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Reviewer's Choice
HeartStrings
Marjorie Lin Kyriopoulos
Epigraph Publishing
www.shutterandpen.com/heartstrings
9781954744158, $18.95, PB, 266pp
https://www.amazon.com/HeartStrings-Marjorie-Lin-Kyriopoulos/dp/1954744153
Synopsis: "HeartStrings" by Marjorie Lin Kyriopoulos is a deeply personal and compassionate
memoir that chronicles the history and lives of her Greek-American family in Marjorie's own
creative way. Based upon actual events and interviews with family members, Marjorie explores
how tragic events can have a ripple effect on past, present, and future generations in surprising
and unexpected ways. From stories about immigrant experiences in the early 1900s to Marjorie's
personal journey of growth through the tumultuous and radical changes of the 1960s up to now,
"HeartStrings" is a reminder that the past is deeply rooted in the present. Through stories, poetry,
and photographs, Marjorie illustrates how trauma is often carried unconsciously from parent to
child, and into the future.
Critique: An inherently fascinating read from first page to last, "HeartStrings" is a deftly crafted
and deeply personal life story and one that is compelling thoughtful and thought-provoking.
Showcasing author Marjorie Lin Kyriopoulos (mother, grandmother, teacher, writer, freelance
photographer) genuine flair for narrative drive storytelling that deftly presents the times, the
tragedies, and the people that shaped her understanding of the world and of herself,
"HeartStrings" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college,
and university library Contemporary American Memoir/Biography collections. It should be noted
for personal reading lists that "HeartStrings" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99).
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
Memory into Memoir: A Writer's Handbook
Laura Kalpakian
University of New Mexico Press
1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM 87131-0001
www.unmpress.com
9780826363114, $19.95, PB, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Memory-into-Memoir-Writers-Handbook/dp/0826363113
Synopsis: A memoir is any nonfiction narrative writing based in the author's personal memories.
The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While the memoir has
historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autobiography since the late 20th
century, the genre has become differentiated in form, presenting a narrowed focus. A biography
or autobiography tells the story "of a life", while a memoir often tells the story of a particular
event or time, such as touchstone moments and turning points from the author's life. The author
of a memoir may be referred to as a memoirist or a memorialist. (Wikipedia)
"Memory into Memoir: A Writer's Handbook" provides a lively instructional guide and DIY
manual for anyone looking to wrestle the unruly past onto the page. In thirteen chapters, Laura
Kalpakian provides tools to develop narrative form, scenic depiction, character development, and
dialogue. There are chapters devoted to excavating the Family Story and the slippery Truth,
especially when telling stories not solely your own.
In "Memory into Memoir: A Writer's Handbook" Kalpakian also explores the use of letters,
diaries, and photographs, and she offers tips for research, publishing choices, and the uses of
music. With a broad exploration of technique and development, and a range of reference,
Memory into Memoir includes examples, extensive resources, and animating prompts.
Critique: An exceptional comprehensive and thoroughly 'user friendly' in style, organization and
presentation, "Memory into Memoir: A Writer's Handbook" is an ideal and unreservedly
recommended addition to community library, college, and university library Writing/Publishing
collections. For aspiring and experienced writers alike, "Memory into Memoir" it should be
noted that "Memory into Memoir: A Writer's Handbook" is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Laura Kalpakian is the author of thirteen novels and four collections of short
fiction. Kalpakian is also the winner of an NEA Fellowship, a Pushcart Prize, the Pacific
Northwest Booksellers' Award, the Anahid Award for an American writer of Armenian descent,
the PEN West Award, and the Stand International Short Fiction Competition.
The Social Issues Shelf
The End of Bias: A Beginning
Jessica Nordell
Metropolitan Books
c/o Henry Holt
https://henryholt.com
9781250186188 $28.99 hc / $14.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/End-Bias-Overcoming-Transforming-Companies/dp/1250186188
Synopsis: Unconscious bias: persistent, unintentional prejudiced behavior that clashes with our
consciously held beliefs. We know that it exists, to corrosive and even lethal effect. We see it in
medicine, the workplace, education, policing, and beyond. But when it comes to uprooting our
prejudices, we still have far to go.
With nuance, compassion, and ten years' immersion in the topic, Jessica Nordell weaves gripping
stories with scientific research to reveal how minds, hearts, and behaviors change. She
scrutinizes diversity training, deployed across the land as a corrective but with inconsistent
results. She explores what works and why: the diagnostic checklist used by doctors at Johns
Hopkins Hospital that eliminated disparate treatment of men and women; the preschool in
Sweden where teachers found ingenious ways to uproot gender stereotyping; the police unit in
Oregon where the practice of mindfulness and specialized training has coincided with a startling
drop in the use of force.
Captivating, direct, and transformative, The End of Bias: A Beginning brings good news. Biased
behavior can change; the approaches outlined here show how we can begin to remake ourselves
and our world.
Critique: The End of Bias: A Beginning draws upon both the science of the brain and social
sciences to examine how human hearts and minds can change for the better. In particular, the End
of Bias is about finding ways to counter unconscious bias - the prejudices that are so deeply
ingrained or entrenched that those who hold them may be unaware of their own actions. What are
the most effective ways to combat racial, gender-based, or other stereotypes? Chapters show case
studies of successful practices, as well as offering general principles to promote inclusion and
avoid excessive homogeneity. The End of Bias: A Beginning is a welcome addition to public and
college library Social Issues collections, highly recommended. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that The End of Bias is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.99).
Editor's Note: Jessica Nordell is a science and culture journalist whose writing has appeared in
the Atlantic, the New York Times, the New Republic, and many other publications. A former
writer for public radio and producer for American Public Media, she graduated from Harvard
University and the University of Wisconsin, Madison. The End of Bias: A Beginning is her first
book.
A White Catholic's Guide to Racism and Privilege
Daniel P. Horan
Ave Maria Press
https://www.avemariapress.com
9781646800766, $17.95 pbk / $13.49 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/White-Catholics-Guide-Racism-Privilege/dp/1646800761
Synopsis: Growing up, Fr. Daniel P. Horan, O.F.M., never thought much about race, racism, or
racial justice except for what he read in history books. His upbringing as a white, middle-class
Catholic shielded him from seeing the persistent, pervasive racism all around him. Horan shares
what he has since learned about uncovering and combating racial inequity in our nation and in
our Church, urging us to join the fight.
In the spring and summer of 2020, US cities erupted in protests and racial tensions ran high
following several high-profile killings of Black women and men at the hands of white police
officers. As America watched and listened, many of us became dislodged from our comfortable
assumptions about race. Horan recognized this unnerving dynamic as a doorway to the
awakening and spiritual conversion he has been undergoing for much of his adult life. In A
White Catholic's Guide to Racism and Privilege, Horan speaks prophetically to what has become
a gnawing unease for so many.
As a white man, Horan shows his fellow white Catholics how to become actively anti-racist and
better allies to our Black brothers and sisters as we work against racism in our culture and in the
Church. He offers us the hope and surety of the Gospel, the wisdom of Catholic tradition, and
some practical ways to educate ourselves and advocate for justice.
Critique: Professor of theology, philosophy, and religious studies Daniel P. Horan, O.F.M.
presents A White Catholic's Guide to Racism and Privilege, a thoughtful examination of how
Catholics - especially white Catholics - can better advocate for justice and equality, in a society
harmed by systemic racism. A White Catholic's Guide to Racism and Privilege cross-examines
the difficult problem of systemic racism, perpetrated discrimination enacted by society as a
whole, evidenced by such horrifying statistics as the substantially higher risk of death for black
women from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth (primarily due to reduced access
to health care, and discrimination within the health care system). One of the first steps an
individual can take to combat racism is to learn how to listen, and not reflexively dismiss the
experiences and testimonies of nonwhite people (no matter how uncomfortable hearing them out
may be). Though written from a Catholic perspective, A White Catholic's Guide to Racism and
Privilege is highly recommended for readers of all faiths. It should be noted for personal reading
lists that A White Catholic's Guide to Racism and Privilege is also available in a Kindle edition
($13.49).
Editorial Note: Daniel P. Horan, O.F.M., is director of the Center for Spirituality and professor of
philosophy, religious studies, and theology at Saint Mary's College. He previously served as the
Duns Scotus professor of spirituality at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He is a
columnist for National Catholic Reporter and the author of thirteen books, including A White
Catholic's Guide to Racism and Privilege, The Franciscan Heart of Thomas Merton and
Catholicity and Emerging Personhood, which received a 2020 Excellence in Publishing Award
from the Association of Catholic Publishers.
The Education Shelf
The College Wellness Guide
Casey Rowley Barneson
Princeton Review
https://www.princetonreview.com
9780593450390, $15.99 pbk / $11.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/College-Wellness-Guide-Students-Admissions/dp/0593450396
Synopsis: Every year, nearly two million students arrive at college campuses, ready to embark on
the best four years of their lives. Yet the reality is that the current cohort of students is one of the
most stressed, anxious, and depressed ever. These stressors have real effects on students' grades,
social life, and physical health. And the stakes are high! Students with the right community and
support services have better outcomes, from increased chances of on-time graduation, to greater
ability to take on head-start opportunities (like internships) that have deep impact on post-college
life.
The Princeton Review is proud to introduce The Campus Wellness Guide, an innovative new
book that provides a mix of information, resources, and self-assessment activities to help
students reach and maintain their overall health. The book includes:
Information on how to assess your college fit academically and socio-emotionally
Self-assessment activities that students can use to ID their specific stressors and ways to alleviate
those issues
Sections on physical, mental, and social wellness, each with data-backed insights and research to
help define the issues and strategies for handling
Proactive activities for student use, with reflection prompts to help develop roadmaps toward a
healthier status quo
Wellness highlights, e.g., information on colleges with exceptional track records in specific
wellness issues
Resources for national and college-specific help
Critique: The College Wellness Guide: A Student's Guide to Managing Mental, Physical, and
Social Health on Campus lives up to its title as an easy-to-use reference and resource for college
students. Chapters offer self-assessment quizzes to help one identify stressors, practical strategies
for looking after one's own well-being, recommendations for making the most of school
resources including counselors and support staff, tips for maintaining a social network, and much
more. The College Wellness Guide is designed for personal use, encouraging its reader to fill out
plans, checklists, and questionnaires. Thoroughly user-friendly from cover to cover, The College
Wellness Guide is a superb supplement for any prospective student, and also makes an excellent
back-to-school gift! It should be noted for personal reading lists that The College Wellness Guide
is also available in a Kindle edition ($11.99).
The Money/Finance Shelf
Activate Your Money
Janine Firpo
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
9781119777083, $29.95, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Activate-Your-Money-Invest-Wealth/dp/1119777089
Synopsis: "Activate Your Money: Invest to Grow Your Wealth and Build a Better World" by
Janine Firpo provides the foundational support women need to talk to each other about their
money, invest to grow their wealth, and to take the actions required to shift their assets into
alignment with their values. Written for smart, savvy women who want to feel financially
empowered, "Activate Your Money" delivers the depth of information needed to make informed
decisions across your entire portfolio. Starting with checking and savings accounts and
proceeding asset class by asset class, this book provides you with core knowledge, as well as
concrete examples about how and where you can invest your money in the things you care
about.
"Activate Your Money" is specifically designed to help you use that strength to attain better
financial outcomes for yourself and your family. "Activate Your Money" will also help you to
find communities of support and position you to share your knowledge with other women and
enable the next generation of smart, confident values-aligned investors.
Of special note is that "Activate Your Money" has a companion website that contains
downloadable tools you can use to take action and a curriculum that guides women through the
process of starting and running their own values-aligned investment clubs.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented for the financial planning benefit
of the non-specialist general reader, "Activate Your Money: Invest to Grow Your Wealth and
Build a Better World" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community,
college, and university library Financial Management & Planning collections. It should be noted
for personal reading lists that "Activate Your Money: Invest to Grow Your Wealth and Build a
Better World" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.00).
Editorial Note: Janine Firpo is a seasoned values-aligned investor and social innovator, with a
long history of working at the intersection of women and their money. In 2017, she left a 35-year
career in technology and international development to focus on helping women find the
confidence to take control of their money and use it to change the world. During her career,
Janine held senior positions at Hewlett-Packard, the World Bank, and the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation. Today, she supports women-led businesses through her role as lead investor in the
Next Wave Impact Fund and board chair of Zebras Unite.
The Business Shelf
Harvard Business Review Project Management Handbook
Antonio Nieto Rodriguez
Harvard Business Review Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
http://hbr.org/books
9781647821258, $29.99, $49.50, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Harvard-Business-Project-Management-Handbook/dp/1647821258
Synopsis: We're now living in the project economy. The number of projects initiated in all
sectors has skyrocketed, and project management skills have become essential for every leader
and manager. Still, project failure rates remain extremely high. Why? Leaders oversee too many
projects and have too little visibility into them. Project managers struggle to translate their
hands-on, technical knowledge up to senior management. The result? Worthy projects are starved
of time and resources and fail to deliver benefits, while too much investment goes into the wrong
projects. To compete in the project economy, you need to close this gap. In the pages of "Harvard
Business Review Project Management Handbook: How to Launch, Lead, and Sponsor Successful
Projects", project management expert Antonio Nieto Rodriguez shows you how.
A comprehensive guide, "Harvard Business Review Project Management Handbook: How to
Launch, Lead, and Sponsor Successful Projects" presents a new and simple framework that will
increase any project's likelihood of success. Packed with case studies from many industries
worldwide, it will teach you how to manage your organization's projects, strategic programs, and
agile initiatives more effectively and push the best ones ahead to completion.
Critique: Timely and timeless, "Harvard Business Review Project Management Handbook: How
to Launch, Lead, and Sponsor Successful Projects" is exceptionally well organized and
presented, making it an ideal DIY instructional guide and manual for novice entrepreneurs and
seasoned corporate executives alike. While highly recommended for community, corporate,
college, and university library Contemporary Business Management collections, it should be
noted for personal reading lists that "Harvard Business Review Project Management Handbook:
How to Launch, Lead, and Sponsor Successful Projects" is also readily available in a paperback
edition (9781647821258, $29.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $29.99).
From Impressed to Obsessed
Jon Picoult
McGraw-Hill Education
https://www.mheducation.com
9781264258789 $28.00 hc / $26.60 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Impressed-Obsessed-Principles-Customers-Employees/dp/126425878X
Synopsis: If you're aspiring to satisfy your customers, then you're aspiring to mediocrity. That's
the fascinating premise of From Impressed to Obsessed, a book that will fundamentally change
how you think about creating a successful, beloved business.
Acclaimed customer experience expert Jon Picoult explains why building customer loyalty
requires leaving indelible positive impressions on everyone you work with - not just shaping their
experiences, but also shaping their memories.
Picoult explores the cognitive science behind great customer experiences, pinpointing the
breakthrough, psychology-based strategies that both industry leaders (like Apple, Disney, and
Southwest Airlines) as well as fast-growing startups (like BILT and Framebridge) use to shape
people's perceptions and sculpt unforgettable impressions - thereby turning more sales prospects
into customers, and more customers into obsessed brand ambassadors.
No matter what kind of constituency you serve - customers or colleagues, individuals or
institutions, employees or employment candidates - this book will help you do it with distinction.
Picoult's message is particularly relevant for managers, as he shows the parallels between how
great companies cultivate engagement with customers, and how great leaders accomplish the
same with their workforce.
Critique: From Impressed to Obsessed: 12 Principles for Turning Customers and Employees into
Lifelong Fans is a guide for business professionals, team leaders, supervisors, and much more.
Author Jon Picoult draws upon cognitive science to examine precisely what makes a customer's
experience (or an employee's experience) so resoundingly positive as to build lifelong loyalty.
Especially happy customers may transform themselves into "brand ambassadors", who promote
their experience to others via word-of-mouth (or social media in today's digital age)! From
Impressed to Obsessed is an incalculably valuable resource, highly recommended. It should be
noted for personal reading lists that From Impressed to Obsessed is also available in a Kindle
edition ($26.60).
Equity: How to Design Organizations Where Everyone Thrives
Minal Bopaiah
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
https://www.bkconnection.com
9781523090259, $19.95 pbk / $9.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Equity-Design-Organizations-Everyone-Thrives/dp/1523090251
Synopsis: Even the most passionate advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion have been
known to treat equity as the middle child - the concept they skip over to get to the warm, fuzzy
feelings of inclusion. But Minal Bopaiah shows throughout this book that equity is critical if
organizations really want to leverage differences for greater impact.
Equity allows leaders to create organizations where employees can contribute their unique
strengths and collaborate better with peers. Bopaiah explains how leaders can effectively raise
awareness of systemic bias and craft new policies that lead to better outcomes and lasting
behavioral changes. This book is rich in real-world examples, such as managing partners at a
consulting firm who learn to retell their personal stories of success by crediting their systemic
advantages and news managers at NPR who redesign their processes to support greater diversity
among news sources. This slender book expands DEI past human resources initiatives and shows
how leaders can embed equity into core business functions like marketing and
communications.
Filled with humor, heart, and pragmatism, Equity is a guidebook for change, answering the
question of how that so many leaders are asking today.
Critique: Equity: How to Design Organizations Where Everyone Thrives lives up to its title as a
practical-minded guide to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion within one's organization.
Chapters address how leadership can engage more effectively, the role of media and marketing in
creating equity, countering bias in entrenched systems, and much more. "Observable behaviors
are critical in designing organizations where everyone can thrive, but they are not enough. You
must make sure that the organization's system and processes reinforce desired behaviors and, if
possible, do so invisibly." Equity is a welcome addition to the college library Business and
Leadership shelves, highly recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Equity
is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).
Editorial Note: Minal Bopaiah is the founder of Brevity & Wit, a strategy and design firm that
helps organizations achieve the change they wish to see in the world through a unique approach
that combines human-centered design, behavior change science, and the principles of inclusion,
diversity, equity, and accessibility. Bopaiah has written for the Stanford Social Innovation
Review and TheHill.com and has been a featured guest on numerous podcasts and shows,
including the Kojo Nnamdi Show on WAMU. She has also been a keynote speaker for many
conferences, inspiring thousands with her credible, authentic, and engaging talks.
The Cookbook Shelf
One Tin Bakes Easy
Edd Kimber
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Books
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9780857839787, $22.99, HC, 176pp
https://www.amazon.com/One-Tin-Bakes-traybakes-cookies/dp/0857839780
Synopsis: Whether the family want cookies or cakes, pastries or desserts, something fruity,
chocolatey or nutty, baking just got even easier for the kitchen cook with Edd Kimber's "One Tin
Bakes Easy"! Beautifully illustrated throughout, this is the ideal 'go-to' cookbook for easy to
make cakes, traybakes, bars and bites the range from gluten-free to vegan and beyond!
Every individual baked good showcases in "One Tin Bakes Easy" can be made in the 23 x 33cm
(9 x 13in) tin. "One Tin Bakes Easy" also offer guidance on baking in an 20 x 20cm (8 x 8in)
square tin as well as a loaf tin, making these perfectly simple bakes for even the most novice of
bakers to try -- whatever equipment is on hand.
Only a minimal skill is needed to whip up something sensational with this compendium of
culinary ideas for bakes made in one-bowl or with 5-ingredients, as well as popular options for
vegan and gluten-free treats. "One Tin Bakes Easy" is packed cover to cover with versatile,
achievable and indulgent recipes that will be called upon time after time again.
Critique: Exceptionally well organized and presented, "One Tin Bakes Easy" will prove to be an
immensely popular addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook
collections. It should be noted the "One Tin Bakes Easy" is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Edd Kimber won the first series of The Great British Bake Off in 2010. He is the
author of The Boy who Bakes (2011), Say it with Cake (2012), Patisserie Made Simple (2014)
and the best-selling One Tin Bakes (2020). He has appeared on Sunday Brunch, Market Kitchen
and Perfect, as well as the BBC Good Food Show and other shows around the country. He is a
contributing editor to Bake from Scratch magazine, a go-to baking writer for Olive magazine, a
baking teacher at Leith's School of Food and Wine, as well as a QVC presenter and a brand
ambassador for KitchenAid and Nordicware. Edd has a popular blog at
www.theboywhobakes.com, where he shares his innovative baking recipes, which are always
loved by his loyal following.
Pennsylvania Good Eats
Brian Yarvin
The Globe Pequot Press
246 Goose Lane, Suite 200, Guilford, CT 06437
www.globepequot.com
9781493055715, $21.95, PB, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pennsylvania-Good-Eats-Exploring-Delicious/dp/1493055712
Synopsis: Pennsylvania is filled with all sorts of unique and delicious foods. Historic dishes like
scrapple and buckwheat cakes form part of an edible record. Smoked sausages, fried noodles, and
the component parts of a pizza are all history on a plate.
A unique approach to creating a culinary treasury of palate-pleasing, appetite-satisfying recipes
"Pennsylvania Good Eats: Exploring the State's Favorite, Unique, Historic, and Delicious Foods"
by Brain Yarvin visits food landmarks across the state ranging from farmer's markets, artisan
shops, and roadside restaurants.
"Pennsulvania Good Eats" also covers old dairymen selling off to young organic growers, ethnic
areas popping up around college campuses, trained chefs seeking out new locations for fine
dining restaurants, and new artisans reaching back to recreate foods that we used to think were
dead and gone.
Critique: Thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and presentation with full color
illustrations throughout, and also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.50),
"From farmer's markets, artisan shops, and roadside restaurants" is an extraordinary and
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook
collections.
The Needlecraft Shelf
Embroidery for Everyone
Kelly Fletcher
becker&mayer! Books
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
100 Cummings Center, Suite 265D, Beverly, MA 01915
www.quartoknows.com
9780760372234, $19.99, PB, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Embroidery-Everyone-Learn-Techniques-Patterns/dp/0760372233
Synopsis: In the pages of "Embroidery for Everyone: Easy to Learn Techniques with 50
Patterns!" author and embroidery expert Kelly Fletcher brings enthusiasm and joy for the
needlecrafts through both traditional techniques and innovation. With easy-to-follow
instructions, "Embroidery for Everyone" guides the reader through an array of stitching
techniques and decoration ideas.
The patterns offer a wide range of subjects to choose from: Cute animal patterns; Boho chic
borders and motifs; Winter snowflakes and snowmen; Thanksgiving turkey; Springtime bunnies
and flowers.
"Embrodery for Everyone" also covers how to embellish clothing, create beautiful needlecraft art
with nature and folk images, and make handmade heirloom seasonal decorations. With a
plenitude of patterns to choose from, "Embroidery for Everyone" features something for
everyone!
Critique: Thoroughly 'user friendly' in style, organization and presentation, "Embroidery for
Everyone: Easy to Learn Techniques with 50 Patterns!" is ideal for the beginning novice and will
prove to be a welcome and enduringly popular instructional guide for personal and community
library needlecraft collections.
Critique: Kelly Fletcher is a professional needlework designer and the founder of Kelly Fletcher
Needlework Design. She is the author of the internationally published Embroidered Home,
contributing artist to Margaret Rowan's Handsewn and Petra Harms' Stitch it Yourself, and the
designer, writer, and stitcher behind the Embroidery Designs range of hand embroidery kits.
Kelly is based in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she creates content for magazine, book, and
kit publishers worldwide, and creates ebooks and hand embroidery patterns for her online shop.
She favors creative surface embroidery, with its many stitches, and puts a contemporary spin on
traditional stitches and techniques to create fresh designs that appeal to modern embroiderers.
She maintains an informative website at www.kellyfletcher.co.za
The Automotive Shelf
Muscle Car Special Editions
Duncan Brown
CarTech Inc.
838 Lake Street South, Forest Lake, MN 55025
www.cartechbooks.com
9781613255797, $42.95, HC, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Muscle-Special-Editions-Duncan-Brown/dp/1613255799
Synopsis: In the late 1960s. Special edition muscle cars were essential to keep pace for dedicated
car buffs. Joel Rosen and other independent car builders (such as Carroll Shelby, George Hurst,
Dick Harrell, Mr. Norm, and Jim Wangers) did what the factories couldn't do: take the muscle
car and turn it into a tire-burning monster.
Although the Pontiac GTO established the muscle car category in 1964, a host of corporate safety
restrictions restrained factories from offering turn-key race cars off the showroom floor.
Independent car builders enhanced appearance and amplified performance in an attempt to do
what the manufacturers wouldn't. Motion Performance issued a written guarantee: Phase III cars
would run 11.5 at 120 mph down the quarter-mile!
Some of the most iconic nameplates in automotive history were applied in this era with names
that included Cheetah, Black Panther, Royal Bobcat, Super Hugger, Manta Ray, Super Snake,
Deuce, Fast Track, and The Machine. How did manufacturers stealthily promote these special
edition muscle cars as "halo cars" while pretending not to endorse them? What happened to these
innovators when factories assimilated their ideas? "Muscle Car Special Editions" by muscle car
historian Duncan Brown covers them all.
Critique: Profusely illustrated throughout, Duncan Brown's "Muscle Car Special Editions" is a
visual treat and an extraordinarily well presented history. While very highly recommended for
community, college, and university library American Automotive History collections, it should
be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated muscle car fans that "Muscle Car Special
Editions" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $40.80).
Editorial Note: Duncan Scott Brown's desire to preserve car history inspired his website:
www.oneownercollectorcar.com. The site profiles people who kept their classic domestic 1960s
and 1970s cars with a technical examination of the patterns of wear on original vehicles. The
website quickly expanded to quirky areas that caught on with readers, such as the Gas Logs
section and, of course, The Dealerships. Readers have generously contributed their memories and
photos of long-lost dealerships from the Big Three plus AMC to the website.
The General Fiction Shelf
Beneficence: A Novel
Meredith Hall
https://meredithhall.org
David R. Godine, Publisher
godine.com
9781567927092, $16.95 pbk / $11.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Beneficence-Meredith-Hall/dp/1567927092
Synopsis: In the midst of a nearly perfect life, Doris Senter is thankful but wary. "We can't ever
know what will come," she says. When an unimaginable tragedy turns the family of five into a
family of four, everything the Senters held faith in is shattered. The family is consumed by
sorrow and guilt. Slowly, the surviving family members find their way to forgiveness - of
themselves and of each other.
Few writers know the human heart and the burden of grief as New York Times bestselling author
Meredith Hall (Without a Map). This is a radiant novel of goodness and love - both its gifts and
its obligations - that will stay with readers long after the last page. With a rare tenderness and
compassion, Beneficence shows broken hearts becoming whole as this family reclaims their love
and peace.
Critique: Beneficence: A Novel is a story about a family of five that suffers heartrending loss,
leaving them a family of four. Grief and devastation break their faith in everything about their
lives. Beneficence is about the difficult journey to find forgiveness for themselves and each
other. Thoughtful and poignant, Beneficence is a profoundly moving read, and highly
recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Beneficence is also available in a
Kindle edition ($11.99).
The Running Trees: Stories
Amber McMillan
Goose Lane Editions
https://gooselane.com
9781773101699, $19.95 pbk / $15.44 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Running-Trees-Stories-Amber-McMillan/dp/1773101692
Synopsis: A fervently comic debut, The Running Trees leads readers into a series of
conversations - through phone lines, acts in a play, and a rewound recording of a police
interrogation - to reveal characters in fumbling bouts of brutality, reflection, isolation, and
love.
The relationship between two siblings disintegrates after one asks the other for the pen; a
professor and his former student get drinks years after a "romantic" encounter; a book club meets
only to find that they have wildly different opinions about a new memoir about their town; and a
long-haired feline contemplates existence and consciousness while his cohabitant licks his own
butthole.
Whimsical, unconventional, humorous, and always pitch-perfect, The Running Trees explores
how we desperately try to communicate with each other amid the gaps in meaning we
create.
Critique: The Running Trees: Stories is an anthology of unique stories that are almost entirely
dialogue-based. Some are presented like short stage plays; others resemble telephone
conversations, and all delve into the chaotic, tangled aspects of imperfect yet quintessentially
human characters. A brisk read that lingers long in the memory, The Running Trees: Stories is
highly recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that The Running Trees:
Stories is also available in a Kindle edition ($15.44).
Editorial Note: Amber McMillan is the author of the memoir The Woods: A Year on Protection
Island and the poetry collection We Can't Ever Do This Again. Her work has also appeared in
PRISM international, Arc Poetry Magazine, and the Walrus.
Beyond the Tides
Liz Johnson
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
http://bakerpublishinggroup.com
9780800737375 $15.99 pbk / $10.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Prince-Edward-Island-Shores/dp/0800737377
Synopsis: When Meg Whitaker's father decides to sell the family's lobster-fishing business to her
high school nemesis, she sets out to prove she should inherit it instead. Though she's never had
any interest in running the small fleet--or even getting on a boat due to her persistent
seasickness--she can't stand to see Oliver Ross take over. Not when he ruined her dreams for a
science scholarship and an Ivy League education ten years ago.
Oliver isn't proud of what he did back then. Angry and broken by his father walking out on his
family, he lashed out at Meg--an innocent bystander. But owning a respected fishing fleet on
Prince Edward Island is the opportunity of a lifetime, and he's not about to walk away just
because Meg wants him to.
Meg's father has the perfect solution: Oliver and Meg must work the business together, and at the
end of the season, he'll decide who gets it. Along the way, they may discover that their stories are
more similar than they thought... and their dreams aren't what they expected.
Bestselling author Liz Johnson invites you back to Prince Edward Island for a brand-new series
about family, forgiveness, and the kind of love that heals all wounds.
Critique: Part of the Prince Edward Island shores series set in a beautiful island and its sunlit
waters, Beyond the Tides is the story of a bitter rift, with the possible promise of reconciliation.
Ten years ago, Oliver ruined Meg's chance for a science scholarship at an Ivy League school - not
out of malice against her, but in a moment of anger over mistreatment from his own father. In the
present day, Meg's father has to decide what will become of his fishing fleet business. Oliver has
the drive and aptitude to run the operation; Meg has no interest in fishing, but her sense of
outrage will not let her stand by and let the man who took away her dreams be rewarded. When
Meg's father decides that the two of them must run the business together for a trial period, will it
be a recipe for disaster - or will each of them learn from the other? An emotional and witty story,
featuring flawed characters who must learn to reconcile their own shortcomings, Beyond the
Tides is highly recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Beyond the Tides
is also available in a Kindle edition ($10.99).
Editorial Note: Liz Johnson is the author of more than a dozen novels, including A Sparkle of
Silver, A Glitter of Gold, The Red Door Inn, Where Two Hearts Meet, and On Love's Gentle
Shore, as well as a New York Times bestselling novella and a handful of short stories.
The Walnut Creek Wish
Wanda E. Brunstetter
www.wandabrunstetter.com
Barbour Publishing
https://www.barbourbooks.com
9781643527413, $16.99 pbk / $9.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Walnut-Creek-Wish-Creektown-Discoveries/dp/164352741X
Synopsis: Welcome to Walnut Creek, Ohio, where Orley and Lois Troyer own an antique store
they call "Memory Keepers." Though knowledgeable in antiques and their repair, their real talent
is in mentoring folks who are hurting and don't even know it. Enter Jeff, a restaurateur, and
Rhonda, a hotel manager, who recently moved to Amish country for the slow pace, but the
change of scenery puts even more stress on their already strained marriage. Will an antique sled
be the last straw, or will it lead to unexpected revelations and the fulfillment of dreams?
Critique: The first volume of the Creektown Discoveries series set in a quiet Ohio small town,
home to an antique store with owners who have a talent for promoting emotional healing. The
Walnut Creek Wish is a thoughtful novel about married couple looking for a slower-paced life.
Yet their restful environment does not alleviate the strains on their marriage. Rhonda, a hotel
manager, feels pressured both by her work and her infertility, while Jeff, a restauranteur, doesn't
understand why his wife is so troubled and spends his spare time outfitting the garage with
antiques. An emotional story about connections and understanding, The Walnut Creek Wish is
highly recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that The Walnut Creek Wish is
also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).
Editorial Note: New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Wanda E. Brunstetter is
one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre. She has written more than 100 books translated in
four languages. With over 11 million copies sold, Wanda's stories consistently earn spots on the
nation's most prestigious bestseller lists and have received numerous awards.
The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery
Amanda Cox
Revell
http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/revell
AmandaCoxWrites.com
9780800737412, $15.99 pbk / $10.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Keepers-Old-Depot-Grocery/dp/0800737415
Synopsis: Present Day. After tragedy plunges her into grief and unresolved anger, Sarah Ashby
returns to her childhood home determined to finally follow her long-denied dream of running Old
Depot Grocery alongside her mother and grandmother. But when she arrives, her mother,
Rosemary, announces to her that the store is closing. Sarah and her grandmother, Glory Ann,
make a pact to save the store, but Rosemary has worked her entire life to make sure her daughter
never follows in her footsteps. She has her reasons--but she'll certainly never reveal the real
one.
1965. Glory Ann confesses to her family that she's pregnant with her deceased fiance's baby.
Pressured into a marriage of convenience with a shopkeeper to preserve the family reputation,
Glory Ann vows never to love again. But some promises are not as easily kept as she
imagined.
This dual-timeline story from Amanda Cox deftly explores the complexity of a mother-daughter
dynamic, the way the secrets we keep shape our lives and the lives of others, and the healing
power of telling the truth.
Critique: The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery is novel that recounts stories of two times in
parallel. In the present, Sarah Ashby and her grandmother Glory Ann make a plan to save Old
Depot Grocery; in the 60's, Glory Ann is pregnant with the child of her deceased fiancee and
pressured into a marriage of convenience with a shopkeeper. Powerful themes of love, the
relationships between mothers and daughters, and the importance of bringing hidden secrets to
light rather than allowing them to fester form the core of this emotionally moving novel, highly
recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that The Secret Keepers of Old Depot
Grocery is also available in a Kindle edition ($10.99).
Editorial Note: Amanda Cox is the author of The Edge of Belonging. A blogger and a curriculum
developer for a national nonprofit youth leadership organization, she holds a bachelor's degree in
Bible and theology and a master's degree in professional counseling, but her first love is
communicating through story. Her studies and her interactions with hurting families over a
decade have allowed her to create multidimensional characters that connect emotionally with
readers.
The Singing Forest
Judith McCormack
Biblioasis
www.biblioasis.com
9781771964319, $16.95, PB, 302pp
https://www.amazon.com/Singing-Forest-Judith-McCormack/dp/1771964316
Synopsis: In a quiet forest in Belarus, two boys stumble across a long-kept secret: the mass grave
where Stalin's police secretly murdered thousands in the 1930s. The results of the subsequent
investigation have far-reaching effects, and across the Atlantic in Toronto, Leah Jarvis, a lively,
curious young lawyer, finds herself tasked with an impossible case: the deportation of elderly
Stefan Drozd, who fled his crimes in Kurapaty for a new identity in Canada.
Leah is convinced of Drozd's guilt, but she needs hard facts. She travels to Belarus in search of
witnesses only to find herself asking increasingly complex questions. What is the relationship
between chance, inheritance, and justice? Between her own history (her mother's death, her
father's absence, and the shadows of her Jewish heritage) and the challenges that now confront
her?
Critique: Beautiful and wrenching by turns, and showcasing author Judith McCormack's genuine
flair for creating a deftly crafted and memorably original novel, "The Singing Forest" is
especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library Literary
Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Singing Forest" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Boundaries of Their Dwelling
Blake Sanz
University of Iowa Press
119 West Park Road. Iowa City, IA 52242-1000
www.uiowapress.org
9781609388072, $16.00, PB, 210pp
https://www.amazon.com/Boundaries-Their-Dwelling-Short-Fiction/dp/1609388070
Synopsis: Moving between the American South and Mexico, the award-winning short stories
comprising "The Boundaries of Their Dwelling" by Blake Sanz explore how immigrant and
native characters are shaped by absent family and geography. A Chilanga teen wins a trip to
Miami to film a reality show about family while pining for the American brother she's never met.
A Louisiana carpenter tends to his drug-addicted son while rebuilding his house after a slew of
hurricanes. A New Orleans ne'er-do-well opens a Catholic-themed bar in the wake of his devout
mother's death. A village girl from Chiapas baptizes her infant on a trek toward the U.S.
border.
In the collection's second half, we follow a Veracruzan-born drifter, Manuel, and his estranged
American son, Tommy. Over decades, they negotiate separate nations and personal tragicomedies
on their journeys from innocence to experience. As Manuel participates in student protests in
Mexico City in 1968, he drops out to pursue his art. In the 1970s, he immigrates to Louisiana, but
soon leaves his wife and infant son behind after his art shop fails. Meanwhile, Tommy grows up
in 1980s Louisiana, sometimes escaping his mother's watchful eye to play basketball at a park
filled with the threat of violence. In college, he seeks acceptance from teammates by writing their
term papers. Years later, as Manuel nears death and Tommy reaches middle age, they reconnect,
embarking on a mission to jointly interview a former riot policeman about his military days; in
the process, father and son discover what it has meant to carry each other's stories and memories
from afar.
Critique: Elegant, original, engaging, entertaining, thoughtful and thought provoking, "The
Boundaries of Their Dwelling" showcases author Blake Sanz's genuine flair for the kind of
narrative driven storytelling that holds the reader's rapt attention from cover to cover. "The
Boundaries of Their Dwelling" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading
lists, as well as community, college, and university library Short Story & General Fictions
collections.
Editorial Note: Blake Sanz has published fiction in Ecotone, Puerto del Sol, Fifth Wednesday
Journal, and elsewhere. He teaches writing at the University of Denver.
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
The Christmas House
Victoria James
VictoriaJames.ca
Alcove Press
alcovepress.com
9781643857725, $16.99 pbk / $13.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-House-Novel-Victoria-James/dp/164385772X
Synopsis: It's Christmas in the small town of Silver Springs which is bursting with holiday spirit.
The downtown shops boast twinkling lights, and the town square features an enormous
Christmas tree. Every Christmas Eve for the past fifty years, Ruby Harris, the owner of the
historic B&B, The Christmas House, has opened her doors to strangers in need, showing them
the compassion once denied to her.
When Ruby invites her family home for the holidays, including her two adult grandchildren,
Charlotte and Olivia, she hopes they will be able to put the past behind them. However, her plans
for reconciliation implode as the women unravel secrets from the past that force them to confront
the impact they've had on their dysfunctional family. As Charlotte grows closer to Wyatt, the
neighbor next door and a friend from the past, old memories resurface that the women would
rather forget. They're reminded of a man they want to forget.
As the clock inches closer to the New Year, can the magic of the season bring the family closer?
Or will a surprise guest threaten their tentative truce and test newly formed bonds?
This light-hearted Christmas tale draws inspiration from Victoria James's own historical
fixer-upper, offering plenty of warmth and holiday cheer.
Critique: The Christmas House is a heartwarming, holiday-themed romance novel. When Ruby
Harris, owner of the historic bed-and-breakfast The Christmas House, invites her family home
for the Christmas season, she hopes that they will be able to mend their disgruntled rifts. But
hurtful family secrets threaten to push the family apart again, even as the New Year approaches,
and then a surprise guest throws all their plans into disarray. The Christmas House is delightful,
thought-provoking, cheery and cozy, perfect for curling up to read with a thick blanket and hot
cocoa. Highly recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that The Christmas
House is also available in a Kindle edition ($13.99).
Editorial Note: Victoria James is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of
contemporary romance. Victoria always knew she wanted to be a writer and in grade five, she
penned her first story, bound it (with staples and a cardboard cover), and illustrated it herself.
Luckily, this book will never see the light of day. After graduating University with an English
Literature degree, Victoria pursued a degree in Interior Design opening her own business.
Home For a Cowboy Christmas
Donna Grant
St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250820266, $8.99, PB, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Home-Cowboy-Christmas-Donna-Grant/dp/125082026X
Synopsis: Christmas 'tis the season' -- for everyone except Emmy Garrett. She's on the run after
witnessing a crime. But when it becomes clear that trouble will continue following her, the US
Marshal in charge takes her somewhere no one will think to look -- Montana. Not only is Emmy
in a new place for her protection, but now, she's stuck with a handsome cowboy as her bodyguard
-- and she wants to do more than kiss him under the mistletoe.
Dwight Reynolds left behind his old career, but it's still in his blood. When an old friend calls in
a favor, Dwight opens his home to a woman on the run. He tries to keep his distance, but there's
something about Emmy he can't resist. She stokes his passion and turns his cold nights into warm
ones. When danger shows up looking for Emmy, Dwight risks everything to keep her safe!
Critique: With all the elements of a truly steamy romance by a master of the genre, "Home for a
Cowboy Christmas" wonderfully showcases author Donna Grant's genuine flair for narrative
driven storytelling. Very highly recommended for community library Romance Fiction
collections, "Home for a Cowboy Christmas" is a compelling read from cover to cover for all
dedicated romance fans.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Driftless Gold
Sue Berg
Little Creek Press
9781942586968 $18.95
https://www.amazon.com/Driftless-Gold-Higgins-Mystery-Novel/dp/1942586965
Synopsis: A migrant worker is discovered buried in a local quarry with an antique gold coin in
his pocket near La Crosse, Wisconsin. Lt. Jim Higgins begins to unravel a murder that will take
him back into Wisconsin's early history. During the investigation, Higgins meets a local
archaeological savant and treasure hunter who tells him a wild tale about a U.S. Army payroll
that was stolen on the way to Fort Crawford in Prairie du Chien in 1866. The payroll has never
been recovered. Is the coin on the dead man part of the stolen treasure?
Critique: The debut detective mystery of author Sue Berg, Driftless Gold is set near La Crosse,
Wisconsin, with roots reaching back to a stolen U.S. Army payroll. A murder, with an old coin
found on the victim, draws Lt. Jim Higgins into a race against time before the killer strikes again.
A page-turner that keeps the reader guessing to the very end, Driftless Gold is enthusiastically
recommended especially for connoisseurs of the genre.
Shoot the Moonlight Out
William Boyle
Pegasus Books
www.pegasusbooks.com
9781643138251, $25.95, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Shoot-Moonlight-Out-William-Boyle/dp/1643138251
Synopsis: Southern Brooklyn, July 1996. Fire hydrants are open and spraying water on the
sizzling blacktop. Punk kids have to make their own fun. Bobby Santovasco and his pal Zeke like
to throw rocks at cars getting off the Belt Parkway. They think it's dumb and harmless until it's
too late to think otherwise. Then there's Jack Cornacchia, a widower who lives with his high
school age daughter Amelia and reads meters for Con Ed but also has a secret life as a vigilante,
righting neighborhood wrongs through acts of violence. A simple mission to strong-arm a Bay
Ridge con man, Max Berry, leads him to cross paths with a tragedy that hits close to home.
Fast forward five years: June 2001. The summer before New York City and the world changed
for good. Charlie French is a low-level gangster-wannabe trying to make a name for himself.
When he stumbles onto a bowling alley locker stuffed with a bag full of cash, he brings it to his
only pal, Max Berry, for safekeeping while he cleans up the mess surrounding it. Bobby
Santovasco - with no real future mapped out and the big sin of his past shining brightly in his
rearview mirror - has taken a job working as an errand boy for Max Berry. On a recruiting run for
Max's Ponzi scheme, Bobby meets Francesca Clarke, born in the neighborhood but an outsider
nonetheless. They hit it off. Bobby gets the idea to knock off Max's safe so he and Francesca can
escape Brooklyn forever. Little does he know what Charlie French has stashed there.
Meanwhile, Bobby's former stepsister, Lily Murphy, is back home in the neighborhood after
college, teaching a writing class in the basement of St. Mary's church. She's also being stalked by
her college boyfriend. One of her students is Jack Cornacchia. When she opens up to him about
her stalker, Jack decides to take matters into his own hands.
Critique: A simply riveting and original crime novel featuring a roster of deftly crafted and
memorable characters, as well as more unexpected plot twists and turns than a Coney Island
roller coaster, "Shoot the Moonlight Out" by William Boyle is unreservedly recommended for
community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that "Shoot the Moonlight Out" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $16.99).
The Audiobook Shelf
Night Court
Ashley Fontainne, author
Rebecca Roberts, narrator
Blackstone Audiobooks
31 Mistletoe Road, Ashland, OR 97520
www.BlackstoneAudio.com
9781504692960, $29.95, MP3
https://www.amazon.com/Night-Court-Woman-Three-Executioner/dp/1504692969
Synopsis: Judge -- Merry watches, her presence cloaked by the shroud of nightfall. Nothing
moves except her eyes which focus on her target. No remorse. No regret. No second guessing the
decision to end the lives of the monsters who turned her into a killer.
Jury -- The peddlers of death from potent chemicals are found guilty. Death is the punishment for
their crimes. All appeals denied. Sentencing to commence immediately. The leeches who sucked
out the life of addicts with each snort, puff, swallow, and injection will now pay the ultimate
price.
Executioner -- The idyllic world of Merry Marie Hall, once the loving wife of Harold and mother
to their only child, Joshua, is over. Extinguished when Joshua overdosed and Harold died of a
heart attack at the funeral. Now Merry hunts down the guilty parties, and one by one, carries out
her personal vigilante court's orders.
Critique: A non-stop thriller of a read written by Ashley Fontainne and ably narrated by Rebecca Roberts, "Night Court" is a full throated 'theatre of the mind' experience. A complete and unabridged MP3 edition from Blackstone Audiobooks (6 hours, 5 CDS), "Night Court" is a truly exceptional and unreservedly recommended addition to personal and community library audio book collections.
The Music CD Shelf
Full Bloom
Nancy Shoop-Wu
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/Full-Bloom-Nancy-Shoop-Wu/dp/B09FX8L96H
Full Bloom is a new-age violin and vocal album by Nancy Shoop-Wu, who composed, arranged,
performed and sang, with support Derek Nakamoto on piano and Cello (Qiele) Guo on cello.
Adventurous, expressive, and far-reaching, these songs are brimming with a longing for
adventure, and ignite an internal sense of discovery. Full Bloom is highly recommended for
personal enrichment, and also makes an excellent gift. The tracks are Full Bloom, Night
Rainbow, Dreams, Flying Away, Beautiful, Olinda Winds, Angel Above Me, Serenade, Golden
Leaves, and Morning Paradise.
Hiding in Plain Sight
Dino Govoni
Whaling City Sound
https://whalingcitysound.com
c/o Naxos (distribution)
https://naxosusa.com
$TBA CD / $8.91 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/Hiding-Plain-Sight-Govoni-Henry/dp/B09JKYKYB3
Hiding in Plain Sight is a jazz album featuring Dino Govoni on tenor saxophone, Alex Sipiagin
on trumpet and flugelhorn, Henry Hey on piano, Michael Pope on acoustic and electric bass, and
Jeff 'Tain' Watts on drums. The smooth, versatile, evocative music takes the listener on an
auditory pleasure cruise. Hiding in Plain Sight is a treasure for jazz connoisseurs, highly
recommended. The tracks are Stories Passed, Cobalt, Falling Ahead, Thinkers Anonymous, Ask
Again, Sublimate, Point Turn, Appels to Apples, and Edge Walker.
Small Town Dreamer
Daryl Mosley
www.darylmosley.com
Pinecastle Holdings, LLC
www.pinecastlemusic.com
$TBA CD / $11.49 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/Small-Town-Dreamer-Daryl-Mosley/dp/B09FYMWSPC
Small Town Dreamer is an album of twelve original songs by folk music artist Daryl Mosley,
offering portraits of small town life in America. Soul-stirring guitar and Daryl's memorable
vocals distinguish these nostalgic, empathetic, and evocative songs. A treasure for connoisseurs
of Americana, Small Town Dreamer is highly recommended. The track list is "Transistor Radio",
"Hillbilly Dust", "The Last of His Kind", "Bringing Simple Back", "He's With Me", "The
Waverly Train Disaster", "You Are the Reason", "I Can't Go Home Anymore", "The Way I Was
Raised", "Mama's Bible", "Here's to the Dreamers", and "Sing Me a Song About a Train".
The Multimedia Shelf
WoodSongs 5: A Folksinger's Compendium & van Gogh Reader
Michael Johnathon
http://www.michaeljohnathon.com
Privately Published
9780578952499 $20.00 pbk / $4.99 digital
http://www.michaeljohnathon.com/ws5
Synopsis: WoodSongs 5 is the fifth volume in a series about art, music & rural living from
Michael Johnathon, one of America's most popular folksingers, songwriters and host of the radio
& TV broadcast the WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour. WoodSongs 5 is a celebration of
Vincent van Gogh's passion, vision, and his struggle to push forward even though rejected by the
art world of his time.
WoodSongs 5 (176 pages, full color) explores the world of Vincent van Gogh, Pete Seeger,
Michelangelo, da Vinci, Hank Williams, John Denver, Billie Holiday and many other "creatives,"
the poets, painters, dreamers and time travelers, world-wanderers and highway vagabonds, rail
riders and drifters who dream what is unseen so others can appreciate what has been created.
They are 5-string politicians, 6-string therapists, banjo barristers, acoustic lovers and
penny-pinching peacemakers... because those who sing together can not fight. They are still
there. Still writing, searching, singing, trying to get this world in tune.
A beautiful gift for every artist, painter, songwriter and lover of art.
Critique: The fifth in a creative and expressive series celebrating art, music, and the joys of rural
life, WoodSongs 5 is a delight to browse. Like all books in the series, WoodSongs5 includes The
Painter CD album and a free gift of the Songs of Rural America symphony album on CD.
WoodSongs 5 is awash with creativity, color, and passion as it brings the reader on a journey
through the timeless works of Vincent van Gogh, Pete Seeger, Michelangelo, da Vinci, Billie
Holiday and more. WoodSongs 5 is highly recommended, and makes an excellent gift for anyone
who loves art or music. It should be noted for personal reading lists that WoodSongs 5 is also
available in as an ebook ($4.99).
The Beer Shelf
World Atlas of Beer
Tim Webb, author
Stephen Beaumont, author
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Books
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781784726270, $39.99, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/World-Atlas-Beer-ESSENTIAL-GUIDE/dp/1784726273
Synopsis: As craft brewing continues to go from strength to strength across the world, and now
in a newly updated and expanded third edition, "World Atlas of Beer: The Essential Guide to the
Beers of the World" by the team of Tim Webb and Stephen Beaumont continues to be the
definitive and essential guide to beer for the true connoisseur.
A coffee table style volume (9.3 x 1.15 x 11.8 inches), "World Atlas of Beer" covers the rich,
multi-faceted traditions of Belgium, the Nordic legend that is Finnish Sahti, the relatively new
phenomenon of the New England hazy IPA, why Australia's lower-strength beers are one of its
great successes, and so much more! With thousands of breweries now operating around the
globe, and more opening every day, "World Atlas of Beer" is the expert guide to what is really
worth drinking.
Country by country "World Atlas of Beer" considers a vast range of brewing techniques, beer
styles and traditions. Detailed maps describe crucial trends in major territories and features such
as matching beer with food and how to pour different kinds of beer complete the picture.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated in full color, this impressively comprehensive and
exceptionally organized and presented third edition of the award winning "World Atlas of Beer:
The Essential Guide to the Beers of the World" is a 'must' for all dedicated beer drinkers and will
be an enduringly popular and welcome addition to personal, professional, community, college,
and university library collections.
Editorial Note #1: Tim Webb began writing about better types of beer when most of what could
be said had to be reported in the past tense. During six years on the board of the Campaign for
Real Ale (CAMRA) he ran Britain's national beer festival and co-founded CAMRA's publishing
company. He has written Good Beer GuideBelgium continuously since 1992 and has won awards
for beer writing in four countries. In a career spanning over 40 years he has witnessed and
chronicled the return of the craft of beer brewing, perhaps the most extraordinary consumer-led
revolution of modern times.
Editorial Note #2: Stephen Beaumont is recognized internationally as one of the leading writers
on beer in the world today. He is the author or co-author of ten additional books about beer,
including The Beer & Food Companion, and two editions of The Pocket Beer Book, and a
contributor to many others. Through his 26 years of covering the global beer scene, Stephen has
written literally hundreds of articles and columns for publications as diverse as Whisky
Advocate, Playboy and the Celebrator, and hosted tastings, dinners and educational events
around the globe, from Mexico City to Burton-on-Trent and Philadelphia to Beijing. He may be
found online at www.beaumontdrinks.com and on Twitter at @BeaumontDrinks.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Our Spiritual DNA
Carmel Niland
Findhorn Press
www.findhornpress.com
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781644112632, $18.99, PB, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Our-Spiritual-DNA-Ascended-Evidence/dp/1644112639
Synopsis: Guided by renowned mystics, in the pages of her new book, "Our Spiritual DNA:
Twelve Ascended Masters and the Evidence for Our Divine Ancestry", author Carmel Niland
suggests that, just as we carry physical DNA that shapes us across generations, we also carry an
energetic code or spiritual DNA that links us back to the very source of our origins (God) a
divine ancestry that throughout the centuries conveys itself in patterns of behavior, character
traits, and life purpose, connecting each individual to a specific Ascended Master.
The God essence expresses itself through archetypal energies in us, represented by 12 Ascended
Masters who hold the 12 strands of our spiritual DNA. Thus, every person on this earth, no
matter how ordinary or extraordinary, is an aspect of one of these Masters. Focusing on Mother
Mary and St. Germain, Our Spiritual DNA explores the role, energies, and essence of these 12
Masters by examining some of history's most important figures who have been instrumental in
shaping our world. Hitherto unknown details about the lives of personalities like Queen Nefertiti,
Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Merlin, Isabelle of Castile, and Dante emerge in channeled
conversations with the author's spiritual guide, The Gatekeeper.
Revolutionizing the Western view of reincarnation, "Our Spiritual DNA: Twelve Ascended
Masters and the Evidence for Our Divine Ancestry" is astounding and unique book allows you to
trace your own spiritual DNA through the reincarnations of the Ascended Masters, understand
your spiritual and genetic connection to God, and realize that we are all divinely connected
across gender, race, and time.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Our Spiritual DNA: Twelve
Ascended Masters and the Evidence for Our Divine Ancestry" is a singularly impressive study
that will be of special interest for all students of the metaphysical sciences. While highly
recommended for community, college, and university library New Age Channeling, Angels &
Spirit Guides, and Spiritual Self-Help collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists
that "Our Spiritual DNA: Twelve Ascended Masters and the Evidence for Our Divine Ancestry"
is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Conversations with the Goddess
Dorothy Atalla
Pharos Press
www.pharospress.net
9780984447305, $17.95, PB, 292pp
https://www.amazon.com/Conversations-Goddess-Encounter-Petra-Place/dp/098444730X
Synopsis: On a January day in the depths of mid-western winter Dorothy Atalla expected more of
the same: snow, ice and gray skies. But when she lay down on her living room carpet to relax
with music, she had an experience which changed her life. Inexplicably, a vision of a radiant and
beneficent female presence appeared to her. This astonishing event was only the beginning of a
journey she could never have imagined in her wildest dreams. That vision foreshadowed the
dialogue with a deity which is the essence of "Conversations with the Goddess: Encounter at
Petra, Place of Power".
"Conversations with the Goddess" swiftly evolves from a personal story into a universal story in
which a feminine Presence speaks about the role of the sacred Feminine in the future. She also
speaks of the past, revealing a panoramic view of a time in which the Goddess was revered not
only at Petra but also throughout the ancient world.
Her story is a multiplicity of strands which she deftly weaves together, creating a tapestry that
spans immense time frames in earth's evolution. As her tale progresses, people from the deep
past step forward to tell about their lives and their relationship with the Goddess. And a
fascinating group of characters they are from Zillah, slave woman, to Hayyan al-Shubri, high
priest who serves the chief goddess of Petra.
Woven into the dialogues are lively commentaries about Petra as a cosmic power point, women
as agents for planetary evolution, and restoration of ancient Goddess knowledge and women's
mysteries. Other threads in this weaving are also relevant to modern women: woman's innate
spiritual power, earth's powers and the powers of woman, symbolism in female artifacts and the
consciousness which created them, what the dark Feminine really is, correction of misperceptions
about the nature of the Great Goddess, and a path toward balance of the divine Feminine and the
divine Masculine.
Critique: An inherently fascinating, memorably unique, thoughtful and thought-provoking read
throughout, While "Conversations with the Goddess: Encounter at Petra, Place of Power" is
especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library
Contemporary Metaphysical Studies collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists
of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"Conversations with the Goddess: Encounter at Petra, Place of Power" is also readily available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note: A Phi Beta Kappa graduate from the University of Delaware, Dorothy Atalla
received an endowed fellowship for a Master's degree in English Literature. Her studies led to
ancient history, archaeology, depth psychology, quantum physics, transpersonal psychology and
the evolution of consciousness, and the study of ancient religion and mythology.
The Gardening Shelf
The Living Soil Handbook
Jesse Frost
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
85 North Main Street, Suite 120, White River Junction, VT 05001
www.chelseagreen.com
9781645020264, $29.95, PB, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Living-Soil-Handbook-Ecological-Gardening/dp/1645020266
Synopsis: Discovering how to meet the soil's needs is the key task for every market gardener
where a home gardening amateur or a professional farmer. "The Living Soil Handbook: The
No-Till Grower's Guide to Ecological Market Gardening" by Jesse Frost is comprehensive guide,
in which he shares all that he has learned through years of experience and experimentation with
no-till practices on his home farm in Kentucky and from interviews and visits with highly
successful market gardeners in his role as host of The No-Till Market Garden Podcast.
The Living Soil Handbook is centered around the three basic principles of no-till market
gardening: Disturb the soil as little as possible: Keep it covered as much as possible; Keep it
planted as much as possible.
"The Living Soil Handbook" then guides readers in applying those principles to their own garden
environment, with their own materials, to meet their own goals. Beginning with an exploration of
the importance of photosynthesis to living soil, Jesse provides in-depth information on: Turning
over beds; Using compost and mulch; Path management; Incorporating biology, maintaining
fertility; Cover cropping; Diversifying plantings through intercropping; Production methods for
seven major crops
Throughout, "The Living Soil Handbook" emphasizes practical information on all the best tools
and practices for growers who want to build their livelihood around maximizing the health of
their soil.
Critique: Nicely illustrated throughout, "The Living Soil Handbook: The No-Till Grower's Guide
to Ecological Market Gardening" is exceptionally well written, organized and presented. A
comprehensive and thoroughly 'user friendly' instructional manual and guide, "The Living Soil
Handbook: The No-Till Grower's Guide to Ecological Market Gardening" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library
Gardening/Horticultural/Agricultural collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that
"The Living Soil Handbook: The No-Till Grower's Guide to Ecological Market Gardening" is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.59).
Editorial Note: Jesse Frost, aka Farmer Jesse, is a certified organic market gardener, freelance
journalist, and the host of The No-Till Market Garden Podcast. He is also a cofounder of
www.notillgrowers.com, a website where he helps collect the best and latest no-till insights from
growers in the United States, Canada, the UK, and Europe. He and his wife, Hannah Crabtree,
practice no-till farming at Rough Draft Farmstead in central Kentucky.
The Poetry Shelf
Small Bibles for Bad Times: Selected Poems and Prose
Liliane Atlans
Dryad Press
www.dryadpress.com
9781942134688, $21.95, PB, 176pp
https://www.amazon.com/Small-Bibles-Bad-Times-Selected/dp/1942134681
Synopsis: Very ably translated from French into English by Marguerite Feitliz, "Small Bibles for
Bad Times: Selected Poems and Prose of Liliane Atlan" by the late Liliane Atlan is an inherent
fascinating and compelling volume that showcases the poet's genuine flair for thoroughly
originality and the kind of word smithing that invokes both an emotional and a cerebral response
in a two language edition from Dryad Press with French on the left side and English on the
right.
Critique: Erudite, compelling, memorable and unique, the poetry and prose of Liliane Atlans will
prove to be welcome and appreciated addition to personal reading lists of all dedicated poetry
fans, as well as community, college, and university library Poetry collections.
Editorial Note: Liliane Atlan (January 14, 1932 - February 15, 2011) was a French Jewish writer
whose work often focused on the psychological effects of the Holocaust.
The Self-Help Shelf
Hear Yourself
Prem Rawat
HarperOne
https://harperone.com
c/o HarperCollins
https://www.harpercollins.com
9780063070745 $26.99 hc / $13.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Hear-Yourself-Peace-Noisy-World/dp/006307074X
Synopsis: The cacophony of modern life can be deafening, leaving us feeling frazzled and
uneasy. In this warm, wise book, Prem Rawat teaches us how to turn down the noise to "hear
ourselves"-to listen to the subtle song of peace that sings inside each of us. Once we learn to truly
"hear ourselves" and the voice of peace within, then we can hold on to that as we face all the
noise of the world.
The culmination of a lifetime of study, Hear Yourself lays out the crucial steps we can use to
focus on the voice within. Take a walk in nature and listen for the sounds of harmony, Prem
Rawat suggests, or set aside a few minutes each day to feel gratitude, which comes from the core
of our being. He challenges us to embrace our thirst for peace and let go of expectations for how
it should feel. With one straightforward yet deeply profound question, he helps us to focus - to be
present: Am I conscious of where I am today and what I want to experience in this world?"
If we allow ourselves to listen, what we hear is the extraordinary miracle of existence - an
experience that transforms our relationship to life and everything in it. Packed with powerful
insights and compelling stories, Hear Yourself introduces readers to an ancient line of practical
wisdom that enlightens us to a simple way to listen. By doing so, Prem Rawat reveals, we can
"profoundly change our understanding of ourselves, those around us, and our lives."
Critique: Hear Yourself: How to Find Peace in a Noisy World is a self-help guide to listening
within, and better understanding oneself. Listening to one's inner voice is a practice drawn upon
ancient wisdom, yet as profoundly impactful today as it was millennia ago. Author Prem Rawat
offers tips, tricks, and techniques to clear one's mind, focus, and truly listen when surrounded by
raucous cacophony. Hear Yourself is an excellent, mind-expanding read, highly recommended. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that Hear Yourself is also available in a Kindle edition
($13.99).
The Travel Shelf
Lonely Planet Florida
Fionn Davenport, Anthony Ham, Adam Karlin, Vesna Maric, and Trisha Ping
Lonely Planet
https://www.lonelyplanet.com
9781787015692 $24.99
https://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-Florida-Travel-Guide/dp/1787015696
Synopsis: Lonely Planet's Florida is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what
to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Snorkel in the Keys, explore the magic of
Walt Disney World resort, and marvel at Miami's art deco masterpieces; all with your trusted
travel companion. Get to the heart of Florida and begin your journey now!
Inside Lonely Planet's Florida Travel Guide:
Up-to-date information - all businesses were rechecked before publication to ensure they are still
open after 2020's COVID-19 outbreak
NEW pull-out, passport-size 'Just Landed' card with wi-fi, ATM and transport info - all you need
for a smooth journey from airport to hotel
Planning tools for family travelers - where to go, how to save money, plus fun stuff just for
kids
What's New feature taps into cultural trends and helps you find fresh ideas and cool new areas
our writers have uncovered
NEW Accommodations feature gathers all the information you need to plan your
accommodation
Color maps and images throughout
Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests
Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble
spots
Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips,
prices
Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems
that most guidebooks miss
Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - history, people, music,
landscapes, wildlife, cuisine, politics
Over 65 maps
Covers Miami, The Everglades, the Florida Keys & Key West, Southeast Florida, Orlando &
Walt Disney World, the Space Coast, Northeast Florida, Tampa Bay & Southwest Florida, the
Panhandle
Critique: Up-to-date with information about businesses that are open (with reasonable
precautions) during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Lonely Planet Florida is jam-packed
cover to cover with recommended restaurants, tourist destinations, outdoor activities, hotels, and
much more. Tips, advice, color maps, and a section on the Everglades round out this handy
"must-have" for Florida vacationers and business travelers alike. Highly recommended!
Lonely Planet Best of Costa Rica
Jade Bremner, Ashley Harrell, Brian Kluepfel, and Mara Vorhees
Lonely Planet
https://www.lonelyplanet.com
9781787015340, $24.99
https://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-Best-Costa-Country/dp/1787015343
Synopsis: Lonely Planet's Best of Costa Rica is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date
advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Lounge on sugar-white
beaches in Southern Nicoya, spot sea turtles in Tortuguero, and catch the surf off deserted
beaches on the Costa Ballena; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Costa
Rica and begin your journey now!
Up-to-date information - all businesses were rechecked before publication to ensure they are still
open after 2020's COVID-19 outbreak
Color maps and images throughout
Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests
Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble
spots
Essential infoat your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips,
prices
Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems
that most guidebooks miss
Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - history, people, music,
landscapes, wildlife, cuisine, politics
Covers San Jose, Monteverde Cloud Forest, Manuel Antonio, Volcan Arenal, Montezuma,
Peninsula de Osa, Tortuguero, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Playa Samara, and more
Critique: Lonely Planet's Best of Costa Rica: Top Sights, Authentic Experiences lives up to its
title as a treasury for anyone interested in visiting this beautiful nation filled with diverse species
and natural wonders. This up-to-date guide showcases businesses that have remained open (with
appropriate precautions) during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and includes extensive
contact information, recommendations, full-color photography, suggested itineraries, budget-
friendly options, and much more. Lonely Planet's Best of Costa Rica is a "must-have" for tourists
and armchair travelers alike, highly recommended.
The Christian Studies Shelf
The Complete Encyclicals, Bulls, and Apostolic Exhortations: Volume 2
Pope Francis
Ave Maria Press
https://www.avemariapress.com
9781646801138, $27.95 pbk / $20.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Encyclicals-Bulls-Apostolic-Exhortations/dp/164680113X
Synopsis: When Pope Francis puts pen to paper, people around the world pay attention. Between
2017 and 2020, the Holy Father published six groundbreaking documents with topics ranging
from the importance of scripture to Catholic social teaching, and from injustice in the Amazon to
the role of religion in building world peace. These seven documents - letters, apostolic
exhortations, an encyclical, and a statement cosigned by Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad
Al-Tayyeb - are gathered in one volume for the first time.
Volume 2 includes:
Gaudete et Exultate, March 19, 2018: In his apostolic exhortation Rejoice and Be Glad: On the
Call to Holiness in Today's World, Pope Francis reissues the universal call to holiness,
challenges us to recognize the "saints next door" we encounter in daily life, and provides a
practical meditation on how we can respond to the Lord's invitation to become his disciples.
Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, February 4, 2019: This
document emphasizes the important role of religion in building world peace and the rights of
freedom, justice, and full citizenship for all people - including women. It was cosigned in Abu
Dhabi by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, during Pope Francis's apostolic visit
to the United Arab Emirates.
Apperuit Illis, September 30, 2019: This apostolic letter, Instituting the Sunday of the Word of
God, reflects on Vatican II's teaching on the importance of the scriptures and encourages all
Catholics to embrace the Bible as part of their rich spiritual heritage.
Christus Vivit, March 25, 2019: Christ is Alive is the post-synodal apostolic exhortation to young
people framed on three key principles: God loves you, Jesus saves and suffers with you, and
Jesus is alive.
Querida Amazonia, February 12, 2020: The 2020 post-synodal apostolic exhortation Beloved
Amazon addresses injustice and exploitation in the Amazon region, outlines challenges to caring
for creation and respecting the cultures of indigenous peoples, and renews consideration of how
the Church's mission can and should take shape in the twenty-first century.
Fratelli Tutti, October 4, 2020: All Brothers and Sisters: On Fraternity and Social Friendship is
Pope Francis's third encyclical and the only one written between 2017 and 2020. This seminal
work challenges us to take a fresh look at the great ideals of the Church's social teaching and put
them into practice on a new - and more personal - level.
Patris Corde, December 8, 2020: The apostolic letter With a Father's Heart declared 2021 the
Year of St. Joseph, and provides an extended meditation on the various facets of Joseph's
fatherhood.
Critique: The Complete Encyclicals, Bulls, and Apostolic Exhortations: Volume 2 is the second
volume of Pope Francis' complete writings from 2017 to 2020. As the current leader of the
Catholic Church, Pope Francis commands a singularly high level of attention from theological
scholars and faithful Christians worldwide. This volume of his writings includes testimony on the
role of religion in building world peace, freedom, and justice; encouragement for Catholics to
study the Bible as part of their spiritual heritage; testimony about injustice and exploitation in the
Amazon region; and much more. It is worth noting that Pope Francis' writing is thoroughly
accessible to readers of all faiths and backgrounds. Volume 2 is an absolute "must-have" for
Catholic church libraries and Religious Studies shelves. It should be noted for personal reading
lists that Volume 2 is also available in a Kindle edition ($20.99).
Editorial Note: Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to
parents of Italian descent. He was ordained a Jesuit priest in 1969, ordained auxiliary bishop of
Buenos Aires in 1992, installed as bishop in 1998, and elevated to cardinal in 2001. He was
elected by the College of Cardinals in March 2013 as the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic
Church and took the name Francis for St. Francis of Assisi. He is the first Jesuit pope, the first
pope from the Americas, and the first non-European pope in more than twelve centuries.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
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