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Wisconsin Bookwatch
Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
The Art of the Book: 75 Years of Thames & Hudson
Anna Nyburg, contributor
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500028063, $90.00, HC, 400pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Book-Seventy-Five-Thames-Hudson/dp/0500028060
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-art-of-the-book-anna-nyburg/1148470464
Synopsis: In 1949, Walter and Eva Neurath founded Thames & Hudson with a clear aim: to make art and scholarship more
accessible through independent publishing that was prepared to risk being ahead of the curve. Seventy-five years later, their
original vision of creating a "museum without walls" still resonates. As well as publishing beautifully designed and
produced books in collaboration with the world's leading artists, writers, museums, cultural institutions, and fashion houses,
Thames & Hudson continues to evolve and innovate, remaining relevant and reflecting the times we live in.
This special publication, divided into three chronological chapters, provides a comprehensive view into the company's
history. An introduction and three essays by historian Anna Nyburg take us from its origins in Vienna on the cusp of World
War II to the 1960s and a change in management, and to the new millennium and beyond. Thames & Hudson's rich output
of groundbreaking and award-winning titles - ranging across the subjects of art, archaeology and architecture, history,
design, photography, and fashion - is celebrated in stunning pictorial spreads, as beautiful and compelling as the books
themselves.
The Art of the Book will be a valuable resource for those interested in the history of bookmaking and T&H's impact over
the years, and a must-have for collectors, enthusiasts, and anyone with an appreciation for the art and evolution of
publishing.
Critique: A massive compendium featuring 2,000 illustrations (with 1,800 being in color) this large format hardcover
edition of "The Art of the Book: 75 Years of Thames & Hudson" is a fascinating celebration showcasing the seventy-five
year book publishing history at Thames & Hudson and will be a special delight for bibliophiles, historians, art lovers, and
dedicated fans of Thames & Hudson books over the past seven and a half decades of quality publishing. Organized into
three chronological periods (Part 1, 1949-1967; Part 2, 1968-1999, Part 3, 2000-Present), the beautifully produced images,
accompanied by descriptive commentaries, is a tour-de-force of a premier publisher in the arts. A book to browse through
again and again, this beautifully published volume is an ideal Library Memorial Fund acquisition and unreservedly
recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Publishing History collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Anna Nyburg (https://ilcs.sas.ac.uk/people/dr-anna-nyburg) is an honorary lecturer at Imperial College
London. Following her PhD research on the history of refugee art publishers in Britain, she has published widely on the
subject, and co-produced a film on refugee designers (2017). She is also a committee member of the Research Centre for
German and Austrian Exile Studies, University of London, and is the author of Emigres: The Transformation of Art
Publishing in Britain.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
City Lights
Gioia Woods
University of Nevada Press
www.unpress.nevada.edu
9781647792398, $59.95, PB, 306pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/City-Lights-Ferlinghetti-Biography-Bookstore/dp/1647792398
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/city-lights-gioia-woods/1147411409
Synopsis: On a San Francisco street corner in 1953, aspiring painter and poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti shook hands with
sociology instructor and magazine editor Peter Martin. Their handshake sealed Ferlinghetti's five-hundred-dollar investment
in a small retail space above a North Beach flower shop that would become City Lights Bookstore and Press.
Since the mid-twentieth century, the bookstore and its press have continued to shape the way literature is produced and
consumed. As the first-ever all-paperback bookstore in the nation, sponsor of the Beat Movement and the San Francisco
Renaissance, home of the Pocket Poets series, torchbearer for free speech movements, and promoter of global comparative
literature and human rights, City Lights has continuously been at the avant-garde of literary experimentation and cultural
revolution.
Critique: Fascinating, informative, engaging, exceptionally well written, "City Lights: Lawrence Ferlinghetti and the
Biography of a Bookstore" is the seminal and absorbing history of an iconic bookstore, its press, and the inimitable
Lawrence Ferlinghetti. This must be considered essential reading for those whose favorite pastime is browsing through
independent bookshops and/or those who have an interest in learning the part that bookstores play within the publishing
industry and popular culture. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $56.95), this trade paperback edition of
"City Lights" from the University of Nevada Press is a unique and compelling pick for personal, professional, community,
and college/university library Book Publishing Industry, Journalist Biography collections, and supplemental
Censorship/Politics curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Gioia Woods (https://in.nau.edu/ethics/117-2/woods-bio) is Professor of Humanities and Chair of the
Department of Comparative Cultural Studies at Northern Arizona University. She is also the author of the Western Writers
Series monograph Gary Paul Nabhan, co-editor of Western Subjects: Autobiographical Writing in the North American
West, and editor of Left in the West: Literature, Culture, and Progressive Politics in the American West.
The Education Shelf
Teacher, Take Care
Jennifer E. Lawson, editor
Portage & Main Press
https://www.portageandmainpress.com
9781774920299, $32.00, HC, 224pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Teacher-Take-Care-Well-Being-Workplace/dp/1774920298
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/teacher-take-care-cher-brasok/1140842324
Synopsis: Teaching can be a highly satisfying profession, but it can also be overwhelming. Stress management. Self-care.
Mental well-being. Mindfulness. These words have become all too familiar, but what do they actually mean for you? And
how can they help without adding to your to-do list?
All teachers have different experiences and different needs. Through stories by diverse educators, compiled and edited by
Jennifer E. Lawson, "Teacher, Take Care: A Guide to Well-Being and Workplace Wellness for Educators" is a professional
resource invites teachers at all grade levels to try different wellness strategies, explore varying perspectives, and consider
new ideas of what it means to "be well".
Grounded in servant leadership and a holistic model, each chapter comprising "Teacher, Take Care: A Guide to Well-Being
and Workplace Wellness for Educators" connects to Indigenous perspectives of wellness through remarks from Elder
Stanley Kipling and Knowledge Keeper Richelle North Star Scott.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, 'real world practical', and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation,
"Teacher, Take Care: A Guide to Well-Being and Workplace Wellness for Educators" address an urgent need in view of the
very high levels of 'teacher burnout" being experienced in schools and school districts all over the United States in these
troubled times of classroom violence, active shooter drills, under-funding, overcrowding, and chronic under-appreciation.
While this trade paperback edition of 'Teacher, Take Care: A Guide to Well-Being and Workplace Wellness for Educators"
from Portage & Main Press is especially and unreservedly recommended for school district in-service training curriculums
and college/university library Education Stress Management & Methodology collections and supplemental curriculum
studies lists, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of educators, school board members, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Teacher, Take Care: A Guide to Well-Being and Workplace Wellness for
Educators" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.75).
Editorial Note: Dr. Jennifer Elizabeth Lawson (https://www.jenniferelawson.com) is the creator of the Hands-On books
published by Portage & Main Press. As senior writer and editor for the series, she has contributed to more than 50
publications for teachers and students. Jennifer provides professional development workshops for educators locally,
nationally, and virtually, and is a Workplace Wellness Advisor. Her most recent book is a collective effort called Teacher,
Take Care: A Guide to Well-Being and Workplace Wellness for Educators. She is also one of the founders of Mission to
Mexico, an organization that supports schools in some of the most impoverished communities in Puerto Vallarta.
Throughout her extensive career in education, Jennifer has worked as a classroom teacher, resource and special education
teacher, and consultant.
The Cookbook Shelf
School of Wok: Jeremy Pang's Chinese Kitchen
Jeremy Pang
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9780600638131, $29.99, HC, 208pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/School-Wok-Chinese-Techniques-Delicious/dp/0600638138
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/school-of-wok-jeremy-pang/1148585608
Synopsis: With the publication of "School of Wok: Jeremy Pang's Chinese Kitchen", even the most novice of kitchen cooks
will discover how to make the best Chinese food at home with this as their essential guide. Filled with step-by-step
techniques and irresistible recipes, 'School of Wok's' chef Jeremy Pang shows, step-b-step, how to master Chinese cooking
essentials and perfect cooking technique.
The recipes comprising "School of Wok: Jeremy Pang's Chinese Kitchen" include:
Chapter 1: Stir-Frying
Garlic & egg-fried rice, Hong Kong style fried noodles, Stir-fried Sichuan chicken
Chapter 2: Deep-Frying
Shiitake & chive dumplings, Salt & pepper chilli squid, Classic sweet & sour pork
Chapter 3: Steaming
Steamed aubergine with spring onion & garlic dressing, Steamed stuffed tofu with soy dressing, Clay-pot chicken &
mushroom rice
Chapter 4: Poaching & Braising
Grandma's 'Lionhead' meatballs, Poached Hainanese chicken rice with ginger oil, Braised beef brisket soup
Chapter 5: Roasting & Double-Cooking
Cantonese roast duck legs, Crispy pork belly, Stir-fried green beans with chilli hoisin
Chapter 6: Salads, Pickles & Sides
Flash-fried morning glory, Stir-fried pea shoots with garlic, Glazed Chinese greens with oyster sauce
Of special note is the 'Wok Clock' -- a way of arranging your ingredients in the order in which you will introduce them to
the recipe. You start at 12 and then work your way round the clock, so all the ingredients are included in the recipe. The
Wok Clock has been a used as a simple guide to preparation so you're ready and organized before you start a recipe.
Critique: This large format, hardcover edition of "School of Wok: Jeremy Pang's Chinese Kitchen" is beautifully and
inspirationally illustrated throughout with full page color photos of finished dishes. Thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in
organization and presentation, "School of Wok: Jeremy Pang's Chinese Kitchen" is an eloquent and authentic resource for
menu planning for all occasions. While a high value and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, family,
professional, and community library Asian/Chinese cookbook collections, it should be noted that this edition of "School of
Wok: Jeremy Pang's Chinese Kitchen" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
Editorial Note: Cookbook author and TV chef Jeremy Pang comes from three generations of Chinese chefs. Over the years,
Jeremy's expertise in the Chinese food industry has continued to gain him recognition, winning both Rising Young Star and
Best Specialist Cookery School at the British Cookery School Awards 2015. Since then, his recipes and work have been
featured in a wide variety of publications, including Guardian, Independent, The Sunday Times, Delicious & BBC Good
Food. Jeremy has made regular TV appearances, including Channel 4's Sunday Brunch, ITV's Ainsley's Food We Love,
Nadiya's Family Favourites and Ready, Steady, Cook. He has built an award-winning specialist cookery school in London
called School of Wok. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Pang)
Eggs: All Day, Every Way
Tove Nilsson
Tra Publishing
www.trapublishing.com
9781962098335, $29.95, HC, 224pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Eggs-All-Every-Recipes-Techniques/dp/1962098338
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/eggs-tove-nilsson/1147934801
Synopsis: How do you boil an egg so the yolk stays perfectly creamy? What causes it to coagulate? And what happens when
you slowly whisk in oil? An ode to the egg in all its forms, "Eggs: All Day, Every Way" by Chef Tove Nilsson is specialty
cookbook that cracks open the techniques and recipes that make the humble egg the most versatile ingredient in your
kitchen.
"Eggs: All Day, Every Way" by is is a book about eggs. They play a starring role in some of the world's tastiest dishes: egg
noodles, shakshuka, huevos rancheros, Scotch eggs, eggs Benedict, tea eggs, egg custard, and the classic French omelette --
perfectly smooth and firm on the outside, creamy and tender within.
Within this extensive compendium of egg themed recipes you' will find the techniques and know-how you need to master
these recipes and more, from boiled and poached eggs to souffles, ramens, and tartars. With dishes like these, you can, if
you want, eat eggs with every meal. And you do.
Critique: Beautifully illustrated throughout with full color photos of finished dishes, "Eggs: All Day, Every Way" by Chef
Tove Nilsson is 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and presentation with a 38 page section dedicated to the 'Basics' of
cooking with eggs, followed by DIY recipes that are ideal for planning menus and meals for Breakfast/Brunch, Small
Dishes/Snacks, Classics, Mains, and Sweets/Cocktails. Fun and inspiring to browse through and plan memorable meals
with, this hardcover edition of "Eggs: All Day, Every Way" from Tra Publishing is highly recommended and will prove to
be a valued addition to personal, professional, and community library Speciality/Eggs cookbook collections.
Editorial Note: Tove Nilsson (https://skarpagent.com/artist/tove-nilsson) is a chef and food writer. Ever since Tove ate her
first huevos rancheros in New York, she has wanted to make a book about eggs -- and now she has!
The Wildlife Shelf
Bird, Nest & Egg: The Homes of Forty Extraordinary Species
Walter De Raedt, author
Joris de Raedt, illustrator
Rizzoli
https://www.rizzoliusa.com
9780847875900, $45.00
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Bird-Nest-Egg-Extraordinary-Species/dp/0847875903
Synopsis: A delightful, warmhearted book about home and nesting perfect for bird lovers, naturalists, and anyone charmed
by the coziness of a snug nest.
This book is meticulously designed as a large-format visual portfolio of the world's most distinctive birds, whose nesting
behavior and natural beauty are celebrated in beautifully detailed graphite and watercolor illustrations - all based on actual
field studies. The exquisitely detailed bird, nest, and egg portraits are framed by details that include building techniques,
materials, egg characteristics (shapes, colors, and number in a clutch), hatchlings and chicks, and parenting behaviors.
Nowhere is avian ingenuity more beautifully expressed than in the construction of nests. The book is organized into chapters
based on species' nesting techniques: South America's crested oropendola, whose intricate, pendulous, sphere-like nests
hang in trees like holiday ornaments; Arizona's ferruginous pygmy owl, whose nests are hidden in vicious yet protective
thorns and bristles of giant saguaro cacti; and peregrine falcons, who scrape out a shallow depression called an eyrie in the
sides of cliffs or - in urban settings - ledges on skyscrapers.
This beautiful book celebrates the very idea of making a warm, cozy home. It is also a timely reminder of the diversity,
beauty, and ingenuity of the avian world.
Critique: Bird, Nest & Egg: The Homes of Forty Extraordinary Species is a beautiful coffee table book by ornithologist
Walder De Raedt, with striking in full color artwork by scientific illustrator Joris De Raedt. Forty different avian species are
presented, each with an text overview of their life cycle and captivating illustrations of their nests, eggs, chicks, and adults.
Thoroughly accessible to browsers of all backgrounds, Bird, Nest & Egg: The Homes of Forty Extraordinary Species is a joy
to page through, highly recommended.
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 about the life and career 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 (written with the assistance of David Feinberg) 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-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: Told with a remarkable candor, "Passion and Power: A Life in Three Worlds" is a simply fascinating and deeply
personal story offering experience and insight, drama and life lessons. Articulate, exceptional, memorable, "Passion and
Power" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community, and college/university library Contemporary American
Women biography and memoir collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of
"Passion and Power" from Bloomsbury Academic is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $34.20).
Editorial Note: At 92 years old and still a formidable presence in New York's matrimonial courts, Harriet Newman Cohen
embodies what she calls the "three lives" of her career, and now, chronicled them all with the publication of "Passion and
Power: A Life in Three Worlds" - a professional autobiography, a portrait of changing social mores around marriage and
divorce, and a deeply personal reckoning with the legal system's role in the most intimate corners of our lives.
Staring Down A Hundred Years
John P. Derr
TriMark Press
www.TriMarkPress.com
9798993666815, $17.95, PB, 82pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Staring-Down-Hundred-Years-John/dp/B0G8LSQS94
Synopsis: Retired Naval Commander John P. Derr's observations comprising "Staring Down A Hundred Years" are culled
from both life on the high seas and many places on Earth, all beginning from a rural lifestyle on a farm in north Idaho.
His views on a variety of subjects include reading for self-improvement, significance of the number five, and hurricane
storm protection, among other interesting notes. He also provides worthwhile advice; among his tips for better living: If one
is not prepared to be wrong, then never say anything.
Critique: Informative, insightful, extraordinary, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Staring Down A
Hundred Years" is an inherently fascinating memoir that is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and
college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections -- as well as the personal reading lists for
anyone with an interest in an interesting life lived out in interesting times.
Editorial Note: John Patrick Derr arrived with the 1929 worldwide depression, but that did not slow him down. In northern
Idaho on his family farm, when he finished milking cows, driving horses for farm work, picking up potatoes or cutting down
trees, he knew that farm life was not his future. After graduating from a small community high school in Sandpoint, Idaho,
he gained an appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, where he graduated in 1952. He
served as a Naval officer for twenty-six years on six combatant ships and five shore stations. His sub-specialty was
communications and electronics. His service to our culture continued with a ten-year job in Charlotte County, Florida, as the
Emergency Management Director. He earned a United States Coast Guard 100 Ton Master's License, near shore, and
American Sailing Association certification, including celestial navigation. He worked with local charter agents to teach
sailing, week-long trips all over South Florida and the Caribbean on large sail or power boats and boat deliveries.
The General Fiction Shelf
Lucien
J. R. Thornton
Harper Perennial
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
Blackstone Publishing
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9780063458437, $18.99, PB, 320pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Lucien-Novel-J-R-Thornton/dp/0063458438
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lucien-jr-thornton/1147648890
Synopsis: The son of working-class Czech immigrants, Christopher "Atlas" Novotny is a talented painter who arrives at
Harvard on a full scholarship. Raised amid hardship, he is unprepared for the privileged world introduced to him by his
freshman roommate, Lucien Orsini-Conti.
Born to wealthy European diplomats, Lucien plays the part of the confident, sophisticated bon vivant. Where Lucien is bold
and brash, Atlas is timid and introverted. Growing up a lonely outsider, Atlas is insecure, impressionable, and in awe of his
brilliant roommate. But is Lucien all that he seems?
Sensing a willing disciple, Lucien introduces Atlas to a glittering new world of lavish parties and elite social clubs. When
Atlas struggles to afford his new lifestyle, Lucien offers a solution, convincing the naive artist to become a forger, passing
off fakes to galleries and dealers.
But Lucien's charismatic facade conceals something darker and more sinister. As Lucien's behavior grows increasingly
unstable, Atlas is forced into escalating risks with devastating consequences.
Critique: "Lucien" by J. R. Thornton offers his readers a original novel featuring a skillful blending of friendship, 'coming of
age', and psychological suspense. Thornton has a remarkable and genuine flair for the kind of imaginative and narrative
driven storytelling style that quickly engages the reader from start to finish. While an unreservedly recommended pick for
community library Contemporary General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this
paperback edition of "Lucien" from Harper Perennial is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) and
as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing, 9798228693463, $45.95, CD).
Editorial Note: Born in London, J. R. Thornton (www.jrthornton.com) graduated from Harvard College in 2014 where he
studied history, English, and Chinese. An internationally ranked junior tennis player, he competed for Harvard and on the
professional circuit. He was a member of the inaugural class of Schwarzman Scholars, obtaining an M.A. from Tsinghua
University in Beijing. He now lives in Italy, working for AC Milan. Lucien is his second novel.
The Historical Fiction Shelf
The Secret Courtesan
Kerry Chaput
https://www.kerrywrites.com
She Writes Press
www.shewritespress.com
9798896360643, $17.99, PB, 344pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Courtesan-Novel-Kerry-Chaput/dp/B0FCYK8JWP
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-secret-courtesan-kerry-chaput/1147593374
Synopsis: Two determined women four hundred years apart. One mysterious statue. And a bombshell that could change
history.
Art historian Mia is running out of time to prove her theory that the sculptor of an unearthed erotic statue was a courtesan
erased from history -- a scandal no one will believe.
Chasing through Venice, she tracks down hidden details of Sofia, a powerful courtesan who seems to have left a trail of
sex-fueled art buried across the city, but Mia's now being followed, and even her boss might be in on the lie.
Meanwhile, in 1609, Sofia defies Venice's unfair laws to create illicit art that could ruin her future. Her aspirations to
become a great artist go up in flames when her patron's wife steals her work and threatens her lover.
Four hundred years later, it's up to Mia to discover the truth, but now she's uncovered a world of art theft that could leave
her ousted -- or, worse, right in the crosshairs of the most powerful crime family in Italy, who will stop at nothing to force
her to authenticate the famous statue. Mia's only hope is to prove Sofia's existence before everyone involved silences them
both forever.
Critique: Once again, with the publication of "The Secret Courtesan", author Kerry Chaput is documented as an
impressively gifted and original storyteller. A deftly crafted, fun and fascinating read from start to finish, "The Secret
Courtesan" will have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in Renaissance themed historical fiction. An
extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for both personal reading lists and community library Historical Fiction
collections, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "The Secret Courtesan" from She Writes Press is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Kerry Chaput (https://www.kerrywrites.com) is an award-winning historical fiction author who writes about
daring women with loads of adventure and a splash of magic. Kerry's writing has been an Historical Novel Society editor's
choice, with Midwest Book Review calling her a "Master of the genre." She's also been a finalist for Sarton Women's Book
Award and the Chaucer Book Award for early historical fiction.
On Living Stone: Salome's Story
Heather Kaufman
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.bethanyhouse.com
9781540903587, $18.99, PB, 368pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Living-Stone-Ancient-Biblical-Historical/dp/1540903583
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/on-living-stone-heather-kaufman/1147595940
Synopsis: Every stone sings as it finds its purpose. This is the lesson restless Salome learns from her father as she grows up
by the Sea of Galilee. Known as the wild girl with the quick tongue, Salome is determined to silence the critics who claim
she has no future. An unexpected romance and the gift of two sons, James and John, leave her hopeful and resolved to prove
herself as a mother.
Salome's dreams are challenged, however, when her sons answer the call to follow Jesus of Nazareth. As James and John
are drawn deeper into Jesus' ministry, opposition to his message intensifies, leaving Salome with a choice. Can her family
continue down the path of discipleship when it might cost them everything? With threats abounding, Salome must confront
her fears, even as she discovers her own worth in this most unexpected rabbi.
Critique: A carefully and successfully crafted work of Christian historical fiction, "On Living Stone: Salome's Story" by
gifted storyteller Heather Kaufman is part of the Bethany House 'Women of the Way' series. Unreservedly recommended
and a choice addition to community library Historical Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that
this paperback edition of "On Living Stone" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99). For library
acquisitions, "On Living Stone" is also in a large print hardcover edition (Baker Publishing Group, 9780764246135, $39.73,
400pp).
Editorial Note: Heather Kaufman (www.HMKStories.com) is the author of multiple books and devotions. She delights in
highlighting the goodness of God through storytelling. When not reading, writing, or accumulating mounds of books.
The LGBTQ Fiction Shelf
That's What Friends Are For
Wade Rouse
Mira Books
www.mirabooks.com
9781525800054, $28.99, HC, 352pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Thats-What-Friends-Are-hilarious/dp/1525800051
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thats-what-friends-are-for-wade-rouse/1148504785
Synopsis: Theodore Copeland has created a fabulous life in the desert oasis of Palm Springs, where he shares a fabulous
pink mid-century home with three fabulous friends: Barry, a former actor still clinging to his youth, his hair, and the
memory of the dream role that killed his career; Ron, an uprooted Christian from the Midwest with a big heart but no one to
give it to; Sid, who, after coming out late in life, has never found love. Teddy is the caustic, unspoken leader of "The Golden
Gays" -- the foursome's monthly drag tribute to The Golden Girls. Despite their foibles and bickering, they have turned their
golden years into a golden era.
But the harmony of their desert enclave becomes a carousel of emotional baggage when Teddy's estranged sister, Trudy,
shows up on their doorstep, her dramatic teenage granddaughter in tow. While Teddy keeps Trudy at arm's length, she
manages to wheedle her way into the lives of the Golden Gays, until the real reason for her visit is revealed and the secrets
they've all been keeping from each other unravel faster than a hastily stitched hemline.
"That's What Friends Are For" is a novel that gives thanks to "old" friends and proves that while family may be the tie that
binds, it's the chosen family that truly keeps us together.
Critique: Original, clever, deftly crafted, and a fun read from cover to cover, "That's What Friends Are For" by Wade Rouse
is a kind of male version (and is based upon) the popular television show 'Golden Girls". With an LGBTQ twist, "That's
What Friends Are For" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community
library Contemporary Friendship themed contemporary general fiction collections. It should be noted that this hardcover
edition of "That's What Friends Are For" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Wade Rouse (https://waderouse.com/ is the author of thirteen books, which have been translated into twenty
languages and selected as Today Show Must-Reads, Indie Next Picks and Michigan Notable Books. Rouse also writes
fiction under his grandma's name, Viola Shipman, to honor the working-poor Ozarks woman whose memory inspires his
writing. He hosts Wine & Words with Wade (a literary happy hour) every Thursday.
The Literary Fiction Shelf
A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes and Other Stories
Nancy J. Allen
University of New Mexico Press
www.unmpress.com
9780826369277, $19.94, PB, 200pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Reaching-Extreme-Altitudes-Stories-Southwest/dp/0826369278
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-method-of-reaching-extreme-altitudes-and-other-stories-nancy-j-allen/1147732792
Synopsis: In Nancy J. Allen's fierce first short story collection, "A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes and Other Stories
", the extraordinary emerges from the everyday. Allen's little literary masterpieces are informed and infused by the vast
landscapes of New Mexico and Texas, and in them the mythic and the mundane intertwine: two neighbors burn a grandson's
letters from Vietnam in a backyard grill; a child vanishes into the maze of Albuquerque's fabled Alvarado Hotel; a sculptor
meets her younger self in the eerie stillness of a theater lobby. These are only a few of the unforgettable, mysterious
moments that mark the arrival of a bold new voice in contemporary Southwest fiction.
Critique: Original, exceptional, deftly crafted, author Nancy J. Allen is a master of the short story format and "A Method of
Reaching Extreme Altitudes and Other Stories " is her newly published and debut anthology from the University of New
Mexico Press. A thought-provoking, memorable, and entertaining anthology, "A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes
and Other Stories" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary
Literary Fiction & Short Story collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for personal reading
lists that this paperback edition of "A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes and Other Stories" is also readily available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Nancy J. Allen (https://nancyjallen.com) is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and the Warren Wilson
College Program for Writers. Her fiction has won awards in journals including Southwest Review, StoryQuarterly, bosque,
and Short Story America. A research fellow of the School of Spiritual Psychology in Santa Fe, she lives with her husband in
Dallas and Taos.
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
Last First Kiss
Julian Winters
St. Martin's Griffin
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
https://us.macmillan.com/st-martins-griffin
9781250326263, $19.00, PB, 352pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Last-First-Kiss-Julian-Winters/dp/1250326265
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/last-first-kiss-julian-winters/1147243854
Synopsis: They say you never forget your first kiss. But Jordan Carter wishes he could forget the one he shared with Jamie
Peters as teens. And the one they almost shared again last year before Jamie made it clear he wasn't the "right" man for
Jordan to be with while he's figuring himself out.
Now, Jordan's fully focused on his career at 24 Carter Gold, his family's event planning company, and ready to move on --
until his boss assigns him to plan a new client's high-profile wedding. The bride's man-of-honor? None other than
Jamie.
As things ramp up the closer they get to the wedding, so does Jordan's relationship with Jamie, with sarcastic asides turning
into steamy hook-ups. But can Jordan afford to pursue Jamie if he's still unsure of who he is? Or is knowing who he loves
enough? Venue shopping, cake-tastings, and dress fittings with the man he can't forget just might change the man Jordan
Carter is meant to become.
"Last First Kiss" by Julian Winters is a second chance romance about finding yourself -- and the love of your life!
Critique: With a narrative driven storytelling style that is ideal for an LGBTQ romance novel, author Julian Winters's "Last
First Kiss" is original, romantic, and a simply fun read from start to finish. Deftly crafted, and also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $11.99) from St. Martin's Griffin, this paperback edition of "Last First Kiss" will prove a
welcome addition to personal reading lists and community library LGBTQ Romance collections.
Editorial Note: Julian Winters (https://www.julianwinters.com) is the author of the award-winning young adult novels
Running With Lions, Right Where I Left You, How to Be Remy Cameron, The Summer of Everything, As You Walk On
By, and Prince of the Palisades, as well as his adult romance debut, I Think They Love You.
Beyond the Clouds
Elizabeth Camden
Bethany House
c/o Baker Publishing Group
https://bakerpublishinggroup.com
9780764241734, $18.99 pbk / $15.56 Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Clouds-Christian-Historical-Opposites/dp/0764241737
Synopsis: They lost each other once before; now the clouds of war may give them a second chance.
As teenagers, Delia Byrne and Finn Delaney fell in love while flying kites and dreaming of a future together - until betrayal
tore them apart. Now, as America enters World War I, Delia works for peace as a paralegal and pacifist. Her values forbid
her from supporting the war effort, but she volunteers for a relief organization trying to save millions of lives in
famine-stricken Belgium.
Returning to America as a decorated war hero, Finn is eager to get back to the front but is assigned to use his fame to raise
funds instead. To his surprise, this mission will bring him face-to-face with Delia, the only woman he ever loved and once
hoped to marry. As their shared mission draws them together, old sparks of romance begin to stir - until duty sends them
behind enemy lines in occupied Belgium. Will the greatest danger be the conflict raging around them - or the possibility of
falling in love again?
Critique: The third novel of the Women of Midtown series, Beyond the Clouds is a Christian historical romance set during
the devastating years of World War I. Delia Byrne is a paralegal and a pacifist who volunteers to aid the starving people of
Belgium; Finn Delaney is a decorated war hero. Years ago, they might have married, but ultimately went their separate
ways; now, they are unexpectedly reunited amid the flames of war. An intense romance amid the backdrop of existential
threat, Beyond the Clouds is captivating to the last page, and highly recommended. It should be noted for personal reading
lists that Beyond the Clouds is also available in a Kindle edition ($15.56).
Mists over the Channel Islands
Sarah Sundin
Fleming H. Revell Company
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.revellbooks.com
9780800741877, $18.99, HC, 384pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Mists-Channel-Islands-Enemies-Lovers/dp/0800741870
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mists-over-the-channel-islands-sarah-sundin/1147595930
Synopsis: The German invasion of the British Channel Islands shatters Dr. Ivy Picot's peaceful world, forcing her to
shoulder the weight of her father's medical practice and hold together a family unraveling under the strain of war. As
conditions worsen in Jersey with the arrival of thousands of forced laborers, Ivy's quiet allegiance to the Allies compels her
to risk everything by providing medical aid to escaped workers -- even as danger closes in.
Dutch engineer and resistance member Gerrit van der Zee volunteers to build fortifications for the Germans so he can
secretly send maps and diagrams to the Allies. On his arrival in the Channel Islands, he crosses paths with Ivy, who shows
him contempt for the uniform he wears. As tensions mount and their missions grow increasingly dangerous, Ivy and Gerrit
must confront the cost of courage, the meaning of sacrifice, and whether love can survive in the shadow of war. Will their
covert efforts turn the tide -- or will they pay the ultimate price for defiance?
Critique: Original, exceptional, and a fascinating read from cover to cover, "Mists Over The Channel Islands by Sarah
Sundin is a World War II historical romance set in the British Channel Islands. A superbly presented novel that blends
history, cliffhanger suspense, and love in a time of war, "Mists Over The Channel Islands" is an extraordinary and
unreservedly recommended pick for both personal reading lists and community library Historical Romance collections. It
should be noted that this paperback edition of "Mists Over The Channel Islands" from Revell is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $12.99). Librarians should know that there is also a large print hard cover edition (9781420534467,
$34.00).
Editorial Note: Sarah Sundin (https://www.sarahsundin.com) is also the author of Midnight on the Scottish Shore, Embers
in the London Sky, The Sound of Light, and Until Leaves Fall in Paris, as well as the popular World War II series Sunrise at
Normandy, among others. She is a Christy Award winner and a Carol Award winner.
The Belle of Chatham
Laura Frantz
Fleming H. Revell Company
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.revellbooks.com
9780800746568, $18.99, PB, 384pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Belle-Chatham-Colonial-Era-Historical-Revolution/dp/0800746562
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-belle-of-chatham-laura-frantz/1147595935
Synopsis: In 1777, and caught in the crossroads of the American Revolution, sisters Maebel and Coralie Bohannon's quaint
New Jersey village becomes a battleground as they house American officers. Rebellion ripples through their family as
members take opposing sides (Patriots and Loyalists) causing a deep chasm that fractures their once-unbreakable bond.
As Mae's friendship grows with the American general Rhys Harlow, Coralie continues her liaison with her childhood
sweetheart, a British officer stationed in New York. Mae, torn between her deepening love for the general and suspicion that
her sister is a British spy, leaves the only home she's ever known for the New York frontier. When betrayal strikes in the
heart of the wilderness, she's forced to take a perilous journey that tests her very survival and those she loves, all in the name
of liberty.
Critique: With the publication of "The Belle of Chatham", a colonial-era historical Romance set in the American
Revolution, (and on the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence), novelist Laura Frantz offers
(with her distinctive and reader engaging storyteller style) an original and deftly crafted historical romance that features
divided loyalties, patriotism, sacrifice, sisterhood, and love set during the war for American independence. A fun and
memorable read from start to finish, "The Belle of Chatham" will prove a prized pick for personal reading lists of dedicated
historical romance fans, as well as community library collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "The
Belle of Chatham" from Revell is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) and in a large print hardcover
edition ($39.79, 400pp).
Editorial Note: Laura Frantz (www.LauraFrantz.net) is a two-time Christy Award winner and the author of more than fifteen
novels, including The Indigo Heiress, The Seamstress of Acadie, and The Rose and the Thistle.
Taming Lady Temperance
Karen Witemeyer
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764244735, $18.99, PB, 336pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Temperance-Secret-Society-Spinsters/dp/0764246208
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/taming-lady-temperance-karen-witemeyer/1147595939
Synopsis: Noreen O'Sullivan is an enthusiastic member of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and believes herself
called to defend the cause of prohibition. When she's invited to join the Secret Society of Spinsters, Noreen jumps at the
chance to rally others to her movement and shut down the local saloon for good. However, her passionate campaigning
often puts her at odds with the men around her -- including the local deputy.
Deputy James Paxton believes in preserving the peace, but Miss O'Sullivan has been disturbing his peace for months. If
James wants to be elected sheriff, he can't afford to be seen as her ally. But when Noreen ropes him into helping her plan a
temperance march, their growing closeness sparks unexpected feelings. Then tensions escalate at the saloon and accusations
fly.
James must choose between upholding his badge and protecting the woman who's captured his heart -- knowing either
choice could cost him everything.
Critique: Launching her new 'The Secret Society of Spinsters' series, author Karen Witemeyer's "Taming Lady Temperance"
is historical western romance at its very best. Original, cleverly crafted, and a fun read for romance fans from cover to cover,
"Taming Lady Temperance" is unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library collections. It
should be noted that this paperback edition of "Taming Lady Temperance" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99), as well as in a large print hardcover edition
(9780764246203, $39.99, 352pp).
Editorial Note: Karen Witemeyer (www.KarenWitemeyer.com) offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for
humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Hooked
Caitlin Rother
https://caitlinrother.com
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662532351, $12.99, PB, 397pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Hooked-Thriller-Katrina-Caitlin-Rother/dp/1662532350
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hooked-caitlin-rother/1147299007
Synopsis: When investigative reporter Katrina Chopin and surfing homicide detective Ken Goode lock eyes, there's an
immediate attraction. Sparks fly as they bond over cocktails, sharing their common experiences of being orphans and losing
loved ones to suicide.
But the next time they meet, it's from opposing sides of a high-profile case. Two biotech execs, whose company is
developing a groundbreaking sexual enhancement drug, turn up dead in the wealthy seaside enclave of La Jolla Farms,
where Goode can readily see that the forensic evidence doesn't add up.
As they work their own angles, sometimes together and sometimes at odds, their growing attraction threatens to cost them
their jobs -- and their lives. As Katrina and Goode pursue answers behind these mysterious events, a secret stalker taunts
Katrina with details of her tragic past, which takes her to the brink of death. But once the duo rips the mask away from this
beautiful paradise, the corrupt underbelly behind all that glitters is revealed.
Critique: "Hooked" by author Caitlin Rother aptly demonstrates her genuine flair for the kind of narrative driven storytelling
style that is impressively well suited to blending police procedural murder mysteries with action/adventure imbued suspense
thrillers. A fun and fascinating read from cover to cover, "Hooked" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for
both personal reading lists and community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that this
paperback edition of "Hooked" from Thomas & Merton is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$4.99).
Editorial Note: Caitlin Rother (https://caitlinrother.com), is an award-winning investigative reporter for nineteen years and
has published sixteen books ranging from crime novels to crime narrative nonfiction and memoir. Rother's journalistic work
has been published by Cosmopolitan, the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The San Diego
Union-Tribune, and The Daily Beast. Her more than 250 media appearances include 20/20, People Magazine Investigates,
Crime Watch Daily, Australia's World News, and numerous shows on Netflix, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, HLN, and
REELZ. A popular speaker, the author also works as a writing-research coach and consultant. Rother holds a BS in
psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MS in journalism from Northwestern University.
Sanity Claus
Frank "Fraver" Verlizzo
Epicenter Press
c/o Camel Press
www.camelpress.com
9781684922918, $18.95, PB, 286pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Sanity-Claus-Retro-Broadway-Mystery/dp/1684922917
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sanity-claus-frank-fraver-verlizzo/1147938311
Synopsis: As the star of Saint Nick (a new holiday-themed Broadway play), Yule Von Zell is under immense pressure. His
mental stability is teetering on the brink. A murder accusation is hanging over Yule's head, and his producer is threatening
to enforce the "sanity clause" in his contract.
To complicate matters, the six surviving Von Zell siblings suspect a vicious killer may be targeting their show business
family!
Enter theatrical ad execs Vic Senso and Bettie Balboa, who enlist their friend, NYPD Detective Renny Clements, to help
clear their famous client's name. They once again employ the talents of high society psychic, Mizz Mitzi, along with an
inner-circle of savvy theater contacts, to unravel the secrets of the Christmas-obsessed family.
Critique: A deftly blended mix of cozy mystery style amateur sleuths and police procedural themed mysteries, "Sanity
Claus" by novelist Frank "Fraver" Verlizzo is a Retro Broadway Mystery and thoroughly engaging read from beginning to
end. With the author's genuine flair for the kind of distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style, "Sanity Claus" will be a
year-round popular pick for personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted
that this paperback edition of "Sanity Claus" from Epicenter Press is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$7.99).
Editorial Note: Frank "Fraver" Verlizzo, the preeminent theater poster designer whose iconic imagery defined decades of
Broadway hits, is taking center stage in a new creative endeavor. Verlizzo, renowned for his powerful and evocative
storytelling through his poster designs for the original Broadway productions of Disney's The Lion King, Stephen
Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, and Sunday in the Park with George, Ira Levin's Deathtrap, Stephen King's Misery, and the 50th
Anniversary Celebration of Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap in London's West End, launched his Retro Broadway Mystery
Series with Scenery of the Crime published by Camel Press.
Verlizzo's ability to capture the essence of a Broadway show in a single image earned him the prestigious Drama Desk
Special Award in 1987. Playbill dubbed him "the theatre poster legend." A collection of his work: Fraver by Design-Five
Decades of Theatre Poster Art from Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Beyond was published in 2018 by Schiffer Publishing, a
testament to his remarkable career. Now, Verlizzo has embarked on a thrilling new act, transitioning from visual storytelling
to the written word, drawing inspiration from his extensive career in theatrical advertising. The Retro Broadway Mystery
Series is the exciting result of this creative shift.
(https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17384167.Frank_Fraver_Verlizzo)
The Three Story Murders
Olivia Yates
Epicenter Press
c/o Camel Press
www.camelpress.com
9781684922895, $16.95, PB, 230pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Three-Story-Murders-Olivia-Yates/dp/1684922895
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-three-story-murders-olivia-yates/1147932212
Synopsis: There's tension in the small town of Dingle Point Cove on the Chesapeake Bay as the well-being of its oldest
citizens is under threat. A big healthcare company wants to close all the local senior homes and uproot the residents into a
new three-story mega-facility. And they'll stop at nothing to sell the idea to the community.
But Paige Bottomley, a smart, gutsy 74-year-old, isn't buying it, especially when what she digs up smells as fishy as the
town's beach at low tide. Someone clearly has a lot to lose if the truth comes out, and meddlesome Paige is in the way. With
greed, treachery, violence and murder, the bodies begin to multiply, and the next digging Paige does might just be her own
grave.
Critique: A classic 'whodunnit' murder mystery featuring a female senior citizen as the amateur sleuth, "The Three Story
Murders" by novelist Olivia Yates is the second volume in the author's thoroughly entertaining 'Dingle Point Cove Mystery'
series that debut with the publication of "Murder At Buttercup Acres". Clever, engaging, and an inherently fascinating read
from cover to cover, "The Three Story Murders" is a high value pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It
should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery fans that this paperback edition of "The Three Story
Murders" from Epicenter Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).
Editorial Note: Olivia Yates (https://oliviayatesauthor.com) remembers a childhood filled with books and the fun of writing
her own stories and mysteries. During decades as a journalist, editor and nonfiction author, she looked forward to one day
writing fiction again. And now, after raising a family and living all around the U.S. and abroad, Olivia is happy to be
creating mysteries from a lovely and peaceful spot -- her home in scenic Idaho, surrounded by the beautiful mountains and
lakes of America's northwest!
Murder on Ashton-on-Tinch
Emma Dakin
Camel Press
www.camelpress.com
9781684922819, $16.95, PB, 252pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Ashton-Tinch-British-Mysteries/dp/168492281X
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-on-ashton-on-tinch-emily-dakin/1148738367
Synopsis: Claire Barclay is happily taking tourists to the sites of mystery novels in Britain. Her husband Detective Inspector
Mark Evans is rushing off to sites of murder when called. They have worked out a stable homelife which is suddenly
disrupted by ten-year-old Amber.
Neither Claire nor Mark had any intention of being a parent. They struggle to adjust their lives and are coming to some kind
of stability when Claire and Amber discover a body in the church.
For the first time Claire is torn between her driving curiosity to find the killer and her need to protect her newly acquired
daughter. Her best friend Stella would be a help if she wasn't a suspect. Because the murder occurs in Claire's village, many
of her friends and acquaintances are suspects.
But with the best logic behind, her Claire makes an error in judgment and finds herself facing an immediate and fatal
threat.
Critique: The seventh title in author Emma Dakin's simply outstanding 'British Book Tour Mysteries' series, "Murder on
Ashton-on-Tinch" offers a quintessential British approach to the cozy mystery genre. Original, clever, deftly crafted, and
(for dedicated mystery buffs) a fun read from cover to cover, "Murder on Ashton-on-Tinch" an especially and unreservedly
recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that
this paperback edition of "Murder on Ashton-on-Tinch" from Camel Press is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note: Emma Dakin lives in Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. She writes fiction-traditional, The
British Book Tour Mysteries and, as Marion Crook, historical mysteries, Murder in Vancouver - 1886-and non-fiction. As
Marion McKinnon Crook her memoirs, Always Pack and Candle and Always on Call won awards. But she keeps returning
to traditional mysteries. She travels to Britain to villages, towns and cities she features in her books, meets people who live
there and eats in the elegant restaurants-all in the name of research. Her love of the British countryside and villages and her
addiction to reading traditional mysteries keep her writing about characters who live and work in those villages. She enjoys
those characters and trusts you will as well. (https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/emma-dakin)
Two Bodies Are Better Than One
Erica Ruth Neubauer
https://ericaruthneubauer.com
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662535949, $16.99, PB, 347pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Bodies-Better-Lorraine-Highsmith-Mysteries/dp/1662535945
Synopsis: Until 1989, the wildest thing to happen in the sleepy town of Sheboygan Bay was surfers catching waves on frigid
Lake Michigan. Then one summer morning, Lorraine Highsmith wakes up to find a corpse on her lawn.
Detective Michaela "Mike" Zenoni is on the case immediately, eager to make a name for herself in a male-dominated
precinct. And Lorraine is close behind -- as the local advice columnist, she's always looking for a scoop.
What they don't know is that Lorraine once had ties to the mob, and those connections could be coming back to haunt her. A
recent transplant to Wisconsin, she keeps her past shrouded in mystery, and she'd like to keep it that way.
Mike might be working with her to find the killer, but Lorraine knows that alliances can change on a dime. She needs to get
ahead of this story... no matter who's trying to put an end to hers.
Critique: Another original cozy mystery from the talented imagination of novelist and Agatha Award winner Erica Ruth
Neubauer, "Two Bodies Are Better Than One" is a fun read and a very special pick for fans of the genre. Featuring an
original plot laced with humor and expected twists and turns, as well as memorable characters, "Two Bodies Are Better
Than One" is certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular pick for personal reading lists and community library
Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Two Bodies Are Better Than One" from
Thomas & Mercer is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $1.99).
Editorial Note: Erica Ruth Neubauer (https://ericaruthneubauer.com) is the Agatha Award - winning author of the Jane
Wunderly Mystery series. She spent eleven years in the military, nearly two as a Maryland police officer, and one as a high
school English teacher before finding her way as a writer. For several years, she was a reviewer of mysteries and crime
fiction for publications such as Publishers Weekly and Mystery Scene magazine. She's currently a member of the Sisters in
Crime and Mystery Writers of America organizations. Erica Ruth lives outside Madison, Wisconsin, although her heart will
always be in Milwaukee.
Death at a Firefly Tea
Laura Childs
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin/Random House
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9780593815472, $30.00, HC, 336pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Death-Firefly-Tea-Shop-Mystery/dp/0593815475
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/death-at-a-firefly-tea-laura-childs/1147568489
Synopsis: As fireflies dazzle like tiny glowing lanterns, tea maven Theodosia hosts an elegant evening tea on the patio of the
Tangled Rose B and B. But in this gentle darkness an intruder has made their way in and slipped deadly drugs into the baked
Alaska of Mrs. Van Courtland, one of Charleston's local grande dames.
Shocked by this brazen act, urged on by Mrs. V's grieving son, Theodosia begins her own shadow investigation. Soon, she
finds herself at odds with a greedy developer, the questionable residents of Honey Badger House, a vengeful
ex-daughter-in-law, ne'er do well relatives, and a housekeeper who knows all the secrets.
As Theodosia hosts a Moulin Rouge Tea and a Queen Victoria Tea, her tea sommelier Drayton is assaulted by a masked
stranger and the engaged of Mrs. V's son is kidnapped. It's only at the Starry Starry Night black tie ball that Theodosia
stumbles upon the killer and gets pulled into a dramatic life and death chase.
Critique: Laura Childs is a master of the cozy mystery genre with its amateur female sleuths being compelled by
circumstance and friendship into solving a dangerous mystery of murder and mayhem. "Death at a Firefly Tea" is her latest
(and successful!) effort which will delight her legions of fans and make an excellent acquisition choice for the personal
reading lists of mystery buffs and community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that
this hard cover edition of "Death at a Firefly Tea" from Berkley Books is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Laura Childs (http://www.laurachilds.com) is the author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, New Orleans
Scrapbooking Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO of her own marketing firm,
authored several screenplays, and produced a reality TV show.
Booking for Trouble
Jenn McKinlay
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin/Random House
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9780593955505, $30.00, HC, 304pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Booking-Trouble-Library-Lovers-Mystery/dp/0593955501
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/booking-for-trouble-jenn-mckinlay/1147476790
Synopsis: Just off the shores of the coastal Connecticut town of Briar Creek are two small islands, which library director
Lindsey Norris visits with her new book-boat, inspired by the bookmobiles she's seen traveling across the country.
Nothing, not even the infamous feud between the families who own the Split Islands, can stop Lindsey from getting books
into the hands of readers. But when Lindsey and her boat captain husband, Mike Sullivan, discover a body on the rocky
outcropping of one of the islands, Lindsey's new library venture quickly becomes a murder investigation.
At news of the crime, hostilities between the two families are reignited. Long buried secrets are revealed, tensions spark,
and suspects abound. As Lindsey navigates treacherous waters (both literal and metaphorical), she must use her research
skills and community ties to solve the murder and bring peace to the islands before her book-boat dreams are sunk.
Critique: Original, clever, deftly crafted and a fun read for cozy mystery fans from cover to cover, "Booking For Trouble" by
Jenn McKinlay (a true master of the genre) is part of the impressively popular 'A Library Lover's Mystery' series of female
sleuth 'whodunnits'. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99), "Booking For
Trouble" is a guaranteed popular pick for all community/public library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: Jenn McKinlay (https://jennmckinlay.com) is the author of several mystery and romance series. Her work
has been translated into multiple languages in countries all over the world.
The Tree of Light and Flowers: A Jane Whitefield Novel
Thomas Perry
The Mysterious Press
www.mysteriouspress.com
Blackstone Publishing
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9781613167298, $27.95, HC, 304pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Tree-Light-Flowers-Jane-Whitefield/dp/1613167296
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-tree-of-light-and-flowers-thomas-perry/1147407613
Synopsis: A violent car crash brings on the premature birth of the baby that Jane Whitefield and her husband have hoped
for, but it also shatters the period of calm in their lives like an earthquake triggering a tectonic shift.
Within weeks, Jane's peaceful time as a new mother in a safe, harmonious home starts to revert to her harrowing previous
life. She had spent over a decade rescuing and sheltering people from dangerous foes, taking them to new locations, and
teaching them to live under new identities. It was something that she'd hoped to never have to do again.
Nearly simultaneously, as though the events were connected, people who are thousands of miles apart in vastly different
circumstances start to move. Some of them are in terrible need of help finding a route to safety. Some are dedicated to
serving justice. Others are determined to capture the woman who makes people disappear so they can force her to reveal
where their potential victims are now. All of these travelers are soon on their way to the old house in western New
York.
Suddenly the people requiring Jane's special skills include not only multiple fugitives, but also Jane herself, her husband,
and their newborn, as the danger she faces comes from people who know how to find her. She'll need to use everything she's
ever learned in order to survive.
Critique: A unique theme for the cozy mystery genre, "The Tree of Light and Flowers" by novelist Thomas Perry is an
original and fascinating read from start to finish. Perry's storytelling style is vivid, eloquent, and deftly crafted. Readers who
are fans of suspense thriller adventures featuring female sleuths will fully appreciate and enjoy this latest Jane Whitefield
novel. Highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading
lists that this hardcover edition of "The Tree of Light and Flowers" from The Mysterious Press is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $18.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing, 9798228829091,
$45.95, MP3-CD).
Editorial Note: Thomas Perry (1947-2025) wrote acclaimed mysteries and suspense thrillers, including seventeen
stand-alone novels, sixteen novels in three of his own series, and two novels co-authored with Clive Cussler in the Sam and
Remi Fargo series. The Butcher's Boy was named by Parade magazine among its 2021 list of 101 Best Mystery Books of All
Time, and Metzger's Dog, was voted by NPR listeners as one of the "Best Thrillers All Time." His novel The Old Man was
the inspiration for the television series starring Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow, and his novel Strip inspired the 2025/2026
film Bear Country starring Russell Crowe. His books have won the Edgar Award and three Barry Awards and were named
finalists for the Dilys, Macavity, Libby, and John Creasey awards. (https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/thomas-perry)
The Dark Time
Nick Petrie
G. P. Putnam's Sons
c/o Penguin Group
www.penguin.com
9780593540589, $30.00, HC, 400pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Time-Peter-Ash-Novel/dp/0593540581
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dark-time-nick-petrie/1147568504
Synopsis: Katelyn Thorsen, known as KT to her friends and enemies, is an independent journalist who receives a very
specific death threat. Fortunately, Peter Ash has arrived in town to protect KT at the request of his girlfriend, June Cassidy.
From the moment of his arrival, he's thrown into a maelstrom of violence trying to protect KT and her daughter and discover
the source of the death threat.
Even after June and Peter's best friend Lewis arrive in Seattle to help, this challenge may be too much for them - with
enormous consequences should they fail.
Critique: Author Nick Petrie is a master of the suspense/thriller genre. His newest novel, "The Dark Time" is an original and
deftly crafted military thriller that is an inherently compelling read from start to finish. The stuff of which block-buster
action/adventure movies are made, "The Dark Time" is an unreservedly recommended pick for community library
Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "The
Dark Time' from Putnam is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Nick Petrie (https://www.nickpetrie.com) is the author of nine novels in the Peter Ash series, most recently
The Price You Pay. His debut, The Drifter, won both the ITW Thriller award and the Barry Award for Best First Novel, and
was a finalist for the Edgar and the Hammett Awards.
Only Way Out
Tod Goldberg
www.todgoldberg.com
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662534089, $28.99, HC, 367pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Only-Way-Out-Tod-Goldberg/dp/1662534086
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/only-way-out-tod-goldberg/1147025095
Synopsis: Failed lawyer Robert Green has such a good plan: Crack three hundred safe-deposit boxes and sail off to South
America with his brilliant, morally flexible sister, Penny. If it weren't for the damned freezing rain.
In the dying resort town of Granite Shores, cop Jack Biddle is self-appointed king -- mostly of bad decisions. Between his
family's crumbling legacy, a wife who just joined the city council, and life-threatening gambling debts, Jack's looking for a
way out. Then he spots a van spinning off a mountain road into the valley below. In the wreckage, Jack finds a very dead
Robert, millions in heisted loot... and an opportunity.
All Jack has to do is clean up the mess, disappear Robert's body, make off with the fortune, and not get caught. One hitch is
Penny. Another is Mitch Diamond, a wild card ex-con who knows more about the missing fortune than he lets on. Jack,
Penny, and Mitch each have an endgame. But there's only one way out, and they're crashing headlong toward it.
Critique: As revealed by his novel, "Only Way Out', author Tod Goldberg is an eloquent author and master of the police
procedural crime novel genre. Defined characters, unexpected plot twists, "Only Way Out" is a quintessential suspense
thriller of a read from start to unexpected finish. While an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community
library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Only Way
Out" from Thomas & Mercer is also available in paperback (9781662525629, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$4.99).
Editorial Note: Tod Goldberg (www.todgoldberg.com) is the author of sixteen novels, including the Gangsterland quartet:
Gangsterland, a finalist for the Hammett Prize; Gangster Nation; The Low Desert, a Southwest Book of the Year; and
Gangsters Don't Die, an Amazon Best Book of 2023 and a Southwest Book of the Year. Other works include The House of
Secrets, coauthored with Brad Meltzer; Living Dead Girl, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; and the Burn
Notice series. His short fiction and essays have been anthologized in Best American Mystery and Suspense and Best
American Essays and appear regularly in the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and Alta. Tod is a professor of creative
writing at the University of California, Riverside, where he founded and directs the low-residency MFA program in creative
writing and writing for the performing arts.
Crimson Friday
Dorothy Cameron Disney, author
Curtis Evans, introduction
Stark House Press
www.starkhousepress.com
9798886011463, $15.95, Trade Paperback, 242pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Crimson-Friday-Dorothy-Cameron-Disney/dp/B0F3JYXCCR
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/crimson-friday-dorothy-cameron-disney/1138547020
Synopsis: The gossips of Merristone have been having a field day since the reclusive Mrs. Moran moved to town with her
near-deaf maid, Hannah Wilson. Mrs. Moran is seen every day covered in bright flowing gowns and walking her two cats.
All everyone knows is that she used to be a famous harpist but she and her maid keep strictly to themselves. So Jane and
Alan (who are renovating the house next to hers, and soon to be neighbors) are completely taken by surprise when Mrs.
Moran invites them to tea.
Later that evening, Jane, Al and a few family members drive over to their new house (still under construction) to look at the
blueprints. And to everyone's horror, they find Hannah at the foot of the cellar ladder, her head bashed in. Even more
mysterious, someone has stolen their car keys so they can't go for the police. Now everyone is scrambling around trying to
find a phone, and that's when they realize that the neighboring Mrs. Moran has completely disappeared. Could she have
murdered her maid? Or is she a victim of the same killer?
Critique: The late Dorothy Cameron Disney was a master of crime novels laced through with -psychological suspense,
interesting characters, and unexpected plot twists and turns. Now brought back as a Time-Lost Classic by Stark House,
"Crimson Friday" is now available and highly recommended for a new generation of mystery buffs. While a solidly
recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted that
this trade paperback edition of "Crimson Friday' from Stark House Mystery Classics is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: Dorothy Cameron Disney was born November 13, 1903, in the Indian Territory that became Oklahoma. She
was educated at Barnard College in New York, and worked a variety of jobs such as a stenographer, copy writer, journalist,
movie extra, and night club hostess before becoming a full time writer. Disney published her first mystery, Death in the
Back Seat, in 1936, followed by eight more crime novels over the next 13 years. She married Milton MacKaye in the 1940s,
and created a marriage advice column a few years later called "Can Marriage Be Saved" that ran in the Ladies Home Journal
for 30 years under her real name, Dorothy Disney MacKaye. She died September 5, 1992 in Guilford, Connecticut.
The End of the Sahara
Said Khatibi, author
Alexander Elinson, translator
Bitter Lemon Press
www.bitterlemonpress.com
9781916725225, $17.95, PB, 336pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/End-Sahara-Said-Khatibi/dp/1916725228
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-end-of-the-sahara-said-khatibi/1146806165
Synopsis: Ably translated into English for an American readership by Alexander Elinson, "The End of the Sahara" by Said
Khatibi is set in 1988 Algeria and takes place in just forty days, ending as mass protests erupt in the country.
In a small town on the edge of the desert, plagued by a locust infestation and a food shortage, teetering on the brink of
uprising, the body of Zakia Zaghouani (the singer at the Sahara Hotel) is discovered. Suspicion immediately falls on her
lover, who is thrown into prison. The incompetent and greedy Inspector Hamid begins an investigation.
So does the defense lawyer of the main suspect as family, friends, and close ones give their testimonies, finding themselves
confronted with their past.
Secrets, betrayals, grudges, but also dreams and hopes shed light on their connection to the victim: each person harbors, for
one reason or another, the desire to take revenge on her.
Critique: Original, exceptional, engaging, deftly crafted, "The End of the Sahara" by Said Khatibi is the story of how on an
early autumn morning in 1988, on the outskirts of an unnamed Algerian city, a shepherd stumbles upon the lifeless body of
Zaza Zaghouani, a stunning nightclub singer who left her hometown seeking a brighter future. Showcasing Said Khatibi's
genuinely compelling and narrative driven storytelling style, "The End of the Sahara" is a singularly riveting suspense
thriller of a read from start to finish. Unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Historical
Murder Mystery collections, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "The End of the Sahara" from Bitter Lemon
Press is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.95).
Editorial Note #1: Said Khatibi (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Said_Khatibi) is a novelist, travel writer, translator, and
journalist born in 1984 in Bou Saada, Algeria. He currently lives in Slovenia. He writes in Arabic and French and translates
between both. His novel Sarajevo Firewood, was shortlisted for the 2020 International Prize for Arabic Fiction. His other
novels are The Book of Errors which was published in 2013, and Forty Years Waiting for Isabelle which won the 2017
Katara Award for Arabic Novels. He has written a travel book about the Balkans, The Inflamed Gardens of the East, 2015,
and has written extensively on rai music, including a book (Wedding Fire, 2010).
Editorial Note #2: Alexander Elinson (www.hunter.cuny.edu/people/alexander-elinson) is an Associate Professor of Arabic
at Hunter College of the City University of New York. He has translated two novels by Youssef Fadel: A Beautiful White
Cat Walks with Me and A Shimmering Red Fish Swims with Me, which was shortlisted for the 2020 Saif Ghobash Banipal
Prize for Arabic Literary Translation. He also translated Hot Maroc by Yassin Adnan, shortlisted for the same prize in 2022.
His translation of Khadija Marouazi's prison novel History of Ash was shortlisted for the 2024 EBRD Literature Prize.
Spellbound by Murder
Stacie Ramey
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892424127, $29.99, HC, 336pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Spellbound-Murder-Mystic-Bookshop-Mystery/dp/B0FCR77KR3
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/spellbound-by-murder-stacie-ramey/1147770435
Synopsis: When her grandmother suffers a nasty fall and asks for help managing the family business, coffee-addicted single
mother Veronica Blackthorne moves her sixteen-year-old rom-com-obsessed daughter to Mystic Hollow, Connecticut.
Veronica is ecstatic to return to New England, but when she arrives, she quickly finds out that Mystic Hollow Books, her
grandmother's pride and joy, needs more than a little TLC.
Hoping to save the bookstore from a big-box rival, Veronica enlists her sometimes mentor and sometimes crush, Adam
Whitford, a controversial but popular author, as the keynote speaker to kick off a literary festival that will hopefully bring in
a new wave of customers. But when Adam turns up dead, all that romantic potential turns into a nightmare as Veronica
becomes the prime suspect in his murder.
Critique: Original, riveting, and a soon-to-be classic cozy mystery, Stacie Ramey's "Spellbound By Murder" is a fun read
from start to finish. Showcasing her genuine flair for character and narrative driven storytelling, "Spellbound By Murder" is
part of the author's 'A Mystic Hollow Bookshop Mystery' series. While adamantly and unreservedly recommended for the
personal reading lists of dedicated cozy mystery fans and community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be
noted that this hardcover edition of "Spellbound By Murder" from Crooked Lane Books is also available in paperback
(9798892424134, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Stacie Ramey (https://www.stacieramey.com) is the author of The Sister Pact, which was named a YALSA
2016 Popular Paperback and a 2015 PSLA Top 40. Her other novels earned Florida Book Awards as well as critical
acclaim. Her short story "Without Being Asked" appears in the anthology Coming of Age: 13 B'nai Mitzvah Stories.
Baking Up a Murder
Hattie Fox
Crooked Lane Books
www.alcovepress.com
9798892426015, $29.99, HC, 256pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Baking-Up-Murder-Hattie-Fox/dp/B0FKS4ZNG1
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/baking-up-a-murder-hattie-fox/1148401831
Synopsis: When her beloved grandfather dies, pastry chef Madeline quits her high-brow job at a renowned LA restaurant to
take up her grandfather's mantle and keep his bakery running alongside his widow, her big-personality Grandma Ruth. For
Madeline, bringing her passion for French pastries to Solvang, California, is her biggest baking challenge yet: The town is
completely Danish themed, down to the windmills.
In an effort to connect with the locals and convince them that an eclair is just as good as a spandauer, Madeline enters a
local baking competition at Grandma Ruth's urging. Despite her triumphant win, things go terribly wrong when a jilted
competitor accuses Madeline of cheating and Grandma Ruth gets very publicly protective of her granddaughter. When that
competitor is found dead outside the bakery with Grandma Ruth standing over the body, it's no surprise who everyone
thinks is responsible.
With the police focused on Grandma Ruth as a suspect and the gossipy locals quickly turning on Ruth and the bakery,
Madeline becomes determined to prove her grandma's innocence and save her grandfather's legacy before the whole thing
goes up in smoke.
Critique: A deftly crafted and reader riveting cozy mystery with a female amateur sleuth having to prove a loved one
innocent of a murder, several memorable characters, and a satisfyingly scripted plot with many an unexpected twist and turn
leading to an unforeseen finale, "Baking Up a Murder" by Hattie Fox will prove to be a prized and appreciated pick for the
personal reading lists of dedicated cozy mystery fans and community/public library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should
be noted that this hardcover edition of "Baking Up a Murder" from Crooked Lane Books is also available in paperback
(9798892426022, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Hattie Fox enjoys writing quirky and fun novels with a paranormal twist. When she's not plotting her next
mystery novel, she loves reading, painting, spending time with family, and listening to oldies. Her writing is fueled by Diet
Coke and dark chocolate.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Otherworldly
Dwain Worrell
www.dwainworrell.com
47 North
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662528248, $12.99, PB, 301pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Otherworldly-Dwain-Worrell/dp/1662528248
Synopsis: Cleo Xavier is a renowned astronaut and explorer -- not an addict. At least, that's what she tells herself. She's
always been able to navigate the isolation and loneliness that come with space exploration, which makes her a perfect
candidate to join four other astronauts on a mission to Orbis Alius, the farthest planet in the solar system, to test its
terraforming viability.
But when Cleo and her crew arrive on Orbis Alius, its surrounding wasteland reveals mysteries and horrors that none of
them could ever imagine. Here, the tortured atmosphere changes as dramatically as the landscape. The sky itself seems to be
descending. And something sinister lurks in the unknown. One by one, the crew goes missing and Cleo must venture deeper
into the planet to save them -- even while she finds herself falling to old vices as the isolation she once so craved becomes
as oppressive as the shifting black fog.
The farther Cleo ventures and the more she uncovers about the secrets Orbis Alius holds, the more she starts to realize that
maybe she isn't alone at all.
Critique: Exceptional and deftly crafted, "Otherworldly" by Dwain Worrell is an original and inherently fascinating science
fiction novel replete with memorable characters and unexpected plot twists. A fun read from start to finish, this paperback
edition of "Otherworldly" is an unreservedly recommended pick for the personal reading lists of dedicated science fiction
fans, as well as an enduringly popular addition to community library Science Fiction collections. It should be noted that
"Otherworldly" from 47 North is also currently available in a digital book format (Kindle, $1.99).
Editorial Note: Dwain Worrell (www.dwainworrell.com) is a filmmaker, a traveler, and the author of Androne and Alliance.
Born in the Caribbean, Dwain resettled in the US in the nineties. He currently resides in Los Angeles, where he works as a
film and television writer and producer. His writing credits include Marvel's Iron Fist, CBS's Fire Country, Amazon Studios'
The Wall, and the Disney+ series National Treasure, among others.
The Unwritten Rules of Magic
Harper Ross
St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250394552, $28.00, HC, 320pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Unwritten-Rules-Magic-Harper-Ross/dp/1250394554
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-unwritten-rules-of-magic-harper-ross/1147243765
Synopsis: Emerson Clarke can't remember a time when she felt in control. Her father (a celebrated author) was a chaotic
force until he got Alzheimer's. Her mother turned to gin. And recently, her teen daughter has shut her out without
explanation. If only she could arrange reality the same way she controls the stories she ghostwrites, life could be
perfect.
Or so she thinks.
After her father's funeral, Emerson steals his vintage typewriter (the one he'd forbidden anyone to touch) and tests its keys
by typing out a frivolous wish. When it comes true the very next day, she tries another. Then, those words also spring to life.
Suddenly, she becomes obsessed with using the typewriter to rewrite happiness for herself and her daughter.
But the more she shapes her real-life, the more she uncovers disturbing truths about her family's history and the unexpected
cost of every story-come-true. She should destroy the typewriter, yet when her daughter's secret finally emerges, Emerson is
torn between paying the price for bending fate and embracing the uncertainty of an unscripted life.
Critique: Original, imaginative, poignant, exceptionally well written and with author Harper Ross' genuine flair for a
narrative driven storytelling, "The Unwritten Rules of Magic" will prove a fascinating read from start to finish for fans of
'magic realism' novels. While an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for community library Fantasy Fiction
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "The Unwritten Rules of Magic" from
St. Martin's Press is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Harper Ross (https://harperrossbooks.com) has enjoyed a lifelong love affair with the dramatic story worlds
in books and movies. After leaving her legal practice to raise her kids, she discovered her own creative side and began
writing novels that explore friendship, family, and forgiveness. Because she also appreciates the magic in everyday life
(from the spark of attraction to those serendipitous moments we all experience) her readers find a dash of that in her work
too.
Witch of the Shadow Wood
Tori Anne Martin
Alcove Press
c/o Crooked Lane Books
www.alcovepress.com
9798892424653, $29.99, HC, 336pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Witch-Shadow-Wood-Tori-Martin/dp/B0FCSF7HJ4
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/witch-of-the-shadow-wood-tori-anne-martin/1147770438
Synopsis: Fifteen years ago, a little girl's father bartered her away to the old witch in the woods for some magic. Abandoned
by her brother, Hans, who promised to keep her safe, Greta learns to embrace her new life as an apprentice to the witch and
starts a new life as Miria.
Two years ago, she rescued a young woman who was lost in those woods, and she fell in love.
Just now, she learned that woman is engaged (against her will) to a man who once was complicit in trading his little sister.
Not only that, but when his father used the magic the sister's life had bought to bring the family wealth and power beyond
measure, he had no trouble forgetting all about her.
Soon, the young witch will leave the woods. Stop the wedding. Save the woman she loves. Get revenge. -- But beyond the
woods, nothing is ever that simple!
Critique: Creative, imaginative, and a fun read from cover to cover, "Witch of the Shadow Wood" by Tori Anne Martin is a
new interpretation of the Hansel and Gretel fairytale. A carefully crafted 'romantasy', Martin's storyteller style deftly blends
magic and adventure making this remarkable new take on a classic fairytale especially and unreservedly recommended for
community library Fantasy Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of
"Witch of the Shadow Wood" from Alcove Press is also readily available in paperback (9798892424660, $19.99) and in a
digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Tori Anne Martin (https://toriannemartin.com) is the author of witchy romance and fantasy for teens and
adults as well as the author of a book series (or two) under not-so-secret identities.
House of Spells and Secrets
Ivy Cassidy
Alcove Press
c/o Crooked Lane Books
www.alcovepress.com
9798892424202, $29.99, HC, 352pp
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/house-of-spells-and-secrets-ivy-cassidy/1147717505
Synopsis: Rowan Connors has lived a fragmented, nomadic life with her triplet sisters, Saoirse and Caraline. Reeling from
the sudden drowning of their erratic and secretive mother, Bridget, they uncover an old photograph of her standing in front
of a manor they don't recognize -- and a final request scrawled on the back of the picture. The sisters set off to find answers
to the questions they've always had about their mother's past, the place she once called home, and their own magical
gifts.
They arrive to find Swallow Hall sinking into the bay, and their grandmother, Everly, living alone within its dilapidated
walls. But the house is more than crumbling brick and weathered stone. It breathes with magic, bound to the land and to the
bloodline the sisters never knew they carried. As they settle into the house and the mystery of their family history deepens,
they uncover a hidden enemy tied to the magic of their ancestral line. With every discovery, Rowan begins to suspect that
her mother's drowning was no accident but part of a much older, more dangerous plan set in motion long before they were
born.
As the shadows of the past creep back into Swallow Hall and Everly disappears, Rowan must confront whatever forced
Bridget to flee Swallow Hall before the house, its secrets, and the magic of their bloodline are erased forever.
Critique: A carefully crafted, reader engaging, and imaginative fantasy novel by a master of the historical fantasy genre,
"House of Spells and Secrets" is an original and riveting story of magic and mystery, loyalty and betrayal, sisterhood, and
secrets. Author Ivy Cassidy's remarkable storytelling style makes for an authentically fun read from cover to cover. While
very highly recommended as a guaranteed popular pick for personal reading lists and community library Fantasy Fiction
collections, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "House of Spells and Secrets" from Alcove Press is also
available in paperback (9798892424219, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Ivy Cassidy (a.k.a. Melissa Bourbon) is the author of more than thirty-five novels, including the Book Magic
mysteries, the Magical Dressmaking mysteries, and the Bread Shop mysteries (written as Winnie Archer). A former English
teacher turned full-time writer, Ivy has a passion for storytelling, a knack for weaving magic into mysteries, and an incurable
love of books. Fans can visit her at www.ivycassidybooks.com and follow her on Instagram @bookishly_cozy
The Graphic Novel Shelf
The Lights of Niteroi
Marcello Quintanilha
Fantagraphics
www.fantagraphics.com
9798875001772, $22.99, PB, 232pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Lights-Niter%C3%B3i-Marcello-Quintanilha/dp/B0FDFKZNS3
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-lights-of-niteroi-marcello-quintanilha/1147649073
Synopsis: In 1950s Brazil, somewhere by the beach, not far from Rio, Helcio, a young and promising soccer player, and his
friend Noel, spot someone fishing with dynamite. They decide to take a boat and steal some of the dead fish to make some
money.
The boat trip turns into a perilous journey as the two thieves embark on an adventure that will challenge their
friendship.
Critique: A suspenseful thriller and a breathtaking story about friendship, "The Lights of Niteroi" is a fascinating, full color,
graphic novel that was inspired by the life of illustrator/storyteller Marcello Quintanilha's father, Helcio Quintanilha. A story
that involves fishermen, soccer, the Brazilian feminist and striptease artist Luz del Fuego, and the first naturist camp in
Brazil, "The Lights of Niteroi" (translated into English by the author with the assistance of Bruna Dantas Lobato) is an
extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for community and college/university library mystery/adventure themed
Graphic Novel collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this trade paperback (6.7 x 0.6 x 9.5 inches, 1.35
pounds) edition of "The Lights of Niteroi" from Fantagraphics is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$16.99).
Editorial Note: Marcello Quintanilha was born in 1971 outside Rio de Janeiro. His first graphic novel, Tungsteno, published
in 2015, was adapted for film by director Heitor Dhalia. He has lived in Barcelona since 2002.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcello_Quintanilha)
All the Living
Roman Muradov
Fantagraphics Underground
c/o Fantagraphics
www.fantagraphics.com
9798875002427, $29.99, PB, 160pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/All-Living-Roman-Muradov/dp/B0FQYTTHFB
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/all-the-living-roman-muradov/1148277244
Synopsis: Waking up in Purgatory, a young woman is forced to take part in a lottery -- which she wins. Unfortunately for
her, since she has had enough of life, the prize is to return to the world of the living and continue her life from where she
had left it, with one significant difference: this time, she can see and communicate with ghosts -- her own included. Her
dull, monotonous life carries on, though her profound solitude is now mitigated by the presence of the ghosts of the dead,
most notably her own. She discovers that living with her ghost has its advantages, until this relationship suddenly turns into
a spectral triangle...
By turns compassionate and cruel, "All the Living" is a quiet, melancholy story full of delicate details, and unexpected
humor. It's a slow and subtle meditation on loneliness, rendered in Muradov's shifting style, full of finesse and sensuality. A
parable (at the same time gentle, penetrating, and occasionally profane) that marks the return of a master of the modern
graphic novel.
Critique: Original, clever, wordless, "All the Living" by artist/storyteller Roman Muradov is an extraordinary and
unreservedly recommended pick for personal, community, and college/university library Graphic Novel collections. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that this trade paperback edition of "All the Living" from Fantagraphics
Underground is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.99).
Editorial Note: Roman Muradov (https://romanmuradov.com) is originally from Russia, and now lives and works in
London. He works in various artistic fields (cartoons, illustration, art direction) and for various media including The New
Yorker, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Vogue, and Washington Post. In 2014, he won the Gold Medal from the
Society of Illustrators.
The Audiobook Shelf
The Bolthole
Peter Papathanasiou, author
Daniel Fletcher, narrator
Isis Audio
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444857290, $116.95/$99.41, CD (12 hours 6 minutes)
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781444857290
Synopsis: Located off the coast of South Australia, sleepy Kangaroo Island stood at the end of the line for generations.
Surrounded by violent seas harbouring deadly great white sharks and forgotten shipwrecks, and with a shameful history of
animal cruelty and Indigenous abductions, the Islanders cultivated a strong sense of self-sufficiency, independence and
resilience.
That was, until some new arrivals came with a force - multimillionaires who built immense clifftop homes in the wake of
catastrophic bushfires, and travelled in private planes and helicopters. Seemingly overnight, the quiet paradise of Kangaroo
Island transformed into a bolthole for the rich and privileged. And the locals aren't happy.
Richard Marlowe, a wealthy 'blow-in' to the island, goes missing, last seen wading into the ocean for a dawn swim. A shark
attack is blamed, but things don't add up. Reuniting for a new investigation, Detective Sergeant Manolis and Senior
Constable Sparrow travel to Kangaroo Island, but their own arrival isn't welcomed, either. Faced with obstacles imposed by
both the Islanders and newcomers, their task to locate the missing man becomes increasingly challenging as they try to
navigate a tiny rock waging a civil war over limited resources, a fragile environment, and fractured community
dynamics.
Critique: A deftly crafted suspense thriller of a novel, "The Bolthole" by Peter Papathanasiou is now available as a complete
and unabridged CD audio book from Isis Audio. Aptly narrated by Daniel Fletcher who produced a memorable 'theatre of
the mind' listening experience, "The Bolthole" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal and community
library Mystery/Suspense themed audio book collections. It should be noted that "The Bolthole" is also readily available
from Isis Audio in an MP3-CD format (9781444857306, $116.95/$99.41).
Editorial Note #1: Peter Papathanasiou was born in northern Greece and adopted as a baby to an Australian family. His
writing has been published internationally by The New York Times, Guardian, Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The
Canberra Times, Daily Telegraph, The ABC, SBS, Huffington Post. He also holds an MA in Creative Writing from City
University, London, and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the Australian National University. His first book, a memoir
Son of Mine was published in 2019 by Salt. A listing of his books in available online at
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15038974.Peter_Papathanasiou
Detective Inspector Crust
Vincent McInerney, author
Full BBC Radio Crime Drama Cast
BBC Audio
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781529986877, $67.95/$57.76, CD, (4 hours 7 minutes)
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781529986877
Synopsis: O'Rourke's First Case - Made redundant at 40, John O'Rourke gets a grant from the Enterprise Allowance Board
and sets up as a private detective. Hired by Mrs Rate to trace her absent spouse, he's soon caught up in a dangerous scheme
involving modern art, drug money and shoot-outs on container ships. Fortunately, Inspector Crust is also investigating, and
monitoring the rookie PI's progress. Can the redoubtable copper ensure that O'Rourke's first case isn't also his last?
The Finger of Suspicion - With the university rag day parade in full swing, Inspector Crust is keeping his beady eye on the
floats making their way through the city centre. So when a helicopter suddenly appears, and hoists the Epstein statue off
Lewis's department store, Crust assumes it's an elaborate student prank. But when the police receive a ransom note, together
with one of the statue's fingers, he starts to have second thoughts.
The Bell - Following the death of shipowner Oliver Bright, his granddaughter Elizabeth prepares to sell his house and
possessions at auction. Rumour has it that among his worldly goods is a rare artefact saved during the sinking of the Titanic
- and psychotic criminal Tarrant will stop at nothing to lay his hands on it. But Inspector Crust is also on the trail of the
missing relic, and is determined to find it first!
Critique: This complete and unabridged CD audio book edition of "Detective Inspector Crust" is comprised of a trilogy of
thrillers set in Liverpool. A veteran scriptwriter in writing his original crime stories, Vincent McInerney draws on his
lifelong knowledge of Liverpool and his background in the Merchant Marine to produce his authentic and engaging thrillers
in which the gruff, indomitable John Crust and his sidekick Minty probe the circumstances surrounding a missing husband,
a stolen sculpture and a hidden treasure. A fun and fascinating listening experience that will be of special appeal to
mystery/crime buffs, "Detective Inspector Crust" is a highly recommended pick for community library audio book
collections. It should be noted for personal lists that "Detective Inspector Crust" is also available in an MP3-CD format
(9781529987317, $67.95/$57.76).
Editorial Note: Vincent McInerney has written widely for radio. His output includes: an original play, The Serang, for Radio
4; two commissions for Play of the Week on the World Service; an adaptation of Three Hours After Marriage (Gay, Pope,
Arbuthnot) described by The Listener as 'genuinely funny'; a dramatisation of Nathanael West's Miss Lonelyhearts for Radio
3 ('superb' - Independent on Sunday); plus various short stories, drama-documentaries and poems for BBC networks.
Vincent was also one of three writers responsible for Radio 4's Complete Sherlock Holmes. In 2001, his textbook, Writing
for Radio, appeared from Manchester University Press.
Doctor Who: The Church On Ruby Road
Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson, author
Angela Wynter, narrator
BBC Audio
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781529986860, $67.95/$57.76, CD (4 hours 20 minutes)
Ulverscroft
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781529986860
Synopsis: "Doctor Who: The Church On Ruby Road" the first full adventure for the Fifteenth Doctor, as played on TV by
Ncuti Gatwa, and Ruby Sunday as played on TV by Millie Gibson.
Chance. Misfortune. Coincidence. These are the weapons of choice for the Doctor's latest enemies. And those enemies are
very, very hungry...
For Ruby Sunday, this Christmas Eve is a birthday she'll never forget. It's the day she joins the Doctor on board a Goblin
ship. The day she learns of dangers from beyond the universe. The day her life really begins... or, perhaps, the day it
ends!
Critique: Ably narrated by Angela Wynter, this complete and unabridged audio book, "Doctor Who: The Church On Ruby
Road", is especially and unreservedly recommended to the attention of the legions of Doctor Who fans everywhere. This
expert audio book edition of the first full adventure for the Fifteenth incarnation of Doctor Who is a solid entertainment
from start to finish. While a guaranteed popular pick for community library Science Fiction themed audio book collections,
it should be noted for personal lists that this CD edition with its hard plastic clam shell casing is also readily available in an
MP3-CD format (9781529987300, $67.95/$57.76).
Editorial Note #1: Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson (https://www.esmiejikiemi-pearson.com) is an author of fantasy fiction, and the
inaugural winner of the Future World's Prize. Her forthcoming novel, Gutterwitch, sold to Random House Children's (US)
and Bloomsbury (UK) after a nine way auction. Esmie's first novel was nominated for Best British and Irish Book at the Tik
Tok Book Awards.
Editorial Note #2: Angela Wynter (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Wynter) is a Jamaican-British actress. She is
known for her role as Yolande Trueman in the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2003 - 2008, 2017, 2023 - present). In 2021,
she joined the cast of the BBC soap opera Doctors for a three-month stint as Makeda Sylvester.
The Music CD Shelf
Bite Your Tongue
The Interplay Jazz Orchestra
Bigtime Records
$TBA CD / $TBA digital
Apple Music
https://music.apple.com/us/album/bite-your-tongue/1863526081
Bite Your Tongue is the latest album from The Interplay Jazz Orchestra, a composer-focused modern jazz orchestra led by
Joey Devassey and Gary Henderson. A multitude of talented music artists on trombone, trumpet, piano, bass, and drums
transform compositions and arrangements by Devassey, Henderson and other into vivacious, exciting soundscapes,
punctuated by high-flying solos cresting above the heart-thumping beat. Bite Your Tongue is a "must-have" for big band
jazz connoisseurs, highly recommended! The tracks are The Congregation (Johnny Griffen, arr. Damien Pacheco); Bite
Your Tongue (Joey Devassy); Go Figure (Chris Scarnato); My Foolish Heart (Victor Young, arr. Joey Devassy); It's Been A
Long, Long Time (June Styne, arr. Gary Henderson); Strasbourg-St. Denis (Roy Hargrove, arr. Joey Devassy); The
Downside Up (Joey Devassy); Night and Day (Cole Porter, arr. Gary Henderson); and Blues for Adrian (Joey Devassy).
Silwan
Wanees Zarour
https://www.waneeszarour.com
Levantine Music
$TBA CD / $10.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://wanees.bandcamp.com/album/silwan
Award-winning Palestinian-American composer, bandleader, and master of the buzuq (a long-necked fretted lute) and oud
(a short-necked lute) Wanees Zarour presents Silwan, an extraordinary instrumental album of Zarour's original
compositions. An extraordinary melding of Palestinian heritage music, Arabic modal traditions, and Chicago-style jazz and
blues, Silwan is performed by Zarour on buzuq, oud, and percussion; Bryan Pardo on alto saxophone and clarinet; Catie
Hickey on trombone; Samuel Mosching on guitar; Vinny Kabat on bass; Andrew Lawrence on piano, keys, and
synthesizers; Nick Kabat on drums; and Tareq Rantisi on percussion. Silwan is an avant-garde, genre-defying masterpiece,
highly recommended especially for connoisseurs. The tracks are Silwan; Lifta; Autumn; Festival; Fig Tree; Cold City; and
Anthem.
Beneath the Sun
Francesca Prihasti
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $9.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://francescaprihasti.bandcamp.com/album/beneath-the-sun
Indonesian-born, New York-based jazz pianist and composer Francesca Prihasti presents Beneath the Sun, an original,
instrumental album inspired by the life-transforming change that is motherhood. All songs are composed by Prihasti,
dedicated to her children, and performed by Prihasti on piano, Nic Vardanega on guitar, Drew Gress on bass, Mark Ferber
on drums, and Nick Brust on alto and soprano saxophone. Beneath the Sun celebrates growth, revelation, and learning to see
the world in an illuminated way. Beneath the Sun is highly recommended for personal and public library music collections,
and also makes an excellent Mother's Day gift. The tracks are In Between; Beneath the Sun; Reason and Will; Leura; Till
We Have Faces; Unanswered Questions; and Fortitude.
The Gal from Ochi
Michael Jackson
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $15.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://jackojazz.bandcamp.com/album/the-gal-from-ochi
Saxophonist and composer Michael Jackson (no relation to the deceased pop star of the same name) presents The Gal from
Ochi, featuring performances from two talented sextets plus additional guests. The songs range the gamut from Chicago
blues to bossa, calypso, pop, spoken word, reggae, ballads, improvisational jazz and more. A lively medley of intense
excitement and exuberant freedom, The Gal from Ochi is a choice pick for connoisseurs and highly recommended. The
tracks are The Gal From Ochi; Scoobie Doobie; One For Junior #1; Pop Tart; Blue Stew; Sonny The Squirrel; Mose Def; Bugsy (Goes to Brazil); Wolfgang; Stepping Stones; and Scoot Ya Butt.
The Peacocks
The Alfie Jackson sextet
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $15.00 digital
Bandcamp
https://jackojazz.bandcamp.com/album/the-peacocks-the-alfie-jackson-sextet
The Alfie Jackson sextet consists Alfie Jackson on vocals and guitar, Leo Milano on tenor sax, Sam Roberson on guitar,
Daniel Ellis Perez on acoustic and electric bass, Wayne Williams on vibraphone, and Chase Wilkins on drums, with special
guest Michael Jackson lending a cameo saxophone performance. Together they present their debut album The Peacocks, a
vivacious performance of jazz and ballad favorites. Passionate and resonant, The Peacocks is a rapturous soundscape, highly
recommended especially for connoisseurs of vocal jazz. The tracks are 500 Miles High; Nature Boy; After the Rain; Inner
Urge; How Insensitive; I Deserve This; My One and Only Love; Ugetsu; Do I Move You? and The Peacocks.
Echoes
Luke Marantz and Simon Jermyn
lukemarantz.com
simonjermynmusic.com
Chill Tone Records
$15.00 CD / $TBA digital
Chill Tone Records
https://store.chilltone.com/products/luke-marantz-simon-jermyn-echoes-cd
Echoes is an extraordinary collection of original, instrumental duets by pianist Luke Marantz and guitarist Simon Jermyn.
Recorded over a period of two and a half years, Echoes defies genres with its high-flying piano and underpinning of
resonant acoustic guitar. Echoes is inspiring, uplifting, and highly recommended for fostering creative thought, or just
immersing oneself in the moment. The tracks are Echoes; Country; Hovering; Echoes II; Shori; Light Scatters Green;
Echoes III; Passages; and Echoes IV.
The Needlecraft Shelf
Listen to the Wool: A Why-to Guide for Joyful Spinning
Josefin Waltin, author
Dan Waltin, photographer
Stackpole Books
c/o Globe Pequot
https://www.globepequot.com
9780811776691, $32.95, PB, 184pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Listen-Wool-Why-Joyful-Spinning/dp/0811776697
Barns & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/listen-to-the-wool-josefin-waltin/1146806186
Synopsis: Unlock the timeless art of spinning with "Listen to the Wool: A Why-to Guide for Joyful Spinning", a guide by
Josefin Waltin that invites you into a world where wool transforms into more than just yarn -- it's a journey of connection,
creativity, and mindful craftsmanship.
Whether you're a beginner or an experienced spinner, "Listen to the Wool" (profusely illustrated throughout with the full
color photography by Dan Waltin) is your ideal instructional guide and manual, offering insights into every aspect of wool
preparation and spinning. Learn how to listen to the wool, feel its story, and create something truly unique from every fleece
you encounter. Through practical exercises and deep reflections, you'll cultivate a deeper connection to the wool and a richer
understanding of your own spinning process.
In "Listen to the Wool", every step, from selecting the fleece to spinning the perfect yarn, becomes an exploration of mind,
body, emotion, and spirit. This is not just a technical manual -- it is a guide to rediscovering the joy and beauty in every
twist and turn of the fiber. Embrace the process of slow, mindful spinning, and find the deeper satisfaction that comes from
honoring the wool's journey. With tips for both beginners and seasoned crafters, you'll gain confidence, creativity, and a
deeper understanding of your craft, while being gently guided through each step of your spinning journey.
Additionally, "Listen to the Wool" fosters a sense of community, inviting you to connect with fellow spinners, share
experiences, and celebrate the collective journey of learning. With every page, you will not only refine your technique but
also learn to approach your craft with gratitude, respect, and intention.
Critique: This large format (8 x 0.2 x 10 inches, 1.14 pounds) trade paperback edition of "Listen to the Wool: A Why-to
Guide for Joyful Spinning" from Stackpole Books is an ideal introduction to wool spinning for the beginner and has a great
deal of on-going value for even the more experienced spinner. Comprehensive and exceptionally reader/user friendly in
organization, presentation and style, "Listen to the Wool" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to
personal, professional, community, and college/university library Folkcraft, Needlecraft, Weaving, and Fiber Arts
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this trade paperback edition by the team of
author/wool spinner expert Josefin Waltin and professional photographer Dan Waltin is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $23.99).
Editorial Note #1: Josefin Waltin is a spinner, spinning teacher, writer, and course creator. She has written several articles
for magazines like Spin-Off and PLY and is the co-author of Sara J Wolf's book Knit (Spin) Sweden! She has taught over
300 hours in face-to-face courses and over 2,000 students online. As a spinning teacher and course creator, she has collected
a bank of experiences and common challenges for spinners and brought it back into teaching and writing. Her main focus is
spindle spinning and the process from raw fleece to a finished yarn or textile. Josefin lives in Sweden with her family.
You can find Josefin on:
Substack: https://substack.com/@josefinwaltin
Instagram: josefinwaltin
Blog: waltin.se/josefinwaltinspinner
Online spinning school: josefinwaltinspinner.teachable.com
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@josefinwaltin
Editorial Note #2: Dan Waltin (https://www.danwaltersphoto.com/#home) has been photographing wildlife for about 15
years. He has been featured in Bugle Magazine, Chicago Wilderness Magazine, Brown Trout Publishing,
Smith-Southwestern, Inc., All Animals magazine, The Humane Society, Ranger Rick Jr. magazine and Audubon Magazine
and Colorado Outdoors. Dan also leads workshops at Florida's Bird and Photo Fest in Saint Augustine, Florida and with
Lisa Langell during the Magic of Alaska workshops.
The Art Shelf
RHS Watercolour Botanical Art
Sarah Howard
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781784729844, $39.99, HC, 240pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/RHS-Watercolour-Botanical-Art-Artists/dp/1784729841
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rhs-watercolour-botanical-art-sarah-howard/1147469889
Synopsis: Unlike botanical art books that focus only on painting techniques, and botany books that do not take account of
the artist's method, "RHS Watercolour Botanical Art: A Botanical Guide for Artists" by Sarah Howard deftly balances both
botany information and the painting practice used to depict it.
The intended reader is any aspiring or practicing artist who wishes to be more informed about botany; who needs to tackle
the challenges of painting complex and particular botanical structures; who wants to learn what to look out for; and discover
variations and morphological parts that are not obvious.
Part One of "RHS Watercolour Botanical Art" focuses on botanical forms and considerations. Each entry in the directory of
morphological terms will include:
Diagrams and text describing the plant morphology
Artists' Considerations: a checklist to follow when examining a plant
Paintings from celebrated botanical artists
Part Two of "RHS Watercolour Botanical Art" focuses on practical considerations for artists describing painting techniques
in step-by-step detail. This section also includes practical tips for working outdoors, visiting plant collections, and collecting
or photographing plant specimens for study.
Critique: This large format (9.5 x 0.85 x 11.25 inches, 3.09 pounds), magnificently illustrated, hardcover edition of "RHS
Watercolour Botanical Art: A Botanical Guide for Artists", novice and experienced artists alike will learn how produce
museum & art gallery quality botanical paintings. Impressively comprehensive and thoroughly 'reader/user' friendly in
organization and presentation, "RHS Watercolour Botanical Art: A Botanical Guide for Artists" is informative enhanced for
the art student with the inclusion of a four page Glossary, a two page listing of Further Resources, and a four page Index.
Extraordinary, practical, effective, " 9.5 x 0.85 x 11.25 inches" is an ideal pick for personal, professional, community, art
school, and college/university library Plant Art/Landscape instructional reference collections. It should be noted for art
students, botanical plant artists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition
of "RHS Watercolour Botanical Art: A Botanical Guide for Artists" from Mitchell Beazley is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $19.99).
Editorial Note: Sarah Howard (http://sarah-howard.co.uk) After working as a book researcher, archivist and journalist,
moved to Ethiopia with her husband where life began as a botanical illustrator. Now living in Scotland, and after training at
the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, she has taken part in numerous exhibitions, liaised with artists for international
exhibitions, been an active member of botanical painting associations, and has had work selected for prestigious institutions
or commissioned for private and public collections. Sarah holds a Diploma in Botanical Illustration (Distinction), Royal
Botanical Garden Edinburgh, 2014.
The Travel Shelf
Backpacking Oregon: Overnight and Multiday Routes
Eli Boschetto
Mountaineers Books
www.mountaineersbooks.org
9781680516265, $24.95, PB, 288pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Backpacking-Oregon-Overnight-Multiday-Routes/dp/1680516264
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/backpacking-oregon-eli-boschetto/1147936712
Synopsis: Showcasing 70 overnight, weekend, or multiday trips that includes mileage logs for campsites, water, and other
highlights, as well as icons for family (and dog-friendly) routes, "Backpacking Oregon: Overnight and Multiday Routes" by
Eli Boschetto is the ultimate DIY guide for exploring the state's wild beauty on foot.
An ideal trip planning guide that spans coastal headlands, Cascade peaks, high desert plains, and beyond. "Backpacking
Oregon" focuses on weekend-friendly treks, while offering invaluable tips for extending or customizing each trip.
Detailed trail descriptions include maps, mileage logs, campsites, water sources, and scenic highlights. Travelers and
outdoor enthusiasts will discover Oregon's most iconic adventures with expanded summaries for the Timberline Trail, Three
Sisters Loop, and Wallowas Loop, plus a section focused on the Pacific Crest Trail. With inspirational photos, planning
advice, and Leave No Trace guidance, this book is an essential 'backpacking and camping' guide.
It should be noted that 1% of proceeds support Trailkeepers of Oregon.
Critique: Compact, portable, illustrated with full color photos, and the ideal planning guide to explore the Oregon outdoors
on foot, this paperback edition of Eli Boschetto's "Backpacking Oregon: Overnight and Multiday Routes" from
Mountaineers Books is a very special, thoroughly 'reader/user' friendly, and unreservedly recommended pick for personal,
professional, community and college/university library Oregon themed travel guide collections.
Editorial Note: Eli Boschetto is a professional hiker, writer, and author based in Portland, Oregon, and has put more than
6000 miles under his hiking boots exploring the mountains and wilderness areas throughout the western US and Canada. He
is the author of Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: Oregon and Urban Trails Portland, both published by Mountaineers Books.
Eli is also an accomplished outdoor photographer and has worked as a Northwest correspondent for Backpacker magazine
as well as editor of Washington Trails magazine. Visit him online at PCTOregon.com or on Instagram, Facebook and
Twitter @pctoregon
The Gardening Shelf
The Tomato Grower's Handbook
Holly Farrell
Bloomsbury Publishing
www.bloomsbury.com
9781526697523, $22.99, HC, 144pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Tomato-Growers-Handbook-Everything-harvest/dp/1526697521
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-tomato-growers-handbook-holly-farrell/1148089048
Synopsis: If you want to grow your own vegetables but feel a bit overwhelmed by it all, you are not alone. "The Tomato
Grower's Handbook: Everything you need to know, from seed to harvest and beyond" is a simple, informative, and tasty
answer to all tomato growing questions from award-winning garden writer Holly Farrell.
Easy to grow and a common cooking ingredient, tomatoes are the most popular plant to grow at home -- not to mention how
much better homegrown tomatoes taste! "The Tomato Grower's Handbook" is a user-friendly guide that outlines how to
grow them, from easy cherry tomatoes to trickier heirloom varieties, covering different methods of growing according to
your space-indoors or outdoors, pot or plot.
"The Tomato Grower's Handbook" also includes ten easy recipes (tomato pasta!) and tips on storing and preserving your
produce (tomato jam!).
With "The Tomato Grower's Handbook" you will reach your gardening goals while embracing and enjoying each step of
your gardening journey.
Critique: Original, comprehensive, illustrated, exceptionally 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Tomato
Grower's Handbook" by tomato growing expert Holly Farrell fully lives up to the promise of its subtitle 'Everything you
need to know, from seed to harvest and beyond'. Ideal for the novice gardening and of immense interest to even the more
experienced tomato grower, "The Tomato Grower's Handbook" will prove a popular and valued addition to personal,
professional, community, and college/university library Gardening: Tomatoes collections. It should be noted that this
hardcover edition of "The Tomato Grower's Handbook" from Bloomsbury Publishing is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Holly Farrell (https://www.hollyfarrellbooks.com) is an award-winning garden writer and author of books
including Healing with Plants: The Chelsea Physic Garden Herbal; RHS Plants from Pips; Growing Herbs (Kew Gardener's
Guides); RHS Get Growing; Grow Fruit; and Garden Media Guild Award finalists RHS Gardening for Mindfulness and The
Jam Maker's Garden. Her most recent titles are The RHS Little Book of Wild Gardening; The Herb Almanac (for Chelsea
Physic Garden); and The RHS Little Book of Cut Flower Growing. She is a frequent contributor to The Simple Things
magazine and an RHS Wisley-trained horticulturalist (she holds the Wisley Diploma and RHS Certificates in
Horticulture).
The Fishing Shelf
The Guide to Urban Fly Fishing
Marc Fryt, author
Dr. Brandon Dale, preface
Tom Rosenbauer, foreword
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
www.chelseagreen.com
9781645023173, $29.95, PB, 256pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Urban-Fly-Fishing-Explore/dp/1645023176
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-guide-to-urban-fly-fishing-marc-fryt/1147382987
Synopsis: While city dwellers often turn to hiking, biking, or simply enjoying a local park as healthy pastimes that don't
come with high costs or distant travel, one rewarding pursuit remains largely untapped in urban environments: fly
fishing.
For over a thousand years, fly fishing has been more than a method of harvesting food; it is also a source of immense joy, a
pathway to understanding nature intimately, and a tradition that connects us to water and wildlife. But why should this
enriching experience be confined to remote waters and rural landscapes? Why can't we cast a line right in the heart of our
cities?
With the publication of "The Guide to Urban Fly Fishing: How to Explore and Enjoy Your Local Waters", author and fly
fishing expert Marc Fryt shatters the stigmas and preconceptions (elitism, exclusivity, and notions of purity) that have kept
fly fishing from thriving in urban settings, revealing how the sport is truly accessible to all.
"The Guide to Urban Fly Fishing" introduces angling knowledge within the unique ecosystems that cities offer, ecosystems
that have evolved dramatically over the past 150 years. More than just a simple 'how-to' instructional handbook, "The Guide
to Urban Fly-Fishing" also provides the tools, resources, and diverse stories that will help to discover the vibrant community
and joy of urban fly fishing. It is also about joining a broader ecological movement that's redefining how we live, relate, and
recreate in our cities.
Additionally, "The Guide to Urban Fly Fishing" answers both the why and how questions of urban fly fishing.
Why fish in your city? Because of the accessibility, affordability, community, and unique adventures that urban waters offer.
A fishing rod transforms city landscapes into engaging playgrounds, turning anglers from mere observers into active
participants.
Why fly fishing in particular? This method of fishing is highly versatile and effective for the diverse ecosystems found in
urban areas.
"The Guide to Urban Fly Fishing serves as the first comprehensive urban guide for those new to fly fishing in general, as
well as for anglers who have yet to explore urban waters. It's filled with practical insights, tips, and uplifting stories from
experienced urban anglers from several cities, including Los Angeles, Denver, Minneapolis, Boston, New York City, and
Columbus. It provides readers with the resources and inspiration to explore their city's waters, overcome challenges, and
discover personal rewards and a sense of community.
Critique: Original, informative, deftly crafted, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Guide to
Urban Fly Fishing: How to Explore and Enjoy Your Local Waters" by Marc Fryt is a seminal and groundbreaking study that
will hold immense and enduring interest for novice and experienced fly fishing anglers of all ages. Informatively enhanced
for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a Preface by Dr. Brandon Dale, a Foreword by Tom Rosenbauer, full color
illustrations, a four page listing of Further Resources, a four page Bibliography, and a five page Index. "The Guide to Urban
Fly Fishing" is a unique and especially recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university
library Fly Fishing collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "The Guide to Urban Fly Fishing" from
Chelsea Green Publishing is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.99).
Editorial Note #1: Marc Fryt (https://www.thetriplehaul.com), discovered fly fishing as a way to decompress and explore
mountain rivers and streams during his military service as a helicopter pilot and operations officer. After leaving the service
and moving to Columbus, Ohio, he took up urban fly fishing with the encouragement of local anglers and mentors. He is
now an urban fly-fishing guide in Spokane, Washington State's second-largest city. He brings years of writing and
photography experience, having been published in numerous fishing and hunting magazines such as The Drake, Flyfish
Journal, Backcountry Journal, Fly Culture, Covers, Project Upland, Kayak Angler, and American Fly Fishing. For "The
Guide to Urban Fly Fishing", he has pulled together diverse voices among urban anglers from various cities, consulted
experts in multiple fields, and conducted research into scientific studies and textbooks. He is passionate about helping
readers learn the skills of urban fly fishing so they can experience the same joy.
The Photography Shelf
A Photographic Journey series
Farcountry Press
www.farcountrypress.com
Synopsis: Farcountry Press is a premier publisher of photographic travel guides. Here are three of their newest additions to
their simply outstanding 'A Photographic Journey' series:
"South Dakota: A Photographic Journey"
Jason Pfitzer and Darwin A. Julligan
9781560378495, $16.95, PB, 80pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/South-Dakota-Photographic-Jason-Pfitzer/dp/1560378492
"South Dakota: A Photographic" showcases the Spirit of the Great Plains from the rugged peaks of the Black Hills to the
quiet charm of prairie towns. South Dakota: A Photographic Journey captures the state's beauty in every season. Featuring
breathtaking images by celebrated photographers Jason Pfitzer and Darwin A. Mulligan, this collection showcases the wild,
historic, and wonderfully unexpected corners of the Mount Rushmore State and features.
Iconic landmarks like Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, and the Capitol Building
Scenic wonders from Badlands National Park to Custer State Park and the Black Hills
Local wildlife including bison, mountain goats, and wild donkeys
Native American art, historic sites, and small-town Americana
Informative captions that bring each image to life
"Olympic: A Photographic Journey"
Tom Kirkendall, Vicky Spring, and Pete Zaidel
9781560378891, $16.95, PB, 80pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Olympic-Photographic-Journey-Tom-Kirkendall/dp/1560378891
From misty rainforests to rugged coastlines, "Olympic: A Photographic Journey" captures the breathtaking diversity of
Olympic National Park through the lenses of celebrated photographers Tom Kirkendall, Vicky Spring, and Pete Zaidel. Each
page reveals the park's natural beauty, from tidepools alive with starfish and sea anemones to glacier-capped peaks and
moss-draped forests. Informative captions accompany every image, inviting readers to explore one of America's most
extraordinary landscapes. Featured are:
Striking photography of beaches, forests, waterfalls, and alpine vistas
Iconic wildlife: Roosevelt elk, bald eagles, black bears, river otters, and more
Intimate glimpses of Enchanted Valley, Kalaloch, and Lake Crescent
Captivating seasonal imagery - wildflowers, sunsets, and snow-covered peaks
Insightful captions that enrich the visual storytelling
"Bryce Canyon: A Photographic Journey"
Robert McKendrick and Carol Polich
9781560378785, $16.95, PB, 80pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Bryce-Canyon-Photographic-Robert-McKendrick/dp/1560378786
From glowing hoodoos to star-filled skies, "Bryce Canyon: A Photographic Journey" vividly captures the park's beauty in
every season and light. Photographers Robert McKendrick and Carol Polich reveal intimate wildlife moments, sweeping
vistas, and the quiet magic that makes this remote landscape unforgettable. Featured are:
Dramatic images of Bryce's hoodoos, cliffs, and trails in every season
Wildlife portraits featuring condors, coyotes, elk, owls, and prairie dogs
Stunning night photography showcasing the Milky Way above the canyon
Vibrant close-ups of wildflowers, including paintbrush, iris, and blue flax
Critique: Each of these profusely, and beautiful photographical illustrated volumes is a stunning visual celebration and an
ideal for choice for travelers, on-site visitors, local citizens -- as well as dedicated landscape photography fans. This original
and spectacular trade paperback collection reveals why South Dakota, Olympic, and Bryce Canon are as diverse and
captivating as the stories carved into their spectacular landscapes. All three are especially and unreservedly recommended
for personal, community, and college/university library Landscape Photography and American Travel Guide collections
Editorial Note: Farcountry Press (www.farcountrypress.com) for more than 40 years has been an acclaimed leader in
regional publishing, specializing in stunning photography books, fun educational books for children, adventure guidebooks,
and thought-provoking history titles. Farcountry's award-winning books celebrate our nation's cities, states, and national
parks, and explore our shared heritage. Farcountry publishes more than 50 books annually; the backlist has grown to more
than 300 titles.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
The Muses: Calling to Creativity & Inspiration
Irisanya Moon
Moon Books
c/o Collective Ink Books
https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
9781803417462, $12.95, PB, 120pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Pagan-Portals-Calling-Creativity-Inspiration/dp/1803417463
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pagan-portals-the-muses-irisanya-moon/1147237014
Synopsis: If we want to dream of a new world, we will need all the help we can get. We need divine support to see beyond
what we know and what we think is possible.
The Muses can offer us inspiration through poetry, history, astronomy, comedy, dance, and music. With their relentless
creativity, the Muses inspire not only artists but also those who want to create new structures and visions of sustainable,
supportive communities. With their guidance, we can widen our thinking and conceive of solutions to serve the emerging
needs of the world.
Connecting and reconnecting to inspiration fosters hope and courage, and the Muses are ready to pass on their knowledge, a
knowing that only comes from having seen all that has ever happened.
Critique: The latest addition to the fabled Moon Books metaphysical Pagan Portal series, "The Muses: Calling to Creativity
& Inspiration" by Irisanya Moon (witch, priestess, international teacher, and initiate in the Reclaiming tradition. A devotee
of Aphrodite, Hecate, the Norns, and Iris) is a perfect introduction to connecting with the Muses in these modern times.
Original, informative, and fascinating, "The Muses" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community,
and college/university library Metaphysical/Paganism Studies collections. It should be noted for students and practitioners
that this paperback edition of 'The Muses" from Moon Books is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).
Editorial Note: Irisanya Moon (https://www.irisanyamoon.com) is an author of numerous books, witch, priestess,
international teacher, and initiate in the Reclaiming tradition. A devotee of Aphrodite, Hecate, the Norns, and Iris, she has
been practicing magick for over 20 years. Irisanya is passionate about the idea that life is and humans are love spells, ever
experiencing a dance of desire and connection, moving in and out of the heart, always returning to love.
Spirit Guide Portal
AJA Daashuur, author
Justin Daashuur Hopkins, illustrator
Weiser Books
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser
www.redwheelweiser.com
9781578638833, $29.95, Card Deck, 112pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Guide-Portal-Full-Color-Guidebook/dp/1578638836
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/spirit-guide-portal-aja-daashuur/1147136812
Synopsis: Comprised of 40 Cards and a 112 page, full-color Guidebook, "Spirit Guide Portal: Your Oracle to Access Higher
Wisdom" by renowned medium AJA Daashuur and artist/illustrator Justin Daashuur Hopkins is meticulously crafted to
open the channels of communication between individuals and their spirit guides.
Each individual card in this mystical and metaphysical deck features a specific archetype that represents the ways we relate
to behavior, patterns, and narratives, serving as a catalyst for growth, introspection, and spiritual healing on both personal
and collective levels. These archetypes help us see ourselves more clearly and understand where we are on our individual
life paths.
Each spirit oracle card offers guidance in three ways: "I Am," "I Offer," and "I Ask," empowering you to embrace your
spiritual journey with confidence, clarity, and a sense of purpose.
Critique: Original, exceptional, iconic, "Spirit Guide Portal: Your Oracle to Access Higher Wisdom" card deck from Weiser
Books will prove to be a prized and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Metaphysical/Occultism Studies collections.
Editorial Note #1: AJA Daashuur (www.thespiritguidecoach.com) is a psychic, medium, and spiritual counselor who
specializes in connecting you with the guidance and wisdom of your unique spiritual team. As a renowned WOC medium,
AJA has conducted over five hundred workshops and retreats across the country. She is a contributing author to Confluence
of Witches and has been featured in Vogue, NPR, Well+Good, the Los Angeles Times, Yoga Journal, and The Cut.
Editorial Note #2: Justin Daashuur Hopkins (https://justindaashuurhopkins.com) is a talented artist and award-winning
director. He co-founded NOH/WAVE, an art agency and production company that boasts a captivating gallery space in
downtown Los Angeles. This venture has allowed him to curate exhibitions featuring world-renowned artists, showcasing
his eye for unique aesthetics and meticulous attention to detail. He has become highly sought after as a director of film and
mixed media videos. Notable clients such as Universal, RCA, Warner Brothers, Atlantic, Def Jam, and Domino Records
have trusted him to bring their visions to life.
The Cunning Farmer: Agrarian Magical Practices, Mythology & Folklore
Todd Elliott
Inner Traditions
https://www.innertraditions.com
9788888501313, $65.00 hc / $45.99 Kindle
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Cunning-Farmer-Agrarian-Practices-Mythology/dp/B0F1LQSDFC
Synopsis: A guide to restoring the ancient relationship between farming and magic
Explores how to reconnect with nature and use practical, nature-based magic for gardening and farming, fertility, and
abundance
Examines Moon work, plant magic, forest deities, Earth energies, weather magic, the cosmology of ritual, and how to work
with land spirits
Discusses folk magic traditions of North America and Western Europe, including the grimoire tradition, Western
esotericism, alchemy, Kabbalah, and shamanism as well as Taoist principles and Reiki
Magic and farming, in the minds of ancient people, were not separate realms of life, but both were woven inextricably into
the way people lived. Through libations, prayers, hymns, dances, sacrifices, and rituals, ancient farmers connected to the
sacred forces, the gods, nature spirits, and ancestors to make the crops grow, keep the herds healthy, the weather favorable,
and release energies of fertility. These rural farmer priests and priestesses of the ancient past are the spiritual ancestors of
today's cunning farmers.
This book explores folk magic traditions of North America and Western Europe, including the grimoire tradition and the
practices of witches and cunning folk for increased fertility. Todd draws on Western esotericism, Taoist principles, alchemy,
Kabbalah, Reiki, and shamanism to show how to use practical, nature-based magic, just like our ancestors, for more
abundant gardening and farming. He shows how to work with land spirits, including meeting the place spirit of your land -
the genius loci. He also explores working with Earth and Moon energies, plant magic and forest deities, and ritual. Learn
how to deepen your connection to elemental and celestial forces and explore the idea of rewilding the imagination to
enhance your relationship with nature and the spirits that call it home.
This book is not just a guide to farming, but to forging a relationship with the living land. It shows that we are surrounded
by spiritual powers and, with their help, we can re-enchant and reconnect with the land that gives us life.
Critique: Featuring a wealth of colorful photographs, The Cunning Farmer: Agrarian Magical Practices, Mythology &
Folklore is an extraordinary compendium of mythology, folklore, and magical practices connected to farming in North
America and Western Europe. Some Eastern elements such as Taoist principles are also discussed. Written from an
accessible and spiritual perspective, The Cunning Farmer presents these folk magic practices as means by which people
have connected with nature and the land ever since prehistory. Readers will be inspired to incorporate mystic elements into
their own imaginations and their personal relationship with nature. Thoroughly fascinating from cover to cover, The
Cunning Farmer is highly recommended as a welcome addition to Metaphysical Studies collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that The Cunning Farmer is also available in a Kindle edition ($45.99).
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
www.midwestbookreview.com
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