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Reviewer's Choice
Truth: What It Is, How to Find It, and Why
Michael Shermer
The Johns Hopkins University Press
www.press.jhu.edu
9781421453729, $32.95, HC, 384pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Truth-What-Find-Still-Matters/dp/142145372X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/truth-michael-shermer/1147834129
Synopsis: "Fake news." "Alternative facts." "Post-truth." Misinformation is everywhere, sparking public confusion and polarization.
With the publication of "Truth: What It Is, How to Find It, and Why It Still Matters" author Michael Shermer cuts through the noise to argue that not only does truth still matter -- but also that it's essential to our individual and collective flourishing. "Truth" is a sharp-sighted and accessible study that provides a framework for thinking more clearly in an age clouded by doubt and distortion.
In the pages of "Truth", Shermer, (who is also the author of "Conspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational"), explores why truth deserves our attention, how falsehoods take hold in the public's imagination, and how we can resist manipulation through reason, evidence, and open inquiry.
"Truth" introduces powerful tools for evaluating claims, including the concepts of causality, correlation, and Bayesian reasoning. Beyond these abstract ideas, Shermer also examines how we determine truth in specific domains (such as science, history, and religion) and brings clarity to hot-button topics like UFOs, conspiracy theories, miracles, mystical experiences, consciousness, morality, God, and even existence.
With his trademark wit and intellectual rigor, Shermer also reveals how even the most intelligent among us fall prey to such pitfalls as "myside bias" and motivated reasoning and how a commitment to universal realism can help push back against tribalism and misinformation.
"Truth" offers a timely antidote to cynicism and confusion. It emphasizes critical thinking and urges readers to rebuild the intellectual foundations of a functioning democracy by embracing the pursuit of truth, however complex or inconvenient it may be.
Critique: Exceptional, iconoclastic, timely, thought-provoking, and a simply fascinating and intellectually engaging read from start to finish, "Truth: What It Is, How to Find It, and Why It Still Matters" by Michael Shermer is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Epistemology, Psychology, Ethics, and Political Science collections and supplemental curriculum studies collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Truth: What It Is, How to Find It, and Why It Still Matters" from Johns Hopkins Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $27.49) for students, academia, social reformers, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subjects of dealing with social philosophy, misinformation, disinformation, bias, and lies from both contemporary and historical sources. "Truth: What It Is, How to Find It, and Why It Still Matters" is also available as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing, 9798228845312, $35.95, CD).
Editorial Note: Michael Shermer is the Founding Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Skeptic magazine (www.skeptic.com) and the Director of The Skeptics Society. He is a Visiting Associate at the California Institute of Technology, and hosts the Skeptics Lecture Series at Cal Tech. He has authored several popular books on science, scientific history, and philosophy.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
Dust and Light: On the Art of Fact in Fiction
Andrea Barrett
W. W. Norton & Company
www.wwnorton.com
9781324123491, $17.99, PB, 208pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Dust-Light-Art-Fact-Fiction/dp/1324123494
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dust-and-light-andrea-barrett/1145603420
Synopsis: Winner of the MacArthur Fellowship, the celebrated novelist Andrea Barrett has for decades reached backward to find inspiration from the past and written acclaimed and prizewinning works of historical fiction. With the publication of "Dust and Light: On the Art of Fact in Fiction" (the first work of nonfiction of her extraordinary career), Barrett draws from that deep well of experience to explore the mysteries, methods, and delights of the fiction format.
Inspiration found in the past, she argues, can illuminate fiction, just as dust scatters light and makes the unseen visible. Barrett writes of lessons gleaned from the classic work of some of her guiding lights (Willa Cather, Henry James, Leo Tolstoy, Virginia Woolf), as well as the work of such contemporary masters as Hilary Mantel, Toni Morrison, Colm Toibin, and Jesmyn Ward.
She also reveals how she created some of her own beloved works, taking readers on a fascinating journey into some of the largest questions in the genre: How does a writer find meaningful subject matter beyond the confines of their life? How are scraps of history found, used, misused, manipulated, and transformed into a fully formed narrative? And what are the perils as well as the potential of this process?
Building on pieces originally published in leading literary magazines and featured in The Best American Essays, "Dust and Light" is an elegant exploration of the hazy borderlands of fiction sewn from the materials of history. Filled with profound insights, "Dust and Light" will be a delight for any devoted fiction readers, and of great use to aspiring writers too.
Critique: A simply fascinating, insightful, and informative read from start to finish, "Dust and Light: On the Art of Fact in Fiction" by Andrea Barrett is an extraordinary and extended treatise that will be of immense value to readers and authors with an interest in reading and writing contemporary literary fiction. Originally published in hardcover (9781324036500, $26.99), this new paperback edition of "Dust and Light: On the Art of Fact in Fiction" from W.W. Norton is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library collections. It should also be noted that "Dust and Light: On the Art of Fact in Fiction" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Andrea Barrett (https://www.andrea-barrett.com) is the author of the National Book Award - winning Ship Fever and the Pulitzer Prize finalist Servants of the Map, among other works of fiction. The recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and a Guggenheim Award, she currently lives in the Adirondacks.
The AI Studies Shelf
Leading Enterprise AI Programs: Optimize AI Teams for Value Creation
Patrick Bangert
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398623217, $69.00, HC, 264pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Leading-Enterprise-AI-Programs-Optimize/dp/1398623210
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/leading-enterprise-ai-programs-patrick-bangert/1147379509
Synopsis: Simply stated, "Leading Enterprise AI Programs: Optimize AI Teams for Value Creation" by Patrick Bangert is an essential guide to establishing and directing an agile, ethical and business-focused AI strategy and program for the whole enterprise.
"Leading Enterprise AI Programs" provides leaders with guidance on operating a portfolio of use cases delivering effective and lasting business value. "Leading Enterprise AI Programs" shows how to set up the best operating model for an organization's goals and targets, find and prioritize the right use cases for the business, and build a community of citizen data scientists.
"Leading Enterprise AI Programs" fully explains how AI can drive business success through focusing on users and interfaces, with clarity on the challenges to be solved as the primary drivers of value.
"Leading Enterprise AI Programs" provides practical frameworks and actionable advice to help leaders set up a program and project portfolio, assess costs and benefits and embed AI into an organization's value generation ecosystem. With real-world examples, helps leaders steer an enterprise AI team to lasting success.
Critique: The perfect introduction for how AI is relevant to engineering project management, artificial intelligence expert systems, and business project management, "Leading Enterprise AI Programs: Optimize AI Teams for Value Creation" by Patrick Bangert is impressively well written, and exceptionally well organized and presented. In an ideal and comprehensive DIY textbook study of an increasing important (and sometimes controversial) study of the role of AI in corporate management and entrpreneurial enterprises, "Leading Enterprise AI Programs: Optimize AI Teams for Value Creation" is a solid and recommended pick for personal, professional, community, business school, and community library Business Management collections and supplemental AI and MBA curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for MBA students, academia, corporate management, entrepreneurs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the growing role and impact of Artificial Intelligence that this hardcover edition of "Leading Enterprise AI Programs: Optimize AI Teams for Value Creation" from Kogan Page is also available in paperback (9781398623194, $42.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $38.94).
Editorial Note: Patrick Bangert is an experienced technology executive who has led AI and machine learning teams and programs for over two decades. He was named a Top 10 Influential Leader in AI and Big Data by CIOLook Magazine and is currently VP and Chief of AI at Occidental Petroleum. He was previously the SVP of AI for Samsung SDS, the founder of algorithmica technologies and the SVP of Data, Analytics, AI at Searce. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6107818.Patrick_Bangert)
The Cookbook Shelf
Ja-Purr-Nese: Adorable Cat-shaped Recipes from Sushi to Soup
Laure Kie
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781846016677, $16.99, HC, 112pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Ja-Purr-Nese-Adorable-Cat-shaped-Recipes-Sushi/dp/1846016673
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ja-purr-nese-laure-kie/1148747376
Synopsis: Japanese food and Japanese culture has enjoyed an increasing popularity over the last few years, from the rise in restaurants around the globe, to the publication of bestselling cookbooks. A compendium of Japanese themed and inspired recipes, each of which is shaped like a cat, "Ja-Purr-Nese: Adorable Cat-shaped Recipes from Sushi to Soup" is collection of delicious DIY recipes that range from the savory (sushi, onigiri, gyoza and spring rolls) to the sweet (daifuku mochi, dango, matcha latte).
This collection of cat-themed Japanese recipes is the 'kawaii' trend adapted to cooking with recipes the include:
Bento boxes
Sushi
Tonkatsu burger
Kare rice
Inari-sushi
Dango
Donuts
Critique: Unique, authentic, profusely illustrated, thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and presentation, "Ja-Purr-Nese: Adorable Cat-shaped Recipes from Sushi to Soup" is a fun and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Ja-Purr-Nese: Adorable Cat-shaped Recipes from Sushi to Soup" from Mitchell Beazley is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).
Editorial Note: A renowned author of Japanese cookery, a listing of books by Laure Kie is available online at: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3262182.Laure_Ki_
Loaf Tin Bakes: Easy Cakes for Every Occasion
Flavie Millet-Joannon
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9780600639626, $26.99, HC, 192pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Loaf-Tin-Bakes-Cakes-Occasion/dp/0600639622
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/loaf-tin-bakes-flavie-millet-joannon/1147687192
Synopsis: It's time to go beyond banana bread with "Loaf Tin Bakes: Easy Cakes for Every Occasion" by Flavie Millet-Joannon offers a new and easy way to make delicious bakes in just one tin!
"Loaf Tin Bakes" is a compendium of more than 50 recipes for cakes that can be made in a loaf tin. The recipes are divided into thematic chapters including Classics, Nuts, Chocolate, Fruits, Marbled, Patisserie, Botanicals and more.
"Loaf Tin Bakes" is specifically designed to appeal to beginner bakers with easy methods and minimal equipment, with delicious and creative ideas for the simplest piece of baking equipment -- the loaf tin!
The delicious and creative recipes comprising "Loaf Tin Bakes" ranges from Chilli and Chocolate, Mocca, and Salted Caramel, to Choco-Pistachio, Vanilla with a Hint of Rum, and Sicilian Pistachio.
All the cake recipes featured in "Loaf Tin Bakes" use a single tin -- and one tin baking is hugely popular for its ease and simplicity. They are also small enough to fit in your air fryer draw. Loaf tin bakes are the perfect way to whip up a delicious sweet bakery treat with no fuss.
Critique: Beautifully illustrated with a full color photography of finished cakes, "Loaf Tin Bakes: Easy Cakes for Every Occasion" by Flavie Millet-Joannon fully lives up to the promise of its title and is a fun resource for choosing a cake suitable for any dining occasion, formal or informal. From Birthdays to Banquets, there is a palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, memorable and 'kitchen cook friendly' cake recipes that is quick, easy, and budget friendly. While this hardcover edition of "Loaf Tin Bakes" from Hamlyn is an unreservedly recommended acquisition choice for personal, professional, and community library Cake Baking & Gluten Free cookbook collections, it should be noted that "Load Tin Bakes" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).
Editorial Note: Flavie Millet-Joannon (https://www.iletaitungateau.com/en/autrice) is the creator of the blog and Instagram account @Iletaitungateau, where she shares her recipes and top baking tips.
Drizzle: Olive-oil-infused Recipes from Across the Mediterranean
Sarah Fulton Vachon
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781846016196, $32.99, HC, 192pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Drizzle-Olive-oil-infused-recipes-across-Mediterranean/dp/1846016193
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/drizzle-sarah-fulton-vachon/1148257576
Synopsis: One of the foods of the Greek gods (and a sun-soaked superfood for today's gourmets), extra-virgin olive oil represents a delicious embarrassment of riches, poised to elevate every single meal, from Tuscan beans on garlic toast to olive oil on ice cream.
"Drizzle: Olive-oil-infused Recipes from Across the Mediterranean" by Sarah Fulton Vachon is the first book from one of the fastest growing premium olive oil brands, Citizen of Soil. it is a compendium of carefully curated collection of olive-oil drenched recipes from olive groves right across the Mediterranean.
In the beautifully illustrated pages of "Drizzle", Olive oil sommelier and Citizens of Soil founder Sarah Fulton Vachon explains all the glories of the golden liquid: how to taste, how to cook with it, and how it changes the way we eat, from our skin to our heart to our microbiome. Olive oil tasting is followed by recipes organized by occasion, including mid-morning breaks, tapas, long Sunday meals, aperitivo with friends and family suppers, all focused on the enduring dining culture of the Mediterranean.
Critique: "Drizzle: Olive-oil-infused Recipes from Across the Mediterranean" is beautifully presented and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' collection of extraordinary recipes offering palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, healthy eating dishes that range from Maria's Moussaka; Pasta con le sarde; Chocolate and extra virgin olive oil on toast; and Greek Honey Cookies, to Black-Eyed Bean Soup (Soupa Louvana); Cretan Daos; Tassos's Aubergine Bake; Green Gazpacho; and Asparagus with burrata & Gremolata. Authentic, inspiring, and an ideal resource for planning memorable meals with, "Drizzle" is a welcome and exceptional pick for personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Drizzle" from Mitchell Beazley is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: Sarah Fulton Vachon is an olive oil sommelier and founder of Citizens of Soil, the Olive Oil Club and refill brand with award-winning extra virgin olive oils from regenerative farmers. She has spent her career working with food and drink brands and regularly delivers olive oil masterclasses to the likes of Fortnum and Mason and Tim Spector's Zoe team. She's made the Telegraph + NatWest "Top 100 Female Entrepreneurs to Watch" and is a member of Women in Olive Oil, a global network which empowers education and advancement of women in the industry she loves.
The Biography/Memoir Shelf
Passion and Power: A Life in Three Worlds
Harriet Newman Cohen
Bloomsbury Academic
c/o Bloomsbury Publishing
www.bloomsbury.com
9798765164679, $38.00, HC, 280pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Passion-Power-Life-Three-Worlds/dp/B0F7H154N4
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/passion-and-power-harriet-newman-cohen/1147446255
Synopsis: "Passion and Power: A Life in Three Worlds" is the memoir of Harriet Newman Cohen, one of the nation's most celebrated divorce attorneys, as she navigated the male-dominated legal world from the 1970s to today.
This sweeping narrative details Harriet's journey through three worlds: raising a family at a time when men held all the power, graduating from law school on the cusp of the "divorce revolution", and re-fighting old battles over women's rights in today's time of reaction of retrenchment.
The frankness with which Harriet relates her own experience is matched by equally candid insights into how a legal system that often rewards bad behavior and irrational decision-making shapes the culture at large and impacts those trying to navigate their way towards a better life.
Writing with candor and humor, Harriet describes her encounters with celebrities, mentors, notable judges, allies, and adversaries. She examines many cases but describes three in almost novelistic detail, all drawn from her own practice-including her pivotal role in the "Case of a Lifetime", the focus of the three-part documentary HBO series Nuclear Family (2021).
Harriet is equally honest about the business side of the law in terms of the financial cost and psychological burden these proceedings impose on families and the sometimes heartbreaking collateral damage.
"Passion and Power" illuminates both a singular life and the legal and social revolution that changed, in fundamental ways, the sexual, financial, and cultural norms governing the most intimate relations between men and women.
Critique: Impressively informative, candidly honest, deeply personal but with a universal resonance, and a simply fascinating read from start to finish, "Passion and Power: A Life in Three Worlds" will hold a very special appeal to readers with an interest in the American legal profession and the biographically based history of one of it's pioneering female lawyers. While a uniquely prized pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Passion and Power" from Bloomsbury Academic is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.81).
Editorial Note: Harriet Newman Cohen is a founding partner of Cohen Stine Kapoor LLP, a matrimonial and family law practice and has been practicing law since 1974. (https://www.csklawny.com/harriet-newman-cohen)
The Soulmate Strategy
Corey Seemiller
https://www.coreyseemiller.com
She Writes Press
www.shewritespress.com
9798896360681, $17.99, PB, 392pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Soulmate-Strategy-Imperfect-Conquer-Heartbreak/dp/B0FD8S2S4L
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-soulmate-strategy-corey-seemiller/1147633533
Synopsis: Days after Corey Seemiller's breakup, a photo of her ex wrapped in the arms of another woman goes viral on Facebook. Confronted with this gleeful boast about "happily ever after" Corey (a forty-something lesbian), decides that she can't live in a state of perpetual loneliness, plagued with the burden of her own failure in finding happiness and love.
Armed with her meticulously crafted checklist, Corey embarks on a mission to heal, move on, and find "the one". But no matter how many items she checks off her list or how faithfully she follows the sage wisdom of psychics, her breakup coach, and the legendary rapper Eminem, her hope in finding her one true love begins to fade away -- until she's suddenly torn between two.
Now, with her heart unexpectedly on the line, Corey must find out what she really wants -- and where her true happiness lies.
Critique: What reads like a dramatic work of LGBTQ+ romantic fiction, "The Soulmate Strategy: My Imperfect Plan to Conquer Heartbreak and Find True Love" is actually the personal memoir of Corey Seemiller -- her life, her experiences, her quest for love. An impressively candid, articulately presented, and simply fascinating life story that will hold a very special appeal to readers with an interest in LGBTQ+ contemporary biographies and memoirs, "The Soulmate Strategy is both intensely personal and yet has a universal resonance for anyone struggling with a midlife crisis of the heart -- straight or gay.
Editorial Note: Corey Seemiller (https://www.coreyseemiller.com) is an award-winning professor of leadership and global generational expert. She has authored several books and articles and speaks at events around the world. Her work has been featured in major news publications and media outlets such as NPR, The New York Times, Time Magazine, and Newsweek, and her highly popular TED Talk has garnered hundreds of thousands of views. An accredited life coach with specialties in Law of Attraction and intuitive development, Corey also co-hosts the Rock That Relationship! podcast, discussing debacles and successes with breakups, healing processes, dating, and relationships.
Coming Alive on the Ride
Michael Yang
https://www.michaelyang.com
Greenleaf Book Group Press
www.greenleafbookgroup.com
9798886454611, $29.95, HC, 316pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Coming-Alive-Ride-Motorcycle-Self-Discovery/dp/B0FZMQLBBS
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/coming-alive-on-the-ride-michael-yang/1148696715
Synopsis: When Michael Yang bought his first motorcycle, he was a teenager who'd just moved to America. He knew little English and had few friends. Still, whenever he rode that green Yamaha, he felt more in touch with life's possibilities. The bike was stolen a few months later, but Yang never forgot the feeling.
It wasn't until later in life that Yang got back on a motorcycle. By then, he'd settled into Silicon Valley amidst the technology revolution; and founded, scaled, and sold a half-billion-dollar tech startup. Then, during the upheaval of the dot-com bubble burst and a few failed attempts to get new companies off the ground, Yang felt a strong pull to re-engage with himself. Sensing that this midlife crisis was an opportunity to do something fun and exciting, he revved up his bike and began riding into unfamiliar landscapes.
Covering more than 40,000 miles of his travels, from California's coast to the upper reaches of Alaska, Canada's far eastern edge, and more, "Coming Alive on the Ride: A Memoir of Motorcycle Travel, Self-Discovery, and Korean Heritage" is Yang's personal account of his ride.
One thing about long motorcycle trips is that there's a lot of time to think. Yang describes the unique bliss of watching the miles pass beneath two wheels as he relives moments from his past -- growing up in Korea during the turbulent years after the Korean War, and moving to America as a fourteen-year-old -- all the while taking in North America's astounding scenery, from the stillness of the desert to heart-racing glimpses of a bison herds and grand mountain ranges.
Somewhere along the way, it happens: Past experiences and future aspirations converge into a present discovery. "Coming Alive on the Ride" is inspiring memoir and a reminder that, if we slow down and tune in our senses, adventure inspires and instructs the way nothing else can.
Critique: An exceptionally well written and inherently fascinating memoir that is intensely personal but with a universal resonance, "Coming Alive on the Ride: A Memoir of Motorcycle Travel, Self-Discovery, and Korean Heritage" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Coming Alive on the Ride" from the Greenleaf Book Group is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Michael Yang (https://www.michaelyang.com) is a Korean American author, entrepreneur, investor, and adventure motorcycle traveler. He was born in Seoul, South Korea, in 1961, and immigrated to San Jose, California, at 14. He founded a Silicon Valley tech startup, which was successfully acquired by a large corporation. In his sixties, Michael began embarking on epic motorcycle journeys across North and South America. He's ridden from Los Angeles to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, on the Arctic Ocean; across North America to Newfoundland, Canada; and in South America's Patagonia region from Osorno, Chile, to Ushuaia, Argentina. Riding through vast landscapes, Michael rediscovered values that shaped his life: perseverance, humility, gratitude, and an abiding sense of wonder.
The General Fiction Shelf
Little Miss Petty
Sally Kilpatrick
www.sallykilpatrick.com
Montlake
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662532474, $12.99, PB, 317pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Little-Miss-Petty-Sally-Kilpatrick/dp/1662532474
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/little-miss-petty-sally-kilpatrick/1146612355
Synopsis: When Stella Stark discovers that her boyfriend is cheating, she also discovers that thirty-nine isn't too old for petty revenge. Can we say... glitter bomb? She's lost both her job and her home -- so why not broaden her professional horizons as Little Miss Petty, helping wronged women achieve karmic justice? Frankly, the demand is too great to ignore.
New friends rally around her: Havisham, a bar owner with a soft spot under her gruff exterior, and Salcedo, a college student with marketing savvy. There's just one hiccup: Getting revenge on the cheating soon-to-be ex-husband of her best-paying client is supposed to be easy. After all, he's her neighbor. But something isn't adding up.
Malone is not only intriguingly handsome. He's also a good listener, sympathetic, and adores kittens. He may look like the ex, but he isn't acting like him. And how can Stella, a woman on the rebound, be even remotely tempted by the pizza-with-benefits relationship he suggests? That would be so bad for business!
Critique: A 'must' for every reader who has ever contemplating a punking retribution to someone who has done them wrong (especially dumped them unfairly), "Little Miss Petty" is a fun and original read from start to finish. Showcasing author Sally Kilpatrick's remarkable flair for the kind of humor laced storytelling that makes her characters come alive in a kind of theatre of the mind experience for her readers, "Little Miss Petty" is an especially, unreservedly, and unique addition to personal reading lists and community library Contemporary General Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Sally Kilpatrick (www.sallykilpatrick.com) is the author of eight novels and counting, including Nobody's Perfect and The Happy Hour Choir. She has won multiple awards, including the 2018 and 2019 Georgia Author of the Year.
Ways to Find Yourself
Angela Brown
www.angelabrownbooks.com
Little A
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662533679, $28.99, HC, 315pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Ways-Find-Yourself-Angela-Brown/dp/1662533675
Synopsis: Grace Whittaker's life is coming apart. In the wake of her mother's death, a stalled writing career, and a slow-motion separation from her husband, Grace is more directionless than ever. But when she returns to Sea Drift, the beach town where she and her mother summered for years, Grace's life comes together in the most unexpected ways.
Soon after arriving on the picturesque coastline that meant so much to her, Grace discovers more than she remembers, and for reasons she can't possibly fathom. Amid the weathered surf shops, pastel motels, and sloping beaches, Grace begins to encounter younger versions of herself. Each one is vivid, alive, and breathtakingly real.
As she navigates this most surreal week (reconnecting with old friends, trying to solve a quiet mystery about her mother, and revisiting a love she left behind) Grace is forced to remember who she used to be. It's the only way she can figure out who she can still become.
Critique: An original, imaginative, and deftly crafted novel showcasing the remarkable and engaging narrative storytelling style of novelist Angela Brown, "Ways To Find Yourself" will hold a special appeal for readers with an interest in women's stories of self-discovery and recovery -- all with a little touch of magical realism and taking place against the background of a small town and with an memorable cast of characters. While a highly recommended pick for community library Contemporary American Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Ways To Find Yourself" from Little A is also available in paperback (9781662533662, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: Angela Brown (www.angelabrownbooks.com) is also the author of Some Other Time and Olivia Strauss Is Running Out of Time. In addition to her novels, Angela's writing has appeared in The New York Times, Real Simple, and other publications. She holds an MFA from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Kiss, Marry, Kill
Lori Gold
Park Row Books
http://www.parkrowbooks.com
c/o HarperCollins
https://www.harpercollins.com
9780778305781, $18.99, PB, 400pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Kiss-Marry-Kill-Lori-Gold/dp/0778305783
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kiss-marry-kill-lori-gold/1147299098
Synopsis: When three best friends and founders of a health and wellness app on the verge of hitting the big time play a spin on the game of "kiss, marry, kill" at their company's summer outing, they wake up the next morning in an alternate universe to discover they've each done just that.
Kiss: In the "real world," quiet, indecisive Aubrey is heartbroken over things ending with her fiance. In the new reality ushered in by the game, Aubrey finds herself in bed, naked, next to their company's newly hired graphic designer.
Marry: Practical, straight-laced Ilena, on the brink of a divorce following a stressful struggle with infertility, wakes up six months pregnant and married to their company's general counsel.
Kill: Mallory's philosophy is to ask neither forgiveness nor permission. Yet the reckless behavior of their biggest investor crosses lines even Mallory didn't know she had. Especially since she's been secretly sleeping with him for the past year. She's mad enough to kill. But in this world, he's already dead.
Told alternately from the perspectives of these three best friends, this Sliding Doors-esque story explores the nuances of ambition, the power of female friendship, and the many facets of love in our lives, ultimately asking: Do our choices define us, or do we define our choices?
Critique: A perfect blending of mystery, suspense, and 'alternate universe' style science fiction, "Kiss, Marry, Kill" by Lori Gold is authentically original, deftly scripted, and a thoroughly fun read from cover to cover. Certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular pick for personal reading lists and community library fiction collections, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "Kiss, Marry, Kill" from Park Row Books (and imprint of Harper Collins) is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Lori Gold (www.fantasticfiction.com/g/lori-gold) is the author of "Romantic Friction". She is also the author of an adult historical and four novels for young adults (all under Lori Goldstein). She currently lives outside of Boston, where she fosters a writing community through her creative writing classes, book coaching, and writing retreats.
The Historical Fiction Shelf
The Unforgettable Mailman
April Howells
https://aprilhowells.com
Alcove Press
www.alcovepress.com
9798892425254, $29.99, HC, 336pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Unforgettable-Mailman-Novel-April-Howells/dp/B0FJDSYS2B
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-unforgettable-mailman-april-howells/1147870456
Synopsis: 1966, Chicago. Backlogged with millions of undelivered letters, the post office announces a temporary closure. But eighty-one-year-old Henry Walton can't stand idly by when there's mail waiting to be delivered. He believes letters are what keep people connected, and he's not about to let them get lost in the chaos.
Plus, connection keeps the mind sharp -- according to a note someone has pinned up in his kitchen.
While the post office scrambles to get things under control, Henry races against time and forgetfulness. Taking it upon himself to deliver the mail, he discovers hatred and tragedy, triumph and joy in the letters he carries and the people he meets along the way.
Critique: It should be noted that although a deftly crafted work of fiction, "The Unforgettable Mailman" by April Howells was inspired by true events. A delightful novel and a fun read laced with humor, "The Unforgettable Mailman" is one of those distinctive works of literary excellence that lingers in the mind and memory long after the book has been finished and set back upon the shelf.
Editorial Note: April Howells (https://aprilhowells.com) has a background in magazine publishing and has built a career in global communications and employer branding. "The Unforgettable Mailman" is her debut novel.
The LGBTQ Fiction Shelf
Our Rogue Fates
Sarah Blenn Marsh
https://sarahglennmarsh.com
Alcove Press
www.alcovepress.com
9798892424295, $29.99, HC, 352pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Rogue-Fates-Sarah-Glenn-Marsh/dp/B0FK92SYG2
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/our-rogue-fates-sarah-glenn-marsh/1147918427
Synopsis: When he isn't training as a Warden to become half the hero his father was, Griff Sayer is in the business of breaking hearts all across the town of Mayfair, although that slows down after settling in with his current boyfriend. Griff's ex-best friend, Mal Pryce, meanwhile, is in business with whatever or whoever puts good money in his hands.
Now in their mid-twenties, Griff and Mal have only exchanged scathing looks and carefully barbed jabs since the fight that sent them their separate ways years ago. But all that begins to change when an attack Mal plotted for his shady boss leaves Griff near death and their childhood friend Alys as his savior, forcing them back into each other's orbit.
Livid at his boss, Mal makes a deal to earn his freedom and Griff's safety. He has just four weeks to retrieve an ancient treasure from Rotrose Mire, a remote swamp known for its ghostly and beastly dangers, the same treasure Alys's beloved father, Rhun, had been searching for when he disappeared for good. Armed with a map and a broken blade of Rhun's, Mal sets off -- with Alys and a reluctant and newly single Griff in tow.
Yet the explosive tension between the two men (along with the dangers of the mire pressing in around them) makes for a more difficult journey than any of them could have anticipated. As Griff and Mal peel back their tough facades and shared feelings heat up in unexpected ways as they learn to trust again, they also realize that someone (or something) seems to be following their path. Someone who doesn't want them to succeed, no friend to their parents' old enemies, but also no friend to would-be heroes...
Our Rogue Fates is a second-chance spicy Achillean romance with the questing spirit of Dungeons & Dragons, perfect for fans of Critical Role.
Critique: An original and deftly crafted novel of male/male romance, fantasy, a treasure quest adventure, and the paranormal, "Our Rogue Fates" by gifted storyteller Sarah Glenn Marsh is an extraordinary and fun read from start to finish. Fantasy fiction at its very best, "Our Rogue Fates" is unreservedly recommended, especially for community library LGBTQ+ Fantasy collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated romantic/adventure fantasy fans that this hardcover edition of "Our Rogue Fates" from Alcove Press is also available in paperback (9798892424301, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Sarah Glenn Marsh (https://sarahglennmarsh.com) has been an avid fantasy reader since the day her dad handed her a copy of The Hobbit and promised it would change her life. She believes we all deserve happy endings and is an author of books for everyone, including many young adult, middle grade, and picture book titles. "Our Rogue Fates" is her first adult novel.
The Literary Fiction Shelf
The Last Sunday in May
Kate Clark Stone
https://www.kateclarkstone.com
Lake Union Publishing
c/o Amazon Publishing
Publication Date: May 1, 2026
9781662533525, $16.99, PB, 301pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Sunday-May-Novel/dp/1662533527
Synopsis: Mack Williams was the next big thing in motorsports. Until her wild ways forced her to leave racing in her rearview mirror. Ten years later, she's a single mom in rural Indiana, with a struggling family business and a dad who needs full-time care. The fastest woman on four wheels now drives car pool -- her dreams turned to dust.
But Mack's childhood idol, Janet Joyner, still sees the spark. Famed for breaking gender barriers on the track, Janet gives Mack a last-ditch chance to qualify for the coveted Indy 500. Mack thought her days of impulsive choices were over, but she can't say no, whatever the risks -- moving in with her estranged sister, facing down her daughter's absentee father, and working with Mack's new teammate, Leo. He's gorgeous, supportive, and every kind of distraction Mack can't afford.
Juggling her personal life with a professional dream close within reach, Mack won't let a second chance slip away again. Win or lose, the stakes have never been higher.
Critique: Some authors just seem to have a genuine flair for the kind of storytelling that make for fun and memorable reads for fans of romance, action, adventure, deftly blended together, resulting in a fun read from cover to cover. Clearly, "The Last Sunday in May" establishes author Kate Clark Stone as one of those impressive novelists. While an extraordinary and recommended pick for personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library Contemporary American Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "The last Sunday In May" from Lake Union Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Kate Clark Stone (https://www.kateclarkstone.com) attended her first Indianapolis 500 at six years old and wrote her first book at eleven. A former attorney, Kate relishes watching fast cars, swimming, paddleboarding, and spending time with her two very good dogs. Forever a Hoosier at heart, she lives with her family in the mountains of Tennessee.
Learning to Whistle
Tess Perko
https://tess-perk-o.blog
She Writes Press
www.shewritespress.com
9798896361169, $17.99, PB, 288pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Learning-Whistle-Novel-Tess-Perko/dp/B0FD8QT7KT
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/learning-to-whistle-tess-perko/1147633538
Synopsis: When she is supposed to be having the time of her life in college in California, Leonie loses her mother to breast cancer. After taking her last college course in Buenos Aires, she cashes in her return flight ticket and refuses to go home, erroneously believing that her grief will subside if she avoids her family.
Narrating in her own grief-stricken voice, Leonie travels across Argentina, makes friends, and falls in love. She discovers her vulnerability and strength while working at a winery in Mendoza, riding over the treacherous Andes Mountains, and hiking the ancient pilgrimage to Machu Picchu -- and, in doing so, slowly begins to heal.
Vividly rendered and full of heart, "Learning to Whistle" will resonate with every person who has ever been forced to venture into the world when they didn't feel ready for it -- with or without the guidance of a parent.
Critique: Original, eloquent, exceptionally well written, "Learning to Whistle" by Tess Perko is a deftly blended novel of 'coming-of-age, travel, and fictional travelogue. Written with a genuine flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style that elevates "Learning to Whistle" to an impressive level of literary excellence, "Learning to Whistle" is unreservedly recommended as a popular pick for community and college/university library Contemporary American Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Learning to Whistle" from She Writes Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: While Tess Perko (https://tess-perk-o.blog) is the author of several short stories and poetry, "Learning to Whistle" is her debut as a novelist. In addition to writing, Tess raises money for scholarships for college and vocational students; teaches essay and journaling workshops to emancipated foster youth.
The Surrogate
Lynn C. Miller
University of Wisconsin Press
https://uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299356644, $18.95, PB, 260pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Surrogate-Lynn-C-Miller/dp/0299356647
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-surrogate-lynn-c-miller/1147909740
University of Wisconsin Press
https://uwpress.wisc.edu/Books/T/The-Surrogate
Synopsis: Alex Ross is a thirty-year-old psychologist who enjoys the benefits of a close-knit family. Her mother and aunt are twins married to two close friends, and Alex and her cousins, Rolf and Stephen, grew up as if they were siblings. When Rolf is killed in a car accident, the entire family spins into grief and chaos.
Nathaniel, a mysterious art museum curator, soon enters their lives and seems to offer solace. Frannie, Rolf's mother, becomes infatuated with the young man. Alex, who split with her long-term girlfriend in the aftermath of Rolf's death, finds herself deeply attracted to him. Only Stephen mistrusts Nathaniel -- but he soon becomes consumed with the nationwide financial crisis threatening the family's stability.
Will Alex choose Nathaniel over her loyalty to Stephen? Torn between competing desires, fueled by her lifelong but unexamined love of Rolf, she must turn her own training as a psychologist on herself in order to find peace amid the turmoil.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a fully engaging read from start to finish, "The Surrogate" admirably showcases author Lynn Miller's remarkable gift for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style that lifts her novel to an impressive level of literary elegance. While unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary American Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "The Surrogate" from the University of Wisconsin Press is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.95).
Editorial Note: Lynn C. Miller (https://www.lynncmiller.com) is the author or co-editor of seven previous books, including The Lost Archive, The Day After Death, and The Unmasking. A novelist, playwright, performer, and educator, she lives in Albuquerque and co-hosts the podcast The Unruly Muse.
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
The Summer I Found You
Jennifer O'Brien
Alcove Press
www.alcovepress.com
9798892422567, $29.99, HC, 336pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Found-You-Novel/dp/B0FH1JJS72
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-summer-i-found-you-jennifer-obrien/1147168763
Synopsis: When Dahlia Newberry escapes her terrible marriage and returns to Long Island's North Fork to put her family's beach house on the market, she discovers the property has fallen into disrepair, and she has no idea how she'll get it from fixer to fabulous in a month's time.
Things start to look up when she discovers her neighbor is Noah, a handsome reality TV star known for his Hamptons-set home renovation series. Noah turns out to be quite handy and pitches in to help Dahlia with the renovations and, as chemistry sparks between them, her self-discovery too.
Meanwhile, Dahlia discovers a letter from her Aunt Lil, whose dying wish was for Dahlia to find a key that unlocks a mystery spanning three generations. Soon Dahlia is unearthing mysterious clues buried in the garden that threaten to upend everything she believes about her world.
The truth is supposed to set her free, but excavated secrets have a way of shattering an already fragile life -- unless Dahlia can find a way to bloom into the woman she was always meant to be.
Critique: A deftly crafted and riveting combination of romance and suspense, "The Summer I Found You" is all the more impressive when considering that it is author Jennifer O'Brien's debut as a novelist. Original, exceptional, and a fun read from start to finish, "The Summer I Found You" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Romance collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated romance fans that this hardcover edition of "The Summer I Found You" from Alcove Press is also readily available in paperback (9798892422796, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Jennifer O'Brien (https://cityfarmhouse.com/jennifer-obrien) is the founder of the popular design site City Farmhouse. After her dream of buying a fixer-upper fell through, she wrote about one instead. She lives on Long Island with her husband, two boys, and fur baby.
Whispers of Ink and Starlight
Garrett Curbow
www.garrettcurbow.com
Lake Union Publishing
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662530081, $16.99, PB, 315pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Whispers-Ink-Starlight-Garrett-Curbow/dp/1662530080
Synopsis: In a small Georgia town, Nelle's life has been carefully scripted by her creator and captor, the reclusive author Wallace Quill. Born from ink and imagination, every breath she takes is dictated by his pen. But on a star-studded Fourth of July night, she meets James (a young man with dreams as vivid as the fireworks above them) and suddenly, the unwritten becomes possible.
As Nelle and James fall deeply in love, they embark on a breathtaking journey across Europe, each new experience a defiant stroke against the words that bind her. But freedom has a price. With every mile they travel, the ink in Nelle's veins threatens to rewrite their story. In a world where every moment could be her last, Nelle and James must fight to write their own happily ever after -- before the final page turns.
Critique: An original and deftly crafted story of fantasy and romance by Garret Curbow, "Whispers of Ink and Starlight" is a simply riveting tale of forbidden love. Unique, imaginative, and a compelling read from start to finish, "Whispers of Ink and Starlight" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition from Lake Union Publishing is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $1.99).
Editorial Note: Garrett Curbow (www.garrettcurbow.com) is also the author of the Daughter of Light trilogy, which was short-listed for the Publishers Weekly Selfies Award.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Yours Always
Corinne Sullivan
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662535628, $16.99, PB, 271pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Yours-Always-Corinne-Sullivan/dp/1662535627
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/yours-always-corinne-sullivan/1148028440
Synopsis: Talia Danvers is an engineer for a high-end dating app who hasn't managed to code her own love life. Then she reconnects with Townsend Fuller: the one who got away.
Or, more accurately, the one who left her for someone else. But Townsend swears he's a changed man, and Talia wants to believe him. Even if he is the prime suspect in the disappearance of Amanda Reade, the same woman who broke them up in the first place.
In cases like these, it's always the boyfriend. That's what Amanda's sister Kaitlyn thinks. So does Talia's colleague Meera Ratnam -- and she'll risk everything to convince Talia that she's making a deadly mistake.
Then Talia starts receiving menacing texts from Amanda. Suddenly, no one knows what to believe. Is Townsend guilty? Is Amanda alive? Or is someone playing games?
Featuring unreliable narrators and written with acid wit and creeping unease, "Yours Always" is a mind-bending tale of dangerous love.
Critique: Original, riveting, and of immense appeal to readers with an interest in deftly crafted stories of murder mysteries and suspense thriller novels, "Yours Always" by Corinne Sullivan is and extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary American Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for suspense thriller fans that this paperback edition of "Yours Always" from Thomas & Mercer is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $1.99).
Editorial Note: Corinne Sullivan is the senior news editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers celebrity and entertainment news. She graduated from Boston College in 2014 with a degree in English and creative writing. She went on to receive her MFA in fiction from Sarah Lawrence College. Her stories have appeared in literary magazines such as Night Train, Knee-Jerk, and Pithead Chapel, among other publications, and her 2018 debut novel, Indecent, was included on several "best of" lists. Corinne lives can be followed on Instagram (@corinnzo).
You Can Tell Me
Melinda Leigh
www.melindaleigh.com
Montlake
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662516993, $28.99, PB, 299pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/You-Can-Tell-Olivia-Cruz/dp/1662517009
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/you-can-tell-me-melinda-leigh/1147197894
Synopsis: On the three-year anniversary of true crime writer Olivia Cruz's horrific kidnapping, she's scheduled to walk her podcaster friend Zoe March through the crime scene, but Zoe fails to show. Olivia knows Zoe would never stand her up -- not today.
Zoe's husband, who claims she never came home the night before, has reported her missing. But marital conflicts make the police suspect she has left him. Olivia thinks otherwise. The police aren't looking for Zoe, so Olivia begins her own investigation. Retracing her friend's last steps, she finds Zoe's phone and a text with one chilling word: Run.
It soon becomes apparent that Zoe has been keeping secrets, and with her true crime podcast, there's no telling what she has unearthed. To find her, Olivia must dig into her friend's past. Did Zoe vanish to escape a killer, and is Olivia walking into a deadly trap?
Critique: Featuring an original and deftly crafted roster of memorable characters embedded into an inherently fascinating story of murder, mystery and suspense, "You Can Tell Me" by Melinda Leigh will hold a very special appeal to fans of cozy mysteries featuring amateur female sleuths, a bit of romance, and a surprising number of unexpected plot twists and turns. A fun read for mystery buffs from start to finish, "You Can Tell Me" will prove an enduringly popular pick for personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "You Can Tell Me" from Montlake is also readily available in paperback (9781662517006, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: Melinda Leigh (www.melindaleigh.com) is also the author of Echo Road, the She Can series, the Midnight series, the Scarlet Falls series, the Morgan Dane series, the Bree Taggert series, the Olivia Cruz series, and numerous short stories, as well as the Rogue series novellas and the Widow's Island series novellas. Melinda has garnered numerous writing awards, earned two RITA nominations, and been an International Thriller Award nominee for Best First Novel. She also holds a second-degree black belt in Kenpo karate and has taught women’s self-defense.
The Monk
Tim Sullivan
Atlantic Crime
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802168221, $27.00 HC, $17.00 PB, $9.99 Kindle, 384pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Monk-DS-George-Cross-Mystery/dp/0802168221
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-monk-tim-sullivan/1148205513
Synopsis: DS George Cross has always wondered why his mother left him when he was a child. Now that she is back in his life, he suddenly has answers -- but this unexpected reunion is not anything he's used to dealing with. So when the body of a monk is found savagely beaten to death in a woodland near Bristol, Cross is eager to throw himself into the case.
The problem is, no one in the Bristol station has any leads. Nothing is known about Brother Dominic's past. How can Cross unpick a crime when they don't know anything about the victim? And why would someone want to harm a monk?
Cross's dogged investigation reveals that while the monk was a much-loved and respected friend, brother, he was also a very wealthy man -- and he sacrificed it all for his faith. For a man who has nothing, it seems strange that greed could be the motive for his murder.
But greed is a sin, after all.
Critique: The fifth novel in the 'DS George Cross Mystery' series by Tim Sullivan, "The Monk" is especially recommended to the attention of dedicated fans of police procedural style 'whodunnit' murder mysteries. A thriller of a suspense novel, "The Monk" is a fun and fascinating read from start to finish and is unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections.
If this is the reader's first experience with author Tim Sullivan's character and narrative driven storytelling style, the will quickly seek out his previous four novels in this original series as listed online at Book Series In Order: https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/tim-sullivan
Editorial Note: Tim Sullivan (https://timsullivan.co.uk) is an internationally bestselling author and acclaimed screenwriter, whose credits include A Handful of Dust, Where Angels Fear to Tread, Jack and Sarah, and Letters to Juliet. He is also a television director whose credits include Sherlock Holmes and Cold Feet. His DS George Cross series was a breakout success in the UK and has sold over 850,000 copies worldwide. He currently lives in England.
Served Him Right
Lisa Unger
Park Row
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780778360056, $30.00, HC, 384pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Served-Him-Right-Thriller-Long-Buried/dp/0778360059
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/served-him-right-lisa-unger/1147299095
Synopsis: Ana Blacksmith has gathered her closest friends and sister Vera for a brunch to celebrate her recent breakup from her boyfriend Paul. But when shocking news about Paul arrives, all eyes are on Ana, the angry ex with a bad reputation. Suspicions only intensify when Ana's best friend falls deathly ill after the brunch.
But Ana is not the only one who had a score to settle with Paul. As the investigation unfolds, rumors of a secret network that uses ancient methods to obtain justice begin to emerge. Vengeance is sweet, but it can also be deadly. Ana and Vera are determined to find the truth before Ana takes the fall and their own long-buried history comes to light.
Critique: A deftly crafted novel of vengeance and mystery, "Served Him Right" is a simply riveting read from start to finish. Showcasing author Lisa Unger's remarkable and genuine flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling that fully engages the reader, this absorbing page turner of a novel will hold a particular appeal to readers with an interest in original stories of psychological suspense and thrilling cliff-hanger style mystery. While highly recommended for community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of 'whodunnit' mystery buffs that this hardcover edition of "Served Him Right" from Park Row Books is also readily available in paperback (9780778360070, $18.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Lisa Unger (https://lisaunger.com) is an author whose books are published in 33 languages. In 2019, she received two Edgar Award nominations, an honor held by only a few writers including Agatha Christie. Her work has been named on "Best Book" lists from Today, People, GMA, EW, Amazon, IndieBound and many others. She has written for the NYT, WSJ, NPR, and Travel+Leisure.
The Bush Tea Murder
Ashley-Ruth Bernier
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892425223, $29.99, HC, 336pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Bush-Murder-Caribbean-Island-Mystery/dp/B0FJD3P2SG
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/only-spell-deep-ava-morgyn/1147243892
Synopsis: Food journalist Naomi Sinclair doesn't expect a side of murder with her passion fruit juice. But when her return to Saint Thomas heralds a series of troubling cases, ranging from petty theft to cold-blooded murder, that threaten her tight-knit community, that is exactly the kind of unsavory treat she must sink her teeth into.
Luckily for her neighbors, Naomi is as adept at solving puzzles as rolling johnnycake dough -- a good thing, since her island community, though small, keeps serving up plenty of trouble. With the help of her friends and her crush, Mateo, Naomi must navigate the tumultuous turquoise waters of life in the Caribbean, all as her beloved father battles an illness that keeps tugging her back to her island amid her rising career stateside.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader's benefit with mouth-watering recipes, lush landscapes, and a hefty dose of fun under the sun, "The Bush Tea Murder" by novelist Ashley-Ruth Bernier is a simply riveting and fun read highly recommended to the attention of all dedicated cozy mystery fans. A deftly crafted 'whodunnit' story set in the US Virgin Islands and featuring an amateur female sleuth having to solve an especially puzzling murder, "The Bush Tea Murder" will prove a popular pick for personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "The Bush Tea Murder" from Crooked Lane Books is also readily available in paperback (9798892425230, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier (https://ashleyruthbernier.com) has had her short fiction published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Black Cat Weekly, Stone's Throw, Smoking Pen Press, The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023, Malice Domestic's Mystery Most Devious and Mystery Most Humorous, and The Caribbean Writer. Originally from Saint Thomas, US Virgin Islands, Ashley-Ruth writes mysteries highlighting the vibrant culture of her home. Ashley-Ruth is a 2023 Derringer nominee (novelette category, Short Mystery Fiction Society), a 2023 and 2024 Killer Nashville Claymore finalist (Best Short Story Collection), and one of the 2024 recipients of MWA's Barbara Neely grant for Black mystery writers. She is an active member of Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Color, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, Mystery Writers of America, and the North Carolina Writers Network.
The Better Mother
Jennifer van der Kleut
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892424011, $29.99, HC, 336pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Better-Mother-Jennifer-van-Kleut/dp/B0F88ZNHDR
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-better-mother-jennifer-van-der-kleut/1148378168
Synopsis: Still recovering from a devastating breakup, 34-year-old Savannah Mitchell has finally managed to put her life back together when she gets the shock of her life -- after a brief fling with a man named Max, she is pregnant.
When she gets in touch to tell him, he reveals that he's just gotten back together with his ex, Madison, and he will need time to break it to her. Surprisingly, Madison isn't upset -- in fact, she's excited, and wants to help.
Max insists Madison has the best of intentions, but Savannah finds her efforts (popping by uninvited, demanding lifestyle changes, and pretty much trying to take over the pregnancy) anything but helpful. When Savannah finally stands up for herself, Madison's treatment of her goes from casually cruel to downright dangerous.
All Savannah wanted to do was form a friendly co-parenting relationship with the father of her child -- but his new girlfriend obviously has much more sinister plans in mind.
She has no plans to co-parent at all!
Critique: An original and deftly crafted suspense thriller of a read from start to finish, "The Better Mother" by Jennifer van der Kleut is a simply riveting read and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Suspense/Thriller collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of readers with an interest in psychological thrillers with pulse-pounding suspense that this hardcover edition of "The Better Mother" from Crooked Lane Books is also available in paperback (9798892424028, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Jennifer van der Kleut (www.jennifervanderkleut.com) is a former journalist of both print and digital publications, including the DC affiliate of ABC7 News. For nearly a decade, she was the lead singer of the Bay Area-based band SweetDuration, and performed with artists like Jason Mraz, Big Country, Chantal Kreviazuk, and Stabbing Westward.
The Summer House Murder
Ava Roberts
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892424844, $29.99, HC, 320pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Summer-House-Murder-Novel/dp/B0F9V6T955
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-summer-house-murder-ava-roberts/1147476825
Synopsis: Sisters Esme, Piper, and Regina go on their annual visit to their remote summer house on Lake George expecting a tense vacation. Each has their own families to deal with plus their own secrets to hide.
Esme, the oldest sister, is desperate to keep up appearances after discovering her husband's infidelity with the one person who hurts her the most. Piper, the middle child, has a four-month-old baby boy and is too tired to keep playing peacekeeper to her siblings. Regina, the youngest, is a sarcastic rule breaker with a secret to hide that could cost her everything.
After tension boils over into an ugly fight late one night, the sisters go off in separate directions. Like most of their blowouts, they think they'll cool off and resume the trip like normal the next morning. Only this time when dawn comes, a young woman's body is discovered in the lake. As a criminal investigation narrows in on their family home, it becomes clear that the sister's web of lies and secrets is inextricably linked to the woman in the lake.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a simply riveting read from start to finish, "The Summer House Murder" by Ava Roberts is a perfectly crafted murder mystery that will have suspense thriller fans enthralled right up to the climatic finale. An extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for community/public library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "The Summer House Murder" is also readily available in paperback (9798892424851, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Ava Roberts (www.authoravaroberts.com) is a clinical psychologist turned author who knows that the most unsettling things often lurk just beneath the surface. She is the author of The Vanishing Neighbor, Juniper Isle, the Thistler Thrillers series.
Hollywood Payback
Jon Lindstrom
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892423991, $29.99, HC, 336pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Payback-Thriller-Jon-Lindstrom/dp/B0FCRG5M6F
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hollywood-payback-jon-lindstrom/1147779958
Synopsis: Twenty years ago, Jake Ferguson threw his life away. Once a promising Hollywood actor, he crashed and burned the usual way: with coke, booze, and pills. When that path reached its inevitable end, he made a desperate choice, and an innocent woman was killed. Before being convicted and shipped to Folsom Prison, Jake agreed to testify against his own partners-in-crime as the star witness for the prosecution.
Now Jake is reentering society -- coming home to an LA he no longer recognizes and to a life that has lost all meaning. Then he meets Carla, a waitress who understands him better than he expects, and he begins to believe deliverance may be possible after all. Until one night, a murder is committed right in front of him, and Jake knows he's been set up.
With authorities closing in and more lives on the line, there's only one way out, for himself and for the people he cares about: revenge.
Critique: As an author of suspense thriller novels, Jon Lindstrom has an impressive talent for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style that is perfect for the murder mystery genre. "Hollywood Payback" continues Lindstrom's remarkable reputation for deftly crafted a riveting read from start to finish. While highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the growing legions of Jon Lindstrom fans that this hardcover edition of "Hollywood Payback" is also available for personal reading lists in paperback (9798892425094, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Jon Lindstrom (https://www.jonlindstrom.com) is a four-time Emmy nominee who can be found in studio movies, in independent films, and in literally thousands of hours of TV, working with several A-list directors and alongside many of Hollywood's biggest names. An award-winning filmmaker, Jon's films have won multiple film festival accolades. His writing has won recognition at the Launchpad Prose Competition twice and several top screenplay competitions. For several years, he was also the drummer for the High Lonesome, scoring two hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
House of the Rising Sun
K'wan
Akashic Books
www.akashicbooks.com
9781636142890, $26.99, HC, 200pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/House-Rising-Sun-Kwan/dp/1636142893
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/house-of-the-rising-sun-kwan/1148277246
Synopsis: When the Howell family moves into a house on Heckler Lane, it causes quite a stir around the small town of Sunny Cove, Pennsylvania. Elise Howell, a well-known cardio surgeon, has returned home after fifteen years to fill her recently deceased mother's position at Sunny Cove General Hospital. In a town this size, it's big news. But it's Elise's new husband, Artie, who has the whole town talking.
Artie Howell is a man who always seems to be wearing a smile. He's an accomplished crime fiction writer, a soccer dad to their young son Nicky, and he volunteers his weekends teaching creative writing to youths in the local detention center. When they first arrived at Heckler Lane, the Howells had seemed like a wholesome American family.
Then came the murders.
A nun turning up missing from the Convent of St. Mary becomes the first in a string of unexplained tragedies that have befallen the town. Tragedies that all seem to be tied to scenes from Artie's novels. The writer now finds himself as the prime suspect in an investigation that threatens to not only tear apart his family, but the entire town of Sunny Cove.
Critique: Another deftly crafted suspense thriller of a novel by K'wan, "House of the Rising Sun" will prove to dedicated 'whodunnit' murder mystery and organized crime enthusiasts to be a fun and fascinating read from start to finish. An absolute 'must' for the legions of K'wan fans and an unreservedly recommended pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "House of the Rising Sun" from Akashic Books is also readily available in paperback (9781636142906, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.95).
Editorial Note: K'wan (www.bookseriesinorder.com/kwan-foye) has become one of the most beloved, iconic Black writers of the last two decades with his artful, suspenseful storytelling and over a million books combined in print. He has penned more than two dozen best-selling novels, including the widely popular Animal series, as well as False Idols, The Reluctant King and Black Lotus. K'wan's writing has been featured in Vibe, Pages, King, Library Journal, Entertainment Weekly, and Time, to name a few. He was the recipient of the Street Lit Book Award Medal in adult fiction in 2012 and 2013 for Eviction Notice and Animal, and has been a recurring guest on TV One's Celebrity Crime Files.
Falls the Shadow
Mike Nicol
Catalyst Press
https://www.catalystpress.org
9781960803313, $21.95, PB, 384pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Falls-Shadow-Catalyst-International-Crime/dp/196080331X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/falls-the-shadow-mike-nicol/1147044558
Synopsis: "Falls the Shadow" is about a family murder by a cop who turns the gun on himself. In the shed behind his cottage is a cache of weapons: Russian automatics, handguns, 9mils, .38s.
You don't need forensics to work out what's gone wrong. This is a cop with a side racket. Which gets the attention of Captain Zara Dewane of the Internal Crime Unit.
What she uncovers about the family murder puts her in the firing line. There are cops running guns stolen from the police armory. There are cops selling guns to gangsters. Thing is, the money chain goes deep into the police hierarchy. Even fingers the political bosses.
"Close her down," comes the order from on high. Kill her, in other words. Making Zara and her family targets. With only one way out!
Critique: A terrific pick for suspense/thriller fans, "Falls The Shadow" by novelist Mike Nicol (and the newest title in the 'Catalyst International Crime Series') is original, deftly crafted, and a simply riveting read from start to finish. While unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Falls The Shadow" from Catalyst Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note: Mike Nicol (www.bookseriesinorder.com/mike-nicol) is an author, journalist, editor and a teacher of creative and non-fiction narrative writing. He has published a number of crime thrillers. His thrillers have all featured on the KrimiZeit Top 10 in Germany and he has been shortlisted for the VN Thriller of the Year award in Holland and the Prix SNCF Du Polar in France. His non-fiction includes memoirs, biographies and reportage. He has also published two volumes of poetry.
One Beautiful Year of Normal
Sandra K. Griffith
https://sandrakgriffith.com
She Writes Press
www.shewritespress.com
9798896360803, $17.99, PB, 312pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/One-Beautiful-Year-Normal-Novel/dp/B0FD8RGZT9
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/one-beautiful-year-of-normal-sandra-k-griffith/1147633531
Synopsis: Some memories protect you. Others imprison you. When August Caine receives a phone call from a Savannah attorney, she is blindsided by the news -- her Aunt Helen has passed away. But how can that be, when August's mother insisted Helen died in a car accident fifteen years ago? Determined to uncover the truth, August returns to the deep South, where the ghosts of her past (both real and imagined) await her.
Plagued by a memory splintered by her father's unsolved murder when she was a child and further tangled by psychiatric treatments for the debilitating depression she struggles with, August realizes her survival depends on unraveling the mystery surrounding her father's death. This means returning to the one safe place she remembers from the childhood she has mostly locked away inside her mind: Aunt Helen's home, and the ghost tours they created together.
A chilling exploration of mental illness, mother-daughter bonds, and generational secrets, "One Beautiful Year of Normal" follows August as she pieces together the long-buried truths that shaped her family's tragic past and confronts the question that has haunted her for years: Can the truth set her free, or will it unravel everything she thought she knew?
Critique: Original, exceptional, deftly crafted, "One Beautiful Year of Normal" by Sandra K. Griffith is a simply fascinating psychological thriller of a read from start to finish. As an author, Griffith reveals an impressively genuine flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style that provides a simply riveting read from cover to cover. While this paperback edition of "One Beautiful Year of Normal" from She Writes Press is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that it is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Sandra K. Griffith (https://sandrakgriffith.com) is a doctorate-level psychologist with extensive clinical and forensic experience, the owner of a behavioral health agency, and an adjunct instructor at Marshall University. Her expertise in mental health, trauma, and the complexities of memory informs her deeply psychological and atmospheric storytelling.
Payback
Elizabeth Rose Quinn
www.elizabethrosequinn.com
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662524820, $16.99, PB, 287pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Payback-Elizabeth-Rose-Quinn/dp/166252482X
Synopsis: Welcome to Pay to Stay, Los Angeles's premier minimum-security facility where the privileged serve time Friday to Monday only.
But this New Year's weekend, seven inmates (including a driven campaign manager, a disgraced nurse, a party girl, and one mysterious male transfer) discover their abusive guard dead, wrapped in an ironic "Community Payback" vest. Now they must solve his murder before their cushy arrangement becomes a permanent stay in maximum security.
As a storm rages outside and the power fails, alliances shift within. With police knocking at their door and an emotional support iguana named Nacho as their witness, these inmates hustle to collect evidence and plan a killer party -- all while dodging suspicion. Because someone in this concrete block is a murderer. And everyone is a suspect.
But as New Year's Eve approaches and bodies pile up, these unlikely allies discover that in Pay to Stay, some debts can only be paid in blood.
Critique: A unique, fascinating, and riveting read from cover to cover, author Elizabeth Rose Quinn's new novel, "Payback" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for the personal reading lists of humor laced psychological thriller fiction and community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Payback" from Thomas & Mercer is also available to interested readers in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Elizabeth Rose Quinn (www.elizabethrosequinn.com) is a novelist and screenwriter. She graduated with a BA in English from UC Berkeley and a master's degree in marriage and family therapy. Born and raised in Berkeley, California, Elizabeth lived in Los Angeles for fifteen years while working in production and writing for television. Her novel Follow Me was optioned by Amazon MGM Studios and is currently in production as a feature film. She is married with two children and lives in New Mexico.
The Roaring Ridleys
K. M. Colley
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662536113, $16.99, PB, 283pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Roaring-Ridleys-Novel-K-M-Colley/dp/1662536119
Synopsis: In the glittering world of 1920s New York, the seven Ridley heirs seem to have it all: wealth, status, and protection as the city's most powerful family. But when notorious gossip columnist Dale Caimen is found dead during their family's renowned summer soiree, their carefully constructed world begins to crack.
Behind the champagne and jazz, each adopted Ridley sibling harbors secrets that could destroy them. There's Amelia, the responsible eldest trying to hold it all together; Adesua, whose artistic ambitions in the Harlem Renaissance threaten her family's expectations; and wild child Kavita, whose dangerous nights in speakeasies may have finally caught up with her.
As the murder investigation intensifies, long-buried tensions surface and family loyalties unravel. Someone knows the truth about the Ridleys -- and they're willing to kill to expose it. In a world where appearance is everything and power comes at a deadly price, the siblings must decide what matters more: protecting the family name or each other.
Critique: An original suspense thriller of a novel and laced throughout with romance, mystery and murder, "The Roaring Ridleys" by K. M. Colley is an extraordinary and fun read from start to finish. Colley's African-American character and narrative driven storytelling style makes "The Roaring Ridleys" a perfect pick for community library Contemporary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "The Roaring Ridleys" from Thomas & Mercer is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).
Editorial Note: K. M. Colley writes thrillers, contemporary mysteries, and cinematic stories that explore legacy and ambition. Her work often centers around powerful families, glamorous settings, and complex characters. A listing of her books is available online at Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/58310892.K_M_Colley)
Two Truths and a Lie
Mark Stevens
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662529627, $16.99, PB, 462pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Two-Truths-Lie-Thriller-Martin/dp/1662529627
Synopsis: Lambasted for a tragedy caught live on camera, then lauded for her help capturing the elusive PDQ, a serial killer, Flynn Martin's career has reached new heights. But now, the TV journalist and mother has much further to fall. And someone wants to push her over the edge.
PDQ is behind bars, for life and then some, but someone on the outside has picked up the killer's mantle. Flynn is neck-deep in an investigation when the copycat emerges, targeting her sources and delivering cryptic messages. It's clear that Flynn's stories are getting deadlier. This one proves no exception.
A family of four has gone missing, leaving behind ties to New Hope Church more tangled than they appear. The dangerous web rivals the threat in Flynn's personal life. And it's up to her to unravel each knot.
Scandal. Conspiracy. Murder. Flynn hardly knows where to begin -- and if her stalker has their way, she might not live to see the end.
Critique: "Two Truths And A Lie" is sequel to author Mark Steven's novel "No Lie Lasts Forever", and continues the adventures of TV journalist and reluctant amateur female sleuth Flynn Martin. Once again, as a novelist, Mark Stevens demonstrates his genuine flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style that is ideal for the mystery genre. "Two Truths And A Lie" from Thomas & Mercer is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should also be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Two Truths And A Lie" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Mark Stevens has worked both in public relations and as a reporter and national TV news producer. His 2023 title The Fireballer was named Best Baseball Fiction Book by Twin Bill literary magazine and Best Baseball Book of the Year by Spitball Magazine. Stevens is a three-time Colorado Book Award finalist and the 2015 winner for Trapline, which also earned the Colorado Authors League Award for Best Genre Fiction. His Antler Dust was a Denver Post bestseller in 2007 and 2009. Stevens has published short stories in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Mystery Tribune, and Denver Noir. A two-time Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Writer of the Year, he hosts a regular podcast for RMFW and has served as president of the Rocky Mountain chapter for Mystery Writers of America. He also writes book reviews, which are posted at https://markhstevens.wordpress.com
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Only Spell Deep
Ava Morgyn
St. Martin's Griffin
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
https://us.macmillan.com/st-martins-griffin
9781250363763, $18.99, PB, 352pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Only-Spell-Deep-Ava-Morgyn/dp/1250363764
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/only-spell-deep-ava-morgyn/1147243892
Synopsis: Judeth Cole has always had certain uncanny abilities. But when she arrived at Solidago, her grandfather's estate by the sea, she was forced to keep them secret. There she lived a harsh life under his rule and the haunting legacy of her late grandmother, Aurelia. Until the fateful day she ignited a fire with her magic. It was the last time she saw her family alive.
Seventeen years later, she's living in Seattle as Jude Clark, and failing at life, when she makes a last detour through her favorite bookstore, selecting a book to read as she waits to die. But when she pulls it from the shelf, an invitation to her for a clandestine midnight meeting slips out.
Jude is quickly swept up into a world of secrets and magic, discovering a circle of powerful new companions led by the mysterious, enigmatic Arla. The source of their magic, Arla tells her, is an entity, trapped and bound, that they call The Fathom. But Jude swiftly realizes Arla wants this power all to herself, and that she's willing to kill for it.
Terrified, Jude turns to Levi, the handsome bookseller who's seen her at her worst. With his help, she begins a research journey that leads her all the way back to Solidago, the house she swore to never return to. Now, the Fathom threatening to break free and Arla on the hunt, Jude must finally face her past to save her future.
Critique: Original, compelling, and with a particular appeal to fans of fantasy, magic, wizards and witches. "Only Spell Deep" showcases novelist Ava Morgyn's flair as a storyteller for deftly crafting an introducing her readers to a very special world of suspense, danger, and the occult. While an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for the personal reading lists of dedicated fantasy fans and community library Fantasy Fiction collections, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "Only Spell Deep" from St. Martin's Griffin is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Tantor, 9798228796294, $45.95, CD).
Editorial Note: Ava Morgyn (https://www.avamorgyn.com) grew up falling in love with all the wrong characters in all the wrong stories, then studied English writing and rhetoric at St. Edward's University. She is a lover of witchcraft, tarot, and powerful women with bad reputations, and she currently resides in Houston with her family, surrounded by antiques and dog hair. When not at her laptop spinning darkly hypnotic tales, she writes for her blog on child loss, hunts for vintage treasures, and reads the darkest books she can find. She is also the author of the adult novels The Witches of Bone Hill and The Bane Witch, as well as the young adult novels Resurrection Girls and The Salt in Our Blood.
We Become Darkness
Grace Morrow
Alcove Press
www.alcovepress.com
9798892424745, $29.99, HC, 352pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/We-Become-Darkness-Grace-Morrow/dp/B0FCRG5998
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/we-become-darkness-grace-morrow/1147568323
Synopsis: Thalia, Princess of Agripa, has spent the last four years hunting her ex-lover, Cassius -- the man who shattered her heart and betrayed her kingdom by becoming a Vampyr.
Vampyrs and humans have had a tenuous past since Thalia's father and sister were murdered thirteen years ago. But with Agripa's ore supply (the lifeblood of human cities) running out, Thalia's mother strikes a desperate and dangerous deal: Thalia will marry a Vampyr prince in exchange for their ore.
Thalia is blindsided by the arrangement -- and horrified to find Cassius, now serving as the prince's Hand, is the man tasked with bringing her to the Vampyr kingdom safely. To save her people, she agrees to the marriage -- but she plans to dismantle the Vampyr kingdom from within by killing the prince.
The Vampyr court is rife with danger and secrets, and Cassius is always watching. When a monstrous new threat emerges, Thalia realizes the safety and security of their world is far more fragile than she ever believed.
Caught between duty and desire, Thalia must grapple with her feelings for Cassius and decide if she will fulfill her duty to the human crown or embrace the darkness within herself to protect both realms.
Critique: Original, cleverly scripted, and a simply riveting read from cover to cover, "We Become Darkness" by Grace Morrow is an impressive new addition to the ever expanding library of Vampire Fiction. With a genuine flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style that creates a tale of dark romance, action and adventure that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the novel has been finished and set back upon the shelf, "We Become Darkness" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists of vampire story fans and community library Fantasy Fiction collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "We Become Darkness" from Alcove Press is also readily available in paperback (9798892424752, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Grace Morrow (https://authorgracemorrow.com) is an author of magic, mayhem, and mischief. As an art historian, she strives to integrate the feelings one might have when looking at a remarkable piece of art into her books.
Hell's Heart
Alexis Hall
Tor Books
c/o Tor/Forge Books
www.tor-forge.com
9781250394958, $29.99, HC, 464pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Hells-Heart-Alexis-Hall/dp/1250394953
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hells-heart-alexis-hall/1146968904
Synopsis: They are monsters, legends, gods. They are our prey.
Earth is dead. Which leaves us stuck living in atmospheric domes on planets that will kill us if we blink wrong, or run out of fuel. And by "fuel" I mean "the cerebrospinal fluid of gargantuan, quasi-psychic space monsters".
I joined the hunt hoping to get paid and maybe laid, but mostly paid. Instead, I followed a captain chasing abominations in the skies of Jupiter.
We battled the Mobius Beast itself, there in the red eye of the world.
Spoiler: We lost.
Critique: As an author, Alexis Hall is as original and imaginative as he is spell-binding. "Hell's Heart" is rendered a simply riveting read from start to finish due to a genuine flair for the kind of character defining and narrative driven storytelling style that conjures an authenticity to an extended tale of iconoclastic fantasy space opera with an LGBTQ+ themed storyline. A unique and fun read, "Hell's Heart" is especially recommended to the attention of science fiction fans and community library Science Fiction/Fantasy collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Hell's Heart" from Tor Books is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Some years ago, having little or no money in their purse, and nothing particular to interest them on shore, Alexis Hall (https://quicunquevult.com/books) thought they would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. Unfortunately the boat they were in sank with all hands, and they were rescued only by a passing whaler. They have since become a novelist.
A Spell for Saints and Sinners
Emily Carpenter
Kensington
c/o Kensington Publishing Corp.
www.kensingtonbooks.com
9781496750587, $18.95, PB, 432pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Spell-Saints-Sinners-Emily-Carpenter/dp/1496750586
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-spell-for-saints-and-sinners-emily-carpenter/1147750273
Synopsis: In front of an elegantly shabby townhouse on a Savannah side street sits a hand-painted sign: Miss Edie, Psychic. Ingrid White inherited the house and business from her beloved grandmother, a local celebrity in town. But unless Ingrid can find a way to pay for crushing property taxes and mounting repairs, she's going to lose them both.
Ingrid has faith in the homespun witchcraft Edie passed down to her, yet hope and clients are dwindling -- until Sailor Loeffler's bachelorette party changes everything.
Sailor is local royalty (part of the vast "Savannah Sauce" empire, beautiful and wealthy beyond imagining) and Ingrid's reading is so accurate that she becomes the bride-to-be's confidante. To keep that access and all the privileges it brings, Ingrid relies more and more on hexes and dark spells -- using the baneful magic Edie always warned her against.
As Ingrid works even riskier spells, she is drawn further into the Loefflers' inner circle and the obstacles in her path melt away. But is it witchcraft or other, more earthbound forces? Ingrid can feel the lines blurring even as her powers seem to grow, until she must confront the truth about just how far some people, including herself, will go to keep the life they've always wanted...
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and an inherently fascinating read from start to finish, "A Spell for Saints and Sinners" effectively showcases author Emily Carpenter's vividly rendered and narrative driven storytelling style -- one that fully engages the reader's attention cover to cover. While this paperback edition of "A Spell for Saints and Sinners" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community/public library contemporary fantasy laced suspense thriller collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists of mystery fans that "A Spell for Saints and Sinners" is also available from Kensington in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Emily Carpenter (www.EmilyCarpenterAuthor.com) is an author of suspense novels including Burying the Honeysuckle Girls, The Weight of Lies and Gothictown.
Queen of Faces
Petra Lord
Henry Holt & Company
www.henryholt.com
9781250362971, $22.99, HC, 432pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Queen-Faces-Petra-Lord/dp/1250362970
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/queen-of-faces-petra-lord/1147489092
Synopsis: Anabelle Gage is trapped in a male body, and it's rotting from the inside out. But Ana can't afford to escape it, even as the wealthiest in Caimor buy and discard expensive designer bodies without a thought. When she fails to gain admittance to the prestigious Paragon Academy (and access to the healthy new forms the school provides its students) her final hope implodes. Now without options, Ana must use her illusion magic to try to steal a healthy chassis -- before her own kills her.
But Ana is caught by none other than the headmaster of Paragon Academy, who poses a brutal ultimatum: face execution for her crime or become a mercenary at his command. Revolt brews in Caimor's smog-choked underworld, and the wealthy and powerful will stop at nothing to take down the rebels and the infamous dark witch at their helm, the Black Wraith.
With no choice but to accept, Ana will steal, fight, and kill her way to salvation. But her survival depends on a dangerous band of renegades: an impulsive assassin, a brooding bombmaker, and an alluring exile who might just spell her ruin. As Ana is drawn into a tangled web of secrets, the line between villain and hero shatters -- and Ana must decide which side is worth dying for.
Critique: Original, spelling-binding, exceptional, "Queen of Faces" by Petra Lord is an extraordinarily compelling and fun read from cover to cover. As an author, Lord's impressively effective and character/narrative driven storytelling style is ideally suited to action/adventure fantasy fiction and her debut novel, "Queen of Faces" (which is Book 1 of her Queen of Faces Series) will prove to be an immediately welcome and enduringly popular pick for community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of fantasy fans that this hardcover edition of "Queen of Faces" from Henry Hold & Company is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Petra Lord (www.petralord.com) has a BFA in TV Writing from New York University, which she uses to recommend TV shows to her parents and predict the endings of movies. She can be followed on Instagram @petralordauthor
The Music CD Shelf
Mysticism for Intellectuals
John Sweenie
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $8.99 CAD digital
Bandcamp
https://johnsweenie.bandcamp.com/album/mysticism-for-intellectuals-2
Recorded live over the course of two nights, Mysticism for Intellectuals is a blend of modern jazz and indie-rock music styles shaped into seven vibrant songs. All songs are the original compositions of John Sweenie, performed by John Sweenie on saxophone, Jean-Michel Pilc on piano, Remi-Jean Leblanc on electric and upright bass, and Richard Irwin on drums. Mysticism for Intellectuals draws the listener in with its refreshing, experimental soundscape, and is a choice pick for especially for nurturing creativity and insight. Highly recommended! The tracks are In Memory of Roy Batty; Additive; When You're Gone (We Sing of You); Through The Clouds; Darling, We've Grown Apart; threehundredfortythreesecondsofimprovisation; and The Heartford Line.
The Night Sky
Robert Jospe Quartet
https://www.robertjospe.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $TBA digital
Creator's Website
https://robertjospe.hearnow.com
The Robert Jospe Quartet consists of Robert Jospe on drums, Daniel Clarke on piano, Paul Langosch on bass, and Chris Whiteman on guitar. Together they present The Night Sky, an album featuring arrangements of nine original creations and two covers of classic favorites. A fine balance of jazz and world music, The Night Sky is immersive, mind-expanding, inspirational, and highly recommended. The tracks are Crooked Mile (Robert Jospe); Samba Sunrise (Jospe); Pyramids (Jospe/Justin Nelson); Desert Dream (Jospe/Brian Mesko); Flashback (Jospe); The Night Sky (Jospe); The Golden Hour (Jospe/Nelson); Some Other Time (Leonard Bernstein); Take The A Train (Billy Strayhorn); Southern Doodle Dandy (Daniel Clarke); and Silver Lining (Jospe).
Ode to the Possible
Tom Lippincott
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $10.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://tomlippincott.bandcamp.com/album/ode-to-the-possible
Ode to the Possible is a genre-defying, original album composed and arranged by Tom Lippincott (except for improvised interludes) and performed by Tom Lippincott on 8-string guitar and electronics; David Fernandez on tenor and soprano sax; Marty Quinn on bass; Lucas Apostoleris on drums; and Camila Meza on vocals (only for the track "Zakir"). The music captures the spirit of dreaming about the future, and the drive to make those dreams real. Ranging in tone from tranquil and meditative to exuberantly adventurous, Ode to the Possible is an epic musical journey, highly recommended. The tracks are Preface/Overture 25; Bell Tower; Interlude 1; An Inhabitant of Carcosa; Interlude 2; Sisters and Brothers; Interlude 3; Stella by Searchlight; Interlude 4; Zakir; Interlude 5; Exit Strategy; Interlude 6; Trail of Tears; Interlude 7; Rational Peace; Interlude 8; Lynchian; and Epilogue.
Brasiliana
Mark Tonelli
marktonellimusic.com
Artists Recording Collective
artistsrecordingcollective.biz
$TBA CD / $9.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://marktonelli.bandcamp.com/album/brasiliana
Brasiliana is an original Brazilian jazz/hard bop album composed by Mark Tonelli and performed by Mark Tonelli on guitar, Raphael Ferreira on tenor and soprano sax, Guilherme Ribeiro on piano, Richard Metairon on bass, and Rodrigo Braz on drums. Brasiliana is a joyous celebration featuring vibrant rhythms, vivacious melodies, and an unabashed love of Brazil's musical and cultural heritage. Highly recommended, especially for connoisseurs of the genre! The tracks are Velha Alma; Four-Sided Circle; Minha Felicidade E Estar Com Voce; A Solidao Nao Tem Cura; Doi Mas E Bom; Bloco 3M; Praca Jardim Finotti; Twenty One Biscuits; and End of An Era.
Traces of Brazil, Voices of Toronto
Ona Ensemble
onaensemble.com
Duas Trompas
$TBA CD / $9.00 CAD digital
Bandcamp
https://onaensemble.bandcamp.com/album/traces-of-brazil-voices-of-toronto
Ona Ensemble is a Canadian chamber-jazz ensemble of world-class musicians who have each earned international recognition in their careers: horn players Olivia Esther and Victor Prado; soprano sax/flute/clarinet player Colleen Allen; bassoon player Sheba Thibodeau; composer and guitar player Andre Valerio; bassist rich brown; and drummer/percussionist Alan Hetherington. They showcase their combined talent in Traces of Brazil, Voices of Toronto, a music album of Andre Valerio's original compositions, vibrantly blending elements of both classical and Brazilian music. Traces of Brazil, Voices of Toronto is exciting, innovative, and a choice pick especially for connoisseurs of genre-defying imagination. Highly recommended! The tracks are Pro Olmir; Sem Voce; Sentimental; Do Seu Olhar; and Sambado.
Hellbent Daydream
Brandon Seabrook
brandonseabrook.com
Pyroclastic Records
pyroclasticrecords.com
$18.00 CD / $12.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://brandonseabrook.bandcamp.com/album/hellbent-daydream
Hellbent Daydream is the debut performance of Brandon Seabrook's quartet: composer Brandon Seabrook on guitars and banjo; Henry Fraser on bass; Erica Dicker on violin; and Elias Stemeseder on piano and synthesizers. Together, they have created a genre-defying instrumental album that uses music to create a surreal, enticing the soundscape that draws the listener in to its unpredictable flow. Hellbent Daydream is enticing, memorable, boundary-breaking, and highly recommended especially for connoisseurs of original avant-garde music. The tracks are Name Dropping is the Lowest Form of Conversation, Waltz; Bespattered Bygones; Hellbent Daydream; I'm a Nightmare and You Know It; Existential Banger Infinite Ceiling; The Arkansas Tattler; and Autopsied Cloudburst.
What If?
Joel Miller with Resonance New Music & Silvio Pupo
https://www.joelmillermusic.com
Independently Published
c/o Leaf Music Distribution
$TBA CD / $9.00 CAD digital
Bandcamp
https://joelmillermusic.bandcamp.com/album/what-if-2
What if classical and jazz traditions coexisted as interconnecting parts of a greater musical tradition, instead of competing with one another? Composer and saxophonist Joel Miller presents What If?, a music album consisting of both original compositions and reimagined arrangements of classic works by Debussy, Chopin, Mahler and Pachelbel. Performed by Joel Miller on saxophone, Cuban-Canadian Silvio Pupo on piano, Andrew Reed Miller on acoustic bass, Dami Sametz on violin, and Joel Cormier on percussion, What If? is both an exemplary new way to re-experience timeless masterpieces, and a bold venture that tests the boundaries of modern jazz. Highly recommended! The tracks are This and That; From this Lando; Harvey; Dew Drop in; Nos etoiles; Wait for it...; 24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 1 in C Major (Arr. by Joel Miller); What a Wonderful World; Canon in D (Arr. by Joel Miller); and Joe Chevere.
The Business Shelf
Trusted Advertising: How to Harness the Value of Trust in Your Brand
Matt Bourn and James Best, authors
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398623576, $65.00, HC, 296pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Trusted-Advertising-Harness-Value-Trust/dp/1398623571
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trusted-advertising-matt-bourn/1147379502
Synopsis: With its themes of advertising strategy, brand trust, creative effectiveness, media planning, influencer marketing, AI and regulation, "Trusted Advertising: How to Harness the Value of Trust in Your Brand" is a practical guide for mid-career marketers, agency professionals and brand leaders who want to build credibility, apply evidence-based principles and deliver campaigns that drive long-term consumer trust. As advertising faces declining confidence and rising complexity, "Trusted Advertising" provides a roadmap to optimize creative effectiveness and improve decision making across channels.
Drawing on the latest research and insights from organizations including Google, WPP and the Advertising Standards Authority, in "Trusted Advertising" co-authors Matt Bourn and James Best outline how trust is created, measured and maintained in modern advertising ecosystems. Through detailed chapters, actionable tools and real-world examples from McDonald's, Tesco, Specsavers and more, "Trusted Advertising" shows how trusted communication can elevate campaign performance and strengthen brand equity.
"Trusted Advertising" shows how to:
Apply trust-building principles to improve creative strategy and execution
Implement frameworks for managing trust across media, platforms and influencer partnerships
Develop strategies to optimize campaign transparency, consistency and audience engagement
Understand the role of Gen AI, tech platforms and regulation in shaping trusted advertising
Use real-world case examples to guide decision making and strengthen professional credibility
With a deftly crafted blend of strategic insight and hands-on guidance, "Trusted Advertising" helps you develop the skills and confidence to implement campaigns that perform today and build resilient, trusted brands for the future.
Critique: An ideal introductory textbook for MBA students and supplemental Business Marketing curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for corporate advertising executives, entrepreneurs, and governmental regulators (as well as political activists and non-specialist general readers with an interest in business ethics and media communications) that this hardcover edition of co-author Matt Bourn and James Best's "Trusted Advertising: How to Harness the Value of Trust in Your Brand" from Kogan Page is also available in paperback (9781398623552, $38.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $$37.04).
Editorial Note #1: Matt Bourn is the Director of Communications for the Advertising Association and Ad Net Zero, based in London, UK. He steers the industry's work around Climate Action, including the formation of Ad Net Zero, providing communications support for the Inclusion workstream, All In, driving forward its Export strategy through the UK Advertising Export Group and fulfilment of the association's responsibilities as the UK representative for Cannes Lions. With 25 years' experience previously, he was Managing Director of Braben, the UK's leading PR consultancy for media, working for companies such as Sky, Channel 4, Disney and Sony. (https://www.campaignadnetzeroawards.com/matt-bourn)
Editorial Note #2: James Best is Chair of the Committees of Advertising Practice and of Credos, the advertising industry-funded think tank, based in London, UK. With 50 years' experience in the advertising industry, amongst numerous roles, he has been Chair of the Advertising Association, President of the EACA, Chief Strategy Officer of DDB Worldwide and Chair of BMP DDB. (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=9nMdZvcAAAAJ&hl=en)
Principles of Marketing Analytics: Understand Data-Driven Decision-Making
Ijeoma Onwumere
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398623293, $85.00, HC, 392pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Principles-Marketing-Analytics-Data-Driven-Decision-Making/dp/1398623296
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/principles-of-marketing-analytics-ijeoma-onwumere/1147379488
Synopsis: With the publication of "Principles of Marketing Analytics: Understand Data-Driven Decision-Making", Ijeoma Onwumere has created an introductory textbook for undergraduate and postgraduate marketing students. Onwumere takes his readers from foundational principles to applied insights of marketing analytics, developing the analytical mindset and confidence to make evidence-based marketing decisions.
"Principles of Marketing Analytics" is a introductory textbook that explains how data drives segmentation, targeting, campaign optimization, and forecasting, bridging marketing theory with analytical practice. MBA students will learn to collect, analyse and interpret data and explore how technologies such as machine learning and generative AI are transforming the discipline.
Designed for both classroom learning and independent study, and as an introductory textbook, "Principles of Marketing Analytics" aligns with undergraduate modules in marketing analytics and digital marketing including:
Frameworks including AIDA Model (Awareness, Interest, Desire, Action), CRO (conversion rate optimization) and TBL (triple bottom line) for applying analytics to marketing challenges
Real-world examples from Netflix, Walmart, Airbnb, Sephora, Nike and more that connect theory and practice and shows how data-driven insights power measurable impact
Exercises, discussion questions, and chapter summaries to consolidate learning
Key terms list and key learning points for quick review
Online resources for lecturers, including slides and a teaching guide
Whether studying marketing analytics or preparing for a data-informed career, "Principles of Marketing Analytics" equips MBA students with the skills to make confident, data-driven marketing decisions.
Critique: Comprehensive, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Principles of Marketing Analytics: Understand Data-Driven Decision-Making" by Ijeoma Onwumere is an essential and highly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, business school, and college/university library Business Marketing collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for MBA students, academia, entrepreneurs, and business executives concerned with data mining as an essential part of business decision making and corporate problem solving that this hardcover edition of "Principles of Marketing Analytics: Understand Data-Driven Decision-Making" from Kogan Page is also readily available in paperback (9781398623279, $52.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $46.93)
Editorial Note: Ijeoma Onwumere is Lecturer in Fashion Marketing at the Manchester Fashion Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University, and a data-driven marketing practitioner with more than ten years of experience blending commercial strategy, creative marketing practice and analytical rigor. (https://fashioninstitute.mmu.ac.uk/our-staff/ijeoma-onwumere)
Marketing Technology: Integrating Martech for Transformational Marketing
Ediz Edip Akcay
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398625273, $95.00, HC, 416pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Marketing-Technology-Integrating-Martech-Transformational/dp/1398625272
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/marketing-technology-ediz-edip-akcay/1147382073
Synopsis: With the publication of "Marketing Technology: Integrating Martech for Transformational Marketing", Dr. Ediz Edip Akcay provides upper-level undergraduate and postgraduate students with a comprehensive understanding of how innovation shapes marketing strategy and practice in the modern business environment.
Blending theory, strategic models and applied insights, "Marketing Technology" explores the technologies transforming marketing from: artificial intelligence and machine learning to blockchain, automation and augmented, virtual and mixed realities. MBA students will learn how to use data and critical thinking to deliver measurable impact and build customer trust in an era of continuous digital evolution.
Designed for academic alignment, with key terms, key points, exercises, and reflective questions and real-world application, "Marketing Technology includes:
Detailed coverage of the historical connection between technology and marketing, big data, neuromarketing, smart devices for enhanced consumer engagement, Internet of Things (IoT) and their role in contemporary marketing strategy
Frameworks for optimizing campaign performance through analytics, automation and return on investment measurement
Ethical perspectives are explored in each chapter highlighting responsible and transparent use of marketing technology
Online lecturer resources include presentation slides
Whether studying digital marketing, strategic marketing or marketing management, "Marketing Technology" equips MBA students with the expertise and confidence to analyse, apply and innovate with the tools shaping the future of marketing.
Critique: An ideal introduction to the marketing technologies involved with cutting edge national and international strategies, techniques for web and E-commerce based marketing campaigns, "Marketing Technology: Integrating Martech for Transformational Marketing" is comprehensive and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation. While this hardcover edition of "Marketing Technology: Integrating Martech for Transformational Marketing" by Dr. Ediz Edip Akcay is an essential acquisition for personal, professional, community, business school, and college/university library Business & Marketing collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for MBA Students, academia, corporate sales/marketing executives, and entrepreneurs that it is also available in paperback (9781398625259, $59.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $53.25).
Editorial Note: Dr. Ediz Edip Akcay is a Senior Lecturer in Digital Marketing and BSc (Hons) Marketing Programme Leader at the Business School, Bournemouth University, UK. He has published work in publications including Journal of Customer Behaviour and Qualitative Market Research, across subject areas of digital advertising, cause-related marketing, user experience in mobile apps and branding. (https://staffprofiles.bournemouth.ac.uk/display/eakcay)
Data-Driven Marketing Strategy
Kamila Miller
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398623866, $85.00, HC, 480pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Data-Driven-Marketing-Strategy-achieve-measurable/dp/1398623865
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/data-driven-marketing-strategy-kamila-miller/1147379504
Synopsis: With the publication of "Data-Driven Marketing Strategy: How to apply data to achieve measurable results", marketing expert Kamila Miller gives upper-level undergraduate and post-graduate MBA students a comprehensive framework for turning marketing data into creative, evidence-based strategies that deliver measurable impact.
"Data-Driven Marketing Strategy" helps MBA and undergraduate business students to move beyond understanding metrics to interpreting insights and applying them to real marketing challenges and is specifically and effectively designed to support both classroom learning and independent study.
"Data-Driven Marketing Strategy" fully aligns with undergraduate modules in Marketing Strategy and Data-Driven Marketing and includes:
Frameworks for applying data to every stage of marketing strategy
Guidance for creating personas and segmentation models
Best-practice tips for leveraging data and technology for best outcomes, practical exercises, key learning points and real-world examples including Pepsi, Netflix and HubSpot
Insights on digital marketing trends, AI, and customer experience
Online resources including lecturer slides
Whether studying marketing strategy or preparing for a data-driven career, "Data-Driven Marketing Strategy" equips students with the tools, insight and creativity to design strategies that perform.
Critique: The comprehensive undergraduate textbook guide to designing creative, data-driven marketing strategies is thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, business school, and college/university library Business Online Web Marketing and E-commerce collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Data-Driven Marketing Strategy: How to apply data to achieve measurable results" from Kogan Page is also readily available in paperback (9781398623637, $52.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $47.01).
Editorial Note: Kamila Miller is a senior marketing leader, lecturer and researcher operating at the intersection of industry practice and academic rigour. With extensive experience in the marketing field, she specialises in strategic brand positioning, digital marketing, consumer psychology and the impact of artificial intelligence on digital decision-making. She is also a lecturer in Marketing, Branding and Business and currently serves as the Marketing SIG Strand Lead for AI, Innovation & Emerging Tech at the Academy of Marketing. She is a Chartered Marketer, Board Member and Communication Ambassador for the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), as well as an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA).
The Gardening Shelf
Birds & Blooms Gardening Secrets
Birds & Blooms, editor
c/o Trusted Media Brands
https://www.trustedmediabrands.com
9798889771739, $19.99, PB, 256pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Birds-Blooms-Gardening-Secrets-All-Season/dp/B0FCDBGG2T
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/birds-blooms-gardening-secrets-birds-and-blooms/1147557103
Synopsis: Even the most novice of gardeners can now unlock the secrets to a thriving, beautiful garden with "Birds & Blooms Gardening Secrets" an all-season DIY guide featuring expert gardening tips and ideas for the creation and maintenance of a thriving gardens for every season of the year.
"Birds & Blooms Gardening Secrets", created by the experts of Birds and Blooms magazine, is a comprehensive DIY guide that provides clear, practical advice and innovative ideas to make gardening easier, affordable, and enjoyable. It offers:
Year-Round Guidance Breaks Down Seasonal Tasks for Planting Pruning and Growing Success
Affordable Low-Maintenance Gardening Solutions DIY Tips and Small Space Ideas
Expert Advice from Trusted Birds and Blooms Gardening Professionals and Enthusiasts
Hacks from Real Gardeners and Creative Solutions for Common Gardening Challenges
Attract Birds Bees and Butterflies by Creating Vibrant Pollinator Friendly Gardens
Featured are:
Seasonal Chapters for Year-Round Guidance -- From the blossoms of spring to the indoor greenery of winter, our chapter-by-chapter seasonal breakdown shows you exactly what to plant, prune, and harvest each month. Maximize your garden's potential no matter the time of year.
Experts and Fellow Gardeners at Your Side -- Packed with insider tips from the pro gardening team at Birds and Blooms, as well as helpful hacks from fellow gardeners. Discover solutions for everything from drought-resistant plants and composting to troubleshooting your backyard challenges.
Affordable and Practical Techniques -- Whether you're working with a small space or a tight budget, Gardening Secrets offers budget-friendly DIY projects, low-maintenance landscaping solutions, and simple steps to grow an edible garden of your own. Save time, effort, and money while nurturing your green thumb.
Create a Garden That Welcomes Wildlife -- Transform your outdoor space into a haven for birds, butterflies, and pollinators. Learn how to design a habitat they'll love while enhancing your garden's health and vibrant beauty.
Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just getting started, Birds and Blooms "Gardening Secrets" is the definitive guide to growing with confidence and thriving alongside nature.
Critique: This large format (8.13 x 0.6 x 10.88 inches, 11 ounces) trade paperback edition of "Birds & Blooms Gardening Secrets" is beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with full color photography. Impressively comprehensive, exceptionally read/gardener friendly in organization and presentations, and featuring more than 350 professional insider tips, tricks and techniques, "Birds & Blooms Gardening Secrets" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and community library Instructional Gardening Book collections. It should be noted that "Birds & Blooms Gardening Secrets" is also readly available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Birds & Blooms (www.birdsandblooms.com) specializes in publishing a magazine and a series of 'how to' books for birders and gardeners. Featuring incredible nature photography, expert gardening advice and detailed accounts that are adored by today's bird and butterfly enthusiasts, Birds & Blooms magazine and books are cherished by readers throughout North America. With more than a million followers on social media, Birds & Blooms prides itself on inspiring a lifelong love of birding, gardening and nature by celebrating beauty in the backyard and beyond.
Garden for Life
Rhonda Fleming Hayes
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
www.chelseagreen.com
9781645023258, $29.95, PB, 256pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Garden-Life-Strategies-Greener-Gardening/dp/1645023257
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/garden-for-life-rhonda-fleming-hayes/1148002816
Synopsis: With the publication of "Garden for Life: Strategies for Easier, Greener, More Joyful Gardening as We Age", horticulturist and gardening enthusiast Rhonda Fleming Hayes brings a lifetime of gardening experience, research-based advice, and collective wisdom to older gardeners who are looking for inspiration and practical strategies.
"Garden for Life" is a delightfully comprehensive DIY guide that presents new techniques and tools to make gardening less strenuous, and highlights plants that "multitask" to make a garden more sustainable -- for both the gardener and the environment! "Garden for Life" also advises on how and when to ask for help to lighten the load so that a senior gardening enthusiast can focus on the life-enhancing aspects of spending time in the garden.
"Garden for Life" also reminds us that gardening is a simple way to answer the human need to connect with nature, a craving called biophilia, while highlighting its many proven health benefits. Gardening offers a low-intensity workout with a variety of natural movements, provides a sense of purpose while nurturing a meditative state that decreases stress, fosters improved nutrition and better brain health, and grows social connection and community. In short, gardening is excellent for health and longevity!
Critique: This large format trade paperback edition of "Garden for Life: Strategies for Easier, Greener, More Joyful Gardening as We Age" by gardening expert Rhonda Felming Hayes is informative enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a Preface (Pour Some Tea and Walk with Me), colored illustrations throughout, a two page listing of Acknowledgments, a four page listing of Resources, two pages of Notes, and a fourteen page Index. Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Gardening for Life" is unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and Senior Citizen Center library Instructional Gardening collections. It should be noted that "Gardening for Life" from Chelsea Green Publishing is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.99).
Editorial Note: Rhonda Fleming Hayes is the author of Pollinator Friendly Gardening: Gardening for Bees, Butterflies, and Other Pollinators and an award- winning writer and photographer applying her passion to all things plant-related. Combining a lifetime of gardening experience with wit and solid research-based advice, her stories can be found in the Minnesota Star Tribune, Northern Gardener, and Mpls/StPaul Magazine. She has also been published in Southern Living, Midwest Living, Savannah Magazine, and numerous online sites. She's a popular speaker for garden clubs and other groups with presentations covering pollinators, butterfly gardening, native plants, and the art of kitchen gardening, to name a few. Rhonda gardens in Minneapolis in an urban neighborhood surrounded by woods and water. The abundant plot is home to many bees, butterflies, birds, and beneficial insects. She has volunteered as an Extension Master Gardener since 2000. She is a member of GardenComm, the Minnesota State Horticultural Society, the Herb Society of America, and is a past trustee of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.
The Needlecraft Shelf
The Granny Squares Bible
Hiroko Aono-Billson
Search Press Ltd.
https://www.searchpress.com
9781800923928, $19.95, PB, 288pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Granny-Squares-Bible-Designs-Crochet/dp/1800923929
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-granny-squares-bible-hiroko-aono-billson/1147164134
Synopsis: A granny square is a piece of square fabric produced in crochet by working in rounds from the center outward. Granny squares are traditionally handmade as crochet and cannot be manufactured by machine. They resemble coarse lace. Although there is no theoretical limit to the maximum size of a granny square, crocheters usually create multiple small squares (called "motifs") and assemble the pieces to make clothing, purses, Afghan blankets, and other household textiles.
From classic squares to textured swatches and from geometric shapes to stunning crochet flowers, "The Granny Squares Bible: 110 Designs to Mix, Match and Crochet" is a comprehensive guide will provide you with boundless inspiration.
Written to be completely beginner-friendly, and featuring illustrated step-by-step guides to all the key stitches and techniques needed, "The Granny Squares Bible" by Hiroko Aono-Billson includes:
Guidance at every step, from selecting the right yarn and hook to understanding essential stitches like single crochet, double crochet and more advanced techniques like puff stitch, popcorn stitch and even Tunisian crochet.
How to join your squares seamlessly for a polished finish and explore exciting project ideas, including blankets, scarves, cushions and even flower garlands.
110 simple, easy-to-follow projects: every design comes with full written instructions and an illustrated crochet chart.
"The Granny Squares Bible: is more than just another pattern book. It will unlock your creative potential and help you transform your yarn stash into beautiful, personalized creations.
Critique: A flawless translation from the French edition by crafter and author Hiroko Aono-Billson, this trade paperback (7.75 x 0.98 x 7.75 inches, 1.69 pounds) edition of "The Granny Squares Bible: 110 Designs to Mix, Match and Crochet" from Search Press is a unique and thoroughly 'user friendly' step-by-step instructional guide that is an especially and unreservedly recommended acquisition for personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft collections.
Editorial Note: Hiroko Aono-Billson studied at Central Saint Martins College of Art, London UK in the early 1990s. In 1997 she founded her own company, BLUE FIELD. She designs and manufactures one-off commissioned designs and limited edition ranges of accessories, soft furnishings and clothing for retailers in the UK and Japan. After returning to the UK after four years living and working in Japan, Hiroko rediscovered the meaning of design, color and space in traditional Japanese arts. (www.milieustudios.co.uk/ceramicists/hirokoaonobillson)
The Crochet Stitch Companion for Blankets and Afghans
Anna Nikipirowicz
Search Press Ltd.
https://www.searchpress.com
9781800922938, $25.95, PB, 176pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Crochet-Stitch-Companion-Blankets-Afghans/dp/1800922930
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-crochet-stitch-companion-for-blankets-and-afghans-anna-nikipirowicz/1146652013
Synopsis: From bold, inspiring colorwork to snuggly, tactile textures, with the publication of "The Crochet Stitch Companion for Blankets and Afghans: 60 stitches, motifs and edges to create your perfect project", crochet expert Anna Nikipirowicz shows how to build your perfect blanket.
If you want to create your own unique blankets (perhaps as personalized gifts or to add the perfect finishing touch to your home), even the most novice of needlecrafters need look no further than this inspiring and fully illustrated collection of adaptable designs.
"The Crochet Stitch Companion for Blankets and Afghans" is specifically designed for absolute beginners and upwards. This complete DIY crochet primer is fully photographed, covering everything you need to know from start to finish: from working basic stitches to joining motifs, blocking and making pompoms. This inspiring visual directory will also build your confidence and skills, and can be referred to again and again, whenever you need ideas or advice.
"The Crochet Stitch Companion for Blankets and Afghans" features 35 stitch patterns, 15 motifs and 10 borders, each with a full written pattern and chart, along with easy-to-follow advice for working your chosen design elements into your own crochet projects. A range of stitches, including all the basics, plus tactile raised textures, mosaic color work and lightweight lacework. A range of motifs (perfect for a patchwork-style blanket) including granny squares, diamonds, triangles and hexagons. selection of edging options, from picot, spike and lace to simple double crochet borders. Plus 4 gorgeous blanket projects, to inspire you with Anna's own color and stitch combinations.
Critique: This large format paperback edition of "The Crochet Stitch Companion for Blankets and Afghans" by Anna Nikipirowicz is exceptionally effective and 'user friendly' DIY instructional guide and how to manual. With its profusely illustrated instructions, "The Crochet Stitch Companion for Blankets and Afghans" is an unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft/Crocheting collections. It should be noted that this edition of "The Crochet Stitch Companion for Blankets and Afghans" from Search Press is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.53).
Editorial Note: Anna Nikipirowicz (www.moochka.co.uk) is a crochet and knit designer, tutor, and author of several crochet books. Her designs are regularly featured in craft magazines such as Inside Crochet. She teaches Tunisian crochet, crochet and knitting across UK and abroad, always striving for participants to learn new skills or enhance the ones they already have. Anna lives in the UK.
The Genealogy Shelf
Ancestoring: Understanding Records, Family, and Ourselves
Darcie Hind Posz
Genealogical Publishing Company
www.genealogical.com
9780806322100, $34.95, PB, 180pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Ancestoring-Understanding-Records-Ourselves-Families/dp/0806322101
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ancestoring-darcie-hind-posz/1149218211
Synopsis: "Ancestoring: Understanding Records, Family, and Ourselves" by genealogist Darcie Hind Posz is divided into three parts:
1. Understanding Records affirms the importance of placing records in their historical context.
2. Understanding Family helps us to ask the question, "Why?" and to be objective and nonjudgmental when uncovering our ancestors' decisions and actions.
3. Understanding Ourselves helps us to acknowledge our own biases in analyzing our ancestors' records and decisions.
Critique: Ideal for the novice genealogist and with great value for the more experienced family researcher, "Ancestoring: Understanding Records, Family, and Ourselves" this paperback edition from the Genealogical Publishing Company is a unique, informative, 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, making it an unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Genealogical Research collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Darcie Hind Posz is an author, genealogist and researcher. She is a member of the Descendants of the Illegitimate Sons and Daughters of the Kings of Britain and enrolled on the list of Kana'iolowalu (the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission). She served as a verifying genealogist for both the National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, and the National Society, Colonial Dames of the Seventeenth Century. Other genealogical employment has included, genealogist for the Office of Federal Acknowledgement at the Bureau of Indian Affairs and currently, as the eighth Executive Director for the Board for Certification of Genealogists. (https://fasg.org/fellows/fellows-darcie-hind-posz).
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
Gilmore Girls Pop Culture Reference Guide
Matt Browning
The Lyons Press
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
9781493092444, $24.95, PB, 368pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Gilmore-Girls-Culture-Reference-Guide/dp/1493092448
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gilmore-girls-pop-culture-reference-guide-matt-browning/1147495573
Synopsis: With the publication of "Gilmore Girls Pop Culture Reference Guide", Matt Browning has created an in-depth compendium that includes the thousands of topical references to people, places, movies, music, and events that make up many of the funniest lines on the ever-popular television series Gilmore Girls, bringing new and longtime fans alike in on the joke while educating readers about pop culture and world events from the turn of the twenty-first century.
Despite the timelessness of its humor and heart, however, there is one aspect of Gilmore Girls that firmly anchors it in its era: the sizable cache of dated pop culture references that were topical for the time period but leave today's viewers, especially those of younger generations, scratching their heads.
Over the course of seven seasons and 153 episodes from 2000 to 2007, followed by a four-part revival series in 2016, Gilmore Girls has become a cultural touchstone with an extraordinarily devoted fan base.
In every episode, its fast-paced style of dialogue offered biting observations and timeless humor about issues such as dating, sex, marriage, divorce, race, gender equality, gay rights, and more, while its characters offered rapid-fire pop culture references with seemingly every breath.
Every episode is laced with jokes about people, places, and events that have been blurred, or even forgotten, by time, from the Bangles to the Mothman Prophecies to the works of Shakespeare to the long-forgotten Glitter.
Meticulously researched episode by episode, the "Gilmore Girls Pop Culture Reference Guide" is an eye-opening, illuminating encyclopedia of thousands of topical jokes that will help both new and longtime fans experience their favorite show in a whole new light.
Critique: Simply stated, "Gilmore Girls Pop Culture Reference Guide" by Matt Browning is a 'must' for the legions of Gilmore Girls fans. Organized sequentially by Season, exhaustively comprehensive, and a delightful tour of Gilmore Girls style nostalgia, "Gilmore Girls Pop Culture Reference Guide" is a unique and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, community, and college/university library Television History & Reference collections. It should be noted that this trade paperback edition (6 x 1.1 x 9 inches, 1.15 pounds) of "Gilmore Girls Pop Culture Reference Guide" from Lyons Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: Matt Browning is a lifelong television devotee and pop culture enthusiast who has watched Gilmore Girls more times than he can count. His previous book, The Definitive Golden Girls Cultural Reference Guide (Lyons Press), is a similarly veined pop culture encyclopedia of that enduringly popular series, and Gilmore Girls Pop Culture Reference Guide is a worthy sequel that gives the same treatment to a show that had even more cultural references than The Golden Girls. The Golden Girls book was an instant favorite, rising to the top of its category rank on Amazon sales and earning out its advance in its initial print run. Browning lives in West Virginia.
On the Set of Forrest Gump
Steve Starkey
The University Press of Kentucky
www.kentuckypress.com
9781985903678, $29.95, HC, 200pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Set-Forrest-Gump-Steve-Starkey/dp/1985903679
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/on-the-set-of-forrest-gump-steve-starkey/1147203932
Synopsis: Making movies is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get.
Forrest Gump is a beloved and frequently quoted modern classic that has captivated audiences and changed the American cultural landscape since its release. The winner of six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay, its portrayal of American history has often sparked debate. Over the years, viewers have revisited the movie from various perspectives, comparing its sociopolitical themes to those of the current environment. There is no consensus on the exact nature of Robert Zemeckis's creation, yet its influential role in pop culture is undeniable, as is the love for the film.
With the publication of "On the Set of Forrest Gump", film producer Steve Starkey takes his readers on the set of Forrest Gump, providing a candid and nostalgic account of his personal journey during the film's production. His unique firsthand account highlights what makes this iconic movie special and outlines the filmmaking process -- from Zemeckis's early determination to "do anything" to get the film made, to discussions with studio executives about funding and creative control, to the immense effort required during production. Starkey chronicles his distinctive relationship with the film as a producer and a creative partner to Zemeckis, who recognized the film's potential from the beginning.
Featuring exclusive materials (including more than two hundred never-before-seen production stills and photographs depicting the entire cinematic process), "On the Set of Forrest Gump" is candid tell-all book, complete with a foreword by Tom Hanks.
Critique: Fascinating, informative, exceptional, "On the Set of Forrest Gump" by Steve Starkey is absolutely recommended and essential reading for the legions of movie enthusiasts in general, and Forrest Gump fans in particular. Presented in a chronological order from pre-production to release, and with cogent commentary throughout the entire movie making process and the personalities involved, "On the Set of Forrest Gump" is a very special and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Cinematic History/Biography collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "On the Set of Forrest Gump" is also readily available to film students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject in a digital book format (Kindle, $29.95).
Editorial Note: Steve Starkey (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Starkey) is an Academy Award - winning film producer who, in addition to working closely with acclaimed director Robert Zemeckis on such films as Forrest Gump, Contact, Cast Away, What Lies Beneath, and The Polar Express, has operated in various capacities on projects such as George Lucas's original Star Wars trilogy and Ridley Scott's Matchstick Men. Starkey's production filmography includes his role as executive producer for Last Holiday and Real Steel. He began his work alongside Zemeckis as the associate producer on Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Back to the Future, parts II and III.
Maurice Tourneur: Weaver of Dreams
Christine Leteux
University of Wisconsin Press
https://uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299356408, $39.95, HC, 380pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Maurice-Tourneur-Weaver-Wisconsin-Studies/dp/029935640X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/maurice-tourneur-christine-leteux/1148516305
University of Wisconsin Press
https://uwpress.wisc.edu/Books/M/Maurice-Tourneur
Synopsis: In 1914, an unknown French filmmaker arrived in New York; within four years, Maurice Tourneur (1876 - 1961) would become one of America's most acclaimed directors.
A masterful biography of this pioneer film maker, "Maurice Tourneur: Weaver of Dreams" by Christine Leteux shows how intimately connected Tourneur's life was to major events of the twentieth century as well as to the profound transformations in movie making.
A master of directing silent films, he quickly managed the transition to sound. His last major work was created for Continental Films, the German-owned firm that controlled the French film industry during the Nazi Occupation. His son, Jacques, followed in his footsteps, also becoming an acclaimed director.
Drawing heavily on previously unpublished archival documents, Leteux reinvigorates film history and demonstrates that we know far less about this era of filmmaking than we often assume. She reveals not only how Tourneur jumped from France to the United States and back again but also how he shifted from one company to another, moving quickly up the ladder to bigger productions and ever larger studios.
Tourneur's drive, insight, technical proficiency, skill with actors, ability to create new forms of storytelling, and fame on both sides of the Atlantic make it all the more surprising that he is not better known today -- an oversight that has now been corrected thanks to Leteux's impressively detailed research and nuanced storytelling.
Critique: An exceptional, seminal, and groundbreaking study of extensive research and meticulously documented scholarship, "Maurice Tourneur: Weaver of Dreams" by Christine Leteux is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a Foreword by Robert Byrne, numerous B/W illustrations, a two page Introduction, a two page listing of Acknowledgments, twenty pages of Notes, an eighteen page Filmography, a two page Selected Bibliography, and a twelve page Index. This hardcover edition of "Maurice Tourneur: Weaver of Dreams" from the Wisconsin University Press is a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Film/Movie History/Criticism collections and supplemental Cinematic History/Biography curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Christine Leteux is the author of Albert Capellani: Pioneer of the Silent Screen and Continental Films: French Cinema Under German Control, both self-translated into English. She is also the translator of several books by British film historian and filmmaker Kevin Brownlow. (www.goodreads.com/author/show/13495116.Christine_Leteux)
The Sports Shelf
You Can't Get There from Here
Roger N. Faulkner
Koehler Books
www.koehlerbooks.com
9798897470174, $25.95, HC, 338pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/You-Cant-Get-There-Here/dp/B0G5VJDCZM
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/you-cant-get-there-from-here-roger-n-faulkner/1148911057
Synopsis: "You Can't Get There from Here: My Soccer Journey from Derby to Detroit" is Robert Faulkner's personal story of resilience, reinvention, and his determination to turn bold dreams into reality.
Faulkner grew up in wartime Britain as a promising tennis player, but his life took a new course when a career transfer brought him to Detroit. After years with Burroughs Corporation, he pursued his passion for soccer by co-founding the Detroit Express of the North American Soccer League with English soccer icon Jimmy Hill. Their partnership ended in turmoil, with Hill subsequently moving the team to Washington, DC, where it was to fold ignominiously in what the British press dubbed "Jimmy Hill's American disaster."
Undeterred, Faulkner later launched Detroit's bid to host matches for the 1994 World Cup. Against all odds, his daring plan to play on natural grass inside the Pontiac Silverdome stunned the world and made history. As chair of the bid and host committees, he helped deliver one of the tournament's most successful venues and later contributed to the World Cup's legacy through participation in the founding of Major League Soccer and the US Soccer Foundation.
Told with humor and candor, Faulkner's personal life story brims with unforgettable encounters ranging from Henry Kissinger to Robin Williams, and celebrates the persistence required to achieve the seemingly impossible.
Critique: An absolute 'must' for the legions of American soccer fans, Roger Faulkner's memoir, "You Can't Get There from Here: My Soccer Journey from Derby to Detroit" is a simply fascinating and informative read from start to finish. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "You Can't Get There from Here: My Soccer Journey from Derby to Detroit" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library American Soccer History & Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "You Can't Get There from Here: My Soccer Journey from Derby to Detroit" from Koehler Books is also readily available in paperback (9798897470150, $19.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Roger Faulkner is the co-founder of the Detroit Express of the North American Soccer League and a former financial consultant with Merrill Lynch. As president of the Michigan Soccer Association, Faulkner spearheaded Detroit's successful bid to host 1994 World Cup matches, and he assisted in the launch of Major League Soccer. He was a founding director of the United States Soccer Foundation and served on the investment committee from 1995 to 2018. He advised on the successful takeover of his beloved Derby County in 2008 and has been a regular soccer and tennis broadcaster both locally and nationally.
The Gaming Shelf
Borel Games
Eilon Solan
Chapman Hall Books/CRC Press
c/o Routledge
https://www.routledge.com
9781032948652, $104.99, HC, 228pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Borel-Games-Eilon-Solan/dp/1032948655
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/borel-games-eilon-solan/1147450032
Synopsis: Borel Games are multiplayer games with infinite horizon and general payoff functions. These types of games, first introduced by Gale and Stewart (1953), were studied within descriptive set theory in the context of two-player zero-sum games. Only recently have they attracted attention from the broader game theory community. "Borel Games" by Eilon Solan is the first attempt to present a comprehensive exploration of Borel Games in a single volume.
"Borel Games" can be used as a main text for a graduate-level course on Borel Games, or as a supplementary text for a more general course on game theory. Students are assumed to be familiar with set theory and to have a basic understanding of general game theory.
"Borel Games" is replete with exercises (with solutions available online for course instructors) and includes a selection of open problems to invite further study.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a six page Bibliography and a five page Index, "Boreal Games" by Eilon Solan is a comprehensive and seminal contribution to personal, professional, and college/university library Game Theory collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for fame theory students, academics, and gaming fans that this hardcover edition of "Boreal Games" from Chapman Hall/CRC Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $73.99).
Editorial Note: Eilon Solan is a professor at the School of Mathematical Sciences at Tel Aviv University, specializing in Game Theory. He earned his Ph.D. in 1998 from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and spent two years at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University before joining Tel Aviv University. Solan's research focuses on dynamic games, including stochastic games, stopping games, games with vector payoffs, infinite horizon games with general payoffs, and dynamic decision problems. He has made significant contributions to the study of equilibrium existence in dynamic games and the impact of information in games. Solan co-authored the textbook Game Theory with Michael Maschler and Shmuel Zamir, and authored the graduate-level text Introduction to Stochastic Game Theory. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eilon_Solan)
The Self-Help Shelf
How to Organize Yourself, 8th edition
John Caunt
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398619982, $27.99, HC, 184pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/How-Organize-Yourself-Efficiently-Creating/dp/1398619981
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-organize-yourself-john-caunt/1129253002
Synopsis: Now in a fully updated and expanded 8th edition, "How to Organize Yourself: Simple Ways to Take Control, Save Time and Work More Efficiently" by John Caunt now features even more practical exercises, useful templates and top tips to help you get organized, as well as content on how to deal with the ubiquitous presence of smartphones and adapt to the ever increasing scope for interruption and procrastination in our 24/7 lives.
Deftly organized into ten succinct chapters, "How to Organize Yourself" will enable you to take control of your workload, reduce stress and fatigue, and free up time for the things that really matter.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, this new 8th edition of "How to Organize Yourself: Simple Ways to Take Control, Save Time and Work More Efficiently" by John Caunt is an extraordinary, effective, 'real world practical', DIY instructional guide and 'how-to' manual that continues to be especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections. Of special and particular interest to readers concerned with time management and career development issues, it should be noted that this hardcover 8th edition of "How to Organize Yourself" from Kogan Page is also available in paperback (9781398619968, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.14).
Editorial Note: John Caunt (www.johncaunt.biz) is a freelance writer, drawing on his many years' experience as a senior manager, trainer and life coach. During that time and subsequently he has been concerned with the design, organisation and delivery of personal and professional development programmes for individuals and groups of all ages and backgrounds. He is also the author of Stay Confident, How to Organize Yourself, Boost Your Self-Esteem and 30 Minutes to Manage Information Overload, all published by Kogan Page.
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