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Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Heartfelt Memorial Services
Beverly Molander & Dave Savage
Memory Keepers Publishing
980 St. Charles Ave. #4, Alanta, GA 30306
http://heartfeltmemorialservices.com
Selby Ink
9780990980803, $12.99, 268pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: End of life issues can be embarrassing or uncomfortable to discuss with loved ones,
but being prepared for them and knowing what is wanted or preferred will substantial ease the
burdens of one and all. "Heartfelt Memorial Services: Your Guide for Planning Meaningful
Funerals, Celebrations of Life and Times of Remembrance" provides practical information and
guidance to families and individuals who are: anticipating and preparing for the death of a loved
one; having "The Conversation" with their elders about end-of-life choices and options; looking
for ways to bring together friends and family with a sense of unity and integrity, even when
different belief systems may appear to be a stumbling block; creating an inspiring
celebration-of-life / tribute gathering while the person is still there to enjoy it; wishing to ease the
burden on the family by planning for your own eventual death.
Critique: Impressively well written, organized and presented, "Heartfelt Memorial Services: Your
Guide for Planning Meaningful Funerals, Celebrations of Life and Times of Remembrance" is
ideal for non-specialist general readers and will prove to be of enduring value to professionals as
well. Enhanced with the inclusion of an Inside Look and inspiring supplemental content in print
and video, "Heartfelt Memorial Services" is very highly recommended for community library
collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Heartfelt Memorial Services" is
also available in a Kindle edition ($5.99).
Imagination Will Take You Everywhere
Samantha Snyder
AKA Associates Inc.
6007 North Sheridan Road, Apt. 15A, Chicago, IL 60660
www.akabooks.com
9780692444481, $11.95, 104pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: A doodle is a drawing made while a person's attention is otherwise occupied. Doodles
are simple drawings that can have concrete representational meaning or may just be abstract
shapes. "Imagination Will Take You Everywhere" is comprised of 50 doodle art images of
inspiring sayings, quotes, and words printed on one side of the page for all ages to color. Quotes
from famous authors include Emily Dickinson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Benjamin Franklin, John
Keats, Abraham Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt, William Shakespeare, and more. "Imagination Will
Take You Everywhere" also includes sayings and words from Be Kind, Courage, and Dream Big
to Enjoy the Journey, Faith, and Hope. Each doodle art image has been carefully selected to
provide plenty of enjoyment, inspiration, and relaxation. Coloring isn't just for the kids anymore!
There is something for everyone, so take a minute, explore the magic of it all, and live a colorful
life!
Critique: Unique, imaginative, and a great deal of fund, "Imagination Will Take You
Everywhere" is basically a coloring book for adults with the inspiring quotes being the subject
matter to be colored in. A consumable, "Imagination Will Take You Everywhere" is not
appropriate for community libraries, but would make a wonderful pastime activity for grown-ups
and appropriate for anyone, adult or child, as a rainy-day recreational activity!
Set In Stone
Frank Morin
Whipsaw Press
www.frankmorin.org
9780989900539, $35.99, 608pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Tomorrow, at sixteen, Connor will reveal his secret curse to the world and take his
place as a guardian. If he survives today. When armies descend upon his peaceful village, led by
superhuman Petralists and clever Builders, most people run and hide. Connor's not that smart. He
manages to get caught in the middle of the escalating conflict. Worse, he learns his curse is the
rarest of powers, the Blood of the Tallan, and both sides will do anything to control it and secure
his loyalty. Connor is fast, but even he can't outrun this avalanche. Truths are sacrificed, loyalties
are sundered, and dangerous girls twist his heart into knots. That's when things get complicated.
While his friends try to free the village under siege, Connor peels back layers of intrigue and
half-truths to find secrets neither side wants him to know. Surrounded by deadly enemies that all
claim to be his friends, Connor must choose a course with the lives of everyone he loves hanging
in the balance. His only hope is to gamble everything on a curse that could destroy them all
unless his final choice is 'Set in Stone'.
Critique: Impressively well written from beginning to end, "Set In Stone: The Petralist" is a
riveting and entertaining read from beginning to end. An extraordinary saga that documents
author Frank Morin as a master of the young adult fantasy genre, "Set In Stone" is very highly
recommended for high school and community library YA fiction collections. For personal
reading lists it should be noted that "Set In Stone" is also available in a Kindle edition
($5.38).
The Self-Help Shelf
Indestructible You
Shai Tubali & Tim Ward
Changemakers Books
www.changemakerbooks.com
John Hunt Publishing, Ltd. (dist.)
Laurel House, Station Approach, Alresford, Hants, SO24 9JH, UK
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781782799405, $14.95, 207pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The collaborative work of Shai Tubali and Tim Ward, "Indestructible You: Building a
Self that Can't be Broken" is a practical guidebook for making yourself so strong inside that life's
relentless ups and downs cannot shake you and cannot break you. "Indestructible You" will help
you uncover the powerful, driving force of your true self, and let go of everything that holds you
back. "Indestructible You" is based exercises and practices developed by Shai Tubali through his
research and work guiding several hundred individuals through psycho-transformational
processes. In essence: Life is like an eternal seesaw. At every given moment you're either up -
getting what you want and feeling powerful, or down - finding yourself rejected, weakened and
frustrated. We are forever hoping to bend the laws of this 'unfair game' so that we stay on the
up-side of life. But this unrealistic insistence is why we suffer. "Indestructible You" reveals the
way to step down from the eternal seesaw and build an unbreakable self, a self that remains
fearless and strong no matter what life throws at you.
Critique: Impressively 'user friendly' from beginning to end, "Indestructible You: Building a Self
that Can't be Broken" is insightful, informative, practical, and inspiring. Very highly
recommended for personal and community library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections, it
should be noted that "Indestructible You: Building a Self that Can't be Broken" is also available
in a Kindle edition ($7.99).
Understanding and Overcoming Temptation
Daniel Morris
ANEKO Press
c/o Life Sentence Publishing, Inc.
203 E. Birch Street, P.O. Box 652, Abbotsford, WI 54405
www.anekopress.com
9781622452361, $14.99, 192pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Do you want to do well in your career? You must prepare and work. Do you want to be
good at a sport? You must be disciplined and train. Do you want to be a good cook? You must
learn and practice. What about avoiding and resisting temptation? Temptation ruins. Temptation
damages. Temptation even kills. Like all achievements, the cost of overcoming temptation and
avoiding its consequences includes learning to understand when and how it happens and then
what to do to prevent it or escape it. "Understanding and Overcoming Temptation" by Daniel
Morris is a good place for you and your family to start learning and preparing yourselves for the
battles with this destructive force. "Understanding and Overcoming Temptation" covers such
issues as "why did I do that again?"; the good and bad of natural curiosity; the danger of things
being too comfortable; knowing when our minds and feelings are attacked?; and the realization
that we can overcome, that we are not alone.
Critique: Daniel Morris graduated from Pacific Coast Baptist Bible College and Anchor
Theological Seminary. He received his Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from Louisiana Baptist
University. Since 1978, he and his wife, Debbie, have served as missionaries in Chiapas, Mexico.
He presently pastors the Baptist church he founded in Tuxtla Gutierrez and oversees several other
churches, missions, and a Christian school. Much of his time is dedicated to training Hispanic
pastors and counseling. "Understanding and Overcoming Temptation" is exceptionally well
written, organized and presented. As informed and informative as it is thoughtful and
thought-provoking, "Understanding and Overcoming Temptation" is as practical as it is inspiring.
Thoroughly 'reader friendly' from beginning to end, "Understanding and Overcoming
Temptation" is very highly recommended for community library Self-Help/Self-Improvement
instructional reference collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that
"Understanding and Overcoming Temptation" is also available in a Kindle edition ($5.99).
The Architecture of Freedom
Tim Cross
One River Press
9780988834446, $19.95, 376pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Exploring modern physics, personal experience, and spirituality, this book outlines a
radically different way of understanding our lives, our universe and our being. While "The
Architecture of Freedom" is not a quick read or proposing an easy fix, once understood, the ideas
laid out by author Tim Cross will forever change your life. Whether or not we are aware of it,
what the majority of us most desire is peace of mind in each and every moment. This experience
becomes available to all of us when we learn how to live our lives without "resistance" so that we
can then use our unique gifts to follow our most personal and joyful path. "The Architecture of
Freedom" describes the personal adventure and the process that brought Tim Cross to this
realization and will serve others as a helpful guide for this, humanity's common journey.
Critique: Thoughtful and thought provoking, "The Architecture of Freedom" is a compelling,
comprehensive, and informative read from beginning to end. "The Architecture of Freedom" is
one of those rare works that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself is
finished and set back upon the shelf. Very highly recommended for community library
Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The
Architecture of Freedom" is also available in a Kindle edition ($4.95).
The End Of Self-Help
Gail Brenner
Ananda Press
Book Savvy PR
9780986428203, $11.99, 212pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The self-help industry perpetuates the myth that we are limited, damaged, inadequate
selves who need to be fixed. Sadly, it keeps millions of us hoping for a better future when we
will finally be happy and fulfilled. But what if it's possible, at any moment, to be peaceful and
free? In "The End of Self Help: Discovering Peace and Happiness Right at the Heart of Your
Messy, Scary Brilliant Life", psychologist Gail Brenner reveals that in fact, it is -- once we
realize that who we are is not defined by our distorted thoughts and painful feelings. Brenner
describes how personal suffering is a case of mistaken identity. She walks with readers as they
expand their attention beyond their well-worn troubles to the very source of happiness and peace:
presence itself. Guided audio meditations, included with each chapter, help light the way. "The
End of Self-Help" makes ancient teachings accessible to the modern mind. It's a must-read for
anyone who has finally realized that self-help doesn't actually help. You'll discover the
fulfillment you've been longing for -- the living, breathing possibility of personal peace of
mind.
Critique: Impressively well written, organized and presented, "The End of Self Help" is
thoroughly 'reader friendly' from beginning to end. As informed and informative as it is
thoughtful and thought-provoking, "The End of Self Help" is especially recommended for the
non-specialist general reader seeking to achieve a peaceful perspective with respect to the
stresses and pressures of ordinary daily life. Very highly recommended for community library
Self-Help/Self-Improvement reference collections, it should be noted that for personal reading
lists "The End of Self Help" is also available in a Kindle edition ($5.99).
Listen...Till You Disappear
Martin Kettelhut
Lulu Publishing
3101 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27607-5436
www.lulu.com
Bohlsen Group
9781483422565, $25.00, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The way you listen creates your world. In "Listen... Till You Disappear", author Dr.
Martin Kettelhut (an expert on life-purpose, communication, time structuring, relationships,
productivity, and intentonality) shows that by listening better you will hear what your highest
aspirations really are and discover the best way to attain them. Most of us are working much
harder than we need to get what we want. "Listen...Till You Disappear" will help in achieving
just that.
Critique: Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Listen ...Till You Disappear" is
impressively well written and ideal for the non-specialist general reader with an interest in
self-improvement. Very highly recommended for community library
Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Listen
...Till You Disappear" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).
What in the World Is Going On?
Penny Gill
Balboa Press
c/o Hay House, Inc.
PO Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
www.balboapress.com
Bohlsen Group
9781504326117, $11.99, 144pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Do you worry about our planet, with its environmental crises, global warming,
widespread violence, and global poverty? Do you feel powerless to change your life and impact
your world? In "What in the World Is Going On?: Wisdom Teachings for Our Time", Penny Gill
deft presents such crises as an invitation to open our minds and hearts to a new awareness of our
fundamental interdependence with all beings. With breathtaking optimism, "What in the World
Is Going On?" offers courage and hope to all who hold the world in their hearts and grieve.
Crises bring opportunities. We are poised to vastly expand our consciousness, allowing us to
address our deep fears and create communities which embrace and serve all of us. The rich
conversation between Manjushri, the Tibetan teacher, and the student probes the roots of our
fears and challenges our common assumptions about the roles of science and markets in our
world. It rejects the inflated claims of our ego-selves and the stifling confines of materialism. The
Teacher assures us everything can be changed. We can escape our isolation, celebrate our
interdependence with all beings, and heal our communities. The worldwide web allows us to
connect with like-minded people around the world. This epochal shift in energy and
consciousness is well underway. The Teacher encourages all of us to trust our emerging visions,
dissolve the fears shrouding our best selves, and allow our natural compassion to flow out into
the world.
Critique: Exceptional, informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "What in the World Is
Going On?: Wisdom Teachings for Our Time" is a compelling and inherently fascinating treatise
that is very highly recommended for the non-specialist general reader with an interest in evolving
a mind-set and attitude that can overcome the fears, tribulations, and troubles that beset the
modern world we live in. It should be noted that "What in the World Is Going On?: Wisdom
Teachings for Our Time" is also available in a Kindle edition ($5.99).
Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
Sue Coleman
Biographical Publishing Company
95 Sycamore Drive, Prospect, CT 06712-1493
www.biopub.us
9780991352135, $17.99, 109pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" by Sue Coleman offers women nine powerful rules to
end and avoid relationships that are doomed to fail. "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" is self-help
book and CD specifically designed to keep the reader on the right track and live out her true
purpose in life. Each chapter is accompanied by a song chosen to bring it to life and ends with an
action summary and lyric. The accompanying album, a mix of original pop, rock and blues songs
based on the author's personal experience, enhances the book's overall essence and meaning. The
CD accompanying the paperback edition of "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" includes a music
digital download card of all album tracks.
Critique: "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" is a compelling combination of message and music that
will prove to be genuinely effective in helping women successful deal with relationships that are
(or become) toxic. Very highly recommended for personal and community library
Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections.
Walking with Spirit
Cynthia Maddox
Balboa Press
c/o Hay House, Inc.
PO Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
www.balboapress.com
Bohlsen Group
9781504325615, $28.95, 118pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: According to author and life coach Cynthia Maddox, "Walking with Spirit:
Consciously Continuing Your Spiritual Journey" has been spirit guided since its conception. As a
collective consciousness rises, more are waking from their states of sleepwalking and are being
called to begin their conscious spiritual journeys. "Walking with Spirit" was created to be a guide
to assist and encourage those beginning their journeys, as well as those already on the way.
"Walking with Sprit" covers such issues as: The importance of meditation and being in the
moment, along with techniques for this ; Why there is a need to heal your inner child and how to
do this; The importance of paying attention to your emotional guidance system; How to hear and
connect with your guides and angels; The many ways spirits speak to you; How to follow your
intuition; How to release old, limiting beliefs that have held you back from becoming all you
have chosen to be in this lifetime; That you are enough, of everything; The importance of being
your truth and shining your light for all to see; and so much more.
Critique: A uniquely informed and informative instructional guide, "Walking with Spirit:
Consciously Continuing Your Spiritual Journey" is especially recommended for personal,
community, and academic library Metaphysical Studies reference collections. It should be noted
that "Walking with Spirit" is also available in a paperback edition (9781504325608, $11.99) and
in a Kindle format ($3.99).
The Fiction Shelf
Isthmus
Gerard LaSalle
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
Smith Publicity
9781503183339, $14.99, 418pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: It is 1860 and revolution is erupting throughout the world over universal emancipation.
Civil war looms in the United States. In the midst of it all, a young woman is moving back to
Boston with what is left of her family, devastated and bankrupted by savage, tragic events that
occurred less than a year ago in the Pacific Northwest. They traverse a hostile terrain on the new
Panama isthmus railroad, the most modern transportation in the world. From inside their coach
they watch the humid forest, a different type of green from what they knew up north, slipping fast
past, a warm verdant blur. Looking down the aisle they see an uncomfortable array of fellow
travelers, an international mix of characters with whom they will get to know all too well. Each
with hidden hopes and dreams, both predators and victims, desperadoes and hangmen, widows
and widow makers. A convenient ride through the jungle. An inconvenient assault. A run for
their lives.
Critique: "Isthmus" documents novelist Gerard la Salle as a master storyteller and a writer of a
deftly crafted action/adventure tour-de-force. A veritable saga of a novel, "Isthmus" is pure
entertainment from beginning to end and highly recommended for community library General
Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Isthmus" is also available
in a Kindle edition ($2.99).
Over Here
James Hockenberry
HN Books, LLC
www.jameshockenberry.com
Nugent Consulting
9780991561209, $17.99, 470pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: A thriller set in America beginning in 1915, "Over Here" by James Hockenberry
depicts German clandestine activities culminating in America's entry into World War One. The
plot is fast paced and duplicitous. "Over Here" is an international intrigue, a tale of espionage
that unfolds as German agents attack America to stop the flow of goods and supplies to the Allies
in a desperate German attempt to win the war.
Critique: An inherently fascinating and deftly crafted action/adventure tale of unexpected plot
twists and turns, "Over Here" clearly established author James Hockenberry as an extraordinarily
gifted writer who will leave his fully entertained readers looking eagerly toward his next literary
venture. "Over Here" is enthusiastically recommended and certain to be an enduringly popular
addition to personal reading lists and community library collections.
Searching for Wallenberg
Alan Lelchuck
Mandel Vilar Press
http://mvpress.org
Over the River Public Relations
9781942134039, $26.95, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: After reading a graduate student's thesis about the fate of Raoul Wallenberg, the
Swedish diplomat who saved thousands of Jews in Budapest from 1944 to 1945, Professor
Manny Gellerman--part-time detective, historian, and novelist--follows the twists and turns along
unorthodox paths and uncovers some uncomfortable truths that may explain what happened
when Wallenberg was arrested by the Soviets in 1945, taken to Moscow, and left to fester in a
Lybianka prison. Now more than 65 years later, Gellerman begins unthreading these
mysteries--and discovers that the deepest may be Wallenberg, himself. Who was the real man
behind the legendary persona of noble diplomat and savior of Budapest Jews? Gellerman's quest
eventually leads him to a Jewish Hungarian woman, who claims she is Raoul Wallenberg's
daughter. At once a detective story and an unusual love story, Alan Lelchuck's "Searching for
Wallenberg" is a novel within a novel and filled with multiple layers and surprising characters
that all lead to a deeper understanding of this enigmatic hero.
Critique: Impressively well written from beginning to end, "Searching for Wallenberg" is a
unique, deftly crafted, and entertaining read that clearly documents Alan Lelchuck as a novelist
of considerable skill and imagination. An inherently extraordinary work, "Searching for
Wallenberg" is very highly recommended for community and academic library Literary Fiction
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Searching for Wallenberg" is also
available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).
Glitch In The Machine
Edgar Swamp
Privately Published
Smith Publicity
9780692316016, $15.50, 446pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: It's 2025. The United States is in the shadow of a puppet government run by giant
corporations, and the 99 percent live without rights or the protection of government regulations,
fully at the mercy of the 1 percent. Among the most powerful entities are the pharmaceutical
suppliers, the weapons manufacturers, and insurance companies, which rake in massive fortunes
because of the mandatory insurance requirements, but never pay out. Amid this corporate
dystopia, we find Floyd Jasper, a mercenary whose job title as a "health insurance claims
investigator" belies his actual function. A maniacal killing machine, he's good at what he was
programmed to do: punish insurance "fraudsters" - brutally and permanently. But if you think this
status quo seems unhinged, just wait until Floyd's drug use explodes and he has an illicit affair
with a coworker. Floyd's world continues to unravel when, suddenly, he realizes that someone is
trying to kill him.
Critique: Given the social, cultural, economic, and political so embedded so far in 21st century
America, Edgar Swamp's riveting dystopian novel is an all to believable read. Exceptionally well
written, "Glitch In The Machine" is one of those rare novels that will linger in the mind and
memory long after it is finished and set back upon the shelf. Very highly recommended for
community library fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Glitch In
The Machine" is also available in a Kindle edition ($2.99).
Father, Son, Stone
Allan H. Goodman
Solomon Publications
PO Box 2124 Rockville MD 20847
www.solomonpublications.com
Smith Publicity
9780967097367, $18.99, 480pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Father, Son, Stone blends history and mystery to reveal the secret of the most
controversial religious site in Jerusalem - known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as
the Noble Sanctuary. In the year 2035, a grandfather and his grandson enter the Dome of the
Rock on the Temple Mount. The grandfather, speaking Arabic, tells his grandson why Jews no
longer pray at the Western Wall. The grandfather's story begins in 1967 during the Six-Day War,
with three Israeli paratroopers fighting in the battle for Jerusalem. The tale continues fifty years
later, in 2017, after a catastrophic event near the Temple Mount brings together the same three
men - now the Prime Minister of Israel, a Justice of the Supreme Court of Israel, and a Mossad
agent. As the crisis unfolds, the three seek to discover the reason behind mysterious events that
occurred on the Temple Mount during the Six-Day War. The truth, when finally revealed,
changes Jerusalem, and the people who live there, forever.
Critique: Exceptionally well written and an inherently fascinating read from beginning to end,
"Father, Son, Stone" is very highly recommended for community library General Fiction
collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Father, Son, Stone" is also
available in a Kindle edition ($8.99).
Random Shootings
Frank Drury
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781505620849, $14.00, 230pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: John Watson, a crime reporter in Florida, feeling threatened by a potential "stand your
ground" trial after shooting an angry neighbor, decides to settle out of court and move to
Colorado with his wife, Diana. Still in her thirties, Diana successfully struggles with a cancer
diagnosis while she and John continue to be confronted with more episodes of random gun
violence in Colorado. Unable to have their own children, they adopt a nine year old boy and a
nine year old girl. Their daughter, Trish, loves playing soccer and does very well in school. Their
son, Brian, is bullied in middle school and grows up to become a disturbed young man with an
uncommon fondness for guns. From a mall shooting, a school shooting, even a military base
shooting, in "Random Shootings" author Frank Drury offers a reflection on gun violence in
America today and shows the impact it can have on a family.
Critique: With a plot that could be taken straight from today's cable news headlines, "Random
Shootings" is a chilling but inherently fascinating read that holds the reader's rapt attention from
beginning to end. A deftly crafted and original many-layered novel that is very highly
recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal
reading lists that "Random Shootings" is also available in a Kindle edition ($3.99).
Fishtown
Neal Goldstein
Publicity Department
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
Smith Publicity
9781505875973, $14.99, 300pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: It's been six weeks since the rogue Mossad agents, Nooris and Rabinowitz, were
recaptured when their attempt to discover the identity of the person who betrayed them was
thwarted by the very individual they were seeking. Homicide Detective Isadore Ichowitz is
recovering from the wounds he sustained in the incident when Nooris shot him to convince Vito
Coratelli to tell them what they wanted to know. Even though Nooris and Rabinowitz are being
detained as terrorists in Guantanamo Bay, Ichowitz is concerned that Shona Cohen, the
remaining member of the gang, who is still on the loose, is a continuing threat to the well-being
of his godson, Assistant District Attorney Jack Regan and his family. Jack believes Izzy's
concerns are unwarranted. After all, why would someone who is wanted for murder return to
Philly, when her companions are in custody with no chance for release, and she still possesses a
valuable post-impressionist painting worth millions, 'The Pitcher' by Georges Bracque, that her
gang stole from the Barnes Foundation? Jack's wedding to Kate O'Malley is only 48 hours away,
when all hell breaks loose. Jack and Izzy are 'requested' by the CIA to fly to Cuba to assure the
former Mossad agents that the deal the U.S. Attorney offered them in return for information that
can lead to the apprehension of the new head of Al Qaeda is genuine. Neither Jack nor Izzy can
figure out why the terrorists insist on their presence. Jack barely makes it back to Philly in time
for the wedding ceremony. Before he can brush the rice from his hair, he has to put his
honeymoon plans on hold to help prosecute a multiple murder case against a doctor who ran an
abortion mill in West Philly. The doctor is represented by none other than Vito Coratelli. Izzy's
retirement from the Philadelphia Police Department is derailed, when the remains of four young
women, holding hands, are unearthed in a construction site in Fishtown, an old Philadelphia
neighborhood near the banks of the Delaware River, that is fast becoming a destination address
for artists, toney restaurants and hip young professionals who follow in their wake. The crime
scene reminds the Homicide Chief of a murder investigation Izzy handled 40 years ago. As
Ichowitz delves into the mystery of the Fishtown bodies, and Jack's involvement in the murder
case becomes more complicated, their concern for the safety of Kate and her son Liam becomes
real, when Nooris and Rabinowitz are released from custody, and no one knows the whereabouts
of Shona Cohen. Is there a connection between the bodies and the case Izzy handled 40 years
ago? Are Kate and Liam in harms' way?
Critique: "Fishtown" is the exciting sequel to Neal Goldstein's "Murder and Mayhem in
Manayunk". Deftly crafted characters embedded in a complexly scripted novel, "Fishtown" is
relentlessly engaging and inherently fascinating read from beginning to end and very highly
recommended for community library collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted
that "Fishtown" is also available in a Kindle edition ($4.99).
The Outlaw River Wilde
Mike Walters
Privately Published
9780986357404, $9.99, 324pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Who of us, at one time or another, hasn't wondered if we're alone in the universe?
Mitch Wilde never had until a failed attempt at pulling an arrow out of his best friend Jack's
shoulder began a string of strange and unexpected events in the small Pacific Northwest Town of
Outlaw River. When Native Americans start vanishing throughout the country and re-appearing
in strange places on horseback, Mitch is challenged in ways he never dreamed. In addition, who
are the uninvited strangers ransacking some of their homes? Added to this, Jack has taken to odd
nocturnal treks. The local sheriff releases hostility he has held against Mitch since high school
and something (nobody wants to call them UFOs) has just crashed into several surrounding lakes.
Can Mitch keep himself out of jail? Can Mitch figure out what the strange entities emerging from
the lake are and why? Can Mitch protect the beautiful life he and his wife Mabey worked so hard
to create? Finally, can Mitch help his eccentric neighbor save the residents of Outlaw River
before it's too late?
Critique: An original and impressively well written novel, "The Outlaw River Wilde" is a deftly
crafted and highly entertaining story by an author who will leave his readers looking eagerly
toward his next effort. "The Outlaw River Wilde" is an especially recommended addition to
community library General Fiction collections. for personal reading lists it should be noted that
"The Outlaw River Wilde" is also available in a Kindle edition ($0.99).
Malee: A Tear in the Ocean
William V. M. McAllister, III
Intrinsic Books
JKS Communications
9780986336508, $14.95, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Michael could not have known when he flew into Bangkok to launch a new company
that his life would change so dramatically. Working on million dollar negotiations during the day
and spending tropical nights accompanying his Thai-savvy business partner, Drake, through the
hotspots of the city, Michael felt a shift from the pain of his broken marriage to the exhilaration
of Thailand. Yielding to its stimulating allure, Michael and Drake jet off to the unspoiled island
of Koh Samui to enjoy its intoxicating escapes. There, Michael met the woman of his dreams,
and nothing could stop the sweeping romance from redefining their lives. Malee, a beautiful
young factory worker, was a standout amongst the hustlers as she crossed the room. As Michael
followed her every movement, fate played its hand -- an innocent touch sparked their passionate
love affair. Inseparable, Michael and Malee spent their days together exploring the riches of
Thailand and their nights embracing the magnitude of one another's desires. All was idyllic until
Michael had to fly to New York, an extended separation, the first of several to come, that
challenged their love and resolve... Spanning three continents, Michael and Malee's love is
woven through intertwining cultures, misunderstandings, and captivating desire.
A deftly written international romance novel, "Malee: A Tear in the Ocean" documents author
William V. M. McAllister, III as an impressively skillful storyteller of the first order. A solidly
entertaining read from beginning to end, "Malee: A Tear in the Ocean" is highly recommended
for community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Malee: A
Tear in the Ocean" is also available in a Kindle edition ($4.99).
Broken Vows
N. O. Carlson
Vinspire Publishing LLC
PO Box 1165, Ladson, SC 29456-1165
Word Slinger Publicity
9780990304241, $13.99, 280pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: One man's promise to God becomes his torment. When Fr. Dan, a charismatic priest
starts his first assignment at St. Francis, he helps to transform a tired, complacent parish into one
of renewed faith and hope. He's loved by the parishioners and knows he is following the right
path. Still, there is something missing from his life, something he can't place until a beautiful war
widow arrives from Alabama. Lucy captivates him and steals his heart. Though there's been a
hint from the Vatican for decades that someday priests will be allowed to marry, Fr. Dan doesn't
believe it will happen in his lifetime. So he's left with a painful choice. Does he choose to love
Lucy from afar or walk away from his commitment to God and the Catholic Church?
Critique: A deftly crafted novel of substantive complexity, "Broken Vows" reveals author N. O.
Carlson as an original and masterful storyteller of the first order. A compelling and all to human
drama, "Broken Vows" is one of those novels that will linger in the mind and memory long after
it is finished and placed back upon the shelf. Very highly recommended for community library
General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Broken Vows" is
also available in a Kindle edition ($2.99).
Schicksal
Merima Jackson
Balboa Press
c/o Hay House, Inc.
PO Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
www.balboapress.com
Bohlsen Group
9781452525532, $15.99, 210pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Reine is born during the chaos of World War I. She grows up in Germany unaware of
the political struggles that surround her family. It seems her life is orchestrated by a dark, unseen
hand. Repeatedly she struggles with tragedy and an insatiable need for love. In a Yugoslavian
town, Stefan is raised among Jews, Muslim, and Orthodox Serbs who happily coexist despite
their cultural differences. As he matures into adulthood, Stefan eagerly learns about the world
around him, driven by a natural curiosity. After Reine enters womanhood and becomes a nurse,
she lives a cautious life until a Nazi soldier captures her heart amid increasing unrest in the
world. Stefan, who is now an optimistic member of the Royal Yugoslav Army, soon finds
himself in the midst of an escalating war, his charmed life unraveling as the Germans march
almost unhindered into his homeland. As Reine and Stefan face heartache, uncertainty, and the
daunting task of rebuilding, each bravely moves forward through travail to rebuild their lives and
find a destiny that may just include each other.
Critique: An impressively well crafted novel by a master storyteller, "Schicksal" is a work of
fiction that is inspired by and based upon a true story of a Serbian soldier and a German nurse
during the dark days of World War II and the ravaging of Europe. An inherently fascinating read
from beginning to end, "Schicksal" is very highly recommended for community and academic
library Literary Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Schicksal"
is available in a Kindle edition ($3.99).
The Health/Medicine Shelf
Baby Bod: Turn Flab to Fab in 12 Weeks Flat!
Marianne Ryan, PT, OCS
Privately Published
www.BabyBodBook.com
www.MRPTny.com
9780989035101, $24.99, 380pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: With "Baby Bod: Turn Flab to Fab in 12 Weeks Flat!", licensed physical therapist
Marianne Ryan" draws upon her more than 30 years of experience and expertise to create a
do-it-yourself groundbreaking self-care program for pregnant and postpartum women, no matter
how long it has been since they have had their baby. "Baby Bod" will enable any woman to get
into the best shape for delivery and then get their sexy back on as a mom! "Baby Bod presents
self-care advice for: Diastasis Recti Mommy Tummy Urinary Leakage (incontinence) Pubic
Symphysis Dysfunction Constipation Pelvic Pain Pelvic Organ Prolapse This revolutionary
program will give any woman phenomenal results, even if it's been years since they had their last
child. It's the first program to bridge the gap between medical care and the special fitness needs
of women who are pregnant or who have given birth.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized, presented, informed and informative, "Baby
Bod: Turn Flab to Fab in 12 Weeks Flat!" is highly recommended for personal and community
library Women's Health instructional reference collections. Of special note is author and physical
therapist Marianne Ryan's popular blog on women's health at www.BabyBodBook.com.
Uprise
Sean M. Wheeler, MD
Privately Published
JKS Communications
9780692296493, $24.95, 209pp, www.bodyguitar.com
Synopsis: What if everything you think you know about chronic back pain were wrong? Despite
40 years of breakthroughs in medical science, patients suffering from chronic lower back pain do
not experience sustained improvement. When treatments fail, we must ask: what is
fundamentally wrong, and what needs to change? "Uprise" by Dr. Sean M. Wheeler shines a
spotlight on debilitating chronic back pain and asks the big question -- why aren't patients getting
better? The shocking answer is that your pain treatment is keeping you in pain. Drawing upon
more than a decade of specialized training, patient treatment and medical experience, sports
medicine and back pain expert Dr. Wheeler explores the relationship between pain, spinal
instability, muscle weakness and mobility keeping sufferers locked in a cycle of recurring pain.
"Uprise" offers a new understanding of the body as the finely tuned instrument it is - as not only
your body, but as your Body Guitar. "Uprise" introduces Tune Me, the new medical
"orchestration" for your Body Guitar, a disruptive innovation to achieve back pain liberation (to
achieve your Uprise) so those you love may again hear the unique, beautiful music your life is
intended to play.
Critique: Decidedly well written so as to be fully accessible to the non-specialist general reader
with an interest in the subject of successfully managing and even eliminating chronic lower back
pain, "Uprise: Back Pain Liberation By Tuning Your Body Guitar" is as informed and
informative as it is practical and immediately applicable. "Uprise" is very highly recommended
for personal, family, and academic library Health/Medicine reference collections and
supplemental studies reading lists.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
The Ifs Return
J. D. Pooker
Little Devil Books
5139 Maxon Terrace, Sanford, FL 32771
www.littledevilbooks.com
9780991153435, $16.95, 162pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: These are the worst words Broden could hear from his big brother Landon-just one day
after they battled alongside Slade's Ifs and his army of forest beasts. Sure, the brothers had
learned to work together to fight and capture the evil If Gage. But, now, Slade has informed them
that Gage has escaped! Fear and distrust have entered the boys' world. Why should they help
Slade if he can't keep control of his prisoners? Will they be able to fight against a familiar foe?
Plus, Landon has more news... "Gage has magic." What kind of magic? Will he use it against
them? As the boys are drawn into yet more adventure with the Ifs, they find out just how
powerful and dangerous their enemies are!
Critique: Exceptionally imaginative and extraordinarily well written, "The Ifs Return" by J. D.
Pooker is especially recommended for school and community library fantasy collections for
young readers ages 8 and older. For personal reading lists, it should be noted that "The Ifs
Return" is also available in a paperback edition (9780991153428, $9.95) and in a Kindle format
($2.99).
The Criminology Shelf
Fortney Road
Jeff C. Stevenson
Freethought House
PO Box 393, Farmington, MN 55024
www.freethoughthouse.com
9780988493827, $22.00, 308pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Fortney Road: Life, Death, and Deception in a Christian Cult" by writer,
photographer, film publicist and producer Jeff C. Stevenson is a disturbing account of calculated
mental, physical, and sexual abuse in an evangelical Christian cult. Drawing on seven years of
research including interviews with seventeen survivors, "Fortney Road" tells the story of the rise
and fall of the Church of the Risen Christ, its sadistic leader the Reverend Larry Hill, and its
outreach tool The All Saved Freak Band, one of the earliest religious rock groups borne out of
the Jesus Movement. Unfolding against the backdrop of the 1960s and early '70s, "Fortney Road"
is also the story of one brilliant musician who fell victim to a charismatic, cruel zealot. While
other cult leaders such as David Koresh and Jim Jones have become infamous, Larry Hill and his
followers on Fortney Road have flown largely under the radar-until now.
Critique, Enhanced with more than fifty photographs and images, "Fortney Road: Life, Death,
and Deception in a Christian Cult" is an inherently fascinating and fully informed read from
beginning to end. A heretofore untold story of religious fanaticism in the United States, "Fortney
Road" is strongly recommended for both community and academic library collections.
Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Fortney Road" is also available for
personal reading lists in a Kindle edition ($9.99).
The Biography Shelf
Yo Miz!
Elizabeth Rose
By Any Other Name Publishing
Smith Publicity
9780990439219, $19.99, 412pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Yo Miz!" is the seriously funny memoir of an unconventional "edu-tainer," who was
ejected from her home school and assigned to teach at twenty-five Manhattan public high schools
in the course of one outrageous year. "Yo Miz!" is also about the kids in her classroom. From el
barrio to Wall Street, they're all present and speaking in their own voices. "Yo Miz!" is a
remarkable and revealing odyssey through the largest public school system in the US.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Yo Miz!" is an inherently
fascinating and informative read -- and a substantial and valued contribution to the on-going
national dialogue about our public education schools and policies. Very highly recommended for
both community and academic library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists
that "Yo Miz!" is also available in a Kindle edition ($5.99).
Triumph of the Absurd
Uwe Siemon-Netto
NPR Books
http://www.1517legacy.com
9781945500008, $19.95, 254pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Almost half a century ago, Uwe Siemon-Netto was a young reporter from Germany
who arrived in still-glamorous Saigon to cover the Vietnam War over a period of five years.
"Triumph of the Absurd" is his memoir in which he now tells the story of how he fell in love
with the Vietnamese people. He praises the beauty, elegance and feistiness of their women. He
describes blood-curdling Communist atrocities and fierce combat scenes he had witnessed. He
introduces a striking array of characters: heroes, villains, statesmen and spooks, hilarious
eccentrics, street urchins and orphans herding water buffalos. He shows how professional
malpractice by U.S. media stars such as Walter Cronkite turned the military victory of American
and South Vietnamese forces during the 1968 Tet Offensive into a political defeat. He mourns
the countless innocent victims of the Communist conquest of South Vietnam, which was the
grim consequence of its abandonment by the United States. Thus, he argues, the wrong side won.
Finally, with the eyes on Afghanistan, he poses a harrowing question: Are democratic societies
with their proclivity for self-indulgence politically and psychologically equipped to win a
protracted war against a totalitarian foe?
Critique: Impressively well written, organized and presented, "Triumph of the Absurd" is an
inherently fascinating and highly informative read. "Triumph of the Absurd" is a valued and
strongly recommended addition to community and academic library 20th Century Biography and
Viet Nam War Military History collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that
"Triumph of the Absurd" is also available in a Kindle edition ($3.99).
Testimony Of The Protected
Doug Milliken
Xulon Press
2301 Lucien Way, Suite 415, Maitland, FL 32751
www.xulonpress.com
Candia Huddleston
9781498430487, $31.99, 236pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Joining the army seemed the farthest thing from Doug Milliken's mind, especially
with his childhood growing up as an Army brat. However, his draft into the Vietnam War, and
becoming an infantry squad leader in the Fourth Infantry Division, brought the army to him. His
autobiography, "Testimony of The Protected", comprises his military testimony and
memories of leading troops into notorious war zones such as Dak Payou Valley and Ho Chi
Minh Trail in Cambodia. Doug recounts with vivid detail the daily challenges his army
platoon endured as they faced death on the battlefield regularly, a band of brothers until the end.
Once discharged from war, he settled into a working and family life until depression triggered
from his war experiences caused unrest in his life. It wasn't until he yielded to the loving pursuit
of God for his heart that peace and hopefulness returned to him again.
Critique: Impressively well written, organized and presented, Doug Milliken's "Testimony Of
The Protected" is a valued addition to the growing body of Viet Name War histories, and very
highly recommended for person, community, and academic library Military History and
American Biography collections. It should be noted that "Testimony Of The Protected" is also
available in a paperback edition (9781498430470, $20.99) and in a Kindle format ($9.99).
Bishop McIlvaine, Slavery, Britain & the Civil War
Richard W. Smith
Xlibris Corporation
1663 South Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
www.xlibris.com
Bohlsen Group
9781479702909, $29.99, 328pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Bishop Charles P. McIlvaine was an important figure in nineteenth century America.
As one of the leading evangelicals in the Protestant Episcopal Church, the Ohioan became the
pivotal figure in the evangelical Episcopal-Anglican community. Famed as a preacher and
speaker, his books and pamphlets were read by trans-Atlantic audience. His endeavors in the
United Kingdom resulted in honorary degrees from Cambridge University and Oxford
University. Aware of his reputation in England, the Lincoln Administration sent him to Britain in
1861. Working with Thurlow Weed, he sought to swing middle and upper class opinion into a
pro-federal position. After six months abroad, his persuasive leadership induced the Federal
Episcopal Convention to support the union war effort, which included Lincoln's emancipation
policy. In this first biography of McIlvaine, biographer Richard W. Smith mined British and
American sources never before utilized. "Bishop McIlvaine, Slavery, Britain & the Civil War"
reveals the bishop's complex persona. A rich and, at times, sorrowful family saga unfolds. As a
reformer, he became an anti-slave advocate. This groundbreaking account develops the struggles
encountered and the significance of the informal mission for federal policies. The political
overtones in his friendship with the Prince of Wales are examined. Comfortable in any secular or
military environment, McIlvaine's other wartime activities enabled him to report to Lincoln when
necessary. In later years, he undertook length sojourns in England as he was busy with English
and European religious questions. Dying in Italy, he was honored in Britain and America.
Critique: Exceptionally well researched, organized and presented, "Bishop McIlvaine, Slavery,
Britain & the Civil War" is a seminal work of impressively informed and informative
scholarship. Also available in a paperback edition (978-1479702893, $19.99) and in a Kindle
format ($3.99), "Bishop McIlvaine, Slavery, Britain & the Civil War" is a strongly recommended
addition to community and academic library 19th Century American Biography and American
Civil War History reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
The Parenting Shelf
Family Changes: Explaining Divorce to Children
Azmaira H. Maker, author
Polona Lovsin, illustrator
Aspiring Families Press
http://aspiringfamilies.com
Smith Publicity
9780996194105, $14.95, 34pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Divorce is hard for young children to understand what the word means and how it will
impact their lives. It's up to the parents to explain divorce to their children in terms they can fully
comprehend. "Family Changes: Explaining Divorce to Children" by Azmaira H. Maker shows
how to accomplish that very difficult but necessary task. "Family Changes" is a an informative
children's book that tackles a complicated topic in compassionate, child-friendly terms. Ideal for
young minds aged four through eight, it features a colorful cast of fuzzy characters led by a
young bunny named Zoey, who is struggling with her parents' divorce and is riddled by important
questions and feelings your child is likely to encounter. In addition to the heartfelt story at its
core, "Family Changes" also offers parents, therapists, teachers, and caregivers valuable
information on how to ease children through this significant life change. A comprehensive note
to parents and a list of essential child-focused questions are provided to guide the adult and child,
and are certain to be an asset to both children and adults involved in the divorce/separation
process.
Critique: Exceptional, impressive, thoroughly 'kid friendly' from beginning to end, "Family
Changes: Explaining Divorce to Children" should be a part of ever community library Parenting
Studies collections. For families with young children who are having to deal with divorce,
"Family Changes: Explaining Divorce to Children" will prove to be an invaluable and instructive
aid.
Please Listen Up Parents
Cameron Colan, Grace Colan, Lexi Colan
CornerStone Leadership Institute
PO Box 764087, Dallas, TX 95376
www.cornerstoneleadership.com
Word Slinger Publicity
9780578155616, $14.95, 96pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: There is often something is missing in all the talk about parenting: the children's
perspective. Kids have something of value to contribute to the parenting conversation. Kids have
different perspectives from adults about a lot of things that affect the family, but they don't
always have the chance to share them with the adults in their lives. Kids know they are supposed
to listen to their parents and try their best -- even if we don t always succeed. That's where
"Please Listen Up Parents" can prove to be an instructively valuable and practical read.
Critique: Enhanced with the inclusion of a Foreword by Tom Ziglar, "Please Listen Up Parents"
is an informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking read. It should be noted that "Please Listen
Up Parents" is very highly recommended for personal, family, community library Parenting
Skills collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
The Christian Studies Shelf
A Fresh Look at Fear
Dan Baumann
YWAM Publishing
PO Box 55787, Seattle, WA 98155-0787
www.ywampublishing.com
Karen Campbell Media
9781576587928, $12.99, 128pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In this deeply personal and powerfully honest book, Dan Baumann helps us navigate
our own fears by detailing his own and exploring God's place in the most doubt-filled,
worrisome, and frightening areas of life. This book will challenge you to look at fear in a new
way and guide through the problems and confrontations of the modern world. in the author's
words, "Fear is real, but God is bigger, and His love is stronger. My story is a testament to that.
There is nothing in this world more beautiful or wonderful than God Himself, who invites us into
relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. There is no greater hope for our broken humanity
than that."
Critique: Impressively well written, organized and presented, "A Fresh Look at Fear:
Encountering Jesus in Our Weakness" is a thoughtful and thought-provoking read that is as
informed and informative as it is inspired and inspiring. Very highly recommended for church
and community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "A Fresh
Look at Fear: Encountering Jesus in Our Weakness" is also available in a Kindle edition
($9.99).
The Economic Studies Shelf
America is Not Broke
Scott Baker
Tayen Lane Publishing
2633 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94612
http://www.tayenlane.com
9780996174008, $29.99, 358pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "American Is Not Broke: Four Multi-Trillion Dollar Paths to A Thriving America by
Scott Baker belies the commonly held belief that the American economy is unsustainable, That
there is no money for social programs, no money to run the government, no money to cut taxes,
and above all, we have to cut spending on all domestic programs. But it is simply not true.
Instead of familiar complaints about the national debt, leading to just slicing a shrinking
economic pie differently, or worse, to Austerity Economics, the reality is that we already have all
the wealth we could ever need. The tried and proven proposals in "America Is Not Broke" would
guarantee America's prosperity, fairness, democracy, and economic and ecology on a sustainable
basis. "America is Not Broke" showcases four multi-trillion dollar reforms: Sovereign Money,
Georgism, Public Banking, and Ending Government Financial Asset Hoarding, plus a few other
major reforms that demonstrate just how we can have it all, if we only learn where to look.
Critique: Exceptionally well researched, written, organized, and iconoclastic, "America Is Not
Broke" by Scott Baker (Managing Editor/Economics Editor and writer for Op Ed News" is
impressively informed and informative. Very highly recommended for community and academic
library Economics reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists, "America Is Not
Broke" is ideal for the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the true workings of the
American economy. It should be noted that "America Is Not Broke" is also available in a
paperback edition (978-0996418430, $19.99) and in a Kindle format ($9.99).
America is Not Broke
Scott Baker
Tayen Lane
2633 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94612
9780996174008, $29.99, 356pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The unsustainability of the American economy is as familiar as the evening newscycle.
Conservative politicians and pundits cry that here is no money for social programs, no money to
run the government, no money to cut taxes, and above all, we have to cut, cut, cut. But that is
simply not true. Instead of familiar complaints about the national debt, leading to just slicing a
shrinking economic pie differently, or worse, to Austerity Economics, the reality is that we
already have all the wealth we could ever need. The tried and proven proposals in "America Is
Not Broke" would guarantee America's prosperity, fairness, democracy, and economic and
ecological sustainability. Four multi-trillion dollar reforms: Sovereign Money, Georgism, Public
Banking, and Ending Government Financial Asset Hoarding, plus a few other major reforms,
show how we can have it all, if we only learn where to look.
Critique: Exceptionally well researched, organized and presented, "America is Not Broke" is an
informative and iconoclastic read that is highly recommended for community and academic
library collections. Deftly written and fully accessible to the non-specialist general reader with an
interest in the economic issues that confront the United States today, "America is Not Broke" will
prove to be invaluable in countering the misinformation campaign from entrenched conservative
political propaganda.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
The Fatal Sin of Love
G. X. Chen
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
Victor Gulotta Communications
9781507526149, $11.50, 216pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In Beacon Hill, one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Boston, a wealthy widow
dies in her sleep, while in Cambridge, where academia meets high tech, a dog is slaughtered. One
death has seemingly no bearing on the other until the death in a remote Chinese village is
announced. Answering the call from a friend, amateur detectives Ann Lee and Fang Chen rush to
the ancient village, where the branches of a family tree stretch from China to New Zealand,
Australia, and the US, and where (to Ann's great chagrin) Fang Chen becomes obsessed with a
girl being pursued by a ruthless killer who will stop at nothing to sacrifice her in the name of
love. Will Fang Chen's untimely passion get in the way of his investigation and destroy his
partnership with Ann? Can the amateur sleuths outsmart the cunning and crafty killer?
Critique: Original, entertaining, and skillfully written, "The Fatal Sin of Love" is a terrific read
from beginning to end and very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense
collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Fatal Sin of Love" is also
available in a very inexpensive Kindle edition ($0.99).
Red Line
Brian Thiem
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
Kaye Publicity
9781629531946, $24.99, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: When a teenager from a wealthy suburb outside of Oakland, CA is dumped at an inner
city bus stop, homicide detective Matt Sinclair catches the case. It's his first since being bumped
to desk duty for a bust that went south... fast. With few leads and plenty of attention, it's the
worst kind of case to help him get back up to speed. And it only gets worse as the bodies start to
pile up--first at the same bus bench, then around the city. Sinclair is unable to link the victims to
each other, but the killer is just getting started and time is running out on Sinclair's career, not to
mention the people closest to him.
Critique: Brian Thiem is a veteran of the Oakland police department and, as an author, draws
upon his years of experience and expertise to deftly craft "Red Line", a compelling police
procedural mystery thriller. A compelling read from beginning to end, "Red Line" is very highly
recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. For personal reading lists it
should be noted that "Red Line" is also available in a paperback edition (9781629533735,
$14.99) and in an MP3 audio book format (Blackstone, 9781504644808, $29.95).
Sherlock Holmes: The London Terrors
William Meikle
Dark Renaissance Books
1000 Brooke Lane, Brookings, OR 97414
www.darkrenaissance.com
9781937128821, $19.95, 332pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Nicely augmented by full color illustrations by M. Wayne Miller, three brand new
Sherlock Holmes novellas comprise the pages of William Meikle's "Sherlock Holmes: The
London Terrors". In "The Hackney Horror", the best brains in the country are being hijacked
from London-only the brains!; the brutalized bodies discarded after surgery. Holmes and Watson
track the perpetrators to a factory in Scotland where they discover invaders with designs not just
on London, but the whole planet. Can Holmes stop the alien schemes in time?; In "The Long
Sleep", three businessmen discover a unique avenue to fame and fortune, but when an unseen
force begins to kill them, Holmes and Watson must uncover the secret of the sarcophagus from
Persia. Time is of the essence: something walks the streets of London, something bent on
revenge at having been woken from its long sleep.; In "The Lost Husband", a worried wife sends
Holmes and Watson into the bowels of the new underground to uncover a fiendish scheme-the
recently deceased are being forced work as slave labor in the tunnels. Soon the walking dead
come up into the city itself, spreading mayhem and disease. Holmes must find the perpetrator of
these atrocities, and stop him, before the plague engulfs London.
Critique: Masterfully written, extraordinarily entertaining, and in doing full justice to Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle's enormously popular detective, "Sherlock Holmes: The London Terrors" is a 'must
read' for the legions of Sherlock Holmes fans and is certain to be an enduringly popular addition
to community and academic library Literary Fiction collections.
The Business Shelf
Understanding and Negotiating 360 Ancillary Rights Deals
Kendall Minter Esq.
Nam Chi, LLC
5398 East Mountain Street, Stone Mountain, GA 30083
www.askmusiclawyer.com
Minter & Associates
9780996179003, $19.95, 98pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Understanding and Negotiating 360 Ancillary Rights" deals examines the new and
current music industry business model for record and multiple rights deals. The 360 or ancillary
rights deal, also known as multiple rights or passive income deals is the new and now standard
business model between the recording artist and music companies, which grants the company an
economic interest and sometimes controlling rights to the artist's non-record activities in the
entertainment industry, including touring, live appearances, merchandising, film, television, book
publishing deals, product endorsements, licensing, online fan clubs, website ads, live theater and
music publishing. "Understanding and Negotiating 360 Ancillary Rights Deals" covers: the
evolution of the 360 deal, the scope of rights covered, key points to negotiate in order to
minimize or reduce the flow of profits out of an artist's pocket. All major and most independent
record companies are now including 360 ancillary rights provisions in their new and mid-level
artist deals. Understanding the intricacies of these provisions and how to negotiate and navigate
them successfully is essential for any artist seeking to enter into a recording contract. The
information provided is also useful to independent labels, managers, entrepreneurs and music
business managers or lawyers who deal with artists. The economics underlying the ancillary
rights deals will impact an artist's or music company's financial bottom line and can make the
difference between maintaining a profitable career or business or barely breaking even.
Critique: Extraordinarily well written, organized and presented, "Understanding and Negotiating
360 Ancillary Rights Deals" is a comprehensive course of instruction that will prove invaluable
for recording artists and musicians when dealing with record companies, other professionals, and
corporate entities in order to establish the most financially beneficial relationships with respect to
their careers. A thoroughly 'user friendly' guide, "Understanding and Negotiating 360 Ancillary
Rights Deals" is very highly recommended for personal, professional, corporate, community, and
academic library instructional reference collections.
The Money/Finance Shelf
Realistic Retirement for Realistic People
Randolph M. Martin, CFP & Michael T. Martin, ChFC, CFS
Privately Published
Word Slinger Publicity
9780692296523, $19.95, 96pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Realistic Retirement for Realistic People: Look Before You Leap", is comprised of
simple and sensible suggestions for retirement planning. Thanks to the primer here provided by
Randolph M. Martin and Michael T. (Todd) Martin, and based on their combined sixty years of
experience in the field of financial planning, you'll gain the confidence you need to start asking
the right questions, and find the answers that are most appropriate for your individual
circumstances. The objective of "Realistic Retirement for Realistic People" is to help you get
what you want and need in retirement with what you have worked so hard to obtain over your
working life.
Critique: "Realistic Retirement for Realistic People" is exceptionally well written, organized and
presented, making it ideal for the nonspecialist general reader seeking to start or improve their
retirement journey to a sustainable and prosperous retirement. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' from
start to finish, "Realistic Retirement for Realistic People" is a quick and easy read, and would
prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Money Management and
Retirement Planning reference collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that
"Realistic Retirement for Realistic People" is also available in a paperback edition
(9780692365458, $15.95) and in a Kindle format ($12.95).
The Education Shelf
It Couldn't Have Been the Pay
Irving Rothstein
Rocin Publishing
P.O. Box 989, Vacaville, CA 95696
9780692450642, $14.00, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In 1963, Irving Rothstein was a 29-year-old office bureaucrat in Sacramento, a
paper-pusher bored out of his gourd. He called on an ad to work as a tutor and got his first lesson
on what to do with his life. "It Couldn't Have Been the Pay: A Life of Teaching and Learning in
Public Schools", collects his stories from more than 40 years of teaching, mostly in San
Francisco. He used storytelling and humor in the classroom to teach but also to help students
from all backgrounds learn about themselves and each other.
His career began in 1965 at Upward Bound when his teaching mentor at San Francisco State
needed a street-wise fast mouth who could break through to kids in the program. While teaching
at Woodrow Wilson in 1969, he was charged for inciting a riot at the high school championship
basketball game, then made the trial a lesson for students in his civics class. Rothstein taught at
Opportunity II, but was transferred before many of his students left for Jonestown, Guyana and
were lost in the tragedy there. Working in child care, he exchanged life lessons with children
while he taught them arts and crafts. He was invited to a Burmese rebel camp in 1991 during the
civil war to teach a storytelling workshop at a makeshift university. At Lowell High School,
Rothstein made storytelling an essential part of his curriculum. He retired there in 2002.
Over the years, students, parents, teachers and others have called him Calabash, Matai, Kool
Dude, and Monkey King, in addition to the names they called him behind his back. Rothstein's
stories are essential reading for teachers but also for anyone who works with diverse youth. "It
Couldn't Have Been the Pay" is an important reminder for everyone of how we really are all
connected.
Critique: An inherently well written and fascinating read, "It Couldn't Have Been the Pay: A Life
of Teaching and Learning in Public Schools" is a critically important memoir and should be a
part of every community and academic library Education Studies and Contemporary American
Biography collections. It is a refreshing personal antidote and an implied rebuke to the
denigration of teaching as a profession that has been an all too familiar stance taken by political
conservative, anti-intellectual elements of our state and national politics. As a reminder of the
importance teachers play (and the difficulties that being a teacher incurs) "It Couldn't Have Been
the Pay" is one of those extraordinary memoirs that will linger in the mind and memory long
after the book is finished and set back upon the shelf.
Wrightslaw: All About Tests and Assessments
Melissa Lee Farrall, et al.
Harbor House Law Press
17456 General Puller highway, Deltaville, VA 23043
9781892320230, $14.95, 200pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Comprehensive and "reader friendly' "Wrightslaw: All About Tests and Assessments"
offers clear, concise answers to frequently asked questions about psychological, academic, and
neuropsychological tests and what these tests measure; selecting evaluators; how to request a
special education evaluation and how to provide parental consent; speech-language, physical and
occupational therapy, processing, adaptive behavior, and functional behavior assessments; test
terms and the important realities about tests and assessment; and how small differences between
tests can result in large differences in scores. "Wrightslaw: All About Tests and Assessments"
demystifies the assessment process and make it less intimidating.
When a child has a disability, parents and caregivers need accurate information about the child's
strengths, weaknesses, and needs before making decisions about his or her education.
"Wrightslaw: All About Tests and Assessments" provides the information needed to understand
tests and assessments that have been completed on your child.
"Wrightslaw: All about Tests and Assessments is" illustrated, two color, and includes tests and
skills checklists, and recommended resources. Included is a comprehensive master table of tests
with test name, author, publisher, publisher website, age range, test type, as well as a glossary of
assessment terms, a table of questions, and an index.
Critique: An absolutely indispensable instruction manual that is impressively clear and accessible
for the non-specialist general reader needed to understand the why, how, and what of all manner
of disability testing that can arise from a child's learning disability. Extraordinarily well written,
organized and presented, "Wrightslaw: All About Tests and Assessments" should be a core
addition to school, community, college, and university library collections, as well as the reading
lists for all parents and caregivers of a learning disability child of any and all ages.
The Military Shelf
The Last to Fall
Richard D. L. Fulton & James Rada, Jr.
Legacy Publishing
315 Oak Lane, Gettysburg, PA 17315
9780692413425, $24.95, 178pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The 1863 Battle of Gettysburg resulted in horrific slaughter that ultimately ended the
Confederate invasion of Pennsylvania. But after the Allied victory of World War I in 1918,
people began to wonder what if some of the post-world war military technology had been
available to the armies during the American Civil War? The marine officers who were debating
these questions had the capability to test their theories. The purpose and results were supposed to
be safe. The exercises and associated reenactments were meant to merely serve as being training
maneuvers, along with strikingly realistic, horrific battle, by substituting their "modern-day"
military equipment for that which had been used during the Civil War. On June 19, 1922, more
than 5,000 marines left Quantico, heading north to the battlefield of Gettysburg. They would
reach the battlefield on June 26, but their arrival would be marred by the sudden, tragic deaths of
two of their numbers, when a de Havilland fighter would crash, resulting in the plane's pilot and
observer being the last U.S. soldiers killed in the line of duty on the Gettysburg battlefield. But
even as a pall, following in the wake of the deaths, descended upon the encampment established
on the Codori Farm, the marine mission had to proceed as planned. For ten days, battle would
rage once again on the fields and ridges where thousands had perished 59 years prior -- climaxing
on July 4 when the marines would fight the Battle of Gettysburg... with "modern" weapons and
tactics. Includes more than 155 photos (some of which have never before been published), maps,
and illustrations to help recreate this historic march for the reader.
Critique: Original, unique, profusely illustrated throughout, exceptionally well researched,
informed, informative, and a bit iconoclastic, "The Last to Fall: The 1922 March, Battles, &
Deaths of U.S. Marines at Gettysburg" will prove to be of enormous interest to military buffs and
historians. "The Last to Fall" is very highly recommended for both community and academic
library Military Science collections.
The Travel Shelf
Cruising with Kate: A Parvenu in Xanadu
Bernard F. Connors
British American Publishing
19 British American Boulevard, Latham, NY 12110
http://www.britamerican.com
Kelly & Hall Book Publicity
9780945167570, $29.95, 368pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Cruising with Kate: A Parvenu in Xanadu" is the story of Bernard and "Cool Kate,"
his unflappable wife, on a memorable trip behind the scenes at diverse places such as corporate
boardrooms, The Paris Review, and the FBI, with jaunts to Hollywood and the Hamptons and
points in between. Watch for the bold-faced names as you rove through Manhattan, from the
staid and proper 21 Club to dining with the stars at Elaine's. "Cruising with Kate" is replete with
revelations about the high and mighty along the way.
Critique: Exceptionally well written and deftly crafted, "Cruising with Kate: A Parvenu in
Xanadu" documents author Bernard F. Connors as a first rate storyteller able to hold his readers
rapt attention from beginning to end. Certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community
library collections, "Cruising with Kate" is very highly recommended for personal reading
lists.
The Poetry Shelf
Dreams Rewritten
Bill Yates
Goldminds Publishing
1050 Glenbrook Way, Suite 480, Hendersonville, TN 37075
www.goldmindspub.com
9781942905158, $14.99, 188pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Dreams Rewritten" is an eclectic collection of poetry that Bill Yates has written
across the years, ranging from the perspective of a young college student, to that of a husband
and family man, and ultimately a mature and aging adult. Yates employs a range of poetic
techniques from simple, descriptive poems to an experimental, highly creative voice.
Critique: An inherently fascinating tour-de-force, the poetry of Bill Yates are deftly crafted
images that linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself has been finished and set
back upon the shelf. Indeed, the caliber of Yates' verse will draw his reader back to the pages of
"Dreams Rewritten' again and again and again. Very highly recommended for community and
academic library Contemporary American Poetry collections, it should be noted for personal
reading lists that "Dreams Rewritten" is also available in a Kindle edition ($6.99).
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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