterranean archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London from 1993 to 2014. His previous book, An Island Archaeology of the Early Cyclades, won the James R. Wiseman award of the Archaeological Institute of America and the Runciman Prize. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyprian_Broodbank)

Citrus: A World History
David J. Mabberley
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500026366, $50.00, HC, 272pp

https://www.amazon.com/Citrus-History-David-J-Mabberley/dp/050002636X

Synopsis: With the publication of "Citrus: A World History", Professor David J. Mabberley traces the history of today's global superfood from its cultivation in the ancient world from just a handful of original wild species, via Arab trade routes, the noble collectors of medieval Europe, imperial conquerors on the high seas, and merchants betting on the highest-value fruit crop ever known.

The story of citrus permeates human history, as recorded in the literature and art of civilizations from antiquity to the present day. When Alexander the Great's army swept over the Persian Empire, they found the citron: the first citrus fruit known in the West. During the Napoleonic wars, British ships carried lemons and limes to protect their sailors against scurvy; the "Limeys" ruled the waves. As the citrus trade grew in importance in the nineteenth century, the Sicilian Mafia was established among citrus farmers, protecting their crops and their livelihoods.

Mandarin, citron, pomelo, bergamot, kumquat -- a glorious abundance of citrus fruits has delighted and stimulated ancient thinkers and explorers, Arab geographers and scientists, European royalty, artists, physicians, and plant breeders. From the art of the Renaissance to modern advertising and graphic design, this richly illustrated, invigorating cultural history reveals how these extraordinary, life-giving fruits have flavored, scented, healed, and colored our world.

Critique: Visually enhanced for the reader's benefit with 357 color illustrations, this large format (8.4 x 1.3 x 10.7 inches, 2.31 pounds) hardcover edition of Professor David J. Mabberley's "Citrus: A World History" from Thames & Hudson also includes seven page Bibliography, six pages of Notes, a two page listing of Illustration Sources, and a three page Index. Fascinating, informative, and unique, "Citrus: A World History" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Natural History collections and supplemental Gastronomy curriculum studies lists. "Citrus: A World History" would make an excellent and enduringly appreciated Memorial Fund acquisition choice for community and academic library collections.

Editorial Note: David J. Mabberley is a botanist and writer. He is also an emeritus fellow at Wadham College, University of Oxford; adjunct professor at Macquarie University, Sydney; and professor emeritus at the University of Leiden. He is the author of Mabberley's Plant-book: A Portable Dictionary of Plants, their Classification and Uses, now in its fourth edition, and coauthor of Joseph Banks' Florilegium: Botanical Treasures from Cook's First Voyage. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Mabberley)


The Civil War History Shelf

The 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters at Gettysburg
Mark W. Allen
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476695952, $29.95, PB, 220pp

https://www.amazon.com/2nd-U-S-Sharpshooters-Gettysburg-Perfect/dp/1476695954

Synopsis: The many works available thus far on the Battle of Gettysburg have neglected the role of the 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters, Union soldiers known for their extensive training and specialized tactics. "The 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters at Gettysburg: Like A Perfect Hornet's Nest" by Mark W. Alen is the first Civil War history to explore the their actions at Gettysburg on July 2, 1863. This unique Union Army regiment was largely composed of men from Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Vermont.

Drawing on newly discovered primary sources, "The 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters at Gettysburg: Like A Perfect Hornet's Nest" seeks to clarify mysteries such as the identity of the non-commissioned officer who met with Company B of the 20th Maine and the location of Major Homer R. Stoughton during the battle. Following the understrength regiment as it confronts two Confederate brigades, this thorough historical narrative presents a long untold story of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Critique: With B/W illustrations throughout, "The 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters at Gettysburg: Like A Perfect Hornet's Nest" is an informative and fascinating read from start to finish. An invaluable and definitively recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Civil War History collections, it should be noted for students, Civil War buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters at Gettysburg: Like A Perfect Hornet's Nest" is also available from McFarland & Company in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99).

Editorial Note: Mark W. Allen is the former military historian at the War Memorial Park in Muskogee, Oklahoma, home of the World War II fleet submarine U.S.S. Batfish (SS310). (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1001665.Mark_W_Allen)

Yankees in the Hill City
Clifton W. Potter, Jr.
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476695884, $39.95, PB, 234pp

https://www.amazon.com/Yankees-Hill-City-Lynchburg-1862-1865/dp/1476695881

Synopsis: With three railroads and a canal passing through the city, Lynchburg, Virginia, was a major hospital center during the Civil War, far from the remote battlefields. Here also was a transit camp where Union soldiers remained before being paroled or transferred to another prison.

It opened in June 1862 at the Fair Ground, just outside the city limits. Upon arrival, the sick and wounded were assigned to one of the 32 hospitals regardless of the uniform they wore. Union POWs who died were buried in the City Cemetery by the local funeral service, which also carefully recorded their personal data. Local ministers daily performed burial services for all soldiers, regardless of their race or the color of their uniforms, and all their expenses were paid by the Confederate government.

Critique: With the publication of "Yankees in the Hill City: The Union Prisoner of War Camp in Lynchburg, Virginia, 1862-1865", Professor Clifton W. Potter, Jr. ably presents a complete history of this Union POW camp in Lynchburg: including the context of its founding, its operations, and its fate after the war. Of special note are two appendices present burial records for the POWs and Lynchburg Campaign casualties. A seminal and meticulously documented study, "Yankees in the Hill City" is an invaluable contribution to personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Civil War collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that "Yankees in the Hill City" is also available from McFarland & Company in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.99).

Editorial Note: Clifton W. Potter, Jr. graduated from Lynchburg College in 1962 with a B.A. in history, magna cum laude. He was a Fulbright Fellow at Merton College, Oxford, and holds both an M.A. and Ph.D. in history from the University of Virginia. After a teaching career spanning 54 years, he retired from the University of Lynchburg with the rank of professor of history, emeritus. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4839888.Clifton_W_Potter_Jr_)

United States Military Justice in the Civil War
R. Gregory Lande
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476695846, $39.95, PB, 254pp

https://www.amazon.com/United-States-Military-Justice-Civil/dp/1476695849

Synopsis: Despite its relative invisibility to the public, the administration of military justice during the Civil War played a vital role in maintaining the discipline necessary for Union military success.

While some scholars have criticized the Union military courts as arbitrary and excessively harsh, others have defended it as a necessary means of maintaining order in the face of unprecedented challenges faced by the Union.

Drawing on extensive primary research, this history presents a compelling narrative based on a statistical analysis of 5,000 Union military trials, court records, historical legal publications, and insights from contemporary historians. With the publication of "United States Military Justice in the Civil War: Court-Martial Practices and Administration", R. Gregory Lande analyzes the relationship between alcohol misuse and misconduct, covers the differing approaches to sexual misconduct across the services, and exposes the uneven and sometimes unfair application of military justice.

Critique: Offering a balanced perspective on the struggle between maintaining discipline and protecting the legal rights of service members, "United States Military Justice in the Civil War: Court-Martial Practices and Administration" is a unique and recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Civil War collections. This paperback edition of "United States Military Justice in the Civil War: Court-Martial Practices and Administration" from McFarland & Company is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.99).

Editorial Note: R. Gregory Lande is an adult, forensic and addiction trained psychiatrist in Orlando, Florida, a retired U.S. Army medical officer and an independent scholar whose interest in historical research focuses on the human side of America's Civil War era.

The Third Ohio Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War
David D. Perry
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476695112, $39.95, PB, 213pp

https://www.amazon.com/Third-Ohio-Volunteer-Infantry-Civil/dp/1476695113

Synopsis: During three years of the Civil War, Colonel John Beatty of the Third Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment dealt with drunkenness, desertion, insubordination and mutiny, and at one point tied a drunken mutineer to a tree until the man sobered up. He didn't shoot or dismiss the man, because everyone was needed for service. This emblematic event and many others are detailed in "The Third Ohio Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War: "Obstinate Devils" from Middle Fork Bridge to Cedar Bluff", a Civil War history that illustrates how the Third Ohio experienced "combat" on the battlefield as well as on the campgrounds of Virginia, Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Part of a brigade commanded by Colonel Abel Streight, the Third Ohio was charged with destroying the Confederate rail junction in Rome, Georgia. However, Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest chased and fought the Third through Tennessee and Northern Alabama until exhaustion and wet ammunition forced the regiment to surrender to Forrest and his men on June 3, 1863. This informative study presents in full context the Third Ohio's Civil War experience, and includes a daily chronology of the regiment as well as a complete roster.

Critique: Informed and informative, and also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.99), "The Third Ohio Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War: "Obstinate Devils" from Middle Fork Bridge to Cedar Bluff" by David D. Perry is another seminal and ground-breaking study from McFarland & Company that is an essential and highly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Civil War History/Biography collections.

Editorial Note: David D. Perry is a retired university lecturer in American and European history. He has visited and studied every major battlefield from the American Civil War to those of the Crimean, First and Second World Wars. He has been a Revolutionary and Civil War enthusiast who has marched with the celebrated Old Guard, 3rd US Infantry Regiment.


The Military History Shelf

The Unlikely War Hero
Marc Leepson
Stackpole Books
www.stackpolebooks.com
c/o Rowman & Littlefield
https://rowman.com
9780811772921, $32.95, HC, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/Unlikely-War-Hero-Vietnam-Resilience/dp/0811772926

Synopsis: On April 6, 1967, twenty-year-old U.S. Navy Seaman Apprentice Doug Hegdahl fell off his ship, a guided-missile cruiser, in the Gulf of Tonkin. Close to exhaustion after nearly four hours in the water, he was picked up by a small fishing boat and soon found himself in Hoa Lo Prison, the notorious North Vietnamese POW camp the prisoners called the Hanoi Hilton. Under intense interrogation, Hegdahl pretended to be a country bumpkin who could barely read or write. His captors fell for the ruse, calling him "The Incredibly Stupid One."

But Doug Hegdahl was far from stupid. Possessing a razor-sharp memory, during the next two years he memorized the names of 254 fellow prisoners and senior officers ordered him to accept an early release. After coming home in August 1969, Hegdahl shocked his debriefers by rattling off the names of the men. Hanoi had admitted holding only a few dozen, although the U.S. military had reliable intel on scores of others. With Hegdahl's names, 63 missing servicemen were reclassified to Prisoners of War.

But that's not all. In addition to divulging the names, Doug Hegdahl told the Pentagon about the systematic torturing of the American POWs in Hanoi and reported many other hitherto unknown details about life inside the Hanoi POW camps. The new information became an important factor in North Vietnam's fall 1969 decision to make life immeasurably easier for the 500-plus POWs held in Hanoi and assuaged the doubts and fears of dozens of POW families.

Vividly written, "The Unlikely War Hero" is solidly based on archival research, personal interviews, and his experiences in the Vietnam War, Marc Leepson, for the first time, tells the incredible tale of the youngest and lowest-ranking American POW captured in North Vietnam. Doug Hegdahl has never been properly recognized for his extraordinary efforts, and his story has never been fully told. It's a story of survival -- has own and scores of POWs.

Critique: With the inclusion of 13 B/W historical photos, "The Unlikely War Hero: A Vietnam War POW's Story of Courage and Resilience in the Hanoi Hilton" by Marc Leepson is a simply fascinating and compelling read from start to finish. Offering an amazingly informative 'insider's' account of what life and death were like inside the infamous POW prison, ironically nicknamed the Hanoi Hotel' by the American prisoners, "The Unlikely War Hero" is a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, and college/university library Vietnam War History/Biography/Memoir collections and supplemental 20th Century U.S. Military History curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "The Unlikely War Hero" from Stackpole Books is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.49).

Editorial Note: Marc Leepson (www.marcleepson.com) graduated from George Washington University with a history degree in 1967, served in the U.S. Army for the following two years, including a tour in Vietnam, and earned an MA in history from George Washington. He was a staff writer for Congressional Quarterly for ten years before becoming a full-time freelancer. His work has appeared in magazines such as Smithsonian, Military History, Civil War Times, American History, Vietnam, and World War II, and in newspapers such as the Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. He is senior writer, arts editor, and columnist for The VVA Veteran (the magazine of Vietnam Veterans of America).

Midnight in Ironbottom Sound
Carol Engle Avriett
Regnery History
www.regnery.com
c/o Skyhorse Publishing
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781510781597, $32.99, HC, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Ironbottom-Sound-Shark-Infested-Guadalcanal/dp/1510781595

Synopsis: In the heart of the Pacific, where the tides of World War II surged, lies a tale of heroism on the high seas -- a tale brought to life in author Carole Engle Avriett's naval history, "Midnight in Ironbottom Sound". This is the untold story of the USS Gregory (APD-3), a ship manned by unknown sailors whose bravery echoes through the annals of history.

Upon the decks of this vessel, Lieutenant Commander Harry F. Bauer and Mess Attendant Charles J. French, representing the highest and lowest ranks on the USS Gregory, become the focal points of this gripping narrative. In the turbulent waters of the Pacific, their stories, interwoven with the ship's saga (their vital mission was to transport Marine Raiders to bloody beaches) emerge as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the unwavering commitment to duty.

Avriett unfolds a a brief but catastrophic chapter of naval history that is often overlooked -- that of unremitting warfare during the first few weeks following the initial invasion of the Solomon Islands to the demise of the USS Gregory four weeks later. Within this crucible, the USS Gregory, marked as a "minor" player, takes center stage. The ship's designation as an APD, its brave crew, and the harrowing night of terror they faced, set the stage for an unforgettable story.

Avriett meticulously reveals their heroism and pays homage to the eternal truth that courage has neither color nor prerequisites, and that valor hails from within.

Critique: An extraordinary contribution to World War II naval combat history, "Midnight in Ironbottom Sound: The Harrowing WWII Story of Heroism in the Shark-Infested Waters of Guadalcanal" is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a six page Family Tributes, two pages of Endnotes, a two page listing of Resources, a ten page Appendix, and a seven page Index. Combining solid research with her distinctive storytelling style, author Carole Engle Avriett's "Midnight in Ironbottom Sound" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library World War II history collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of military history buffs, students, and academia that "Midnight in Ironbottom Sound" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.99).

Editorial Note: Carole Engle Avriett is the author "Coffin Corner Boys: One Bomber, Ten Men, and their Harrowing Escape from Nazi-Occupied France". Currently, she invests her skills full time in writing Christian books and military history memoirs, as well as hosting a weekly Bible study and leading women's conferences -- often sharing her powerful testimony of personal struggle until Christ came into her life at the age of thirty.

Yukikaze's War
Brett L. Walker
Cambridge University Press
www.cambridge.org
9781108837293, $29.95, HC, 311pp

https://www.amazon.com/Yukikazes-War-Unsinkable-Japanese-Destroyer/dp/1108837298

Synopsis: Only one elite Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer survived the cruel ocean battlefields of World War II. "Yukikaze's War: The Unsinkable Japanese Destroyer and World War II in the Pacific" is her story.

Brett Walker, historian and captain, delves into questions of mechanics, armaments, navigation, training, and even indoctrination, illustrating the daily realities of war for Yukikaze and her crew.

By shifting our perspective of the Pacific War away from grand Imperial strategies, and toward the intricacies of fighting on the water, Walker allows us to see the war from Yukikaze's bridge during the most harrowing battles, from Midway to Okinawa.

Walker also uncovers the ordinary sailor's experience, and we see sailors fight while deep-running currents of Japanese history unfold before their war-weary eyes. As memories of World War II fade, Yukikaze's story becomes ever more important, providing valuable lessons in our contemporary world of looming energy shortfalls, menacing climate uncertainties, and aggressive totalitarian regimes.

Critique: Fascinating, informative, a masterpiece of World War II maritime military history, "Yukikaze's War: The Unsinkable Japanese Destroyer and World War II in the Pacific" is enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of occasional B/W historic photos, fourteen pages of Notes and a fourteen page Index. A work of exhaustive and meticulous historical scholarship, Professor Brett Walker's narrative storytelling style reads with all the engagement of a finely tuned work of literature. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library World War II military and Pacific Theater maritime history collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and World War II military history buffs that this hardcover edition of "Yukikaze's War: The Unsinkable Japanese Destroyer and World War II in the Pacific" from Cambridge University Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $28.45).

Editorial Note: Brett L. Walker (www.brettlwalker.net) is Regents Professor Emeritus of History at Montana State University, Bozeman, an historian of Japan, medicine, the environment and World War II, as well as an experienced captain.


The Education Shelf

University Entrepreneurial Ecosystems
Dandiel Prokop
Edward Elgar Publishing
www.e-elgar.com
9781803924748, $105.00, HC, 146pp

https://www.amazon.com/University-Entrepreneurial-Ecosystems-Spinouts-Geography/dp/1803924748

Synopsis: With the publication of "University Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: Spinouts, Networks and Geography" Daniel Prokop (Senior Lecturer in Economic Geography, School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University, UK) sheds light on university entrepreneurial ecosystems and how they generate spin-out companies rooted in different spatial contexts. Paying particular attention to geography and network issues, Prokop conceptualizes the varied performance of university entrepreneurial ecosystems by focusing on their actors, configurations and mechanisms.

Developing an evolving model of the university entrepreneurial ecosystem and spinout lifecycle, Prokop explores the hierarchical, nested and hybrid models of university entrepreneurial ecosystems, tracking how these relate to each other. Ultimately, "University Entrepreneurial Ecosystems" argues that the geography and configuration of university entrepreneurial ecosystems offer asymmetric opportunities for entrepreneurial activity that result in divergent development paths for local and regional economies.

Of particular interest to students and scholars of entrepreneurship, organizational innovation, economic geography and regional economics, "University Entrepreneurial Ecosystems" is innovative source of 'real world practical' information will also appeal to policymakers, academic entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and technology transfer officers seeking a greater understanding of university entrepreneurial ecosystems and spinouts.

Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of Figures, Tables, a seventeen page bibliography of References, and a three page Index, "University Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: Spinouts, Networks and Geography" is exceptionally and unreservedly recommended as a unique and prized addition to personal, professional, and college/university Contemporary Education Issues collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Coaching in Home Visiting
Christa D. Haring, et al.
Brookes Publishing Company
www.brookespublishing.com
9781681257327, $39.95, PB, 264pp

https://www.amazon.com/Coaching-Home-Visiting-Supporting-Professionals/dp/1681257327

Synopsis: "Coaching in Home Visiting: Supporting Better Outcomes for Professionals and Families" from the Brookes Publishing Company is the first coaching guide specially designed for home visitors and their supervisors. This groundbreaking book answers the call for more and better training in early childhood home visiting programs. The expert and collaborative authors developed this guide for two critical purposes: to give supervisors actionable strategies as they coach home visitors, and to give home visitors principles and practices for coaching families of children from birth to 5 years.

Featuring a who's who of more than 25 interdisciplinary experts, "Coaching in Home Visiting" goes far beyond "one and done" approaches to training and illuminates the benefits of supported practice, follow-up, and reflection. Home Visitors will learn how to:

Make the most of parallel practices, in which the best strategies coaches use to partner with coachees are also used by home visitors to partner with caregivers

Use both reflective supervision and practice-based coaching to enhance work with families

Apply the principles of adult learning to build respectful and reciprocal coaching relationships

Implement research-informed coaching strategies that promote well-being for home visitors and families

Ensure culturally responsive home visiting at both the systems level and the individual home visitor level

Deliver engaging and effective virtual coaching to both home visitors and families

Collaborate with early intervention providers to support families who have children with disabilities

Use coaching to increase and monitor fidelity to evidence-based programs and practices

Critique: Ideal for use as an in-service professional development resource or as a pre-service curriculum textbook, "Coaching in Home Visiting: Supporting Better Outcomes for Professionals and Families" is truly transformative combination instructional guide and 'how-to' manual that will help both supervisors and practitioners succeed in their work to improve the lives of children and their families. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and college/university library Special Education collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that this large format paperback edition of "Coaching in Home Visiting" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $37.95).

Editorial Note: "Coaching in Home Visiting: Supporting Better Outcomes for Professionals and Families" is the collaborative work of Christa D. Haring Ph.D. CCC-SLP (Author), Ms. Angela Rau MAT (Author), Mark Innocenti Ph.D. (Foreword), & 28 more contributors.


The Business Shelf

Seeds of Leadership: Nurturing the Leader Within
Will Lukang
Emerald Lake Books
https://emeraldlakebooks.com
9781945847837, $14.99 PB, $0.99 Kindle

https://emeraldlakebooks.com/store/Seeds-of-Leadership-p706332273

Synopsis: Drawing from his years of experience and comprised from cover to cover with practical examples and actionable insights, with the publication of "Seeds of Leadership: Nurturing the Leader Within", author Will Lukang goes beyond theory to provide his readers with real-world applications with respect to effective and 'real world practical' managerial skills and practices.

Whether an aspiring leader or a seasoned professional, in "Seeds of Leadership" are to be found valuable strategies for:

Identifying and honing your unique leadership style
Communicating your vision and goals with clarity
Navigating the challenges of team dynamics
Fostering a culture of continuous improvement
Preparing the next generation of leaders

Critique: Offering a wealth of informative, skill building, and reflective exercises, "Seeds of Leadership: Nurturing the Leader Within" by Will Lukang is a comprehensive, deftly crafted and essential DIY guide to becoming a successful and effective leader in business and in life. Exceptionally 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Seeds of Leadership" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, corporate, and college/university library Business Management collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that this paperback edition for "Seeds of Leadership" from Emerald Lane Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $0.99, Amazon.com).

Editorial Note: Will Lukang (https://iwillaim.com) attended Seton Hall University's Master of Arts in Strategic Communication and Leadership (MASCL) program, where he graduated with honors. He presented at the Learning Leaders Symposium in Fort Myers, Florida, on "Developing Talent Around Us, Strengthening Relationships One at a Time." Aside from pursuing his passion for leadership and talent development, Will is a certified project manager from PMI and an Agile Coach. Will has more than 22 years of experience in the information technology industry. He holds an MBA in information decision and technology management from IONA College, where he also graduated with honors, and a BS in commerce (majoring in accounting) from the University of Santo Tomas.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Feel-Good Finance
Aja Evans
BenBella Books
www.benbellabooks.com
9781637745434, $21.95, PB, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/Feel-Good-Finance-Relationship-Emotional-Well-Being/dp/1637745435

Synopsis: Picture this: You're at a group dinner scanning the pricey menu in dread, knowing you have food at home. When it comes time to pay, your friend proclaims, "We should split the check!" So you hand over your card, praying it's not declined, while internally screaming, But I only got water!

If that sounds all too familiar, you're not alone. Coined the "feel-good financial therapist," Aja Evans can relate - and she wants to help. Feel-Good Finance peels away the layers of niceties that hinder our ability to get real and talk about money. Where other financial education books provide the "what," this one will give you the "why."

Based on years of clinical practice, training, and lived experiences, Evans will equip readers with an accessible, researched-based route to financial empowerment. In this book, she will uplift you to:

Understand your unique relationship with money
Learn the 6 most common financial attitudes - and the psychological basis behind them
Build generational wealth
Let go of financial beliefs that no longer serve you

Your mindset about money is more important than ever before, especially for women and people of color. Feel-Good Finance will prepare you to rewrite your wealth narrative, help you heal your relationship with money once and for all, and attain the financial freedom you deserve.

Critique: An absolute 'must' for anyone having anxiety issues over money and finance matters of any kind. Thoroughly 'reader/user' friendly in substance, style, organization and presentation, "Feel-Good Finance: Untangle Your Relationship with Money for Better Mental, Emotional, and Financial Well-Being" by Aja Evans is especially appropriate for the non- specialist general reader with little if any background in financial management. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing, 9798228316058, $45.99, CD), "Feel-Good Finance" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Money/Finances collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Aja Evans (https://ajaevanscounseling.com) is a board-certified therapist, consultant, and speaker specializing in financial therapy. With over a decade of experience in mental health, and the intimate understanding that people feel bad about their money, Aja made it a pillar in her work to help others feel supported in their financial journeys. Aja is committed to assisting people in navigating the intersection of mental health and all things "money.


The Economic Studies Shelf

Interest Rate Modeling, third edition
Lixin Wu
CRC Press
c/o Routledge
https://www.routledge.com
9781032483559, $99.99, HC, 436pp

https://www.amazon.com/Interest-Rate-Modeling-Financial-Mathematics/dp/1032483555

Synopsis: Containing many results that are new, or which exist only in recent research articles, this thoroughly revised and expanded third edition of "Interest Rate Modeling: Theory and Practice" by Professor Lixin Wu presents the theory of interest rate modeling as a three-dimensional object of finance, mathematics, and computation. It introduces all models with financial-economical justifications, develops options along the martingale approach, and handles option evaluations with precise numerical methods.

Features of "Interest Rate Modeling" include: Presenting a complete cycle of model construction and applications, showing readers how to build and use models; Providing a systematic treatment of intriguing industrial issues, such as volatility smiles and correlation adjustments; Includes exercise sets and a number of examples, with many based on real market data; Comments on cutting-edge research, such as volatility-smile, positive interest-rate models, and convexity adjustment.

While new to this third edition is: An introduction of Fed fund market and Fed fund futures; Replacement of the forward-looking USD LIBOR by the backward-looking SOFR term rates in the market model, and the deletion of dual-curve market model developed especially for the post-crisis derivatives markets; Plus new chapters on LIBOR Transition and SOFR Derivatives Markets.

Critique: A part of the Chapman & Hall/CRC Financial Mathematics series, Professor Lixin Wu's "Interest Rate Modeling: Theory and Practice, third edition" is a premier and solidly recommended acquisitions choice for corporate and college/university library Economics/Mathematics collections and as a supplemental Economics curriculum textbook. It should be noted for economics and financial mathematics students, academia, and practicing professionals, that this new third edition of "Interest Rate Modeling: Theory and Practice" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $71.24).

Editorial Note: Lixin Wu earned his PhD in applied mathematics from UCLA in 1991. Originally a specialist in numerical analysis, he switched his area of focus to financial mathematics in 1996. He co-developed the PDE model for soft barrier options and the finitestate Markov chain model for credit contagion. He is, perhaps, best known in the financial engineering community for a series of works on market models, including an optimal calibration methodology for the standard market model, a market model with square-root volatility, a market model for credit derivatives, a market model for in inflation derivatives, and a dual-curve SABR market model for post-crisis derivatives markets. Dr. Wu is currently a full professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.


The Biography/Memoir Shelf

Princess Victoria Ka'iulani
Ralph Thomas Kam, author
Marilyn Stassen-McLaughlin, author
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476694696, $49.95, PB, 259pp

https://www.amazon.com/Princess-Victoria-Kaiulani-Hawaiian-Kingdom/dp/1476694699

Synopsis: Co-authored by Ralph Thomas Kam and Marilyn Stassen-McLaughlin, "Princess Victoria Ka'iulani: Last Heir of the Hawaiian Kingdom" is a new biography of Princess Victoria Ka'iulani and goes far beyond most accounts of her life, which tend to dwell on nostalgic recollections of what could have been rather than the reality of her life.

Many of the most cherished depictions of Ka'iulani originate from other people's reflections, rather than the actions and words of the princess herself. This new biography of Princess Victoria Ka'iulani utilizes historical documents, including archival manuscripts, Hawaiian and English-language newspapers, government records, firsthand testimonies, poetry, and mele, a factual and thoroughly supported narrative of Ka'iulani's life during tumultuous times emerges, surpassing fairy tale-like portrayals.

Critique: Featuring several B/W historical photos, a one page advisory (On the Use of the Hawaiian Language), an informative introduction (Seeing Ka'iulani with Dispassionate Eyes), fourteen pages of Chapter Notes, a twenty-page Bibliography, and a six page Index, "Princess Victoria Ka'iulani: Last Heir of the Hawaiian Kingdom" is a deftly crafted work of meticulus scholarship and a solidly recommended addition to community and college/university library Hawaiian History/Biography collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Princess Victoria Ka'iulani: Last Heir of the Hawaiian Kingdom" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $29.99) from McFarland & Company.

Editorial Note: The late Ralph Thomas Kam was the author of several articles in the Hawaiian Journal of History. He lived in Kaneohe, Hawai'i.

Editorial Note #2: Marilyn Stassen-McLaughlin is a retired Punahou teacher who has studied the life of Princess Ka'iulani and the 'Ainahau Estate for more than four decades. She has published in the Hawaiian Journal of History and Honolulu Magazine. She lives in Honolulu, Hawai'i.

Lincoln's Conservative Advisor: Attorney General Edward Bates
Mark A. Neels
Southern Illinois University Press
www.siupress.com
9780809339501, $65.00, HC, 270pp

https://www.amazon.com/Lincolns-Conservative-Advisor-Attorney-General/dp/0809339501

Synopsis: Edward Bates, a founding father of Missouri and leader of the Missouri Whig Party, served as Abraham Lincoln's attorney general during the American Civil War. The first full biography of Bates in nearly sixty years, with the publication of "Lincoln's Conservative Advisor: Attorney General Edward Bates", Professor Mark A. Neels reveals a striking portrait of this complex figure in Lincoln's cabinet.

Professor Neels begins with Bates's youth in Virginia and follows him through his political and judicial career, his candidacy as a Republican presidential nominee in 1860, and his appointment to Abraham Lincoln's cabinet as attorney general. Bates became an essential advisor to the president on key legal, military, and political matters from emancipation to civil liberties and equal rights, and his official opinion on Habeas Corpus would have a permanent effect on presidential authority and separation of powers.

When Lincoln drafted the Emancipation Proclamation, Bates found himself at odds with the president and the radical anti-slavery members of the cabinet. But more than simply highlighting the conflict within Lincoln's administration, Bates's example lays bare the strong philosophical divisions within the Republican Party during the Civil War era. These divisions were present at the party's inception, crystallized during the war, and ultimately sparked a political realignment during Reconstruction. Bates was at the center of this divide for most of its existence, and in some cases assisted in its promulgation.

Bates, a fierce opponent of radical Republicanism, embodies the conflict among Republicans over issues of slavery and citizenship. In both judicial and elective office, he was compelled by a sense of duty to defy the populism of President Andrew Jackson and Senator Thomas Hart Benton, and, later, the pro-slavery forces that threatened to tear the nation apart. Though he had owned slaves, Bates represented at least one enslaved woman's suit for freedom, released from bondage the people he had enslaved, and aided Lincoln in his efforts to end slavery nationwide.

Bates's opinion on citizenship as attorney general helped pave the way for equal rights. His opinions were not always popular with either his colleagues or the greater populace, but Bates remained true to his conservative principles (a set of values shared by a large swath of Lincoln's Republican Party) which positioned him as a leading opponent of radical Republicanism during the Reconstruction Era.

Critique: A seminal and ground-breaking biography that is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a twenty page Bibliography, twenty-six pages of Notes, and a twelve page Index, "Lincoln's Conservative Advisor: Attorney General Edward Bates" is a significant, welcome, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Civil War Biographies & 19th Century American History collections. It should be noted for students, academia, historians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of Professor Mark Neels' "Lincoln's Conservative Advisor: Attorney General Edward Bates" from the University of Wisconsin Press is also readily available in paperback (9780809339495, $27.95).

Editorial Note: Mark A. Neels was the recipient of the 2017 Hay-Nicolay Dissertation Prize. He holds a doctorate in history from Southern Illinois University and currently teaches history in St. Louis, Missouri.

Finding Ruby
Richard Rothman
Independently Published
9781916797444, $24.99 HC, $14.99 PB, $5.99 Kindle, 306pp

https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Ruby-Familys-Fervent-Idealism/dp/191679744X

Synopsis: Richard Rothman never knew his grandfather, who left behind a wife and young daughter to fight-and die-in the Spanish Civil War. What drove a young, idealistic New Yorker with everything to live for to leave it all behind?

"Finding Ruby: The Bright and Dark Sides of a Family's Fervent Idealism" is a lucid investigation into a family history that will explore the social idealism and selfless passions that drew the author's grandfather into the Communist Party and, in 1937, onto the bloody front lines in Spain. But his search will also reveal the darker truths behind treasured family lore, as Rothman discovers how fervent idealism blinded not only his grandfather, but also other family members to ugly realities of the movement to which they devoted their lives.

Written with compassion and insight, "Finding Ruby" takes the reader on a journey from the trenches in the Spanish Civil War to the courtrooms of the segregated South in the epic case of the Scottsboro Boys, which helped launch the Civil Rights movement.

This deeply personal story sheds light on not only one family, but an entire generation of 20th Century American history.

Critique: Exceptionally well-crafted, reader engaging, inherently interesting, thought-provokingly memorable, author and biographer Richard Rothman's skill at storytelling raises "Finding Ruby: The Bright and Dark Sides of a Family's Fervent Idealism" to an impressive level of literary excellence and a very special, unreservedly recommended addition to community and college/university library American Biography/Memoir collections and supplemental 20th Century American History curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Finding Ruby: The Bright and Dark Sides of a Family's Fervent Idealism" is also available in paperback (978-1916797628, $14.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Richard Rothman is a New York-based lawyer. Following a successful career at one of the country's preeminent law firms, since 2017 he has devoted his professional time to representing pro bono clients, including survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence. He co-chairs the Incarcerated Gender Violence Survivors Initiative, as well as the board of Graham Windham, the nation's oldest non-sectarian child welfare agency. During the course of his career, he has served as President of the Federal Bar Foundation, Director of New York City's Legal Aid Society, Trustee and Counsel to the Board of the American Red Cross of Greater New York, and Chairman of Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. In 2023 he received the New York Law Journal's Lifetime Achievement Award.

Endure: A Memoir of Grief, Resilience, and Love
Kelly McCoy
ei^2 collective
c/o KM Endurance
https://kmendurance.com
9798218534707, $17.99, PB, 274pp

https://www.amazon.com/Endure-Memoir-Grief-Resilience-Love/dp/B0DNRSRMND

Synopsis: Grief after losing a child, sibling, or grandchild is a rugged and intensely personal journey, one that is marked by a profound emptiness and a life forever changed.

"Endure: A Memoir of Grief, Resilience, and Love" is the story of Kelly McCoy, a father who lost his son, Cooper, at 23. Kelly invites his readers to join him in navigating the terrain of loss, resilience, and rugged hope.

Through reflections on shadow casting, crane migrations, and the hard work of spiritual edge work, Kelly offers companionship for those facing the brutal beauty of grief. "Endurance" doesn't promise a quick or easy way out of grief from the self-inflicted loss of a loved one, it does provide the emotional, mental, and spiritual tools to honor that loved one and to live alongside their loss with grace, courage, and enduring love.

Critique: Heartfelt, emotionally engaging, impressively insightful, deeply personal yet universal in theme and purpose, "Endure: A Memoir of Grief, Resilience, and Love" by mental health advocate Kelly McCoy is a deftly and candidly crafted memoir of love, loss, and recovery that is unconditionally recommended reading for anyone having to deal with and recover from the tragedy of suicide. Unique, effective, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, counseling center, and college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections in general, and to Suicide, Grief, and Bereavement Counseling collections in particular.. It should be noted for psychology students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Endure: A Memoir of Grief, Resilience, and Love" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Kelly McCoy is an author, educator, and resilience speaker living in the Midwest with his family. He spent 25 years in the fire service before moving to higher education. Kelly received undergraduate and graduate degrees in liberal studies and education, later completing graduate work in philosophy and theology. Kelly has studied resilience through the University of Oklahoma, University of Minnesota, Dalhousie University, 02X Human Performance, and training abroad. Through his writing, he honors loved ones and supports others navigating life's challenges.

Flew Too High
Louie Mandrapilias
Book Baby Publishers
https://www.flewtoohigh.com
9798350988222, $34.00, HC, 284pp

https://www.amazon.com/Flew-Too-High-smugglers-transcendent/dp/B0DQ9KPQVL

Synopsis: Growing up in the shadow of his towering Greek father, Louie Mandrapilias is a southern gay college boy who sets out for the Big Apple where a demonic Svengali lures the naive student into the razor-wire underworld of international drug smuggling.

Upon his arrival in Bombay, Louie (now re-christened Eli) detours to the mystical ashram of guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (Netflix's "Wild, Wild Country" ) and explores new possibilities. With a flawed moral compass, he's trapped in purgatory: Is it too late to walk away, or is he fated to follow in the nefarious footsteps of his father, Nick the Greek?

Woven throughout "Flew Too High: A gay drug smuggler's transcendent odyssey in the heyday of Studio 54", is Louie's proud heritage dating back to ancient Sparta, the struggle between a pious mother and rebel father, and the battle that rages on in the soul of their only son.

Critique: "Flew Too High: A gay drug smuggler's transcendent odyssey in the heyday of Studio 54" by Louie Mandrapiliais a fascinating, deftly crafted, authentic, emotionally engaging, and simply riveting memoir that will fully compel the reader's full attention from start to finish. Of special and particular relevance to readers with an interest in LGBTQ life experiences and unique/unusual life stories, "Flew Too High" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections.

Editorial Note: Dropping out of art school, Louie Mandrapilias moved to New York City to pursue a brief career in drug smuggling, followed by a journey into the art of woodworking in a Midtown Manhattan loft. He returned to the University of Houston to complete his B.A. in Graphic Design. Louie has spent the past forty years in the world of media (including LGBTQ+ publishing pioneers The Advocate and Out magazines) and designing for luxury brands Fortuny Fabrics and Agraria Home Fragrances. An imaginary conversation with his father resulted in his memoir "Flew Too High".

Yak Publishing
https://www.yakpublishing.com

https://www.amazon.com/Misfit-Mister-John/dp/B0DH9Q9HJW

Synopsis: Misfit #1 (9798990020214, $24.95 HC, 9798990020245, $14.99 PB, 216pp)

How different? John hasn't had a home street or mailing address for over half his life. He's never made a mortgage or car payment or rented an apartment or house. He's never had children or a cup of coffee, so he doesn't know about those things either. Yet, he once held valid driver's licenses from three countries on three continents.

Does this small-town boy from humble beginnings live in another reality? Yes, after realizing at an early age that if he lived a life like most everyone, he'd get a life like most everyone. John wanted something different. John got something different, and then some, and then some more. His unique perspective on life will leave you enlightened.

From his earliest memories to his latest doings, in MISFIT, the first book in the series, John recounts 36 of his make-you-laugh, make-you-cry, make-you-think stories. Like jigsaw puzzle pieces, once you start putting them together, you'll begin to see the big picture, the story of John's life unexpected.

https://www.amazon.com/Misfit-2-Mister-John/dp/B0DHB4LP8H

Misfit #2 (9798990020252, $14.99, PB, 218pp)

Who is he? After ten years piloting a sternwheel paddleboat to pay for his higher education, then moving to the United Arab Emirates after the Gulf War, then teaching local women computers and math for 14-odd years, then retiring at 44 with his Canuck girlfriend to a mountain in Ecuador, John's a guy with even more stories than he had before.

Does this small-town boy from humble beginnings live in another reality? Yes, after realizing at an early age that if he lived a life like most everyone, he'd get a life like most everyone. John wanted something different. John got something different, and then some, and then some more. His unique perspective on life will leave you enlightened.

From his earliest memories to his latest doings, in MISFIT 2, the second book in the series, John recounts 36 more of his make-you-laugh, make-you-cry, make-you-think stories. Like jigsaw puzzle pieces, as you continue putting them together, you'll see more of the big picture, the story of John's life unexpected.

https://www.amazon.com/Misfit-3-Mister-John/dp/B0DHB7F77D

Misfit #3 (9798990020269, $14.99, PB, 218pp)

This third volume of autobiographical tales spiked with wit and wisdom finds Mister John beginning, in familiar fashion, by addressing a broad, relatable subject-in this case, his disliking the sound of his voice. From there, he proceeds in a manner that will be familiar to readers familiar with previous "Misfit" installments, telling stories about his Wisconsin childhood, his time spent teaching in the United Arab Emirates and his early retirement in rural Ecuador. Amusing asides abound, with John noting that Floridians "pick and choose what weather to brag about" and that the "they" in "they say you're supposed to spend three months' salary on [engagement] rings" certainly "wasn't a financial advisor. Or an accountant."

Several chapters deal with serious incidents: learning that his stepfather has cancer and facing the deaths of a family friend and also of a favorite teacher, whom readers of Misfit 2 will recall. These tales of loss give this collection a slightly more melancholic tone, as does the conclusion of a star-crossed romance, though that's balanced out by wry wisdom and amusing anecdotes, some putting a new spin on familiar settings, like a pungent recollection of the rigors of cleaning the facilities of a tour boat he captained.

A few stories will seem familiar to readers of earlier entries. But there are still some surprises, including how the author got a job teaching in the Middle East. And we also get a closer look at his life in Ecuador, in a house of rammed-earth walls on a road that "aspire[s] to gravel," John's manner of exposition remains as roundabout as ever, taking unpredictable swerves- a yarn about seeing a porn film in a small Midwest town begins with Jaws and ends with an aside about UAE brothels. But the journey, however elliptical, is most of the fun, and brief mentions about witnessing an execution indicate John has more yarns left to spin.

Critique: Having lived a genuinely remarkable life to the tune of a different drummer than the rest us, at the age of 62 'Mr. John' Curran has created "Misfit", a three volume (with more promised to come) series in which he has compiled 36 unique and entertaining stories for each of the three volumes -- all of which are drawn directly from his memories of life experiences with people and places that are especially noteworthy, entertaining, -- and which he hopes to pass down to generations of appreciative Readers.

From his earliest memories to his latest doings in each of the three volumes of "Misfit", John recounts 36 of humorous, reflective, inherently interesting, deftly crafted, thoughtful and thought-provoking short stories. Taken together across each of the three volumes, what emerges for the reader is essential the story of John's serendipitous life.

While each of the three "Misfit" volumes is a 'stand alone' read, they are especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library collections as a set. The same is true for the personal reading lists of readers with an interest in authentic, skillfully written, memoir storytelling, This is a truly impressive and very special series that will have its readers looking forward to the next (and promised) volume of anecdotal Misfit stories from
'Mister John' Curran.

Editorial Note: John Curran's life took a sharp turn to the different on April Fools' Day 1991 when he accepted a position to teach computers and math at United Arab Emirates University located in the desert oasis city of Al Ain. On the Men's Campus my first year, he taught on the Women's Campus for the next seven, one of the first unmarried Western men permitted to do so.

He returned to the UAE in 2001 after the Higher Colleges of Technology hired him to develop a CAD/Interior Design program at Sharjah Women's College. It was there where John met Sue, a native of Canada and his wife-to-be. With the program in place, John transferred to Dubai Women's College to again teach computers and math while developing and writing subject-integrated student projects that became a model for the 12-campus system.

In 2007, Sue and John retired, moving to their riverfront property off a dead-end dirt (they aspired to gravel) road in the mountains near Vilcabamba, Ecuador, where they currently reside. In 2017, John and Sue purchased a property on the Haida Gwaii archipelago in British Columbia, Canada, where they intend one day making their last international move.


The General Fiction Shelf

Gwendolyn & Eddie
Michael O.L. Seabaugh
Koehler Books
www.koehlerbooks.com
9798888245231, $29.95, HC, 278pp

https://www.amazon.com/Gwendolyn-Eddie-Michael-L-Seabaugh/dp/B0DP5RFPB7

Synopsis: It began with a monkey and ended with an inescapable tragedy.In 1957.

Gwendolyn is living the domestic dream as the prized wife of the dashing Dr. Paul Stanley Bollinger, with three beautiful, healthy children and a charming Edwardian home in the historic town of Cape Girardeau.

Enter Eddie, an inebriated monkey brought home as a poker prize by her equally drunk husband. Thus begins Gwendolyn's years long struggle to domesticate these two unruly males.

Eddie is a hilarious handful but no match for Paul Stanley and his increasing penchant for bourbon and nurses. Meanwhile, as the predictable 1950s evolve into the increasingly tumultuous '60s and beyond, as Gwendolyn finds her conservative beliefs challenged by the realities of racism, homophobia, traditional masculinity, the sexual revolution, and the struggle for women's rights.

For over forty years, a time marked by hilarity, heartbreak, and tragedy, Eddie serves as her clown prince, her unexpected confidant, and when all is said and done -- her solace. The story of Gwendolyn and Eddie is ultimately about cages-the ones we are born into, those we construct for ourselves, and the ones we impose on those we love.

Critique: Original, deftly crafted, laced with irony, humor, and the impact of social changes, "Gwendolyn & Eddie" is a fun, fascinating, and thought-provoking read from start to finish. Showcasing author Michael O.L. Seabaugh's distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style as a novelist, "Gwendolyn & Eddie" is a welcome and unreservedly recommended pick for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Gwendolyn & Eddie" from Koehler Books is also readily available in paperback (9798888245217, $19.95).

Editorial Note: Dr. Michael O.L. Seabaugh (https://michaelseabaughbooks.com) is a clinical psychologist. He is also a journalist who has written many newspaper columns and magazine articles over the years. An abiding interest in the complex stories of human struggle, conflict, and redemption has always guided his professional endeavors. After years of listening to these stories, he now turns to telling them through the artifice of fiction.

The Felstone
Trent Pettry
www.trentpettry.com
Independently Published
9798305259865, HC $TBA, PB $14.99
B0CYJVQ9QF, $5.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Felstone-Supernatural-Thriller-Legacy-Eagle-ebook/dp/B0CYJVQ9QF

Synopsis: Fifteen thousand years ago, a meteorite crashed to Earth, its strange and terrifying properties worshiped by the Neolithic people who first recovered it. Now, in the modern-day Cascades, the lost tribe has returned and unearthed the cursed stone -- seeking to unleash its mutagenic powers.

Eagle, a star high school football player and proud member of the Takhala tribe, is thrust into a fight he never asked for. Bound by his heritage and the chilling truth of his lineage, Eagle must rally his friends and his tribe to confront the lycanthropic menace stalking them. From the shadowed forests of the Cascades to the ancient lava tubes of the Newberry Volcano, the fight for survival becomes a journey of ancient prophecies, supernatural terror, and unbreakable bonds of family and friendship.

Critique: An original, inherently fascinating, and with an impressively skilled blending of fantasy with action/adventure, "The Felstone" is the first volume in author Trent Pettry's new supernatural thriller 'Legacy of the Eagle' series. A fun and compelling read from start to finish, This complete and unabridged Kindle edition of "The Felstone" showcases Pettry's distinctive, engaging, and narrative driven storytelling style. Especially and unreservedly recommended for personal and community library collections.

Editorial Note: Author Trent Pettry (https://trentpettry.carrd.co) split his time between consuming sci-fi and fantasy stories, escaping into epic RPG adventures with friends and family, and exploring the forest behind his childhood home in Charlotte, North Carolina. Trent draws many of his story ideas from his own dreams, brilliantly combining them with his adventures and memories from childhood to create the richly detailed worlds and relatable characters he's known for. A graduate of the University of North Carolina, he currently works as a professional in the IT field. When he's not busy at work or plotting out his next novel, he can be found spending time with his family or working on his many other creative endeavors.


The Historical Fiction Shelf

The Wretched and Undone
J.E. Weiner
https://www.jeweiner.com
HTF Publishing
https://www.historythroughfiction.com/htf-publishing
9781963452105, $33.95, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Wretched-Undone-J-Weiner/dp/1963452100

Synopsis: On the eve of the Civil War, Polish immigrants Marcin and Agnieszka Anderwald arrive in Bandera, Texas, seeking a fresh start in a new land of fertile soil and freedom. But their dreams quickly become nightmares when Marcin provokes a sinister specter hell-bent on revenge.

A battle then ensues for the hearts, minds, and souls of the Anderwalds and their extended family of immigrant outcasts, Arab camel wranglers, wounded warriors, and a songstress on the verge of madness.

As the generations unfold, each must confront its darkest fears. Can faith, love, and sacrifice overcome unrelenting evil, or will the Anderwalds remain forever wretched and undone?

Critique: A grand saga of a novel by J.E. Weiner, "The Wretched and Undone" is set in the heart of the Texas Hill Country and, although a deftly crafted work of historical fiction, was inspired by real people and historical events. Author J.E. Weiner's singularly effective and distinctive storytelling style has created an inherently fascinating and entertaining read from start to finish. One that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book is finished and set back upon the shelf. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Historical Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "The Wretched and Undone" from HTF Publishing is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781963452112, $19.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: J. E. Weiner (www.jeweiner.com) is a writer and novelist based in Northern California whose work has appeared in the literary journals Madcap Review, Five Minutes, and HerStry, as well as the recent grit lit anthology Red-Headed Writing (Cowboy Jamboree Press, 2024). Weiner is also a founding member of the Pacific Coast Writers Collective.


The Literary Fiction Shelf

The Moldavian Gambit
Brad M. Meslin
MindStir Media
https://mindstirmedia.com
9781965340431, $41.56, HC, 402pp

https://www.amazon.com/Moldavian-Gambit-Brad-M-Meslin/dp/1965340431

Synopsis: In the summer of 1991, as the Soviet Union teeters on the edge of collapse, a violent uprising erupts in the Soviet Republic of Moldavia. Amid the chaos, a portable nuclear weapon is stolen from a secure armory by nationalist forces seeking to blackmail the Kremlin. When the weapon's location is uncovered, the world faces a terrifying threat that could draw NATO and the United States into a nuclear conflict of unprecedented scale.

A classified U.S. Nuclear Emergency Search Team is deployed to locate the weapon, as a legendary Mossad agent and a tenacious KGB investigator each uncover evidence pointing to a complex - and seemingly contradictory - international conspiracy. The final hours to the climax are a riveting blur of geopolitical brinksmanship that can change the course of history - or possibly end it.

Critique: A deftly crafted work of fiction that could well be tomorrow's reality given the rise of Putin's Russia from the ashes of Stalin's Soviet Union, "The Moldavian Gambit" is a simply riveting read from start to finish. All the more impressive when considering that it is his debut as a novelist, this consummate geopolitical thriller from author Brad M. Meslin, will hold a special and particular interest to fans of skillfully presented stories of international espionage, cliff- hanger plot twists, and cover to cover action/adventure. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99), this hardcover edition of "The Moldavian Gambit" is an unreservedly recommended addition to community library Thriller/Suspense Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Brad M. Meslin (www.bradmeslin.com) earned a Masters in Law and Diplomacy and a Ph.D. in international security policy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University. He has worked for nearly four decades at the intersection of aerospace and defense, private equity, and national security. Advising global private equity firms in more than 1,000 merger and acquisition transactions in the national security, space, and aviation markets, Meslin has gained unique insights into the capabilities deployed by the U.S. and its allies to address geopolitical threats and crises across the globe.

The Nansen Factor: Refugee Stories
Alexandra Grabbe
Cherry Orchard Books
c/o Academic Studies Press
https://www.academicstudiespress.com/cherryorchardbooks
9798887195094, $19.95, PB, 188pp

https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-nansen-factor-refugee-stories-alexandra-grabbe/21028066

Synopsis: Norwegian diplomat Fridtjof Nansen created a passport for stateless persons used by refugees as a valid travel document from 1922-1937.

The world is all too aware of what has happened to Russia in the century since then -- Lenin, Stalin, and now Putin with his iron-fist policies and invasion of Ukraine. But what about the aristocrats whose ancestors governed Russia before Communism? How did they fare in displacement?

Civil War, Red Terror, and Bolshevik rule caused over one million to flee Russia.

Written by the daughter of one such emigre, "The Nansen Factor" traces the lives of these refugees and their descendants across a century of upheaval and displacement. From the turmoil of the Bolshevik Revolution to the echoes of the past in modern-day America, the interconnected tales comprising "The Nansen Factor" vividly portray the resilience of individuals uprooted by history at a moment when migrants are once again on the move in search of refuge, highlighting how the pain of losing one's homeland may fade, but the injury to the psyche is slow to heal.

Critique: Exceptionally well crafted, original, and inherently fascinating from start to finish, the sixteen short stories by Alexandra Grabbe and presented in "The Nansen Factor: Refugee Stories" from Cherry Orchard Books raise this work of historical fiction to an impressive level of true literary elegance. "The Nansen Factor" is one of those books that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after it is finished and set back upon the shelf. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university Literary Fiction & Short Story collections, it should be noted that "The Nansen Factor" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.16) as well.

Editorial Note: Alexandra Grabbe (https://alexandragrabbe.com) worked in journalism and broadcasting after graduation from Vassar College and while raising three bicultural children in Paris, France. For two decades, she ran an eco-friendly bed-and-breakfast on Cape Cod, where she edited her father's memoir. Two of his ancestors are mentioned in Tolstoy's War and Peace. Now dividing her time between Sweden and Boston, Alexandra continues her lifelong passion as an author.

Everything Flirts: Philosophical Romances
Sharon Wahl
University of Iowa Press
www.uiowapress.org
9781609389970, $18.00, PB, 172pp

https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Flirts-Philosophical-Romances-Fiction/dp/1609389972

Synopsis: At the heart of the short stories by Sharon Wahl comprising "Everything Flirts: Philosophical Romances" are asked some of life's trickiest questions: Why is it so hard to make the first move on a date? How do we find the person we will love? If you finally find a person to love, how do you convince them to love you back?

With a mixture of humor and reverence, Wahl hijacks classic works of philosophy and turns their focus to love.

The philosopher Wittgenstein helps us consider the limits of language: Does there exist an argument, a logical deduction, that will cause another person to love us?

The philosopher Zeno's laws of motion stipulate that we can only ever cross half of any distance. This principle is applied to a first date, where making a first move becomes more and more impossible because the movie this couple goes to see is a depressing mood-killer.

A woman afraid of love applies Bentham's utilitarian principles to find her perfect match, testing every man she meets until she finds one who aces every one of her tests. Nonetheless, she wonders: Is he right for her? Is she ready to fall in love forever?

The sublime and the ridiculous come together to playfully examine why love just might be a topic too hard for philosophers to explain.

Critique: Eloquent, elegant, deftly crafted, fun and fascinating, "Everything Flirts: Philosophical Romances" is an impressive short story collection that will hold special appeal for romance fans and philosophy students alike. Original and memorable, "Everything Flirts" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Romance & Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Everything Flirts" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Sharon Wahl (www.sharonwahl.com) is a writer and documentary film producer. Her stories, poems, and essays have appeared in the Iowa Review, Chicago Tribune, Harvard Review, Pleiades, and Action/Spectacle, among others.

The Living and the Rest
Jose Eduardo Agualusa, author
Daniel Hahn, translator
Archipelago Books
https://archipelagobooks.org
9781962770200, $22.00, PB, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Rest-Jose-Eduardo-Agualusa/dp/1962770206

Synopsis: A funny and lively tale about a group of writers stranded at a literary festival turns increasingly ominous as it explores the nature of life and of time, and the extraordinary power of imagination and the written word.

Writers from across Africa descend on the Isle of Mozambique to participate in the island's first literary festival. When a sudden cyclone strikes the land, they are cut off from the mainland.

One writer wakes from sleep with lines running through her head, reaching for a small red notebook with dream trash written on the cover. Another posts a picture of a writing desk gleaming in the ancient light of the Captains-General Palace, now a museum. The caption: "If I had a desk like this, I'm sure I'd write more. I'm sure I'd write better."

In his novel, "The Living and the Rest", author Jose Eduardo Agualusa traces their conversations as they wonder together whether the world they know has ended, and what, real or imagined, might come next. They talk, and set pens to paper, in this sometimes-surreal tale of how the physical world is changing rapidly around us and how we can (and must) forge new contexts.

Critique: An impressively skilled and original storyteller, author Jose Eduardo Agualusa has elevated his original and deftly crafted novel, "The Living and the Rest" to an imposing level of literary excellence. Highly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community, and college/university library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "The Living and the Rest" from Archipelago Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).

Editorial Note #1: Jose Eduardo Agualusa is one of the leading voices in the Portuguese language today. In 2019, Agualusa received the Angolan National Prize for Culture and Arts. He won the International Dublin Literary Award in 2017 for A General Theory of Oblivion. Also available in English are Creole, The Book of Chameleons, The Society of Reluctant Dreamers; My Father's Wives; Rainy Season; and A Practical Guide to Levitation. The Living and the Rest won the 2021 Portuguese PEN Prize. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Eduardo_Agualusa)

Editorial Note #2: Daniel Hahn (www.danielhahn.co.uk/translation.html) is a writer, editor, and translator. He is the author of several works of non-fiction, including The Tower Menagerie. His translations (from Portuguese, Spanish, and French) include fiction from Africa, Europe and Latin America, and he has translated works by Machado de Assis, Jose Luis Peixoto, Maria Duenas, Jose Saramago, Eduardo Halfon, Corsino Fortes, and Roger Mello.


The Romantic Fiction Shelf

The Golden Years Glitch
Judy Smith
Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing
http://www.wymacpublishing.com
9781954332621, $16.95, PB, 304pp

http://wymacpublishing.com/2023-2024.html

Synopsis: "The Golden Years Glitch" by novelist Judy Smith follows the life of Andi Parker, a successful businesswoman, contented mother and grandmother. She is also 70, and looking forward to her golden years with her very handsome husband, Jed. That is until after consuming one too many White Russians, Jed mistakenly communicates with his mistress openly on Facebook.

So much for the Gold Years!

Lost and betrayed, Andi struggles to decide whether to forgive Jed, continue their marriage, or face her seventies alone.

When Andi decides to take charge of her life along with her three friends, she engages in unexpected explorations, female empowerment, and sexual awareness that often leaves her daughter and granddaughters shocked -- but also impressed!

When a new love interest appears, the two men in her life clash, conflict erupts, and lines and lives are blurred.

In the end, the life that Andi thought her husband had destroyed becomes more expansive and introspective than she could have ever anticipated. While Andi's golden years may have taken an unexpected turn, she learns to embrace them and release herself from anger and self-doubt, allowing a new life to emerge.

Critique: A unique story of marital infidelity, broken dreams, and the shattered life of a woman of 70, "The Golden Years Glitch" is also the story of love rediscovered, new dreams created, and the joy of life recovered. In her novel, "The Golden Years Glitch", author Judy Smith demonstrates an impressively distinctive and reader engaging storytelling style. Original, deftly crafted, emotionally engaging, and all the more remarkable considering that its Judy's debut as a novelist, "The Golden Years Glitch" is one of those unique stories of later-in-life romance that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book is finished and set back upon the shelf. While also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99), This paperback edition of "The Golden Years Glitch" from Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Romance collections.

Editorial Note: Judy Smith is herself embracing her seventh decade and the author of the Life Lessons gift books. (https://jmaustinpublishing.com/meet-the-author)

The Perfect Match: A Reindeer Falls Holiday Romance
M.E. Bakos
M. E. Books
ASIN: B0DQ614QVY, $3.99, Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Match-Reindeer-Holiday-Romance-ebook/dp/B0DQ614QVY

Synopsis: When Merry returns to her quaint hometown of Reindeer Falls, Minnesota, with a broken heart and adopts a fiercely loyal dog, she never expected her Aunt Liz to play matchmaker. But with a promise to her late mother to see Merry happily married by 30, Aunt Liz is determined to find her a perfect mate through her Nifty Knitters club, yoga class, and pickleball players.

As Merry reluctantly goes on a series of disastrous blind dates, she finds herself drawn to her grumpy building super, Joel Connor, and his feline companion, Tom Kat. But with Joel's strict no-dog policy and the threat of eviction looming, Merry's chances at finding love seem slim.

Will she be able to overcome the obstacles and find her happily ever after, or will she be left alone and homeless?

Critique: The kind of story from which Hallmark Channel romance movies are made, "The Perfect Match: A Reindeer Falls Holiday Romance" by M. E. Bakos is a fun read from start to finish and one that is especially recommended to the attention of all who are fans of small-town romances. Original, deftly crafted, emotionally engaging, with many an unsuspected plot twist eventually leading to that Hallmark style happy ending, "The Perfect Match" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary Romance collections.

Editorial Note: M. E. Bakos (https://mebakos.wixsite.com/author) has published several short stories in national women's magazines. Her love of mysteries has led to writing cozies. Her first mystery short story, "Carpe Diem or Murder at the Carp Fest" appeared in the Festival of Crime, a SINC Anthology. Her second, "Perfect Storm... Perfect Murder" is in Dark Side of the Loon, May, 2018 also a SINC Anthology. It was graciously reviewed by Mystery Magazine. "Champagne Wishes and Caviar Dreams" is in the Cooked to Death series, Vol. 5, with characters from her Home Renovator Mystery series (Fatal, Killer, and Mortal Flip). She is a member of Twin Cities Sisters in Crime and the author of "Deadly Flip" and "Lethal Flip".


The Western Fiction Shelf

Healer Man
Gillian F. Taylor
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444853353, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 210pp

https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781444853353

Synopsis: Don Manor is injured and grieving when he meets Callum McGeachin, the small Scotsman with an impish grin and a warm heart. Callum helps him to recover, and Don grows close to his new friend, even though there is something uncanny about him. Callum has a gift for healing, and a power that others can sense.

The two drift a while through Colorado, until they meet a widow with a sick child, a run-down ranch, and neighbors who want her land. They decide to help: Don, because he hates bullies - and Callum, because he's fallen in love with her at first sight.

Critique: A deftly crafted and fully entertaining read from first page to last, this large print paperback edition "Healer Man" by Gillian F. Taylor from the Linsford Western Library series is impressively original and particularly recommended for personal reading lists and community library collections.

Editorial Note: There is a lengthy listing of books by Gillian F. Taylor readily available online at https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/3092231.Gillian_F_Taylor

Trouble In Prospect Valley
Scott Connor
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444853339, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 204pp

https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781444853339

Synopsis: Kingsley Madsen goes to Prospect Valley to search for gold, but ends up feuding with his fellow prospectors. Before long an argument gets out of hand, leaving one man dead and another wounded. Kingsley is blamed, and after spending time in jail, he never wants to hear about Prospect Valley again.

Unfortunately, other people have plans for him, and he has to return to the place where his life took such a disastrous turn. When Kingsley learns the truth about what really happened there seven years ago, he must once again resolve the situation at the end of a gun.

Critique: With the publication of "Trouble In Prospect Valley, author Scott Connor once again demonstrated himself to be a master of the action/adventure western genre. A fun read from start to finish for the dedicated western fan, this is an original and entertaining story of western styhle gun justice that is unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library collections.

Editorial Note: Ian Parnham is the author of 37 western novels published under the pen names of I. J. Parnham, Scott Connor, and Ed Law.

Ambush on the Butterfield Trail
Jay Clanton
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444853216, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 222pp

https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781444853216

Synopsis: Abednego Merton wants a better future for his daughter Hannah than scraping a living on an Arkansas smallholding. So he sells up, fits out a wagon, and the two strike out for California, where Hannah might have the opportunity to study in one of the big cities. But along the way, they are ambushed by Comancheros, and Hannah is kidnapped. Abe vows to find her - and to kill every man who had any part, however small, in taking his daughter from him.

Critique: An action packed and riveting read from cover to cover, "Ambush on the Butterfield Trail" showcases author Jay Clanton's distinctive storytelling style. Original, engaging, and very specially recommended for dedicated western adventure novel fans, this large print paperback edition of "Ambush on the Butterfield Trail" is a memorable and recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library collections.

Editorial Note: Jay Clanton is also the author of "Land of the Saints", "Saloon Justice", and Quincy's Quest". (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15688573.Jay_Clanton)

Reign of Terror
Paul Bedford
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444853209, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 246pp

https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/uk/search/9781444853209

Synopsis: Buffalo hunter Woodrow Clayton experiences the full horror of the Comanche terror at the Battle of Adobe Walls, and then again in the bloody aftermath that spreads along the frontier. He vows to help the US Army put an end to it, once and for all.

Homesteader Jared Tucker sees his wife and son slaughtered, and his daughter Lucy carried off, by Comanche raiders. From then on he is obsessed with rescuing her. Accompanied by Clayton and a bloodthirsty Tonkawa scout, he sets off to the Staked Plains of West Texas in search of Lucy.

Critique: A riveting and action packed rescue quest complete with unexpected plot twists and memorable crisis resolution, experienced western author Paul Bedford has created another gem of a western adventure with "Reign of Terror". This large print paperback edition of "Reign of Terror" is a solidly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Editorial Note: Paul Bedford is the author many western novels including: Bone Treasure, Death on the Bozeman, and The Lord of the Plains. A complete listing is available online at https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/4575218.Paul_Bedford


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

The Ghost
R. T. Lund
Little Creek Press
https://littlecreekpress.com
9781955656870, $17.95, PB, 278pp

https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Lake-Superior-Mystery/dp/1955656878

Synopsis: The Lincoln Barnes saga (first introduced in author R.T. Lund's novel "Who Are You?") continues in the second installment of the novelist's Lake Superior Mystery Trilogy with the publication of "The Ghost".

In "Ghosts", we find that Barnes has left the Minneapolis PD and begins a new chapter of her life in Lake County, Minnesota, as Sheriff Sam MacDonald's chief detective. The bizarre murder of a young man on the shores of Lake Superior sets off a series of seemingly unrelated crimes that challenge Barnes and MacDonald and include the kidnapping of a mining executive and the use of deadly chemical weapons.

Despite the FBI's involvement, Barnes takes center stage with a lively cast of new characters who will keep the reader guessing and second guessing. And, of course, Barnes is still obsessed with Judge Robin Gildemeister. Is he a murderer, the man of her dreams, or both?

Critique: Another deftly crafted, impressively original, suspense thriller of a 'whodunnit' murder mystery, Minnesota author R.T. Lund's "The Ghost" (although part of what is developing as a trilogy), is an extraordinary stand alone murder mystery that can be fully enjoyed on its own. While this paperback edition of "The Ghost" from Little Creek Press is also available for personal reading lists of dedicated cozy mystery fans in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99), it is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community and public library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections.

Editorial Note: R.T. Lund (www.rtlundauthor.com) grew up near the shores of Lake Superior. His writing is informed by a variety of mishaps and experiences, including jobs as a lawyer, judge and corporate executive, and by his love of northeastern Minnesota. A graduate of Hamilton College in upstate New York with a degree in English literature, Lund now lives in a suburb of the Twin Cities with his wife, Ann, and golden doodle, Charley.

Dangerous Visions
Liz Hartley
Rainy Valley Press
9780997438796, $19.99, PB, 434pp

https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Visions-Beach-Crime-Novel/dp/0997438797

Synopsis: Stacie Cappella just wants a normal life. Instead, her eerily accurate (though unpredictable) gift of Second Sight, inherited from her eccentric, fortune-telling great aunt, has given her a lifetime of embarrassment, shattered friendships, and broken hearts. She does her best to keep her inconvenient hunches to herself. But even something as simple as selling wind chimes, crystals, and tarot cards at her shop, The Bell, Book and Crystal, has opened her to charges of witchcraft.

Then the belligerent wife of a powerful city council member accuses her of fraud. Eden Beach Police Detective Ben Robard (who is a jaded Iraq war vet and skeptic of all things metaphysical), is reluctant to take on the frivolous fraud investigation, especially since a serial killer may be targeting his city. Despite signs the no-nonsense cop is the love her aunt foretold, Stacie is determined to keep a fence around her heart -- and a tight rein on her intuition.

Except for the stalker.

One chilly morning, a nightmare steps out of the fog, and Stacie must risk revealing her gift to convince Ben she's in danger. It's a move that could save more lives than hers -- but could lose her the chance at love she thought she'd never have.

Critique: Deftly blending romance and the metaphysical with an original 'whodunnit' mystery, the publication of "Dangerous Visions" showcases author Liz Hartley's memorably distinctive and fully engaging storytelling style. An impressively crafted and fun read from start to finish, "Dangerous Visions" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery fans that this paperback edition of "Dangerous Visions" from Rainy Valley Press is also readily in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).

Editorial Note: Liz Hartley (www.lizhartleyauthor.com) is the author of two series set in the small town of Eden Beach, California: The Eden Beach Main Street Novels, and The Eden Beach Crime Novels, as well as The Route 66 Steal series.

The Poison Pen Letters
Fiona Walker
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781835619360, $42.00, PB, Large Print, 534pp

https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781835619360

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-poison-pen-letters-fiona-walker/1145972235

Synopsis: When crime novelist Phoebe opens the post and receives an invitation to her own funeral, she's horrified. Not least because the date of her death is marked as tomorrow!

Deciding it's nothing more than a prank from an enemy from her past, she determines to put it to the back of her mind. But the next morning, when her completely infuriating postman (who likes to think himself her number1 literary critic) rings her doorbell, a parcel of poisoned pen-nibs explodes in his face.

Forced to confront the fact her correspondence is more RIP than RSVP, Phoebe realises someone must want her dead.

Critique: An entertaining, deftly crafted, and impressively original cozy mystery with all the trimmings (amateur female sleuth, a murder to prevent/solve, a cast of memorable characters, and those unexpected plot twists and turns), this large print paperback edition of novelist Fiona Walker's "The Village Detectives & The Poison Pen Letters" is a wonderfully fun read from start to finish and a 'must' for personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections.

Editorial Note: Fiona Walker (https://fionawalker.com) is the author of eighteen novels, from tales of flat-shares and clubbing in nineties London to today's romping, rural romances set amid shires, spires and stiles. In a career spanning over two decades, she's grown up alongside her readers, never losing her wickedly well-observed take on life, lust and the British in love. Fiona lives in Warwickshire, England.

My passion is creating imaginary worlds into which readers can escape, filled with characters to fall in love with and plot twists to delight. Over the years, I've written at kitchen tables and chilly attics as well as a glammed-up garden shed and a converted garage, usually late into the night, too lost in my plots to look at the clock. It doesn't matter where I write as long as I have a head full of ideas, a mug full of tea (make that a wine glass through the saucy bits) and a dog or two to keep me company. Authors can be terribly unreliable beasts, and my family and friends are wonderfully tolerant, even when I put them in the books. The dogs and horses all go in too...

Please click the 'follow' button, and Amazon will send you an email whenever I have a new novel out or when there's a deal on one of my books. You can find lots more information about me and my novels on my website, where I blog regularly. I'm also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and love hearing from readers (although you're more likely to find me posting an accidental selfie of my nose than swapping witticisms with social media influencers).

Murder In Verona
T.A. Williams
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781835187739, $42.00, PB, Large Print, 336pp

https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/uk/search/9781835187739

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-in-verona-t-a-williams/1145948998

Synopsis: When Italy's greatest opera singer, Rodolfo Argento, is killed in a terrible car accident, the police initially rule his death a tragic accident or suicide. But his elderly mother, Violetta, believes this to be poppycock! Her son was a brilliant driver and had too much to live for. She suspects foul play and turns to Private Investigator, Dan Armstrong to discover the truth.

So Dan and Oscar travel to Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet, to find out what really happened. There Dan discovers Rodolfo's private life could have come straight out of a Shakespeare play. Although now happily married, Rodolfo was a man with a reputation to rival Casanova, his past strewn with heartbroken women. Could his death have been a star-crossed lover determined to get revenge? A family feud? Or does the truth lie much closer to home?

With his large inheritance still to be settled, the motive for Rodolfo?s murder could simply be greed. As Dan searches for suspects while staying at the Argento Opera Academy (where people randomly launch into operatic arias.) life for Dan is complicated by the fact that Oscar has a habit of joining in with the singing... Can Dan solve the case before he and his tone-deaf dog get thrown out?

Critique: The latest in the impressively popular 'Armstrong; & Oscar" cosy mystery series by T.A. Williams, "Murder in Verona" is a fun read from cover to cover and a 'must' for the growing legions of T.A. Williams fans. With an original and engaging 'whodunnit' mystery with many an expected plot twist and turn, this large print paperback edition of "Murder in Verona" from Boldwood Books will prove to be an immensely appreciated addition to personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections.

Editorial Note: T.A. Williams (www.bookseriesinorder.com/t-a-williams) has written all sorts of thrillers, historical novels, and short stories. He is now enjoying himself writing romance and whodunnits. All of the books in his Armstrong & Oscare series are all standalone titles.

The Black Curtain
Cornell Woolrich
American Mystery Classics
c/o Penzler Publishers
https://penzlerpublishers.com
c/o W.W. Norton (distribution)
https://wwnorton.com
9781613166277, $25.95, HC, 216pp

https://www.amazon.com/Black-Curtain-Cornell-Woolrich/dp/1613166273

Synopsis: In a nightmare scenario, Frank Townsend has an apparently minor accident on his way home but he arrives to find his wife gone and doesn't recognize his apartment. He had gone to work on a normal day but didn't return for more than three years. Suffering from amnesia, he has to rediscover who he is, where he has been, and what he has done. A curtain has fallen to cut off all memories of his life.

First among the memories he wants to recover is whether he has committed the murder of which he has been accused. A mysterious stranger with a gun has been following him while he attempts to simultaneously understand what has happened in his past while doing all he can to extricate himself from a seemingly hopeless situation and regain his reputation. He does not yet know that he is in great jeopardy and there is no one he can trust to rescue him from the abyss.

The Black Curtain is the second of Cornell Woolrich's celebrated "black" books, following The Bride Wore Black, which established his reputation as America's greatest noir writer. It was adapted into film as the classic Street of Chance, starring Burgess Meredith and Claire Trevor.

Critique: A true American crime noir classic, "The Black Curtain" is an excellent introduction to a new generation of suspense thriller fans to the literary excellence of a Cornell Woolrich mystery. Originally published in 1941, American Mystery Classics once again presents another 'time lost' treasure of a mystery that is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "The Black Curtain" is also readily available in paperback ($15.95).

Editorial Note: Born George Hopley-Woolrich, Cornell Woolrich (December 4, 1903 - September 25, 1968) is the pen name most often employed by one of America's best crime and noir writers, whose other pseudonyms included George Hopley and William Irish, the moniker under which Waltz into Darkness was first published. His novels were among the first to employ the atmosphere, outlook, and impending sense of doom that came to be characterized as noir, and inspired some of the most famous films of the period, including Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, Francois Truffaut's The Bride Wore Black, The Phantom Lady, The Leopard Man and Black Angel. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornell_Woolrich)


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

The Forbidden Visions of Lucius Galloway
Carrie Harris
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
9781839083105, $16.95, PB, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Forbidden-Visions-Lucius-Galloway-Drowned/dp/1839083107

Synopsis: When poet Lucius Galloway is offered a prestigious position translating a mysterious ancient text at Harvard University, he is thrust into an unimaginable world of esoteric knowledge, mystical symbols and sanity-shattering nightmares.

But Lucius has no idea that his visionary anthology, The Drowned City, has revealed him to be one of the eldritch-touched, and brought him to the attention of the mysterious Abdul Alhazred, whose schemes are even now ensnaring the unwitting scholar.

Haunted by dreams of horrors lurking beneath the waves, Lucius must do everything in his power to solve the mystery at the heart of the translation before the hidden figures dogging his footsteps catch up to him and their ominous machinations transform the world forever.

Critique: A deftly crafted and original novel of occult Lovecraftian style fantasy, author Carrie Harris's "The Forbidden Visions of Lucius Galloway" is a singularly impressive expansion of the Arkham Horror 'Drowned City' series and a the kind of story that will linger in the mind, memory and dreams of its readers long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf. Especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Fantasy Fiction collections, it should be noted for the legions of Arkham fans that "The Forbidden Visions of Lucius Galloway" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).

Editorial Note: Carrie Harris (https://carrieharrisbooks.com) has been writing professionally since the early 2000s. She writes original and licensed books in a variety of worlds including Marvel, Warhammer 40k, the World of Darkness, and the Fate RPG. Her books Shadow Avengers: A Marvel Crisis Protocol Novel, Witches Unleashed: A Marvel Untold Novel, and Liberty and Justice for All: A Xavier's Institute Novel were Scribe award finalists for best licensed fiction, and her young adult horror comedy Bad Taste in Boys was a Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers. She is a member of the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association.


The Graphic Novel Shelf

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Starring Boris Karloff
Kerry Gammill, adapter
Mary Shelley, author
El Garing, illustrator
Legendary Comics
https://www.legendary.com/comics
9781681161297, $29.99, HC, 120pp

https://www.amazon.com/Shelleys-Frankenstein-Starring-Legendary-Monsters/dp/168116129X

Synopsis: Decades before the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Jules Verne, and H.G. Wells, 18-year-old Mary Shelley wrote what many regard as the first work of science fiction when she penned Frankenstein -- or as it was titled when first published in 1818 as "The Modern Prometheus".

Over one hundred years later, in 1931, a hard-working but relatively unknown actor named Boris Karloff was cast to play Frankenstein's monster in James Whale's now classic movie adaptation. The film made Karloff a star and solidified Frankenstein's monster as an icon of the silver screen.

Now, with the publication of "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Starring Boris Karloff", Legendary Comics is proud to bring Shelley and Karloff together for the first time in a faithful adaptation of the novel starring the iconic actor in the lead role of the fully reimagined monster. In partnership with Sara Karloff of Karloff Enterprises, and featuring the artistic talents of Kerry Gammill and El Garing, (who were also the team behind the award-winning "Bram Stoker's Dracula Starring Bela Lugosi" and published by Legendary Comics.

Critique: This large format (6.63 x 0.6 x 10.19 inches, 1.25 pounds) hardcover edition of "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Starring Boris Karloff" from Legendary Comics is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, community, and college/university library Graphic Novel collections. It should be noted for dedicated fantasy graphic novel fans that "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Starring Boris Karloff" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99).

Editorial Note #1: Kerry Gammill began his professional art career in 1978, joining the roster of artists at Marvel Comics - working on Powerman and Iron Fist, Marvel Team-Up, Indiana Jones, Fantastic Four, Uncanny X-Men, Wonder Man, Doctor Strange, and more - and, in 1988, began drawing Superman at DC Comics. Gammill left comics in the mid-'90s to work as a conceptual artist for film, providing designs and storyboards for many sci-fi movies and TV shows including Virus, Phantoms, Species II, Stargate SGI, Alien vs. Predator, G.I. Joe: Valor vs. Venom, among many others. After several years, Gammill returned to comics and his love of horror as the publisher of critically-acclaimed horror comic books including four issues of Bela Lugosi's Tales from the Grave (inspired by a childhood of watching classic horror movies and reading Creepy magazine) and the graphic novel series Flesh and Blood.

Editorial Note #2: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (30 August 1797 - 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818), which is considered an early example of science fiction.

Editorial Note #3: Artist El Garing loves illustrations. He migrated to the United States many years ago to follow a dream, and met his hero personally, The Great Frank Frazetta, who is always an inspiration. El was mentored by one of the best, Hal Santiago, and was taught by Philippines National Artist Francisco V. Coching. With Legendary Comics and Lugosi Enterprises, he worked on the graphic novel Bram Stoker's Dracula Starring Bela Lugosi, which won a Rondo Award in 2022.


The Audiobook Shelf

Isaac Newton: Master Of The Mint & Nemesis
David Ashton, author
William Gaminara, et al., narrators
BBC
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781529952018, $50.95, Library CD Format, 3 CDs (2 Hours 24 Minutes)

https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781529952018

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/isaac-newton-david-ashton/1142036767

Synopsis: Counterfeiters, spies, murderers... and Isaac Newton must use his brilliant mind to defeat them all in this pair of full-cast historical crime dramas.

In Master of the Mint, a new figure of justice is walking the streets of 17th-century London - Isaac Newton, scientific genius. After thirty years as a Cambridge academic, Newton takes up a new post at the Royal Mint in the Tower of London. But the work doesn't stay peaceful: soon he finds himself asking questions within drinking dens of ill-repute, in pursuit of a notorious counterfeiting gang. Can he stop their plans to set off a financial crash that will bring down the Government?

In Nemesis, Isaac Newton must contend not only with opponents to his currency plans, but also with a French secret agent who is aiding the theft of England's entire supply of silver. When a wagon of silver is stolen, and his close colleague murdered, Newton must face facts: he's been betrayed. But is he able to protect his country from the same fate?

Critique: From author David Ashton, and brilliantly brought to life by William Gaminar and a full cast of talented actors, "Isaac Newton: Master of the Mint & Nemesis) is a complete and unabridged BBC audio book featuring two fascinating and fun tales of thugs and villains, treasure and treachery, and the scientific logic which might just save an entire country! Simply stated, this BBC audio book edition is highly recommended for community and public library Mystery/Suspense audio book collections. It should be noted for personal collections that "Isaac Newton: Master of the Mint & Nemesis" is also available from BBC Audio in an MP3-CD format (9781529952469, $50.95).

Editorial Note #1: David Ashton was born in Greenock in 1941. He studied at Central Drama School, London, from 1964 to 1967, and most recently appeared in The Last King of Scotland and The Etruscan Smile. David started writing in 1984 and he has seen many of his plays and TV adaptations broadcast. He wrote early episodes of EastEnders and Casualty, and twelve McLevy series for BBC Radio 4. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/400916.David_Ashton)

Editorial Note #2: William Gaminara is a British actor, screenwriter and playwright, probably best known for playing pathologist Professor Leo Dalton on the television series Silent Witness, from 2002 to 2013. His plays include According to Hoyle, The Three Lions and The Nightingales. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Gaminara)

Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor Novels Volume 5
Jacqueline Rayner, et al.
Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781529951660, $132.95, MP3-CD, (14 Hours 52 Minutes)

https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781529951660

Synopsis: In this superbly produced audio book, David Tennant, Anthony Head, Don Warrington and Shaun Dingwall perform/narrate six original stories featuring the Tenth Doctor Who.

In 'The Stone Rose', a missing boy and a strange stone effigy spell trouble for the Doctor and Rose. In 'The Feast of the Drowned', the dead crew of a naval cruiser haunt loved ones all over London. 'The Resurrection Casket' finds the Doctor and Rose in search of lost treasure, whilst 'The Nightmare of Black Island' takes them to a Welsh village where children are plagued by nightmares, and the nights are ruled by monsters. 'The Art of Destruction' is a story of alien intelligence, ancient conflict and a struggle to save the Earth, and in 'The Price of Paradise' our travelers find that a once-perfect ecosystem has become a death trap.

Presented alongside these abridged audio editions of the original BBC Books are behind-the-scenes conversations with the authors and readers.

Critique: An absolute 'must' for the legions of dedicated Dr. Who fans, this complete and unabridged MP3-CD audio book edition of "Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor Novels Volume 5" from Ulverscroft offers a true 'theatre of the mind" experience from start to finish. This latest Dr. Who production is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal and community librry Science Fiction & Fantasy audio book collections.

The Order of Grimm
Shiromi Arserio, author and narrator
Spoken Realms / Gobbolina Press
https://spokenrealms.com
Blackstone Publishing
https://www.blackstonepublishing.com
9798228358102, $45.95 CD (9 Hours 25 Minutes)
9798228358119, $35.95 MP3-CD
2940193390244, $22.95 Digital Audiobook

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-order-of-grimm-shiromi-arserio/1146642642

https://www.amazon.com/Order-Grimm-Shiromi-Arserio/dp/B0DPPF9GFG

Synopsis: The bustling city-state of Marchen borders the seats of the Three Queens, represented by the spindle, the slipper and the apple.

But it's been a hundred years since the rule of the Three Queens. The time of the godmothers has passed. If you want access to magic you either have to be one of the few who are born with it and live in hiding. Or be extremely wealthy.

Samara Dawa is a former assassin, stolen from her family and sold to the assassin's guild when she was a child. When the opportunity to destroy the man who sold her comes up, she doesn't hesitate. Only all isn't what it seems. Soon Samara finds herself needing to infiltrate a magical auction run by the mysterious Order of Grimm.

The main item for sale: the last descendant of Queen White.

To pull off this heist she'll need to put together a crew: an inside man, an explosives expert, a kinetics expert, a master forger, and a getaway driver.

And she needs to do this all under the nose of her boss: the head of the thieves guild.

Critique: Original, riveting, fun, this deftly produced, complete and unabridged audio book edition of "The Order of Grimm" by author and narrator Shiromi Arserio provides the listener with a true 'theatre of the mind' experience -- one that will be especially appreciated by dedicated fans of the action/adventure fantasy genre. This expertly crafted production from Spoken Realms is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal and community library audio book collections. It should be noted by fantasy fans and librarians that "The Order of Grimm" is also available in a paperback edition (9798991774604, $18.99), an in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).

Editorial Note: Shiromi Arserio (https://www.shiromispeaks.com) is an award winning stage actor, a voice talent, and an audiobook narrator based in London. She holds a BA in theater from Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance. In addition to narrating hundreds of audiobooks, her voice can be heard in documentaries, e-learning projects, and video games. Prior to venturing into audiobook narration she worked as a freelance writer for publications such as Renaissance Magazine and Northwest Magazine.


The Library CD Shelf

Peaks and Valleys
Teri Parker's Free Spirits
teriparkermusic.com
Modica Music
modicamusic.com
$TBA CD / $10.00 CAD digital

https://teriparker.bandcamp.com/album/peaks-and-valleys

Peaks and Valleys is the debut album of Teri Parker's Free Spirits, consisting of Teri Parker on piano (and spoken words), Allison Au on alto sax, Allison Young on alto sax and vocals, Rebecca Hennessy on trumpet and vocals, Lauren Falls on upright and electric bass, Mackenzie Longpre on drums, and Mario Allende on percussion. Originally conceived as a tribute to luminary jazz pianists Mary Lou Williams (1910-1981) and Geri Allen (1957-2017). Five tracks are Teri Parker's original creations, two are songs crafted by Geri Allen, and two are by Mary Lou Williams. Peaks and Valleys is a sweeping celebration of excellence in music, a joy to listen to, and highly recommended for both jazz connoisseurs and public library collections. The tracks are Unconditional Love (Geri Allen), Drumer's Song (Geri Allen), Gloria (Mary Lou Williams), Gemini II (T. Parker), Survival (T. Parker), Giantess (T. Parker), Bear Hug (T. Parker), Perseverance (T. Parker), and Rosa Mae (Mary Lou Williams).

Try This
Bill Moio
Three Meatballs Music
c/o ITI Records
$17.99 CD / $TBA digital

https://www.amazon.com/Try-This-Bill-Moio/dp/B0DM2N8R9D

Try This is an album of original songs written by guitarist, keyboardist, and drum programmer Bill Moio. Supported by George Whitty on keyboards and additional music artists contributing drums, bass, sax, trumpet, and trombone to various tracks, Try This is an eclectic, free-spirited album ideal for guitar aficionados and smooth jazz connoisseurs, highly recommended. The tracks are Try This, 720 Berkley, I've Heard It All Before, Need To Know, Friends Again, Chuckles, Straight Talk, Let It Begin, Struttin', and Arroz Con Pollo.

Encounters & Collisions
Sara Serpa
saraserpa.com
Biophilia Records
biophiliarecords.com
$TBA CD / $15.00 digital

https://saraserpa.bandcamp.com/album/encounters-and-collisions

Encounters & Collisions is an autobiographical music album composed and sung by acclaimed vocalist Sara Serpa, with support from Ingrid Laubrock on saxophone, Angelica Sanchez on piano, and Erik Friedlander on cello. The lyrics tell Sara's stories of migration, family, motherhood, loss, and the creation of music as art. Intense, heartrending, and beautiful, Encounters & Collisions is an extraordinary treasure, highly recommended for both personal and public library collections. The tracks are Story 1; Language; Story 2; Visa; Story 3; Things Must Move Quickly; Story 4; Between Worlds; Story 5; Labor; Story 6; A Mother's Heart; Story 7; The Phone Call; Story 8; Music Makes Me Who I Am; Story 9; and Two Cities, Many Homes.


The Library DVD Shelf

Much Ado about Dying
A film by Simon Chambers
First Run Features
FirstRunFeatures.com
$19.95

https://firstrunfeatures.com/muchadoaboutdyingvod.html

Synopsis: When the filmmaker Simon Chambers receives a call from his elderly gay uncle - "I think I may be dying!" - he takes it as a summons. As it turns out, eccentric Uncle David, a retired actor living alone in a cluttered, mouse-infested London house, is being dramatic, sort of: For the next five years, Chambers both cares for and documents him, through all his performative exuberance (constantly acting out passages of King Lear) and anarchic charisma, as various people (including a sexy young hustler) possibly take advantage of him.

As their lives become encumbered by hospital visits, a house fire, and Britain's inadequate eldercare system, the younger man (also single and queer) reflects with aching honesty on what may await him in the years to come, in this moving yet hilarious film.

Critique: Much Ado about Dying is a film about the trials and travails of elder care, as a young queer man looks after his elderly gay uncle over the course of five years. Heartrending, darkly humorous, and a stark commentary on the inadequacies of social safety nets for an aging population, Much Ado about Dying is emotional, unforgettable, and highly recommended for both personal and public library DVD collections. 84 min.


The Photography Shelf

Sacred Baths
Rodney Thompson
Regent Press
www.regentpress.net
97815879068438, $30.00, HC, 72pp

https://www.rodneythompson.com/sacred-baths

Synopsis: "Sacred Baths: Meditations on Hot Spring Bathing" by photographer and hot springs enthusiast Rodney Thompson combines zen-like meditations with full page B/W photographs that are as visually compelling as they are reflective and engaging - all in a celebration of experiencing a hot spring in all manner of circumstances and seasons.

Critique: This large format (8 1/2" x 11") hardcover edition of Rodney Thompson's "Sacred Baths: Meditations on Hot Spring Bathing" from Regent Press is a simply fascinating and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Contemporary Photography collections and supplemental Photography as Art curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: A complete listing of Rodney Thompson's exhibitions, awards, publications, and professional experiences is available at: https://www.rodneythompson.com/home/my-resume


The Library Science Shelf

Practical Tips for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Libraries
Beth Montague-Hellen
Facet Publishing
www.facetpublishing.co.uk
9781783306015, $52.99, PB, 184pp

https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Equality-Diversity-Inclusion-Libraries/dp/1783306017

Synopsis: Increasing diversity and inclusion can help libraries to fit their collections and services to those who need them and to bring in skilled staff who may have previously been overlooked, both of which are key to serving their communities. With the publication of "Practical Tips for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Libraries", Beth Montague-Hellen (a librarian with a decade of experience in diversity and inclusion issues) gives clear examples of steps to take and case studies of current initiatives.

Topics covered by "Practical Tips for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Libraries" include: Creating a diversity and inclusion policy and ensuring the associated actions are carried out; Ensuring the library space is accessible and welcoming to all; Assessing collections to ensure they are diverse and catalogued using modern, inclusive language.

Readers will be equipped to assess their own library, talk about challenges with more confidence, and make concrete changes to improve diversity and inclusion.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Practical Tips for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Libraries" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community and college/university Library Science collections and supplemental curriculum studies reading lists -- and as in-service training workshop textbook. It should be noted for library science students, librarians, academia, library board members, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Practical Tips for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Libraries" is also readily available from Facet Publishing in a digital book format (Kindle, $50.17).

Editorial Note: Dr. Beth Montague-Hellen is currently a Senior Research Librarian at the University of Nottingham, Beth supports D&I initiatives as well as researchers. Beth has initiated several projects to help increase the visibility, confidence, and well-being of LGBT+ individuals working in STEM subjects. In 2020 Beth won the Royal Society Athena Prize for her work in this space, and has previously been shortlisted for the Gay Times Barbara Burford Award for Excellence in STEM. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beth_Montague-Hellen)


The Genealogy Shelf

Storytelling for Genealogists
Doug Tattershall
Genealogical Publishing Company
www.genealogical.com
9780806321417, $18.95, PB, 90pp

https://www.amazon.com/Storytelling-Genealogists-Turning-Lineage-History/dp/0806321415

Synopsis: With the publication of "Storytelling for Genealogists: Turning Family Lineage into Family History", author and journalist Doug Tattersall has created a DIY guidebook showing the reader how to start and stay on track in transforming the raw outline of a genealogy into a well-written and engaging family story to be shared with your extended family. Chapter by chapter the author details how to create a timeline and arrange your research into a story with a clear timeline, strong characters, a good plot, and an overall theme.

Critique: Occasionally featuring B/W photographic illustrations, "Storytelling for Genealogists: Turning Family Lineage into Family History" by Doug Tattershall is impressively well organized and presented, making it ideal as an instructional guide and 'how to' manual for the amateur or non-professional genealogist in creating interesting and informative narratives drawn from family genealogical records. It is also an ideal resource for anyone wanting to learn how to transform a parent, grand-parent, or ancestor's diary/journal into a publishable biography. This paperback edition of "Storytelling for Genealogists: Turning Family Lineage into Family History" from the Genealogical Publishing Company is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, senior center, community, and college/university library Genealogy collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Doug Tattershall grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, studied journalism and political science at the University of Kentucky, and worked as a news reporter for The Advocate-Messenger in Danville, Kentucky, before working in public relations. Today, he works as a freelance writer and media relations coordinator at the Lexington Public Library.


The Art Shelf

Debt-Free Art Degree
Marco Bucci
Rockport Publishers
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartoknows.com
9780760391600, $26.99, PB, 176pp

https://www.amazon.com/Debt-Free-Art-Degree-Foundations-Professional/dp/0760391602

Synopsis: Although now a successful artist, illustrator, and YouTube star, Marco Bucci once thought you had to be born with art talent and go to an expensive art school to have a career in art. Unfortunately, he couldn't draw and didn't get into art school, but he heard that drawing was something you could learn anyway, so he set off on a self-guided journey of becoming an artist.

With the publication of "Debt-Free Art Degree: Foundations in Drawing: The Affordable Way to Learn Professional Skills - Includes QR Codes to Online Tutorials", Marco shares what he learned to help other aspiring artists and illustrators to become a successful artist without having to experience the same false starts and setbacks he did.

With QR codes to video demonstrations to solidify your understanding of the techniques and concepts, this accessible yet comprehensive guide offers:

Affordable, high-level art instruction for serious beginners and seasoned artists seeking skill enhancement or a career in art

A logical curriculum that avoids information overload

Connected lessons, exercises, and demonstrations that pave the way to strong drawing skills

Instruction on essential art principles such as working with 2D and 3D shapes, gesture, form, color, and more

Advice and encouragement to develop your personal artistic vision while building foundational skills

"Debt-Free Art Degree: Foundations in Drawing" is offers a gateway to a thorough and budget-friendly art education. While you won't have a diploma to hang on your wall, you will have all the tools you need to create incredible art.

Critique: This large format (8.06 x 0.46 x 9.98 inches, 1.37 pounds) paperback edition of Marco Bucci's "Debt-Free Art Degree: Foundations in Drawing: The Affordable Way to Learn Professional Skills - Includes QR Codes to Online Tutorials" from Rockport Publishing is an ideal combination of instructional guide and 'how to' manual for learning how to draw the human figure, creating Manga style pictures, the use of color in images of humans, and so much more. Exceptionally well organized and thoroughly 'user friendly' in presentation and structure, "Debt- Free" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, art school, and college/university Instructional Art collections. It should be noted for art students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Debt-Free Art Degree" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Marco Bucci (www.marcobucciartstore.com) makes a living as a professional artist, working on everything from feature films, to commercials, games, book covers, children's book illustration, and television with such companies as Walt Disney Publishing Worldwide, LEGO, LucasArts, Mattel Toys, Fisher-Price, and Hasbro. Marco teaches through his own platform and through other online schools, such as Proko.com and CG Master Academy, and has taught at several art colleges, both in person and online. Marco's clear, engaging instruction has received incredible endorsements from his students and subscribers.

Studios of Their Own: Where Great Artists Work
Alex Johnson, author
James Oses, illustrator
Francis Lincoln
Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartoknows.com
9780711293786, $26.00, HC, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/Studios-Their-Own-Where-Artists/dp/0711293783

Synopsis: From Picasso, to Hockney, to Caravaggio, in the pages of "Studios of Their Own: Where Great Artists Work" by Alex Johnson will be discovered the eclectic creative spaces used by artistic visionaries, brought to life with evocative illustrations.

Crossing centuries, continents and genres, Johnson explores these artists' workspaces and habits. How do they practice their craft? What do they look for in a studio? Do they work in silence or with music... in a shared space or in solitude? How do they harness the light? And how do their physical spaces affect and inspire their output?

This striking collection focuses on more than 50 international artists, including:

Claude Monet, who created an inspirational garden in which to work en plein air and paint his famous water lilies

Frida Kahlo, forced to work from her bed, inspired by the lucky talismans she surrounded herself with

Jean-Michel Basquiat, working in an old stable, could turn anything into canvas, walking and lying on his works as he created them

Lee Krasner's art dramatically changed when she moved from her small studio into the larger, light-filled one that she took over when her husband, Jackson Pollock, died

In looking at the working lives of our favorite artists as visually rendered by artist/illustrator James Oses, readers will be transported to other worlds, as well as gaining a deeper insight into the creative process.

Critique: A fascinating, informative, original, and inspiring study that will hold enormous appeal to readers with an interest in the impact and influence a studio can have on the artist who creates it to work in and from, "Studios of Their Own: Where Great Artists Work" is an enduringly popular and recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university Art History/Biography collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for art students, artists, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "Studios of Their Own: Where Great Artists Work" from Francis Lincoln is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note #1: Alex Johnson is a journalist, blogger and author of Rooms of Their Own: Where Great Writers Write, Improbable Libraries and Bookshelf. There is an extended listing of his books at: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/525790.Alex_Johnson

Editorial Note #2: James Oses (www.jamesoses.co.uk) is an artist and illustrator from south London. He specializes in painting interesting places, often working in ink and watercolours. His work has been published in The New Yorker, The Guardian and Radio Times. Other clients include Borough Market, Marks & Spencer and the Poetry Society. He also teaches at Middlesex University.


The Parenting Shelf

Special Topics in Being a Parent
S. Bear Bergman, author
Saul Freedman-Lawson, illustrator
Arsenal Pulp Press
www.arsenalpulp.com
9781551529394, $22.99, PB, 328pp

https://www.amazon.com/Special-Topics-Being-Parent-Parenting/dp/1551529394

Synopsis: Being a parent is enormously joyful, but it is also an enormous amount of work. Parenting requires you to make dozens of decisions a day, every one of which in some way shapes the person your child will grow into. It can be difficult to know in these moments whether you're on the right track. Progressive parents especially can feel adrift when caregiving in ways that were not modeled for them.

S. Bear Bergman draws upon his experiences as an advice columnist, educator, and queer dad with fifteen years of parenting under his belt to write "Special Topics in Being a Parent: A Queer and Tender Guide to Things I've Learned About Parenting, Mostly the Hard Way", a witty and insightful collection of child-rearing tips for those in search of realistic ideas about screens and lunches that don't come with a side order of judgment.

Using his own choices (and errors) by way of example, Bergman offers suggestions for various stages of the parenting journey, from asking "Are we ready to have a kid?" to talking with children about diversity and difference, to questioning gender expectations placed on both kids and parents. Laced throughout with humor, compassion, and charming illustrations by Saul Freedman-Lawson, "Special Topics in Being a Parent" is an ideal guide in helping parents to live up to their parenting values while enabling their kids to grow their capacities, understand the world, and above all, feel connected and loved.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, illustrated, organized and 'reader friendly' in presentation, this large format (7 x 0.75 x 9.75 inches, 2.05 pounds) paperback edition of "Special Topics in Being a Parent: A Queer and Tender Guide to Things I've Learned About Parenting, Mostly the Hard Way" is a 'real world practical' and unreservedly recommended addition to professional, community, and college/university library LGBTQ family parenting collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Special Topics in Being a Parent" is also available from Arsenal Pulp Press in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

Editorial Note #1: S. Bear Bergman (www.sbearbergman.com) is an author, storyteller, educator, and the founder and publisher of children's book press Flamingo Rampant, which makes feminist, culturally diverse children's picture books celebrating LGBT2Q+ kids and families. He writes creative non-fiction for grown-ups, fiction for children, and the advice column "Asking Bear" and was the co-editor (along with Kate Bornstein) of Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation and the author of Special Topics in Being a Human (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2021).

Editorial Note #2: Saul Freedman-Lawson (www.sfreedmanlawson.com) is a zine-maker, camp counselor, bookseller, and the illustrator of Special Topics in Being a Human (Arsenal Pulp). They make art about queerness, transness, Judaism, disability, childhood, and other things they find beautiful and difficult. They like to draw people with big noses and big genders.


The Mathematics Shelf

Applied Mathematics: A Computational Approach
Joao Luis de Miranda
CRC Press
c/o Routledge
https://www.routledge.com
9781032595245, $130.00, HC, 350pp

https://www.amazon.com/Applied-Mathematics-Jo%C3%A3o-Lu%C3%ADs-Miranda/dp/1032595248

Synopsis: With the publication of "Applied Mathematics: A Computational Approach", Professor Joao Luis de Miranda provides a basic and self-contained introduction to Applied Mathematics within a computational environment. This hardcover edition of "Applied Mathematics: A Computational Approach" from CRC Press is of particular relevance to students, practitioners, and researchers interested in modeling real-world applications and verifying the results -- guiding its readers from the mathematical principles involved through to the completion of the practical, computational task.

"Applied Mathematics: A Computational Approach" provides a step-by-step guide to the basics of Applied Mathematics with complementary computational tools; is suitable for applied researchers from a wide range of STEM fields, and has minimal pre-requisites beyond a strong grasp of calculus.

Critique: Impressively well written, organized and presented for both the student and the professional, "Applied Mathematics: A Computational Approach" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and college/university library Applied Mathematics collections and as a text book for Applied Mathematics curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this CRC Press edition of "Applied Mathematics: A Computational Approach" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $51.96).

Editorial Note: Joao Luis de Miranda is currently a Professor at ESTG-Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestao (IPPortalegre) and a Researcher in Optimization methods and Process Systems Engineering (PSE) at CERENA-Centro de Recursos Naturais e Ambiente (IST/ULisboa). He has been teaching for more than 25 years in the field of Mathematics (e.g., Calculus, Operations Research-OR, Management Science-MS, Numerical Methods, Quantitative Methods, Statistics) and has authored/edited several publications in Optimization, PSE, and education subjects in engineering and OR/MS contexts.


The Computer Shelf

Stochastic Methods in Scientific Computing
Massimo D'Elia, Kurt Langfeld, and Biagio Lucini, authors
CRC Press
c/o Routledge
https://www.routledge.com
9781498796330, $120.00, HC, 382pp

https://www.amazon.com/Stochastic-Methods-Advanced-Scientific-Computing/dp/1498796338

Synopsis: Stochastic is the property of being well-described by a random probability distribution. Stochasticity and randomness are technically distinct concepts: the former refers to a modeling approach, while the latter describes phenomena; in everyday conversation, however, these terms are often used interchangeably. In probability theory, the formal concept of a stochastic process is also referred to as a random process. (Wikipedia)

"Stochastic Methods in Scientific Computing: From Foundations to Advanced Techniques" introduces the reader to advanced concepts in stochastic modeling, rooted in an intuitive yet rigorous presentation of the underlying mathematical concepts. A particular emphasis is placed on illuminating the underpinning Mathematics, and yet have the practical applications in mind.

The reader will also find valuable insights into topics ranging from Social Sciences and Particle Physics to modern-day Computer Science with Machine Learning and AI in focus. "Stochastic Methods in Scientific Computing" also covers recent specialized techniques for notorious issues in the field of stochastic simulations, providing a valuable reference for advanced readers with an active interest in the field.

"Stochastic Methods in Scientific Computing" features: The; theoretical foundations and advancing to the most recent developments in the field; Is an ideal reference for post-graduates and researchers or as supplementary reading for courses in numerical methods, scientific computing, and beyond; Lays a solid ground for field-specific applications in finance, physics and biosciences on common theoretical foundations; Is replete with practical examples of applications to classic and current research problems in various fields.

Critique: The collaborative work of theoretical physics professors Massimo D'Elia, Kurt Langfeld, and Biagio Lucini, "Stochastic Methods in Scientific Computing: From Foundations to Advanced Techniques" from CRC Press is exceptionally well organized and presented, making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended textbook for college/university library instructional reference collections, as well as Computer Science, Physics, and AI technology curriculums/ It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students and academia that this hardcover edition of "Stochastic Methods in Scientific Computing: From Foundations to Advanced Techniques" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $66.99).

Editorial Note #1: Massimo D'Elia is Professor of Theoretical Physics at the Physics Department of the University of Pisa. Alumnus of the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, he got his PhD in Physics from Pisa University in 1998. He has been Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Cyprus and at ETH, Zurich, and Assistant Professor at the Physics Department of the University of Genoa. He is an expert in Lattice Gauge Theories and their implementation on HPC infrastructures, with interests also in Quantum Computing and numerical approaches to Quantum Gravity. He is author of two textbooks and more than 200 papers.

Editorial Note #2: Kurt Langfeld is Professor of Theoretical Physics and Head of School of Mathematics at the University of Leeds, England. His work in numerical methods for simulating Quantum Field Theories and Particle Physics is widely respected, with over 180 articles published in international journals. In 1991, he was awarded a PhD in Theoretical Physics from Technical University of Munich.

Editorial Note #3: Biagio Lucini is a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales and a Professor of Mathematics at Swansea University. He was awarded a Ph.D. in Theoretical Particle Physics by Scuola Normale (Pisa, Italy) in 2000. To date, his scientific contributions have resulted in over 180 research papers.


The Pets Shelf

Dog Love Stories: The Canines Who Changed Me
Patricia Eagle
https://patriciaeagle.com
She Writes Press
www.shewritespress.com
9781647428525, $17.99, PB, 264pp

https://www.amazon.com/Dog-Love-Stories-Canines-Changed/dp/1647428521

Synopsis: "Dog Love Stories: The Canines Who Changed Me" is Patricia Eagle's personal account of her lifetime of relationships with dogs and reveals the clarity, strength, and wisdom she gained from them, even in the most challenging of situations.

As Eagle chronicles the lives of her ten dogs over seven decades and the lessons she's learned from them (including how to become a better dog owner and companion, and even a better human) her dogs come alive on the page, each with their own unique personality, from the feisty to the meek.

If you are a dog person, if you are considering getting a dog yourself, or if you want to better understand someone who loves dogs, "Dog Love Stories: The Canines Who Changed Me" must be considered essential reading. With the benefit of Eagle's hard-earned wisdom, readers discover how dogs can change them and can help them learn to listen better, to trust and be trusted, to nurture with devotion, and to love with all your heart.

Critique: A labor of love and practicality, "Dog Love Stories: The Canines Who Changed Me" by Patricia Eagle is a deftly crafted memoir with a purpose -- to show anyone who has (or who aspires to have) a canine companion of their own how they can enrich the quality of their lives and the lives of their four legged family members. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Dog Love Stories: The Canines Who Changed Me" features an informative Introduction and Epilogue, two pages of Notes, and a two page listing of 'Gratitudes'. Informative, fascinating, 'real world' practical, and a fully engaging read from start to finish, this paperback edition of "Dog Love Stories: The Canines Who Changed Me" from She Writes Press especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Pet Care & Memoir collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Dog Love Stories: The Canines Who Changed Me" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Patricia Eagle (https://patriciaeagle.com) composed her first dog-love story at age ten and published her first book, Being Mean: A Memoir of Sexual Abuse and Survival, in her sixties. As a writer, speaker, and memorial and wedding celebrant, Patricia Eagle deftly weaves meaning into stories that acknowledge and honor our lives' paths. The death of her dog-loving spouse to cancer just prior to publication of Dog Love Stories has left Eagle to blaze a new trail (life after profound loss) with their dog, Mercy. She and Mercy live among the wonders of the San Luis Valley in South-Central Colorado.


The Wildlife Shelf

Heart of the Hive
Hilary Kearney, author
Eric Tourneret, photographer
Storey Publishing
c/o Hachette Book Group
https://www.hachettebookgroup.com
9781635864830, $28.00, HC, 200pp

https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Hive-Inside-Incredible-Colony/dp/1635864836

Synopsis: Readers of "Heart of the Hive: Inside the Mind of the Honey Bee and the Incredible Life Force of the Colony" by Hilary Kearney will be awestruck by the hive as superorganism and how the individual bee lives and behaves within it, perfectly suited to each specific job it performs. From their intricate dances and information-rich pheromones to how they sense and respond to their environment, learn, and remember, this immersive journey into the world of bees offers an entirely new perspective on the wisdom of nature and our relationship to it.

Critique: Illustrated with the extraordinary color photography of Eric Tourneret, "Heart of the Hive: Inside the Mind of the Honey Bee and the Incredible Life Force of the Colony" is a simply fascinating and impressively informative study that will be of immense value to readers with an interest in Bee Keeping, Invertebrate Zoology, and Animal Husbandry. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library collections, it should be noted for students, academia, beekeepers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Heart of the Hive: Inside the Mind of the Honey Bee and the Incredible Life Force of the Colony" is also available from Storey Publishing in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note #1: Hilary Kearney (www.hilarykearney.com) is the author of QueenSpotting and the creator of Girl Next Door Honey, a beekeeping business that offers educational opportunities to hundreds of new beekeepers each year. She maintains the blog Beekeeping Like A Girl and her writing on bees has appeared in Modern Farmer and Grit magazines. Her work has been the subject of features in Huffington Post, Vogue, Mother Earth News, and other outlets. She rescues wild bee colonies and manages around 90 hives in her hometown of San Diego, California.

Editorial Note #2: Eric Tourneret (www.thehoneybeesphotographer.com) is a freelance photographer who is recognized internationally as "the bee photographer". He presently lives in the Ardeche region of France. His childhood near Annecy, France, between lakes and mountains, attuned him to the beauty of natural settings.


The Military Studies Shelf

Handbook of Military and Defense Operations Research, second edition
Natalie M. Scala, editor
James P. Howard II, editor
CRC Press
c/o Routledge
https://www.routledge.com
9781032497488, $190.00, HC, 554pp

https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Military-Defense-Operations-Research/dp/1032497483

Synopsis: Tracing its roots back to World War II, operations research (OR) has become a vital tool in military and defense strategy. The newly updated and expanded second edition of the "Handbook of Military and Defense Operations Research" from CRC Press highlights this evolution, showcasing how OR integrates with cutting-edge areas like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and big data analytics.

Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Natalie M. Scala and James P. Howard II, "Handbook of Military and Defense Operations Research" is more than an historical account; it is a practical guide featuring expert voices and offering insights into OR applications in modern security challenges. Readers will discover a blend of theory and real-world case studies, making it an essential resource for both newcomers and seasoned defense analysis professionals.

Dive into this handbook to explore the rich, dynamic field of military and defense operations research, a discipline at the heart of global security and strategic decision-making.

New to this second edition of the "Handbook of Military and Defense Operations Research" is that is: Reorganized into a three-part structure, offers extensive revisions throughout, includes numerous new exercises, examples, and case studies, and features several new chapters.

Critique: Providing a listing of the contributors and their credentials, this newly revised and expanded second edition of "Handbook of Military and Defense Operations Research" from CRC Press will prove of immense interest and value to readers with an interest in military and defense operations research, the role of industrial production and management for the military, as well as business operations research with the military, along with military operations probability and statistics. Illustrated throughout with tables, charts and illustrations, "Handbook of Military and Defense Operations Research, second edition" is especially and unreservedly recommended for professional, corporate, governmental, and college/university library collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists and reference resources. It should be noted that "Handbook of Military and Defense Operations Research, second edition" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $50.49).

Editorial Note #1: Natalie M. Scala (www.drnataliescala.com) is a professor in the College of Business and Economics and a fellow of the Center for Interdisciplinary and Innovative Cybersecurity at Towson University. Her primary research is in decision analysis, with specialization in military and security issues, including risk in voting systems, attack trees and strength of threat in mail voting, integrity of votes throughout the supply chain, poll worker education, and cybersecurity metrics and best practices. Dr. Scala frequently consults for government clients and has extensive professional experience, including positions with Innovative Decisions, Inc. / ITA International, the United States Department of Defense, and the RAND Corporation, as well as a faculty affiliation with the University of Maryland's Applied Research Lab for Intelligence and Security. She is an associate editor for Military Operations Research and is a Past President of the Military and Security Society of INFORMS.

Editorial Note #2: James P. Howard, II (https://jphoward.people.unm.edu) is a multifaceted professional with extensive experience in data science, consulting, teaching, and community service. He has previously worked as a consultant to various United States government agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Executive Office of the President, and the Department of Homeland Security. Additionally, he served as an internal consultant on scientific computing for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.


The Political Science Shelf

Whistling Dixie
Jonathan Bartho
University Press of Kansas
www.kansaspress.ku.edu
Tantor Media
https://tantor.com
9780700636495, $54.99, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Whistling-Dixie-Ronald-Transformation-Republican/dp/0700636498

Synopsis: With the publication of "Whistling Dixie: Ronald Reagan, the White South, and the Transformation of the Republican Party" by Jonathan Bartho (an independent scholar and researcher who specializes in US History) explores the interdependent political relationship between Ronald Reagan and the white conservative South, a relationship that had a profound impact on Reagan's own career, on the political landscape of the South and the entire United States, and on the identity of the modern Republican Party.

Millions of southerners were attracted to the GOP by Reagan's anti-statist ideology and their affection for the man himself -- an affection that had been built over decades of appearances in the region. The support of these white southern conservatives was crucial to Reagan's political success, ultimately propelling him to the White House in 1980. Conversely, by supporting Reagan's presidential campaigns, southern conservatives were able to influence the direction of the Republican Party and begin restoring their region to a position of power in Washington.

With "Whistling Dixie", Bartho deftly provides a new perspective on Reagan's political career and the Republican Party of the Reagan era while detailing the often-rancorous philosophical differences between Reaganism and southern conservatism and the resulting political conflicts. Whistling Dixie highlights a divide in the Republican Party and in American conservatism that has often been overlooked -- a divide that laid the foundations for the GOP's southernization and ultimately led to the rise of Donald Trump.

Critique: Deftly organized into three main sections (Courting the South, Southern Interests, Southern Priorities), "Whistling Dixie: Ronald Reagan, the White South, and the Transformation of the Republican Party" is a seminal and ground-breaking study by Jonathan Bartho that is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of an Afterword (Republican Civil War in the Age of Trump), forty-eight pages of Notes, an eight page Bibliography, and an eleven page Index. A work of detailed and meticulous scholarship, "Whistling Dixie" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library Contemporary Political Science collections. It should be noted for students, academia, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "Whistling Dixie" from the University Press of Kansas is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete an unabridged audio book (Tantor Audio, 9798874763060, $45.95, CD).


The Folktale/Fairytale Shelf

Appalachian Folklore Unveiled
Darkness Prevails with Carman Carrion
Wellfleet Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartous.com
9781577154402, $19.99, HC, 208pp

https://www.amazon.com/Appalachian-Folklore-Unveiled-Mysterious-Happenings/dp/1577154401

Synopsis: With the publication of "Appalachian Folklore Unveiled: Mysterious Happenings of Folk Spirits and Mystic Shades from the Ancient Foothills", the hosts of the ever-popular horror podcast network, Eeriecast, guide the reader through the winding trails and thick forests of Appalachia, encountering the ghosts, creepy creatures, paranormal sounds, and mysterious mists that cloak and roam this rarely-accessed region.

With an emphasis on the rich history and deep cultural roots that haunt the folklore unique to Appalachia, Darkness Prevails and Carman Carrion illuminates the darkest and creepiest stories that have shaped a cryptic and essential aspect of Americana, including:

Wampus Cat
The Nunne'hi
The Story of Spearfinger
The Ghosts of Shut-in Creek
The Scorched Man

Pluse more stories that demonstrate the tapestry of cultures that make up Appalachia, including Indigenous Native American-, colonial European-, and African American-influenced lore.

Artful illustrations of each eerie story take this compilation beyond the ordinary, bringing to life the ghosts, monsters, and cryptids of the Appalachian Trail.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Appalachian Folklore Unveiled: Mysterious Happenings of Folk Spirits and Mystic Shades from the Ancient Foothills" is a compelling, riveting, fully engaging read from start to finish. An impressive compendium of Appalachian folklore, myths, and legends, "Appalachian Folklore Reveals" ie especially and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, community, and college/university library American Folklore/Mythology collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Appalachian Folklore Unveiled" from Wellfleet Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Carman Carrion is a name synonymous with the eerie and mysterious realms of folklore and horror. As the esteemed writer and host of the popular podcasts Freaky Folklore and Destination Terror, Carman has spent a lifetime immersed in the spine-tingling tales that have captured the human imagination for generations. Working as a dedicated contributor to the Eeriecast Podcast Network, Carman's dulcet voice and captivating storytelling have brought chilling narratives to life for countless listeners. (https://www.eeriecast.com)


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

Old Films, Young Eyes
Simone O. Elias
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476696591, $29.95, PB, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/Old-Films-Young-Eyes-Hollywoods/dp/1476696594

Synopsis: Why would a modern teenager find classic films enthralling? With the publication of "Old Films, Young Eyes: A Teenage Take on Hollywood's Golden Age," Simone O. Elias presents an eye-opening tour of how old movies foreshadowed, influenced (and continue to shape) popular culture in many surprising ways. From foreseeing today's image-dominated social media landscape to ushering rock music into the mainstream, and sparking elements of the #MeToo movement, classic movies remain relevant and inspiring.

Despite prevailing attitudes that old films are outdated, many dramatically broke boundaries around racism and antisemitism. They predicted current trends in divorce and sexual relations. They helped shape current icons like Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga, as well as foreshadowing more sobering events such as the Covid-19 pandemic.

A Gen Z-age cultural critic, author Simone O. Elias presents an insider's perspective on the socio-cultural impact of classic Hollywood films on a modern generation.

Critique: A seminal, exceptionally well presented, and thought-provoking study, "Old Films, Young Eyes: A Teenage Take on Hollywood's Golden Age" is an inherently fascinating study that offers an interesting perspective on the value of 'Golden Age' cinema for today's theatre going teenagers and young adults. While highly recommended as a valued addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Cinematic History/Criticism collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for film students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Old Films, Young Eyes: A Teenage Take on Hollywood's Golden Age" is also readily available from McFarland & Company in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).

Editorial Note: Simone O. Elias (https://simoneoelias.com) started her career in podcasting: producing, and writing for Teenage Golden Age, a podcast about classic Hollywood from the teenage perspective. She focuses on classic films, screenwriting, and songwriting.


The Architecture Shelf

Future Offices
Ali Rahim
ORO Editions
www.oroeditions.com
9781954081581, $35.00, PB, 220pp

https://www.amazon.com/Future-Offices-Ali-Rahim/dp/1954081588

Synopsis: Rapid changes in culture, technology, society, and the recent Covid-19 pandemic, have upended longstanding notions of offices and the nature of work itself. While companies and capital around the globe have become increasingly consolidated, labor vis-a-vis technology has become increasingly decentralized. The office, traditionally a key spatial interlocutor between labor and capital is caught in an awkward position with typological considerations for architecture.

What should the future office look like? What is the future role of the headquarters? What does the office's changing role mean for urbanism? The works collected here provide frameworks for understanding the complex and multifaceted nature of contemporary work, manufacturing, and commerce, and they aspire to influence new ways of conceiving architecture at multiple scales.

Also speculated upon is a future where offices acquire new facets as resources of space, knowledge, and production that participate in local and global economic and cultural contexts in new hybridized forms. At the heart of this is a recognition that the new ways in which companies integrate into in society should be reflected in architecture itself.

Critique: This large format (9.5 x 0.75 x 9.75 inches, 2.6 pounds) paperback edition of "Future Offices" compiled and edited by Ali Rahim is profusely illustrated with B/W drawings and includes a complete listing of the contributors and their credentials. Exceptional in organization and presentation, "Future Offices" is an extraordinary and seminal volume from Oro Editons and an unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, corporate, and college/university library Architectural Studies collections and supplemental curriculum lists.

Editorial Note: Ali Rahim (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Rahim) is Professor of Architecture and Director of Advanced Architecture Design (MSD-AAD) at the University of Pennsylvania Weitzman School of Design. He is Co-Director of the New York and Shanghai based architectural firm CAP.


The Literary Studies Shelf

Nordic Terrors
Robert William Rix
Anthem Press
www.anthempress.com
9781839990458, $24.95, PB, 110pp

https://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Terrors-Scandinavian-Superstition-Literature/dp/1839990457

Synopsis: In late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century British literature, Scandinavia emerged as a setting for Gothic terror. With the publication of "Nordic Terrors: Scandinavian Superstition in British Gothic Literature", Professor Robert William Rix explores the extensive use of Nordic superstition as it provided a vocabulary for Gothic texts, examining the cultural significance these references held for writers exploring Britain's northern heritage.

In Gothic publications, Nordic superstition sometimes parallels the representations of Catholicism, allowing writers to gloat at its phantasms and delusions. Thus, runic spells, incantations, and necromantic communications (of which Norse tradition afforded many examples) could replace practices usually assigned to Catholic superstition.

Yet Nordic lore did more than merely supplant hackneyed Gothic formulas; it presented readers with an alternative conception of 'Otherness'. Nordic texts (chiefly based on the Edda and the supernatural Scandinavian ballad tradition) were seen as pre-Christian beliefs of the Gothic (i.e., Germanic) peoples, including the Anglo-Saxons.

"Nordic Terrors" traces the development of this Nordic Gothic, situating it within wider literary, historical, political, and cultural contexts.

Critique: A part of the Anthem Press 'Studies in Gothic Literature' series, "Nordic Terrors: Scandinavian Superstition in British Gothic Literature" is a seminal and ground-breaking study that is highly documented and includes an eight page Bibliography and a two page Index. A masterpiece of academic scholarship, informed and informative, deftly organized and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in presentation, "Nordic Terrors" is especially and unreservedly recommended for college/university library Gothic Literary Criticism collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Nordic Terrors" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.70).

Editorial Note: Robert W. Rix is Professor and Director of Research at the University of Copenhagen. He is widely known for his numerous publications on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century literature and culture.


The Criminology Shelf

In the Name of God: Who Knew What When?
Christine Dolan
Histria Books
www.histriabooks.com
9781592114238, $29.99, HC, 200pp

https://www.amazon.com/Name-God-Knew-What-When/dp/1592114237

Synopsis: With the publication of "In the Name of God - Who Knew What When?", investigative journalist Christine Dolan takes her readers back to the beginning of the 2002 Catholic Church sex scandal implosion that ricocheted across the globe like breaking dominoes. -- Christine Dolan was there from before the break in the damn as an investigative journalist.

Originally from Boston, and raised in a prominent Catholic family, Christine was able to discover information that even the Massachusetts prosecutors were ignorant of in early January 2002. Her sources went deep inside the Church and when she realized the Church thought they were protected by Canon Law, she dug deeper into the criminal model whose goal was to protect the Church at all costs.

Prosecutors were negotiating with Cardinal Law's lawyers. Christine told them to pivot and seize the "historical secret archives" regardless of the statute of limitation hurdles so they understood the roadmap. Christine was able to prove with documentation that the Church leadership had such documents going back to the 3rd century.

Critique: An inherently fascinating, impressively informative, genuinely seminal and ground-breaking combination of expose and study, "In the Name of God: Who Knew What When?" is a classic example of how investigative journalism can be (and simply is) fundamental to the eradication of corruption within institutions of power and men of authority -- in this case the Roman Catholic Church and its clergy from priest to pope. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99), this hardcover edition of "In the Name of God: Who Knew What When? by Christine Dolan is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, church, seminary, and college/university library Investigative Journalism collections and Catholic Church Reform Issues reading lists.

Editorial Note: Christine Dolan is a broadcast and print investigative journalist, photographer, author, and recognized as one of the most seasoned investigators of human trafficking in the world. Her career has focused on US and international politics and policy, wars/conflicts, humanitarian disasters, terrorist and criminal networks. Since 2000, she has focused on human trafficking and terrorism worldwide on the street, and over the internet, as well as international politics and policy. (https://www.echoproject.com.au/christine-dolan-biography)

Meet the Kellys
Chris Enss
Citadel Press
c/o Kensington Publishing Corp.
www.kensingtonbooks.com
9780806543055, $29.00, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Meet-Kellys-Machine-Kathryn-Thorne/dp/0806543051

Synopsis: How did a small-time, hip-pocket bootlegger become one of the most notorious gangsters in the country? For George "Machine Gun" Kelly, the answer was simple: a woman.

Her name was Kathryn Thorne, a charming, strong-minded beauty who had family connections in the crime world -- and big ambitions for the tall, handsome bootlegger. By the time she met Kelly, she was already an experienced criminal herself, divorced twice, and ready to marry a man who could give her the posh life she always dreamed of. With that in mind, she bought Kelly his first machine gun. And the rest is Prohibition era history...

George Kelly wasn't a natural-born gangster and never carried a weapon bigger than a revolver. But Kathryn changed all that. Like a mobbed-up Lady Macbeth, she pushed her husband to commit greater crimes, introducing him to her friends in the underworld and convincing him to join in a series of bank robberies. Soon, the Kellys were living large, with a house in Texas, expensive jewelry, the works. But it wasn't enough, and eventually the couple hatched a daring plot to kidnap oil tycoon Charles Urschel. Their plan worked. They collected the ransom -- in doing so captured the attention of the nation, the world... and the FBI.

A shocking story of ambition and greed, crime and punishment, with the publication of "Meet the Kellys: The True Story of Machine Gun Kelly and His Moll Kathryn Thorne" by Chris Enss offers a fascinating portrait of a reluctant gangster named after a machine gun and a scheming moll as driven as Bonnie Parker and Ma Barker.

Critique: A meticulously documented history and biography that reads like an action/adventure novel from start to finish, "Meet the Kellys: The True Story of Machine Gun Kelly and His Moll Kathryn Thorne" will be of particular appeal to readers with an interest in the outlaws that made headlines during the 'Roaring Twenties' era of the Great Depression, Prohibition Bootlegging, Notorious Bank Robbers and Kidnappers. An inherently fascinating and riveting read from start to finish, "Meet the Kellys" by Chris Enss is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library True Crime and 20th Century American History/Biography collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Meet the Kellys" from Citadel Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.54).

Editorial Note: Chris Enss (https://chrisenss.com) is the author of more than 50 books. Focusing on extraordinary women throughout history, her work has been honored with nine Will Rogers Medallion Awards, two Elmer Kelton Book Awards, an Oklahoma Center for the Book Award, three Foreword Review Magazine Book Awards, the Laura Downing Journalism Award, and a Willa Cather Award from Women Writing the West for scholarly nonfiction. Enss's books include The Doctor Was a Woman: Stories of the First Female Physicians on the Frontier, An Open Secret: The Story of Deadwood's Most Notorious Bordellos, Ma Barker: America's Most Wanted Mother, The Trials of Annie Oakley, and Straight Lady: The Life and Times of Margaret Dumont "The Fifth Marx Brother."


The Holocaust Studies Shelf

Tunnel of Hope
Dr. Betty Brodsky Cohen
Gefen Publishing House
c/o Storch
www.gefenpublishing.com
9789657801291, $39.95, HC, 716pp

https://www.amazon.com/Tunnel-Hope-Betty-Brodsky-Cohen/dp/965780129X

Synopsis: "Tunnel of Hope: Escape from the Novogrudok forced Labor Camp" by Dr. Betty Brodsky Cohen is the true story of what is likely to have been the greatest prisoner escape of the Holocaust through a 200 meter tunnel -- the longest hand-dug tunnel of World War II.

This escape in present-day Belarus was planned and executed by approximately 240 Jewish prisoners under the noses of their Nazi captors.

In "Tunnel of Hope", Dr. Cohen has identified most of the escapees and found that at least 133 survived the escape. With the help of a genealogist, she located their descendants all over the world in order to write their inspiring pre and post-war life stories. She has also explored the important role of the nearby Bielski partisans in triggering the escape as well as the process of interviewing the second generation survivors.

"Tunnel of Hope" is an amazing story of courage, persistence, and determination. Most of all it is a story of hope and of choosing life.

Critique: A simply fascinating read from start to finish (the author's own mother, Fanya Dunetz, was escapee #142), this hardcover edition of Dr. Betty Brodsky Cohen's comprehensive and detailed history showcased in "Tunnel of Hope: Escape from the Novogrudok forced Labor Camp" is enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of 16 pages of color photographs, 6 Appendices, 124 pages of Endnotes, and a one page bibliography listing of Books and Articles. Simply stated, this edition of Dr. Cohen's "Tunnel of Hope" is a unique, essential, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, and college/university library Holocaust collections and supplemental World War II curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Betty Brodsky Cohen is a doctor of clinical social work, a certified educator, and a diplomat of logotherapy who resides in Jerusalem. For well over a decade she conducted extensive interviews with both tunnel survivors and their children, whom she located worldwide with the aid of a genealogist. The result is the first book on this remarkable, unprecedented escape through the longest hand-dug tunnel of World War II.


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