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Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
The Little Black Book of Retirement Wisdom
Mike Kowis, Esq.
www.mikekowis.com
Lecture PRO Publishing
9798990013315, $9.99 Paperback/$2.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Little-Black-Book-Retirement-Wisdom/dp/B0CWXMLW3R
The Little Black Book of Retirement Wisdom: Amusing Quotes for Retirees tackles the subject of retirement with levity and brevity, marrying both in a manner that will attract and amuse both new retirees and those who have had time to rest on their career laurels.
Chapter headings delineate serious topics of concern to all retirees, from building and tapping nest eggs to dying wishes and finding new purpose in retirement years. The words of wisdom, while embedded in such considerations, are not just dry admonitions, but pointed observations. They come from a wide range of sources, which makes their diversity even more appealing.
Examples of such hard-hitters include:
"While more people are working later in life because of happy things like longer life expectancy, they are also doing so because of very sad things, like a lack of Social Security benefits or retirement plans." - Alissa Quart
"I don't really think about retiring. I will retire just before people start saying, 'I knew Leonard Slatkin when he conducted well.' - Leonard Slatkin"
"The best thing about retirement is not having to wear pants." - Mark Hewer
Wisdom abounds -- but so do opportunities for hilarity, mixed with serious reflection. There could be no better gift for upcoming retirees than The Little Black Book of Retirement Wisdom -- and no better addition to a general-interest library's shelves. Senior book clubs and reading groups will also find that The Little Black Book of Retirement Wisdom holds the opportunity to encourage many a debate about retirement perceptions and experiences.
The Biography Shelf
The Bob Verga Shift
Michael B. Layden
Torchflame Books
www.torchflamebooks.com
9781611532418, $18.99 Paperback/$6.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Bob-Verga-Shift-illness-basketball/dp/1611532418
The Bob Verga Shift: How One Man's Illness Saved Duke Basketball is set in the 1960s in Durham, North Carolina, home of both the narrator and Duke University. Initially, readers interested in collegiate sports in general and basketball in particular will be drawn to this story, but its surprise lies in its ability to pull attention from outside the sports world by contrasting different layers of social standing and culture within Durham.
These influences range from the KKK's strong standing in the community to the tobacco industry's active presence. These elements steeped the town in tobacco, strengthened the disparities between Black workers and Whites (who rarely ventured into the fields as laborers), and the atmosphere of change that permeated the town with new flavors and influences.
As much a story of these changes and that era as one of basketball politics, achievements, and figures, The Bob Verga Shift documents the roots of all-black sports teams that evolved from Durham, Kentucky, and Texas to change American history and culture alike.
Michael B. Layden dovetails this history with basketball's evolution in such a way that many a non-sports reader will be surprised to find their enjoyment comes as much from its social inspection as in player moves and exposes of basketball's behind-the-scenes politics. The writing incorporates a wide range of experiences and issues while following the lasting impact of player Bob Verga, whose illness cut short his promising future as an ABA star. Yet, Verga continued to impact his team's choices, reflecting the transformations that rippled from sports into American social history.
Vivid scenarios and descriptions of these teams, this man, and how one individual's illness sparked immense changes as much by his absence as his presence create a lively read: "William Turner, who was a Black student in Kentucky at the time of the 1966 game, and who later went on to be a college professor, agrees. His feelings about the game have been decidedly mixed. According to Turner, "Far too many young black men have sacrificed lives that may have been much more rewarding potentially if this society had not impressed on them that the avenue of success was paved on the basketball." He believes the beginning of that mindset may have been the Texas Western game. If this is the overall legacy of the 1966 game, then it is indeed a tragic and unforeseen one, one not envisioned at the time, and one which Black America is struggling to deal with to this very day. All this occurred because Texas Western had played Kentucky. So what would have happened if it had been Duke that played the game?"
Interviews and 'what if' projections of possibilities forever altered by Verga's illness present especially inviting topics for discussion that will reach beyond sports readers into American history classrooms - especially those studying race relations in the 1960s. This is why The Bob Verga Shift is highly recommended not just for basketball history fans, but for book clubs and classroom discussion groups interested in debates about the times and their influences.
Libraries will want to include and recommend The Bob Verga Shift to a wide audience of book clubs and readers, who will appreciate its many eye-opening experiences.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
The Eccentrics
Tim Akers
Baen Books
www.baen.com
9781982193393, $18.00
https://www.amazon.com/Eccentrics-3-Knight-Watch/dp/1982193395
The Eccentrics embraces the subgenre of steampunk as it surveys a milieu in which mad science, mad men, and clockwork creatures force the Society of Eccentric Geniuses to protect the Mundane world from a fantasy future, the Gestalt. The Eccentrics that navigate these timestreams in the name of righting wrongs have their hands full when a new threat tests the nature and values of heroes, would-be rescuers, and those who must understand and field a clockwork world in order to survive. A creative, unpredictable adventure follows that creates a powerful attraction to readers seeking something different from their steampunk-centric universes.
Baen Books
www.baen.com
Two fine new sci-fi titles from Baen Books are highly recommended.
https://www.amazon.com/Hyde-Seek-Jekyll-Inc/dp/1982193387
Simon R. Green's Hyde & Seek (9781982193386, $28.00) is the second book in the Jekyll & Hyde Inc. series, and pairs monsters and supernatural intrigue with an adventure replete with wry humor and action. Having vanquished werewolves, vampires and their likes, Daniel and Tina Hyde discover new threats in the form of old-fashioned aliens, monsters, and more. In fact, their ridding the world of traditional menaces seems to have opened the door on a whole new definition of fighting monsters. Their action-packed adventures are stories to relish, filled with battles and unexpected twists highly recommended for fans of fantasy and detective sci-fi.
https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Ranges-John-Ringo/dp/1982193379
John Ringo works with James Aidee in Beyond the Ranges (9781982193379, $28.00), which takes place in the aftermath of Earth's destruction. Jason Graham and millions of others are offered new lives on a planet across the galaxy, having been rescued by alien benefactors. The mystery surrounding the world's sudden end and their revised status only grows as James and fellow humans face unprecedented opportunities and struggles to survive in this brave new world. The dovetailing of mystery, post-apocalyptic survival tactics, and unexpected alliances makes for a fast-paced story packed with tension, confrontations, and surprises.
Both of these science fiction titles are excellent choices library collections and for readers seeking something different.
The Self-Help Shelf
Blind Not Broken
Lucy Edwards
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Publishing
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9780600637653, $24.99
Blind Not Broken: Your Guide to Turning Loss and Grief Into Happiness is highly recommended for any reader struggling with loss and grief. With so many books already on the market about the subject, readers might not think this book will add an extra dimension to the topic... but, it does.
Embedded in Lucy Edwards's experience of losing her eyesight when she was seventeen, the story charts the upward path to self-discovery, recovery, and overcoming trauma to find new opportunities in life. While this is a memoir of experience, it also illustrates the process of tapping into hidden strengths and perspectives to find a way upward, presenting examples and tools readers can apply to virtually any form of grief, whether it be the loss of another person or the loss of their own abilities. The result is a powerful story that draws with examples that are vivid, engrossing, and alluring.
Libraries will find Blind Not Broken easily attractive to a wide audience of general-interest readers and a strong recommendation for book clubs seeking thought-provoking memoirs that embrace growth experiences and personal transformation.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
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