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Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
The Manual to Online Public Records, fourth edition
Michael L. Sankey & Cynthia Hetherington
Facts On Demand Press
c/o BRB Publications Inc.
PO Box 27869, Tempe, AZ 85285
www.brbpublications.com
9781889150628, $22.50, PB, 650pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In this newly updated and expanded fourth edition of "The Manual to Online Public
Records", authors Cynthia Hetherington (who has more than 20 years of experience in research,
investigations, and corporate intelligence and is the founder of Hetherington Group, a consulting,
publishing, and training firm focusing on intelligence, security, and investigations.) and Michael
Sankey (who has more than 35 years of experience involving public record research and
government record access and is the founder and CEO of BRB Publications, Inc., as well as the
Director of the Public Record Retriever Network) sheds new light on the mystique of finding
public records from government and private sources. This compendium is the What, Where, and
How of online public record access is on a nationwide basis. New chapters explore how to
analyze record searching methodology and how to best use social media sites for advanced,
creative techniques of finding electronic and paper trails of records. An analysis of 15,000+
government sites is arranged in individual state chapters. Data is presented in a format that is
easy-to-use and practical in wording as well as spiked with subjective comments on value and
benefits. Readers will soon learn of detailed information on key locations, including data not
found from a Google Search. "The Manual to Online Public Records" will also provide
techniques on how to narrow the overwhelming array of vendors to find those sites that best suit
a researcher's needs.
Critique: "The Manual to Online Public Records" is an invaluable and thoroughly 'user friendly'
resource provides the competitive edge for concise record research that is unreservedly
recommended for professional, community, and academic library Information Science & Data
Collection reference collections. A "must-have" for any researcher in the modern digital
age!
Aging Wisely
Viola Meeke
Xlibris Corporation
1663 South Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
www.xlibris.com
9781493114269, $29.99, HC, 126pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: It is a given truth that growing old is not for sissies! One of the unexpected realizations
of growing older is that it brings many thoughts of "I wish I knew that before." "Aging Wisely:
Facing Emotional Challenges from 50 to 85+ Years" by Viola Meeke provides information to
help us age as well as possible. Surprisingly, unlike our bodies our feelings do not age. Pleasure
and contentment interface loneliness, loss, fears and sorrow. At a time when life is thought
easier, new problems and situations that are challenging arise. The four stages of aging include
the initiation to aging at about fifty years of age, changes in life following retirement, a gradual
acceptance of being older, and the final years of being eighty-five and older.
Critique: As thoughtful and thought-provoking a read as it is informed and informative, "Aging
Wisely: Facing Emotional Challenges from 50 to 85+ Years" is especially recommended for all
senior citizens and would prove to be an enduringly popular and valued addition to community
library, academic library, and senior citizen center library collections on Aging. For personal
reading lists it should be noted that "Aging Wisely" is also available in a paperback edition
(9781493114252, $19.99) and in a Kindle format ($3.03).
Dates and Dreams: Short Fictions, Prose Poems, Cartoons
E. M. Schorb
Hill House
9780692641262, $24.95, HC, 238pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: E. M. Schorb is a prize-winning poet, novelist, and short story writer whose latest
offering, "Dates and Dreams" is a collection of over a hundred prose poems, all originally
published in literary magazines and quarterlies from England, Austria, Canada, Germany, China,
Australia, India, and America; from Oxford Poetry, Poetry Salzburg Review, The North
American Review, to Envoi, The Outrider and the University of Windsor Review, among many
others. The winner of the Writer's Digest 2016 annual poetry contest, "Dates and Dreams" also
includes a generous selection of Schorb's unique drawings and an introduction by X.J. Kennedy
-- as well as a complete listing of E. M. Schorb's previously published works.
Critique: An inherently fascinating and consistently compelling read, "Dates and Dreams: Short
Fictions, Prose Poems, Cartoons" showcases the work of a master of the English language and
the prose poem format. A unique and memorable read from first page to last, "Dates and
Dreams" is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary
American Poetry collections. For the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general
readers it should be noted that "Dates and Dreams" is also available in a paperback edition
(9780692677407, $18.95).
The Science Shelf
Maxwell's Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism: The Central Argument
Howard J. Fisher
Green Lion Press
www.greenlion.com
9781888009453, $30.00, PB, 526pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: James Clerk Maxwell (13 June 1831 - 5 November 1879) was a Scottish scientist in
the field of mathematical physics. His most notable achievement was to formulate the classical
theory of electromagnetic radiation, bringing together for the first time electricity, magnetism,
and light as manifestations of the same phenomenon. Maxwell's equations for electromagnetism
have been called the "second great unification in physics" after the first one on gravity realized by
Sir Isaac Newton.
Maxwell's 'Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism' brought about what Albert Einstein called "the
greatest change in the axiomatic basis of physics since Newton". But Maxwell's aim was never to
construct an axiomatic theory. Instead, the Treatise presents an argument which, beginning with
the most characteristic electrical and magnetic phenomena, and interpreting them as
manifestations of continuous fields of electric and magnetic energy, culminates in Maxwell's
theory of light as a wave motion within those fields.
The argument of the Treatise is not straightforwardly demonstrative but is a dialectical one that
can be challenging to discern among the many topics presented. In "Maxwell's Treatise on
Electricity and Magnetism: The Central Argument", academician Howard J. Fisher undertakes to
extract and expound the principal path of Maxwell's dialectical thinking.
Critique: A seminal critique of Mawell's work in the field of electricity and magnetism,
"Maxwell's Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism: The Central Argument" is enhanced with the
inclusion of a two page Bibliography and a ten page Index, making it unreservedly recommended
for college and university library History of Science & Physics collections in general, and James
Clerk Maxwell supplemental studies reading lists in particular.
The Cookbook Shelf
Tonja's Table
Tonja Engen
Wise Ink Creative Publishing
www.tonjastable.com
9781945769207, $25.00, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Tonja's Table: Menus and Recipes for Every Occasion" is a beautifully illustrated
culinary compendium of flavor-packed dishes that will comprise meals that are both memorable
and appropriate for any and all dining occasions."Tonja's Table" showcases more than 40 menus
for entertaining and parties, weeknight dinners, and of special note is a section for
restaurant-inspired recipes.
Critique: Easy to use and inspiring to plan menus with, "Tonja's Table" will prove to be an
enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.
The palate pleasing, appetite satisfying recipes range from Filet Mignon with Red Wine Sauce;
Mediterranean Quiche; Rosemary and Garlic-Infused Pot Roast; and Greek Salad; to Lamb
Chops with Herbes de Provence and Yogurt Pesto; Hot Szechuan-Style Green Beans; Chicken
and Swiss Turnovers; Chickpea Veggie burgers with Smoked Paprika Aioli; and Zuchini with
Marcona Almonds. Highly recommended!
My Culinary Journey: Food and Fetes of Provence with Recipes
Georgeanne Brennan
Yellow Pear Press
yellowpearpress.com
c/o Publishers Group West
1700 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.pgw.com
9780997066401 $27.50 hc amazon.com
Synopsis: In this extraordinary memoir, James Beard Award-winning author, Georgeanne
Brennan, takes us on an intimate journey to Provence - the place of her early culinary inspiration
- where she writes in lush detail about the food, people and French festivals she celebrated during
her lifelong journeys through the region.
As a young woman, she and her husband, with their small children, bought a farmhouse with a
little land and some goats, in hopes of realizing the dream of an idyllic existence in the French
countryside. Now, these memoirs, documented in A Pig in Provence, are accompanied by forty
delicious recipes, gorgeous photographs (many are the author's personal photos) and informative,
lively text featuring information about seven of her favorite regional French festivals.
In these pages, readers will find rich descriptions of warm summer meals, learning to make goat
cheese, discovering regional festivals (or fetes) and more. This evocative and passionate memoir
weaves together personal stories of friendship, cooking and living in the Provencal tradition, and
will whet the appetite of foodies, travelers and anyone who dreams of packing their bags and
taking a delicious romp through the lavender fields and vine-covered hills of Provence.
Critique: A handful of color photographs of mouth-watering dishes interleaves this enjoyable
blend of recipes, anecdotes, and French cultural celebration. My Culinary Journey is an armchair
gourmand's delight, and the next best thing to experiencing Provence's gustatory specialties in
person. Highly recommended for personal browsing, as a fine cuisine giftbook, or as a travel
souvenir, My Culinary Journey is a joy to page through. The provided recipes include "Fava Bean
Toasts", "Escargots with Pastis", "Charentais Melons with Port", "Mustard-Glazed Spring
Carrots with Sage Lamb Chops", and much more.
The Biography Shelf
The Road To War
Steven Burgauer
https://sites.google.com/site/stevenburgauer
iUniverse, Inc.
c/o Author House
1663 Liberty Dr. Suite #300, Bloomington, IN 47403
www.iuniverse.com
9781450218825 $33.95 hc / $2.99 Kindle amazon.com
Synopsis: This is the story of Captain William C. Frodsham, Jr., who - shortly after the Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor - enlisted in the U.S. Army Infantry, where he excelled in basic training,
became a junior officer, and eventually led a combat boat team ashore on Omaha Beach.
Six days later, in French hedgerow country and under withering German fire, Frodsham was
wounded and taken prisoner. He spent the next year as a German POW, where he suffered great
deprivation before finally being liberated by advancing Russian forces.
His training, his courage, his capture. The reader is taken for a first-person tour of the times at
home and then tunneled into a vastly different world on the battlefield and in a German
prisoner-of-war camp.
Critique: There is a reason why those who served during World War II are remembered as The
Greatest Generation. The Road to War: Duty & Drill, Courage & Capture is a riveting military
memoir, recounted in vivid, harrowing detail, and highly recommended for both personal and
public library collections. It should be noted that The Greatest Generation is also available in an
inexpensive Kindle edition ($2.99).
Not Exactly Love: A Memoir
Betty Hafner
She Writes Press
www.shewritespress.com
9781631521492, $16.80, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: It was 1969, and all the rules were changing, when Betty, a woefully single French
teacher on Long Island, met the handsome but edgy new teacher at her school, a hippie just back
from Woodstock. His vitality opened up a new world to her -- but when they married, his rages
turned against her, and often ended with physical violence. Like millions of women who discover
they've married an abusive man, Betty was forced to make daily decisions. Should she suppress
her feelings or should she risk violent confrontation, should she keep his physical and mental
abuse against her secret or report him to the authorities, and ultimately, should she continue to
live with it or leave him.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, brutally candid, and ultimately inspiring, "Not Exactly
Love: A Memoir" is especially recommended to the attention of anyone having to deal with an
abusive spouse or friend. While very highly recommended for community library Contemporary
American Biography collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Not Exactly
Love: A Memoir" is also available in a Kindle format ($8.69).
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
The Day of First Sun
Sheryl Steines
www.sherylsteines.com
Privately Published
9780985865245 $13.88 pbk / $2.99 Kindle amazon.com
Synopsis: As if tracking a deranged vampire and protecting the world of magic isn't enough, now
a mortal princess is dead and a nosey reporter is bent on exposing, Wizard Guard, Annie Pearce's
deepest secret. If her life wasn't already complicated enough now Annie senses a change in her
longtime partner and best friend, Cham. Is it her naturally suspicious self or is he hiding
something from her? When your partner is also the woman you love, coming to work every day
can feel like a blessing and a curse. But that's the world Bobby Chamsky lives in as a Wizard
Guard. Spells, hexes, curses, and murder: all in a days work. Nevertheless, at the end of that day
there is nothing Cham won't do to protect Annie. Now that the world of nonmagic and magic
have crossed with the death of mortal royalty, Cham's loyalty and love for his partner will be
truly tested. Will Annie find out if her suspicions are true? Will Cham forgive her for her
recklessness and can he save her before it's too late?
Critique: The first novel in the "Wizard Hall Chronicles" series, The Day of First Sun is an
exciting blend of sleuthing, romance, and wizardry. Set in a modern-day Chicago splashed with a
touch of magic, The Day of First Sun keeps the reader in suspense as its heroes strive to unravel
the machinations of a supernatural murderer. Does a ruthless vampire informant have the
answers? Or a volatile rogue wizard? The Day of First Sun is a choice pick for connoisseurs of
the urban fantasy genre, highly recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that
The Day of First Sun is also available in a Kinde edition ($2.99), and that a sequel, "Black
Market", is forthcoming.
Olivia's Story: Protector of the Realm
David L. Dahl
Lulu Publishing
3101 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27607-5436
www.lulu.com
9781483451725, $29.99, HC, 173pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The year is 1943. With the ink scarcely dry on her diploma, Olivia leaves Lander,
Wyoming, for New York City. In a quick turn of events, she lands a translating job working for a
man known only as the Major. Soon she is living an idyllic life, with exciting and rewarding
work; Vivian, her roommate, is also her best friend. Then there is an accident, and in a flash,
Vivian is gone. At that dark moment, a late-night visitor whisks Olivia to a secret world of
fairies, elves, and leprechauns, where the surprise of her life awaits; the queen selects her to be
the Protector of the Realm. Now Olivia is flying into Nazi Germany, unarmed save for her dog
and a few gadgets. Her mission is simple-rescue the Major, locate an evil Jinn, and stop him from
destroying the planet.
Critique: "Olivia's Story: Protector of the Realm" is an original, deftly crafted and consistently
compelling historical fantasy novel by David Dahl. While very highly recommended for
community library Fantasy Fiction collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of
fantasy fans that "Olivia's Story" is also available in a paperback edition (9781483451749,
$14.99) and in a Kindle format ($6.15).
Silent Meridian
Elizabeth Crowens
MX Publishing
www.elizabethcrowens.com
9781780929774, $16.95, PB, 360pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is obsessed with a legendary red book. Its peculiar stories have
come to life, and rumors claim that it has rewritten its own endings. Convinced that possessing
this book will help him write his ever-popular Sherlock Holmes stories, he takes on an unlikely
partner, John Patrick Scott, known to most as a concert musician and paranormal investigator.
Although in his humble opinion, Scott considers himself more of an ethereal archeologist and a
time traveler professor.
Together they explore lost worlds and excavate realms beyond the knowledge of historians when
they go back in time to find it. But everything backfires, and their friendship is tested to the
limits. Both discover that karmic ties and unconscionable crimes have followed them like ghosts
from the past, wreaking havoc on the present and possibly the future.
"Silent Meridian" reveals the alternate histories of Conan Doyle, H.G. Wells, Houdini, Jung and
other notable luminaries in the secret diaries of a new kind of Doctor Watson, John Patrick Scott,
in an X Files for the 19th century.
Critique: The first volume in author Elizabeth Crowen's 'Time Traveler Professor' series, "Silent
Meridan" is a consistently entertaining and deftly crafted novel that is very highly recommended
for community library Science Fiction/Fantasy collections. For the personal reading lists of
science fiction fans who enjoy an alternative history approach to storytelling it should be noted
that "Silent Meridian" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99). SciFi buffs will be eagerly
awaiting publication of the second title in this outstanding series: "A Pocketful of
Lodestones".
The Self-Help Shelf
Clueless 101
J. Ronald Adair
Eltek Publishing
www.eltekpublishing.com
9781367325401, $TBA PB / $3.99 Kindle, 137pp, www.clueless101.com
Synopsis: "Clueless 101: A Life Manual for Millennials" is specifically written to members of
the Millennial Generation (and Gen Z'ers) to navigate through the complexities of contemporary
life. In "Clueless 101" author J. Ronald Adai has compiled 125 pages of practical advice, safety
precautions, societal standards, and references that will prove as irreverent as it is invaluable as a
useful aid for younger people who seek and need something more than just getting by!
Critique: Thoroughly 'user friendly' in tone, content, organization and presentation, "Clueless
101: A Life Manual for Millennials" is very highly recommended for highschool, community,
college, and university Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections. For personal reading lists it
should be noted that "Clueless 101" is also available in a Kindle edition (Amazon.com,
B01JQG9IQU, $3.99).
The Fiction Shelf
Testament Hill
Philip Kadwell
Liberty Street Publications
PO Box 665, South Lyon, MI 48178-0665
9780692696743, $12.50, PB, 334pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Geologist Dr. Claire Brannigan travels to rural Testament Hill, Missouri in the spring
of 1962 to investigate why the local water wells have been going dry. In the course of her work,
she uncovers that the town has been unknowingly founded on the site of an epic battle between
Good and Evil at the dawn of human history.
Critique: One to read with the lights bright and full on. Deftly crafted and simply riveting from
cover to cover "Testament Hill" by Philip Kadwell (an impressively gifted master of the genre) is
an extraordinary and highly recommended addition to community library Horror/Suspense
collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Testament Hill" is also available in
a Kindle format ($5.95).
Becoming Jonika
P. J. Devlin
Possibilities Publishing Company
www.possibilitiespublishingcompany.com
9780986182211, $10.99, PB, 266pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: After she meets nineteen-year-old Ishmael, Joni Byrnes stops caring about home,
school, and swim team. Instead, she embraces Ishmael's hippy lifestyle of music, pot, and
Hermann Hesse. When she sells marijuana for Ishmael, Joni gains notoriety as Joni Juana -- but
her new found popularity ends in a bust.
While Ishmael goes to prison, Joni avoids juvenile detention by agreeing to spend the summer of
1969 at Camp Saint Augustine of Hippo teaching inner-city black kids to swim. Joni arrives at
camp with two joints stuffed in the pockets of her cutoffs. As the only white counselor, she's
greeted with: "You couldn't find no crackers to save?"
In a year marked by the Vietnam War, pressure for civil rights, the Manson Family murders, the
first moonwalk, and three days of peace and music at Woodstock, Joni's choices dictate her
future. When the end of camp is only a week away, Joni's decision to smoke a joint jeopardizes
the respect she's earned and the agreement that kept her out of juvie.
Critique: P. J. Devlin's "Becoming Jonika" is a truly riveting read by an impressively talented
novelist writing about coming of age during a time of immense cultural upheaval and an aspiring
re-imagination of the American dream. A deftly crafted story of alienation, acceptance, and
accountability, "Becoming Jonika" is unreservedly recommended, especially for community
library General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Becoming
Jonika" is also available in a Kindle format ($3.99).
Dancing at Angel Abbey
Lauren M. Bloom
Balboa Press
c/o Hay House, Inc.
PO Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
www.balboapress.com
9781504353335, $39.95, HC, 370pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: By worldly standards, Kate Cunningham is a success. Driven to achieve by her
demanding father, Kate has fought her way into partnership at a prestigious Manhattan law firm.
Unfortunately, professional success has come at a terrible personal cost, leaving Kate lonely, sad,
and with only her elderly Siamese cat as her constant companion. But one day when an
anonymous note summons Kate to her dying father's bedside, everything suddenly changes.
As she is launched on a wild journey of personal discovery propelled by portents and fortuitous
events orchestrated by the great Archangel Gabriel, Kate leaves behind the world she knew, loses
nearly everything she thought was important, and discovers that most of what she knew about
herself was a lie. When the deceits of her past fall away, Kate learns that angels are real, miracles
happen, and the truth about her life is more mysterious and magical than anything she could have
possibly imagined.
Critique: A deftly crafted and consistently compelling read from first page to last, "Dancing at
Angel Abbey" shares novelist Lauren Bloom's heartwarming, humorous, and inspiring story of
one woman's journey into a mystic realm where Heaven and Earth intertwine, archangels eagerly
share their wisdom, and Divine destiny waits. Thoroughly entertaining and certain to be an
enduringly popular addition to community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted
for personal reading lists that "Dancing at Angel Abbey" is also available in a paperback edition
(9781504353311, $22.99) and in a Kindle format ($9.99).
Hawk's Ascension
S. J. Garland
Maple Kakapo Limited
www.SJGarland.com
9780473360467, $15.00, PB, 382pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Nathaniel Hawk keeps his promise to Cornelius Thistlewaite after the events of the
recent Singapore trading season. Nathaniel reluctantly gives up his life of vice for a position at
Thistlewaite's trading house. He soon finds the business of trade in the British Empire is every bit
as cut throat as fighting pirates on the high seas. As he starts his new life, a terrible secret from
his past threatens to destroy everything he has built and will force him to choose between old
allies' and new.
Charlotte Carstairs tries desperately to settle into her new life as Nathaniel Hawk's fiance. She is
not proud of the decisions she made in order to save her family from penury and must deal with
their repercussions for her future. Every bit as determined as her formidable future husband to
make her own place in the world, she must navigate the space between ruthless trader and traitor
as the payment for past debts threaten her future.
Together Nathaniel Hawk and Charlotte Carstairs will navigate the dark underworld of black
market traders in colonial Britain. They will challenge the East India Company's monopoly on
trade with China and lead the drive for individual enterprise. With enemies on all sides,
Nathaniel and Charlotte's immense ambitions will either drive them apart or bind them
together.
Critique: An extraordinary and deftly crafted novel with keenly drawn protagonists and a riveting
storyline, "Hawk's Ascension" showcases author S. J. Garland as an exceptionally gifted novelist.
A consistently compelling and entertaining read from first page to last, "Hawk's Ascension" is
wholeheartedly recommended, especially for community library General Fiction collections. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that "Hawk's Ascension" is also available in an
inexpensive Kindle format ($2.99).
The Infidels
Joe David
Books for All Times
http://www.bfat.com
9780939360086, $16.95, PB, 286pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The Great War to end all wars began with two shots: one aimed at the Archduke Franz
Ferdinand, heir to the Hapsburg throne, and the other aimed at his wife, Sophie. What many
thought would be just another Balkan squabble quickly escalated into a major war felt around the
world.
As Europe burst into flames and millions of soldiers began battling the forces of nationalism, the
Ottoman Turks joined arms with the Germans and extended the conflict to their longtime
enemies, the Russians and the Christians. Incited by secular leaders in Constantinople,
northwestern Persia became a warzone in which radical religious tribes invaded Christian
villages and systematically martyred hundreds of thousands of 'infidels" who dared to resist
conversion.
"The Infidels" by Joe David takes place in those turbulent times on a small slice of ancient,
isolated land owned by a wealthy Assyrian family, where a young Christian girl awakens one
morning to the brutal massacre of her race in a war that she is too young to understand. Stripped
of her privileged and comfortable existence, pursued by a Muslim governor (a powerful symbol
of the rising new world order) and surrounded by hostility and greed, deep-sated hatred and
unspeakable horrors, she must somehow come to terms with the nightmare that her life has
become.
Critique: A consistently compelling novel by an author who has taken serious effort to get
background details correct, "The Infidels" by Joe David is a simply riveting read from cover to
cover. Certain to become an enduringly popular addition to community library historical fiction
collections and personal reading lists.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
The Gail Force
Robert Lane
http://robertlanebooks.com
Mason Alley Publishing
9780692670446 $14.95 pbk / $4.99 Kindle amazon.com
Synopsis: Jake Travis, while trying to expose a corrupt Miami art gallery, goes undercover for
the FBI. The gallery's owner, Phillip Agatha, is more enchanted with murder than he is with art.
Aboard Agatha's luxury yacht, the Gail Force, Jake is taken by Agatha's hospitality and falls for
his alluring assistant, Christina. Unknowingly, Jake plays into Agatha's hands and initiates
actions that will cause a young woman to die.
As Jake battles to save the woman, unearth a rogue FBI agent, and bring Agatha to justice, his
greatest challenge is to stay loyal to his girlfriend, Kathleen, and to withstand the Gail Force.
Critique: The fourth stand-alone Jake Travis novel by award-winning author Robert Lane, The
Gail Force is a riveting saga of crime, action, and suspense. Writing with razor-edged wit and a
keen sense of impending peril, The Gail Force is a page-turner to the end and especially
recommended for connoisseurs of the genre. It should be noted for personal reading lists that The
Gail Force is also available in a Kindle edition ($4.99).
Unforgiving
Adnan Alisic
http://www.alisicadnan.com
AA Publishing
9781511648684 $TBA pbk / $7.99 Kindle amazon.com
Synopsis: After surviving horrific massacre, 15-year-old Meho commits ruthless murders,
derailing a top-secret FBI investigation which tried to prevent the sophisticated assassination on
the President of the United States.
The murders are followed by the trial of the century, where media vilifies Meho as a psychopath,
mass murderer, and a monster all under the influence of the FBI, who are trying to conceal the
identity of the victims and protect the National Security.
The only person who believes that Meho is innocent is his 10-year-old brother Bucky, who will
turn heavens and earth to free Meho. After learning the truth, Bucky is devastated, but not all
things are as they seem, and the truth will be revealed at the very end.
Critique: Could human technology be on the verge of creating a genetically-targeted bio-weapon?
Unforgiving explores the possibility; even though the overall story is fictional, the science behind
its premise is quite real. A fascinating saga of mass-murder, misplaced justice, vengeance, and
intrigue, Unforgiving will keep the reader riveted from cover to cover. Highly recommended! It
should be noted for personal reading lists that Unforgiving is also available in a Kindle edition
($7.99).
The Bazatov Conspiracy
Geoffrey A. Gilbert
AuthorHouse
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200, Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
www.authorhouse.com
9781504911085, $35.99, HC, 516pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: When CIA Agent, Melville Zadev boarded Gateway Airways Flight 189 at Abu Dhabi
International Airport, Thanksgiving dinner was on his mind. The many overseas assignments left
him in a state of sheer exhaustion - another three months, and he'll be saying goodbye to the CIA.
But by a strange and ironic twist of fate, Zadev learnt even before he landed at JFK that his
blissful thoughts of retiring, were far from becoming a reality.
Two Jihadists had commandeered the flight. One of them is holding a knife to the throat of a
senior flight attendant, while his accomplice spews out a slew of hateful anti- American
expletives. They had one objective - blasting the Boeing 777 with 283 American passengers out
of the sky!
Zadev teams up with an off duty Marine to confront the hijackers. The accolades came from
every quarter, and Melville Zadev is hailed as a true American hero. The CIA man thought he
had fought his final battle. But the terrorists were not daunted by the botched hijacking. Soon,
Zadev hits the road, tracking a shadowy and elusive enemy! From Allepo, to the exotic French
Riviera and Ramadi in Iraq, Zadev goes on a ruthless hunt for the jihadists.
In Moscow, a former Military man joins him in the fight; but the terrorists had other ideas. An
assassin's bullet takes out a key informant, moments after he met Zadev and his Russian partner.
America's arch enemy - the MAKI Network, led by Jatan Bazatov, has another score to settle.
And while Zadev plans his strategy to liquidate the evil masterminds, a mole within the CIA,
sells top secret intelligence to America's enemies! It's a desperate race against time for Melville
Zadev and Vladimir Slavancovic, as they try to stop Bazatov and his group of barbaric
jihadists.
Critique: "The Bazatov Conspiracy" by Geoffrey Gilbert is is the stuff of which block-buster
movies are made! A deftly crafted and riveting read from cover to cover, "The Bazatov
Conspiracy" is unreservedly recommended for community library Action/Adventure fiction
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Bazatov Conspiracy" is also
available in a paperback edition (978-1496974112, $23.95) and in a Kindle format ($3.99).
Blood Virus: A Pandemic by Design
L. A. Hollis
iUniverse, Inc.
c/o Author House
1663 Liberty Dr. Suite #300, Bloomington, IN 47403
www.iuniverse.com
9781491793695, $24.95, HC, 200pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Thousands are dying and many more sickened as an unknown virus runs rampant
through Western Africa. Its victims experience a violent death within a few days of exposure, so
the CDC jumps in before the virus can become a global pandemic. They send their best man, Dr.
Lennox Richards of the Epidemic Intelligence Service, to ground zero in Benin.
Lennox heads up an international team of top specialists with the intent of identifying and
possibly developing a vaccine to halt the virus's progress. However, there's a problematic
variable: the virus is ethno-specific, killing only blacks and leaving others with nothing more
than a common cold. As an African American, the stakes have suddenly changed for Dr. Lennox
Richards.
The good doctor has yet to realize a more sinister plot is being waged, with Benin as the initial
test site for the bioengineered killer. A lethal plan is in effect to expose the world's ethnic groups
to a virus specific to their particular race-in other words, the implementation of an ethnic
bomb.
With time running out and no cure in sight, will Dr. Lennox Richards be able to stay alive and
halt the doomsday scenario that looms close at hand?
Critique: A riveting read by an impressively talented author, "Blood Virus: A Pandemic by
Design" is very highly recommended and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to
community library General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Blood Virus: A Pandemic by Design" is also available in a paperback edition (9781491785270,
$14.95) and in a Kindle format ($3.99).
On A Midnight Clear
Henry Hoffman
Melange Books
www.melange-books.com
9781680462920, $10.95, PB, 164pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In "On a Midnight Clear" by Henry Hoffman, private investigator Adam Fraley
chances upon a horrific Christmas Eve crime while traveling the Colorado foothills. At the heart
of the story is the relationship between Fraley and Noelle Feldman, an enchanting young girl
whose family life is shattered by the tragic event. Finding a killer and a trove of buried gold, not
to mention a future for Noelle become the challenges facing Fraley as he maneuvers his way
around a bevy of obstacles populating his path.
Critique: A deftly crafted and consistently compelling read from beginning to end by a master of
the genre, Henry Hoffman's chilling novel "On A Midnight Clear" is very highly recommended,
especially for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "On A Midnight Clear" is also available in
a Kindle format ($4.99).
Prospect for Murder
Jeanne Burrows-Johnson
Artemesia Publishing
9 Mickingbird Hill Road, Tijeras, NM 87059
www.apbooks.net
9781932926453, $29.95, HC, 282pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Writer Natalie Seachrist has had visions since childhood. But the vision of a girl's body
draped over a vintage Mustang shatters her personal world when she learns the body belongs to
her grandniece. With the help of retired police detective Keoni Hewitt and her feline companion
Miss Una, Natalie begins her own investigation at an apartment in the foothills of Honolulu. Will
Natalie be able to learn the truth about Ariel's death before the police close the investigation
without an arrest? Or has Natalie put herself in the way of a killer who's willing to kill again to
hide their secret?
Critique: An deftly crafted and impressively engaging read from cover to cover, "Prospect for
Murder" clearly demonstrates novelist Jeanne Burrows-Johnson as a master of the
mystery/suspense genre. While very highly recommended for the personal reading lists of
dedicated mystery buffs and community library Mystery Fiction collections. It should be noted
that "Prospect for Murder" is also available as a complete and unabridged CD audio book
(9781932926460, $34.95).
Bullet in the Chamber
John DeDakis
Strategic Media Books
782 Wofford Street, Rock Hill, SC 29730
www.strategicmediabooks.com
9781939521637, $18.95, PB, 363pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Gutsy reporter, Lark Chadwick once again finds herself at the wrong place at the right
time: front-row center when the White House press briefing room is suddenly attacked. The
president is missing, the first lady's life is at risk, and Lark's personal life is falling apart when the
man she loves disappears.
In this action/adventure story of mystery and suspense, "Bullet in the Chamber" manages to
capture all of the intensity, grit and breathlessness of covering the presidency in an age of
nonstop news and fierce competition.
Critique: With "Bullet in the Chamber", author John DeDakis proves to be a gifted and original
novelist who is a master of the political thriller. A consistently compelling read from beginning
to end, "Bullet in the Chamber" is very highly recommended, especially for community library
collections.
Climatized
Sally Fernandez
www.sallyfernandez.com
Dunham Books
9780997397321, $15.99, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Maxine Ford, having resigned as deputy director of the States intelligence Agency,
soon needed an outlet for her innate sleuthing capabilities. It only made sense that she would be
destined to establish her own investigative firm. Naturally, her stellar clients would be among the
Washington elite, including senators, members of the various congressional committees, along
with other high profilers inside the beltway.
Max is hired by the wife of a prominent Senator to determine the cause of his untimely death. It
leads her to discover that three world-renowned scientists had been killed days before they were
scheduled to testify before the late Senator's investigative committee. Meanwhile, a fourth
scientist has gone missing. Max determines he is the key to unearthing the motives behind the
deaths.
Following the many twists and turns, Max and her associate, Jackson Monroe uncover a
powerful organization responsible for the killings. The challenges to the global warming "cottage
industry" heats up putting into question the alleged science behind the widely accepted climate
change dogma. Cogent evidence is provided to the president, forcing him to make a crucial
decision -- to to cover up a diabolical plot or bring down a multi-trillion-dollar world-wide
economy.
Critique: "Climatized" is the first novel in a new thriller series by Sally Fernandez. An
impressively well written and consistently compelling read from beginning to end, "Climatized"
is an especially recommended addition to community library General Fiction collections. For
personal reading lists it should be noted that "Climatized" is also available in a Kindle format
($10.69).
Greywycke
Roger Davis
iUniverse, Inc.
c/o Author House
1663 Liberty Dr. Suite #300, Bloomington, IN 47403
www.iuniverse.com
9781491710883, $22.95, HC, 162pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: For the Lady Kaline de Belmar, it should be a time of great happiness. As the official
social season begins, Kaline and her grandmother, the dowager duchess Catherine de Belmar,
accept an invitation to attend a ball at Greywycke Castle, the ancestral home of her godfather.
Before they depart, however, the duchess informs Kaline that a male heir has been found for the
Belmar title, supplanting both women -- and that Kaline should prepare for an arranged marriage,
a prospect she does not care for.
Kaline is being courted by the mysterious Sir Edward Brune, but her grandmother informs Kaline
that Brune is an unsuitable match and that other prospective suitors she has chosen for her will be
present at the ball. Soon after Kaline arrives at the event, however, eerie occurrences begin to
undermine the event, putting Kaline and her companions under the control of an unknown force
that seems to be shaping the course of the weekend -- and their destinies.
Critique: With "Greywycke", novelist Roger Davis has deftly crafted a truly suspenseful tale of
murder, mayhem, and mystery surrounding a castle above the sea, and a young lady who
discovers she must rely on the wisdom of strange creatures and her own inner strength in order to
triumph over evil and take control of her fate. A consistently compelling and unfailingly
entertaining read from beginning to end, "Greywycke" is especially recommended for community
library Historical Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Greywycke" is also available in a paperback edition (9781491710869, $12.95) and in an
inexpensive Kindle format ($3.99).
The Christian Studies Shelf
Experiencing God Through His Names
Sheryl Giesbrecht
http://fromashestobeauty.com
Bold Vision Books
PO Box 2011, Friendswood, TX 77549
www.boldvisionbooks.com
9780692743010, $12.99, PB, 112pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: What's in a name? Names are more than groups of letters that represent a person or
identify objects. Names are powerful. A person's character and destiny can be influenced by his
or her name. God's attributes and personality support His unique and distinct names. If we
comprehend the meanings of His titles, we can know God more intimately. In "Experiencing God
Through His Names", Sheryl Giesbrecht (author of three books, hundreds of articles, blogs, and
columns. as well as an inspirational speaker, a nationally syndicated radio host, leadership trainer
Sheryl Giesbrecht takes the reader on an exciting journey to discover and absorb the truth about
God's character.
Critique: Exceptionally well written and thoroughly accessible for the non-specialist general
reader seeking their own personal relationship with God, "Experiencing God Through His
Names" is especially recommended to all members of the Christian community regardless of
their denominational affiliation. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Experiencing
God Through His Names" is also available in a Kindle format ($5.99).
Finding the Narrow Path
Lin Wilder
www.linwilder.com
Wilder Books
9781942545545, $13.50, PB, 166pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Deciding to walk away from God did not come easily or quickly for Lin Wilder. Nor
did the decision to return.
As she explains: Exactly how much of my personal life should be included in this book has been
a tough decision to make. This is, after all, the story of a conversion, not an autobiography. Many
of my choices, judgments, and their consequences remain painful, even humiliating to revisit,
writing them down, even more so. Initially, I questioned the relevance of describing elements of
my career, education and relationships with men- in short, my pre-Catholic world in detail. Since
I did not convert until midlife, there are a lot of territories to cover. But I realize that my use of
the term 'lost years' makes no sense unless I place them squarely in the context of the person I
was then. Without the details of my early life, unpleasant as they are to recall, much less write,
this sense of drifting and of aimlessness are merely words which lack substance. They are
unidimensional. In talks to church groups about life with and without my faith, I frequently used
'ground' while I stomped the floor I stood on, forcefully, as I worked to convey what is gained
and lost with and without faith.
Faith and all which accompanies religion like regular church attendance and a belief that there is
something greater here, someone present, informs our decisions and choices, even our goals. Just
so, its absence widens all boundaries. More and more is acceptable.
This, at times, brutally honest story of the reasons for Wilder's walk away from God, then years
later, return, cannot fail to provoke and challenge. Her decision to reveal intimate and painful
details of the life lived during the years she refers to as 'lost' will cause even the most devoutly
faithful reader to take a peek at the shadows of the self we hide from the world and from
ourselves.
Critique: An exceptionally candid account that is impressively well written, organized and
presented, "Finding the Narrow Path: Patterns, Faith and Searching" is an inherently fascinating
and consistently compelling account that is as informative and thoughtful as it is insightful and
ultimately inspiring. While very highly recommended for Christian Studies reading lists, it
should be noted that "Finding the Narrow Path" is also available in a Kindle format ($6.99).
Gifts from Guidance
Kay Christy, MA
Balboa Press
c/o Hay House, Inc.
PO Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
www.balboapress.com
9781452590004, $28.00, HC, 142pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Kay Christy is a behavioral scientist and a metaphysician. She has been a student and
practitioner of metaphysics and the intuitive arts for the past thirty-five years. In "Gifts from
Guidance" Christy has compiled an anthology of prayers and affirmations that she had written
over a ten-year period. It was written using an intuitive writing process that invokes
communication with the author's spirit guides and guardian angels.
Each individual prayer unfolds a devotional vision of a life guided by love, compassion, and
wisdom. This anthology's ability to articulate the longing of the soul to live an inspired and
happy life is profound. The prayers are gifts from a unique inner-guidance system, and are
offered with the wish that they will bring comfort, encouragement, and inspiration to the world of
possibilities life has to offer. They are meant to be healing, and can be life preservers of peace
and hope at times of distress, uncertainty, and fear.
"Gifts from Guidance" is a simple tool for syncing our hearts and minds with a higher level of
consciousness. These amazing prayers are universal in their message of love that bridges religion
and spirituality with our common human need for peace and ease.
Critique: Exceptionally inspired and inspiring, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, organization
and presentation, "Gifts from Guidance" is one of those life enhancing reads that is unreservedly
recommended to all members of the Christian community regardless of denominational
affiliations. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Gifts from Guidance" is also
available in a paperback edition (9781452589985, $11.99).
Finding a Way Ahead!
Angela Harper
Circle Books
www.circle-books.com
John Hunt Publishing, Ltd.
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
c/o National Book Network (dist.)
www.nbnbooks.com
9781785354182 $14.95 pbk / $5.99 Kindle amazon.com
Synopsis: Finding a Way Ahead! is a book of devotional reflections drawing from experiences of
Angela Harper's own healing from a lifelong condition. The reflections are intended to help
others, showing that it is necessary to look at various aspects of ourselves in any search for divine
healing and wholeness. The notes were originally written for a Time for Healing prayer group; a
mix of churchgoers and those who came off the street to join in and who needed someone to talk
to, pray with them, and listen. In accessible easy-to-read sections, Angela Harper encourages
others to take heart, and to help them find comfort and guidance and coping strategies. Her aim is
to give people tools to help turn around their experiences or to see other perspectives.
Critique: Written by theological expert and chaplain Angela Harper, Finding A Way Ahead!
Spiritual Signposts to Healing and Wholeness is a candid, kind-hearted testimony of abiding faith
in God. A comforting repository of wisdom, insight, and love, Finding a Way Ahead! is highly
recommended. "It's not easy for some people to love themselves. Some believe that it's
narcissistic or selfish - but to love yourself means that you are more able to achieve the realistic
things you want to do in life, without constantly thinking that you are not good enough; loving
yourself means that you are able to comfort yourself." It should be noted for personal reading
lists that Finding a Way Ahead! is also available in a Kindle edition ($5.99).
The Health/Medicine Shelf
Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous
Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous
www.foodaddicts.org
c/o World Service Inc.
400 W. Cummings Park, Suite 1700, Woburn, MA 01801
9781932021806, $19.98, PB, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Food Addicts Anonymous is a program using the 12 steps, adapted from Alcoholics
Anonymous, to enable men and women to recover from their addictions to foods that are causing
them uncontrollable cravings. "Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous" was specifically written
and published to help readers to find out if they are food addicts and, and if so, to take the steps
that countless others have taken to recover from their food addictions. Anyone can recover from
the chains of addiction and find freedom with the help of "Food Addicts in Recovery
Anonymous". Of special note is the inclusion of four appendices: Some Frequently Used Terms;
A Brief History of Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA); The Twelve Steps; The Twelve
Traditions.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Food Addicts in Recovery
Anonymous" is a critically important and unreservedly recommended addition to community and
academic library Health/Medicine reference collections in general, and the personal reading lists
of anyone having to deal with any form of food addictions in particular.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Zen for Druids
Joanna van der Hoeven
Moon Books
www.moon-books.net
c/o John Hunt Publishing, Ltd.
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
c/o National Book Network (dist.)
www.nbnbooks.com
9781785354427 $14.95 pbk / $4.61 Kindle amazon.com
Synopsis: The teachings of Zen Buddhism combined with the earth-based tradition of Druidry
can create a holistic way of life that is deeply integrated with the seasons, the environment and
the present moment. In soul-deep relationship we can use the techniques and wisdom from both
traditions to find balance and harmony within our own lives. In this text we explore the concepts
of the Dharma (the Buddha's teachings) and how they relate to the wisdom of the Druid tradition.
We also look at the Wheel of the Year in modern Druidry with regards to the Dharma,
incorporating the teachings into every seasonal festival in an all-encompassing celebration of
nature. We explore meditation, mindfulness, animism and integration with nature, learning how
to find sustainable relationship in the work that we do, opening our souls to the here and now and
seeing the beauty and wonder that enchants our lives in every waking moment. Step into a new
life, fully awake and aware to the beauty of the natural world.
Critique: Druid, teacher, and author Joanna van der Hoeven presents Zen for Druids, an
inspirational reflection on the interplay between Zen Buddhist teachings and the druidic way of
life, which is innately connected to the beauty and harmony of nature. Chapters contemplate the
Dharma in a druidic context, meditation and mindfulness, the turn of the seasons, and more.
"When we are mindful, we are able to see that the universe exists in everything around us, and
that we are not separate... By stopping the self-centered attention that we have lived with perhaps
all our lives, we turn our focus outwards so that we don't miss a thing. We learn the joy and
peace that comes from really living in a mindful manner." One does not need to be a druid or a
Buddhist to benefit from the wisdom of Zen for Druids! Highly recommended. It should be noted
for personal reading lists that Zen for Druids is also available in a Kindle edition ($4.61).
The Theatre/Cinema Shelf
The Fight That Started the Movies
Samuel Hawley
www.samuelhawley.com
Conquistador Press
www.conquistadorpress.com
9780992078683 $17.95 pbk / $5.99 Kindle amazon.com
Synopsis: On March 17, 1897, in an open-air arena in Carson City, Jim Corbett and Bob
Fitzsimmons fought for the heavyweight championship of the world. The contest was recorded
by film pioneer Enoch Rector from inside an immense, human-powered camera called the
"Veriscope," the forgotten Neanderthal at the dawn of cinema history. Rector's movie of the
contest premiered two months later. Known today as The Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight, it was the
world's first feature-length film.
The Fight That Started the Movies is the untold story of Corbett's and Fitzsimmons' journey to
that ring in Nevada and how the landmark film of their battle came to be made. It reveals how
boxing played a key role in the birth of the movies, spurring the development of motion picture
technology and pushing the concept of "film" from a twenty-second peephole show to a
full-length attraction, "a complete evening's entertainment," projected on a screen.
The cast of characters in the tale is rich and varied. There are inventors Eadweard Muybridge,
Thomas Edison, William Dickson and Eugene Lauste, figuring out how to photographically
capture and reproduce motion. There are the playboy brothers Otway and Gray Latham, who first
saw the commercial potential of fight films, and their friend and partner Enoch Rector, who
pushed that potential to its fruition. There are fighters Jim Corbett with his "scientific" methods
of boxing; Bob Fitzsimmons with his thin legs and turnip-on-a-chain punch; hard-drinking John
L. Sullivan and the original Jack Dempsey and the gifted but ultimately doomed Young Griffo.
There are loud-mouthed fight managers and big-talking promoters, and Wild West legends like
Bat Masterson and Judge Roy Bean when the story heads to the Rio Grande river. And finally,
there is the audience, our collective ancestors, discovering that movies were more than just a
curiosity to gape at, but a new and enduring form of entertainment to rival the theater.
Critique: The Fight That Started the Movies: The World Heavyweight Championship, the Birth
of Cinema and the First Feature Film is an in-depth study of the amazing historical event in 1897
that helped usher in a new era of media. Written with a scholar's attention to detail, yet
thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds, The Fight That Started the Movies is a
"must-read" for cinema history buffs and a welcome addition to public library collections. Highly
recommended!
The Political Science Shelf
Where Bernie Went Wrong
Hunter Lewis
Axios Press
PO Box 457, Edinburg, VA 22824
www.axiospress.com
9781604191080 $15.00 hc / $7.19 Kindle amazon.com
Synopsis: What motivated Bernie Sanders to undertake his ground breaking campaign? First and
foremost, he was appalled by the economic inequality of American society, which he felt was
getting ever worse. He wanted to tax the rich and especially Wall Street much more heavily in
order to finance more Social Security and Medicare for all, among other expanded government
programs.
Sanders planned to jumpstart the economy by vastly increasing government investments in
"infrastructure" such as roads and bridges. He would raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour for
a start and keep raising it. He would open US borders to immigration while simultaneously
cutting back on open borders for trade.
Would this program work? Would it lead to the intended outcome? Where Bernie Went Wrong
considers this question and concludes that while Sanders is right in calling for a revolution
against today's political and economic elites, his proposed solutions would actually make the
plight of the poor and middle class even worse.
Critique: "Where Bernie Went Wrong: And Why His Remedies Will Just Make Crony
Capitalism Worse" is a measured rebuttal of the economic ideas and policies espoused by former
Democratic primary candidate Bernie Sanders. Even though Sanders lost the presidential
nomination, his championed causes resonated in the hearts of numerous voters. Both those who
oppose and those who support Sanders' ideas would be well advised to peruse "Where Bernie
Went Wrong", the better to thoroughly understand the counter-arguments. Also highly
recommended are author Hunter Lewis' previous titles "Are the Rich Necessary?" and "Where
Keynes Went Wrong".
James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
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
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
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