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Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Common Sense Law Enforcement Leadership
Gerald W. Garner
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
https://www.ccthomas.com
9780398094768, $54.95, PB, 400pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Common-Sense-Law-Enforcement-Leadership/dp/0398094764
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
https://www.ccthomas.com/details.cfm?P_ISBN13=9780398094768
Synopsis: With the publication of "Common Sense Law Enforcement Leadership", author Garner provides advice drawn
from his numerous books for aspiring police sergeants, first-line law enforcement supervisors, mid-managers, and police
chiefs which can all be found here, along with the provision of a lot of new information.
These different leadership ranks have enough in common that a single book would be of value to each of them. That is, of
course, if the book contained practical advice that the law enforcement leader could apply to the challenges they face
virtually every shift.
"Common Sense Law Enforcement Leadership" is intended to be that book.
It recognizes that, while many leadership issues are the same regardless of the rank of the leader, some of the challenges
faced by the sergeant are not identical to the ones confronted by the chief or sheriff. While advice applicable to every rank
is furnished in each chapter, each chapter also addresses the different issues encountered at each leadership level.
All that helpful advice emphasizes practical application, not theory. After all, that is what common sense is all about.
As a law enforcement officer, you will draw heavily upon your training, knowledge, and experience to do that. To be truly
effective in your quest, you must also add a healthy dose of common sense to these things. "Common Sense Law
Enforcement Leadership" will aid you immeasurably by relating the experiences (good and bad) of other law enforcement
leaders.
The information provided in the pages of "Common Sense Law Enforcement Leadership" is not based on theory but upon
actual practice. A solid core of common sense supports it.
"Common Sense Law Enforcement Leadership" will also help you take care of yourself by offering time-proven advice on
working for someone, handling bad events, when and how to ask for help, and surviving the hazards of your position.
"Common Sense Law Enforcement Leadership" is about helping you do your important job extremely well while living to
enjoy great satisfaction from your accomplishments. It's all about enforcing the law with a common sense approach.
Critique: An ideal textbook for police academia, law enforcement in-service workshops, and college/university library
supplemental Administrative Law curriculum studies lists, this trade paperback (10 x 7 x 1 inches, 1.88 pounds) edition of
Gerald W. Garner's "Common Sense Law Enforcement Leadership" from Charles C. Thomas Publishers is a unique and
unreservedly recommended for personal and professional, Law Enforcement collections.
Editorial Note Gerald W. Garner is also the author of "Basic Handbook of Police Supervision: A Practical Guide for Law
Enforcement Supervisors 2nd Edition" (Charles C. Thomas Publishers - 2022).
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
The Hollywood Standard - Third Edition
Christopher Riley
Michael Wiese Productions
www.mwp.com
9781615933563, $49.95, HC, 220pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Standard-Complete-Authoritative-LIBRARY/dp/1615933565
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-hollywood-standard-third-edition-christopher-riley/1139442893
Synopsis: Intended to be kept at a screenwriter's fingertips, this newly updated and expanded third edition of "The
Hollywood Standard: The Complete and Authoritative Guide to Script Format and Style" provides what even the best
script software cannot -- clear, concise instructions and hundreds of examples to take the guesswork out of a multitude of
formatting questions that perplex even seasoned screenwriters.
This new edition of "The Hollywood Standard" covers:
When a new scene heading is appropriate and when it isn't
How to format shot headings, dialogue, direction and transitions
How to control pace with formatting
How to make a script page visually inviting to the reader
What to capitalize and why
How to get into and out of a POV shot
How to handle text messages and Zoom meetings
How Hollywood's most innovative screenwriters are pushing the boundaries of format
How format for animation differs from live action formats
Simply put, Riley knows more about script format than anyone in Hollywood and shares it all in this indispensable
instructional guide and 'how-to' manual.
Critique: This large format (8.75 x 0.5 x 11.25 inches, 1.8 pounds) hardcover edition of the new third edition of "The
Hollywood Standard: The Complete and Authoritative Guide to Script Format and Style" by Christopher Riley is a
complete and comprehensive DIY course in becoming a successful script writer. Extraordinarily 'reader/user' friendly in
style, organization and presentation, and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Writing/Publishing collections, as well as writer workshop tutorials and supplemental curriculum
studies lists, it should be noted for aspiring (and practicing) scriptwriters that this hardcover edition of "The Hollywood
Standard: The Complete and Authoritative Guide to Script Format and Style: 3rd edition" from Michael Wiese is also
available in paperback (9781615933228, $29.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: Christopher Riley is a professional screenwriter who co-wrote with his wife Kathy Riley the award-winning
German language film After the Truth. The Rileys have written scripts for Disney's Touchstone Pictures, Paramount
Pictures, Mandalay Television Pictures, Sean Connery's Fountainbridge Films, and Robert Cort Productions. Christopher
produced the action-thriller Red Line and executive produced the web series Bump+. He began his career as a proofreader
in the standard-setting script processing department at Warner Bros., a department he eventually rose to manage. He is the
former director of the Act One Hollywood Writing Program, the author of the classic screenplay format guide The
Hollywood Standard, an instructor of screenwriting at the undergraduate and graduate levels, a founding partner of Story
Masters Film Academy, and a longtime member of the Writers Guild of America West. HIs books are listed online at --
(https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/40078.Christopher_Riley)
The Health/Medicine Shelf
Planning Miracles: How to Prevent Future Pandemics
Jon Cohen
Alfred A. Knopf
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
www.randomhouse.com
9780593321225, $35.00, HC, 448pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Planning-Miracles-Prevent-Future-Pandemics/dp/0593321227
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/planning-miracles-jon-cohen/1146800933
Synopsis: In 1955, the vaccine that eliminated polio was celebrated as a "planned miracle." Today, despite the astonishing
global effort that came together to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 at unprecedented speed, we struggle against the rise of
science denial and misinformation. Since 2020, we have had to face a terrifying truth: It's not if we'll experience another
pandemic, it's when. -- So just how do we prepare for it?
With the publication of "Planning Miracles: How to Prevent Future Pandemics", Jon Cohen shares the stories of the
committed scientists at the front lines, fighting back against societal distrust and panic, monitoring the threats that exist,
detecting outbreaks early, and developing new interventions as quickly as possible.
A renowned science reporter, Jon Cohen travels from the mountains of Vietnam to the rainforests in the Amazon, from the
"wet" markets in Cambodia to fairgrounds in the United States, exploring how we can better defend ourselves against the
growing threat of pandemics, and he finds surprising (and encouraging) answers.
Cohen meets scientists sampling bats, pigs, wild birds, poultry, and insects to hunt for the next dangerous virus. He visits
labs developing next-generation vaccines with cutting-edge technology that aim to protect us from entire viral families.
Cohen discovers the unexpected links between climate change and the spread of disease and describes efforts to improve
the equitable distribution of vaccines, diagnostics, and data sharing around the world.
Weaving together history, reportage, and science writing, "Planning Miracles" is revelatory and necessary -- providing
hope that if we work together to plan for the next pandemic, we can avoid disaster.
Critique: Timely (especially in view of the damages the Trump administration appointees are doing to the Department of
Health, the CDC, and restrictions on federally funded research grants) deftly written, impressively informative,
exceptionally 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Planning Miracles: How to Prevent Future Pandemics" is
a seminal and comprehensive study that is an unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Health/Medicine collections. It should be noted for medical students, academia, members of the
medical community, political activists, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in
this vital subject that this hardcover edition of "Planning Miracles: How to Prevent Future Pandemics" from Knopf is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Jon Cohen (https://joncohen.org/bio-2) is a longtime correspondent for Science magazine, is a widely
published magazine writer and author who specializes in biomedicine and infectious diseases. He has a degree in science
writing and has done field reporting on health topics in more than 50 countries. He frequently appears on TV and radio
shows, and he has collaborated on several documentaries and series. His print and broadcast stories have won awards from
leading science academies and journalism organizations, as well as two national Emmys.
The American History Shelf
The American Revolution: An Intimate History
Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns, authors
Alfred A. Knopf
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
www.randomhouse.com
9780525658672, $80.00, HC, 608pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/052565867X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-american-revolution-geoffrey-c-ward/1146981805
Synopsis: "From a small spark kindled in America, a flame has arisen not to be extinguished."
-Thomas Paine
In defeating the British Empire and giving birth to a new nation, the American Revolution turned the world upside down.
Thirteen colonies on the Atlantic coast unitedly rose in rebellion, won their independence, and established a new form of
government that radically reshaped the continent and inspired independence movements and democratic reforms around
the globe.
The American Revolution was at once a war for independence, a civil war, and a world war, fought by neighbors on
American farms and between global powers an ocean or more away. "The American Revolution: An Intimate History" is
sumptuous volume with which historian Geoffrey C. Ward ably steers us through the international forces at play, telling
the story not from the top down but from the bottom up -- and through the eyes of not only our "Founding Fathers" but also
those of ordinary soldiers, as well as underrepresented populations such as women, African Americans, Native Americans,
and American Loyalists, asking who exactly was entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Enriched by guest essays from lauded historians such as Vincent Brown, Maya Jasanoff, Jane Kamensky, and Alan Taylor,
and by an astonishing array of prints, drawings, paintings, texts, and pamphlets from the time period, as well as newly
commissioned art and maps (and woven together with the words of Thomas Paine), "The American Revolution: An
Intimate History" reveals a nation still grappling with the questions that fueled its remarkable founding.
Critique: Presented with the kind of flair that co-author Ken Burns is noted for in his documentaries, the large format (9.63
x 1.52 x 11.09 inches, 1.25 pounds) hardcover edition of "The American Revolution: An Intimate History" by historian
Geoffrey C. Ward is profusely illustrated, deftly crafted, informatively detailed, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in style,
organization and presentation. Informatively enhanced with the inclusion of a twelve page Bibliography and a ten page
Index, "The American Revolution: An Intimate History" is a truly extraordinary and unreservedly recommended
acquisition for personal, community, and college/university library American History/American Revolution collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "The American Revolution: An Intimate History" from Alfred A Knopf
is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99).
Editorial Note #1: Geoffrey C. Ward (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_C._Ward) is an historian and a screenwriter,
as well as the author of twenty books, including A First-Class Temperament: The Emergence of Franklin Roosevelt, which
won the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Francis Parkman Prize, and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. He has
written or co-written many documentary films, including The Vietnam War, The Civil War, Baseball, The War, The West,
Mark Twain, Not for Ourselves Alone, and Jazz. KEN BURNS, the producer and director of numerous film series,
including The Vietnam War, The Roosevelts, and The War, founded his own documentary film company, Florentine
Films, in 1976.
Editorial Note #2: Kenneth Lauren Burns is an American filmmaker known for his documentary films and television
series, many of which chronicle American history and culture. His work is often produced in association with WETA-TV
or the National Endowment for the Humanities and distributed by PBS. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Burns)
The World History Shelf
Land Between the Rivers
Bartle Bull
Grove Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802162502, $35.00, HC, 576pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Land-Between-Rivers-000-Year-History/dp/0802162509
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/land-between-the-rivers-bartle-bull/1144927413
Synopsis: At the start of the fourth millennium BC, at the edge of recorded historical time, civilization first arrived with
the advent of cities and the invention of writing that began to replace legend with history. This occurred on the floodplains
of southern Iraq where the great rivers Tigris and Euphrates meet the Persian Gulf. By 3000 BC, a city called Uruk (from
which "Iraq" is derived) had 80,000 residents. Indeed, as Bartle Bull reveals in his epic history, "Land Between the Rivers:
A 5,000-Year History of Iraq", -- "if one divides the 5,000 years of human civilization into ten periods of five centuries
each, during the first nine of these the world's leading city was in one of the three regions of current day Iraq" -- or to use
its Greek name, Mesopotamia.
Inspired by extensive reporting from the region to spend a decade delving deep into its history, Bull chronicles the story of
Iraq from the exploits of Gilgamesh (almost certainly an historical figure) to the fall of the Iraqi monarchy in 1958 that
ushered in its familiar modern era. The land between the rivers has been the melting pot and battleground of countless
outsiders, from the Akkadians of Hammurabi and the Greeks of Alexander to the Ottomans of Suleiman the Magnificent.
Here, by the waters of Babylon, Judaism was born and the Sunni-Shia schism took its bloody shape.
Central themes play out over the millennia: humanity's need for freedom versus the co-eternal urge of tyranny; the
ever-present conflict and cross-fertilization of East and West with Iraq so often the hinge. We tend to view today's tensions
in the Middle East through the prism of the last hundred years since the Treaty of Versailles imposed a controversial
realignment of its borders. Bartle Bull's remarkable, sweeping achievement reminds us that the region defined by the land
between the rivers has for five millennia played a uniquely central role on the global stage.
Critique: A seminal, extraordinary, and groundbreaking study that will prove to be of considerable value and interest to
historians, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject, "Land Between the Rivers: A
5,000-Year History of Iraq" is exceptionally well written, impressively informative, remarkably comprehensive, and
thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation. A meticulously model of historical research, "Land Between
the Rivers: A 5,000-Year History of Iraq" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and
college/university library Ancient Mesopotamia History collections and supplemental Assyria, Babylon, Sumer, Iraq
curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and anyone with an interest
in the historical origins of civilization as we know it today that this hardcover edition of "Land Between the Rivers: A
5,000-Year History of Iraq" from Grove Press is also readily available in paperback (9780802165411, $22.00) and in a
digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note: Bartle Bull (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartle_Bull) has written from the Middle East for the New York
Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Daily Telegraph, Foreign Policy, Die Welt, and other
publications. He is the only western journalist to have been embedded with the Mahdi Army in Iraq. He sits on the Visiting
Committee of the Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City.
The Military History Shelf
On Board the USS Boise in World War II
Ian S. Bertram
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476698076, $39.95, PB, 235pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Board-USS-Boise-World-War/dp/1476698074
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/on-board-the-uss-boise-in-world-war-ii-ian-s-bertram/1147474767
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/on-board-the-uss-boise-in-world-war-ii
Synopsis: "On Board the USS Boise in World War II: The Battles and Secret Missions of Light Cruiser CL-47" by Ian S.
Bertram is the true and amazing story of the USS Boise (CL-47) is one of fear, loss, endurance, fame, triumph, and pain.
This light cruiser endured a remarkable career through the entirety of World War II, with a redemption arc that took its
crew from the position of scapegoats to heroes, and ultimately to the vanguard of America's liberation forces.
One man, Donald "DB" Fitch, witnessed the entire conflict from his battle-station on the bridge. The ship conducted secret
missions and fought at Guadalcanal, Sicily, New Guinea, and the Philippines. Through Fitch's eyes, "On Board the USS
Boise in World War II" relives the terrors and thrills of naval combat along with the pranks, shenanigans, and the rumors
that were the lifeblood of a ship through four years of war. Fitch and his friends fought for each other and their country,
and in the end, they left their mark on history.
Critique: Part memoir, part history, this large format (7 x 0.47 x 10 inches, 14.7 ounces) trade paperback edition of "On
Board the USS Boise in World War II: The Battles and Secret Missions of Light Cruiser CL-47" by Ian S. Bertram is an
extraordinarily informative and high value contribution to the growing library of World War II Naval Military histories and
biographies. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "On Board the USS Boise in World War II" is
informative enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a Prologue, an Epilogue, several B/W historical
photographs, twenty-two pages of Notes, a four page Bibliography, and a five page Index. While this paperback edition of
"On Board the USS Boise in World War II" from McFarland & Company is a highly recommended addition to personal,
professional, community, and college/university library World War II Military History/Biography collections, it should be
noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, dedicated military history buffs, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that it is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.99).
Editorial Note: Ian S. Bertram is an Air Force pilot with an MA in military history from Norwich University, an MA in
international security from the Korbel School. He has written for The Strategy Bridge and Small Wars Journal.
Taking Command
Thomas D. Phillips
Stackpole Books
c/o Globe Pequot
https://www.globepequot.com
9780811777278, $34.95, HC, 320pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Command-Americas-Innovators-Difference/dp/0811777278
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/taking-command-thomas-d-phillips/1145809466
Synopsis: From the general who made the impossible Berlin Airlift succeed to the mastermind behind the raid that killed
Osama bin Laden, with the publication of "Taking Command: America's Unsung Military Leaders, Innovators, and
Difference Makers Since World War II", retired Air Force veteran Thomas Phillips unveils the remarkable stories of
twenty-four unsung military leaders who transformed America's fighting forces. These commanders didn't just execute
orders -- they revolutionized warfare through innovation, unconventional thinking, and sheer determination.
Through portraits of these exceptional but relatively unknown American military leaders, readers will discover:
How "Tonnage Tunner" moved 1.8 million tons of supplies during the Berlin Airlift
The Marine general whose controversial Vietnam tactics cost him his career but proved prescient
How Admiral McRaven's leadership principles extend far beyond his famous "make your bed" speech
The untold story behind the "Be All You Can Be" commander who later led the Panama invasion
Phillips provides a truly compelling narrative that admirably serves both as a vital missing chapter in American military
history and a masterclass in leadership under pressure. For anyone fascinated by military strategy or seeking to understand
the qualities of exceptional leadership, "Taking Command: America's Unsung Military Leaders, Innovators, and Difference
Makers Since World War II" offers unprecedented access to the minds of America's most innovative military
commanders.
Critique: Profusely illustrated with photos and maps, "Taking Command: America's Unsung Military Leaders, Innovators,
and Difference Makers Since World War II" is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of six
page Introduction (Setting the Stage), a nine page listing of References, and a twelve page Bibliography. Deftly organized
into seven succinct chapters devoted to the major post-World War II conflicts involving the U.S. military (The Cold War,
Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, The Gulf War, Afghanistan/Iraq/Global War on Terrorism), this hardcover edition of
Thomas D. Phillips' "Taking Command" from Stackpole Books is an original, unique, deftly crafted, impressively
informative, and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library
U.S. Military History/Biography collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: During a thirty-six-year military career, Tom Phillips led an isolated unit through a terrorist episode, ran a
think tank for the Commander- in-Chief, Strategic Air Command, served as Director of the Air Force Military Personnel
Readiness Center during Operation Desert Storm, and led troops into Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. After his military
service, he worked as a university administrator before beginning a writing career that includes several books on military
history and one on the sport of baseball. He writes short stories and poetry when the time is right.
Guderian's Panzers
Craig W. H. Luther, PhD
Stackpole Books
c/o Globe Pequot
https://www.globepequot.com
9780811777476, $39.95, HC, 432pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Guderians-Panzers-Triumph-Defeat-Eastern/dp/0811777472
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/guderians-panzers-craig-wh-luther-phd/1146852764
Stackpole Books
https://www.globepequot.com/9780811777483/guderians-panzers
Synopsis: On June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, the surprise invasion of the Soviet Union that
opened the Eastern Front in World War II. With lightning speed and devastating success, the German army tore through
Soviet territory and rolled over the Red Army, scoring some of the most dramatic victories in military history -- until the
blitzkrieg bogged down during the approach on Moscow.
At the spearhead of the attack was General Heinz Guderian, one of the most celebrated and controversial commanders of
the war, who commanded a tank group in the center of the German front that stretched from the Baltic to the Black
Sea.
"Guderian's Panzers: From Triumph to Defeat on the Eastern Front (1941)" by military historian Craig W. H. Luther
reconstructs Barbarossa from the perspective of Generaloberst Guderian and his 2nd Panzer Group.
With the German war machine at the height of its martial prowess in June 1941, Guderian's group of 250,000 men and 900
tanks rapidly broke through the Soviet frontier defenses and thrust some 600 kilometers into Soviet Russia in a matter of
weeks -- in doing so playing an integral part in the successful encirclement (cauldron) battles of Belostok-Minsk (June/July
1941) and Smolensk (July/August 1941); each of these battles resulting in the loss of several Soviet armies and hundreds
of thousands of prisoners.
Despite having sustained alarming losses of personal and equipment in these opening battles, Guderian pushed his men,
and himself, to even greater achievements, culminating in the triumphant cauldron Battle of Kiev in the Ukraine
(September 1941) that obliterated the Soviet Southwestern Front and resulted in the capture of over 600,000 Red Army
POWs. It was, perhaps, Germany's greatest victory in WWII, and Guderian had made it happen.
In October/November 1941, the German Ostheer (Eastern Army) launched a desperate attempt to seize Moscow; and, once
again, Heinz Guderian and his tank troops were at the forward edge of battle. Yet, by the end of November, the entire
German offensive (exhausted, stretched thin, dangerously reduced in strength, and suddenly largely paralyzed by the fall
rain and snow) had ground to a halt.
Meanwhile, in early December, the resurgent Red Army launched a major counteroffensive that, in the weeks ahead, not
only threatened Guderian's forces with annihilation, but those German Army Group Center writ large. Guderian, and the
Ostheer as a whole, were now trapped in a remorseless war of attrition they could never win. Refusing his superiors' orders
to stand fast in the face to the advancing Soviet juggernaut, Guderian continued to jerk back in retreat with the remnants of
his forces and, thus, was relieved of his command on 26 December 1941.
With the publication of "Guderian's Panzers: From Triumph to Defeat on the Eastern Front (1941)", military historian and
Eastern Front expert, Craig Luther, draws on new material drawn from letters and diaries to tell the story of Guderian's
armored force during Operation Barbarossa and fleshes out the story with vivid firsthand accounts from the soldiers who
slugged it out with the Red Army on the Eastern Front. "Guderian's Panzers" effectively traces the ups and downs of
Guderian and his panzer group during six pivotal months of World War II and explains why and how the Germans,
especially its panzers, achieved such impressive successes, only to be defeated on Moscow's doorstep.
Critique: A meticulous and impressively detailed history of Germany's armored forces in their attack on the Soviet Union,
"Guderian's Panzers: From Triumph to Defeat on the Eastern Front (1941)" features an informative Introduction,
Foreword, Epilogue, and Postscript. It's nine major chapters are deftly organized into three main sections (From the
Frontier to Smolensk; Into the Ukraine: The Kiev Cauldron Battle; Operation Typhon: From Triumph to Tragedy),
Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of both B/W and Color Maps, a five page listing of
Abbreviations, forty-six pages of Notes, a ten page Selected Bibliography, and a ten page Index, "Guderian's Panzers:
From Triumph to Defeat on the Eastern Front (1941)" is an extraordinary, deftly crafted, and unreservedly recommended
addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library World War II History/Biography collections.
It should be noted for students, academia, and military history buffs that this hardcover edition of "Guderian's Panzers:
From Triumph to Defeat on the Eastern Front (1941)" from Stackpole Books is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $26.99).
Editorial Note: Craig W. H. Luther (https://barbarossa1941.com/about-me) is a former Fulbright Scholar and a retired U.S.
Air Force historian. He is author of Barbarossa Unleashed: The German Blitzkrieg through Central Russia to the Gates of
Moscow (Schiffer, 2014), The First Day on the Eastern Front: German Invades the Soviet Union, June 22, 1941
(Stackpole, 2018), and, with acclaimed historian David Stahel, Soldiers of Barbarossa: Combat, Genocide, and Everyday
Experiences on the Eastern Front, June - December 1941 (Stackpole, 2020). He lives in California.
The Civil War Shelf
Every Day of the Civil War: A Chronological Encyclopedia
Bud Hannings
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476658452, $95.00, PB, 637pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Every-Day-Civil-War-Chronological/dp/1476658455
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/every-day-of-the-civil-war-2
Synopsis: From the early seizure of government property during the latter part of 1860 to the final Confederate surrender in
1865, "Every Day of the Civil War: A Chronological Encyclopedia" by Bud Hannings provides a day-to-day account of the
U.S. Civil War.
Although "Every Day of the Civil War: A Chronological Encyclopedia" provides a daily chronicle of the combat, it is
written in narrative form to give readers some continuity as they move from skirmish to skirmish.
During the course of the saga, "Every Day of the Civil War: A Chronological Encyclopedia" also chronicles the life spans
of more than 600 Union and Confederate vessels, documenting when possible the time of each vessel's acquisition,
commissioning, major engagements, and decommissioning.
Of special note is the inclusion of seven appendices provide lists of prominent Union and Confederate officers, primary
naval actions, and Medal of Honor recipients from 1863 to 1865.
Critique: With B/W illustrations throughout, this large format (8.5 x 1.28 x 11 inches, 3.21 pounds) trade paperback
edition of Bud Hannings' "Every Day of the Civil War: A Chronological Encyclopedia" from McFarland & Company is
impressively and comprehensively informative, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, and an
unreservedly recommended, core addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library American
Civil War History/Biography collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Bud Hannings (June 5, 1942 - August 18, 2025) oversaw Seniram Publishing Incorporated, a company
specializing in U.S. military history, and wrote several major reference books for McFarland.
(https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/167578.Bud_Hannings)
Civil War Cavalry
Earl J. Hess
Louisiana State University Press
https://lsupress.org
9780807184448, $49.99, HC, 448pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Civil-War-Cavalry-Mounted-Nineteenth-Century/dp/0807184446
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/civil-war-cavalry-earl-j-hess/1147269229
Synopsis: The American Civil War produced the largest cavalry force ever raised in the nation's history. With the
publication of "Civil War Cavalry: Waging Mounted Warfare in Nineteenth-Century America", Civil War historian Earl J.
Hess examines that force comprehensively and from new perspectives, challenging standard views of the war's mounted
arm.
Professor Hess surveys the organization, training, administration, arming, and mounting of cavalry units and examines
mounted troops' tactical formations and maneuvers. He addresses the nature of cavalry operations, discussing the mounted
charge, dismounted fighting, long-distance raids, the varied types of weapons used by troopers, and the difficulty of
supplying horses.
Professor Hess also brings concepts from the burgeoning field of animal history to argue that cavalry mounts exercised a
degree of agency in shaping their role in the large military machine. Civil War Cavalry is a sweeping and innovative
history, establishing a new criterion for understanding how Americans waged mounted warfare in the mid-nineteenth
century.
Critique: Informative enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of an eight page Introduction, thirty-two pages of
Notes, a twenty-eight page Bibliography, and a twelve page Index, "Civil War Cavalry: Waging Mounted Warfare in
Nineteenth-Century America" is a meticulously researched and seminal study of a critical and unique aspect of the
American Civil War -- the horse calvary including their weaponry, tactics, and military applications. Exceptionally well
written and a seminal contribution to the growing library of American Civil War Histories/Biographies, "Civil War
Cavalry: Waging Mounted Warfare in Nineteenth-Century America" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended
acquisition selection for community and college/university library American Civil War History collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, Civil War
buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "Civil War Cavalry:
Waging Mounted Warfare in
Nineteenth-Century America" from the LSU Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.95).
Editorial Note: Earl J. Hess (https://kansaspress.ku.edu/author/earl-j-hess) is professor emeritus of history at Lincoln
Memorial University and the author or editor of twenty-nine books on the American Civil War, including Civil War
Infantry Tactics: Training, Combat, and Small-Unit Effectiveness.
The Archaeology Shelf
Architectural Networks in the North Aegean
William Aylward, Jacques des Courtils, & Bonna D. Wescoat, editors
University of Wisconsin Press
https://uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299350109, $119.95, HC, 320pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Architectural-Networks-North-Aegean-Hellenistic/dp/029935010X
University of Wisconsin Press
https://uwpress.wisc.edu/Books/A/Architectural-Networks-in-the-North-Aegean
Synopsis: During the Hellenistic period, the North Aegean Sea was a dynamic and diverse area, linked by robust trading
networks and sometimes precarious political allegiances. The islands of Thasos, Samothrace, and Lesbos in particular
played crucial roles in their position between Anatolia, Macedonia, Thrace, and Greece. Migration, trade, and politics (not
to mention the specifics of sites and climate) shaped the development of architecture. The region pioneered many
innovations that subsequently spread across the Mediterranean.
Employing the idea of networks to effectively describe the interconnectedness of design, materials, technology, religion,
and politics, the contributors to "Architectural Networks in the North Aegean: Thasos, Samothrace, and the Formation of
Hellenistic Design" establish the need to understand this important region holistically and on its own terms.
Taking a close look at major buildings and monuments (while considering technique, design, and decoration as elements of
a vigorous web) "Architectural Networks in the North Aegean: Thasos, Samothrace, and the Formation of Hellenistic
Design" offers important insights about the area's significance in the history of Hellenistic architecture, including lasting
innovations in architectural illusion, Ionic entablature, and groundbreaking uses of marble and plaster.
"Architectural Networks in the North Aegean: Thasos, Samothrace, and the Formation of Hellenistic Design" documents
that it was from the North Aegean that it was such principles and tactics as were transmitted to the rest of the Hellenistic
world, that influenced Roman architecture and, from there, Western architectural history.
Critique: Original, exceptional, informative, and a seminal work of meticulous scholarship that has been knowledgeably
compiled and collaboratively edited by the academic team of William Aylward, Jacques des Conrtils, and Bonna D.
Wescoat, this large format (8 x 0.9 x 10 inches, 2.3 pounds) hardcover edition of "Architectural Networks in the North
Aegean: Thasos, Samothrace, and the Formation of Hellenistic Design" is informative enhanced for the reader's benefit
with the inclusion of numerous B/W illustrations, an Introduction (Framing the Inquiry), fourteen articles deftly organized
into three major sections (Sanctuaries & Monuments, Technique & Design, Ornament), a thirty-four page listing of
References, and a twelve page Index. A masterpiece of collective scholarship, exceptionally well written, organized and
presented, this edition of "Architectural Networks in the North Aegean: Thasos, Samothrace, and the Formation of
Hellenistic Design" from the University of Wisconsin Press is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to
personal, professional, and college/university library Archaeological Studies collections in general, and supplemental
Hellenic Archaeology/Culture/History curriculum studies lists in particular.
Editorial Note #1: William Aylward, (a professor of classics at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, is the editor of
Excavations at Zeugma: Conducted by Oxford Archaeology. (https://canes.wisc.edu/staff/william-aylward)
Editorial Note #2: Jacques des Courtils is a professor of art history and archaeology at the Universite de Bordeaux -
Montaigne. He is the author of Guide de Xanthos et du Letoon. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonna_Daix_Wescoat)
Editorial Note #3: Bonna D. Wescoat is the Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Art History at Emory University and the
director of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. She is the author of The Temple of Athena at Assos and
Samothrace, vol. IX, The Monuments of the Eastern Hill. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonna_Daix_Wescoat)
The Cookbook Shelf
The Hidden Vegetables Cookbook
Heidi Herman, author
Rhonda Thornton, contributor
Hekla Publishing LLC
https://contacthekla-publishing-1603-capitol-avenue-ste-310-a431cheyen.square.site
9781947233119, $49.99, HC, 180pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Vegetables-Cookbook-Recipes-Veggie-Averse/dp/1947233114
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-hidden-vegetables-cookbook-heidi-herman/1148068360
Synopsis: If you've ever wished you could eat healthier without choking down another forkful of kale or pretending to like
Brussels sprouts, then, as a compendium of 90 palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, health promoting recipes for kids and
adults who think they dislike veggies, "The Hidden Vegetables Cookbook" is a timely source of 'meals that appeal'
especially for them.
"The Hidden Vegetables Cookbook" is is not your typical health or vegetarian oriented cookbook. It doesn't try to convince you to fall
in love with spinach or develop a taste for zucchini. Instead, it gives you a creative, practical way to get the benefits of
vegetables without tasting them at all.
These recipes are smart, satisfying, and designed for real adults who know they should eat their veggies... but just don't like
them. Within the pages of this illustrated cookbook, author Heidi Herman brings step-by-step recipes together showcasing
90 flavorful dishes that cleverly incorporate fresh vegetables in ways that blend, mask, and even overpower their taste so
you get the nutrients without the struggle.
From hearty dinners to indulgent treats, here are to be found vegetable-packed recipes that actually taste amazing. And no,
they don't look green or "healthy" in that bland, boring way. They just taste like good food.
"The Hidden Vegetables Cookbook" will help the family chef in terms of:
Eating More Vegetables Without Changing Your Taste Buds - These recipes work with your existing preferences, using
vegetables in a hidden way that won't mess with the flavors you love.
Enjoying 90+ Delicious, Comforting Recipes - Think Beef Bourguignon with hidden spinach, Chicken Enchiladas with
pureed carrots and onion, or chocolate cake where the zucchini disappears entirely.
Feeling Validated Instead of Guilty - Lots of adults don't like veggies, so here offered is a real solution, not a lecture.
Boosting Your Nutrition Effortlessly - Get your daily dose of fiber, vitamins, and minerals without even realizing it.
Needing no Special Skills or Tools - Recipes are simple, accessible, and use common ingredients. Perfect for busy cooks
or beginners.
Rethinking What Healthy Food Can Look (and Taste) Like - No bland salads. No raw veggie platters. Just real meals that
feel indulgent and nourishing at the same time.
Whether you are trying to eat cleaner, sneak more nutrition into your meals, or finally stop feeling bad about your veggie
aversion, "The Hidden Vegetables Cookbook" will make veggie meals easy -- and actually enjoyable. You will no longer
have to avoid recipes just because they call for squash or feel left out of the healthy-eating conversation. These recipes are
designed to fit into your lifestyle, not the other way around. And the best part? You'll enjoy every bite without
second-guessing what's hidden inside. With practical, no-fuss instructions and real ingredients, you can finally eat better
without sacrificing flavor or forcing down foods you dislike.
Critique: Whether vegetarian, vegan, or a carnivore who enjoys a delicious and nutritious meal but isn't much interest in
veggie dishes, "The Hidden Vegetables Cookbook" offers 90 nutritious, delicious, and fun-to-make dishes that range from
Shepherd's Pie Potato Skins; Butternut Squash Cornbread; Nutty Egg Waffles, and Beef Bourguignon; to Skillet Ziti with
Sausage & Kale; Cowboy Beans; Sweet Potato Fries; and Kale Coconut Cream Pie. Beautifully illustrated in full color
throughout, "The Hidden Vegetables Cookbook" is original and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and
presentation. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and community library cookbook
collections, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "The Hidden Vegetables Cookbook" from Hekla Publishing is
also readily available in paperback (9781947233133, $24.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note #1: Heidi Herman (https://heidihermanauthor.com) co-authored an Icelandic cookbook, "Homestyle
Icelandic Cooking for American Kitchens" with her mother, Ieda Jonasdottir Herman, which won a US category in The
Gourmand World Cookbook Awards that year. Heidi then published her debut novel, "Her Viking Heart", in 2018, and it
was named the 2018 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Gold Winner - Romance Category. Her motivational work, "On
with The Butter! Spread More Living onto Everyday Life" was inspired when Heidi worked to complete her mother's final
work, "Never Too Late." Ieda Jonasdottir Herman (1925-2019) was 94 years old and had completed a year of new
experiences to prove a person is never too old to enjoy life. She has authored seven books in five genres. Today, she
continues to write between time spent traveling, sharing Icelandic culture plus a number of hobbies and interests.
Taste of Home How To Cook (Just About) Anything
Taste of Home
https://www.tasteofhome.com
c/o Trusted Media Brands
https://www.trustedmediabrands.com
9798889771562, $26.99, Spiral Bound, HC, 320pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Taste-About-Anything-Step-Step/dp/B0DV4NMFTK
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/taste-of-home-how-to-cook-taste-of-home/1148140407
Synopsis: Each of the more than 200 recipes comprising "Taste of Home How To Cook (Just About) Anything" comes
with a vibrant, full-color photo, helping you see exactly what your finished dish will look like. The clear, step-by-step
instructions ensure success, even if you're new to the kitchen. You will also find helpful how-to photos and plenty of
time-saving tips to elevate your cooking game with ease.
What sets this cookbook apart is the presence of special icons that highlight recipes which fit busy lifestyles, such as dishes
prepared in 30 minutes or with just 5 ingredients! Plus, slow-cooker and Dutch oven recipes round out the collection,
offering versatile meal-in-one options.
Together, the individual chapters comprising "Taste of Home How To Cook (Just About) Anything" cover everything you
need to create delicious meals at home, including breakfast, snacks, soups & stews, breads, favorite sides, meats, poultry,
seafood, vegetarian mains, and desserts. From cooking juicy roasts to baking perfect pies, this DIY culinary guide will
quickly become your go-to resource for every meal.
No matter your skill level, :How to Cook (Just About)Anything" will produce joyful cooking experiences, delicious
results, and a lifelong kitchen confidence. Perfect for seasoned cooks and beginners alike, this is one cookbook that is an
essential addition to every kitchen collection.
Critique: Exceptional, extraordinary, special, user friendly in style, organization, and presentation, "Taste of Home How
To Cook (Just About) Anything" is a spiral bound, hardcover compendium of delicious and nutritious recipes for any and
all dining occasions and can transform any meal menu into something truly memorable as a culinary experience. While
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99), this 'user friendly', (9.38 x 1.4 x 9.63 inches, 1.91 pounds), 'lay flat
on the table' edition of "Taste of Home How To Cook (Just About) Anything" is a welcome and recommended pick for
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 7 million fans on Facebook, 2.1 million followers on Instagram, 2.7 million Pinterest followers and receives more
than 28 million unique monthly visitors. Visit Taste of Home on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to learn more.
Taste of Home Soups & Breads
Taste of Home
https://www.tasteofhome.com
c/o Trusted Media Brands
https://www.trustedmediabrands.com
9798889771586, $22.99, PB, 320pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Home-Soups-Breads-Comforting/dp/B0DVCJ7HNY
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/taste-of-home-soups-breads-taste-of-home/1148140406
Synopsis: With the publication of "Taste of Home Soups & Breads: 200+ Comforting Recipes for Soups, Stews,
Chowders, and Homemade Breads", even the most novice of family cooks will discover how to deftly craft soul-soothing
soups and golden, aromatic breads.
This comprehensive DIY culinary guide will ensure always having the perfect combo for any dining occasion, whether it's
a cozy quick dinner or a special holiday spread.
Featured in its fully illustrated pages are to be found:
200+ Recipes to Savor: Enjoy a variety of comforting soups, stews, chowders, and bakery-quality breads.
Soup & Bread Basics: Learn to make broths, sourdough starters, and master bread kneading with ease.
Perfect for Busy Days: Features slow-cooker soups and quick breads for an effortless meal planning on hectic nights.
Tested by Experts: Recipes are approved by the Taste of Home Test Kitchen for guaranteed success.
Nutrition Facts Included: Nutritional details accompany every recipe to assist with healthy meal planning.
Then there are the simply sensational recipes for a variety of soups. Family cooks will learn the importance of starting with
the essentials -- learning to create homemade broths, storing soups safely, and using pantry staples to whip up a hearty
meal anytime.
From timeless classics like Grandma's Tomato Soup and Yummy Chicken & Dumpling Soup to modern delights like
Cheeseburger Soup and Italian Sausage Pizza Soup, there's something to please every palate. Busy week? Try slow-cooked
soups or five-ingredient recipes that freeze beautifully, making your life easier while ensuring every bowl is delicious.
Then there are the recipes of an impressive variety of breads because no soup is complete without a bread to match, and
this cookbook delivers on both counts.
With sections on yeast breads, quick breads, and savory specialties, there are step-by-step instructions for creating buttery
rolls, flaky biscuits, and rustic loaves -- including Crusty Cheddar Cheese Bread, Butternut Squash Braid, and Classic
Pumpkin Bread. Even beginners can succeed with tips on proofing dough, and discover the ins and outs of yeast doughs
before baking up a buttery delight.
"Taste of Home Soups & Breads: 200+ Comforting Recipes for Soups, Stews, Chowders, and Homemade Breads" is more
than just collection of 'how-to' recipes -- it is an ideal go-to resource for making any mealtime menu memorable. Complete
with nutrition facts, icons for slow-cooker and Dutch-oven recipes, and easy-to-follow instructions, it's designed for every
home cook -- whether you're a seasoned and experienced homemaker or just are just starting out in learning how to cook
and bake for your family.
The promise offered is that with "Taste of Home Soups & Breads: 200+ Comforting Recipes for Soups, Stews, Chowders,
and Homemade Breads", anyone can transform their kitchen into a culinary haven of comfort and warmth -- one recipe at a
time!
Critique: This large format (8.06 x 0.7 x 8.94 inches, 14.3 ounces) trade paperback edition of "Taste of Home Soups &
Breads: 200+ Comforting Recipes for Soups, Stews, Chowders, and Homemade Breads" from Taste of Home is
exceptional 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, profusely illustrated in full color throughout, and a definitive
pleasure to simply browse through one palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, health providing recipe at a time. While also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99), "Taste of Home Soups & Breads: 200+ Comforting Recipes for Soups,
Stews, Chowders, and Homemade Breads" is an especially recommended addition to personal, professional, family, 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 7 million fans on Facebook, 2.1 million followers on Instagram, 2.7 million Pinterest followers and receives more
than 28 million unique monthly visitors. Visit Taste of Home on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to learn more.
Celebrate: Joyful Baking All Year Round
Paul Hollywood
Bloomsbury Publishing
www.bloomsbury.com
9781639735037, $40.00, HC, 272pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Celebrate-Joyful-Baking-Year-Round/dp/1639735038
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/celebrate-paul-hollywood/1146429526
Synopsis: With the publication of "Celebrate: Joyful Baking All Year Round", world renowned baker Paul Hollywood is
back with an impressive collection of his ultimate recipes for the perfect celebration bakes year-round.
Whether a holiday feast or a big summer picnic, Hollywood has the perfect recipe for every crowd. From wintertime Yule
Logs and Panetone Cake, autumnal Pumpkin Pie and Apple Doughnuts, or Key Lime Pie and a Marble Cherry Vanilla
Tray Bake for warm months, each recipe is meant to be shared and devoured among friends and family on the most special
days of the year.
You will also find your new go-to party food recipes like focaccia for a crowd, cheese straws, and the ultimate mini
sausage rolls-and show-stopping cakes from Japanese cheesecake to black forest gateau.
"Celebrate: Joyful Baking All Year Round" is Paul Hollywood at his best. Every recipe showcased in its illustrated pages
is both classic and fresh, making for bakes that will be fun, festive, and perfect every time.
Critique: Profusely illustrated in full color throughout, this large format (7.7 x 0.85 x 9.95 inches, 2.29 pounds) hardcover
edition of "Celebrate: Joyful Baking All Year Round" by Paul Hollywood is an extraordinary collection of palate pleasing,
appetite satisfying, health inducing, step-by-step DIY recipes that even the most novice of family kitchen bakers can
accomplish. From Japanese Cheescake; to Asparagus, Feta and Phyllo Tart; to Fraisier Cake, to Blueberry Lattice Pie, to
Christmas Pudding, and so many, many more, "Celebrate: Joyful Baking All Year Round" will prove to be an immediate
and enduringly popular addition to personal, family, professional, and community library cookbook collections.
Editorial Note: Paul Hollywood (www.paulhollywood.com), himself the son of a baker, has shot to fame with his role as a
judge on The Great British Bake Off. He worked as Head Baker at exclusive hotels including Cliveden and the Dorchester
and he went on to launch The Paul Hollywood Artisan Bread Company, which now supplies Waitrose among others.
The Biography/Memoir Shelf
The Day They Hanged Old Brown
John R. Van Atta
University of Missouri Press
https://upress.missouri.edu
9780826223388, $48.00, HC, 344pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Day-They-Hanged-Old-Brown/dp/0826223389
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-day-they-hanged-old-brown-john-r-van-atta/1147239775
Synopsis: Abolitionist, fanatic, terrorist, freedom fighter, alleged murderer -- all of those labels fit John Brown. Yet he also
qualified as a mid-nineteenth-century celebrity whose name and fame/infamy were known nationwide.
Brown's life span covered most of the period between the Revolution and the Civil War, a time of the still-early beginnings
of the United States. Only then had his kind of "celebrity" started to matter. From different economic and moral
perspectives, politically aware Americans clashed over different visions for the future of the country. At that time, any
disruptive figure might be taken as a barometer of the progress or the decline of the republic. A function of the widely
varying newspapers and magazines of that day, celebrity offered Americans an angle of vision, happily or not, as to who
they were or were becoming or believed themselves to be -- as if by a mirror reflection.
With the publication of "The Day They Hanged Old Brown: The Making of Celebrity and Martyrdom in the Civil War
Era", author, historian and biographer John Van Atta examines the creation of celebrity in John Brown's time and how it
differed from modern day perceptions. Yet, as applicable as the concept of celebrity is in this case, the story of Brown's
notoriety represents far more. To his admirers, Brown was not merely a celebrity; he was a hero and, after his sacrificial
death, a martyr. Not all celebrities rise to such levels.
"The Day They Hanged Old Brown" traces the meaning of heroism and martyrdom (as well as the opposite side of that
coin, villainy) and suggests that John Brown's story and legacy helped to redefine these concepts for many Americans
during the era of the Civil War, before modern historians began to deliberate him.
Critique: Original, meticulous, exceptional, thought-provoking, and informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with
the inclusion of illustrations, a ten page Introduction, a sixteen page Prologue (Charlestown, December 2, 1859), a fourteen
page Epilogue (Stores College, May 30, 1881), thirty-six pages of Notes, and eighteen page Bibliographical Essay, and a
ten page Index, "The Day They Hanged Old Brown: The Making of Celebrity and Martyrdom in the Civil War Era" is an
especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library
19th Century American Biography/Memoir collections and supplemental American Civil War & Abolitionist studies lists.
It should be noted for students, academia, American Civil War buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in
the subject that this hardcover edition of "The Day They Hanged Old Brown: The Making of Celebrity and Martyrdom in
the Civil War Era" from the University of Missouri Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$45.60).
Editorial Note: John R. Van Atta, who received his Ph.D. in history from the University of Virginia, specializes in the
Early Republic period of U.S. History (1776-1865) as well as nineteenth-century America generally. He taught at Hiram
College in Ohio and, for thirty-six years, at Brunswick School in Greenwich, Connecticut, where he held the Oaklawn
Chair in American History until retiring in 2020. He is the author of four books, Securing the West: Politics, Public Lands,
and the Fate of the Old Republic, 1785-1850 (2014); Wolf by the Ears: The Missouri Crisis, 1819-1821 (2015); and
Charging Up San Juan Hill: Theodore Roosevelt and the Making of Imperial America (2018), all published by the Johns
Hopkins University Press. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14213536.John_R_Van_Atta)
Getting Lost On My Way
Diane Hartman
https://www.dianehartmanauthor.com
She Writes Press
www.shewritespress.com
9781647429768, $17.99, PB, 352pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Lost-Way-Self-Discovery-Backroads/dp/1647429765
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/getting-lost-on-my-way-diane-hartman/1146922316
Synopsis: "Getting Lost On My Way: Self-Discovery on Ireland's Backroads" is the true life story of Diane Hartman -- an
introverted, divorced, middle-aged mother and school librarian from the Midwest who decides to leave her comfort zone
and travel alone to Ireland, to fulfill her dream, overcome her fear, and immerse herself into what will become an
adventure of courage and self-discovery.
Motivated by her love of Irish music and Celtic spirituality, along with her desire to find healing from depression and
divorce, Diane sets off for Ireland, a country she's been obsessed with for years. Her romantic preconceptions of the
Emerald Isle quickly clash with reality, however, and while there she faces many obstacles, including driving the narrow,
ill-marked roads throughout the countryside she traverses. Nevertheless, this first sojourn leads to three more trips over the
next six years, and she gradually learns to navigate Ireland's back roads -- not to mention her own personal and spiritual
roads toward self-discovery and acceptance.
"Getting Lost On My Way" is a heartfelt and humorous account of Diane's adventures including hanging out with an Irish
rock band, traveling remote roads in search of a hermit nun, and meeting her favorite Irish musician not once but twice.
Her story is certain to inspire readers to get outside their own comfort zones and take some rewarding risks of their
own.
Critique: Part memoir, part travelogue, part mid-life adventure, "Getting Lost On My Way: Self-Discovery on Ireland's
Backroads" by Diane Harman 's deftly written, fully engaging, and a simply fascinating read from cover to cover. As a
storyteller, Diane has a genuine flair for the kind of narrative driven presentation that is particularly compelling for the
reader from start to finish -- all the more impressive when considering that it is her debut as an author. While especially
and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary Biography/Memoir
collections, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "Getting Lost On My Way: Self-Discovery on Ireland's
Backroads" from She Writes Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Diane Hartman (https://www.dianehartmanauthor.com) is a retired school librarian, photographer, dog
rescuer, mother, grandmother, and lover of Ireland. She has received honors for her writing from Midwest Writers
Workshop, Daisy Pettles Women's Writing Award, and the Griffith Writing Fellowship at the Mary Anderson Center. Her
photography has garnered several awards, including the Indiana Governor's Award. She is an alumnus of Laura Munson's
Haven Writing Workshops and Retreats.
Saving Ellen: A Memoir of Hope and Recovery
Maura Casey
Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781510780774, $32.99, HC, 336pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Ellen-Memoir-Hope-Recovery/dp/1510780777
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/saving-ellen-maura-casey/1145682375
Skyhorse Publishing
https://www.skyhorsepublishing.com/9781510780774/saving-ellen
Synopsis: Financial privation and her father's drunken scenes formed the backdrop to Maura Casey's childhood, but her
sister Ellen's years-long struggle with kidney disease consumed her whole family. Determined to see Ellen live to
adulthood, her mother fought medical advice to donate a kidney at a time when organ transplants were medical miracles.
She concealed the true impact of that decision, which would affect the family for years to come.
Set in Buffalo amidst the tumult of the 1960s and 70s, "Saving Ellen: A Memoir of Hope and Recovery" is a deftly crafted
memoir that traces Maura's recovery from alcoholism and sexual assault and tells of her irrepressible older sister Ellen,
who fought to claim her dream of becoming an athlete; her smart, feminist mother, whose World War II Army service
prepared her to manage her own platoon of six children; and her adulterous, alcoholic father who, at the end, was haunted
by his shortcomings and regrets.
Despite the hard truths of her childhood, "Saving Ellen" is ultimately a story of humor at unexpected moments as well as
the grace of reconciliation and gratitude.
"Saving Ellen" will have a special appeal to anyone who has had to endure the stress of caring for a chronically ill family
member, with all the fraught choices that entails. Readers who have experienced the unique insanity of living in a large
alcoholic family will also recognize the mix of madness and humor that forms the foundation of daily life.
Critique: Candid, eloquent, emotionally engaging, intellectually thought provoking, exceptionally well written, organized
and presented, "Saving Ellen: A Memoir of Hope and Recovery" is an inherently fascinating read from start to finish. One
of those life stories that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book has been finished and set back
upon the shelf, "Saving Ellen: A Memoir of Hope and Recovery" is especially and unreservedly recommended for
personal, community, and college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections. It should be
noted that this hardcover edition of "Saving Ellen: A Memoir of Hope and Recovery" from Skyhorse Publishing is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: For more than thirty years, Casey Maura was an editorial writer for three New England newspapers and The
New York Times, where she had a seat on the exalted Times editorial board. Over her opinion writing career, she won
more than forty journalism awards. Casey holds a BA from Buffalo State College and an MA from The American
University. Casey writes a weekly column, Casey's Catch (https://maurac.substack.com)
The General Fiction Shelf
86 The Chef
Adam K. Watson
Wooster Street Publishing
https://woosterstreetpublishing.com
9798992924305, $13.95, PB, 268pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/86-Chef-Adam-K-Watson/dp/B0F4NRCZ3L
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/86-the-chef-adam-k-watson/1147270732
Synopsis: Trey Chapman may just be the most famous chef in the world. But his culinary empire and the constant spotlight
have turned into a pressure cooker he desperately needs to escape.
When Trey learns that he can't just walk away from his celebrity, he enlists the help of his rogue little brother to devise a
plan. Joey Chapman, though, has problems of his own. He's being hunted by a federal task force after a wheel of illegal,
maggot-ridden cheese, that he smuggled into the country, has taken social media by storm.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a fun read from cover to cover, "86 The Chef" by Adam K. Watson is a finely tuned
culinary caper that will hold enormous appeal for readers who appreciated exceptionally memorable and clever thrillers.
While this paperback edition of "86 The Chef" from Wooster Street Publishing is especially and unreservedly
recommended for community/public library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that it is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).
Editorial Note: Food and writing -- these were Adam K. Watson's greatest passions growing up in Southeastern Virginia.
After working in enough kitchens to realize cooking was best kept as a personal pastime, he pursued a degree in creative
writing. However, his career took a different path, spanning two decades in broadcast television production. He has
worked with globally recognized brands such as ESPN, the NFL, The Weather Company at IBM, and Gulfstream
Aerospace. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2044674.Adam_K_Watson)
Paper Roses
Debby Show
Fieldmere Press
9798999602749, $28.99, HC, 334pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Paper-Roses-Debby-Show/dp/B0FSBD3T7N
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/paper-roses-debby-show/1147950287
Synopsis: Some families leave you money. Others leave you scars.
When Abigail Jones learns of her sister Nikki's third arrest, she's pulled into a spiral of questions: Was it fate, family, or
something buried even deeper? As Abigail begins to piece together the past, she uncovers a trail of silence and survival
that stretches across continents and generations.
From a 1940s Moroccan household where a young maid quietly bears witness to the origins of a generational wound, to the
sun-washed suburbs of 1970s California, and finally to 2023 (and told through podcast transcripts, court documents, and
splintered memory), "Paper Roses" follows Abigail's search for answers, her confrontation with the sister she thought she
knew, and her reckoning with a legacy neither of them could escape.
Critique: Original, exceptional, engaging, deftly crafted, and a haunting story of loyalty, silence, and the cost of breaking
free' that is based upon a true story and real-life experiences, "Paper Roses" showcases author Debby Show's consummate
skills as a narrative driven storyteller raise her novel to an impressive level of literary excellence. An inherently fascinating
read from start to finish, "Paper Roses" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and
community library Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition from Fieldmere Press is also
available in paperback (9798999602756, $15.99), in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99), and in a large print paperback
edition (9798999602718, $18.99).
Editorial Note: Debbie Snow (https://debbyshow.com) is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and School
Psychologist based in California. With years of experience working with individuals and families, she brings a deep
understanding of human behavior, relationships, and generational dynamics to her fiction. Though "Paper Roses" is her
debut novel, Debby has honed her craft through coaching, writing workshops and a lifelong passion for storytelling.
Inspired by real history and intimate truths, her work explores how the past shapes who we become.
Unconditional: A Story of Fatherhood, Lost Love, and Lifelong Friendship
Stephen Kogon
WOH Press
9798998975028, $19.99, HC, 258pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Unconditional-Story-Fatherhood-Lifelong-Friendship/dp/B0FH65VVWD
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unconditional-stephen-kogon/1148399087
Synopsis: Matthew is an indecisive bachelor who never imagined or considered parenthood. But when his brother's sudden
death leaves a newborn daughter stranded, he faces an impossible choice: walk away or become a father overnight.
Meeting baby Allie changes everything. In a heartbeat, he trades his carefree life for sleepless nights and diapers -- and
discovers a love fiercer than fear. With the help of his loyal best friend Sherry, Matthew stumbles through the chaos of
single fatherhood.
Over eighteen years, as life throws enormous challenges in their path (some forcing Allie to grow up faster than she hoped)
their bond only deepens.
"Unconditional: A Story of Fatherhood, Lost Love, and Lifelong Friendship" is about how one decision can rewrite a man's
life and forever alter a child's future. When the world tests them, will their unconditional love be enough to guide them
through?
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, exceptional, emotionally engaging, memorably inspiring, and a simply compelling read
from start to finish, "Unconditional: A Story of Fatherhood, Lost Love, and Lifelong Friendship" by Stephen Kogon is a
very special and unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community/public library Contemporary
General Fiction collections. It should be noted for readers with an interest in coming of age fiction and adoption themed
family fiction that this hardcover edition of "Unconditional: A Story of Fatherhood, Lost Love, and Lifelong Friendship"
from WOH Press is also readily available in paperback (9798998975011, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$0.99).
Editorial Note: Stephen Kogon grew up in Columbia, MD and wrote his first story at 7-years-old -- and have been addicted
to storytelling ever since. He has written books, screenplays/scripts, comedy sketches, and comic strips. Upon graduating
college (UMBC) he moved to Los Angeles to work as a writer and filmmaker. Other books he has written include a young
adult comedic book called "Max Mooth - Cyber Sleuth and the Case of the Zombie Virus" and two children's books called
"Squiglet the Rhyming Piglet" and "Squiglet the Piglet Goes on a Nature Hike". He also wrote a book about the making of
his movie 'Dance Baby Dance" which will help anyone who wants to make their own indie film.
Sea of Glass
Patrick Shattuck
Genius Book Publishing
https://geniusbookpublishing.com
9781958727812, $19.95, PB, 284pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Glass-Patrick-Shattuck/dp/1958727814
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sea-of-glass-patrick-shattuck/1148082574
Synopsis: Shannon Delaney always lived in the shadow of her twin sister, Sarah. Sarah is brilliant, beautiful, and bound for
Berkeley, while Shannon is unsure, overlooked, and heading nowhere fast. The only thing that's ever been hers is Frankie -
- her best friend since fifth grade, the one boy who saw her for who she really was.
But now Frankie is slipping away, drawn into Sarah's orbit as they compete together in a high-stakes math tournament.
Then something strange happens. A mysterious blue light glows from an old glass paperweight by Shannon's bed,
revealing ghostly visions -- of snow, of love, of heartbreak. She tries to convince herself it's just a dream, but the feeling
won't fade. The glass may be showing her the truth.
As Shannon watches her world shift -- her sister's secrets, Frankie's choices, her own unraveling sense of self -- one thing
becomes clear: the hardest truths aren't always the ones others hide. They're the ones buried inside.
Critique: Original, eloquent, deftly crafted, engaging, and an inherently fascinating read from start to finish, "Sea of Glass"
by author Patrick Shattuck showcases his extraordinary and narrative driven storytelling skills that raises his novel to an
impressive level of literary excellence. Blending 'coming of age', psychological suspense, and the supernatural, "Sea of
Glass is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community library collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that this paperback edition for "Sea of Glass" from Genius Book Publishing is also readily available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: In addition to being a longtime English teacher, Patrick Shattuck is also a dedicated writer who holds a
B.A. in English from Syracuse University and an M.A. in English from Simmons College. His short stories and poetry
have been published in the Antietam Review, Smashing Icons, Lonesome Traveler, Paradigm Magazine, Fox Cry
Magazine, and Evening Street Press. He is also the author of "Dawn's Web" and "Red Moon Over Manhattan".
The Historical Fiction Shelf
Summer of Meteors
Kris Schaale
https://krisschaale.com
Catamount Press
c/o Sunbury Press
https://www.sunburypress.com/collections/catamount-press
9798888193426, $19.95, PB, 219pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Meteors-Kris-Schaale/dp/B0FR98G83J
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/summer-of-meteors-kris-schaale/1148353454
Synopsis: As the nation teeters on the edge of civil war, three women converge at the elegant Bedford Springs Hotel in
Pennsylvania.
Harriet Lane, strong-minded and vivacious niece to President James Buchanan and the nation's "Democratic Queen,"
begins to question the cost of loyalty as her uncle's stance on slavery casts a long shadow. Anne McCoy, a quiet Quaker
widow, carries the scars of loss, and dangerous secrets. Juba, an enslaved nursemaid to a presidential guest, dreams of
freedom and the family torn from her.
When a chance encounter with local agents of the Underground Railroad sparks a daring escape plan, loyalties are tested,
and lives are forever changed. Meanwhile as scandal brews and radical abolitionist John Brown plots revolution nearby,
these women must decide what they're willing to risk for justice and each other.
Set against the backdrop of a divided America, "Summer of Meteors" is a powerful tale of courage, sacrifice, and the
bonds forged in the fight for freedom. A forgotten summer where history burned across the sky and nothing, not even the
stars, would ever look the same.
Critique: With the publication of her novel, "Summer of Meteors", author Kris Schaale showcases an extraordinary and
deftly crafted storytelling style that fully engages her readers from cover to cover. Original, compelling, and with a skill
that raises her novel to an impressive level of literary excellence, "Summer of Meteors" is especially and unreservedly
recommended for community/public library Historical Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that
this paperback edition of "Summer of Meteors" from Catamount Press is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Kris Schaale (https://krisschaale.com) is an American novelist interested in a wide array of genres. Though
her love of history and psychology always seems to find a way into her work. She uses her bachelor's and master's degrees
in psychology from Pennsylvania State University to study and write about people's behavior, motivations, and life
journeys. Through the format of story, she hopes her readers will learn and be enriched in their own understanding of
people and life.
The LGBTQ Fiction Shelf
Fireflies in a Jar
Beka Wueste, author
Liz Pipher, editor
https://www.bekawueste.com
Fox Island Press
9781967077045, $35.00, HC, 284pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Fireflies-Jar-Beka-Wueste/dp/1967077045
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fireflies-in-a-jar-beka-wueste/1147853636
Synopsis: "Fireflies in a Jar" by Beka Wueste is the story of Sam.
"Who are you, Sam?" Unfortunately for Sam, the answer is: a lonely, single, closeted, mid-thirties woman with no close
friends and no romantic prospects who feels stalled in her own life.
Entirely convinced that she is unworthy of love or happiness after surviving decades of emotional neglect and bullying,
Sam knows she needs to make changes, but is held hostage by her own history, which complicates her attempts to take
control and start her second act.
For most people it's the 2010's, but for Sam, it's 1991, 1997, 2004, or any other painful moment from her past. At any
given moment, her memories rear up and seize her, paralyze her, force her to relive an endless loop of the worst times of
her life.
Sam's inability to come to terms with her past immobilizes her, leaving her isolated, unfulfilled and desperate for change
while navigating past traumas and current family crises.
As Sam tries to change her own life for the better, her actions have unintended consequences across her family.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and an LGBTQ+ themed work of fiction that will resonate with the real life experiences
of so many members of that community, "Fireflies in a Jar" by Beka Wueste is an extraordinary and inherently engaging
story from start to finish. With an eloquent storytelling style that lifts "Fireflies in a Jar" to an impressive level of literary
excellence, "Fireflies in a Jar" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library
LGBTQ+ Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Fireflies
in a Jar" from Fox Island Press is also readily available in paperback (9781967077052, $19.99).
Editorial Note: Beka Wueste (https://www.bekawueste.com) is the author of "The Unsent Letters of Lucy Prior". She is
also an award-winning visual artist who exhibits her work frequently in regional and national shows.
The Literary Fiction Shelf
Love, Dirt
Bruce Johnson
University of Iowa Press
www.uiowapress.org
9781685970390, $19.00, PB, 154pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Dirt-Short-Fiction-Award/dp/1685970397
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-dirt-bruce-johnson/1147345748
University of Iowa Press
https://uipress.uiowa.edu/books/love-dirt
Synopsis: From the intimate confines of a Nebraska farmhouse to the bustling streets of South America, the characters of
"Love, Dirt" by author and storyteller Bruce Johnson traverse uneasy spaces in search of human connection.
A closeted teen on a trip to Chile hides in his parents' bedroom to avoid being caught fooling around with a local boy.
An elderly couple attempts to scale a volcano, wrestling with their own physical limitations and an unbearable loss in their
past.
A father becomes convinced that a daycare has swapped his toddler with a near-identical imposter.
The public relations industry of Las Vegas is at first amused and then scandalized by a businesswoman's ability to divine
people's birthplaces and childhood experiences just by listening to them speak.
A son's long-deceased parents return to life as fumbling, inept zombies who are more nuisance than threat.
In these and other stories comprising "Love, Dirt", Bruce Johnson's bold, thought-provoking debut explores how we are
shaped by the narratives that we craft for ourselves and others.
Critique Original, deftly crafted, exceptional, and an inherently fascinating, engaging read from cover to cover, "Love,
Dirt" is an impressive compendium of sixteen short stories and fully documents author/storyteller Bruce Johnson as a
master of this literary format. This paperback edition of "Love, Dirt" from the University of Iowa Press is especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community, and college/university library Contemporary
Literary Fiction collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: The stories by Bruce Johnson (https://brucejohnsonfiction.com) have appeared in Best Microfiction 2023,
Wigleaf, Prime Number Magazine, The Cincinnati Review's miCRo series, and The Adroit Journal. He lives in Santiago,
Chile.
My Side of the World and Other Tales of Death
Beka Wueste, author
Liz Pipher, editor
https://www.bekawueste.com
Fox Island Press
9781967077076, $33.00 hc / $19.99 pbk
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Side-World-Other-Tales-Death/dp/196707707X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-side-of-the-world-and-other-tales-of-death-beka-wueste/1148573138
With the publication of "My Side of the World and Other Tales of Death" by Beka Wueste, Death takes the lead in a
collection of eight disparate tales, each short story exploring how the loss of loved ones affects us, how surviving close
calls with death shape us, how the fear of death motivates us, and how we can be either lifted up or let down by our
communities in dealing with lingering grief.
Of special note is how the genres vary between these eight short stories range from science fiction, to magical realism, to
suspense.
The short stories comprising "My Side of the World and Other Tales of Death" include:
My Life with Death: A child becomes friends with Death and later serves as Death's assistant, constantly grappling with
how much her relationship with Death limits her ability to enjoy her own life.
The Patron Saint of Pianos: A 1980's homicide detective, exhausted by working on too many cartel and gang-related
deaths, moves from the southern border to a quiet, one-stoplight northern town for a fresh start.
My Husband's Fathers: A marriage strained by a husband habitually using the death of his mother to dismiss anyone else's
pain or trauma endures a new challenge when the couple fosters two young brothers.
The Girl Who Sold the World: Humanity faces an existential threat when an alien collective arrives at Earth to judge the
worthiness of all species on the planet.
My Sister Agnes: A 1990's suburb is shaken by an unexpected death, which brings neighbors together for one summer, and
forever shapes one of the families.
The Shattered Glass Girl: A teenage girl in the 1920's dies due to her father's cruel discipline, leaving her spirit bonded to
the house, enabling her to have a second chance at happiness when a new family moves in.
My Side of the World: A married woman in her midlife discovers evidence that a former paramour may be dead, leading
her to obsess over confirming his demise in the present, while also reexamining her past and the influence he had in
shaping her present life.
The Red Lights: When a young girl has a recurring nightmare of being murdered, her grandmother convinces her that it is a
factual depiction of what will happen.
Critique: The eight short stories comprising "My Side of the World and Other Tales of Death" clearly showcase author
Beka Wueste as an exceptionally talented, impressively imaginative, and engagingly original storyteller. An inherently
fascinating and memorable read from cover to cover, "My Side of the World and Other Tales of Death" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal, community, college and university library Contemporary American Literary
Fiction collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Editorial Note: Beka Wueste (https://www.bekawueste.com) is the author of "The Unsent Letters of Lucy
Prior". She is also an award-winning visual artist who exhibits her work frequently in regional and national shows.
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
A Satchel of Richards
Lee Taylor
Periwink Press, LLC
9798992960402, $19.00, PB, 366pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Satchel-Richards-Lee-Taylor/dp/B0FMJ92BQ6
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-satchel-of-richards-lee-taylor/1148052160
Synopsis: Novelist Bridget Stanton's life needs a massive rewrite. Between the mortgage on her first home (a perfect if
teensy beach cottage), and the cost of feeding her horse-sized dog, she'll never be able to quit her day job. Until it quits
her.
Suspended for teaching the suddenly banned book, A Wrinkle in Time (and her childhood favorite), Bridget is desperate
for a book advance. So she throws herself at the mercy, literally, of her brand new, witty, suave, unflappably charming
agent, who has reluctantly inherited her.
His advice: skip the Lit Fic and write steamy romance instead. Has he met her? Actually, no. But Bridget knows nothing
about passionate sex. Ever ready with advice, he proposes a solution: research -- she needs to get herself a satchel of
Richards.
Enter Josh, a wildly successful romance cover model with Hollywood screenwriting dreams. His vivid descriptions have
helped numerous authors navigate their spiciest scenes, but Bridget, it seems, needs a more hands-on approach.
As their "research" heats up, she offers him credit on the book -- a big break that could help launch his wished-for career.
But her publisher balks. The God of Abs cannot share the byline.
Now, Bridget must choose: do it their way and save her way of life or risk it all for a real-life love story.
Critique: Impressively original, deftly crafted, and a fun read from cover to cover, "A Satchel of Richards" by Lee Taylor is
a perfect pick for the legions of Rom-Com fans who like their characters memorable and their plot lines presented with
many an unexpected twist and turn. The stuff of which Hallmark Movies are made, "A Satchel of Richards" is especially
and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Romance collections. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that this paperback edition of "A Satchel of Richards" from Periwink Press is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Lee Taylor lives and writes in one of the most bewitching forests in the Appalachians. She can be found
most mornings before daybreak in her "Yome Sweet Yome" (think "yurt" but so much better), loving all the tropes,
particularly the ones she turns on their heads. When not writing or hiking, Lee travels the country for a day job she loves
and is always on the lookout for an indie bookstore. And if the store is romance only, all the better.
(https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/51285582.Lee_Taylor)
Sorry, Not Sorry
Frances Mensah Williams
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781806006830, $42.00/$35.70, PB, Large Print, 410pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781806006830
Synopsis: Trainee relationship counselor Delilah Braithwaite is better at breaking couples up than bringing them together.
But after one break-up too many, she is suspended and ordered to get to grips with her own baggage if she hopes to get her
job back.
Desperate to prove she's not the problem, Delilah accepts a challenge from her sister: track down five exes and make
amends for dumping them all with no good reason. But when she runs into Noah (the fiance she left at the altar) her plans
take a complicated turn.
While Delilah seeks redemption, her own therapy sessions begin to unearth hidden secrets and painful truths she's long
avoided. But only when she's forced to confront the trauma of her past does she begin to understand that love means a
whole lot more than just saying sorry.
Critique: Original, exceptional, engaging, and profusely laced throughout with diabolically funny humor, "Sorry, Not
Sorry" by Frances Mensah Williams will hold immense appeal for fans of problematical romances. Unexpected plot twists,
memorable characters, and a deftly crafted and a witty storytelling style that raises this romance novel to an impressive
level of literary excellence, and the stuff of which Hallmark Movie Channel films are made, this large print paperback
edition of "Sorry, Not Sorry" from Boldwood Books is unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and
community library Contemporary Romance Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Frances Mensah Williams is a Londoner of Ghanaian origin and the author of the From Pasta to Pigfoot
romance series. Frances writes novels set in both London and contemporary Ghana, where the stories play out against a
backdrop of locations ranging from high-rise office buildings to modern shopping malls, pristine beaches, night clubs, art
galleries and restaurants. An award-winning entrepreneur and Executive Coach, Frances has also written two non-fiction
careers books. Contact Frances via Twitter - @FrancesMensahW- or Facebook - francesmensahwilliams - or Instagram -
francesmensahw
The Western Fiction Shelf
Showdown at Squaw Pass
Robert B. McNeill
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444855326, $25.00/$21.25, PB, Large Print, 204pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781444855326
Synopsis: When two drovers are found dead on the Western Trail near the Texas town of Cutter's Crossing, marshals Hank
Ross and Abe Naylor aim to find their killers and bring them to justice.
Their task is complicated when the local schoolteacher, Alice Carnaby, is kidnaped by the drovers' killer, who heads for
Mexico with her. Hank Ross and Abe Naylor join forces with George Bowman, a half-breed Indian tracker, and set out
after them.
Meanwhile, a sinister local rancher has his own reasons to make sure the marshals don't succeed in freeing Alice. He is an
unscrupulous individual with ambitions to run for governor in the state elections to be held in 1876.
The schoolteacher and the marshals have discovered something that could scupper his ambitions. He sends four men to
make sure that she and the marshals are eliminated. The rancher is determined there will be no witnesses -- and therefore
no trial.
Critique: A simply riveting read from start to finish, "Showdown at Squaw Pass" by Robert B. McNeill is western
action/adventure at its best. Especially appropriate and recommended for community library Western Fiction collections,
this large print paperback edition of "Showdown at Squaw Pass" from the Linford Western Library is a solid pick for the
personal reading lists of all western fiction fans and readers.
Editorial Note: A prolific author, the novels of Robert B. McNeill are listed online at Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/6507084.Robert_B_McNeill
The Man Who Burned Hell!
Sam Clancy
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444855784, $25.00/$21.25, PB, Large Print, 253pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781444855784
Synopsis: The little town was Serenity: in name and nature. Then the railroad and miners came, dragging violence and
death behind them. Renamed Hell, the sleepy town changed under the rule of Ike Cordis. Known as The Devil, Cordis
controlled The Three Horsemen, the fastest guns in town. Long forgotten was the fourth horseman - a man riding a blue
roan. A man determined to make The Devil burn in Hell!
Critique: An absolute and compulsive page turner of an action/adventure western, "The Man Who Burned Hell!" by Sam
Clancy is impressively original, deftly crafted, and a fun read from cover to cover. The stuff of which 1970s Spaghetti
Western Movies were made, this large print paperback edition of "The Man Who Burned Hell!" from the Linford Western
Library is a prime pick for personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Sam Clancy is an Australian and the author of numerous Westerns. A listing of his books is online at:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16371002.Sam_Clancy
McAllister's Last Ride
Bill Cartwright
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444855357, $25.00/$21.25, PB, Large Print, 231pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781444855357
Synopsis: When Marshal Brent McAllister is told by the doctor that he has less than a year to live, he decides that he will
not wait passively for death to overtake him. Instead, he determines to hunt down and dispose of the worst men in the state;
vicious and depraved criminals, whom the law cannot touch. It is McAllister's expectation that in the course of this quest,
he may find a quick and easy death from a bullet, rather than a lingering end in a hospital bed.
Critique: Original, clever, gun play packed, and a riveting read from start to finish, this large print paperback edition of
author Bill Cartwright's "McAllister's Last Ride" from the Linford Western Library is a solid and enduringly recommended
pick for both the personal reading lists of dedicated western action/adventure fans and community/public library Western
Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Bill Cartwright is also the author of "The Holdfast", "Gunfight at Hilton's Crossing", "La Jolla, Jewel of
My Childhood", and co-author of "If These Walls Could Talk: Chicago Bulls: Stories from the Sideline, Locker Room, and
Press Box of the Chicago Bulls Dynasty".
McClain
Will Keen
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444855234, $25.00/$21.25, PB, Large Print, 229pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781444855234
Synopsis: Deputy Marshal McClain is found in his home, kneeling over his dead wife's body, holding the bloody knife that
had killed her. Accused of her murder, he escapes from jail and stumbles across evidence pointing to her killers. So begins
a long manhunt that takes him from Arizona to the Texas Gulf Coast and a town on the shores of Laguna Madre. There,
tangling with the Skeltons, a family of bootleggers, brings to McClain more startling information that sees him heading
back to Arizona. Tormented by guilt, he at last meets his wife's killer, and deals with him in a way he would never have
expected.
Critique: An original, riveting and deftly crafted action/adventure western, this large print paperback edition from the
Linford Western Library of "McClain" by novelist Will Keen is especially and unreservedly recommended for community
library Western Fiction collections and the personal reading lists of dedicated western fans.
Editorial Note: Will Keen was raised in North Wales during the war years, and began writing short stories while in the
army in the 1960s. While living in Australia he had general and romance stories published in national magazines, later
several crime stories in The Alfred Hitchcock Magazine. He worked for 10 years in the 1980s and 1990s as a freelance
feature writer and photographer for two North Wales newspaper groups. Since then have published some 60 nonfiction
books and novels. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/625703.Will_Keen)
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Golden Age Christmas Mysteries
Otto Penzler, editor
American Mystery Classics
c/o Penzler Publishers
https://penzlerpublishers.com
9781613167014, $27.95, HC, 360pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Mysteries-Presents-American-Classics/dp/1613167016
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/golden-age-christmas-mysteries-otto-penzler/1147066717
Synopsis: Christmas has served as a fertile background for mystery fiction for a very long time, perhaps because it has the
appearance of a time of peace and love while being so at odds with violence, crime, and even murder.
Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by Otto Penzler, "Golden Age Christmas Mysteries" is delightful seasonal
anthology that includes holiday mystery short stories crafted by some of the greatest Golden Age mystery authors.
"Golden Age Christmas Mysteries" showcases such icons of the genre as Ellery Queen, Mary Roberts Rinehart, John D.
MacDonald, and John Dickson Carr, plus introducing lesser-known writers such as Norvell Page, Meredith Nicholson, and
Pat Frank. With chronicles that range from truly chilling to heart-warming to hilarious to puzzling, this singular volume
highlights a variety of subjects and styles as each author brings their own approach to the most wonderful time of the
year.
Critique: Comprised of fourteen outstanding short stories of Yuletide mystery selected and introduced by Edgar-winning
anthologist Otto Penzler, "Golden Age Christmas Mysteries" is a mystery lover's delight and a fun read from cover to
cover. Highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, "Golden Age Christmas Mysteries" is an
ideal Christmas gift for any and all dedicated mystery buffs. It should be noted that this hard cover edition of "Golden Age
Christmas Mysteries" from American Mystery Classics is also readily available in paperback (9781613167021, $17.95)
and in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.48).
Editorial Note: Otto Penzler, the creator of American Mystery Classics. He is also the founder of The Mysterious Press
(1975); MysteriousPress.com (2011), an electronic-book publishing company; and New York City's Mysterious Bookshop
(1979). He has won a Raven, the Ellery Queen Award, two Edgars (for the Encyclopedia of Mystery and Detection, 1977,
and The Lineup, 2010), and lifetime achievement awards from NoirCon and The Strand Magazine. He has edited more
than 70 anthologies and written extensively about mystery fiction
Have You Seen Him
Kimberly Lee
https://www.kimberlylee.me
Butterfly Effect Press
9798991867214, $16.99, PB, 268pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Have-You-Seen-Him-Kimberly/dp/B0FB88YBBF
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/have-you-seen-him-kimberly-lee/1147495825
Synopsis: For David Byrdsong life is just a series of daily obligations. An attorney, he lacks both ambition and the ability
to commit to a long-term relationship with his girlfriend, Gayle. Abandoned by his family at an airport when he was
eleven, he learned to blunt his feelings, despite his subsequent adoption by a loving couple.
Then one day David discovers his own face in a missing child ad. Suddenly driven to uncover the truth about his past, he is
forced to tap into his inner strength as he encounters corporate conspiracies, murdered bystanders, and distressing
suspicions about the only family he's ever really trusted.
David enlists Gayle's help and the help of an unlikely stranger with secrets of his own as he attempts to find his true family
-- whoever they are.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, "Have You Seen Him" by author Kimberly Lee is an impressively engaging, cleverly
scripted, and simply riveting read from start to finish. Especially recommended fans of unique suspense thrillers, and
showcasing the author's genuine flair for the kind of narrative driven storytelling that reader's will find relentlessly
compelling, "Have You Seen Him" is an unreservedly pick for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary
Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Have You Seen Him" from the Butterfly
Effect Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $1.99).
Editorial Note: Kimberly Lee, JD (https://www.kimberlylee.me) is a writer, workshop facilitator, and editor with a passion
for nurturing the imaginative spirit and helping others reveal their creative gifts. She holds degrees from Stanford
University and UC Davis School of Law.
Framed: A Thriller
Patricia Grayhall
www.PatriciaGrayhall.com
Rain City Press
9798218652616, $17.99, PB, 354pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Framed-Thriller-Patricia-Grayhall/dp/B0FRCW47GW
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/framed-patricia-grayhall/1148307789
Synopsis: Environmental attorney Jo Turner is building the case of a lifetime, suing World Petrol, one of the country's
largest refineries, for toxic emissions linked to rising cancer rates along the Houston Ship Channel. Her crucial evidence
comes from Dr. Tori Nelson, a respected physician and Jo's college crush, whose research exposes devastating community
health impacts.
But just as the lawsuit gains momentum, Tori is arrested for a shocking, high-profi le bank robbery. Jo knows it's a setup.
Someone is trying to silence Tori to bury the findings that could bring World Petrol down.
As Jo races to prove Tori's innocence, she uncovers a chilling conspiracy involving Tori's estranged husband, a mysterious
woman, and shadowy figures complicit in environmental crimes. With Tori's freedom, career, and the lives of an entire
community at stake, Jo will risk it all to expose the truth-before it's too late!
Critique: Original, clever, deftly written, and a simply riveting read from start to finish, "Framed" is a consummate legal
thriller by novelist Patricia Grayhall. The stuff of which high-tension movies are made, "Framed" showcases the author's
genuine flair for the kind of narrative driven storytelling style that fully engages the reader with every twist and turn of the
carefully crafted plot. This trade paperback edition of "Framed" from Rain City Press is especially and unreservedly
recommended for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: Patricia Grayhall (www.PatriciaGrayhall.com) is a retired medical doctor and author of the memoir,
"Making the Rounds: Defying Norms in Love and Medicine", which garnered many awards, including the 2024 National
Indie Excellence Award for LGBTQIA Non-fiction and Memoir and the 2023 Best Indie Book Award Winner in LGBTQ
Memoir.
A Very Merry Murder
Kate Wells
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781836781462, $42.00/$35.70, PB, Large Print, 433pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781836781462
Synopsis: When Jude Gray inherited Malvern Farm, she never thought she'd become so used to farm life, let alone be good
at it! But now a beloved national TV show is coming to film their Christmas special on her land, celebrating the charm of
rural living and all Jude's achieved so far.
At least, that's the plan... until one of the crew is found dead in suspicious circumstances.
At first, it looks like a tragic accident, but when alibis start to crack, it seems like anything but. With a growing list of
suspects and enough behind-the-scenes drama to rival anything the cameras are capturing, Jude must dig deep to uncover
the truth.
Because someone on her farm is hiding a deadly secret - and this year, the season of goodwill may come with a killer
twist...
Critique: An amateur female sleuth drawn into solving a puzzling murder, "A Very Merry Murder" by British author Kate
Wells is the essential, exceptional, original cozy mystery -- and a riveting fun read from cover to cover. A 'must' for the
legions of cozy mystery fans, this large print paperback edition of "A Very Merry Murder" from Boldwood Books is highly
recommended for both personal reading lists and community/public library Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: Kate Wells (https://www.katewellscrime.co.uk) is the author of the Malvern Farm Mystery series for
adults. she also writes books for children as Kate Poels.
Murder In Trafalgar Square
Michelle Salter
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781835613078, $42.00/$35.70, PB, Large Print, 423.pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781835613078
Synopsis: London, 1910 -- Coral Fairbanks is a contradiction. As well as a suffragette, she's a bit-part actress and nude
model, which is earning her the disapproval of her fellow suffragettes.
Guy Flynn is an artist. He's also a detective inspector at Scotland Yard, who doesn't always see eye to eye with fellow
officers in the Metropolitan Police.
When Home Secretary Winston Churchill orders the police to terrorize the suffragettes during an afternoon of violence that
becomes known as Black Friday, the battlelines are drawn -- and Coral Fairbanks and Guy Flynn are on different
sides.
But when a young suffragette is found murdered in the National Portrait Gallery and one of their paintings is stolen,
Fairbanks and Flynn must put their differences aside and combine their knowledge to track down the killer.
Critique: An historical cozy mystery that is impressively original, deftly crafted, replete with unexpected plot twists, and a
simply riveting read from start to finish, this large print paperback edition of author Michelle Salter's "Murder in Trafalgar
Square" from Boldwood Books is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for both the personal reading lists
of dedicated mystery buffs and community library Historical Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: Michelle Salter (https://www.michellesalter.com) is the successful and prolific author of historical and
cozy crime fiction. Her acclaimed Edwardian and 1920s murder mysteries blend rich historical detail with gripping,
twisting plots. Michelle's character-driven books feature suffragettes, trailblazing women, Scotland Yard detectives, and
secrets from the First World War. When she's not writing, Michelle enjoys researching history, exploring Britain's heritage,
and sharing fascinating facts from the Edwardian era and Roaring Twenties on her blog and social media. She lives in
Hampshire, England, and loves reading classic crime novels, amateur sleuth mysteries, and Golden Age whodunits.
The Mistletoe Murder Club
Katie Marsh
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781836787372, $42.00/$35.70, PB, Large Print, 369pp
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781836787372
Synopsis: When Clio (a former actress and currently struggling private detective) manages to score a key role in the town's
Christmas pantomime, she's secretly delighted. At last, perhaps, her talents will be recognized?
It's all going dramatically well, until their esteemed director is found murdered on the opening night. And Clio knows it's
up to her to find out who the mistletoe murderer is.
She knows her best chance of capturing the culprit is to bring her best friends Amber and Jeanie into the cast. Even if the
best way to sneak them in is to carefully conceal them both in a pantomime cow costume.
But before she can cry 'he's behind you', all of them will be in danger for their lives, as there's a murderer with only one
thing on their mind... to bring the curtain down on the Mistletoe Murder Club. Forever.
Critique: An original, impressively written, and thoroughly fun read that will be of particular interest to dedicated fans of
the cozy mystery, this large print paperback edition of author Katie Marsh's "The Mistletoe Murder Club" from Boldwood
Books will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense
collections.
Editorial Note: Katie Marsh (https://katie-marsh.com) wrote romantic fiction before turning to crime. Her debut novel was
a World Book Night pick and her books are published in twelve languages. She lives in the English countryside and loves
strong coffee and pretending to be in charge of her children. Katie spends far too much time on Instagram, where she loves
to talk all things bookish with her readers who are invited to say hello @katiemarshauthor
Rose Dhu
Mark Murphy
www.mark-e-murphy.com
GFB
c/o Girl Friday Productions
https://www.girlfridayproductions.com
9781967510702, $19.95, PB, 378pp
9781967510719, $9.99, Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Rose-Dhu-Novel-Mark-Murphy-ebook/dp/B0FR79T2B7
Girl Friday Productions
https://www.girlfridayproductions.com/titles/rose-dhu
Synopsis: Dr. Janie O'Connor's disappearance from her Savannah estate, Rose Dhu, has shocked the town to its core. Her
former fiance, Phillip Carruthers (once the most eligible bachelor in coastal Georgia and the playboy son of Savannah's
most powerful billionaire family) is the prime suspect.
Phillip maintains his innocence and seems to have an airtight alibi, and the case has local police stumped. But Detective
Frank Winger, who has his own personal connection to Janie's family, is determined to discover what happened... as long
as false witnesses, evidence tampering, and ghosts from his past don't get in the way.
When back-door dealings and long-forgotten enemies reveal themselves, will Frank be able to distinguish fact from fiction
to figure out what happened to Janie? Or will her whereabouts stay shrouded in the shadows of Savannah's live oaks?
Critique: Original, cleverly scripted, thoroughly engaging, and a fun read for dedicated mystery buffs from start to finish,
"Rose Dhu" showcases author Mark Murphy's genuine flair for the kind of narrative driven and deftly crafted storytelling
style that lifts his novel to an impressive level of literary excellence. Defined characters, a riveting plot with many
unexpected twists and turns, "Rose Dhu" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and
community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Rose
Dhu" from GFB is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Mark E. Murphy (www.mark-e-murphy.com) is a native of Savannah, Georgia. He has worked as a
fast-food worker, marine biologist, orderly, ordained minister, and gastroenterologist -- his current "day job." When he's
not healing the sick, he writes anything he can -- newspaper columns, short stories, magazine articles, and textbook
chapters. "Rose Dhu" is his third novel.
Wrong Hand Right
William Michael Ried
https://www.wmrauthor.com
CK Books Publishing
https://ckbookspublishing.com
9781966219163, $15.99, PB, 284pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Wrong-Hand-Right-William-Michael/dp/1966219164
Synopsis: In the neon-glare and grit of 1980s New York with its graffiti-streaked subways, squeegee men at stop lights,
dive bars and an old-world gentlemen's club, left-handed lawyer Finnegan Alger has built a routine of chasing trademark
counterfeiters and hapless romance -- until a deadly crime upends his life.
Navy pilots are dying, and Finn stumbles upon the cause. This should be the big break to make his career, but why does
everyone press him to look away? A pervasive cover-up forces him to confront more than the ghosts of his childhood
tragedy and grudge against the right-handed world. In a city built on ambition and silence, what will one outsider risk for
justice -- or retribution?
Critique: Riveting, original, exceptional, deftly crafted and an inherently fascinating read from start to finish, "Wrong
Hand Right" is an extraordinary blend of legal thriller and conspiratorial urban crime fiction. Showcasing author William
Michael Ried's extraordinary storytelling style as a novelist, "Wrong Hand Right" is an especially and unreservedly
recommended addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists
of suspense/thriller fans that this paperback edition of "Wrong Hand Right" from CK Books Publishing is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: William Michael Ried (https://www.wmrauthor.com) practices law in New York City and is the author of
four other award-winning novels: "Five Ferries", "Backstory", "Pandion" and "Two Degrees: A Climate Change
Novel".
A Shot of Scandal
Simone Stier
https://simonestier.com
Independently Published
9798338603468, $12.99, PB, 244pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Shot-Scandal-Cafe-Crimes-Mystery/dp/B0DGF21V5Q
Synopsis: Parker Hayes (a former true-crime podcaster turned aspiring cafe owner) thought swapping the hustle of big-city
life for the charm of Magnolia Grove would be a piece of cake... or at least a slice of pie! But when a high-society gala at
the historic Beauregard Mansion ends with a murder and the theft of the priceless Magnolia Rose necklace, Parker's
peaceful plans quickly go up in steam.
Between renovating her new cafe and navigating small-town secrets, Parker finds herself in the middle of a mystery
steeped in scandal, lies and lattes. Can she sift through Magnolia Grove's dirty laundry, catch a killer and still get her cafe
up and running?
Critique: Another gem of a cozy mystery by Simone Stier, "A Shot of Scandal" is the latest addition to her 'A Cafe Crimes
Cozy Mystery' series. Original, clever, well written, and a memorably fun read from cover to cover, "A Shot of Scandal"
continues to showcase Simone Stier's gift for the cozy mystery genre where an amateur female sleuth finds herself having
to solve a puzzling 'whodunnit' murder mystery. While a very highly recommended pick for community/public library
Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of the legions of Simone Stier fans that this
hardcover edition of "A Shot of Scandal" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).
Editorial Note: Simone Stier (https://simonestier.com) is the author of the Cafe Crimes cozy mystery series, featuring
quirky characters, small-town secrets and twisty whodunits. Alongside her husband Peter, she writes heartwarming
mysteries with a dash of humor and Southern charm.
Editorial Note #2: Simone Stier's "Cafe Crimes" series are 'stand alone' reads and is currently comprised thus far of:
A Shot of Scandal
A Drizzle of Danger
A Blend of Betrayal
A Measure of Mayhem
A Sprinkle of Secrets
A Hint of Homicide
A Dash of Deceit
A Pinch of Peril
A Brew of Blunders
A Roast of Revenge
A Crumble of Chaos
A Dusting of Doubt
A Twist of Trouble
A Dollop of Disaster
A Whisk of Woes
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Motherless America: How History Became Mute
Jonathan DeCoteau
Animus Nor Books
9798999419613, $9.99, PB, 200pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Motherless-America-History-Became-Mute/dp/B0FH4VX435
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/motherless-america-jonathan-decoteau/1147945396
Synopsis: In an uncertain future, nothing is more dangerous than an original idea. The Oracle, the greatest artificial
intelligence program ever known, has erased history. In its place, The Oracle has created a post-racial society canceling
words, peoples, moments, and ideas that cause the slightest disturbance to the greater peace. The Oracle controls all
thought and language.
Gabriel Prosser, the slave behind Gabriel's Rebellion, is reborn with an original idea: that mankind should be free. He pulls
back the veil of the cybernetic world to realize that The Oracle is lying about history, insisting that slavery never existed.
Now Gabriel must fight The Oracle's top security file to stage a new rebellion. Gabriel must free an America unaware it's
even enslaved from the very technology that binds it!
Critique: Original, unique, clever, exceptional, deftly crafted, and a simply fascinating, thought-provoking read,
"Motherless America: How History Became Mute" will be of special interest to fans of science fiction in general, and
dystopian novels in particular. Author Jonathan DeCoteau has a fertile imagination and a genuine flair for the kind of
vivid, narrative driven storytelling style that keeps the reader's rapt attention from start to finish. The kind of novel that will
linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf,
"Motherless America: How History Became Mute" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and
college/university library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of
"Motherless America: How History Became Mute" from Animus Nor Books is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, 2.99).
Editorial Note: Jonathan DeCoteau is a nature lover who is firmly convinced that animals are smarter than most humans.
He lives and teaches in beautiful, pastoral New England. See on-line character profiles and author info at
www.waroftheanimals.com
The Tartarus Conspiracy: Seven Thrilling Days Before Dystopia
William J. Oxfield, author
Diego Sanguino, illustrator
Mark Legatt and Rodney Hatfield, contributors
Oxfield Books
9789083611129, $24.99, HC, 500pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Tartarus-Conspiracy-Thrilling-Before-Dystopia/dp/9083611124
Synopsis: What begins with a cryptic phone call plunges investigative journalist Amanda VanderBilt into a labyrinth of
hidden research, secret military experiments, and a conspiracy so vast it spans continents, faiths, and centuries.
Her grandfather vanished decades ago in a top-secret facility. Her father, once a respected historian, was discredited for
uncovering too much. Now Amanda must follow their trail into the shadows they died to expose, before reality itself is
rewritten by powers older than civilization.
From encrypted notebooks to bloodstained sigils, from Washington's corridors of influence to sacred sites in India and
Iran, she uncovers a chilling truth. The Watchers, exiled beings once dismissed as religious myth, are awakening beneath
the surface of world events. As celestial alignments converge and religious prophecies blur into terrifying unity,
individuals across the globe begin to vanish without explanation.
With only seven days before a cataclysmic revelation, Amanda races to connect the final pieces. Humanity's last hope may
lie in the hands of those the world has long forgotten.
Critique: Original, riveting, deftly crafted, and an inherently fascinating read from start to finish, "The Tartarus
Conspiracy: Seven Thrilling Days Before Dystopia" by the team of William J. Oxfield (Author), Diego Sanguino
(Illustrator), Mark Legatt and Rodney Hatfield (Contributors) is a gripping dystopian thriller laced with elements of
fantasy/science fiction and blending ancient myth, geopolitical intrigue, and apocalyptic prophecy into a relentless tale of
survival and revelation. Especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community/public library
Fantasy & Science Fiction dystopian thriller collections, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "The Tartarus
Conspiracy: Seven Thrilling Days Before Dystopia" from Oxfield Books is also readily available in paperback
(9789083611112, $17.990 and in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note #1: William J. Oxfield is a writer, pianist, and analytical thinker who believes that every story begins where
certainty ends. Largely self-taught in both music and writing, he has spent over a decade exploring how truth, perception,
and belief shape the human experience.
By day, William leads operations in IT infrastructure, managing a team of more than 200 professionals and service partners
across the globe. The precision and systems thinking of his professional life contrast sharply - and harmoniously - with the
creative freedom of his nights, where he composes stories and melodies that ask what lies beneath order and chaos.
His debut novel, The Tartarus Conspiracy: Seven Thrilling Days Before Dystopia, is the culmination of twelve years of
imagination, discipline, and rediscovery. What began as a challenge to create outside music became a world of secrets,
myths, and philosophical intrigue - anchored by a question that haunts his characters and himself: what if truth isn't
relative, only hidden?
William has already completed the drafts for his next stories, continuing his exploration of the boundaries between truth
and illusion. When he isn't writing, he finds calm behind the piano, running and being with his family.
Island and Main: The Sudden Quiet
Joshua Veith
https://www.joshuaveith.com
Independently Published
9798281411936, $65.00, HC, 486pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Island-Main-Sudden-Quiet-Book/dp/B0F7LN8FQT
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/island-and-main-joshua-veith/1145640286
Synopsis: Society has collapsed, the modern age has expired, and global mortality is curving toward 99 percent. In
northern Michigan, the electrical grid has been down for over a year.
Three scouts, all uninfected, start on a mission from Beaver Island to the darkened mainland.
They're on a search for allies and information, led by Keith Two-Crow, a Vietnam veteran and Ojibwe elder. Keith's two
charges, Mukwa and Miin, are foster siblings unrelated by blood but connected to the green-pulse of the planet by their
adoptive grandmother, Samantha, a traditional healer and mystic.
After reaching the mainland, the scouts are targeted by traffickers, befriended by eco-elves, and are astonished at Mother
Nature's resurgence and recovery.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, compelling, "Island and Main: The Sudden Quiet" by novelist Joshua Veith is Book 1 of
a 2 volume series and will have an extraordinary appeal to readers with an interest in Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic fiction.
While "Island and Main" is a dark and dramatic exploration of the collapse of human civilization, it also has an ultimate
message of hope, healing, and redemption made possible by the perseverance and recovery made possible by the support of
community and a respect for the healing qualities of nature. An entertaining and fascinating read from start to finish,
"Island and Main: The Sudden Quiet" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Science Fiction
collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated SF fans that this hardcover edition of "Island and
Main: The Sudden Quiet" is also readily available in paperback (9781961302624, $19.95) and in a digital book format
(Kindle, $7.95).
Editorial Note: Joshua Veith (https://www.joshuaveith.com) is an educator, adventurer, and outdoor enthusiast. He earned
an MA in Literature from Eastern Michigan University. Josh strives to be an Indigenous ally, recognizing that traditional
relationships with the environment offer the most sustainable pathways for humankind's interaction with the planet.
The Poetry Shelf
Dissociative Effect
Jacqueline S. Redmer
Shanti Arts
https://shantiarts.co
9781962082822, $15.95, PB, 86pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Dissociative-Effect-Jacqueline-S-Redmer/dp/1962082822
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dissociative-effect-jacqueline-s-redmer/1148304369
Shanti Arts
https://shantiarts.co/uploads/files/pqr/REDMER_EFFECT.html
Synopsis: "Dissociative Effect" by physical and poet Jacqueline S. Redmer offers reflections on several common narratives
of girlhood as well as the her own personal journey to a more embodied self. In the introduction.
The poetry of Dr. Redmer reminds us that humans have evolved to "think in stories, to talk in stories, to narrate an
unfolding autobiography to ourselves in stories..." She also reminds us that the narrative process is a template for healing
as our narrative lives can be rewritten, retold, restoried.
The "dissociative effect" is a reference to the anesthetic ketamine and the distance one can sometimes feel from living an
embodied, authentic life. It is also a testimonial to the perspective that is a necessary part of healing and the wisdom that
can come from aging.
Dr. Redmer uses "Dissociative Effect" as her own blueprint for healing, exposing lessons learned when one looks deeply at
the difficulties encountered in living a life. She writes, "I opened you up to me. And there/in the radiance of darkness/were
the seeds for a deserving life." The topics covered in this manuscript are universal, and many readers will connect deeply
with this content.
Critique: Original, deftly scripted, insightful, thought provoking, written with both wit and wisdom, intimately personal yet
with a universal resonance, the verse comprising "Dissociative Effect" by Dr. Jacqueline Redmer is an absorbing,
meditative, and fascinating collection -- and one that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after it has
been finished and set back upon the shelf. This paperback edition of "Dissociative Effect" from Shanti Arts is especially
and unreservedly recommended for personal and community library Contemporary American Poetry collections.
Editorial Note: Jacqueline S. Redmer M.D. (https://www.jacquelineredmer.com) practices family medicine and palliative
care in the Driftless Region of southwest Wisconsin. She started writing poetry during the Covid pandemic to steady
herself during the brief pauses of a busy life. Her writing has been published in Examined Life Journal, The Intima Journal,
Bramble, Wisconsin Poets Calendar, and Kevin MD Blog. She recently completed the Columbia University Narrative
Medicine CPA program and has pursued creative writing courses through Stanford University Continuing Studies
Program. On a personal note -- her favorite place to write is in her backyard sauna.
The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
Walt Disney's Donald Duck "Donald Duck Finds Pirate Gold"
Carl Barks
Fantagraphics
www.fantagraphics.com
9798875001130, $39.99, HC, 240pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Walt-Disneys-Donald-Finds-Pirate/dp/B0DLZ1QWP3
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/walt-disneys-donald-duck-donald-duck-finds-pirate-gold-carl-barks/1146518057
Synopsis: With the publication of "Walt Disney's Donald Duck "Donald Duck Finds Pirate Gold": The Complete Carl
Barks Disney Library Vol. 1", Fantagraphics presents Carl Barks's very first Donald Duck stories! This is where it all
started, as Carl Barks took control of Donald Duck's comic book adventures and began a series of clever, creative,
complex, and comedic stories that would continue under his cartooning brilliance for more than 20 years -- and would
guarantee his place in comics history.
Volume 1 in "The Complete Carl Barks Disney Library" is, naturally, filled with firsts: Barks's first comic book story
(starring Pluto), the first Donald Duck story created for an American comic book (and also the first to see Donald and his
nephews go on a treasure hunt), Barks's first Donald 10-pager, Barks's first truly solo Donald Duck story, and Barks's first
solo longer-form Donald Duck adventure ("The Mummy's Ring").
With more than 200 pages of story and art, each meticulously restored and newly colored, and the insightful story notes by
an international panel of Barks experts, this long-awaited collection of stories makes clear what generations of Disney fans
have always known: Carl Barks's work as The Good Duck Artist is some of the greatest American cartooning in the history
of the medium.
Critique: With full-color illustrations throughout and issue in a graphic novel format, "Walt Disney's Donald Duck
"Donald Duck Finds Pirate Gold": The Complete Carl Barks Disney Library Vol. 1" is a 'must' for the legions of dedicated
Donald Duck fans and an ideal, welcome introduction to one of Walt Disney's most popular characters (arguably second to
only Mickey Mouse) in the comic book adaptations of Disney characters. A fun read from cover to cover, "Walt Disney's
Donald Duck "Donald Duck Finds Pirate Gold": The Complete Carl Barks Disney Library Vol. 1" also features Bonus
Story Notes, 'Comic Readers Find Comic Gold' by Maggie Thompson, 'Carl Barks: Life Among the Ducks' by Carl Barks,
a listing of the contributors, a listing of 'Where Did These Duck Stories First Appear', and 'The Complete Carl Barks
Disney Library'. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $28.99), this hardcover edition from Fantagraphics
is a unique and solidly recommended addition to personal, community, and college/university library Comics & Graphic
Novels collections.
Editorial Note: Carl Barks (March 27, 1901 - August 25, 2000) was one of the most brilliant and acclaimed cartoonists of
the 20th century, entertained millions of readers around the world with his timeless tales of Donald Duck and Barks's most
famous character creation, Uncle Scrooge. Over the course of his career, he wrote and drew more than 500 comics stories
totaling more than 6,000 pages, most anonymously. He achieved international acclaim only after he semi-retired in 1968.
Among many other honors, Barks was one of the three initial inductees into the Will Eisner Comic Awards Hall of Fame
in 1987. (The other two were Jack Kirby and Will Eisner.) In 1991, Barks became the first Disney comic book artist to be
recognized as a "Disney Legend," a special award created by Disney "to acknowledge and honor the many individuals
whose imagination, talents, and dreams have created the Disney magic." He has been similarly honored in many other
countries around the world.
Turn Loose Our Death Rays And Kill Them All!
Fletcher Hanks, author
Paul Karasik, editor
Fantagraphics
www.fantagraphics.com
9798875001444, $44.99, PB, 376pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Loose-Death-Rays-Kill/dp/B0DXSWQZJB
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/turn-loose-our-death-rays-and-kill-them-all-fletcher-hanks/1123506755
Fantagraphics
https://www.fantagraphics.com/products/turn-loose-our-death-rays-and-kill-them-all-the-complete-works-of-fletcher-hank
s-softcover
Synopsis: Fletcher Hanks was arguably the first great comic book auteur: He wrote, penciled, inked, and lettered all of his
own stories -- which was an unprecedented solo act in the 1940s comic book industry. Between 1939 and 1941 he created
nearly 50 comics stories, all unified by a uniquely artistic vision that was primitive, bizarre, and singularly
idiosyncratic.
Whether it's the superhero Stardust doling out ice cold slabs of poetic justice, or the jungle protectress Fantomah tearing
evildoers from limb to ragged limb, contemporary readers will be stunned by the pop surrealism and unfiltered violent
mayhem of Hanks' work.
Featuring full-color illustrations throughout, deftly edited by Paul Karasik, the new paperback edition of "Turn Loose Our
Death Rays And Kill Them All!: The Complete Works Of Fletcher Hanks" from Fantagraphics brings back into print all of
Hanks' previously published material and is the most complete collection of his work.
Critique: Fletcher Hanks Sr. was an iconic American cartoonist from the Golden Age of Comic Books, who wrote and
drew stories detailing the adventures of all-powerful, supernatural heroes and their elaborate punishments of transgressors.
Hanks also worked under a number of pen names, including Hank Christy, Charles Netcher, C. C. Starr, and Barclay
Flagg. Hanks was active in comic books from 1939 until his death in 1941. This large format (7.8 x 1.2 x 10.3 inches, 2.95
pounds) trade paperback edition of "Turn Loose Our Death Rays And Kill Them All!: The Complete Works Of Fletcher
Hanks" is a highly recommended acquisition for personal, professional, community, and college/university library
American Comics/Graphic Novels collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. Bringing back from an
undeserved obscurity the work of an exemplary comic book writer/illustrator from the pre-World War 2 era of the
American comic book, it should be noted that "Turn Loose Our Death Rays And Kill Them All!: The Complete Works Of
Fletcher Hanks" is also readily available from Fantagraphics in a digital book format (Kindle, $31.99).
Editorial Note #1: Fletcher Hanks (December 1, 1889 - January 22, 1976) was an artist who, under various pseudonyms,
wrote, drew, penciled, and inked his entire body of comics work from 1939 - 1941. Some consider his Fantomah character
to be the first female superhero. He was an abusive alcoholic who was found frozen to death on a park bench.
Editorial Note #2: Paul Karasik (https://www.paulkarasikcomics.com) is a cartoonist who appears in the New Yorker, the
co-author (along with David Mazzucchelli) of the perennial graphic novel classic City of Glass, adapted from Paul Auster's
novel, and the co-author (with Marc Newgarden) of the ultimate deconstruction of Ernie Bushmiller's Nancy, How to Read
Nancy.
The Audiobook Shelf
Fate of Echoes and Embers
C.L. Mecca, author
Kate Handford, narrator
Max Dowler, narrator
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781836563006, $90.95/$77.31, CD (9 Hours 3 Minutes)
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/uk/search/9781836563006
Synopsis: Marek spent years running from a past that still haunts him, and for an immortal, that's a hell of a long time. But
when an ancient power rises from the ocean's depths, he is forced back into the one place he swore he'd never return. And
into the arms of the only woman he ever loved.
Lady Isolde has built her life on control... of her lands, her legacy, and the feelings she buried the day a dashing
Thalassarian captain disappeared. When he returns, asking for her help to retrieve the legendary Wind Crystal, she agrees,
even knowing it could destroy her all over again.
The sea is rising. War is coming to Elydor. And the only thing more dangerous than the mission ahead is the passion
between Marek and Isolde that never really died.
Critique: Brought vividly to life in a true 'theatre of the mind' joint performance by co-narrators Kate Handford and Max
Dowler, "Fate of Echoes and Embers" by novelist C. L. Mecca will prove to be of special appeal to fans of the heroic
fantasy saga. Part of the author's 'Heirs of Elydor' series, this complete and unabridged audio book edition of "Fate of
Echoes and Embers" from Boldwood Books, with its hardcover plastic clamshell container, is an ideal selection pick for
community/public library Fantasy Fiction audio book collections. It should be noted for personal acquisition that "Fate of
Echoes and Embers" is also readily available in an MP3-CD format (9781836563013, $90.95/$71.31) and in a large print
paperback edition (9781836563068, $42.00/$35.70).
Editorial Note #1: C.L. Mecca (https://meccaromance.com) writes romantasy and paranormal romance filled with
slow-burn heat, magical worlds, and morally gray heroes. Her stories explore the thrill of forbidden magic, the weight of
destiny, and what it means to choose love without losing yourself.
Editorial Note #2: Kate Handford (https://www.voicesquad.com/artist/kate-handford) is an actress and award winning
voice artist. She has narrated over 150 audiobooks, has been awarded an Earphones Award by Audiofile Magazine, and
regularly works with Penguin, Macmillan, Bloomsbury and Hachette. She also narrates for The Guardian Long Read;
features in video games like Horizon: Kate is also a Shakespeare Tutor at the British American Drama Academy in
London, and serves as an audition panelist for MA Acting at her alma mater, the Royal Central School of Speech and
Drama.
Editorial Note #3: There is an online listing of books narrated by Max Dowler at Goodreads
(https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16876039.Max_Dowler)
Valour
Richard Cullen, author
Mark Meadows, narrator
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781836033691, $107.95/$91.76, CD (11 Hours 32 Minutes)
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781836033691
Synopsis: Burzenland 1223 AD -- King Andras II of Hungary has invited the Teutonic Knights to secure his eastern
frontier against the nomadic Cuman raiders, establishing fortresses along the Carpathian Mountains to quell the constant
incursions by pagan clans.
Estienne Wace, has found purpose serving at the Order's fortress of Rosenau, and he has earned respect through his
unflinching courage. When a Christian mission, led by Fabrisse of Avallon, arrives determined to convert a pagan clan
beyond the mountains, Estienne's warnings of danger fall on deaf ears.
News soon arrives of Fabrisse's capture and Estienne, along with a small band of knights, undertake a desperate rescue
mission through hostile territory where Estienne will face trials beyond endurance.
In the ensuing crucible of violence, he must decide what price he is willing to sacrifice for survival, justice, and
redemption, in a land where mercy is a luxury few can afford.
Critique: Original, imaginative, engaging, and a 'must' for anyone with an interest in carefully crafted and memorably
narrated historical action/adventure fiction set in medieval times, this complete and unabridged audio book of author
Richard Cullen's "Valour" from Boldwood Books is brilliantly brought to life by talented vocal actor Mark Meadows who
creates a true 'theatre of the mind" experience for the listener. Featuring a hard plastic case for an extended shelf life,
"Valour" is highly recommended for community library Historical Fiction audio book collections. It should be noted that
"Valour" is also available in an MP3-CD format (9781836033707, $107.95/$91.76) and in a large print paperback edition
(9781836033752, $42.00/$35.70).
Editorial Note #1: Richard Cullen is a writer of historical adventure from Leeds in the heartland of Yorkshire. His most
recent series, the Chronicles of the Black Lion, published by Boldwood Books, follows errant knight Estienne Wace
through the chaotic years of the early 13th Century. Book 1, Rebellion, and Book 2, Crusade, Book 3, Valour. As well as
being a writer of historical fiction, Richard has also written a number of epic fantasy series as R.S.Ford. He can be visited
on his website, Wordhog, and followed on Twitter at @rich4ord, or Instagram at thewordhog.
Editorial Note: Mark Meadows is an experienced narrator and actor who has narrated over 100 audiobooks. His works
include the 2013 Man Booker Prize winner The Luminaries as well as voice work for Ridley Scott's Prometheus. In
addition to his extensive theater, film, and television credits, he frequently contributes to plays, musicals, and readings for
BBC Radio 3 and 4. (https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=Mark+Meadows)
Camelot: The Chronicles of Arthur
Peter Gibbons, author
Sean Barrett, narrator
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781835182543, $107.95/$91.76, CD (10 Hours 50 Minutes)
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781835182543
Synopsis: With the abandonment of the Romans, Britain is sliding further and further into darkness. It has become a
splintered land ruled by brutal Kings in their hilltop fortresses and besieged by Saxon invaders.
Wielding Excalibur, Arthur Pendragon, king of kings is now all that stands between Britain and Saxon conquest.
His call to arms to unite against the Saxon invasion as one army is rebuked. Ancient rivalries, jealousy, and bitterness
prevent Arthur from uniting his countrymen in defiance of the savage Saxon warlords who have seized Britain's east and
south coast.
Arthur must face and defeat enemies within his own kingdom, and then unite the kingdoms of Britain in a war that will
shake the country's very foundations.
Can Arthur succeed with vicious enemies all around him? Merlin, Lancelot, Bors, Gawain and Kai join their swords to
Arthur's iron will as they do battle for Britain's very existence.
Critique: Original, riveting, and presenting author Peter Gibbons's absorbing historical series set in the ancient kingdoms
of post-Roman Britain, this complete and unabridged audio book edition of "Camelot: The Chronicles of Arthur" from
Boldwood Books is impressively narrated by the exceptionally talented vocal actor Sean Barrett. A fun and compelling
production from start to finish, this CD edition with its protective hard-shell plastic casing is an ideal and recommended
addition to community and public library Historical Fiction audio book collections. It should be noted for Peter Gibbons'
fans that "Camelot: The Chronicles of Arthur" is also available in an MP3-CD format (9781835182550, $107.95/$91.76)
and in a large print paperback edition (9781835182611, $42.00/$35.70).
Editorial Note #1: Peter Gibbons (https://petermgibbons.com) is an author based in Kildare in Ireland, with a passion for
Historical Fiction, Fantasy, and Science Fiction. His books include the Viking Blood and Blade Saga, the Saxon Warrior
series, and the Chronicles of Arthur series.
Ashes of Rebellion
Michael Jecks, author
John Telfer, narrator
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781837032761, $100.95/$85.81, CD (8 Hours 23 Minutes)
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781837032761
Synopsis: 1358 A.D. Northern France.
In a land ravaged by war, King John II is the prisoner of the King of England. His son, the teenaged Dauphin, must battle
to impose control over the fractured kingdom. But King Charles of Navarre wants to wrestle power for himself. He leads
Parisians and the Jacquerie to open rebellion, upending the social order, pitting noble against commoner in a brutal
struggle for power.
A free company of English men and boys, led by John Hawkwood, previously of Sir John de Sully's Vintaine, must
navigate the treacherous landscape with only their wits, combat skills and each other to rely on.
From the smouldering ruins of small French villages, to the blood-soaked battlefields, their journey is fraught with danger,
dogged by a mysterious enemy intent on revenge. As they face the harsh realities of medieval warfare, their bonds are
tested, and their fates intertwined with the destiny of a nation.
Critique: Author Michael Jecks mediaeval novel underlines the message that any game of thrones is a blood sport. Jecks
gritty historical story of royal intrigue and armed combat is aptly narrated and brought to life for the listener by the
impressive vocal storytelling talents of narrator John Telfer in the complete and unabridged audio book production of
"Ashes of Rebellion" from Boldwood Books. An ideal and highly recommended addition to community/public library
Historical Fiction audio book collections, it should be noted that this CD edition with its protective hard plastic clamshell
container is also available in an MP3-CD format (9781837032778, $100.95/$85.81) and in a large print paperback edition
(9781837032839, $40.00/$35.70).
Editorial Note #1: Michael Jecks (https://michaeljecks.co.uk) is the author of 54 novels, 6 novellas, a series of
collaborative novels, including "The Sinking Admiral" with the Detection Club, and 6 Medieval Murderers stories, as well
as one "How To" book, "Howdunit", also with the Detection Club.
Editorial Note #2: John Talfer is an AudioFile Earphones Award winning narrator and an actor best known for playing the
character of Willy Pettit in five seasons of Bergerac. He has appeared many times in various television dramas, while his
parallel theatrical career has involved him in leading roles at the Bristol Old Vic, the Royal National Theatre, the Old Vic
in London, and many regional theaters. He has made hundreds of radio broadcasts, and he plays the part of Alan, the vicar,
in The Archers.
Murder on an Italian Island
T. A. Williams, author
Simon Mattacks, narrator
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781835187968, $83.95/$71.36, CD (6 Hours 36 Minutes)
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781835187968
Synopsis: When private investigator, Dan Armstrong, and his girlfriend, Anna, are invited to the gorgeous island of Elba
for a much-needed break, he jumps at the chance. The thought of sun-drenched shores makes Dan promise Anna he won't
"play detective" for a whole week...
Their luxurious hotel, with its wonderful food and picturesque seaside views, seems the perfect escape, especially with
Dan's best friend Virgilio and his wife joining them. But the calm shatters with a sinister encounter and a sudden,
suspicious death...
Virgilio's past connection to the victim casts a long shadow, pulling Dan into a decades-old case. But beneath Elba's beauty
lie secrets and resentments. The victim was universally hated, but was his death the result of foul play or just a tragic
accident?
With his faithful canine companion, Oscar, Dan must once again unravel the island's mysteries, a task that soon takes a
decidedly personal and unsettling turn!
Critique: Author T. A. Williams is a master of the cozy mystery genre and "Murder on an Italian Island" is his newest
addition to the simply outstanding 'Armstrong and Oscar' series of 'whodunnit' mysteries set in magnificent described
Italian backgrounds. Strongly recommended as a high priority acquisition for community library Mystery/Suspense audio
book collections, it should be noted that this complete and unabridged CD edition with its hard plastic clamshell casing for
an extended shelf life is also readily available in an MP3-CD format (9781835187975, $83.95/$71.36) and in a large print
paperback edition (9781835188033, $42.00/$35.70).
Editorial Note #1: T. A. Williams has written all sorts of suspense thrillers, historical novels, romances, 'whodunnit'
mysteries, and numerous short stories. An extensive listing of his books is online at
https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/t-a-williams
Editorial Note #2: There is an extended listing of Simon Mattacks narrated audio books online at Goodreads --
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/narrator-simon-mattacks
The Atlantis Covenant
Rob Jones, author
Simon Mattacks, narrator
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781805579885, $90.95/$77.31, CD (8 Hours 15 Minutes)
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781805579885
Synopsis: When world-famous archaeologist and ex-soldier Max Hunter finds a mysterious artifact in a tomb beneath the
Gates of Nineveh, his lifelong dream of finding Atlantis comes one step closer. -- But he's not the only one looking for
it...
His discovery unleashes a high-speed hunt for the lost civilization between a mysterious Swiss foundation, the FBI, and the
world's most secretive society.
From the dangers of the Iraqi desert to Cuba and the jungles of El Salvador to the enigmatic Valley of the Kings in Egypt,
Hunter faces a race against time and murderous enemies who will stop at nothing to claim the greatest prize in history. As
he fights for his life, it soon becomes apparent that his enemies are searching for something altogether more sinister than
the lost city...
Hunter must use his unique ingenuity and knowledge to decipher the clues and find Atlantis (and its lethal treasures)
before they fall into enemy hands.
Critique: Packed from start to finish with action, adventure, and cliffhanger suspense, "The Atlantis Covenant" by novelist
Rob Jones showcases this author as an imaginative master of the genre. In this complete and unabridged CD audio book
edition dramatically narrated by vocal actor Simon Mattacks, the listener will be fully immersed in a thriller of a 'theater of
the mind' experience. While highly recommended as a popular pick for community/public library audio book collections
(and featuring a hard plastic clamshell casing for an extended shelf life), it should be noted that this CD edition of "The
Atlantis Covenant" from Boldwood Books is also available in an MP3-CD format (9781805579892, $90.95/$71.31), and
in a large print paperback edition (9781805579953, $42.00/$35.70).
Editorial Note #1: Rob Jones (www.robjonesnovels.com) has published over 40 novels in the action-adventure,
action-thriller and crime genres.
Editorial Note #2: There is an extended listing of Simon Mattacks narrated audio books online at Goodreads --
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/narrator-simon-mattacks
The Library CD Shelf
AZURE: Portraits of Sadness
Edmond Paul Nicodemi
https://edandcarolnicodemi.com
$11.99 CD / $7.99 MP3
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN3R5GPB
Ed and Carol Nicodemi's Store
https://edandcarolnicodemi.com/store
AZURE: Portraits of Sadness is a hauntingly beautiful music album primarily featuring Edmond Paul Nicodemi's
masterful solo piano talent (the tracks "Lonely Afternoon", Azure", and "Sad Reflections" balance Nicodemi's piano
artistry with cellist Rachel Gawell's superb performance). Nearly all songs are Nicodemi's original compositions, except
for two classical tracks written by Johann Sebastian Bach and Frederic Chopin. The songs of Azure were composed and
selected for their cathartic resonance with the emotions of grief, lost love, and melancholy; the deeply moving music
inspires the listener to reflect, remember, and treasure the moments that slipped by. Profound and deeply moving, AZURE:
Portraits of Sadness is a welcome addition to both personal and public library music collections. The tracks are Sad
Romance; Sudden Goodbye; Lonely Afternoon; Nothing But Time; Desolation; Concerto No. 3 in D Minor After
Marcello, BWV 974. II. Adagio (by J.S. Bach); Azure; Dark Heaven; Innocent Cry; Prelude, Opus 28, No 6 in B Minor (by
Frederic Chopin); and Sad Reflections.
Life Got in the Way
Heather McKay
heathermckaymusic.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $9.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://heathermckay.bandcamp.com/album/life-got-in-the-way-2
Composer, guitarist, and teacher Heather McKay presents Life Got in the Way, an album of original Latin jazz
compositions created over the course of twenty years. Nearly all tracks are created by McKay, except for track 6, "Run" by
Leonardo Lucini. An extraordinarily talented ensemble brings the songs to life: Heather McKay herself on guitar;
Leonardo Lucini on bass; Leland Nakamura on drums; Campbell Charshee on keyboard; Peter Fraize on saxophone; and
Bruno Lucini on percussion. Vibrant, vivacious, and inspirational, Life Got in the Way is a treasure for connoisseurs of
Latin jazz, highly recommended! The tracks are You Make Me Smile; Boo; Narraguagus Bay; Eleven Reasons Why; The
Playground (Sammy, Elle and G); Run; Things That Were Said; Kenyan Moon; and Lucini in the Park.
Where I Am Now
Kent Blazy
https://www.kentblazy.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FRKNRZ99
Where I Am Now is a contemporary American country music album of original songs written by Kent Blazy (except
"Once Upon a Rhyme", which was composed by Kent Blazy and Cory Batten). Kent Blazy presents a signature
performance on guitars and vocals, supported by Steve Allen on guitars, Lee Francis on bass, Kevin Murphy on drums, and
Billy McClaran on sax. Where I Am Now is honest, heartfelt, and a choice pick for country music connoisseurs and public
library collections. Highly recommended! The tracks are Once Upon a Rhyme; On Any Given Day; Thanking You Now;
American Dreamers; A Breeze; Gone Side of Goodbye; The America I Grew Up In; Music Meant Something; My
Wrecking Ball; Sometimes; and Where I Am Now.
Time Dances Past
Lynn Tredeau
www.lynntredeau.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Time-Dances-Past-Lynn-Tredeau/dp/B0FDD8C1LM
Time Dances Past is a new age solo piano album of captivating original music, composed and performed by extraordinarily
talented pianist Lynn Tredeau. Time Dances Past entrances the listener with its distilled beauty, in a reflective soundscape
inspired by the small moments of everyday life. Ideal for creative inspiration, relaxation, or simple auditory pleasure, Time
Dances Past is highly recommended for both personal and public library music collections. The tracks are Her Hands;
Special Wish; Small Town Summer; Thread the Needle; Daisies in Her Hair; Falling Softly; Socks on Shoes; It's
Complicated; Capture the Breeze Wild Horses; When I Dream; One Last Time; and Turn the Page.
While We Were There
Matthew Labarge
www.matthewlabarge.com
Privately Published
$12.00 CD / $9.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://matthewlabarge.bandcamp.com/album/while-we-were-there
While We Were There is a new age, neoclassical album of original solo piano music written, recorded, mixed, and
mastered by multitalented music artist Matthew Labarge. The instrumental songs flow into one another, weaving a
beautiful musical suite inspired by an evening surrounded by nature. The song titles refer to the timeless moments of
darkness encroaching about a still pond, the journey to a cottage through the darkened forest, the lullaby serenade of a
whippoorwill while drifting off to sleep, and the memories that linger on long after the moment. While We Were There is a
musical soundscape ideal for fostering relaxation, meditation, or creativity, and also makes an excellent gift. Highly
recommended! The tracks are Stars Reflecting in the Still Pond; Dark Forest; Quiet Voice of the Night Marsh; Deep Sleep
of Countless Dreams; Whippoorwill Lullaby; As the Sky Before Dawn, So the Heart Before Dawn; and While We Were
There.
Flow Remastered
Jon Jenkins
Spotted Peccary Music
www.SpottedPeccary.com
$16.00 CD / $10.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://thejonjenkins.bandcamp.com/album/flow-remastered
Flow Remastered is an ambient new age album that defies easy classification. Now in a remastered release with greater
depth and intensity, Flow Remastered invites the listener on an audio journey through layers of imagination, inspired by
the metaphor of how water itself ebbs and flows. The natural cadence of the music inspires active listening or motivated
creativity. Flow Remastered is a choice pick for both personal and public library music collections, and also makes an
excellent gift. The tracks are From the Spring; Into a World of Wonder; Flow; Night Drifting Through Black Canyon;
Cross Over; The Power / Washed Away; Breathing in the Deep; A Word with the Vine; Blood and Water; Part of the
Solution; and Ebb.
Ki
Natsuki Tamura, trumpeter and composer
Satoko Fujii, pianist and composer
Libra Records
$TBA CD / 1,000 Japanese yen digital
Bandcamp
https://satokofujii.bandcamp.com/album/ki
Ki is the tenth duo album by pianist-composer Satoko Fujii and trumpeter-composer Natsuki Tamura. Tamura created
most of the tracks of Ki, except for track 8 "Dan's Oceanside Listening Post" which is by Fujii. Ki defies genres by
blending the improvisational style of free jazz with the subtle intensity of orchestra. The result is a rapturous musical
experience, highly recommended for both personal and public library music collections. The tracks are Keyaki; Sugi;
Hinoki; Kusunoki; Arakashi; Icho; Kunugi; and Dan's Oceanside Listening Post.
The Kasambwe Brothers
Performed by The Kasambwe Brothers & guests
MASS MoCA Records
$TBA CD / $9.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://massmocarecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-kasambwe-brothers
The Kasambwe Brothers is the self-titled debut album of a multigenerational band that has been making music with
handmade instruments, harmonious vocals, and a call to dance for almost 40 years. Now passing the torch to the younger
generation, The Kasambwe Brothers continue their tradition of music shaped by rich cultural and heritage traditions of the
southeastern African nation of Malawi. MASS MoCA and The Fresh Grass Institute enabled the band to record their first
full-length album at Studio 9, along with musicians from Massachusetts. The Kasambwe Brothers band members are
Joseph Msofi on vocals and guitar; Konzani Chikwata on vocals and babatone; and Fatsani Kennedy on vocals and drums.
Guest music artists are Todd Reynolds on violin (songs 1, 2, 3, 7, 9); Paul de Jong on cello (songs 1, 2, 3, 9); Greg August
on upright bass (songs 1, 2, 9); Alice Hixon Kirk on cello (song 3); and Soren Smedvig on flugelhorn (songs 4, 8). The
Kasambwe Brothers is a vibrant, multilayered work of art, highly recommended for both personal and public library
international music collections! The tracks are Mtima Wanga (My Heart); Getu (Gertrude); Ahedi (Head Teacher);
Langizani Mwachikondi (Advise With Love); Timkonde (We Should Love Her); Kungade (Even In The Dark); Atate Athu
(Our Father); Ndibwino (It Is Good); and Ali Yemweyo (He Remains The Same One).
The Botany Shelf
Aquatic and Wetland Plants of Northeastern North America
Garrett E. Crow and C. Barre Hellquist, authors
University of Wisconsin Press
https://uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299343002, $99.95 HC / $159.95 ebook (PDF), 952pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Aquatic-Wetland-Plants-Northeastern-America/dp/0299343006
University of Wisconsin Press
https://uwpress.wisc.edu/Books/A/Aquatic-and-Wetland-Plants-of-Northeastern-North-America2
Synopsis: Co-authored by Garret E. Crow and C. Barre Hellquist, "Aquatic and Wetland Plants of Northeastern North
America" from the University of Wisconsin Press is is arguably the best and most comprehensive manual and illustrated
guide to native and naturalized vascular plants (ferns, conifers, and flowering plants) growing in aquatic and wetland
habitats in northeastern North America, from Newfoundland west to Minnesota and south to Virginia and Missouri.
This massive and long-awaited work completely revises and greatly expands Norman Fassett's 1940 classic "A Manual of
Aquatic Plants", yet retains the features that made Fassett's book so useful.
"Aquatic and Wetland Plants of Northeastern North America" includes:
Coverage of 1139 plant species, 1186 taxa, 295 genera, 109 families
More than 600 pages of illustrations, and illustrations for more than 90% of the taxa
Keys for each species include references to corresponding illustrations
Habitat information, geographical ranges, and synonomy
A chapter on nuisance aquatic weeds
Glossaries of botanical and habitat terms
A full index for each volume
Wetland ecologists, botanists, resource managers, public naturalists, and environmentalists concerned with the
preservation of wetland areas (which are increasingly threatened) will welcome this clear, workable, and comprehensive
guide.
Critique: This large format (8.5 x 1.9 x 11 inches, 5.3 pounds) hardcover, second edition of Professor Garret Crow and
Professor Barre Hellquist's massive study, "Aquatic and Wetland Plants of Northeastern North America" from the
University of Wisconsin Press is packed from cover to cover with informatively captioned B/W illustrations. Unique,
comprehensive, and thoroughly 'reader/user' friendly in organization and presentation, this primary reference and resource
is especially and unreservedly recommended as a core acquisition for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Botany & Outdoor Wetlands collections and supplemental 'Wet Lands Ecosystem' curriculum
studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Garrett E. Crow is Professor of Botany at the University of New Hampshire.
(https://calvin.edu/people/garrett-crow)
Editorial Note #2: C. Barre Hellquist is Professor of Biology at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
(https://iwgs.org/hof/dr-c-barre-hellquist)
Laboratory Guide for Identification of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria, Fourth Edition
Jeffrey B. Jones, et al.
APS Press
https://www.apsnet.org/publications/apspress/Pages/default.aspx
9780890546963, $250.00, PB, 810pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Laboratory-Identification-Pathogenic-Bacteria-Fourth/dp/0890546967
APS Press
https://my.apsnet.org/APSStore/Product-Detail.aspx?iProductCode=46963
Synopsis: A trusted and essential resource for more than four decades, this newly updated and expanded fourth edition of
"Laboratory Guide for Identification of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria" from APS Press remains the most authoritative
reference and guide for plant pathologists, diagnosticians, and students who need to accurately identify bacterial plant
pathogens using both conventional and cutting-edge methods.
Each chapter comprising this new edition of "Laboratory Guide for Identification of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria" is authored
by leading experts and provides a holistic, comprehensive overview of the genus or genera, including characteristics useful
for identification, isolation techniques, and molecular, serological, biochemical, and other assays for identifying
phytobacteria. This impressively updated edition provides simplified identification methods, detailed protocols, color
photographs, and a list of semiselective agar media for bacterial isolation. Whether you are an experienced researcher or
new to plant pathology, this guide offers the essential tools and knowledge to tackle today's diagnostic challenges.
This comprehensive volume provides:
Thorough coverage of more than 30 genera, including 11 not covered in previous editions, such as Dickeya, Lonsdalea,
Robbsia, Rhizorhabdus, and Candidatus Liberibacter
Step-by-step protocols for isolation, culturing, and pathogenicity testing of bacterial strains
Detailed diagnostic approaches - including molecular, serological, biochemical, and real-time PCR assays - to assist in
genus- and species-level identification
Insightful context on evolving bacterial taxonomy, including the integration of whole genome sequencing and average
nucleotide identity in modern species classification
Two foundational chapters on bacterial taxonomy and initial identification of common genera
Of special note is that this fourth edition of "Laboratory Guide for Identification of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria" is dedicated
to Norman W. Schaad, the driving force behind the first two editions and lead editor of the third. The late Professor Schaad
was an excellent scientist with a passion for accurate identification of bacterial plant pathogens as well as a friend to many
in the field. The editorial staff of "Laboratory Guide for Identification of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria, Fourth Edition"
includes Jeffrey B. Jones, George W. Sundin, Sally A. Miller, Eric A. Newberry, and Anuj Sharma.
Critique: Simply stated, This large format paperback edition of "Laboratory Guide for Identification of Plant Pathogenic
Bacteria, Fourth Edition" from APS Press continues to be the most authoritative reference currently available for plant
pathologists, diagnosticians, and students who need to accurately identify bacterial plant pathogens using conventional and
cutting-edge methods. This new fourth edition of "Laboratory Guide for Identification of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria" from
APS Press also includes a four page listing of the contributors and their credentials. "Laboratory Guide for Identification of
Plant Pathogenic Bacteria: Fourth Edition" is extensively comprehensive, exceptionally well organized and thoroughly
reader-friendly and user-friendly in presentation -- making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended textbook for
professional and college/university library Agricultural Pathology/Diseases collections and supplemental Botany
curriculum studies lists.
The Reference Shelf
Guinness World Records 2026
Guinness World Records, publisher
https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com
9781913484750, $29.95, HC, 256pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Guinness-World-Records-2026/dp/1913484750
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/guinness-world-records-2026-guinness-world-records/1146657024
Guinness World Records
https://gwrstore.com/en-us/products/guinness-world-records-2026-personalised-edition
Synopsis: Discover the incredible achievements and inspiring stories of record breakers from around the world (and how
you can become one of them) with "Guinness World Records 2026".
With all new content ranging from high-end hotels, to deserted ghost towns, to talented pets, to global sports superstars,
and so much more this new edition of Guinness World Records once again shows how record breaking is for everyone,
everywhere.
With "Guinness World Records 2026" readers can:
Find a hidden talent within the Fantastic Feats chapter, including crazy collections, super strength and even pickleball
Get inspired by 8 new ICONS - who embody the very best of record breaking - from music legend Dolly Parton, blind
adventurer Erik Weihenmayer to powerhouse swimmer Katie Ledecky
Marvel at the possibilities of the cutting-edge tech behind modern cities, robots and space exploration in a dedicated
Science & Engineering chapter
Celebrate the differences of the most incredible Human Beings from height extremes to superlative seniors and awesome
anatomy
Take on the grown-ups with records just for under 16s and the Young Achievers proving age is no barrier in the Kids
Zone
Cheer on American sporting heroes - including Caitlin Clark, Lamar Jackson, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and more - as
we run through the latest year in Sports
Critique: A classic and iconic compendium of trivia, fun facts, and record-breaking accomplishments, "Guinness World
Records 2026" is fascinating to browse through. This large format (9 x 0.7 x 11.95 inches, 2.53 pounds) hardcover edition
of "Guinness World Records 2026" is profusely illustrated on every page. A thoroughly 'reader friendly' compendium of
fun facts and interesting trivia, "Guinness World Records 2026" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for
personal, family, K-12 school, and community library collections.
Editorial Note: Guinness World Records (known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as The Guinness Book of Records
and in previous United States editions as The Guinness Book of World Records), is a British reference book published
annually, listing world records both of human achievements and the extremes of the natural world. Sir Hugh Beaver
created the concept, and twin brothers Norris and Ross McWhirter co-founded the book in London in August 1955.
Guinness World Records is the recognized and global authority on all things record-breaking, with offices in UK, US,
China, Japan, and UAE, as well as official adjudicators all over the world.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinness_World_Records)
The Gaming Shelf
Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2026
Foreword by Niftski
Guinness World Records, publisher
https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com
9781913484767 $15.99 pbk
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Guinness-World-Records-Gamers-2026/dp/1913484769
Synopsis: Featuring the top 100 greatest gaming characters!
Explore the coolest records across the most popular consoles, developers and games through a brand-new list from the
ultimate authority on record breaking.
From Lara Croft to Link and the crew of Mass Effect to the Creepers of Minecraft, see where the biggest and best
characters ranked. Do you agree and did your favourites make the list?
Get the lowdown on the most popular Roblox games
Count down the coolest and rarest Fortnite skins
Check out the most played Mobile Games from Pokemon GO to Brawl Stars
Discover the origins of games like Batman, Spider-Man and Midnight Suns in the Comics and Videogames feature
Trace the history of recording-breaking Sports Games with amazing facts on gaming versions of F1, American Football,
soccer and more
Learn how Videogame Voice Actors use different skills and inspirations to bring your favourite characters to life
Have fun and relax with Cozy Gaming - whether professional cleaning, cute kitties, or idyllic farms are your thing
Critique: Featuring a foreword by Niftski (one of the most dedicated and accomplished speedrunners of the original Super
Mario Bros. game, who regularly streams world record speedrun attempts on Twitch), Guinness World Records Gamer's
Edition 2026 focuses upon the top 100 greatest video game characters to date, from Astro-bot to Shovel Knight, Master
Chief (Halo series), Steve (Minecraft), Mario and much more. Filled with full-color illustrations and fun facts on every
two-page spread, Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2026 is a joy for video game enthusiasts of all ages to page
through. Extra enhancements include an awards round-up for the 2024-25 awards season, a hypothetical "versus
championship" with a QR code one can scan to vote, a "Stop the Press!" two-page spread of last-minute additions, and an
index. Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2026 will especially appeal to anyone interested in learning about the
most popular video games and their main characters. Highly recommended!
Editorial Note: Guinness World Records (known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as The Guinness Book of Records
and in previous United States editions as The Guinness Book of World Records), is a British reference book published
annually, listing world records both of human achievements and the extremes of the natural world. Sir Hugh Beaver
created the concept, and twin brothers Norris and Ross McWhirter co-founded the book in London in August 1955.
The Library Science Shelf
Navigating Difficult Situations in Public Libraries
Margaret Ann Paauw
ALA Editions
www.alastore.ala.org
9798892552950, $49.99, PB, 152pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Navigating-Difficult-Situations-Libraries-Escalation/dp/B0DTYWQ3Y2
ALA Editions
https://alastore.ala.org/ndspla
Synopsis: Because public libraries are community spaces that provide access to information, resources, and programming
for people of all ages and backgrounds, conflicts between patrons, verbal or physical altercations, and other difficult
situations can occur. These situations can be traumatic for those involved, whether patrons or staff, making it essential that
librarians know how to de-escalate them in trauma-informed ways.
Utilizing the framework from PLA's best-seller A Trauma-Informed Framework for Supporting Patrons, "Navigating
Difficult Situations in Public Libraries: The PLA Guide to Trauma-Informed De-Escalation" is practical workbook that
walks library staff members through the process of building micro-skills for handling difficult situations, providing:
A succinct overview of how to define and understand trauma, including its definition, causes, effects, and
manifestations.
Evidence-informed approaches drawn from the fields of social work, psychology, and counseling.
Dozens of activities, handouts, and worksheets designed to spur reflection and help readers build upon the practices
introduced in the book.
Guidance on debriefing, evaluation, facing compassion fatigue, and other aftercare topics.
Appendices that provide information on mental health resources, crisis intervention hotlines, and further reading on trauma
and burnout.
Critique: This large format paperback edition of "Navigating Difficult Situations in Public Libraries: The PLA Guide to
Trauma-Informed De-Escalation" by Margaret Ann Paauw is and ideal choice for use in library training programs and in-
service workshops. Exceptional, effective, and thoroughly 'reader/user friendly' in organization and presentation,
"Navigating Difficult Situations in Public Libraries: The PLA Guide to Trauma-Informed De-Escalation" must be
considered a critically important and 'real world' relevant addition to personal, professional, public library, and
college/university Library Science collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Dr. Margaret Ann Paauw is an Assistant Professor at Eastern Michigan University and a Licensed Clinical
Social Worker. Dr. Paauw has worked as a library social worker for the Chicago Public Library, was an active member of
the Public Library Association's Library Social Work Taskforce, facilitated the library social work direct service call, and
co-authored A Trauma Informed Framework for Supporting Patrons. Dr. Paauw has consulted on library social work
partnerships and provided trauma-informed and de-escalation trainings to libraries across the country. Dr. Paauw's main
area of research has been on the efficacy of library social work partnerships, building the body of research contributing to
evidence for this practice. (https://www.emich.edu/chhs/social-work/faculty/m_paauw.php)
Making Values-Based Decisions in the Academic Library
Amanda Koziura, editor
Amy Tureen, editor
ACRL Books (Association of College & Research Libraries)
c/o American Library Association
https://www.ala.org
9798892555937, $85.00, PB, 304pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Making-Values-Based-Decisions-Academic-Library/dp/B0FMN9M3PD
American Library Association
https://www.ala.org/news/2025/09/new-acrl-making-values-based-decisions-academic-library
Synopsis: When faced with difficult decisions, how do academic library decision makers, at any level of positional
authority, make choices that satisfy the values of their profession, their institution, and themselves? How do you decide
which values to privilege when priorities compete or even conflict? How can you ensure decisions are thoughtful and
rooted in core values, rather than reflective only of the most immediate conditions and priorities?
Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Amanda Koziura and Amy Tureen, "Making Values-Based Decisions in the
Academic Library" explores the decision-making process of librarians in both formal and informal leadership roles. Rather
than trying to identify a singular "correct" answer, authors offer an exploration of their own processes and the tools they
used to arrive at conclusions that fit their contexts and institutions. Their examples show how values can be central
considerations in assessment, inform collection development, shape our spaces and services, influence policy, and be
foundational for seeking a better way forward.
We have more power than we think to create change, and our values can be a touchstone for the decisions we make at
every level. The strategies comprising "Making Values-Based Decisions in the Academic Library" can help you holistically
consider available options and make choices that consider your personal, institutional, and professional values amid
challenging and changing circumstances.
Critique: Comprised of fifteen articulate, informative, insightful, thoughtful and thought-provoking contributions, "Making
Values-Based Decisions in the Academic Library" is an invaluable and unreservedly recommended contribution to
personal, professional, community, and college/university Library Science collections. This trade paperback (7 x 0.7 x 10
inches, 1 pound) edition of "Making Values-Based Decisions in the Academic Library" from ACRL Books is n ideal
textbook for in-service training workshops and supplemental Library Science and Information Management
curriculums.
Editorial Note #1: Amanda Koziura focuses on the research lifecycle with an emphasis on open scholarship and data
practices. In her previous role as a digital scholarship librarian she collaborated with faculty to integrate digital scholarship
tools and methods into their research and teaching.
(https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=RQunmJoAAAAJ&hl=en)
Editorial Note #2: Amy Tureen is the Dean of Academic Success Programs as South Puget Sound Community College,
where she oversees a number of academic support units including the library, the bookstore, the tutoring programs, the
first-year experience curriculum, and the faculty development center. She holds an MLIS from Drexel University, an MA
from Simmons University, a BA from Scripps College and is currently completing her EdD dissertation at The University
of La Verne.
AI and Information Access: Benefits, Challenges and Lessons
G. G. Chowdhury, author
Sudatta Chowdhury, author
Facet Publishing
www.facetpublishing.co.uk
9781783307722, $60.99 Amazon, $73.99 B&N, PB, 264pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/AI-Information-Access-Benefits-Challenges/dp/1783307722
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ai-and-information-access-g-g-chowdhury/1146976153
Facet Publishing
https://www.facetpublishing.co.uk/page/detail/ai-and-information-access/?k=9781783307722
Synopsis: Libraries and information services are constantly evolving and adapting to the capacity and capabilities offered
by emerging technologies. With the emergence of Generative AI, the information sector wonders how it will impact
information users and professionals.
Co-authored by G. G. Chowdhury and Sudatta Chowdhury, "AI and Information Access: Benefits, Challenges and
Lessons" examines this vital question by first raising evidence-based questions around user interactions with AI and its
efficacy in providing responses that are relevant and suitable for specific user needs and contexts.
Through the critical analysis of these case studies, "AI and Information Access: Benefits, Challenges and Lessons"
discusses whether and how the conventional models of information search process, information seeking and retrieval, are
applicable to explain the user interactions with the Gen AI tools for information access.
This approach to AI and information explores:
The impact of AI tools on information by changing user behavior, shifting the gap in user access and impending users to
find the best data and being critical;
How libraries and database search services adapt these tools to improve access to information and data;
The ways in which the use of these tools could generate new knowledge in information science, seeking and retrieval
research, and education; and
How these tools can be trained to best fulfil the user's needs and context.
While exploring the implications of AI for the overall library and database services, "AI and Information Access: Benefits,
Challenges and Lessons" portrays the overall contemporary picture of applications of Generative AI in the information
science field.
Critique: An impressively timely and informative introduction to the present and anticipated impact of AI in the field of
information acquisition and library science, "AI and Information Access: Benefits, Challenges and Lessons" is an essential
and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library
Information/Library Science collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for anyone with an
interest in Library Management, Information Science that this paperback edition of "AI and Information Access: Benefits,
Challenges and Lessons" from Facet Publishing is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $57.94).
Editorial Note #1: G. G. Chowdhury is a Professor of Information Science in the Department of Computer and Information
Sciences at the University of Strathclyde, UK. Previously, he had held several senior academic positions including
Professor and Head of Mathematics and Information Sciences, as the Head of iSchool at Northumbria University and as a
Professor and Director of Information and Knowledge Management at the University of Technology Sydney. Professor
Chowdhury is a world-leading expert in digital libraries, cultural information management and sustainable information
systems and services. He has published 16 books and over 160 research papers and has previously served as the European
and Global Chair of the iSchools organization.
Editorial Note #2: Sudatta Chowdhury is a Research Associate in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences at
the University of Strathclyde. Previously, she had held several academic and research positions at universities in the UK,
Singapore and Australia. Her research focuses on information-seeking behavior and human-centered challenges for access
to information, including digital divide and digital and information skills. She has co-authored five books, several journal
and conference papers, and book chapters.
The Theatre/Cinema Shelf
A Short History of Film, 4th Edition
Wheeler Winston Dixon and Gwendolyn Audrey Foster, authors
Rutgers University Press
https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org
9781978837676, $120.00, HC, 592pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Short-History-Film-Fourth/dp/1978837674
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-short-history-of-film-fourth-edition-wheeler-winston-dixon/1146820370
Rutgers University Press
https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/a-short-history-of-film-fourth-edition/9781978837669
Synopsis: Now in a fully updated and expanded fourth edition, "A Short History of Film" by Professor Wheeler Winston
Dixon and Professor Gwendolyn Audrey Foster provides an impressively accessible overview of the major film/cinema
movements, directors, studios, and genres from the 1880s to the present.
Succinct yet comprehensive, with more than 250 rare stills and illustrations, this new fourth edition provides new
information on contemporary horror, comic book, and franchise films; issues surrounding women and minority
filmmakers; the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on movies worldwide; the shift from film to digital production; the
rising use of artificial intelligence in cinema; and the impact of streaming on the industry.
Beginning with the precursors of moving pictures, film historians and academicians Dixon and Foster lead a succinct and
fast-paced tour through the invention of the Kinetoscope, the introduction of sound and color between the two world wars,
and ultimately the computer-generated imagery of the present day. They also detail significant periods in world cinema,
including the creation of early major industries in Europe, the dominance of the Hollywood studio system in the 1930s and
1940s, and the French New Wave of the 1960s. Additionally they highlight independent efforts in developing nations and
the corresponding more personal independent film movement that briefly flourished in the United States.
Critique: Comprehensive, illustrated throughout with B/W images, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and
presentation, "A Short History of Film: 4th Edition" by the team of Wheeler Winston Dixon and Gwendolyn Audrey
Foster is an ideal introduction to the history of international cinema and a highly recommended acquisition choice for
personal, professional, community, film school, and college/university library Cinematic History collections and
supplemental curriculum Cinema History/Criticism studies lists. It should be noted for film students, academia, movie
buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "A Short History of
Film: 4th Edition" from Rutgers University Press is also readily available in paperback (9781978837669, $44.95) and in a
digital book format (Kindle, $42.70).
Editorial Note #1: Wheeler Winston Dixon is the James Ryan Professor Emeritus of Film Studies at the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln. He is the author of many books, including A History of Horror, 2nd Edition (Rutgers University Press),
and an internationally known experimental filmmaker.
Editorial Note #2: Gwendolyn Audrey Foster is the Willa Cather Endowed Professor Emerita of English and Film Studies
at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and an experimental filmmaker, artist and author. Her work has focused on gender,
race, ecofeminism, eco-theory, and class studies. From 1999 through the end of 2014, she was co-editor along with
Wheeler Winston Dixon of the Quarterly Review of Film and Video.
The Business Shelf
Unbreakable: How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders
Kate Lowry
Scaleheart Press
https://www.scaleheart.co
9798218767068, $18.95, PB, 236pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Unbreakable-Thrive-Under-Fear-Based-Leaders/dp/B0FR1G981Y
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unbreakable-kate-lowry/1148262899
Synopsis: In our fast-changing world, fear-based leaders rise quickly-tightening their grip as chaos grows. But what if you
could learn to predict their behavior, neutralize their impact, and protect what matters most?
"Unbreakable: How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders" by Kate Lowry is your tactical guide to thriving under
fear-based leadership. Written in short, digestible chapters, this combination of instructive guide and 'how to" manual
shows you how to manage up, set boundaries, and stay anchored-without losing your job, your values, or your sanity.
Under one cover and drawing on decades of experience and expertise in start-ups, venture capital firms, big tech, and
consulting, Kate Lowry offers a master class in navigating high-control, unstable environments with clarity and
agency.
With real-world tactics and reflection questions throughout, "Unbreakable: How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders" is
your DIY roadmap through the fog. Whether you're up against a tough boss, a top-down family leader, or a completely
broken system, Unbreakable helps you move forward-calmly, bravely, and on your terms.
Critique: Informative, insightful, inspiring, "Unbreakable: How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders" by Kate Lowry is
impressively 'real world' practical and thoroughly 'reader/user' friendly in organization and presentation. While this
paperback edition of "Unbreakable: How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders" from Scaleheart Press is especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, corporate, community, and college/university library
Business Leadership/Management collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for MBA
students, academia, entrepreneurs, and corporate executives that "Unbreakable: How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders"
is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Kate Lowry (https://www.katelowry.com) is a CEO coach, venture capitalist, and author based in Silicon
Valley. An expert in fear-based leaders, Kate developed her methodology growing up in a personal fear-based regime, then
refined her approach in the elite worlds of start-ups, private equity, management consulting, and big tech. She strives to
help everyone she interacts with-readers, clients, and friends-to process difficult realities with grace, agency, and warmth.
Her goal is for every reader to be empowered to reach their full potential, no matter their environment or
circumstances.
The Political Science Shelf
The Morality of Politics: States, Honour and War
Ulf Hedetoft
Anthem Press
www.anthempress.com
9781839992940, $24.95, PB, 90pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Morality-Politics-States-Honour-War/dp/1839992948
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-morality-of-politics-ulf-hedetoft/1145635632
Synopsis: "The Morality of Politics: States, Honour and War" by Professor Ulf Hedetoft deals with the morality,
self-conception and honor of individual states, something that goes well beyond the narrow, rationalist defence of national
interests, which dominates most such studies.
This slender volume from Anthem Press pursues this line of thinking by focusing on three different but interconnected
thematics: political moralism, the honor of states and the peace/war-problematic.
The moral self-conception of states (which comes most clearly to the fore in situations of war) rests on the ideal conception
of 'all of us', which includes all citizens, all classes and all generations, set against their opposite numbers outside of 'our'
immediate sphere of domination.
This state-based image of itself and its existential teleology constitutes its very essence, notwithstanding that it is often
seen as a deviation ('exception') from the normal state of affairs, where the state is 'just ' there to serve and support the
economy and its principal actors.
All three chapters comprising "The Morality of Politics: States, Honour and War" thus revolve around issues that relate to
the interaction of war and democracy and the underlying morality that both legitimates and underpins the actions of
politicians as well as citizens.
Critique: Original, erudite, insightful, thought-provoking, exceptionally well crafted, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in
organization and presentation, "The Morality of Politics: States, Honour and War" by Professor Ulf Hedetoft is an
especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library
International Studies & Political Science collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for
students, academia, political activists, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in
the subject that this paperback edition of "The Morality of Politics: States, Honour and War" from Anthem Press is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.70).
Editorial Note: Ulf Hedetoft is Professor, dr. phil., at the University of Copenhagen. His research interests include the
theory and history of state, sovereignty and nationalism, with a special focus on Europe.
(https://researchprofiles.ku.dk/en/persons/ulf-hedetoft)
Class War, Then and Now: Essays toward a New Left
Chris Wright
Manhattan Book Group
https://www.manhattanbookgroup.com
9781967458370, $19.99, PB, 392pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Class-War-Then-Now-Essays/dp/1967458375
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/class-war-then-and-now-chris-wright/1148252827
Synopsis: For nearly fifty years, America's working and middle classes have been under relentless attack. Wages have
stagnated, inequality has soared, and the vast majority now lives paycheck to paycheck -- all while trillions of dollars flow
upward into the pockets of the wealthiest few.
With the publication of "Class War, Then and Now: Essays toward a New Left", historian Chris Wright presents a searing
indictment of this economic/political order and an impassioned call to arms for a new left rooted in class struggle,
solidarity, and socialist values.
Drawing on a decade of essays and articles originally published in outlets such as Dissent, New Politics, CounterPunch,
Socialist Forum, Truthout, and Common Dreams, Wright examines the deep roots of capitalism's crises and the failures of
the contemporary left to confront them. In sharp, accessible prose, Wright tackles:
The centrality of class struggle in building a movement that can unite working people
Why identity politics, while important, must not overshadow the fight against capitalism
The overlooked necessity of nuclear power in addressing climate change
Lessons from labor history, from Jimmy Hoffa to modern union battles
The catastrophic consequences of American imperialism and endless war
How organized labor remains humanity's most universal force for justice
With the urgency of a manifesto and the depth of historical scholarship, Wright argues that only a rational, international,
and truly Marxist left can stop the United States (and the world) from sliding into neofascism and ecological collapse.
Critique: A seminal work of meticulous scholarship and essential reading for anyone concerned about the present erosion
of economic justice, the compelling need for social reform, and the very future of American democracy, "Class War, Then
and Now: Essays toward a New Left" will significantly assist the reader in shaping and articulating reform and political
justice arguments while inspire both individual and collective action.
Impressively informative, exceptionally well written, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation,
"Class War, Then and Now: Essays toward a New Left" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, and college/university library Contemporary Political Science & Social Issues collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for student, academia, political activists, governmental policy
makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this paperback edition of "Class War, Then
and Now: Essays toward a New Left" from the Manhattan Book Group is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Chris Wright is a lecturer at Hunter College, where he teaches courses in U.S. history. He is the author of Popular Radicalism and the Unemployed in Chicago during the Great Depression and Worker Cooperatives and Revolution: History and Possibilities in the United States. He has published in Dissent, the Washington Post, Truthout, Socialist Forum, and other venues.
The Mythology Shelf
Tales of the Tuatha De Danann
Morgan Daimler
Moon Books
c/o Collective Ink Books
https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
9781803419169, $19.95, PB, 232pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Tuatha-Danann-Translations-Irish/dp/1803419164
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tales-of-the-tuatha-de-danann-volume-1-morgan-daimler/1146758346
Synopsis: A collection of modern translations of older Irish material focusing on the Tuatha De Danann and Aos Sidhe,
with the publication of "Tales of the Tuatha De Danann, Volume 1: New Translations of Irish Myths" author Morgan
Daimler has gathers authentic mythological stories of Ireland together into a single place and gives readers a more literal
translation to work from.
Focusing on shorter tales and excerpts from larger texts and offering a range of material that gives insight into who the
Irish Gods are and how they have been perceived, stories include How the Dagda Got His Magic Staff, The Treasures of
the Tuatha De Danann, Oengus's Dream, and others. This text is presented in the source languages of Old and Middle Irish
with new English translations by author Morgan Daimler.
Of special note is that many existing translations are around a hundred years old and often either exclude material or skew
the translation to fit the mores of a more Victorian audience -- while this newly published edition of "Tales of the Tuatha
De Danann, Volume 1: New Translations of Irish Myths" stays as true as possible to the source material.
Critique: Informative, engaging, exceptional, deftly written, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and
presentation, "Tales of the Tuatha De Danann, Volume 1: New Translations of Irish Myths" is a fascinating and
memorable read from cover to cover. While an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional,
community, and college/university library Irish Mythology/Folklore collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists,
it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this
paperback edition of "Tales of the Tuatha De Danann, Volume 1: New Translations of Irish Myths" from Moon Books is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).
Editorial Note: Morgan Daimler (https://irishpagan.school/morgan-daimler) teaches classes and writes about Irish myth
and magical practices, fairies, and related subjects. Morgan's writing has appeared in a variety of magazines including
Pagan Dawn and Witches & Pagans, and anthologies including Naming the Goddess and Harp, Club, & Cauldron. Morgan
is also the author of a variety of fiction books such as the urban fantasy/paranormal romance series Between the Worlds,
and non-fiction through Moon Books including bestsellers Fairy Witchcraft, Pagan Portals: The Morrigan, Pagan Portals:
Brigid, and Fairies: A Guide to the Celtic Fair Folk.
The Native American Studies Shelf
Native America: The Story of the First Peoples
Kenneth L. Feder
Princeton University Press
https://press.princeton.edu
9780691220451, $39.95, HC, 440pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Native-America-Story-Peoples-Unearthing/dp/069122045X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/native-america-kenneth-l-feder/1147134530
Princeton University Press
https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691220451/native-america
Synopsis: With the publication of "Native America: The Story of the First Peoples", Professor Kenneth L. Feder presents
an infinitely surprising and fascinatingly deep history of the North American continent's Indigenous peoples. Feder, (a
leading expert on Native American history and archaeology), draws on archaeological, historical, and cultural evidence to
tell the ongoing story (more than 20,000 years in the making), of an incredibly resilient and diverse mixture of peoples,
revealing how they have ingeniously adapted to the many changing environments of the continent, from the Arctic to the
desert Southwest.
Richly illustrated throughout, "Native America" introduces close to a hundred different indigenous peoples, each with their
own language, economic and social system, and religious beliefs. In this meticulous history we encounter the Pequot,
Tunxis, Iroquois, and Huron of the Northeast; the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, and Apache of the Southwest; the Hidatsa, Mandan,
and Lakota of the Northern Plains; the Haida, Kwakiutl, Nootka, and Salish of the Northwest Coast; the Tule River and
Mohave of Southern California; the Cherokee, Creek, and Seminole of the Southeast; and the Inuit and Kalaallit of the
Arctic.
In "Native America" we also learn about hunters of enormous Ice Age beasts; people who raised stone toolmaking to the
level of art; a Native American empire ruled by a king and queen, with a huge city at its center and colonies hundreds of
miles away; a society that made the desert bloom by designing complex irrigation networks; brilliant architects who built
fairy castles in sandstone cliffs; and artists who produced beautiful and moving petroglyphs and pictographs that reflect
their deep thinking about history, the sacred, the land, and the sky.
"Native America" is not about peoples of the past, but also today's vibrant, living ones with an epic history of genius and
tenacity -- and a history that American should know.
Critique: A seminal study that is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a Prologue (Crying
Indians, Tipi Dwellers, and Other Stereotypes), an Epilogue (A Story Still Being Written), eight pages of Notes, a ten page
Reference, and a twelve page Index, "Native America: The Story of the First Peoples" by Professor Kenneth L. Feder is an
inherently fascinating, engaging, illuminating, thought-provoking, instructive, and exceptional history that is especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Native American History
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "Native America: The Story of the First Peoples" from
the Princeton University Press is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $30.62).
Editorial Note: Kenneth L. Feder is Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at Central Connecticut State University. His
books include Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archaeology, The Past in Perspective: An
Introduction to Human Prehistory, and Native American Archaeology in the Parks: A Guide to Native Heritage Sites in
Our National Parks and Monuments. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Feder)
The Art Shelf
Great Art Explained
James Payne
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500025956, $39.95, HC, 320pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Great-Art-Explained-Greatest-Masterpieces/dp/0500025959
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/great-art-explained-james-payne/1146995646
Synopsis: Based on the popular and enormously successful YouTube channel of the same name, with the publication of
"Great Art Explained: The Stories Behind the World's Greatest Masterpieces", art curator and historian James Payne
reveals the fascinating stories behind some of the world's most iconic paintings and sculptures, and thereby proving that
there is more to art than just watching paint dry.
Art can be thrilling, and resonate on a deep personal level. It is how you view the work, place it in context and understand
its history that makes an artwork truly come alive.
A fresh approach to a classic subject, Payne's no-nonsense analysis sheds new light on 30 masterpieces selected from
around the globe and reveals what reveals just what makes them truly timeless works of art.
Each individual chapter delves into not only the art itself but also the artist's life, as well as the work's place in their wider
oeuvre; in other words, what makes it "great."
From Hilma af Klint's occult altarpieces to Claude Monet's Water Lilies, Botticelli's The Birth of Venus to Georgia
O'Keeffe's Jimson Weed, each artwork is explored with clarity and passion.
Whether a seasoned art enthusiast or a curious newcomer, "Great Art Explained: The Stories Behind the World's Greatest
Masterpieces" will deepen your appreciation and enrich your understanding of some of the world's greatest treasures.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader's benefit with more than 223 color illustrations, this large format (8.6 x 1.3 x 10 inches,
3.41 pounds) hardcover edition of "Great Art Explained: The Stories Behind the World's Greatest Masterpieces" by James
Payne is extraordinarily informative, exceptionally thought-provoking, and an inherently fascinating read from start to
finish. An exhaustive analytic course in art history that is impressively 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation,
"Great Art Explained: The Stories Behind the World's Greatest Masterpieces" is a master class level art history that is
unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, art school, and college/university library Art History
collections and supplemental curriculum studies textbook and reference, It should be noted for students, academia, and fine
art enthusiasts that this edition of "Great Art Explained: The Stories Behind the World's Greatest Masterpieces" from
Thames & Hudson is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $34.98).
Editorial Note: James Payne (https://www.greatartexplained.com) is a writer, curator, and educator, as well as the creator
of popular YouTube channels Great Art Explained and Great Books Explained. Payne's videos have millions of views and
have been shown at museums and galleries such as the Albertina Museum in Vienna.
Italy: In the Footsteps of the Great Artists
Nick Trend, author
Cassandra Montoriol, illustrator
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500027530, $65.00, HC, 352pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Italy-Footsteps-Great-Artists-Travel/dp/0500027536
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/italy-nick-trend/1146995635
Synopsis: With the publication of "Italy: In the Footsteps of the Great Artists" you can imagine navigating the backstreets
of seventeenth-century Rome in the dazzling but dangerous company of Caravaggio. Who will you meet as you drop in at
the fabulous Villa Borghese -- its owner, Cardinal Scipione Borghese, nephew of the pope, or will it be Fillide Melandroni,
well-known courtesan and occasional artist's model?
Then fast-forward to the eighteenth century, and explore the Venice of Canaletto, Casanova, and Carnevale.
"Italy: In the Footsteps of the Great Artists" is comprised of twelve chapters, each of which are devoted to an artist or
group of artists, and a dozen itineraries to choose from, you can immerse yourself in the world of the great and the
not-so-good, wandering in and out of churches, palaces, and grand residences to admire their work "in situ" -- all from the
comfort of your armchair.
Each of the chapters begins with an illustrated map, featuring hand-drawn vignettes that bring to vivid life episodes from
the artist's often turbulent existence, as well as key landmarks and local color. Set off on your own Grand Tour for the
twenty-first century.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader's benefit with 450 color illustrations, a two-page Gazetteer, a one page listing of Sources
& Further Reading, and a two page Index, this large format (9.8 x 1.3 x 12.5 inches, 5.4 pounds) hardcover edition from
Thames & Hudson of "Italy: In the Footsteps of the Great Artists" by art historian Nick Trend and artist/illustrator
Cassandra Montoriol is a magnificent, impressively informative, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal,
professional, community and college/university library Art History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Librarians shoot also note that this epic edition of "Italy: In the Footsteps of the Great Artists" would prove to be an
exceptional "Memorial Fund' acquisition.
Editorial Note #1: Nick Trend is an art historian and journalist. As chief culture editor for The Daily Telegraph, he has
spent nearly three decades writing about the world's art treasures and has produced guides to many of the greatest museums
and art collections. He has also worked on the curatorial staff at the National Gallery in London and authored "Art Firsts:
The Story of Art in 30 Pioneering Works". (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7649585.Nick_Trend)
Editorial Note #2: Cassandra Montoriol (https://www.cassandremontoriol.com) is a Paris-based illustrator. Her figurative
work has long graced the pages of fashion magazines and the luxury world. More recently, her work has been in high
demand among clients in the luxury hospitality industry worldwide, where she travels to capture the unique atmosphere of
these exclusive resorts through her sketches. Her elegant and colorful style is perfectly suited to showcasing chic and
sophisticated interiors, while continuously reinventing itself and adapting to each of her clients.
The Literary Studies Shelf
Russell Hoban: Faithful to the Strange
Graeme Wend-Walker
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476682822, $55.00, PB, 248pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Russell-Hoban-Faithful-Graeme-Wend-Walker/dp/1476682828
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/russell-hoban
Synopsis: Russell Conwell Hoban (February 4, 1925 - December 13, 2011) was an American writer. His works span many
genres, including fantasy, science fiction, mainstream fiction, magical realism, poetry, and children's books. He lived in
London from 1969 until his death.
Spanning more than half a century, Russell Hoban's celebrated literary career won him critical accolades and legions of
admirers across multiple genres. Many know him from the groundbreaking masterpiece Riddley Walker, with its
twelve-year-old protagonist contemplating "what the idear of us myt be" from amidst the ruins of civilization. Others know
Hoban from the genre-defying The Mouse and His Child or from idiosyncratic novels of floundering Londoners. Still
others fondly recall Frances the Badger's refusal to go to bed, or share Emmet Otter with their children at Christmas.
With the publication of "Russell Hoban: Faithful to the Strange", Professor Graeme Wend-Walker provides the first
consideration of Russell Hoban's literary career as a whole, exploring what binds these seemingly disparate works
together.
Discovering unexpected patterns between books written from what one character describes as a perpetual "state of
surprise", this critical literary study also draws on Hoban's biography, from his formation as an artist under the influence of
jazz in New York to the upheaval of his self-reinvention as a writer, as it offers its own reflection on what the idea of
Russell Hoban might be.
Critique: A model study of literary criticism, "Russell Hoban: Faithful to the Strange" by Professor Graeme Wend-Walker
is a unique, deftly written, and meticulously presented history of an influential contributor to children's literature. An
informative and inherently interesting work of eloquent literary criticism, "Russell Hoban: Faithful to the Strange" is a
unique and recommended addition to community and college/university library Literary History/Criticism collections. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Russell Hoban: Faithful to the Strange" from
McFarland & Company is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $35.99).
Editorial Note: Graeme Wend-Walker is a professor of English literature at Texas State University in San Marcos.
The Self-Help Shelf
How To Find The Good Life
Robert D. Melson
https://howtoliveagoodlife.net
Book Baby Publishers
www.bookbaby.com
9798317808709, $4.99, Kindle, 1.5 MB
9798317808693, $14.99, PB, 78 pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0FT51DN48
Synopsis: With the publication of "How to Find the Good Life", Robert Dennis Melson reveals the secret to creating a
truly great life. For over ten years, Melson studied everything needed to create health, wealth, love, and happiness. In the
pages of "How to Find the Good Life" he guarantees that you will find something in DIY self help guide that will
positively change your life for the better.
His message is that remembering your beliefs is what creates your reality.
If you have ever wondered how to navigate life with great faith and intentionality while managing its struggles, then "How
to Find the Good Life" is the perfect instructional guide for you.
"How to Find the Good Life" is a powerful motivational self-help book specifically designed to teach you not just the steps
but also practical ways to attain the good life you truly desire. Melson covers a range of topics, including how to calm your
mind, improve your thoughts, harness the incredible power of gratitude, and cultivate self-confidence, among many others.
These topics can lead to significant positive changes in your mental, physical, emotional, and financial health and even
enhance your sex life.
Are you ready to transform every aspect of your life? The dive into this inspiring little volume and embark on the journey
to the profound change you have always yearned for.
Critique: Original, succinct, real world practical, exceptionally well organized, inspiring and thoroughly 'reader friendly in
tone and presentation, "How To Find The Good Life" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended pick for personal,
professional, and community library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections. It should be noted that the paperback edition
of "How To Find The Good Life" is also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.00).
Editorial Note: Robert D. Melson (https://howtoliveagoodlife.net) is a self-improvement author, personal development
coach, and entrepreneur. He is also a certified coach through the John Maxwell Team and enjoys helping people stay
accountable to achieving their goals and to help find their future success.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
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