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Small Press Bookwatch

Volume 15, Number 1 January 2016 Home | SPBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Writing/Publishing Shelf Biography Shelf
Fiction Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Self-Help Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Economic Studies Shelf Humor Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Theatre/Cinema Shelf Science Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
American History Shelf Business Shelf Poetry Shelf
Relationship Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf Jobs/Careers Shelf
Graphic Novel Shelf Photography Shelf Music Shelf
Nautical Shelf Sports Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

One Hundred Hearts
Terry Sidford
Balboa Press
c/o Hay House, Inc.
PO Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
www.balboapress.com
9781504337632, $13.99, 172pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: At least one point in your life you've probably faced adversity that made you question your ability to go on. But you did go on, and since then: How would you define courage? Was there a defining moment that made you who you are today? What do you want other women to know? "One Hundred Hearts: Inspiring Stories from the Women who Lived Them" shares the deeply introspective responses to these and other questions answered by one hundred women. Through their answers, stories of ordinary women and their extraordinary courage come to life. You'll laugh with them, cry with them, and see yourself in their journeys. Individually, the women you meet in "One Hundred Hearts" display incredible courage. Collectively, they inspire you to appreciate the courage you demonstrate in your own life on a daily basis.

Critique: Impressively written, deftly organized and presented, "One Hundred Hearts: Inspiring Stories from the Women who Lived Them" is a thoroughly absorbing read from beginning to end -- and one that is both inspired and inspiring. Very highly recommended for both community and academic library Women's Studies collections, it should be noted that "One Hundred Hearts" is also available in a Kindle edition ($4.99).

Grace in a Wintry Season
Edwin Steinmann
Florence Fleming LLC
P.O. Box 365, Saint James, MO 65559
www.graceinawintryseason.com
9780996184106, $11.99, 154pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Grace in a Wintry Season: Feeling Our Creator's Love in a World Grown Distant and Cold - and Loving in Return" is a spiritual memoir by Edwin Steinmann, a retired lawyer whose career included being a public defender, a prosecutor, an assistant attorney general, and other positions within the state of Missouri. "Grace in a Wintry Season" focuses on fourteen dreams that Steinmann had over a number of years, and also on one extraordinary inner vision ("mystical experience"). They persuaded him that what our predecessors experienced as God is still with us, and that he, she, or it is self-revealing, loving and healing. "Grace in a Wintry Season" is Steinmann's effort to help others discern his, her, or its presence in themselves, in order to feel God's love and to love God in return.

Critique: Impressive and exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Grace in a Wintry Season: Feeling Our Creator's Love in a World Grown Distant and Cold - and Loving in Return" is a compelling and absorbing read that is as thoughtful and thought-provoking as it is inspired and inspiring. Very highly recommended to the attention of the non-specialist general reader with an interest in spirituality and metaphysics, "Grace in a Wintry Season" is highly recommended for community library Religion/Spirituality collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Grace in a Wintry Season" is also available in a Kindle edition ($3.99).

Seeing the World Through Rose-Colored Trifocals
Claire Flatowicz
Pink Bunny Press
9780996884112, $16.95, PB, 205pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Growing old isn't all that funny. Except sometimes it is. Claire Flatowicz, author of a column in the wildly popular Momaha blog published by the Omaha World-Herald, has collected her favorite everyday thoughts and ponderings into "Seeing the World Through Rose-Colored Trifocals: No-Nonsense Observations on Getting Older", a humorous, thoughtful, and fun compendium of wit, wisdom, and insightful perspective. In her slightly irreverent and pleasantly sarcastic tone, Claire examines marriage and family, illness, friends, work, politics, religion, and holidays and finds the lighter side of every subject. Claire proves that family quirks and eccentricities are universal, no matter your age, geography, or personal situation. You may see someone you know in these stories, or you may even see yourself!

Critique: An inherently fascinating and thoroughly absorbing read from beginning to end, "Seeing the World Through Rose-Colored Trifocals: No-Nonsense Observations on Getting Older" is very highly recommended and certain to be an enduringly favorite acquisition for community library collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Seeing the World Through Rose-Colored Trifocals: No-Nonsense Observations on Getting Older" is also available in a Kindle edition ($3.99).

Hey, God? Yes, Charles.
Rebecca H. Cooper
Turner Publishing
www.turnerpublishing.com
9781681620954, $29.95, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Sunday, November 11, 2007, Becky Cooper watched her husband Charles drive out of sight, heading from their Nashville condo to his office and apartment in Atlanta. She never saw him conscious again. Monday, November 12, was his 58th birthday. Since he would be out of town, their granddaughters and Becky had made him a cake and celebrated before he left on that Sunday. Wednesday, November 14, Charles caught Becky at her desk, calling just to let her know that he'd had some pain radiating down his back. He was sure it was nothing, but the company nurse, who just happened to be in the office that day, heard what happened and insisted on calling 911 as a precaution. They swapped love yous. She didn't even get out of her chair. Twelve days later, despite hundreds, maybe thousands, of prayers, Charles died. Emergency open heart surgery was followed by complications, including acute respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, and various lung infections. He and Becky had been married almost 39 years. In the following year, Becky learned that the connection with someone you love doesn't cease with death. Charles was always bigger than life, and his presence, his love, his humor, and these conversations were just as real after his death. For better, for worse, Becky started scribbling down what she was overhearing in heaven. She was done talking to God. Charles, as it turned out, was not.

Critique: Inspired and inspiring, "Hey, God? Yes, Charles.: Conversations on Life, Loss, and Love" is a rare narrative of the beauty of life and the endlessness of love, all told from the perspective of intimate, humorous and poignant conversations between Charles Cooper and God. An "accidental masterpiece" taken from author Rebecca Cooper's notes, each conversation between Charles and God is full of joy, empathy, and the revelation that while we may not live forever, our memory and love are eternal. Of special interest for anyone struggling with the loss of a friend or loved one, "Hey, God? Yes, Charles." is a unique and highly recommended read from beginning to end.

The Road to Self: Reflections from a Soulful CEO
John B. Goodman
The Goodman Group
1107 Hazeltine Boulevard, Suite 200, Chaska, MN 55318
http://thegoodmangroup.com
9780998000107, $14.95, HC, 152pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Driving across the country, John Goodman (Chairman of The Goodman Group, and who has spent 45 years building this family property management company into an award-winning organization that creates and manages living environments that emphasize quality of life) takes us on a personal journey as he searches for a definition of success beyond business. He discovers that the rewards that dwell in all of us are true for business as well as life. As more and more people look to the workplace for personal fulfillment John's timeless pieces of wisdom resonate loud and clear. His approach to business recognizes that who we are as people, we carry with us everywhere, even to the job. He takes to heart his company's mission to emphasize the quality of life and enable residents and staff to achieve an optimum level of well-being. John shares his journey in the hope of helping others. Learning to let go, spending time on your inner connection to spirit and always being present for work and life are just a
few of the topics he touches on.

Critique: An inherently absorbing, thoughtful, thought-provoking, and candidly personal work, "The Road to Self: Reflections from a Soulful CEO" is a very worthwhile and ultimately inspiring read that is very highly recommended for personal and community library collections. It should be noted that "The Road to Self" is also available in a paperback edition (9780998000183, $11.95).


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Fiction-Writing Modes
Mike Klaassen
www.mikeklaassen.com
Bookbaby
www.bookbaby.com
9781682221006 $19.99 pbk / $9.99 Kindle www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Most books about the craft of writing fiction explain a few fiction-writing modes, but none addresses or even identifies all eleven. Fiction-Writing Modes: Eleven Essential Tools for Bringing Your Story to Life is the most comprehensive and concise resource available anywhere regarding fiction-writing modes and the mechanics of presenting them. A mode is a particular manner of doing or expressing something. Eleven different modes comprise all written fiction. Fiction-Writing Modes offers beginning writers an invaluable foundation from which to build skills. This book can help experienced authors reach new levels of success. A better understanding of fiction-writing modes can help any writer understand why some writing works and why some does not.

Critique: Chapters cover a wide range of issues affecting the art of fiction writing, from how to make dialogue sound natural (and properly punctuate it), to using attributions to control rhythm and pace, to effectively using both action and dialogue to advance the plot, and much more. Fiction writers of all skill and experience levels will find these insights, copiously demonstrated with examples throughout, invaluable to refining their craft. Highly recommended!


The Biography Shelf

San Antonio Man Tells Tall Tale
John T. Saunders, Jr.
Hamilton Books
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.rowman.com
9780761866305, $34.99, 136pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: John Saunders was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas where he attended school at Alamo Heights, the University of Texas on a Golf Scholarship and has had a successful career in the Oil and Gas Exploration Business. John married the love of his life, Laurie Ann Lewis and together they have three children, John, Christina and Gracie, daughter in law, Lauren and two grandchildren, Cuate and Ada Saunders with another one on the way. "San Antonio Man Tells Tall Tale" is a Saunder's personal memoir of being a south Texas boy who came of age in the second half of the twentieth century. Each tale more thrilling than the last as Saunders chronicles a lifetime of hunting, fishing, and traveling throughout Texas, the Gulf Coast, the Rocky Mountains, and South America. These powerful and often humorous stories of chasing white tail deer, avoiding snakes, fishing for blue marlin, and even courting his wife are based on Saunder's life experiences in the great outdoors with close friends and family.

Criteria: Published in a coffee table style format, "San Antonio Man Tells Tall Tale" features colorful illustrations by San Antonio artists Clay McGaughy and Pat Safir whose images bring the Saunders stories to life. Informative, entertaining, and a fun read from beginning to end, "San Antonio Man Tells Tall Tale" is highly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and academic library Contemporary American Biography collections.

The Primal Contradiction
Daniel St. Clair
Archway Publishing
1663 Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
www.archwaypublishing.com
9781480819924, $33.95, 196pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "The Primal Contradiction: My Escape from the Pitfall of Self-Delusion" presents the spiritual memoir of Daniel St. Clair, who examines his own life, beginning with his memories as a young child. He shares his search for an explanation for the profound sense of solitude he shouldered through the years of his youth. Finally, his exploration brings him to a realization of the truth that he had been living by a pretense and that, all along, the real truth of his life had been pursuing him. Grounded in the detailed recollections of a personal history, the chapters of The Primal Contradiction entwine those stories with the seasoned reflections of the author's look back on his own life. Chapter titles indicate the kinds of topics the author explores: "Adolescence," "And Then I Die," "Awakened," "Good Dog," "The Cost," "Doubt," and "Going Home." If you find either inspiration or consolation-or both-in sharing another's journey of self-discovery, then The Primal Contradiction: My Escape from the Pitfall of Self-Delusion will provide you with a thoughtful, honest, and truth-seeking account of one man's journey from self-delusion to the recognition of the truth of his own life.

Critique: Impressive, candid, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "The Primal Contradiction: My Escape from the Pitfall of Self-Delusion" is an absorbing read from beginning to end, and very highly recommended for community and academic library Contemporary American Biography collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Primal Contradiction" is also available in a paperback edition (9781480819931, $14.99) and in a Kindle format ($2.99).

The Green Stick: A Memoir
Reg Van Cuylenburg
Blue Palm Press
PO Box 61255, Santa Barbara, CA 93160
9780977186631, $15.95, 168pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "The Green Stick: A Memoir" by Reg Van Cuylenburg is gracefully told and set in early twentieth-century colonial Ceylon. Depicting the journey of a youth imbued with the experiences and wise guidance that form and shape a man's awareness, and open his eyes to the complexity and wonder of life. Brought up by his grandfather in a Kandyan Sinhalese household, and given the freedom to explore, Reg discovers his heritage and direction in the wider world.

Critique: An inherently fascinating and fully absorbing read that is a perfect example of the memoir as literature. Exceptionally well written from first page to last, "The Green Stick: A Memoir" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and academic library Biography collections.

May I Sit on Your Towel?: Joint Autobiography
Edward Morris & Elizabeth Morris
World Wide Products
740 Pine Street, San Francisco, CA 94108-3110
www.mayisitonyourtowel.com
9780934062169, $8.50, PB, 354pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Edward Morris is a GI returning from World War II meets Elizabeth, the girl of his dreams, on the beach. "May I Sit on Your Towel?: Joint Autobiography" is a story of their 90 years of joys and tragedies from childhood to old age. In the pages of this mutual biography readers will meet celebrities and fascinating people that influenced the lives of Edward and Elizabeth. They will learn of their legal battle with a strange phenomenon. Experience the five months at sea in their tiny boat with 5 children, and the fun of buying and enjoying a tropical island. Enjoy their travel as First Lady and President of the magicians as they entertain around the world. Their story captures the spirit of the times and shows how their lives were shaped by the major events in world history. This joint autobiography reveals truths about themselves, their talents and flaws, and the mistakes they made -- the negative material is not kept under the rug. The reader will travel to unusual and fascinating locations of the world, and learn of their unbelievable experiences.

Critique: Impressively well written with candor, wit and wisdom, "May I Sit on Your Towel?: Joint Autobiography" is an inherently fascinating and thoroughly absorbing read from beginning to end. Very highly recommended for community library American Biography collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "May I Sit on Your Towel?: Joint Autobiography" is also available in a Kindle edition ($1.99).

Coming to Las Vegas
Carolyn V. Hamilton
Swift House Press
www.carolynvhamilton.com
9780990966401, $19.95, PB, 222pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Coming to Las Vegas: A true tale of sex, drugs & Sin City in the '70s" is the story of Carolyn V. Hamilton arrival in Las Vegas in 1973 to join a circus. When that job doesn't work out, she worked at the new MGM Grand Hotel/Casino as a cocktail waitress. This turns out to be more involved than a nice Lutheran girl from Seattle would think: parties, stealing, sex, drinking and drugs are the main entertainment for a bored crew of casino employees. Some waitresses date culinary union bosses, who have their own high drama of payoffs, fights for control, fire bombings and an 18-day culinary union strike. Each story told in this memoir (which takes place in the Martin Scorsese "Casino" era of Las Vegas) is true, and many are humorous as well as outrageous.

Critique: Candid, informative, impressively well written, and at times downright eye-brow raising, "Coming to Las Vegas" is an inherently fascinating and thoroughly absorbing read from first page to last. Very highly recommended for community library American Biography collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Coming to Las Vegas" is also available in a Kindle edition ($4.95).

Cent' Anni : The Sinatra Legend at 100
Richard Muti
New Jersey Media Group
1 Garret Mountain Plaza, Woodland Park, NJ 07424
www.shoptherecord.com/centanni-the-sinatra-legend-at-100-by-richard-muti
9780990988946, $19.95, PB, 374pp, www.richardmuti.com

Synopsis: "Cent' Anni : The Sinatra Legend at 100" by Richard Muti is a fast-paced study of one of the most fascinating entertainers of the 20th century. "Cent' Anni : The Sinatra Legend at 100" examines the forces, both positive and negative, that made Sinatra a true legend from his time down to ours. Of immense interest for academia as well as casual fans of Sinatra's music and film career. "Cent' Anni : The Sinatra Legend at 100" also examines the love-hate relationship he maintained toward Hoboken and New Jersey for most of his life.

Critique: An inherently fascinating and exceptionally informative read that is enhanced with the inclusion of a 16-page photo insert, "Cent' Anni : The Sinatra Legend at 100" should be considered a 'must read' for the legions of Sinatra fans and will prove to ben an enduringly popular addition to both community and academic library 20th Century American Biography collections.


The Fiction Shelf

Return to Robinson Island
T.J. Hoisington
www.SwissFamilyReturns.com
Aylesbury Publishing
www.aylesburypublishing.com
9780975888445 $22.95 hc / $0.99 Kindle www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Inspired by the "original" Swiss Family Robinson book written in 1812 by Johann David Wyss, Return to Robinson Island is a continuation of the adventures of the Robinson family fifteen years after their famous shipwreck.

Return to Robinson Island is an entertaining, action-packed adventure story that has a thread of romance weaved throughout. It takes place fifteen years after the Robinson Family's famous shipwreck on a remote island in the East Indies. The story highlights Ernest Robinson, who is now twenty-seven years old, engaged to be married, and is a 1st Lieutenant in the British Royal Navy. Ernest has distinguished himself as a fearless fighter, respected leader, God-fearing man, and loyal friend. However, his loyalty is tested when his commanding officer, Captain Charlie, is court-martialed on war crimes and Ernest has no choice but to tell the truth even if his testimony sends his former captain to prison.

When reports reach England that a vast treasure trove has been found on Robinson Island, Ernest and his family find themselves in mortal danger when Captain Charlie vows to retrieve the treasure for himself and wreak revenge on the entire Robinson family. Will the Robinson Family survive the attack? Will Ernest ever see his fiancee again? One thing is certain: they won't give up the island - or their lives - without a fight!

Critique: Brimming with high-stakes adventure from cover to cover, Return to Robinson Island is author T.J. Hoisington's worthy and inspired continuation of the beloved classic, "The Adventures of Robinson Island" by Johann David Wyss. A "must-read" for anyone who ever loved the original saga of courage and cooperation in the face of adversity, Return to Robinson Island is enthralling to the very end!

Smoke
Catherine McKenzie
Lake Union Publishing
www.apub.com
9781503947214, $24.95, 342pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: After a decade-long career combating wildfires, Elizabeth has traded in her former life for a quieter one with her husband. Now she works as the local arson investigator in a beautiful, quaint town in the Rockies. But that tranquil life vanishes when she and her husband agree to divorce and a fire in nearby Cooper Basin begins to spread rapidly. For Elizabeth, containing a raging wildfire is easier than accepting that her marriage has failed. For Elizabeth's ex-friend Mindy, who feels disconnected from her husband and teenage children, the fire represents a chance to find a new purpose: helping a man who has lost his home to the blaze. But her faith is shattered by a shocking accusation. As the encroaching inferno threatens the town's residents, Elizabeth and Mindy must discover what will be lost in the fire, and what will be saved.

Critique: A deftly crafted novel that is a thoroughly absorbing read from beginning to end, "Smoke" showcases author Catherine McKenzie's truly impressive storytelling talents. An exceptional entertainment from first page to last, "Smoke" is very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Smoke" is also available in a paperback edition (9781503945654, $14.95), and in a Kindle format ($4.99).

Crossing Caine's Road
Maggie Hinton
Trafford Publishing
1663 Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403
www.trafford.com
9781466966734, $23.18 pbk / $3.99 Kindle, 448pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Michael Greyson, former college football legend and subsequent head coach for the Arizona Marauders pro-football team, has lain in a coma for six years as a result of a plane crash. Michael's wife, Melanie, decides to start a new life for herself by making use of her teaching degree for the first time. She packs up her three children and moves to the small northern Arizona village of Buena Suerte, better known to the younger generation as "B.S" where she will teach high school English. Melanie's seventeen year-old daughter, K.C. an award winning trumpet player, is distraught when she learns that the high school band program may be abandoned. But then leather-jacketed, pony-tailed Jesse Cockran comes riding into town on his old Harley Davidson motorcycle. A professional trumpet player from New York City, Jesse will also be teaching for the first time, and, like Melanie, is seeking a new beginning. He moves into a trailer across the street from Melanie on Caine's Road and she and her children soon become emotionally drawn to him. Jesse has to prove himself to the community in spite of the school board president's determination to find a reason to dismiss him. K.C. commences a feud with Cooke Nasby, an Apache boy from the nearby reservation. And despite Melanie's objections, her father-in-law is firm in his attempts to remove Michael from life support. In addition to this clash of wills, Mel finds herself being sexually harassed by an anonymous stalker. The year is filled with romance, conflict, and tragedy. Mel, Jesse, and K.C. all face crisis which will change their lives and the lives of those they love. Crossing Caine's Road is a story of commitment and second chances, of love and loss.

Critique: An extraordinarily entertaining read made all the more impressive when considering that is it author Maggie Hinton's debut as a novelist, "Crossing Caine's Road" is very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Crossing Caine's Road" is also available in a Kindle edition ($3.99).

Francesco's Song
C. M. Furio
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
9781512091847, $16.00, 388pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Set amidst the drama of Fascist Italy, "Francesco's Song" is the gripping story of one man's struggle to survive. Based on her own family history, author C.M. Furio tells the poignant story of young Francesco as he grows up in the small seaside town of Mola di Bari. The saga of birth, love and death in rural southern Italy unfolds as Italy becomes involved in the cataclysm of world events. Francesco's carefree youth ends when, the oratory of Mussolini and the false sense of patriotism seduces him and he joins the military police of the Italian armed forces, the Carabinieri Reali. Stationed in Yugoslavia and later in Milan, everything he treasures is threatened as he confronts events during the war and witnesses firsthand the destruction of his homeland. Fleeing from the occupying Nazi, Francesco is sheltered by sympathizers of a growing resistance movement. He enters the darkest period of his life. where his only dream is to be reunited with his family and the love of his life, Francesca. Based on letters and war-time documents found in the author's family home "Francesco's Song" is a moving portrayal of the struggles of the Italian people during the war years and the customs that bound them. It is the story of an immigrant who never lost the love for his homeland and who valued family above all else.

Critique: A work of deftly crafted fiction that is inspired by letters and war-time documents that author C. F. Furio found in her family home, "Francesco's Song" is an inherently fascinating read from first page to last and firmly established C. F. Furio as an exceptionally gifted novelist. Highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Francesco's Song" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.00).

The Grass Sweeper God
Doug Howery
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
www.dhowery-book.com
9781499783490, $11.99, 250pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Being different in America has never been easy; being born different and in the wrong body in Solitude, Virginia in the 1950's, is brutal. Smiley Hanlon lives day to day trapped in a Coal Miners town, buffeted by the Appalachian's and generations of hate and mistrust. Any hint of being different, or being a 'Freak' is enough to ostracize you, pigeon hole you and make you a target for bullying - or worse. Backed by his best friend and protector, Lee Moore, Smiley made it through the days until the night that everything shattered. Chosen as the lead in a new town production called Dorothy of Oz Coal Camp, it seemed to be the beginning to acceptance and maybe even happiness, but the world is cruel and mankind even crueler. The triumph of the play decayed into a Coal Miners version of "Carrie" culminating in a tragic and horrific moment that would change both Smiley and Lee, forever.

Critique: A novel of impressive depth, maturity and complexity, "The Grass Sweeper God" is an absorbing read from beginning to end. Very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Grass Sweeper God" is also available in a Kindle edition ($2.99).

The Westhampton Leisure Hour and Supper Club
Samantha Bruce-Benjamin
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781512173758, $12.99, 344pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "The Westhampton Leisure Hour and Supper Club" by Samantha Bruce-Benjamin delivers a haunting and evocative insight into five minutes in the life of a celebrated Hamptons society hostess, set against the backdrop of The Great Hurricane of 1938. At Serena Lyons' exquisite Hamptons estate on September 21st 1938, the footmen are serving vintage champagne, the orchestra is playing a favorite tune, and the house is lit so brightly it could almost be mistaken for a star in the distance. The occasion is the last party of the season at The Westhampton Leisure Hour and Supper Club and anybody who is anybody has turned out in force. All except for one. As her guests arrive, Serena watches from her bedroom window, searching for a face in the crowd: The Summer Visitor she has never forgotten. For thirty years she has waited for him at the start of every party. But on this last evening, the ritual assumes a greater significance. On a road nearby, Kit Peel, is at last returning to her, bringing with him the answers to the unresolved mystery of his disappearance at the age of twenty-one, and the truth behind the secrets that will finally set her free. If only he can get to her in time; if only Serena's estranged husband, Captain Lyons, will allow him close enough. As The Great Hurricane of 1938 moves over Long Island, finally reaching the fabled Hamptons, the place and its people are irrevocably changed. Over the course of five minutes, as Serena relives the defining moments of her life, we learn of the tragedies that left their indelible mark, the promises that were made and broken, and the decisions that brought them all there that evening, their destinies forever intertwined and sealed.

Critique: Author Samantha Bruce-Benjamin has based "The Westhampton Leisure Hour and Supper Club" on her historical research about the Hamptons at the peak of its grandeur, the devastation that the 1938 hurricane wrought, and a real supper club called The Leisure Hour and Supper Club. The result is a finely crafted, inherently absorbing, and highly recommended historical novel that will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to any community library General Fiction collection. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Westhampton Leisure Hour and Supper Club" is also available in a Kindle edition ($4.99).

Warning's Wane
Jaclyn Little
Privately Published
9780996627702, $11.99, 466pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Upon notification of his mother-in-law's failing health, Paul Danniers agrees to move with his wife, Colleen, to Praxia Island, a small town off the coast of Maine. The two suddenly find themselves thrust into a society of recluses who obey a peculiar set of rules, including Disappearance - the belief that if two people touch, they disappear. As their stay extends into months, Paul enters an uncertain spiral of paranoia, and, with the help of the curious and sometimes terrifying residents, begins to uncover the island's secrets - most troubling of which is a deep-rooted connection that Colleen seems to have with the town, one that threatens to possess her entirely. Rife with rich symbolism and nods to Greek mythology, "Warning's Wane" is a dizzying study of madness, isolation, and the power of the collective unconscious.

Critique: A unique and deftly crafted novel that is a richly multilayered read from beginning to end, "Warning's Wane" is an extraordinary novel by an impressively talented author. Very highly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Warning's Wane" is also available in a Kindle edition ($4.99).

Accidental Lives
David Burger
Balboa Press
c/o Hay House, Inc.
PO Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
www.balboapress.com
9781504333818, $30.95, 172pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Accidental Lives" is the story of a man who is in a car accident which leaves him awake in the hospital with no memory of the past six months. Partially paralyzed, he struggles with not having the life he had planned. Tomorrow finds him in a strange apartment in New York City with no memory of the past six months. He cannot remember graduating college or his best friend. Every other day he finds himself waking in the previous world convinced that the day before and its world were merely a dream. He finds himself attracted to a woman from the hospital that has a mystical belief system. He inadvertently discovers that what he is learning from her may actually work as he finds evidence in his New York world. One world offers his planned future and the other a love life. Torn between what appears to be two dream worlds, he finds himself tortured for one to end. Eventually his New York world provides its own love. By chance, she is the exact same image as his love interest in the other world. As he falls for both, torment turns into fear that one will indeed end and prove only a dream.

Critique: A deftly written and fully absorbing story from beginning to end, "Accidental Lives" documents author David Burger as an immensely talented and original novelist of the first order. Very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Accidental Lives" is also available in a paperback edition (9781504333795, $13.99) and in a Kindle format ($3.99).

When Giraffes Flew
Jeff Weddle
Southern Yellow Pine Publishing
4351 Natural Bridge Road, Tallahassee, FL 32305
http://www.syppublishing.com
9781940869605, $13.95, PB, 182pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "When Giraffes Flew" by Jeff Weddle is an eclectic collection of twenty-nine short stories will tantalize your imagination and your sense of propriety. In the short stories that comprise "When Giraffes Flew" are to be found exploding chickens, flying giraffes, and one very ugly monkey. Then there are barbers sick with love and school spirit; a mailman with a vendetta against junk mail; mayhem, love gone wrong, and lost souls of all stripes.

Critique: Each one a deftly crafted literary gem, the stories comprising Jeff Weddle's "When Giraffes Flew" is especially recommended for readers that have a taste for the bizarre, the abstract, the peculiar, and the offbeat. It should be noted that "When Giraffes Flew" is also available for personal reading lists in a Kindle edition ($4.99).

Evolution of a Revolution
Conallan Power
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781514294635, $19.00, PB, 510pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Raised in the Mississippi backwoods by his loving father, Andre Braden learns early on that the world can be cruel and unfair. This causes Andre to begin a journey for enlightenment, and he finds a world of contradiction. A job as a common laborer eventually leads to Andre becoming a respected international labor leader. His curiosity and passion steer him to explore the darker side of mankind -- and what he finds doesn't bode well for the future of the workers of the world. Trying to work with the establishment, Andre partners with the more experienced Daniel Martins, only to discover that Martins has revolution in his mind more than labor organizing. Thousands of mercenaries are awaiting his beckon call. Andre is soon labeled a terrorist by the ruling establishment. This among other establishment abuses pushes Andre and Daniels to launch the revolution.

Critique: A vividly portrayed and inherently absorbing read from beginning to end, "Evolution of a Revolution" is a deftly crafted novel of impressive complexity denoting author Conallan Power as a truly gifted storyteller. "Evolution of a Revolution" is strongly recommended for both community and academic library literary fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Evolution of a Revolution" is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.00).

The Girl With Espresso Hair
J. S. Meer & Philip James Kirke
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781508867821, $18.00, PB, 232pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Jon Brook is a brilliant and uncompromising composer of film music. When his talent attracts the attention of ruthless industry power-brokers he cannot foresee the lengths they will go to contain him. When at last his is set up for a crime he hasn't committed (and then imprisoned) he finally realizes something has to change -- and something does: He meets a beautiful young architecture graduate and amateur singer called Anna. Initially resisting the attraction he feels for her, Brook is eventually disarmed and their love is the collision of two brilliant creatives. "The Girl With Espresso Hair" is an up-to-the-minute contemporary novel about ambition, beauty, loss, love and finally transcendence.

Critique: A deftly crafted and thoroughly absorbing novel from beginning to end, "The Girl With Espresso Hair" is very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Girl With Espresso Hair" is also available in a Kindle edition ($6.99).

Paul Bunyan
Darryl Wimberley
l'Aleph
www.l-aleph.com
www.darrylwimberley.com
9789176370179, $21.30, PB, 262pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Somewhere in an ancient stand of timber comes a request from an aging lumberjack. "I need me a will", Paul Bunyan informs his camp's scribe and bean-counter. "But a will ain't just a will, Johnny. It's a testament, too. What a man wants folks to remember 'bout hisself." And so it begins, the story of Paul's life resurrecting characters like Sourdough Sam and Shot Gunderson along with members of the Potawatomi and Ojibwe tribes whose dreams predict the legend of Bunyan and his blue-hided ox. The deep woods are redolent with beauty and mystery, but also peril. Paul is forced into a dreadful contest with Swede Sturleson, a timber baron emblematic of The Gilded Age. Paul will not emerge unscathed in the course of that long encounter. But something gets born in the interim, something akin to myth or hope, and in that place Paul Bunyan stands without exaggeration.

Critique: "Paul Bunyan" is a thoroughly entertaining, page-turner of a read from beginning to end, and clearly documents author Darryl Wimberley as an exceptionally talented novelist of the first order. Very highly recommended for both community and academic library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Paul Bunyan" is also available in a Kindle edition ($6.99).

Exiled to Eden
John Strassel
Outskirts Press, Inc.
10940 S. Parker Road, #515, Parker, CO 80134
www.outskirtspress.com
9781478763468, $32.95, PB, 1082pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: When fate tosses together beautiful heiress Miranda McClellan and missionary pilot Zane Wylde on a remote jungle airstrip, neither one could have imagined just how much their meeting would suddenly alter the destiny of three families, and perhaps the entire world. Set in the year 2060, against the backdrop of World War III, "Exiled to Eden" is the epic saga of the McClellans, the Wyldes, and the Emersons, and their respective struggles during the most gruesome conflict the planet will ever face. From sensual tropical locales to the vicious bastions of Islamic jihad, as well as the traditional halls of imperial influence, members of the three families battle to keep alive their hope for ultimate survival when each day seems to present its own set of desperate challenges.

Critique: Truly the magnum opus of a novel, "Exiled to Eden" is the stuff of which television min-series are made. A thoroughly entertaining read written with imagination and an extraordinary storytelling skill throughout, "Exiled to Eden" is very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Exiled to Eden" is also available in an inexpensive Kindle edition ($2.99).

The 5K Zone: Cold War Border Intrigue
Gary R. Hall
Outskirts Press, Inc.
10940 S. Parker Road, #515, Parker, CO 80134
www.outskirtspress.com
9781478763864, $23.95, PB, 364pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Peter Ackerman and Trudi Kehle were children in 1945 when the Russians occupied the Czechoslovakian Sudetenland. Peter escaped as a boy and structured his life to enable a return to find his parents and evidence of horrific ethnic German expulsions. In 1958 Peter returned as a US Army Special Forces sergeant. When he found Trudi, quite accidentally, on her temporary pass in West Germany, they plotted her family escape from behind the east-west border. In his young life, Peter has the unique experience of life under Nazi control in the Sudetenland, the American military in West Germany, as a refugee boy on a post-war West German hops farm and as a displaced person in America. All before he returns to his homeland. His observations about rights to land, oppressed people and Nazism that he gained through that experience is enlightening. Trudi's life, under Russian and Czech control, has been depressing. When her mother's Czech husband died, they were hopelessly stranded as second-class citizens. Only Trudi's athletic ability and her administrative assistant job with a Russian Colonel made her life bearable. Finding Peter changed everything for her. Peter's entry into, and their dual escape from Czechoslovakia were both lucky and the result of their determination and ingenuity.

Critique: A superbly crafted novel of complexity and richly developed character studies, "The 5K Zone: Cold War Border Intrigue" by master storyteller Gary r. Hall is a memorably compelling read from beginning to end. Very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The 5K Zone: Cold War Border Intrigue" is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.99).

Q Island
Russell James
Samhain Publishing
www.samhainpublishing.com
9781619229792, $16.99, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: An ancient virus has surfaced on Long Island, NY, turning its victims into black-veined, infectious, psychopathic killers. Chaos and madness rule. In desperation, the military quarantines the island, trapping Melanie Bailey and her autistic son, Aiden. Somehow Aiden survives infection. He could be the key to a cure if Melanie can get him to the mainland. Gang leader Jimmy Wade also survives the virus, but he's acquired a hunger for human flesh. Believing consuming Aiden will make him all-powerful, he and his gang hunt the boy. Melanie and Aiden must evade both Wade's tightening grip and the growing army of the infected in an impossible escape from what all call Q Island.

Critique: A riveting and impressively well crafted action/suspense novel, "Q Island" is an exceptional read from beginning to end and very highly recommended for community libraries where it will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to their collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Q Island" is also available in a Kindle edition ($4.24).

Tea & Crumples
Summer Kinard
Light Messages
5216 Tahoe Drive, Durham, NC 27713
www.lightmessages.com
9781611531237, $19.95, PB, 316pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Sienna and Peter had it all: a house they designed themselves, two dogs in a fragrant garden, a new teashop, and a baby on the way. Then the worst happens. They lose their first child to stillbirth, even though they'd expected a miracle. Soon after, Peter is diagnosed with cancer. The sheltered peace of tea tables is shattered. Her baby gone, her husband dying, her dream business threatened, Sienna is nearly lost. But when the worst happens, learning to love again becomes the real miracle. Tea helps Sienna and Peter touch grief in the dark. With each shared cup, they come back to one another as they begin to love in loss. Tea and Crumples. Learn to love again.

Critique: A riveting and inspiring read from beginning to end, "Tea & Crumples" by the exceptionally talented author Summer Kinard is one of those all-too-rare novels that linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf. An extraordinary work, "Tea & Crumples" is very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Tea & Crumples" is also available in a Kindle edition ($6.15).

Indian Leader Trail Boss
Clark Selby
Trafford Publishing
1663 Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403
www.trafford.com
9781490744810, $22.99, HC, 226pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Indian Leader Trail Boss" by Clark Selby is the story of a trail drive led by Texas' most famous trail boss, due to never losing a herd or a man on a drive. Indian Leader was contacted to lead 3,000 head of Longhorns from the Star Ranch, to Dodge City. He agrees to take the job when he finds the owner killed by rustlers and his daughter Serene, desperate to get her cattle to market to pay off a loan when her bank threatens to foreclose on her ranch. They have all the normal problems of a trail drive; too many miles; too many rivers to cross as Indian has people trying to kill him for killing their brother. Indian and Serene find they are falling in love during the trip while a neighboring rancher, Kent Eagle, is determined to do anything he can to take over Serene's ranch. Indian's problems grow with every mile: getting the cattle to market; staying alive while people are trying to kill him; selling the herd; pay off the bank loan, and keep Serene.

Critique: A deftly crafted western action/adventure novel of the first order, "Indian Leader Trail Boss" is a thoroughly absorbing novel from beginning to end. Very highly recommended for community library western fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Indian Leader Trail Boss" is also available in a paperback edition (9781490744797, $12.99) and in a Kindle format ($3.99).

The Burned Bridges of Ward, Nebraska
Eileen Curtright
Little A
c/o Amazon.com
9781503950580, $24.95, HC, 237pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Rebecca Meer's hometown of Ward, Nebraska, is small. It is so small that she can't even sneak home after a drunken girls' night without running into at least three people she knows. But she has bigger problems than her reputation. The head doctor at her fertility clinic is losing his mind, and his wild behavior could cost them the business. Her super successful ex-boyfriend has blown back into town and somehow become her son's fifth-grade teacher and now her son is asking awkward questions about the end of their relationship. Rebecca can't even run the PTA's annual food drive without getting mixed up with criminals. In Eileen Curtright's astute comedy, we see just how far a stressed-out single parent will go to be the "perfect" mother.

Critique: Impressively written with wit, skill, and memorable insights into the all-to-human condition, "The Burned Bridges of Ward, Nebraska" is very highly recommended and certain to be enduringly popular addition to community library General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Burned Bridges of Ward, Nebraska" is also available in a paperback edition (9781503947610, $14.95) and in a Kindle format ($5.99).

Breath to Breath
Craig Lew
Relish Media
http://relish-media.com
http://www.littlepicklepress.com
9781939775085, $19.95, HC, 448pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: William is seventeen when he's uprooted from his home and sent to live with his estranged father -- someone he hasn't seen since he was a little kid. When he's unexpectedly dragged into a situation where he has no choice but to help an abused four-year-old boy, William's world is rocked to the core as he discovers the truth of the boy's experience of extreme sexual abuse. He and this boy are connected in ways William can't even imagine. As horrible memories begin to flood his consciousness, William's rage drives him to steal a neighbor's guns, convinced he must stop those responsible for causing a boy so much pain and betrayal. How William finds the love and compassion he needs to make the right choices is the heart and pulse of this riveting verse novel. Inspired by a true story, "Breath To Breath" explores what hurt and healing really mean: to survive you hold your breath, but to live you must exhale.

Criteria: Impressively well written from beginning to end, "Breath to Breath" is an intense and riveting read. Indeed, author Craig Lew has deftly crafted the kind of novel that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself is set back upon the shelf. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Breath to Breath" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Seeds of Destruction
Gary Miller Proulx
Abbot Press
1663 Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403
www.abbottpress.com
9781458218711, $35.95, 266pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Dr. Jacob Miller, a world renowned radiation oncologist whose cancer patients are dying suspiciously from their cancers after treatment that should have cured them, suspects something sinister behind their deaths -- and it might even be murder. He also suffers further turmoil when his romantic relationship ends, and, when flash backs occur to his own painful childhood as an orphan he is brought to the bleak edge of despair. Incredibly, he battles back to discover that terrorists are behind his patients being sent to early graves and are also plotting to explode a 'dirty bomb' in Boston. When Miller's girlfriend is kidnapped by the terrorists, he recruits his friends and co-workers to help him save her and stop the terrorist bombing. If he fails his mission, he will not only fail his patients, but also the lives of countless thousands, and his country.

Critique: A riveting read from beginning to end, "Seeds of Destruction" is a deftly crafted work of impressive and surprising twists and turns. Documenting author Gary Miller Proulx as an exceptionally talented author, "Seeds of Destruction" is very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Seeds of Destruction" is also available in a paperback edition (9781458218704, $17.99) and in a Kindle format ($3.99).

The Bequest
Nancy Boyarsky
BellBoy Books
9780692481721, $9.99, 270pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Nicole Lewis leads a hectic life, balancing work at L.A.'s most prestigious law firm and a long-distance romance with her English lover. Things go sideways when she tracks down a missing office mate, the firm's in-house investigator, and finds him murdered. Robert's murder, his mysterious wealth, and his inexplicable bequest make Nicole a target for the police, the paparazzi, and the killer. As Nicole's love life takes an unexpected turn, she uncovers evil and corruption among the city's most powerful people. The thriller plays out against the backdrop of Los Angeles, with its peculiar mix of balmy weather, the celebrity-crazed media, and a corrupt power structure hidden by the veneer of glamour and wealth.

Critique: "The Bequest" is the sequel to Nancy Boyarsky's first novel featuring the adventures of Nicole Lewis "The Swap" (9780692298442, $9.99 PB, $2.99 Kindle) and once again demonstrates Boyarsky as a master storyteller of the first order. A deftly crafted novel that will have immense appeal to mystery buffs, "The Bequest" is very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Bequest" is also available in a Kindle edition ($3.99).

Ordinary Evil
Gene Ferraro
iUniverse, Inc.
c/o Author House
1663 Liberty Dr. Suite #300, Bloomington, IN 47403
www.iuniverse.com
9781491704905, $30.95, HC, 356pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: When a series of international and seemingly unrelated events lead to the brutal murder of a Catholic altar boy, conflicting notions of the law, obedience, forgiveness and revenge test the faith of several Roman Catholic priests and two Catholic women. With the boy's death comes scandal and pain for more than just the family who lost a son. In the aftermath of the horrific crime and with the revelation of sexual abuse in the church, ordinary people must now confront ordinary authority, uncovering a web of deceit that stretches from the towns and cities of New England all the way to the Vatican. Even the law cannot reveal all things. In the end, despite the terrible acts committed in his name, only God will ever know the truth.

Critique: All the more impressive when considering that "Ordinary Evil" is author Gene Ferraro's debut as a novelist, this extraordinary story is a compelling read from beginning to end. Very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Ordinary Evil" is also available in a paperback edition (9781491704899, $20.95) and in a Kindle format ($4.99).

The Conversion Prophecy
Michael Solomon
Green Dragon Books
P.O. Box 1608, Lake Worth, FL 33460
http://greendragonbooks.com
9781623860158, $29.95, 252pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: When Robert Amanti assumed the office of President of the United States, during a time of total peace and prosperity in the world, little did he know how one economic conference could topple the world in just six months? The entire balance of global economic power will change forever. Life on earth will take on a new meaning, as everything from energy to food supplies will be controlled by one terrorist state and the madman who has the ability to control it all. Peace, in the name of one religion, Islam, threatens to dominate mankind. What develops is a different form of terrorism that doesn't require the firing of a single shot or the shedding of one drop of blood. However, it could lead to a new world order. It spreads from the halls inside a Mosque in Indonesia to the highest reaches of the political arena in Washington all in the name of an everlasting peace - or is it? Will the Islamic flag fly in every capital city in the world? Only one group, a secret society, led by one man, who must prove that he is stronger and wiser than the conspiracy, has a plan of action to stop it. But, in order to prevent it, sacrifices have to be made to move people around like pieces on a chess board. As the mystery unfolds, the President of the United States finds he has no choice but to surrender his authority, in secret, to a friend he reluctantly puts his trust in, with the hope of destroying the enemy within. Will he? And, can they be stopped? Does Amanti really know who his friend is, or is he part of the conspiracy? This is not just another story of good versus evil, it is more frightening than that. A work of fiction that will leave the reader thinking whether or not such a thing could really happen - or even if it has already begun?

Critique: A deftly crafted and impressively written novel of exceptional complexity with surprising twists and unexpected turns throughout, "The Conversion Prophecy" showcases author Michael Solomon has a master storyteller of the first order. "The Conversion Prophecy" is highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Conversion Prophecy" is also available in a paperback edition (9781623860134, $19.95) and in a Kindle format ($9.99).

Nerve Damage
Tom Combs
Evoke Publishing
9780990336006, $14.99, PB, 326pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: An emergency doctor with a past no physician is allowed to have. An experimental drug that treats spinal cord injury. A diabolical woman working in the shadows of the pharmaceutical industry who will stop at nothing to obtain the drug and the riches it will bring. The attorney wife of one of Drake's partners startling death defies explanation - was she murdered? The stakes ratchet ever-higher in "Nerve Damage, as Dr. Drake Cody, his wife Rachelle and their two children become pawns in a multi-billion-dollar scheme where their lives mean nothing. Drake's hidden past may help them survive - or destroy them. "Nerve Damage" mirrors the real world of emergency care with life or death action revealed with authenticity and feeling. Greed, betrayal, lust and violence confront courage and love of family.

Critique: A riveting read from beginning to end, it is no surprise that "Nerve Damage" is such a compelling novel because it's author, Tom Combs, is himself a physician able to draw upon his more than twenty years of experience and expertise in level one trauma/acute care ERs. The result is the kind of novel that blockbuster movies are made. Very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Nerve Damage" is also available in a Kindle edition ($2.99).

Unfortunate Event
Marc David Veldt
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781502913401, $9.99, PB, 226pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: A man's life can easily be shattered by a single unfortunate event. After a patient dies following a routine operation, hospital administration needs a scapegoat. They find their victim in Dr. Jack Andrews, a brilliant anesthesiologist. Andrews's actions had no bearing on the patient's death, but he finds himself thrown to the legal wolves by his so-called colleagues as they scramble to protect themselves. Facing a relentless, amoral prosecutor and allied with a malpractice insurance company acting in its own best interests, Andrews loses everything -- his money and his standing in the medical community. His money-obsessed wife divorces him, taking with her their two children. Jack's opponents think they've won. They think they're the most ruthless players in the game of life. But Jack's about to introduce them to the game's next level. He's got nothing left to lose, and a mind trained to make life-or-death decisions. People start to die -- people who wronged Jack Andrews. A tense thriller, Unfortunate Event explores the dark side of operating room culture, the cutthroat world of malpractice law, and the mind of one man as his world crumbles around him.

Critique: A riveting read that never let's up from beginning to end, "Unfortunate Event" is very highly recommended for community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Unfortunate Event" is also available in a Kindle edition ($4.99).

Hole in the Day
Steven A. Carr
Outskirts Press, Inc.
10940 S. Parker Road, #515, Parker, CO 80134
www.outskirtspress.com
9781478752509, $24.95, HC, 346pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Pristine Loon Lake holds a secret. When a fortune in US twenty dollar, gold Liberty coins, originally belonging to Northern Mississippi Indian tribes, vanishes in 1868, it sets off a 147-year chain of events from Northern Minnesota to the exotic Cayman Islands. The legend of the lost gold survives generations of Indians, and treasure hunters. A convict tells the tale to his prison cellmate before disappearing from his home in the summer tourist town of Destiny, Minnesota. Anthropologist, Dr. Elizabeth Pike and her father Professor Jon Pike believe her mother, oblivious to its true value, acquired a copper vase, which may hold the key to the gold's location. 1,500 miles away in Texas, revenge has compelled a shadowy millionaire for more than thirteen years to track down the copper vase. He will stop at nothing to get his hands on the gold and take back what he believes was taken from him--the lives of his comrades during the Vietnam War, and his own humanity. Does the copper vase exist? Does the gold exist, and if so, who can get to it first? Those with any information about the lost coins seem to disappear. So, who is really controlling these events?

Critique: A riveting read from beginning to end, "Hole in the Day" clearly documents Steven A. Carr as an exceptionally skilled novelist who is able to engage his reader's total attention leading up to an unexpected and thoroughly satisfying conclusion, Indeed, "Hole in the Day" is one of those truly memorable novels that will linger in the mind of the reader long after the book itself is finished and set back upon the shelf. "Hole in the Day" is very highly recommended for both personal reading lists and community library General Fiction collections.

For You Were Strangers
D. M. Pirrone
Allium Press of Chicago
1530 Elgin Avenue, Forest Park, IL 60130
www.alliumpress.com
9780989053594, $16.99, PB, 320pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: On a spring morning in 1872, former Civil War officer Ben Champion is discovered dead in his Chicago bedroom with a bayonet protruding from his back. What starts as a routine case for Detective Frank Hanley soon becomes anything but, as his investigation into Champion's life turns up hidden truths best left buried. Meanwhile, Rivka Kelmansky's long-lost brother, Aaron, arrives on her doorstep, along with his mulatto wife and son. Fugitives from an attack by night riders, Aaron and his family know too much about past actions that still threaten powerful men in a matter regarding defective guns provided to Union soldiers, and an 1864 conspiracy to establish Chicago as the capital of a Northwest Confederacy. Champion had his own connection to that conspiracy, along with ties to a former slave now passing as white and an escaped Confederate guerrilla bent on vengeance, any of which might have led to his death. Hanley and Rivka must untangle this web of circumstances, amid simmering hostilities still present seven years after the end of the Civil War, as they race against time to solve the murder, before the secrets of bygone days claim more victims.

Critique: The second volume in author D. M. Pirrone's Hanley & Rivka Mystery series, "For You Were Strangers" is a simply riveting combination of historical novel and detective mystery. A deftly crafted mystery/suspense thriller, "For You Were Strangers" clearly documents author D. M. Pirrone as a master of the genre. Very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "For You Were Strangers" is also available in a Kindle edition ($6.99). Also very highly recommended is D. M. Pirrone's first Hanley & Rivka mystery novel "Shall We Not Revenge" (9780989053532, $16.99 PB, $4.99 Kindle, 346pp).

Switchblade Heart
Denning
Archway Publishing
1663 Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
www.archwaypublishing.com
9781480818811, $17.99, PB, 242pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Reno Villarrubia has killed more men than she has kissed. A fierce Colombian bodyguard who carries a switchblade in her boot, she protects a blackmarket kingpin named Victor Pagnolli. When Pagnolli is blackmailed by a cop who knows more than he should, Reno must stay alive on a reckless one-hundred-mile journey through the criminal underworld surrounded by treachery, murderous jealousy, and pursuing FBI agents. As the clock ticks away, Reno knows she is just one bad break away from being killed or arrested. "Switchblade Heart" is a suspenseful story where criminal and cop, liar and lover, the innocent and the immoral all collide together in an underworld climax where there is nowhere to hide.

Critique: A deftly crafted and riveting read from first page to last, "Switchblade Heart" is a compelling read and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Switchblade Heart" is also available in a Kindle edition ($3.99).

The House of Dread
John W. Cottrell
Outskirts Press, Inc.
10940 S. Parker Road, #515, Parker, CO 80134
www.outskirtspress.com
9781478761242, $21.95, PB, 570pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: There's nowhere to hide. Don Collier saw the campfire gleaming. Secrets, lies, dread, and consequence, a multitude of people, some of them have a connection to the dreaded house, some do not, but what they do have is the need to stay away, and the curiosity to know what lurks in that house draws them. He had been dormant when the campfire party and a familiar tune from a dead era started it. They woke him up, and now they must suffer. The house has sat undisturbed for two years, and now this little neighborhood is in for a rude awakening. A series of murders take place in this seemingly quiet, innocent, neighborhood, but beneath the veil of innocence looms a terrible evil so real that the neighborhood residents meet it face to face. Some of the kids feel trapped here, frightened of the house that looms over them and its dark past. They have big dreams, but they are about to be shattered by the evil that resides here. The evil in this house stalks them and watches their every move. Will they get out? Or die trying?

Critique: A deftly crafted saga of a novel, "The House of Dread" by John W. Cottrell is an impressively written story of complexity and a thoroughly absorbing read from beginning to end. Very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The House of Dread" is also available in a Kindle edition ($33.95).


The Health/Medicine Shelf

The Painful Truth
Lynn R. Webster, M.D.
Webster Media LLC
PO Box 58113, Salt Lake City, UT 84158
9780986140709, $27.00, HC, 246pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Chronic pain affects 1 in 3 Americans and exerts more than a $600-billion drain on the economy annually. It is the largest invisible epidemic in the land. Having treated thousands of patients with chronic pain-often when they were at their most vulnerable-Lynn R. Webster, M.D., continues to believe there is hope. Ultimately, a cure for pain will require more research, better therapies, and improved policies. But healing can begin today with a broad-based approach to treatment, including compassionate support from those closest to the ones who are hurting. "The Painful Truth: What Chronic Pain Is Really Like and Why It Matters to Each of Us" is an intimate collection of stories about people living with disabling pain, their attempts to heal, and the challenges that we collectively face in helping them live meaningful lives. As a physician who has treated people with chronic pain for more than thirty years, Dr. Lynn Webster reveals the difficulties that patients face in dealing with chronic pain in a society that is often shamefully prejudiced against those who are most in need of our empathy. He also shares how such biases also affect medical professionals who treat patients with chronic pain.

Critique: As informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, ""The Painful Truth: What Chronic Pain Is Really Like and Why It Matters to Each of Us" provides a wealth of insights that are exceptionally well presented and will prove to be of immense interest for academia and non-specialist general reader alike. Very highly recommended for both community and academic library Health/Medicine reference collections and supplemental studies lists, it should be noted for personal reading that "The Painful Truth" is also available in a paperback edition (9780986140716, $16.99) and in a Kindle format ($9.99).

This Naked Mind
Annie Grace
ASPN Publications
9780996715003, $16.95, PB, 264pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Millions of people worry that drinking is affecting their health, yet are unwilling to seek change because of the misery and stigma associated with alcoholism and recovery. They fear drinking less will be boring, involving deprivation, difficulty and significant lifestyle changes. "This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol: Find Freedom, Rediscover Happiness & Change Your Life" by Annie Grace offers a new solution. Packed with surprising insight into the reasons we drink, "This Naked Mind" will open your eyes to the startling role of alcohol in our culture. Once a drinker who herself has successfully abandoned the consumption of alcohol, Annie Grace brilliantly weaves psychological, neurological, cultural, social and industry factors with her extraordinarily candid journey resulting in a must read for anyone who drinks. "This Naked Mind", without scare tactics, pain or rules, gives you freedom from alcohol. By addressing causes rather than symptoms it is a permanent solution rather than lifetime struggle. It removes the psychological dependence allowing you to easily drink less (or stop drinking). Annie's clarity, humor and unique ability to blend original research with riveting storytelling ensures you will thoroughly enjoy the process.

Critique: As informative and thoughtful as it is 'real-world practical' and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, content, organization and presentation, "This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol: Find Freedom, Rediscover Happiness & Change Your Life" is highly recommended as a life-changing read that is especially recommended for inclusion in both community and academic library Health/Medicine collections in general, and Alcoholism Treatment supplemental studies reading lists in particular. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "This Naked Mind" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

The Complete Cancer Organizer
Jamie L. Schwachter & Josette M. Snyder
Spry Publishing
315 East Eisenhower Parkway, Suite 2, Ann Arbor, MI 48108
www.sprypub.com
9781938170720, $19.95, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Throughout years of answering calls at renowned Cleveland Clinic's Cancer Answer Line, Advance Practice Nurses Jamie Schwachter and Josette Snyder have spoken with patients of all ages and with all types and stages of cancer. They have listened to countless stories and offered advice. They've answered questions from friends and family members, and even from physicians and other healthcare professionals. Questions such as: What should I wear to chemotherapy? Should I get a second opinion? How do I talk with my family about my cancer? Why does it take so long to get a diagnosis? Is complementary treatment something I should consider? The more questions they fielded, the more they wanted to compile those questions - and their answers - into a resource to help cancer patients everywhere. In "The Complete Cancer Organizer: Your Answers to Questions About Living With Cancer", Jamie and Josette share answers to the most common questions about living well during and following cancer treatment. Full of lists, tips, and suggestions, "The Complete Cancer Organizer" allows patients and their families to face a challenging time armed with knowledge and concrete strategies that have worked for others before them. Cancer may be a new experience, but it doesn't have to be faced alone. Cancer Answer nurses Jamie Schwachter and Josette Snyder can help guide you through the process in "The Complete Cancer Organizer".

Critique: Simply stated, this spiral bound edition of "The Complete Cancer Organizer: Your Answers to Questions About Living With Cancer" should be considered a "must read" for anyone having to deal with cancer be it for themselves or for a family member or a friend. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Complete Cancer Organizer" should be considered a critically important acquisition of enduring value for community and academic library Health & Medicine reference collections.

The Wellness Blueprint
Maiysha Clairborne, M.D.
Kallisti Publishing
332 Center Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702
www.kallistipublishing.com
9780984816224, $16.00, PB, 236pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "The Wellness Blueprint: The Complete Mind/Body Approach to Reclaiming Your Health & Wellness" offers a modern approach to integrative health and wellness, by board certified physician Dr. Maiysha Clairborne. "The Wellness Blueprint" goes back to the basics in order to effectively teach you how to integrate very simple habits into your life that will empower you to reclaim your mental, physical, and emotional well-being. "The Wellness Blueprint" provides you with a complete wellness plan that has been proven to work. This intuitive and innovative wellness blueprint will shift you from being a passive recipient to an active participant in your health and well-being. Whether you suffer from an ailment or you want to simply preserve the health that you enjoy, "The Wellness Blueprint" will result in you reclaiming complete control of your health and wellness.

Critique: Offering a complete and thoroughly 'user friendly' plan for reclaiming and living a contemporary life of health and wellness, "The Wellness Blueprint" is impressively well written, organized and presented. Of special note are the chapters on The Different Aspects of Wellness; Boundaries and Balance; and Emotional Intelligence. Very highly recommended for both community and academic library Health & Medicine instructional reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Wellness Blueprint" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).


The Self-Help Shelf

The Power of 10
Rugger Burke
Tjikko Publishing
www.tjikko.com
9780990975311, $27.00, 282pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "The Power of 10" is a practice for engaging the voice of wisdom through inquiry and advocacy. Inquiry raises our awareness of what is through inviting us to examine our current state of being; advocacy prompts us to live into what is possible. Together, inquiry and advocacy evoke the voice of wisdom that is the quiet, still voice inside us. It is the confluence of knowledge, experience, and insight flowing through all living beings that speaks through our bodies, hearts, and minds. As we learn to listen to it closely, the voice of wisdom reveals our true nature and purpose, calls on us to commit to something greater, and guides us toward being our best selves in every thought, word, and action. At its heart, "The Power of 10" sensitizes us to our own, unique purpose, and helps us discover that spark of the divine at the core of our being. Put simply, it is a practice for engaging your voice of wisdom to become the greatest you -- the you who is meant to be.

Critique: If you only have time to read one self-help/self-improvement book as the new year begins, make it "The Power of 10". Exceptionally well written, organized and presented instructional by Rugger Burke is an inherently fascinating, informative, and motivating read from beginning to end. Very highly recommended for both community and academic library Self-Help collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Power of 10' is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Conscious Being
T. J. Woodward
Balboa Press
c/o Hay House, Inc.
PO Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
www.balboapress.com
9781504329316, $30.95, 174pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Conscious Being: Awakening to Your True Nature" by awakening coach, inspirational speaker, and addiction counselor T. J. Woodward is a compelling resource for those seeking self-realization. It serves as a guide for awakened living, which is a state of higher clarity and presence and is a more natural condition than many are aware exists within each of us. Woodward creates a powerful philosophy for living by masterfully weaving personal stories, entertaining anecdotes, and deep, mystical truths. The result is a composition that offers practical guidance to show the benefits of spiritual transformation, while encouraging each of us to shift into a deeper awareness of our authentic inner wisdom. "Conscious Being" shows us how the circumstances of our lives and what we call reality are created by our level of consciousness. It offers methods for unlearning and releasing self-limiting beliefs and the illusion of ego so we can come into alignment with an existence overflowing with compassion, love, and purpose. This "great remembering," as TJ Woodward calls it, is available to us at every moment, for it is our true nature and our divine birthright.

Critique: Informative, articulate, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Conscious Being: Awakening to Your True Nature" is both inspired and inspiring from beginning to end. Very highly recommended for community library Self-Help/Self-Improvement instructional reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Conscious Being" is also available in a paperback edition (9781504329293, $13.99) and in a Kindle format ($4.99).

Mountain Mantras
Kathryn Kemp Guylay
Healthy Solutions of Sun Valley
www.makewellnessfun.com
9780996532822, $15.99, 240pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Mountain Mantras: Wellness and Life Lessons from the Slopes" by certified nutritional counselor Kathryn Kemp Guylay (who is also the founder of the national non-profit organization Nuture) uses stories from the author's personal life as an engaging, often hilarious, backdrop for studying wellness and life lessons. From starting a nonprofit to her family's journey west and her humbling adventures learning to ski as an adult, Kathryn's stories inspire and entertain. "Mountain Mantras" offers life lessons on how to: Achieve greater success in life simply by adjusting how you perceive events around you; A 6-step framework to overcoming obstacles in life; Using vision and visualization to turn dreams into reality; Strategies to engage fully in life, while experiencing improved health and vitality.

Critique: As impressively well written, organized and presented, as it is inherently humorous, absorbing, informative, and inspiring, "Mountain Mantras: Wellness and Life Lessons from the Slopes" is very highly recommended for both community and academic library Self-Help/Self-Improvement and Contemporary American Biography collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Mountain Mantras" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.99).

It's a Match!: The Guide to Finding Lasting Love
Natalie Moore
MNM Publishing, Inc.
9780996532006, $15.99, 362pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: We all desire to find our true soul mate who will help us to achieve a life-long lasting love. In "It's a Match!: The Guide to Finding Lasting Love", experienced and successful Relationship Coach and Marriage and Family Therapist, Natalie Moore draws upon her professional expertise and her own personal experience as a divorced woman in finding, getting, and keeping a higher-level match. "It's a Match!" provides readers with a complete guide filled with techniques and advice to find their perfect, long-term committed partner (offline or in the digital dating world). Natalie provides tips to apply the "4 Levels of Love" model that she personally developed to analyze a potential or existing relationship for longevity and happiness. Applying skills Natalie developed working in the financial world, her "4 Levels of Love" model provides a unique approach than what is typically advised to people seeking love. To determine if a match is a Level 1, 2, 3 or 4, Natalie looks at the aggregate number of shared areas of intimacies and core values.

Critique: Informed and informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, as inspiring as it is motivational, "It's a Match!: The Guide to Finding Lasting Love" is thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, organization and presentation, making it very highly recommended for community library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "It's a Match!" is also available in a Kindle edition ($5.99).

The Victory Cycle
Michael Annese
The Peppertree Press, LLC
1269 First Street, Suite 7, Sarasota, FL 34236
www.peppertreepublishing.com
www.michaelannese.com
9781614933786, $24.95, HC, 150pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In the pages of "The Victory Cycle: 7 Progressive Steps to Forge a Lifetime of Everlasting Personal Growth and Change", Michael Annese has created a practical and effective method for anyone regardless of background, circumstances or education. Readers will apply the steps within "The Victory Cycle" to create the momentum required to fuel their journey, achieving their own personal Victory. "The Victory Cycle" is direct, to the point, and quickly yields results. "The Victory Cycle" provides a system for those who are ready to feed the fire within their heart and soul.

Critique: Impressively well written, organized and presented, "The Victory Cycle: 7 Progressive Steps to Forge a Lifetime of Everlasting Personal Growth and Change" is informative and practical as it is thoughtful and inspiring. If you only have time for one self-help instructional, make it Michael Annese's thoroughly 'reader friendly' do-it-yourself improvement guide, "The Victory Cycle". Highly recommended for community library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Victory Cycle" is also available in a paperback edition (9781614933793, $14.95) and in a Kindle format ($3.99).

Live Love Soul: A Soul's Guide to Happy
Machel Shull
Ayni Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing, Ltd.
Laurel House, Station Approach, Alresford, Hants, SO24 9JH, UK
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781782792840, $21.95, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Live Love Soul: A Soul's Guide to Happy" by Machel Shull invites you to explore habits and exercises that can help you discover your own inner joy. Machel shares personal interviews with successful individuals who are achieving their soul's dream. "Live Love Soul" reveals just what their secrets are and how you can apply their advice to empower your own journey. "Live Love Soul" is dedicated to helping the reader cultivate real self-love, release negative thought patterns, and to live a more balanced, exciting life.

Critique: "Live Love Soul: A Soul's Guide to Happy" is a riveting read from first page to last. If you only have time to read one self-help book this year, make it Machel Shull's "Live Love Soul"! Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, content, organization and presentation, "Live Love Soul" is certain to be an enduringly popular addition for community library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Live Love Soul" is also available in a Kindle edition ($10.69).

The Pivotal Life
Jeffrey Wenzler
Henschel Haus Publishing
2625 South Greeley Street, Suite 201, Milwaukee, WI 53207
http://henschelhausbooks.com
9781595983824, $16.95, PB, 210pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: A 'pivotal life' is one that is filled with meaningful insights and awareness. It is a life that is inspirational and passionate. A life that uncovers an individual's unique purpose. With the help of Jeffrey Wenzler's "The Pivotal Life: A Compass for Discovering Purpose, Passion & Perspective" readers can unlock their inner compass to discover a life filled with deeper purpose, passion, and perspective. In the pages of "The Pivotal Life, Jeff Wenzler journeys through some of life s most profound experiences and includes numerous inspirational and heartfelt stories of tragedy and loss, discovery, and wonder along eight compass points. Also included are Reflection Questions and Exercises that challenge you to examine the ordinary and seek the extraordinary.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, ""The Pivotal Life: A Compass for Discovering Purpose, Passion & Perspective" is as practical and insightful as it is thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone and commentary. Very highly recommended for both academic and community library Self-Help/Self-Improvement reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Pivotal Life" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Adventure, Day One
P. J. Jackson
Balboa Press
c/o Hay House, Inc.
PO Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
www.balboapress.com
9781452514864, $13.99, PB, 172pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: What if you could overcome a huge challenge in your life by choosing to be positive? When Rickey Jackson faced almost certain death from cancer, he and his wife P. J. Jackson turned to simple strategies that had seen them through some rough times in the past, and applied them to this greatest test of all. The first step they took was to change the way they viewed their challenge. Instead of believing that the days ahead would be overwhelming and unbearable, each day would be an adventure! That positive approach became their mainstay during the difficult times ahead. Readers of "Adventure, Day One: 7 Positive Strategies When Life's Journey Gets Rough" will learn their seven secrets for coping with life's challenges in this powerful memoir and step-by-step guide. P.J. and Rickey will show you how you too can choose to face each day as an adventure, one that provides strength and peace during challenging times.

Critique: Perhaps one of the best and most succinctly practical self-help books of recent memory, "Adventure, Day One: 7 Positive Strategies When Life's Journey Gets Rough" will prove to be an invaluable and even life-changing read. Very highly recommended for community and academic library Self-Help/Self-Improvement reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Adventure, Day One: 7 Positive Strategies When Life's Journey Gets Rough" is also available in a Kindle edition ($3.99).


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

The Indigo Journals
Yol Swan
Sri Devi Press
PO Box 2033, Asheville, NC 28802
http://sridevipress.com
9780986365423, $24.95, PB, 446pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: If you feel disempowered and disconnected in a world that doesn't make sense to you, "The Indigo Journals: Spiritual Healing For Indigo Adults & Other Feminine Souls" by Yol Swan holds the answers you've been looking for. From Swan's mystical experiences, channeled messages and encounters with enlightened teachers to the cosmic memories that led her to an in-depth exploration of the wounded Feminine, she takes you on a spiritual healing journey of self-discovery and personal growth to unlock your hidden feminine power, fulfill your purpose and bring balance to an overly masculine world. "The Indigo Journals" will help you to: Understand who you really are and the essential differences between the many soul types inhabiting the Earth today; Master your hidden feminine power to transform your reality while contributing to a better world; Develop emotional and spiritual freedom with practical tools to integrate the Feminine and Masculine within you; Discover your true purpose, feel empowered to live the life you want and promote a new cosmic cycle of light.

Critique: Enhanced with the inclusion of many spiritual yet practical tools provided, plus bonus links to a Self-Assessment Questionnaire, Guided Meditation and Past Life Regression designed to aid in the integration all the aspects of the human soul, ""The Indigo Journals: Spiritual Healing For Indigo Adults & Other Feminine Souls" is very highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library Metaphysical Studies, as well as Self-Help/Self-Improvement reference collections. It should be noted that "The Indigo Journals" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

The New Spiritual Chakras
Elizabeth Joyce
Visions of Reality
PO Box 128, Chalfont, PA 18914
www.new-visions.com
9780989802994, $21.95, PB, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: A chakra (Sanskrit cakra, "wheel") is thought to be an energy point or node in the subtle body. Chakras are believed to be part of the subtle body, not the physical body, and as such, are the meeting points of the subtle (non-physical) energy channels called nadi. Nadi are believed to be channels in the subtle body through which the life force (prana) (non-physical) or vital energy (non-physical) moves. Various scriptural texts and teachings present a different number of chakras. It's believed that there are many chakras in the subtle human body, according to the tantric texts, but there are seven chakras that are considered to be the most important ones. In "The New Spiritual Chakras: and How To Work With Them", psychic Elizabeth Joyce explores how men and women can connect with what is most separate and harness the mechanical Third Dimension reality for the benefit of their life and the lives of those around them. We grow and our consciousness expands as well as our spiritual gifts. Although this information has been with us all along, we are now able to, for the first time in eons, access these energies and apply them to ourselves by working with our Spiritual Chakras. It's the hope and expectation that this process can eventual lead to world peace -- a goal to be devoutly aspired to in our troubled times.

Critique: As informed and informative, as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "The New Spiritual Chakras And How To Work With Them" is highly recommended and will prove to be an extraordinary and appreciated addition to personal, community, and academic library Metaphysical Science reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.

The Great Mother Bible
Mare Cromwell, author
Remy Benoit & Beth Brock Duncan, editors
Pamoon Press
http://www.marecromwell.com
9780971703261, $21.95, PB, 298pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Referred to as "The Voice of Earth Mother" by a gifted Shoshone elder, Mare Cromwell was given specific instructions from Mother in November, 2013, to write what became "The Great Mother Bible". Out of that spiritual call has come teachings ranging from the role of aliens on Earth, the Christ Consciousness, sacred dimensions and balance. "The Great Mother Bible" is a revolutionary and humorous spiritual book that offers the reader essential wisdom and guidance to birth the New World.

Critique: Impressively well written, exceptionally well organized and presented, as informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "The Great Mother Bible" is a significant contribution to the growing library of Metaphysical Studies literature and an inherently fascinating, absorbing read from beginning to end. Very highly recommended, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Great Mother Bible" is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.99).


The Social Issues Shelf

Seduced: The Grooming of America's Teenagers
Opal Singleton
Xulon Press
2301 Lucien Way, Suite 415, Maitland, FL 32751
www.millionkids.org
9781498431064, $15.99, 236pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Opal Singleton is President and CEO of Million Kids and Training and Outreach Coordinator for Riverside County Anti Human Trafficking Task Force. Opal trains thousands of government agencies, school administrators, corporations, civic groups and faith based organizations about how to prevent human trafficking. She sits with parents of missing kids and talks with teens who are being "Sextorted" with a naked photo. Sometimes the young people are coerced or forced into prostitution. This is human trafficking and it is the fastest growing crime in the U.S. Opal has recognized a disturbing trend. Each encounter with a stranger, every illicit photo represents an opportunity for exploitation. With advancing technology violence and sex can be portrayed in ways that parallel reality. The result is a generation of "Desensitized Teenagers". We are at a unique time in history. We have a generation of teens who have grown up with the Internet but whose parents are techno-phobic. Parents give kids devices that open the door to over a million predators that can influence a child's thinking on morality, spirituality and sexuality while they are competing for approval in a fantasy world. Apps, social media and online gaming allow access, grooming, recruitment and exploitation of our young people by total strangers. "Seduced: The Grooming of America's Teenagers" is not just an Internet Safety program. It is a parent and grandparent empowerment tool.

Critique: Impressively well written, organized and presented, "Seduced: The Grooming of America's Teenagers" is a critically important report on one of the most pressing social issues of our time -- how to keep kids safe in the era of the internet and the rapid technological advances of electronic social media. An essential and highly recommended addition to community library Parenting Studies instructional reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Seduced: The Grooming of America's Teenagers" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.99).

Secrets of the IRS: Unbridled Bullies
Ann Hewitt
AuthorHouse
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200, Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
www.authorhouse.com
9781504917483, $14.95, HC, 122pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Twenty-seven years ago, Ann Hewitt endured a terrible audit that highhanded agents of the IRS put her through. During that audit, she wrote down everything she was aware that they were doing, knowing it was all terribly wrong. When the audit was over and she let the IRS know she intended to publish what happened, they threatened her, letting her know she was still under their regulations as a retired IRS employee. When Ann recently decided to publish "Secrets of the IRS: Unbridled Bullies", she discovered all copies had mysteriously disappeared. Ann's sister, who had the only remaining copy, found it on a shelf in her home and that is why Ann went ahead with this edition of "Secrets of the IRS: Unbridled Bullies". Year after year the IRS keeps advertising to the gullible public how "fair" and "honest" they are. Well, the public is not that gullible! Over the last twenty-seven years, not much has changed. The supervisors still believe their underlings, and for good reason. The supervisors are trained to be supervisors, not to know the law. Therefore, if you irritate the agent who is performing your audit, beware of the big hand of IRS retribution. "Secrets of the IRS: Unbridled Bullies" book contains some things that will help an unfortunate taxpayer through a nasty IRS audit.

Critique: Simply stated, "Secrets of the IRS: Unbridled Bullies" should be made mandatory reading by every congressman and senator, every president and every member of a presidential administration, but most importantly, every tax paying citizen in the United States. No community or academic library should be without a copy of "Secrets of the IRS: Unbridled Bullies" in their collection and available to the patrons and students they serve. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Secrets of the IRS: Unbridled Bullies" is also available in a paperback edition (9781504910699, $14.95) and in a Kindle format ($3.99).


The Economic Studies Shelf

Mass Capitalism: A Blueprint for Economic Revival
Apek Mulay
Book Publishers Network
http://www.bookpublishersnetwork.com
www.ApekMulay.com
9781940598482, $20.00, PB, 242pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Thanks corporate outsourcing and overseas relocations of the past thirty years, and to the Great Recession of 2008, job security is no longer a given. As much of our economy follows jobs to other countries, especially China, Americans must wonder what we will be left holding. Can we retrieve what we have lost? In"Mass Capitalism: A Blueprint for Economic Revival", Apek Mulay (Business and Technology Consultant with Mulay's Consultancy Services and a senior analyst and Macroeconomist in US Semiconductor Industry) presents solutions to the economic problems threatening the survival of the US and global economies. "Mass Capitalism" covers such issues as the establishment of a balanced economy; the elimination of unemployment; the reduction and elimination of deficits and the nation debt; the revival of the US economy; and the establishment of a true free-market economy with minimal government intervention and lower taxes on individuals. "Mass Capitalism" also calls for the majority shares of Fortune 500 companies to be owned by their employees, rather than outside investors. "Mass Capitalism" provides clear, simple explanations make the economic concepts discussed accessible to all readers.

Critique: Informed and informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "In" Mass Capitalism: A Blueprint for Economic Revival" will prove to be of immense interest to academia and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the nation's (and their own) economic well being. Very highly recommended for both community library and academic library Economics reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists, it should be noted that "Mass Capitalism" is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.99).

The General Theory of Eco-Social Science
Jianfang Jin
AuthorHouse
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200, Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
www.authorhouse.com
9781496948816, $31.99, HC, 368pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Mr. Jianfang Jin, the author, received his B.A. in economics at one of China's elite universities, Nankai University. Upon graduation, he was assigned to an administration and policy department of the Chinese State Council, where he was able to observe the overall political and economic developments in China. In 1985, he went to the U.S. on his own and earned a M.S. from Purdue University. Thereafter he engaged extensively in business in the U.S. and China, and was an eager student of the great social and economic changes occurring in the world in our times. Mr. Jin currently works as the CEO of a public company in Vancouver. Mr. Jianfang Jin is the director of the World Association of Eco-Social Science. In "The General Theory of Eco-Social Science" he brings to bear his years of experience and expertise to introduces five new theories to the field of humanities and social science. ECO-ENTITY: An Entirely New Sociology that lays out an all new system of ecological theory integrating the social and natural sciences. At its core is the new concept of the "eco-entity," its roles and inner systems, its rules, operation laws and operating mechanism. ECO-RESOURCES: New Philosophy and Management which advances the concept of "eco-resources", expanding to the social relations of human beings, and puts forth the new theories of the monist world outlook of eco-resources, the dichotomy between positive and negative eco-resources, and the strategic management of eco-resources, through which it reveals a new dimension to humanities and social sciences. ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY: A Brand New Political Science that introduces the doctrine of an "ecological society" where the rule of law is replaced by the "rule of organicism," and explains the operating principles and governance of the future ecological society. ECO-ECONOMICS: A New Economics which demonstrates with flow charts the economic growth cycle. It depicts the laws of commodity value and "eco-value." It stresses the organic inter-relations between the government and the market. Jin systematically expounded the economic growth cycle, the starting point, the methods, the principles, the mechanisms and the formulas, in his eco-economy growth theory. ECO -CURRENCY: A Complete New Theory of Currency creates the new theory of Eco-currency, three basic attributes of currency and three major functions of currency. Jin proposes a new eco-monetary policy: management of role currencies, or a "visible hand" in adjusting the economy. In addition, he also illustrates the elements of eco-currency, a new currency, in detail.

Critique: An impressive and unique contribution to the study of global economics, "The General Theory of Eco-Social Science: The Theory and Road Map for Comprehensive Reform" is very highly recommended reading and an valuable addition to college and university library Economic Theory reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists. Of immense interest to professional economists and non-specialist general readers with an interest in economic theory, it should be noted that "The General Theory of Eco-Social Science" is also available in a paperback edition (9781496947635, $23.95) and in a Kindle edition ($3.99).


The Humor Shelf

TurboJetslams: Proof #29 of the Non-Existence of God
Jass Richards
Magenta
9781926891651, $9.99, PB, 132pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "TurboJetslams: Proof #29 of the Non-Existence of God" by former stand-up comedian Jass Richards tells the tale of one person's pathetic and hilarious attempts to single-handedly stop the destruction of a little piece of beautiful wilderness by the increasing numbers of idiots who couldn't care less.

Critique: Extraordinarily well written with wit, wisdom, and laugh-out-loud ironic recognition, "TurboJetslams: Proof #29 of the Non-Existence of God" highly entertaining and a riveting read that will linger on in the mind and memory long after the little book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf (or shove it into the hands of friends with an insistence that they drop everything else and read it!). Highly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "TurboJetslams: Proof #29 of the Non-Existence of God" is also available in a Kindle edition (9781926891668, $4.99).


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

A Troll's Phantasmagoria
Ronald J. Willis
Open Sea Press
9780982819708, $13.95, 176pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "A Troll's Phantasmagoria" is the story of Garn, a troll of the Scandinavian sort, and Lucy, a PhD-holding prostitute and expert in ancient languages, cavort and plot with friends in the New York City of the 1970s. Many of the themes in "A Troll's Phantasmagoria" are still resonating today. "A Troll's Phantasmagoria" is being published on the 40th anniversary of the death of its author, Ronald J. Willis, founder of the International Fortean Organization. The typewritten manuscript was discovered in the proverbial trunk by the late author's family when they were unpacking after a move recently. The novel has weird and wacky characters, wild and funny events, and allusions to death, Fortean phenomena, mysticism and various religions and spiritual paths including Gnosticism, Buddhism, Christianity, Jewish folklore, and Paganism. Willis was raised Roman Catholic but by the time he was an adult he had left that Church. Though interested in various spiritualities, he never again affiliated with a church of any denomination. A novel of magical realism, the language and writing style for "A Troll's Phantasmagoria" ranges from racy and humorous to poetically profound.

Critique: An inherently fascinating and absorbing read from beginning to end, "A Troll's Phantasmagoria" is as entertaining as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking. This is one of those unique works of literary fiction that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf. "A Troll's Phantasmagoria" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and academic library American Literary Fiction collections.

The Falling of the Moon
A. E. Decker
World Weaver Press
www.worldweaverpress.com
9780692526019, $14.95, 330pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In the gloomy mountains of Shadowvale, Ascot Abberdorf is expected to marry a lugubrious Count and settle down to a quiet life terrorizing the villagers. Instead, armed with a book of fairy tales, her faithful bat-winged cat, and whatever silverware she can pinch, Ascot heads east, to the mysterious Daylands, where her book promises she can find True Love and Happily Ever After, if she only follows her heart. Determined to win the hand of Prince Parvanel, Ascot storms the Kingdom of Albright. With the book's guidance, she's confident she'll overcome any obstacles the imperious Queen Bettina Anna throws in her way, be they witches, evil stepmothers, or Big Bad Wolves. Unfortunately, the book doesn't cover reluctant princes, wolves who read Dostoyevsky instead of blowing down houses, or a guild of Godmothers whose motivations may not be as pure as three drops of blood on a sweep of snow. Most annoying of all is the captain of the guard who swears he'll see the moon fall before she weds Prince Parvanel. If this parade of shifty shenanigans continues, Ascot might have to rewrite her own tale lest she end most Unhappily Ever After!

Critique: A unique and clever fantasy, "The Falling of the Moon" is a thoroughly entertain read from first page to last. Very highly recommended and certain to be an enduring favorite for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Falling of the Moon" is also available in a Kindle edition ($6.99).

Occupied Earth
Richard J. Brewer & Gary Philips
Polis Books, LLC
www.PolisBooks.com
9781940610528, $15.95, 352pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Collaboratively compiled by Richard J. Brewer and Gary Philips, "Occupied Earth: Stories of Aliens, Resistance and Survival at all Costs" is a groundbreaking anthology that explores the idea of what the world would look like years after its conquest. 20 years after a successful invasion by the Makh-Ra, humanity still exists, only it has become subservient to a race of occupiers who govern the devastated planet. But, as much at things continue with some sense of normalcy, something has happened in the Mahk-Ra's empire. Earth, once considered a strategic beachhead of major importance to the Empire, has been downgraded in its value. Things are starting to degrade. Our planet is the last place any self-respecting Mahk-Ra officer wants to be assigned. Yet, despite everything, life continues. These stories bring us face to face with the possible annihilation of the human race and shows how we can pull ourselves back from the brink. Featuring Rachel Howzell Hall, Lisa Morton, Matthew V. Clemens, Howard Hendrix, Nathan Walpow and more, "Occupied Earth" is coming. Stay safe. Stay strong. Survive at all costs.

Critique: A unique and impressive anthology that deserves to be brought to the attention of science fiction fans everywhere, ""Occupied Earth: Stories of Aliens, Resistance and Survival at all Costs" is a terrifically entertaining read with deftly crafted short stories that will linger in the mind and memory long after this outstanding anthology is finished and set back upon the shelf. Very highly recommended for community library Science Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Occupied Earth" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.99) and in an MP3 audio book format (Tantor, 9781494566180, $29.99).

Lucifer's Game
Will Schneider
Over And Above Creative Group
www.overandabovecreative.com
9780990792451, $19.95, 240pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In his debut novel "Lucifer's Game, author Will Schneider tale unfolds on one of the exotic tropical islands of Hawaii, where the Jackson Trent has come to heal his heart after losing a loved one. As the writer of a popular blog on self-improvement, he believes he understands human nature, including his own failings. His respite trip is interrupted by the appearance of a mysterious stranger who walks with a 'shuffle, shuffle, dip of the neck.' It's Lucifer, Prince of Darkness himself, who makes a personal appearance on earth from time to time to update himself on humanity and today he's chosen Jackson. Though wary, Jackson's curiosity pushes him to agree to spend the day with Lucifer, debating and exchanging views about human nature and the possibility of enlightenment. Lucifer challenges Jackson to understand that humans live unconsciously and are caught in his web, "playing his game," as he is the Keeper of the Shadowlings, all the negative forces like hatred, envy, and greed that we deny in ourselves and push into the basement of our minds. Jackson defends humanity, but Lucifer shows him the depths of human failings, even tricking Jackson into giving into some of his own. Sucked into Lucifer's game, Jackson gets played until he recognizes the manipulation. The stakes grow serious and it's either Lucifer or Jackson who must win the Faustian bet. Full of plot twists, the ending bends the mind. "Lucifer's Game" offers enlightenment seekers at every level a new perspective of consciousness to understand ourselves more deeply and reach for higher levels of wholeness.

Critique: Not since "The Devil and Daniel Webster" by Stephen Vincent Benet has the Faustian bargain been so cleverly presented. This deftly crafted novel by Will Schneider is a riveting read from beginning to end and very highly recommended for community library collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Lucifer's Game" is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.95).

Spurkan Archipelago: Journey To Jenflu
Craig Parsons & Bec Simpson
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781516804436, $14.99, 302pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Nobody would ever expect what happens when Orgel, Clayton, Trina, Farzik, and Brindy gather on the beach one day, at the edge of the Vorhees Sea. A mighty spell is unleashed upon Kordal placing their families in grave danger and jeopardizing their very existence. Determined to reverse the enchantment, the five friends embark on the journey of a lifetime - setting sail for the island of Jenflu, a mysterious land where magic thrives and time stands still. Orgel and his companions befriend unlikely, but lovable characters, including an anxious snail named Eely and a jolly, cheery camel named Choop - whose heart is made of gold. As they search for the secrets behind the enchantment, they must learn to rely on the strengths they discover within themselves and each other as they journey across the island...ever fearful of being captured by Verlox, the wicked king of Jenflu who rules with an iron fist.

Critique: Fans of Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia will love this captivating new series. Exceptionally well written and original, "Spurkan Archipelago: Journey To Jenflu" will have immense appeal to heroic fantasy fiction enthusiasts. Very highly recommended for community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections, it should be noted that "Spurkan Archipelago: Journey To Jenflu" is also available in a Kindle edition ($6.99).

Monsterland
Michael Phillip Cash
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.michaelphillipcash.com
9781517180676, $12.99, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Welcome to Monsterland, one of the scariest places on Earth. All guests can interact with real vampires in Vampire Village, be chased by an actual werewolf on the River Run, and walk among the dead in Zombieville. Wyatt Baldwin, is a high school student and life-long movie buff who is staring bleakly at a future of flipping burgers. Due to a fortuitous circumstance, Wyatt and his friends are invited to the star-studded opening of Monsterland. In a theme park full of real vampires, werewolves and zombies, what could possibly go wrong?

Critique: Original, riveting, and terrifically entertaining, "Monsterland" is a very highly recommended read for all fantasy enthusiasts and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Fantasy Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Monsterland" is also available in an inexpensive Kindle edition ($0.99).

Tomas Of Terra
Jaylee Balch
Xlibris Corporation
1663 South Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
www.xlibris.com
9781499001938, $48.38, HC, 444pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Tomas knows no other humans but has been brought up by the creatures and trees of Terra. An innocent and fast approaching his coming of age, he encounters a force that seeks his mind and together with an Emerald Drae, A Spider, Megalong and an Oak, he begins his journey towards claiming his right to exist as a human and a power to be reckoned with. He meets many Foundlings and learns to tap into his abilities with their help. "Tomas Of Terra" is a whisper of things to come on Earth and the thoughts that create them.

Critique: An impressively original and substantial work of science fiction, "Tomas Of Terra" is an inherently absorbing read from beginning to end and highly recommended for community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Tomas Of Terra" is also available in a paperback edition (9781499001921, $32.25) and in a Kindle format ($6.99).

Crossing In Time
D. L. Orton, author
D. S. Taylor, editor
Micah McDonald, illustrator
Rocky Mountain Press
http://rocky-mountain-press.com
9781941368022, $35.95, HC, 410pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: They say that love transcends time. But what if your lover is murdered, and you're given the chance to go back in time to warn his much-younger twin? She agrees to go, knowing it will kill her in a matter of days, because it gives her one last chance to be with the man she loves. Except he doesn't believe her! In fact, he thinks she's one fry short of a Happy Meal. Oh, and she's suppose to save the world while she's at it. Go figure. "Crossing In Time" is an offbeat tale is about falling madly in love when one is too cynical for such things, letting go of pessimism when it's the last life jacket on a sinking ship, and racing against the clock when one doesn't have the proper footwear. It's a coming-of-age story for old fogeys, a how-to-make-love guide for diehard celibates, and a laugh-out-loud tragedy with a hopeful twist.

Critique: An exceptionally well written and deftly crafted story that will have immense appeal for science fiction fans in particular, "Crossing In Time" is very highly recommended for community library collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Crossing In Time" is also available in a paperback edition (9781941368015, $12.99) and in a Kindle edition ($4.99).

The Roswell Genes
Donald R. Burleson
Black Mesa Press
PO Box 583, Roswell, NM 88202-0583
www.blackmesapress.com
9780964958098, $9.95, PB, 102pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Alien DNA! The strangest secrets any government ever kept! With newly developed DNA recovery and gene sequencing techniques, astonishing things were finally being discovered about the alien bodies retrieved from the Roswell UFO crash of 1947, with profound implications for humankind. Dark-government operatives like Kirk Malvorn thought all this should be classified Top Secret forever. Nobel Prize-winning geneticist Victor Rand wasn't so sure about that. What would prevail, secrecy or science? Was Dr. Rand right to involve his daughter, the popular writer Melinda Rand? His choices could change their lives. Or could change the world. In this daring novella, veteran storyteller Donald B. Burleson takes us on a wild ride, where the rarefied world of genetics meets the giddy world of government. It could all be happening already.

Critique: A deftly crafted and exceptionally entertaining read from beginning to end, "The Roswell Genes" is a very highly recommended novella that will be particularly appreciated by science fiction enthusiasts.

The Threat Below
Jason Latshaw
http://www.himynameisjason.com
Fernweh Books
http://www.fernwehbooks.com
9781943846788, $34.99, HC, 508pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Three hundred years ago, something terrifying arose and pushed humanity to the brink of extinction. Now, a small remnant (ancestors of the survivors who were able to escape the massacre below) lives above the clouds, on the top of a Mountain. When they discover that their water supply is being poisoned Down Below, an expedition, including seventeen year-old girl Icelyn Brathius, must descend and face the monsters, the Threat Below, that wiped out civilization centuries ago. Icelyn quickly learns that all is not what it seems as she uncovers secrets hundreds of years old and struggles to stay alive in a world where no human is fit to survive.

Critique: The first volume in author Jason Latshaw's 'Brathius History' series, "The Threat Below" is a deftly crafted and thoroughly absorbing novel that is especially recommended to the attention of science fiction fans. Certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections, it should be noted that "The Threat Below" is also available in a paperback edition (9780692463598, $19.99) and in a Kindle format ($2.99).


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

Full Moon Stages
Judith Malina
Three Rooms Press
http://threeroomspress.com
9781941110256, $18.95, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: As cofounder of the internationally-known, highly-controversial radical political troupe, The Living Theater, author Judith Malina is one of the leading female countercultural figures of the 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond. In the pages of "Full Moon Stages: Personal notes from 50 years of The Living Theatre", she creates an intimate memoir in a unique format with a collection of personal notes written on every full moon for 50 years from 1964 to 2014. These never-before-published entries reveal Malina's most private thoughts and inform the reader on what The Living Theatre was performing as they wound their way from New York City to Italy, France, Belgium, Germany and Brazil in a nomadic series of notable performances of such underground classics as The Brig, The Connection, and Paradise Now. Malina is relentless in her commitment to the full moon schedule, writing regardless of her current life circumstance. Notes issue forth from hotels, trains -- even prison, offering a light on the consequences of holding true to her code of the theatrical expression of her pacifist-anarchist principles. The format of "Full Moon Stages" is particularly well-suited for modern readers interested in history of the counterculture. In addition, "Full Moon Stages" includes 30+ rare historical photos from Living Theatre archives.

Critique: "Full Moon Stages: Personal notes from 50 years of The Living Theatre" is an exceptional memoir rich with detail and an inherently fascinating read from beginning to end. Of special note is the succinct dedication by Al Pacino. "Full Moon Stages" is very highly recommended for both community and academic library Theatrical History and Theatrical Biography reference collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Full Moon Stages" is also available in a Kindle edition ($12.99).


The Science Shelf

Newton, Maxwell, Einstein: What Were They Thinking?
Edmond Brown
Outskirts Press, Inc.
10940 S. Parker Road, #515, Parker, CO 80134
www.outskirtspress.com
9781478759812, $21.95, PB, 276pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: How do you define time? Is it an illusion? Can a measurement made at one location influence a measurement made a million miles away, before a light signal can get there? Why doesn't the wind blow directly from a high-pressure region toward one of low pressure? Why are there pressure differences between different regions of the earth anyway? Is a vacuum nothing? What's waving when a light wave passes through a vacuum? Why doesn't the earliest sunset occur on the first day of winter? These questions, as well as many others are discussed in "Newton, Maxwell, Einstein: What Were They Thinking?" by Edmond Brown (who served for forty years as a Professor of Physics at the Rensseler Polytechnic Institute). It is a story of the questions that certain scientists were puzzling over, as well as the questions that their theories created. It helps us understand their theories, and appreciate their accomplishments, if we try to imagine their thoughts as they worked out their theories.

Critique: Impressively well written, organized and presented, "Newton, Maxwell, Einstein: What Were They Thinking?" is a fully absorbing read from beginning to end. Very highly recommended for both academic and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the science of physics, "Newton, Maxwell, Einstein: What Were They Thinking?" is a critically important addition to both community and academic library collections.


The Christian Studies Shelf

The Gospel in Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Edited by Miriam LeBlanc
Artwork by Fritz Eichenberg
Plough Publishing House
151 Bowne Drive, PO Box 398, Walden, NY 12586
www.plough.com
9780874866704 $18.00 pbk / $9.99 Kindle www.amazon.com

Synopsis: We know of no better introduction to the spiritual vision of one of the greatest writers of all time. This anthology vividly reveals - as none of his novels, novellas, short stories, plays, or essays could on its own - the great Russian novelist's fascination with the life and teachings of Jesus and the gospel themes of betrayal and forgiveness, sacrifice and redemption, death and resurrection.

Drawn from War and Peace, Anna Karenina, Resurrection, The Death of Ivan Ilyich, The Kingdom of God Is Within You, Master and Man, Walk in the Light, and Twenty-Three Tales, the selections are each prefaced by a contextual note. Newcomers will find in these pages a rich, accessible sampling. Tolstoy enthusiasts will be pleased to find some of the writer's deepest, most compelling passages in one volume.

Critique: The second of a series spotlighting the spiritual vision of classic literary authors, The Gospel in Tolstoy is a carefully chosen array of selections that reveal Tolstoy's lifelong respect for the teachings of Jesus Christ. The Gospel in Tolstoy is entirely in English translation; most of the translations are the public domain renditions by Tolstoy's contemporaries and collaborators, Constance Garnett, Louise Maude, and Aylmer Maude. (One translation, "My Way to Faith" from "Confession", is by David Patterson and used with permission.) Inspired and inspiring, The Gospel in Tolstoy is a an ideal resource for extended contemplation of Tolstoy's spiritual writings and Christian themes. Highly recommended, especially for Christian book study groups.

Walking With the Enemy: A Testimony
C. Read
True Light Publications
P. O. Box 98144, Jackson, MS 39298-8144
www.truelightpublications.com
9780967282596, $16.95, 384pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Walking With the Enemy" by C. Read is about the author's involvement with a Bible study group that turned out to be a cult. As of 28 February 1993, Read had been with this group for some three years, and had grown to love and trust the leaders completely; but after she found out the truth about them she could no longer remain. That did not stop them from wanting her back under their control and influence; and her testimony will show how they tried so hard to convince her that they were right, and she was wrong. This is a war between God and the devil! And innocent, unsuspecting souls continue to be taken in by false teachers and deceitful men. The target of such groups are men, women, and children; especially those searching for love, acceptance, and a deeper meaning to this life. Cults are on the rise, and no one is exempt from their evil influences!

Critique: An inherently fascinating, thoroughly absorbing, candidly personal story that should be considered urgent reading for anyone having to deal with a loved one tempted to join a cult or already part of one. Simply stated, "Walking With the Enemy: A Testimony" is very highly recommended for personal, church, community, and academic library collections. Indeed, "Walking With the Enemy: A Testimony" is critically important reading for all members of the Christian community regardless of their denominational affiliation!

Above the Sun
Louis Bosco
St. Pauls Publishing
http://www.stpauls.com.au
9780818913846, $14.95, PB, 188pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Who am I?" "Where did I come from and where am I going?" "Why is there suffering in the world?" Drawing upon the teachings of Sacred Scripture and the Catholic Church, along with the works of philosophy, poetry, literature, and art, "Above the Sun: The Search for Lasting Meaning in a Passing World" contemplates these questions on the deepest levels, presenting the reader with a clear contrast between following the way of the world and following the way of God. In Jesus we not only receive the promise of future happiness in heaven (that realm above the sun) but we begin to experience that happiness in a real way here on earth.

Critique: Louis Bosco holds an MA in Theology and Christian ministry from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, and currently serves as the Director of Religious Education at two parishes in the Diocese of Pittsburgh: Saint Alphonsus Parish in Wexford and Saint Vincent de Paul Parish in New Castle. In "Above the Sun: The Search for Lasting Meaning in a Passing World" he has written a work that is as informed, informative, and thoughtful, as it is thought-provoking, inspired and inspiring. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, content and commentary, is very highly recommended to all members of the Christian community regardless of their denominational affiliation. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Above the Sun" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.95).


The American History Shelf

Inventing a Better Mousetrap
Alan Rothschild & Ann Rothschild
Maker Media Inc.
https://makermedia.com
9781457187186, $24.99, PB, 292pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In the pages of "Inventing a Better Mousetrap: 200 Years of American History in the Amazing World of Patent Models", readers will learn about the role that patent models played in American history -- and even learn to build their own replicas! Patent models, working models required for US patent filings from 1790 to 1880, offer insight into (and inspiration from) a period of intense technological advancement popularly known as the Industrial Revolution. The Rothschild Patent Model Collection consists of thousands of patent models, many from the 19th century. "Inventing a Better Mousetrap" features the most outstanding of these patent models, and offers deep insight into the cultural, economic, and political history of the United States. "Inventing a Better Mousetrap" not only catalogs hundreds of the most compelling models from the collection, but shows how to build replicas of several selected models using Lego, 3D printing, and other materials and techniques.

Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout, "Inventing a Better Mousetrap: 200 Years of American History in the Amazing World of Patent Models" is highly recommended, especially to the attention of do-it-yourself enthusiasts from 8 to 80. Highly recommended for personal reading lists, and certain to be a an enduringly popular addition to community and academic library collections, it should be noted that "Inventing a Better Mousetrap" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).


The Business Shelf

Insights
Chris Lopresti
Merry Dissonance Press
http://merrydissonancepress.com
www.ChrisLoPresti.com
9781939919267, $24.95, HC, 314pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Chris LoPresti is the Founder of TouchPoints, a consumer data technology company that helps brands connect with their community. LoPresti is also the founder and chairman of ELIS Inc., a nonprofit focused on promoting STEM education and supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs. In the pages of "Insights: Reflections from 101 of Yale's Most Successful Entrepreneurs", LoPresti has gathered 101 world-class mentors to share their invaluable experiences for the benefit of every entrepreneur. "Insights" grants access to some of Yale's leading entrepreneurs and the key learnings they've collected on their own entrepreneurial journeys. From founders of Fortune 500 companies such as FedEx, to the next generation of entrepreneurs like Thiel Fellows, to early investors in Apple, Cisco, Facebook, and other billion dollar startups, "Insights" is a collection of the best advice offered by a diverse group of leaders and innovators. The 101 featured contributors reveal lessons learned the hard way to help you avoid common pitfalls and allow you to lead your company toward more streamlined success. This unique library of knowledge is available to reference as often as you need. Thinking about starting your own company? Trying to improve your organization? "Insights" provides a wealth of information to guide you along your entrepreneurial journey.

Critique: Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Insights: Reflections from 101 of Yale's Most Successful Entrepreneurs" is an extraordinary and impressive compendium of practical, real-world, insightful, informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking comments and commentary that should be considered mandatory reading for anyone aspiring to be a successful entrepreneur or who is a corporate executive charged with the responsibility of decision making for his company. The commentaries are organized into nine major sections: Getting Started; Startups; Becoming an Entrepreneur; Motives and Motivation; People; Being the Best; The Path is Not Always Straight; Perseverance; and From Experience. Very highly recommended for corporate, community, and academic library Business Management & Entrepreneurship Studies reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Insights" is also available in a paperback edition (9781939919236, $17.95) and in a Kindle format ($4.99).


The Poetry Shelf

Imperfect Echoes
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.howtodoitfrugally.com
TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com
9781515232490, $9.95, 148pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Imperfect Echoes: Writing Truth and Justice with Capital Letters, lie and oppression with Small" is a work that was inspired by Nobel Prize winner Czeslaw Milosz's poem "Incantation" that lauds the power of human reason over the reoccurring and seemingly insane political realities. In "Imperfect Echoes", author Carolyn Howard-Johnson holds out hope but is not persuaded by trends that seem worse now than they were in Milosz's time. A student of Suzanne Lummis, UCLA poetry instructor and the Fresno School of Poetry fronted by US poet laureate Philip Levine, Carolyn touches on the isms of the world--racism, ageism, even what might be termed "wallism" but was once referred to as xenophobia. In her poem "Crying Walls," she sounds a low warning reminiscent of Robert Frost: "Chains linked. Wire barbed,/ Krylon smeared. Feeble,/ useless, unholy billboards,/ anything but mending walls."

Critique: Carolyn Howard-Johnson is articulate, gifted, insightful, iconoclastic, and a truly impressive literary talent. "Imperfect Echoes: Writing Truth and Justice with Capital Letters, lie and oppression with Small" is an inherently fascinating, thoughtful, and thought-provoking read that is very highly recommended for community and academic library Contemporary Poetry collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Imperfect Echoes" is also available in a Kindle edition ($2.99).


The Relationship Shelf

Irrelationship
Mark B. Borg Jr., Grand H. Brenner, Daniel Berry
Central Recovery Press
3321 North Buffalo Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89129
www.centralrecoverypress.com
9781942094005, $16.95, 288pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The collaborative effort of Mark B. Borg, Jr. (a community psychologist and psychoanalyst, and a supervisor of psychotherapy at the William Alanson White Institute); Grant H. Brenner (a board-certified psychiatrist in private practice, specializing in treating mood and anxiety disorders and the complex problems that may arise in adulthood from childhood trauma and loss); and Daniel Berry (a Registered Nurse in New York City since 1987 and who has worked for almost two decades in community-based programs), "Irrelationship: How We Use Dysfunctional Relationships To Hide From Intimacy" is important and transformative instructional guide that deftly addresses the protective, yet dysfunctional dynamic where couples avoid genuine connection with an unsatisfying pattern of false intimacy. Drawing on their extensive clinical experience, the three co-authors look at "song and dance" behavioral routines repeatedly performed by couples in irrelationships and delve into the most difficult emotions and actions to help readers achieve personal breakthroughs.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Irrelationship: How We Use Dysfunctional Relationships To Hide From Intimacy" is inherently absorbing, instructive, and thoroughly reader friendly in tone and content. Especially recommended for non-specialist general readers seeking to identify and understand unhealthy patterns and just how to go about the process of changing them, "Irrelationship" will help readers develop interpersonal skills, creating a new opportunity to heal and restore loving relationships. "Irrelationship" is very highly recommended for both community and academic library Self-Help/Self-Improvement instructional reference collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Irrelationship" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.49).


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Embracing the Wild in Your Dog
Bryan Bailey
FastPencil, Inc.
307 Orchard City Drive, Suite 210, Campbell, CA 95008
http://www.fastpencil.com
9781619334717, $16.95, 174pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In most American households, dogs have trumped over evolution itself and jumped straight from being domesticated work animals to four legged humans where they are adorned with human names, designer outfits and fed diets that would confound even the best nutritionist. In most cases, we've granted them our human intelligence and our sacred human emotions as well. They are no longer dogs to us, they're family! Yet, for all that man has done to carve the wolf from the wild to create a surrogate human, today's dog is still a wolf at heart and the accompanying instincts borne from such ancestry defines how the dog approaches its world. The ontogeny of anthropomorphism, where we attach our human traits to our pets, is the most damaging and paralytic problem associated with dog ownership today. Believing in a fairy tale world where dogs possess the same moral consciousness and sense of altruism as attributed to humans has led to a drastic increase in leash laws, dogs being outlawed in a rising number of city and national parks, some breeds being banned in several states, an alarming escalation of aggression to humans, a rising cost in homeowner and business insurance, and a record number of clinically maladaptive dogs. "Embracing the Wild in Your Dog: An Understanding of the Authors of Your Dog's Behavior - Nature and the Wolf" is not a training book. It does not cover obedience topics such as heel, sit, down, stay, and come. Instead, it's about righting the ship of American dog ownership by changing our perception of our dogs. It is about the author, Bryan Bailey, growing up in the Alaskan wild under the tutelage and guardianship of a Special Forces survival instructor who introduced him to the ways of wolves and the similarities they shared with dogs. It is about the wisdom and splendor of nature and the many life lessons she provides. Mostly, it about developing a deep understanding of the authors of your dog's behavior; nature and the wolf. In doing so, you will truly learn who and what your dog really is and the whys and hows of its behavior.

Critique: Impressively informed and informative, "Embracing the Wild in Your Dog: An Understanding of the Authors of Your Dog's Behavior - Nature and the Wolf" should be considered essential reading for anyone who has a canine companion -- or is thinking of obtaining one. Truly exceptional, "Embracing the Wild in Your Dog" is very highly recommended for both community and academic library Pets/Wildlife reference collection in general, and Canine Studies supplemental lists in particular. For personal reading it should be noted that "Embracing the Wild in Your Dog" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

Space Careers
Leonard David & Scott Sacknoff
International Space Business Council
PO Box 5752, Bethesda, MD 20824-5752
www.spacebusiness.com/careers
9781887022194, $20.00, 232pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: From the exploration of new planets to understanding the universe around us; from building and testing a rocket to analyzing data from spacecraft that allow us to monitoring the Earth's environment; from using satellites that help the world communicate to researching and employing the latest cutting edge technologies that benefit space and Earth alike -- a career in the space industry might be for you! The space and satellite industry has careers for people interested in engineering, space science, astronomy, astrophysics, remote sensing, environmental monitoring, communications, software, and electronics, as well as for policy analysts, lawyers, accountants, tourism, and financial professionals. Written by legendary space author Leonard David, entrepreneur Scott Sacknoff, and with a foreword from NASA astronaut and Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin, "Space Careers" is specifically designed to provide students and job seekers the information they need to succeed. No matter if you are in high school, in college, a graduate student, or in the workforce, "Space Careers" will provide you with information you need to find or further your career.

Critique: Informed, informative, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Space Careers" not only covers employment opportunities in such governmental organizations as NASA, and established corporations such as Boein and Lockheed Martin, but also the new private sector space programs such as Elon Musk's SpaceX and Virgin Galactic. A unique and highly recommended addition to both community and academic library Jobs/Careers reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Space Careers" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).


The Graphic Novel Shelf

Sunnyville Stories Volume 3
Max West
Different Mousetrap Press, LLC
http://sunnyvillestories.com
9780989069625 $19.99 www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The third installment of Max West's acclaimed series, Sunnyville Stories! Join Rusty Duncan and Samantha "Sam" Macgregor for even more adventures in the charming world of Sunnyville. Max West's riveting storytelling and charming artwork keeps getting better and better as more of the Sunnyville universe continues to be unveiled to eager fans everywhere. More enticing characters are introduced in this volume - among them, a wandering rock band and Sam's cousins from the seaside resort town of Solton. Plus, Rusty's mother explodes when her son fails a test and Goro Tanuki, Sunnyville's top chef, fears his upstart nephew will replace him.

Critique: A black-and-white graphic novel anthology featuring an anthropomorphic cast of young adults and adults, Sunnyville Stories Volume 3 is filled with stories about facing everyday problems - from the overbearing pressure a literal "tiger mom" puts on her child to succeed in school, to the relationship troubles of an estranged couple, and much more. Although Sunnyville Stories touches on some serious subjects (such as infidelity), there is no graphic violence or sexual content. The simple line artwork belies the deep characterization and complex themes of growing up, adjusting to nuanced challenges, and finding one's place in the world. Sunnyvale Stories Volume 3 is a choice pick for connoisseurs of quality "indie" comic storytelling. Also highly recommended are Sunnyville Stories Volume 1 (9780615653921, $15.99 pbk / $2.99 Kindle) and Volume 2 (9780989069601, $19.99 pbk / $2.99 Kindle).


The Photography Shelf

Different Roots, Common Dreams
Becky Field
Peter E. Randall Publisher
Box 4726, Portsmouth, NH 03802
www.perpublisher.com
9781937721244, $35.00, 116pp, www.DifferentRootsNH.com

Synopsis: New Hampshire is 92% "white," so few people have experienced the emerging cultural diversity in the Granite State. For more than three years, photographer Becky Field has documented the lives of NH's immigrants and refugees through photographing their weddings, funerals, workplaces, children at play, sacred ceremonies, and joyful celebrations. Through Becky's photographs and stories by NH's refugees, "Different Roots, Common Dreams" tells of the journeys and celebrates the beauty and resilience of NH's new American families.

Critique: Combing occasional commentary and beautiful photographic images, captioned and in full color, "Different Roots, Common Dreams" is a pleasure to browse through and ultimately quite informative. Simply stated, "Different Roots, Common Dreams" is very highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library Contemporary American Photography and Ethnic Photographic Studies collections.


The Music Shelf

Beethoven and Me
Earl Ofari Hutchinson
Middle Passage Press
9780692508176 $12.95 pbk. / $4.99 Kindle www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In his forthcoming book, Beethoven and Me: A Beginner's Guide to Classical Music, Hutchinson breaks through a hard barrier that has long separated politics and social commentary from music, in this case classical music. He shares his many personal experiences in concert halls and his observations about the world of classical music. Beethoven and Me: A Beginner's Guide to Classical Music is a fast paced, easy to understand survey of the music's well-known and not so well-known composers, their music and their struggles for recognition. He brings a fresh and his very personal perspective in discussing them and their music. Hutchinson makes it easy for the reader by deliberately minimizing using technical terms and language. Throughout the book, he provides the reader with a highly personal running commentary of his experiences in front of and behind the orchestra stage during two decades of active listening and commenting on classical music.

Along the way, he details the influence and struggles of African-American, Hispanic and women composers in the classical music world who more often than not have been shamefully neglected or marginalized in the classical music tradition. Beethoven and Me: A Beginner's Guide to Classical Music is Hutchinson's personal, and very selective, impressionistic walk through the history, tradition and experience of classical music. It's a primer written for a very beginning listener. Hutchinson has boldly stepped out of his role as a political and social commentator to show that music and the compelling social issues of the day need not be separate.

Critique: Accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Beethoven and Me: A Beginner's Guide to Classical Music lives up to its title as an introduction to the history of classical music, including a multitude of lesser-known fascinating facts and amazing incidents about historical composers and their work. From why composers such as Mahler and Mendelssohn had to "hide" their religion, to how Hispanic composers brought Indian instruments to classical music, to how and why conductors started using a baton, and much more, Beethoven and Me is enlightening and edifying from cover to cover! Highly recommended.


The Nautical Shelf

The Lost Hero of Cape Cod
Vincent Miles
Historical Society of Old Yarmouth
www.hsoy.org
9780962506888 $14.99 pbk / $9.99 Kindle www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The Lost Hero of Cape Cod tells the story of an extraordinary nineteenth-century mariner... and of a morale-boosting victory for the young United States over Britain in the commercial battle that broke out on the Atlantic after the War of 1812.

Born in a small village on Cape Cod in 1809, Asa Eldridge grew up to become one of the world's greatest shipmasters. Even today, he still holds the record for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic by a sailing ship, which he set on a run from New York to Liverpool in 1854. But this record is only part of his story, which includes voyages to numerous countries, command of Cornelius Vanderbilt's private yacht, an early move into steamships, and a mysterious end that eerily foreshadowed the Titanic disaster half a century later.

In recounting Eldridge's fascinating career, Vincent Miles also tells a much broader story - of the rise of America's merchant navy to a dominant position over Britain's in the decades following the War of 1812, and of the government-subsidized British response that created the legendary Cunard Line. And along the way, Miles offers a guided tour of the maritime trade that shaped America, and a memorial to the courageous men who made it possible.

Critique: The Lost Hero of Cape Cod is both a fascinating true-life history and a glimpse into the all-too-perilous world of the 1800's mariner. Meticulously pieced together from exhaustive research, Eldridge's story is a tale of war, peace, extraordinary heroism, and heartbreaking tragedy. Of particular interest is the recounting of notable nautical disasters of the time. (Tragically, the RMS Titanic was not the first case in which a sinking ship carried far too few lifeboats to save the majority of its passengers and crew; just one of the most notorious.) Highly recommended, especially for public library nautical and biography collections.


The Sports Shelf

Golf: A Good Walk & Then Some, second edition
John R. Jenchura
Mountain Lion Press
c/o Cardinal Publishers Group (dist.)
2402 North Shadeland Avenue, Suite A, Indianapolis, IN 46219
www.cardinalpub.com
9780983968955 $27.00 www.amazon.com

Synopsis: How did it all begin? This over 470-page narrative with 100 photographs and 67 chapters covers the history of the game all the way back to the Romans in 300 AD, follows it across the European continent to Scotland and chases it across the Atlantic Ocean to the U.S. Chapters detail the evolution of the ball and new equipment, the founding of the U.S. Golf Association, and premier men and women players dating from the 1800s to the present. The second edition highlights new stars such as Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson, Stacy Lewis, Lexi Thompson, Lydia Ko and the rise of the Asian women golfers. In addition, an appendix listing golf s individual major championships and team competitions beginning with Open Championship in 1860 along with year-to-year information on winners, scores and venues make Golf A Good Walk & Then Some an invaluable source for the reader looking for information on a particular tournament down through the years.

Critique: The second updated edition of Golf: A Good Walk & Then Some reflects author John Jenchura's passion for this widely beloved pastime, chronicling its storied history from its origins in Scotland to its adoption in the United States and its development as a professional sport. Illustrated with over 100 black-and-white photographs, Golf: A Good Walk & Then Some is a choice pick for sports historians and lay readers alike!


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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