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Internet Bookwatch

Volume 28, Number 8 August 2018 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice American History Shelf World History Shelf
Civil War Shelf Education Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Literary Studies Shelf Fiction Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Library Science Shelf Technology Shelf
Biography Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Jobs/Careers Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Aviation Shelf Military Shelf
Religion/Spirituality Shelf Agriculture Shelf Psychology Shelf
Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf Audiobook Shelf Library CD Shelf
Library DVD Shelf Genealogy Shelf International Studies Shelf
Economic Studies Shelf Photography Shelf Gaming Shelf
Metaphysical Studies Shelf Christian Studies Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf
Islamic Studies Shelf Hobby Shelf Needlecraft Shelf
Philosophy Shelf Business Shelf Automotive Shelf
Travel Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Music Shelf
Art Shelf Computer Shelf Sports Shelf
Holocaust Studies Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Guardianships and the Elderly: The Perfect Crime
Dr. Sugar
Square One Publishers
115 Herricks Road, Garden City Park, NY 11040
www.squareonepublishers.com
9780757004339, $19.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com

Guardianships and the Elderly: The Perfect Crime outlines the problems with a justice system that regulates elderly people's freedoms, pinpointing the perils and abuses of the guardianship concept, which exists in every state and which has gone relatively unexamined until this book. Those who know about such guardianships are in the perfect position to abuse it, and this book considers its history, setup, legal and social impact, and how to avoid the common obstacles and pitfalls that often result in elderly victims of a system originally intended to protect them. Every library with a consumer reference or health collection needs this hard-hitting reference.

Principles of Posse Management
Chris Enss
TwoDot Books
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.rowman.com
9781493025534, $16.95 PB, $15.99 Kindle, 200pp, www.amazon.com

Principles of Posse Management: Lessons from the Old West for Today's Leaders belongs not just in Western Americana and regional history holdings; but in many a business management collection, and blends historical facts, anecdotes, and insights on Western life with the idea of 'posse management' techniques and tools. Some of these same tools will come in handy in business circles, and the story of how posses were created, operated, managed, and successfully achieved their goals thus is recommended for many different readers who will appreciate the lively and different association between Western history and modern business pursuits.

Nourished Planet
Danielle Nierenberg, editor
Island Press
2000 M St. NW, Suite 650, Washington, DC 20036
www.islandpress.org
9781610918947, $25.00, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Mangos from India, pasta from Italy, coffee from Colombia: Every day, Americans are nourished by a global food system that relies on our planet remaining verdant and productive. But current agricultural and technological practices are undermining both human and environmental health, resulting in the paradoxes of obesity paired with malnutrition, crops used for animal feed and biofuels while people go hungry, and more than thirty percent of food being wasted when it could feed the 795 million malnourished worldwide. Compiled and edited by Danielle Nierenberg, "Nourished Planet: Sustainability in the Global Food System" offers a global plan for feeding ourselves sustainably. Drawing on the diverse experiences of renowned international experts, "Nourished Planet" offers a truly planetary perspective. Essays and interviews by Hans Herren, Vandana Shiva, Alexander Mueller, and Pavan Suhkdev, among many others collaboratively plot a map towards food for all, food for sustainable growth, food for health, and food for culture. With these ingredients, we can nourish our planet and ourselves. Persuasively informative and exceptionally well organized and presented, "Nourished Planet" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Agriculture & Food collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Nourished Planet" is also available in a digital book format (eTextbook, $13.99).

Nolo's Patents for Beginners, ninth edition
Attorneys David Pressman and Richard Stim
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.nolo.com
9781413325218 $29.99 pbk / $16.19 Kindle amazon.com

Now in an updated ninth edition covering recent changes in patent law and regulations, including the new "first to file" rules, Nolo's Patents for Beginners lives up to its titles as a thoroughly accessible "must-read" for inventors. Chapters cover patent law basics, the implications of the America Invents Act, how to document an invention, how to "read and write" patents, the basics of patent infringement, provisional patents, and much more. A glossary, an index, and a wealth of examples round out this excellent, user-friendly guide that can potentially make the difference between earning a fortune off one's ideas and watching someone else earn a fortune instead. Nolo's Patents for Beginners is highly recommended both for public library and personal reference collections.

How to Get a Green Card, 13th edition
Ilona Bray, J.D. & Loida Nicolas Lewis, J.D., authors
Updated by Attorney Kristina Gasson
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.nolo.com
9781413325379 $39.99 pbk / $34.19 Kindle amazon.com

Now in an updated 13th edition, How to Get a Green Card a user-friendly, step-by-step guide to determining whether one is eligible for permanent residence in the United States, and successfully applying for a "green card" document that grants that permission. Chapters offer in- depth assistance for filling out application forms, including plenty of sample forms. Since American law is constantly changing, How to Get a Green Card comes with free legal updates on immigration rules, accessible via the publisher's Nolo.com website. "Nonattorney practitioners, visa consults, [etc.] litter the immigration marketplace... be wary - especially if they promise you a green card without any hassle for a certain amount of money. Aside from the fact that it is unlawful to practice immigration law without being admitted by a state bar association, there is no way you can check on these individuals' expertise, and nowhere to complain if their services are poor." An index rounds out this absolute "must-have" for anyone considering earning their own green card.

Zen in the Age of Anxiety
Tim Burkett, author
Wanda Isle, editor
Shambhala Publications, Inc.
300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-4544
www.shambhala.com
9781611804867, $16.95, PB, 184pp, www.amazon.com

Wrestling with fear doesn't have to be a negative experience. Written by Tim Burkett and edited by Wanda Isle, "Zen in the Age of Anxiety: Wisdom for Navigating Our Modern Lives" offers an approach to life that unlocks a new way of thinking and being in the world, one that leads directly through the center of the anxieties we seek to avoid. In the style of an owner's manual, a guide to being human, "Zen in the Age of Anxiety" focuses on areas of pain and anxiety as they tend to manifest for modern people: feelings of unworthiness, and issues surrounding sex, money, failure, and even death. Providing wisdom from Zen (channeled through his many experiences as a psychotherapist) and using language and metaphors from popular culture, "Zen in the Age of Anxiety" takes anxiety and teaches us to turn those fears into the building blocks of a fulfilling life. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, commentary, organization and presentation, "Zen in the Age of Anxiety" is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Zen in the Age of Anxiety" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

Homemade
Editors of Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest Trade Publishing
44 South Broadway, White Plains, NY 10601
www.rdtradepublishing.com
9781621453802 $19.99 pbk / $11.99 Kindle amazon.com

Homemade: 707 Products to Make Yourself to Save Money and the Earth is a compendium of 370 recipes for creating inexpensive, natural, and environmentally-friendly products at home. Readers will learn how to make their own health and beauty supplies, pet food, pantry staples, cleaning products and much more! From a nontoxic toilet bowl cleaner made from borax and white vinegar, to a lightly scented aftershave created from witch hazel and rose water, to a wealth of delicious kitchen recipes, Homemade is a homemaker's and budget-saver's delight! Highly recommended.

Hen and the Art of Chicken Maintenance, second edition
Martin Gurdon
Fox Chapel Publishing Company
1970 Broad Street N., East Petersburg, PA 17520
www.FoxChapelPublishing.com
9781620082768 $19.99 amazon.com

Featuring vibrant, full-color photography of chickens on virtually every page, Hen and the Art of Chicken Maintenance: Reflections on a Life of Raising Chickens is a unique memoir about raising chickens. While there are plenty of chicken care tips, guides, and remembrances, Hen and the Art of Chicken Maintenance is primarily an armchair tour of chicken-care, and not necessarily a how-to guide. Hen and the Art of Chicken Maintenance is a delight to page through, and an unforgettable glimpse into the trials, tribulations, and joys of raising backyard chickens. Highly recommend!

White Hot Grief Parade: A Memoir
Alexandra Silber
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10004
www.pegasusbooks.com
9781681777641, $25.95, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com

Alexandra "Al" Silber seems to have everything: brilliance, beauty, and talent in spades. But when her beloved father dies after a decade-long battle with cancer when she is just a teenager, it feels like the end of everything. Lost in grief, Al and her mother hardly know where to begin with the rest of their lives. Into this grieving house burst Al's three friends from theatre camp, determined to help out as only drama students know how and they're moving in for the duration. Over the course of that winter, the now five-strong household will do battle with everything Death can throw at them meddling relatives, merciless bureaucracy, soul-sapping sadness, the endless Tupperware. They will learn (almost) everything about love and will eventually return to the world, altered in different ways by their time in a home by a river. An inherently fascinating and deeply personal memoir written with an impressive candor and a genuine flair for narrative storytelling, "White Hot Grief Parade" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community library Contemporary American Biography collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "White Hot Grief Parade" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

The Forgotten Father
Gary Roen
Taylor and Seale Publishing, LLC
9781943789856 $15.95 hc / $5.99 Kindle amazon.com

The Forgotten Father (Coping With Grief) is a brief yet profound memoir expressed in free-verse poetry. Author Gary Roen expresses the raw, turbulent grief of losing his infant son to SIDS. Society treated him as a "forgotten father", barely acknowledging that he felt extreme pain over the death of his own child. The Forgotten Father reaches out to parents (especially fathers) who have suffered unspeakable loss. Highly recommended. "so many in their wisdom say / with time the pain and hurt will go away / it will be so much easier // i have news for them / sometimes it doesn't."


The American History Shelf

Rebel Lawyer
Charles Wollenberg
Heyday Books
PO Box 9145, Berkeley, CA 94709
www.heydaybooks.com
9781597144360, $20.00, HC, 160pp, www.amazon.com

"Rebel Lawyer: Wayne Collins and the Defense of Japanese American Rights" by Charles Wollenberg (who is the former Chair of Social Sciences and Professor of History at Berkeley City College) tells the story of the key cases pertaining to the World War II incarceration of 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry and the trial attorney who defended them including: Fred Korematsu, Iva Toguri (alias Tokyo Rose), Japanese Peruvians, and five thousand Americans who renounced their citizenship under duress. An Irish American lawyer with a volatile temper, Wayne Collins made a somewhat unlikely hero but had a passionate commitment to the nation's constitutional principles that put him in opposition to not only the United States government but also groups that acquiesced to internment such as the national office of the ACLU and the leadership of the Japanese American Citizens League. Through careful research and legal analysis, Professor Wollenberg takes his readers through each individual case, and offers them an understanding of how Collins came to be the most effective defender of the rights and liberties of the West Coast's Japanese and Japanese American population. Professor Wollenberg portrays Collins not as kind of a modern day white knight but as a tough, sometimes difficult man whose battles gave people of Japanese descent the foundation on which to construct their own powerful campaigns for redress. A seminal work of simply outstanding scholarship and telling a story that has been obscured and overlooked for the last 75 years, "Rebel Lawyer" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to both community and academic library 20th Century Asian American History collections in general, and World War II era Japanese-American History supplemental studies reading lists in particular. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Rebel Lawyer" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

War in East Texas: Regulators vs. Moderators
Bill O'Neal
University of North Texas Press
1155 Union Circle #311336, Denton, TX 76203-5017
www.untpress.unt.edu
9781574417289, $18.95, PB, 206pp, www.amazon.com

From 1840 through 1844 East Texas was wracked by murderous violence between Regulator and Moderator factions. More than thirty men were killed in assassinations, lynchings, ambushes, street fights, and pitched battles. The sheriff of Harrison County was murdered, and so was the founder of Marshall, as well as a former district judge. Senator Robert Potter, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, was slain by Regulators near his Caddo Lake home. Courts ceased to operate and anarchy reigned in Shelby County, Panola District, and Harrison County. Only the personal intervention of President Sam Houston and an invasion of the militia of the Republic of Texas halted the bloodletting. The Regulator-Moderator War was the first and largest of the many blood feuds of Texas. In "War in East Texas: Regulators vs. Moderators" Texas state historian Bill O'Neal includes rosters of names of the Regulator and Moderator factions arranged by the counties in which the individuals were associated, along with a roster of the victims of the war. Reading with all the riveting intensity of a western novel, "War in East Texas: Regulators vs. Moderators" is impressively researched, written, organized and presented, making it an essential and core addition to personal reading lists, as well as community and academic library 19th Century Texas State History collections and supplemental studies lists.


The World History Shelf

Dragon Lords
Eleanor Parker
I. B. Tauris Publishers
www.ibtauris.com
9781784537869, $35.00, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com

Why did the Vikings sail to England? Were they indiscriminate raiders, motivated solely by bloodlust and plunder? One narrative, the stereotypical one, might have it so. But locked away in the buried history of the British Isles are other, far richer and more nuanced, stories; and these hidden tales paint a picture very different from the ferocious pillagers of popular repute. In "Dragon Lords: The History and Legends of Viking England", Eleanor Parker (who is a Lecturer in Medieval English Literature at Brasenose College, Oxford, United Kingdom) here unlocks secrets that point to more complex motivations within the marauding army that in the late ninth century voyaged to the shores of eastern England in its sleek, dragon-powered longships. Exploring legends from forgotten medieval texts, and across the varied Anglo-Saxon regions, she depicts Vikings who came not just to raid but also to settle personal feuds, intervene in English politics and find a place to call home. Native tales reveal the links to famous Vikings like Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons; Cnut; and Havelok the Dane. Each myth shows how the legacy of the newcomers can still be traced in landscape, place-names and local history. "Dragon Lords" uncovers the remarkable degree to which England is Viking to its core. Impressively informative, exceptionally well written, thoroughly accessible in organization and presentation for both academia and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the subject, "Dragon Lords" is enhanced with thirty-three pages of Notes, a nineteen page Bibliography, and an eleven page Index. A superbly authored work of impeccable scholarship, "Dragon Lords" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as both community and academic library Viking History collections.

Migration and the Making of Ireland
Bryan Fanning
University College Dublin Press
Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, 124 Byers Road, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
www.dufoureditions.com
9781910820254, $43.00, PB, 300pp, www.amazon.com

"Migration and the Making of Ireland" by Bryan Fanning (Professor of Migration and Social Policy at University College Dublin, Ireland) deftly explores accounts of migrant experiences across more than four centuries. The motivations that drove migration to Ireland and emigration from Ireland since the Plantation of Ulster in the 1600s are assessed. Political, economic, and legal circumstances that made emigration and immigration possible or necessary are considered. Commonalities and differences across space and time between the experiences of incoming and outgoing migrants, with a strong emphasis on the recent waves of immigration that are re-shaping twenty-first century Ireland, are deeply explored. Early chapters examine the experiences of specific migrant groups, and later chapters look at broader trends, illustrated with anecdotes of personal experience. A landmark contribution to our understanding of modern Ireland that is unreservedly recommended as an outstanding work of meticulous scholarship, "Migration and the Making of Ireland" will be essential reading for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject seeking to understand the diversity of twenty-first century Irish society and especially recommended for both community and academic library International Studies collections in general, and Contemporary Ireland supplemental studies reading lists in particular.

The Viking Wars
Max Adams
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10004
www.pegasusbooks.com
9781681777979, $29.95, HC, 512pp, www.amazon.com

In 865 A.D., a great Viking army landed in East Anglia, precipitating a series of wars that would last until the middle of the following century. It was in this time of crisis that the modern kingdoms of Britain were born. In their responses to the Viking threat, these kingdoms forged their identities as hybrid cultures: vibrant and entrepreneurial peoples adapting to instability and opportunity. Traditionally, Alfred the Great is cast as the central player in the story of Viking Age Britain. But in "The Viking Wars: War and Peace in King Alfred's Britain: 789-955", author and historian Max Adams, while stressing the genius of Alfred as war leader, law-giver, and forger of the English nation, has a more nuanced narrative approach to this conventional version of history. The Britain encountered by the Scandinavians of the ninth and tenth centuries was one of regional diversity and self-conscious cultural identities, depicted in glorious narrative fashion in The Viking Wars. A brilliantly written, organized and presented study that is augmented for academia with the inclusion of several maps, sixteen pages of both black/white and color illustrations, ten pages of notes, a thirteen page bibliography, and a seventeen page index, "The Viking Wars" will prove to be a valued and enduringly popular addition to both community and academic library Viking History collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Viking Wars" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $26.23).


The Civil War Shelf

Women of the Blue and Gray
Marianne Monson
Shadow Mountain Publishing
P.O. Box 30178, Salt Lake City, Utah 84130-0178
www.shadowmountain.com
9781629724157, $19.99, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com

One of the long ignored aspects of the American Civil War was the role women played on the battlefields as combatants on the part of both the Union North and the Confederate South. Hidden amongst the photographs, uniforms, revolvers, and war medals of the Civil War are the remarkable stories of some of the most unlikely heroes -- the women. North, South, black, white, Native American, immigrant -- the women in these micro-drama biographies comprising "Women of the Blue and Gray: True Stories of Mothers, Medics, Soldiers, and Spies of the Civil War" by Marianne Monson (who is a writer and professor of English with a strong interest in the relationship between literature and history, and who teaches Creative Writing at Portland Community College) are wives, mothers, sisters, and friends whose purposes ranged from supporting husbands and sons. A unique and exceptional contribution to the growing body of American Civil War literature, "Women of the Blue and Gray" is very highly recommended for both community and academic library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, Civil War buffs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Women of the Blue and Gray" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99) and as a complete an unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781538545225, $29.95, MP3 CD).

The Maps of Fredericksburg
Bradley M. Gottfried
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611213713, $37.50, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com

The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11 - 15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major General Ambrose Burnside, as part of the American Civil War. The Union Army's futile frontal attacks on December 13 against entrenched Confederate defenders on the heights behind the city are remembered as one of the most one-sided battles of the war, with Union casualties more than three times as heavy as those suffered by the Confederates. (Wikipedia). "The Maps of Fredericksburg: An Atlas of the Fredericksburg Campaign, Including all Cavalry Operations, September 18, 1862 - January 22, 1863" by American Civil War historian Bradley M. Gottfried is a complete and comprehensive cartographic compendium deftly organized and presented to specifically allow Civil War students and military history buffs to easily and quickly fine a map and text on virtually any portion of the campaign, from the march south to Fredericksburg to the Mud March in early 1863. Of special interest and value are the extensive and authoritative endnotes and complete order of battle. A seminal and welcome addition to the growing library of American Civil War literature, "The Maps of Fredericksburg" is unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and academic library American Civil War collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for students, academicians, Civil War buffs, and non-specialists general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Maps of Fredericksburg" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).


The Education Shelf

HOT Skills
Steffen Saifer
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
www.redleafpress.org
9781605545561, $39.95, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Young elementary school students are capable of a great deal of higher-order thinking yet too many teaching and learning activities require students to use only lower-order thinking. "HOT Skills: Developing Higher-Order Thinking in Young Learners" by Steffen Saifer (an international consultant and writer based in Spain) breaks down theory into practice so classroom teachers won't miss an opportunity to help young learners develop logical, critical, and creative thinking skills. "HOT Skills" provides numerous strategies for infusing play-based activities and interactions that promote higher-order thinking across all content areas and throughout the day. Just as establishing good nutrition habits early sets the foundation for a healthier life, developing basic-level HOT skills sets the foundation for a more productive and purposeful life. Exceptionally organized and thoroughly 'user friendly' in presentation, "HOT Skills" is an especially recommended addition to school district, college, and university library Teacher Education instructional resources collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "HOT Skills" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $26.13).

STEAM Concepts for Infants and Toddlers
Nichole A. Baumgart & Linda R. Kroll
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
www.redleafpress.org
9781605545547, $34.95, PB, 200pp, www.amazon.com

STEAM (an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) is a development and extension of the original STEM efforts with the goal to support innate creativity and innovation that all children possess. The collaborative work of Nichole Baumgart (who is an educator at Bing Nursery School at Stanford University and a professor at Pacific Oaks College) and Linda R. Kroll (who is the Holland Professor of Early Childhood Education in the School of Education at Mills College), "STEAM Concepts for Infants and Toddlers" effectively serves as a platform for educators to observe and facilitate infants and toddlers natural curiosities around STEAM concepts. The text discusses tangible, rich STEAM learning environments for children from birth through age two and introduces where this learning can go next as children transition into the preschool years. While a strongly recommended addition to professional, college, and university library Teacher Education instructional reference collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of educators, educational policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "STEAM Concepts for Infants and Toddlers" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $33.20).

Specialized Schools for High-Ability Learners
Bronwyn MacFarlane, editor
Prufrock Press
PO Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813
www.prufrock.com
9781618217776, $45.00, PB, 214pp, www.amazon.com

In "Specialized Schools for High-Ability Learners: Designing and Implementing Programs in Specialized School Settings", Bronwyn MacFarlane (Professor of Gifted Education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock) focuses on educational programming offered in nontraditional, publicly approved, and private settings, with important details about how to serve high-ability learners in specialized schools and deliver schoolwide educational change. Each individual chapter offers a differentiated resource for classroom educators school district administrators who are interested in designing and implementing programs in specialized school settings by providing a discussion of the critical components for inclusion in a carefully planned, coherent, and quality-minded K -12 curricular sequence. "Specialized Schools for High-Ability Learners" delivers a comprehensive discussion with recommendations for the learning experiences of high-talent students in specialized schools and alternatively approved educational programs. Through relevant research and practical applications, this instructive compendium will help in developing high levels of talent among the next generation of competent critical thinkers. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Specialized Schools for High-Ability Learners" is an especially recommended addition to school district, college, and university library Contemporary Educational Issues collections and supplemental studies reading lists.

Science Culture, Language, and Education in America
Emily Schoerning
Palgrave Macmillan
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10001
https://www.palgrave.com/us
9781349958122, $99.99, HC, 159pp, www.amazon.com

In "Science Culture, Language, and Education in America: Literacy, Conflict, and Successful Outreach", Emily Schoerning (who is a research scientist at the University of Iowa, USA and also the Division Director for the National Science Teachers Association's Elected Research in Science Education program) directly address such questions as: Can the culture and language of science be an alienating force that discourages marginalized people from identifying with scientists and pursuing higher education in the sciences? Does an education system which unwittingly presents science as a distinct culture result in a population susceptible to doubt, confusion, and denial? "Science Culture, Language, and Education in America"dDeftly explores just how this 'culture of science' is reflected and transmitted in the classroom, and how this can have wide-reaching and often negative implications for science education and science literacy. Well-intentioned efforts to bring hands-on scientific experiences into the classroom must also take into account how students perceive the culture of science. Areas of potential conflict include linguistic and cultural behaviors, misconceptions about science and the nature of science, and, in some cases, religious worldviews. Once recognized, these conflicts are resolvable, and valid methods exist to reduce alienation, broaden participation, and ensure that all students, whether or not they pursue STEM careers, leave school knowing that science is something that they can trust. An original and seminal work of simply outstanding scholarship that is as informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Science Culture, Language, and Education in America" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to school district, college, and university library Contemporary Educational Issues collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted for education students, school administrators, academia, and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the subject that "Science Culture, Language, and Education in America" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $89.00).

Teacher - You Are Enough and More
Claire Rachel Maghtas & Karen Jean Epps
Morgan James Publishing
11815 Fountain Way, Suite 300, Newport News, VA 23606-4448
www.morganjamespublishing.com
9781683508991, $16.99, PB, 222pp, www.amazon.com

The collaborative project of teachers and academicians Claire Rachel Maghtas and Karen Jean Epps "Teacher - You Are Enough and More" supports and uplifts educators in the demanding world of education and features strategies, exercises, and tools that align teachers' spirits with God to stay at peace while teaching. The authors' specific intention is to energize other educators and give them tools for handling stress and persevering through the difficult times. "Teacher - You Are Enough and More" is inspirational guide includes invigorating verses from the Bible along with personal testimonies to help teachers cope. Teachers will learn strategies to stay in balance while enhancing students' achievements and well-being. Finally, "Teacher - You Are Enough and More" provide phrases of confirmations, gratitude statements, and a space for journaling to help each teacher personalize their journey and achieve peace. While very highly and unreservedly recommended for school district, college, and university library Teacher Education collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Teacher - You Are Enough and More" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).

The PBIS Tier Three Handbook
Jessica Djabrayan Hannigan and John E. Hannigan
Corwin Press, Inc.
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
9781544301174 $29.95 www.corwin.com

The PBIS Tier Three Handbook: A Practical Guide to Implementing Individualized Interventions documents a relatively small community of special needs students whose requirement for 'tier three' support holds a major impact on others in the classroom. It offers teachers an approach to the concept and implementation of individualized interventions for this group, showing how to identify such needs, how to blend them into special needs groups and general classroom structures and objectives, and how to take actions to establish a Tier 3 environment. Many pages assume a workbook-style format with fill-in questionnaires and notes teachers can make directly into the book, while others outline red flags, typical assessment routines, and the elements and strategies of a Tier 3 environment. No educator's collection should be without this specific, important manual to classroom interventions and success.

Stenhouse Publishers
480 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101-3451
www.stenhouse.com

Two new titles are recommendations for any educator interested in developing a more flexible, effective classroom. Linda Dacey works with Cathleen O'Connell Hopping and Rebeka Eston Salemi in Why Write in Math Class? K-5 (9781625311603, $33.33), which focuses on five types of writing in math and how these approaches can be added to math teachings. Connections between math and literacy support both disciplines when integrated in such a manner as to be supportive building blocks. This survey is also unique in its personalized approach which outlines techniques and educator reflections on each activity's results and process. From teacher professional development to revised approaches to student learning in both disciplines, educators receive clear discussions of pros, cons, and special challenges and rewards of encouraging these connections. Katherine Mills Hernandez's Activate: Deeper Learning Through Movement, Talk, and Flexible Classrooms (9781625311269, $28.00) promotes student involvement and engagement through activities which involve movement and physical interactions with the environment within and outside the classroom, and provides a collection of ideas teachers can use to link classroom lessons to student energy levels and activities. The author's own classroom serves as an example as she shares her lessons, her learning journal, and her classroom's activities and their results. The result is highly recommended reading for any educator looking to promote a deeper level of student engagement.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Birds in Their Habitats
Ian Fraser
CSIRO Publishing
c/o Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9781486307449, $29.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com

All birds have mysteries to be unraveled, not just for professional ornithologists and dedicated bird watchers, but for anyone who have ever marveled at a feathered creature. These mysteries include the way they look ranging from bizarre to the apparently mundane, why they live where they live, and the things they do, many of which are far too incredible ever to be imagined as fiction. "Birds in Their Habitats: Journeys with a Naturalist" by Australian naturalist, conservationist, and author Ian Fraser is a collection of stories and experiences which introduce fascinating aspects of bird life, ecology and behavior. Informed by a wealth of historical and contemporary research, "Birds in Their Habitats" takes the reader on a journey through four continents ranging from places as unfamiliar as the Chonos Archipelago of southern Chile and the arid Sahel woodlands of northern Cameroon, to those as familiar as a suburban backyard. "Birds in Their Habitats" offers a simply fascinating and impressively informative discovery of birds and the places they live. Deftly written with humor and personal insight, Ian Fraser's "Birds in Their Habitats" is also a consistently engaging read about the sometimes strange world of the people who spend a life absorbed in birds. While unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Pets/Wildlife collections in general, and Ornithology Studies supplemental studies lists in particular, it should be noted for students, academia, and non- specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Birds in Their Habitats" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.17).

The Age of the Horse
Susanna Forrest
Atlantic Monthly Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
154 West 14th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10011
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802126511, $27.00, HC, 432pp, www.amazon.com

Fifty-six million years ago, equids (the earliest form of horse) walked the earth -- and beginning with the first-known horse-keepers of the Copper Age, the horse has played an integral part in human history. Combining fascinating anthropological detail and incisive personal anecdotes, "The Age of the Horse: An Equine Journey Through Human History" by equestrian and social anthropologist Susanna Forrest draws from an immense range of archival documents as well as literature and art to illustrate how our evolution has coincided with that of horses. In paintings and poems (such as Byron's famous "Mazeppa"), in theater and classical music (including works by Liszt and Tchaikovsky), representations of the horse have changed over centuries, portraying the crucial impact that we've had on each other. Forrest deftly synthesizes this material with her own experience in the field, traveling the globe to give us a diverse, comprehensive look at the horse in our lives today: from Mongolia where she observes the endangered takhi, to a show-horse performance at the Palace of Versailles; from a polo club in Beijing to Arlington, Virginia, where veterans with PTSD are rehabilitated through interaction with horses. With passion and singular insight, Forrest deftly investigates the complexities of human and horse coexistence, illuminating the multifaceted ways our cultures were shaped by this powerful creature. An essential book for anyone who's ever been captivated by horses, "The Age of the Horse" is an impressively informed and informative exploration of the enduring connection between humans and Equus caballus in a unique and sweeping panorama of the animal's prominent role in societies around the world and across time. While unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Pets/Wildlife collections and Equine History supplement studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Age of the Horse" is also now available in a paperback edition (9780802127976, $18.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.85).

Dogs Just Wanna Have Fun!
Cheryl Murphy
Hubble & Hattie
www.hubbleandhattie.com
9781787112018, $16.99, HC, 112pp, www.amazon.com

Showcasing the photography of Cheryl Murphy, "Dogs Just Wanna Have Fun!: Picture This: Dogs at Play" colorfully and evocatively demonstrates the sheer enjoyment our canine companions experience simply from being a dog. The photographs in "Dogs Just Wanna Have Fun!" are not about the bond between us and our canine companions, the results of dog training, or the ever-expanding canine wardrobe. Rather, the focus is on how dogs behave when they are freed from everyday constraints, and can indulge their natural instincts. The unsung heroes here are the owners, who, after ensuring that their beloved best friend would be safe, let him or her run free to interact with others for the photoshoot. The resultant images showcase pure doggie delight - as the expressions on the dogs' faces demonstrate! Whether chasing balls or other dogs, mud-bathing, swimming, or rolling, this is a joyous celebration of dogs simply enjoying themselves! "Dogs Just Wanna Have Fun!" is a simple delight to browse through and very highly recommended for anyone having or having had or aspiring to have a canine companion of their own.


The Literary Studies Shelf

Emily Dickinson as a Second Language
Greg Mattingly
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476666556, $39.95, PB, 258pp, www.amazon.com

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) wrote in 19th century American English and referenced long-vanished cultural contexts. A "private poet", Dickinson created her own vocabulary, and many of her poems have quite specific local and personal connections. That is principally why contemporary readers may find her poetry elusive and challenging. Promoting a richer appreciation of Dickinson's work for a modern audience, "Emily Dickinson as a Second Language: Demystifying the Poetry" by Greg Mattingly (who is a retired corporate education and training professional who has been a guide on the staff of the Emily Dickinson Museum, in Amherst, Massachusetts since 2010, and is a contributing member of the Emily Dickinson International Society since 2008.) deftly explores unfamiliar aspects of her language and her world. A seminal work of original scholarship that is impressively enhanced for academia with the inclusion of two appendices, chapter notes, a bibliography, and index of first lines, and a general index, "Emily Dickinson as a Second Language" is a welcome and prized addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Emily Dickinson literary studies collections and supplemental reading lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non- specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Emily Dickinson as a Second Language" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).

H.P. Lovecraft
Leverett Butts, editor
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476670911, $39.95, PB, 306pp, www.amazon.com

Howard Phillips Lovecraft (August 20, 1890 - March 15, 1937) was an American writer who achieved posthumous fame through his influential works of horror fiction. He was virtually unknown and published only in pulp magazines before he died in poverty, but he is now regarded as one of the most significant 20th-century authors in his genre. Compiled and edited by Leverett Butts (who teaches American Literature at the Gainesville campus of the University of North Georgia), "H.P. Lovecraft: Selected Works, Critical Perspectives and Interviews on His Influence" is collection of H.P. Lovecraft's most influential works presents several of his most famous stories, a sampling of his poetry and an abridgment of his monograph Supernatural Horror in Literature, with commentary providing background and context. Criticism is included from such scholars as S.T. Joshi and Robert M. Price, along with essays by writers Brad Strickland and T.E.D. Klein, and interviews with Pulitzer-nominated author Richard Monaco (Parsival) and award-winning novelists Cherie Priest (Boneshaker) and Caitlin Kiernan (The Drowning Girl). Exceptionally informative and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "H.P. Lovecraft: Selected Works, Critical Perspectives and Interviews on His Influence" is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library American Literary Studies collections in general, and H. P. Lovecraft supplemental studies reading lists in particular. It should be noted for students, academia, and the legions of H. P. Lovecraft fans that this simply outstanding analytic and literary contribution is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99).


The Fiction Shelf

Midnight
Tom Claffey
Farcountry Press
PO Box 5630, Helena, MT 59604
www.farcountrypress.com
9781591522188, $14.95, PB, 150pp, www.amazon.com

Forced off the road during a violent nighttime storm, big rig driver Kelsey Brannigan and her feisty mutt Max shelter beside an abandoned church in Taiban, New Mexico. Inside the old church, Max discovers a victim of the storm a raven with a broken wing. Kelsey names the injured bird Midnight and a reaches out to Wildlife Rescue with hopes the can mend the wing and return Midnight to the sky. Along the way, Kelsey introduces us to a gallery of truckers and western towns while romance kindles between her and a stoic rugged cowboy named Rick Delgado. A deftly crafted work of instantly engaged reading from first page to last, "Midnight" clearly showcases the author's genuine flair for originality and character driven storytelling, making Tom Claffey's "Midnight" certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections.

Rancher's Dream
B. J. Daniels
HQN Books
c/o Harlequin Books
225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada, M3B 3K9
9781335006998, $7.99, PB, 384pp, www.amazon.com

Tragedy sent Deidre "Drey" Hunter running from rancher Hawk Cahill and into the arms of a sleek businessman who promised her a new life. But dreams of Manhattan days and cosmopolitan nights shatter when he brings her back to an ultramodern paradise in her hometown of Gilt Edge, only to vanish on their wedding nigh!. Taunted by seclusion and silence, Drey starts to doubt everything -- including her sanity. Only Hawk, the stubborn cowboy from her school days, believes the threats are real and that someone is ready to kill. But is he willing to forgive the past if it means ending her nightmare? With "Rancher's Dream", author B. J. Daniels has once again demonstrated her genuine flair for narrative driven storytelling with an absolutely absorbing novel that is unreservedly recommended for all Suspense & Romance fans.

The 53rd Card
Virginia Weiss
Beaver's Pond Press
7108 Ohms Lane, Edina, MN 55439
www.BeaversPondPress.com
9781592988150, $18.95, PB, 512pp, www.amazon.com

Agoraphobic Emma Addison is afraid of any place too far from home, afraid of outside. But when one Christmas Eve she inadvertently summons the devil, she opens a door that will not close. Emma dismisses her unbidden guest, though not before relinquishing a cherished stone carving of Kuan Yin -- an unwitting concession that bestows on her an unusual power. This power isn't much, but it's plenty enough to spark a craving for the devil's tantalizing promise of more. And now Emma has some disquieting choices to make. Because if the devil is real, doesn't that mean God is too? But if God is real, then why is the world such a mess and so desperately wanting the attention of the very power in her hands? Meanwhile, a door hangs open, a portal through which the devil will step, through which a host of divine beings will follow, all with an agenda of their own. And impelled to the remotest regions of faith and doubt, Emma discovers a place beyond both -- a place the reader just might recognize as home. Showing a genuine flair for original and engaging narrative storytelling, with "The 53rd Card", author Virginia Weiss has written an inherently compelling and consistently entertaining novel that will linger in the mind and memory long after it has been finished and set back upon the shelf. While unreservedly recommended, especially for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The 53rd Card" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

The Queen & The Spymaster
Sandra E. Rapoport
KTAV Publishing House
527 Empire Blvd, Brooklyn, NY 11225
www.ktav.com
9781602802940, $39.95, HC, 520pp, www.amazon.com

Esther, a daughter of Israel, was queen of all Persia, beautiful and mysterious. In a royal court rife with intrigue, she was also the ultimate coup for a spymaster: she was perfectly placed to influence the most powerful king in the ancient Near East. Only when her people faced certain genocide was the Bible's highest-placed sleeper agent activated. "The Queen & The Spymaster" by Sandra E. Rapoport is a Biblically themed novel that is based on the story of Esther. It is interest to note that award-winning author and scholar Sandra E. Rapoport deftly hews to the ancient text while vividly imagining the suspenseful, gripping and ultimately triumphant backstory of the unlikely heroes of Xerxes' ancient Persia. An inherently fascinating and impressively entertaining saga of a novel, "The Queen & The Spymaster" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to personal reading lists and community library Historical Fiction collections.

The Cottages on Silver Beach
RaeAnne Thayne
HQN
c/o Harlequin Books
225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada, M3B 3K9
9781335007018, $7.99, PB, 384pp, www.amazon.com

Megan Hamilton never really liked Elliot Bailey. He turned his back on her family when they needed him the most and it almost tore them all apart. So she's shocked when Elliot arrives at her family's inn, needing a place to stay and asking questions that dredge up the past. Megan will rent him a cottage, but that's where it ends -- no matter how gorgeous Elliot has become. Coming back home to Haven Point was the last thing bestselling writer Elliot Bailey thought he'd ever do. But the book he's writing now is his most personal one yet and it's drawn him back to the woman he can't get out of his mind. Seeing Megan again is harder than he expected and it brings up feelings he'd thought were long buried. Could this be his chance to win over his first love? Another gem of a romance novel by a true master of the genre, RaeAnne Thayne's "The Cottages on Silver Beach" is an entertainingly compelling read from first page to last and very highly recommended for community library Contemporary Romance collections, as well as the personal reading lists of the legions of RaeAnne Thayne fans.

Engraved on the Heart
Tara Johnson
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
www.tyndale.com
9781496428318, $14.99, PB, 400pp, www.amazon.com

Reluctant debutante Keziah Montgomery lives beneath the weighty expectations of her staunch Confederate family, forced to keep her epilepsy secret for fear of a scandal. As the tensions of the Civil War arrive on their doorstep in Savannah, Keziah sees little cause for balls and courting. Despite her discomfort, she cannot imagine an escape from her familial confines -- until her old schoolmate Micah shows her a life-changing truth that sets her feet on a new path as a conductor in the Underground Railroad. Dr. Micah Greyson never hesitates to answer the call of duty, no matter how dangerous, until the enchanting Keziah walks back into his life and turns his well-ordered plans upside down. Torn between the life he has always known in Savannah and the fight for abolition, Micah struggles to discern God's plan amid such turbulent times. Battling an angry fiance, a war-tattered brother, bounty hunters, and their own personal demons, Keziah and Micah must decide if true love is worth the price -- and if they are strong enough to survive the unyielding pain of war. An inherently compelling and deftly crafted novel by a true master of narrative driven storytelling, Tara Johnson's "Engraved on the Heart" is certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Historical Fiction collections. It should be noted that "Engraved on the Heart" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.88) and in a Large Print/Library Binding edition (Thorndike Press, 9781432856595, $29.99, 488pp).

The Two-Plate Solution
Jeff Oliver
Bancroft Press
PO Box 65360, Baltimore, MD 21209
www.bancroftpress.com
9781610882231, $25.00, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com

A James Beard Award-winning chef stands atop a 50-foot-high diving platform having just plated a competition-winning culinary masterpiece. He looks down, faints from fear of heights, and careens into the water below. Worst of all? He knocks over his dish on the way down. So begins "The Two-Plate Solution" by novelist Jeff Oliver -- and it only gets better from there! Readers will follow a diverse cast of young talented chefs as they compete in a high-stakes TV cooking competition set in Israel. Their culinary foes: fake "terrorists" brought in by the producers -- that is, until some actual terrorists show up on set, and the producers must scramble to either integrate them into the show, or risk death. Mysteries deepen, romances bloom, and chefs cook for their lives in this laugh-out-loud culinary adventure that has more plot twists and turns than a Coney Island roller coaster. With his genuine flair for originality and narrative driven storytelling, author Jeff Oliver has created an inherently entertaining novel in "The Two Plate Solutions" that will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Two Plate Solutions" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Beautiful Exiles
Meg Waite Clayton
http://www.megwaiteclayton.com
Lake Union Publishing
9781503900837, $24.95, HC, 384pp, www.amazon.com

Set in Key West, Flordia, in 1936, headstrong and accomplished journalist Martha Gellhorn is confident with words but less so with men when she meets disheveled literary titan Ernest Hemingway in a dive bar. Their friendship (forged over writing, talk, and family dinners) flourishes into something undeniable in Madrid while they're covering the Spanish Civil War. Martha reveres him. The very married Hemingway is taken with Martha -- her beauty, her ambition, and her fearless spirit. And as Hemingway tells her, the most powerful love stories are always set against the fury of war. The risks are so much greater. They're made for each other. With their romance unfolding as they travel the globe, Martha establishes herself as one of the world's foremost war correspondents, and Hemingway begins the novel that will win him the Nobel Prize for Literature. "Beautiful Exiles" is a stirring story of lovers and rivals, of the breathless attraction to power and fame, and of one woman who is ahead of her time in claiming her own identity from the wreckage of love. A beautifully crafted novel and an inherently fascinating story, "Beautiful Exiles" will prove to be a welcome and enduringly popular addition to community library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of Meg Waite Clayton fans that "Beautiful Exiles" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99), and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Brilliance Audio, 9781543674828, $24.99, MP3 CD).

The Life Lucy Knew
Karma Brown
Park Row Books
195 Broadway, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10007
http://www.parkrowbooks.com
9780778319344, $16.99, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com

After hitting her head, Lucy Sparks awakens in the hospital to a shocking revelation: the man she's known and loved for years, the man she recently married, is not actually her husband. In fact, they haven't even spoken since their breakup four years earlier. The happily-ever-after she remembers in vivid detail (right down to the dress she wore to their wedding) is only one example of what her doctors call a false memory: recollections Lucy's mind made up to fill in the blanks from the coma. Her psychologist explains the condition as honest lying, because while Lucy's memories are false, they still feel incredibly real. Now she has no idea which memories she can trust -- a devastating experience not only for Lucy, but also for her family, friends and especially her devoted boyfriend, Matt, whom Lucy remembers merely as a work colleague. When the life Lucy believes she had slams against the reality she's been living for the past four years, she must make a difficult choice about which life she wants to lead, and who she really is. An extraordinary novel by a impressively gifted writer with a genuine flair for character and narrative driven storytelling, author Karma Brown's "The Life Lucy Knew" is unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Life Lucy Knew" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99). There is also a large print, library binding edition of "The Life Lucy Knew" (Thorndike Press Large Print, 9781432857684, $39.99, HC, 458pp).

Disoriental
Negar Djavadi, author
Tina Kover, translator
Europa Editions
214 West 29th Street, Suite 1003, New York, N.Y. 10001
www.europaeditions.com
9781609454517, $18.00, PB, 320pp, www.amazon.com

Kimia Sadr fled Iran at the age of ten in the company of her mother and sisters to join her father in France. Now twenty-five and facing the future she has built for herself as well as the prospect of a new generation, Kimia is inundated by her own memories and the stories of her ancestors, which come to her in unstoppable, uncontainable waves. In the waiting room of a Parisian fertility clinic, generations of flamboyant Sadrs return to her, including her formidable great-grandfather Montazemolmolk, with his harem of fifty-two wives, and her parents, Darius and Sara, stalwart opponents of each regime that befalls them. "Disoriental" is a high-spirited, deftly crafted, kaleidoscopic novel reflecting key moments of Iranian history, politics, and culture that punctuate stories of family drama and triumph. Yet it is Kimia herself, a modern woman divided between family traditions and her own "disorientalization" who captures the reader's rapt attention from start to finish. While very highly recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that, engagingly written by Negar Djavadi and deftly translated into English by Tina Kover, "Disoriental" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.69).

Russian Resurgence
Allan Topol
SelectBooks, Inc.
325 West 38 Street, Suite 306, New York City, NY 10018
www.selectbooks.com
9781590794494, $16.95, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Twelve year old Nick, escaping from the burning of his grandfather's house by Russian thugs, is caught up in a plot by Russian President Kuznov to recreate the Soviet empire in eastern and central Europe. The linchpin of Kuznov's plan is an agreement with a corrupt Hungarian President to permit Russia to move troops into Hungary. Craig Page and Elizabeth Crowder, working with Peter Toth, who bears the scars of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, and Peter's grandson, Nick, try to thwart Kuznov's plot. The action moves from Paris to Grozny, to Washington, and finally to intriguing Budapest. Craig, Elizabeth and Nick face repeated attacks on their lives. "Russian Resurgence" is author Allan Topol's deftly crafted and inherently riveting novel that effectively showcases his genuine flair as a novelist for character and narrative driven storytelling. While "Russian Resurgence" is very highly recommended, especially for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that it is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.69).

Playthings
Alex Pheby
Biblioasis
www.biblioasis.com
9781771961721, $14.95, PB, 248pp, www.amazon.com

"Playthings" by Alex Pheby is an hallucinatory, fragmentary, and tragic fictional telling of one of the most famous psychotherapy cases in history, Offering a visceral and darkly comic portrait of paranoid schizophrenia, "Playthings" is based on the true story of nineteenth-century German judge Daniel Paul Schreber and artfully shows the disorienting human tragedy of Schreber's psychosis, in vertiginous prose that blurs the lines between madness and sanity. An impressive and deftly crafted work of original literature based upon historic events, "Playthings" is an especially recommended addition to both community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Playthings" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).

Eight Stories: Tales of War and Loss
Erich Maria Remarque
New York University Press
838 Broadway, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10003
www.nyupress.org
9781479824854, $89.00, HC, 192pp, www.amazon.com

Erich Maria Remarque (1898-1970) was a German-American novelist. He was the author of numerous plays, short stories, and novels, most notably "All Quiet on the Western Front". "Eight Stories: Tales of War and Loss" is exquisite collection with an informative Introduction by Maria Tatar and Larry Wolff that revives Remarque's unforgettable voice in a series of short stories that have long ago faded from public memory. From the haunting description of an abandoned battlefield to the pain of losing a loved one in the war to soldiers' struggles with what we now recognize as PTSD, the stories offer an unflinching glimpse into the physical, emotional, and even spiritual implications of World War I. In this collection, we follow the trials of naive war widow Annette Stoll, reflect on the power of small acts of kindness toward a dying soldier, and join Johann Bartok, a weary prisoner of war, in his struggle to reunite with his wife. Remarque's writing offers a timeless reflection on the many costs of war. "Eight Stories: Tales of War and Loss" offers a beautiful tribute to the pain that war inflicts on soldiers and civilians alike, and resurrects the work of a master author whose legacy (like the war itself) will endure for generations to come. Absolutely and unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Literary Studies collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers that "Eight Stories: Tales of War and Loss" is also available in a paperback edition (9781479888092, $13.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.60).

Before She Sleeps
Bina Shah
Delphinium Books
PO Box 803, Encino, CA 91436
http://www.delphiniumbooks.com
9781883285760, $25.00, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com

In modern, beautiful Green City, the capital of South West Asia, gender selection, war and disease have brought the ratio of men to women to alarmingly low levels. The government uses terror and technology to control its people, and women must take multiple husbands to have children as quickly as possible. Yet there are women who resist, women who live in an underground collective and refuse to be part of the system. Secretly protected by the highest echelons of power, they emerge only at night, to provide to the rich and elite of Green City a type of commodity that nobody can buy: intimacy without sex. As it turns out, not even the most influential men can shield them from discovery and the dangers of ruthless punishment. A deftly crafted dystopian novel from one of Pakistan's most talented writers "Before She Sleeps" is a about women's lives in repressive Muslim countries everywhere. It takes the patriarchal practices of female seclusion and veiling, gender selection, and control over women's bodies, then amplifies them into a world of post-religious authoritarianism. Although drawn from an Islamic patriarchy, the underlying themes are just as relevant in a an American Christian fundamentalist society with its patriarchy sought domination over women's reproductive rights. An inherently compelling read from beginning to end, "Before She Sleeps" is recommended for community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Before She Sleeps" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).

So Wild the Wind
Bonnie Hobbs
Five Star Books
10 Water Street, Suite 310, Waterville, ME 04901
http://gale.cengage.com/fivestar
9781432838522, $25.95, HC, 293pp, www.amazon.com

"So Wild the Wind" by Bonnie Hobbs is the story of a young Civil War widow named Alida Garrison who survives a shipwreck off the Texas Gulf coast, but loses her five-year-old son to the sea. Strong hands lift her from the rocky shore, and with time and the gentle care of an old healing woman, she comes through the mist of grief and guilt. A deftly crafted and thoroughly engaging read from beginning to end, "So Wild the Wind" clearly showcases author Bonnie Hobbs' extraordinary flair for creating memorable characters embedded in a consistently entertaining narrative work of exceptional fiction. While an especially recommended addition to community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "So Wild the Wind" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).

Invitation To A Funeral
Jethro Kyle
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444836936, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 240pp, www.amazon.com

At twenty-eight, Joseph Carver is the youngest college professor in the United States. He is estranged from his father Will, the sheriff of a Kansas town. When Joseph's father is brutally gunned down during a bank robbery and his mother dies of grief shortly thereafter, he is forced to face his family demons and return home. After his parents' funeral, he arms himself and sets off in pursuit of the men who shot his father with and Billy Two Shoes, an elderly Indian guide who has announced his own imminent death to take place among his own people, Joseph's quest takes him into the Indian Nations, where he receives help of a most surprising nature. Another masterfully crafted western novel by Jethro Kyle, "Invitation To A Funeral" will prove to be a riveting read from beginning to end and a highly popular addition to community library large print collections, as well as the personal reading lists of all dedicated western fiction fans.

Coffin For An Outlaw
Thomas McNulty
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444836950, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 264pp, www.amazon.com

One of the most unique and riveting westerns in recent memory, "Coffin For An Outlaw" by Thomas McNulty is the story of how when legendary lawman-turned-bounty-hunter Chance Sonnet reappears, the word spreads that he wants Eric Cabot dead. Cabot, in the dark as to Sonnet's motives, sends his men to kill Sonnet first - but the task proves more difficult than he imagines. Sonnet also finds himself pursued by a plucky newspaperwoman and an old Texas Ranger who knows something of his past. Blazing a trail in a buckboard and hauling a pine coffin intended for Cabot, Chance Sonnet is a man haunted by the past and facing a future steeped in blood. A simply outstanding and highly recommended western novel, this large print edition is unreservedly recommended for the personal reading lists of die-hard western fans, and will prove to be an immensely appreciated and popular addition to community library Western Fiction collections.

The Girl From Ballymor
Kathleen McGurl
Charnwood large Print
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444837094, $35.50, HC, 376pp, www.amazon.com

As famine grips the Ireland countryside of Ballymor in 1847 as Kitty McCarthy finds herself widowed and alone. Fighting to keep her two remaining children alive against all odds, she must decide how far she will go to save her family. In the present day and arriving in Ballymor, Maria is researching her ancestor, Victorian artist Michael McCarthy, and his beloved mother, the mysterious Kitty who disappeared without a trace. Running from her future, it's not only answers about the past that Maria hopes to find in Ireland. As her search brings her closer to the truth about Kitty's fate, Maria must make the biggest decision of her life. A deftly crafted and compelling novel, this large print edition of Hathleen McGurl's "The Girl From Ballymor" is an especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary General Fiction collections.

Stearn's Break
Caleb Rand
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444834895, $20.99, PB, 216pp, www.amazon.com

Looking to start a new life, away from the futility of working an exhausted gold mine, Will Stearn and his partner Clem Tapper ride to Ragland. On the way, they encounter Connie Boe and her wounded driver, and stop to assist. Accepting Connie's offer of paying them to ride shotgun and guard her wagon the rest of the journey, Will and Clem travel on with the others. But when they reach Ragland, they'll find that the town is tough -- and the sheriff's daughter is dead set against Connie Boe and Will Stern setting up an 'entertainment' business. Then there is Connie's gunslinger husband Newton Boe looking to exploit his wife and put an end to Will! Another thoroughly entertaining and original western by an expert in the genre, this large print edition of Caleb Brand's new novel, "Stearn's Break" is highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library collections.

Ghost Town
Roy Patterson
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444836318, $20.99, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com

After trekking through one of the country's most unforgiving deserts, Clint Shane and his pal Ty Morrow think they have found a settlement where they can rest and buy fresh provisions. But as they ride towards the sprawling town, suddenly shots ring out. Terrified, they spur their mounts and gallop across the wild terrain towards the array of buildings that are bathed in the blinding sunlight. Soon, however, they find that this is no ordinary town; there are no people. As more shots ring out, Morrow and Shane realize they have taken refuge in a ghost town. Through in three Mexican bandits, a party of four Native Americans and a calvary troop and what you have is another riveting western by author Roy Patterson who is a master of the genre. In its large print format, "Ghost Town" is unreservedly recommended for community library collections and the personal reading lists of all dedicated western novel fans.

Sparrow's Gun
Abe Dancer
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444827514, $20.99, PB, 216pp, www.amazon.com

Before setting off in pursuit of his father's three murderers, Will Sparrow must learn how to handle a gun under the instruction of his foreman who was once a famed gunman. Then miles away from his ranch Will plans his reprisal having gunned down one of the trio and tracing the other two to the small town of Magdalena. But then a young woman by the name of Laurel Wale happens along, and Will discovers his intentions of revenge aren't quite as clear-cut as he thought Meanwhile, his mother (who had abandoned him at the age of 5 when she left his father without explanation0 has settled down nearby with one of the territory's most important citizens. She wants nothing more than peace -- but nothing is going to deter Will from his fateful objective. A simply spellbinding western novel from first page to last, this large print edition of Abe Dancer's "Sparrow's Gun" is very highly recommended for both personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.

Crossroads
Logan Winters
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444836332, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 256pp, www.amazon.com

When a wealthy rancher mistakes K. John Landis, an unemployed drifter, and Flower Tremaine, a cantankerous ex-saloon girl, for an honorable couple and offers them the opportunity to make some much-needed money, the pair jump at the chance. In charge of the rancher's flighty daughter Justine Masters, K. John and Flower are dragged down into the violent underworld of Crossroads. He had feared leaving town without a nickel in his jeans - now he fears he might never leave again as the enemy is the powerful owner of the Double O saloon who exploits young women and has lethal designs on Justine. Another riveting western novel from the pen of Logan Winters, this large print edition of "Crossroads" is very highly recommended, especially for community library collections and the personal reading lists of dedicated western novel buffs.

Stone Of Courage
John Russell Fearn
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444827873, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Abe Jones, nicknamed 'Feather-Fist' for his reluctance to fight, hits the jackpot when panning for gold in a secluded creek. But he is immediately swooped upon by Lynch Corbett and Len Dyson, men who are two of the toughest outlaws in the territory, drive him off his gold producing stream at gunpoint. But that's when a lovely young girl named Sylvia Drew witnesses the event, rescues Abe from dying in the desert, and urges Abe to reclaim what is rightfully his. She reveals to him an ancient Navajo relic known as the Courage Stone - one fragment of which will banish fear and protect the bearer from danger. What follows is unspeakable tragedy, a vengeance quest, and an ultimate town-taming showdown in the best western tradition. "Stone of Courage" is one more deftly crafted and inherently riveting western novel that in this large print edition from the Lindford Western Library collection is unreservedly recommended for the personal reading lists of dedicated western buffs and community library western fiction collections.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

The Spook in the Stacks
Eva Gates
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781683315803, $26.99, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com

Wealthy businessman Jay Ruddle is considering donating his extensive collection of North Carolina historical documents to the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, but the competition for the collection is fierce. Unfortunately, while the library is hosting a lecture on ghostly legends, Jay becomes one of the dearly departed in the rare books section. Now, it's up to Lucy Richardson and her fellow librarians to bone up on their detective skills and discover who is responsible for this wicked Halloween homicide. Meanwhile, very strange things are happening at the library -- haunted horses are materializing in the marsh, the lights seem to have an eerie life of their own, and the tiny crew of a model ship appears to move around when no one is watching. Is Lucy at her wit's end? Or can it be that the Bodie Island Lighthouse really is haunted? With The Legend of Sleepy Hollow on everyone's minds and ghoulish gossip on everyone's lips, Lucy will need to separate the clues from the boos if she wants to crack this case without losing her head! "The Spook in the Stacks", the fourth title in author Eva Gates' superbly crafted 'Lighthouse Library Mystery' series. A simply riveting good read from beginning to end, "The Spook in the Stacks" is an especially recommended addition to all community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "The Spook in the Stacks" is also available in a paperback edition (9781683319214, $15.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.57).

Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding
Rhys Bowen
Berkley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9780425283523, $26.00, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Rhys Bowen is a master of the mystery genre and in "Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding" she presents the twelfth volume in her simply outstanding 'Royal Spyness' mystery series. Blending a murder mystery with a bit of fun and comedy, "Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding" is another inherently fascinating, riveting page-turner of a read that will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. A simply 'must read' for the legions of Rhys Bowen fans, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

We Moved In Shadow
Denis Hughes
Linford Mystery Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444837322, $20.99, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com

Travelling north by car, David Stanmore makes a fateful stopover at a pub, where a thief steals a woman's handbag and then disappears. The distraught woman tells Stanmore that she had been on a covert mission for her employer to meet his friend in York, who was to give her information on the location of a hidden Nazi hoard of treasure. Her handbag had contained a visiting card that was to serve as her introduction. Stanmore agrees to take her in pursuit - and plunges into a nightmare world of death. A deftly crafted and thoroughly entertaining British mystery from first page to last, this large print edition of "We Moved In Shadow" by Denis Hughes is very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, as well as the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs everywhere!

The Corpse at the Crystal Palace
Carola Dunn
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.minotaurbooks.com
9781250047052, $26.99, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com

When Daisy Dalrymple Fletcher is visited in London by her young cousins, on the list of must-see sites is the Crystal Palace. Discovering that her children's nanny, Nanny Gilpin, has never seen the Palace, Daisy decides to make a day of it -- bringing her cousins, her 3-year-old twins, her step-daughter Belinda, the nurserymaid, and Nanny Gilpin. Yet this ordinary outing goes wrong when Mrs. Gilpin goes off to the ladies' room and fails to return. When Daisy goes to look for her, she doesn't find her nanny but instead the body of another woman dressed in a nanny's uniform. Meanwhile, Belinda and the cousins spot Mrs. Gilpin chasing after yet another nanny. Intrigued, they trail the two through the vast Crystal Palace and into the park. After briefly losing sight of their quarry, they stumble across Mrs. Gilpin lying unconscious in a small lake inhabited by huge concrete dinosaurs. When she comes to, Mrs. Gilpin can't remember what happened after leaving the twins in the nurserymaid's care. Daisy's husband, Detective Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard, finds himself embroiled in the investigation of the murdered nanny. Worried about her children's own injured nanny, Daisy is determined to help. First she has to discover the identity of the third nanny, the presumed murderer, and to do so, Daisy must uncover why the amnesic Mrs. Gilpin deserted her charges to follow the missing third nanny. Another deftly crafted gem of a mystery in author Carola Dunn's extraordinary Daisy Dalrymple Mystery series, "The Corpse at the Crystal Palace" is an especially recommended addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "The Corpse at the Crystal Palace" is also availble in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99), and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, $34.99, CD).

Justice Betrayed
Patricia Bradley
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.revellbooks.com
9780800735142, $29.99, HC, 345pp, www.amazon.com

It's Elvis Week in Memphis, and homicide detective Rachel Sloan isn't sure her day could get any stranger when aging Elvis impersonator Vic Vegas asks to see her. But when he produces a photo of her murdered mother with four Elvis impersonators--one of whom had also been murdered soon after the photo was taken--she's forced to reevaluate. Is there some connection between the two unsolved cases? And could the recent break-in at Vic's home be tied to his obsession with finding his friend's killer? When yet another person in the photo is murdered, Rachel suddenly has her hands full investigating three cases. Lieutenant Boone Callahan offers his help, but their checkered romantic past threatens to get in the way. Can they solve the cases before the murderer makes Rachel victim number four? Another carefully crafted gem of a mystery novel by an author who is a true master of the genre, "Justice Betrayed" by Patricia Bradley is unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated mystery buffs that "Justice Betrayed" is also available in a paperback edition (9780800727161, $15.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).

Death on the Menu
Lucy Burdette
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781683317463, $26.99, HC, 295pp, www.amazon.com

Hayley Snow, fiery food critic for Key Zest magazine, has just landed a ticket to one of the most prestigious events in Key West: a high-brow three-day conference at the Harry Truman Little White House. Even though she'll be working the event helping her mother's fledgling catering business, there's plenty of spicy gossip to go around. But just before her mother's decadent flan is put to the test, Key West's most prized possession, Hemingway's Nobel prize gold medal for The Old Man and the Sea, is discovered stolen from its case. Unsavory suspicions point to Gabriel, a family friend and one of the new busboys working the event, who mysteriously goes missing moments later. Anxious to clear his name, Gabriel's family enlists Hayley to help find him, but right as they begin their search, his body is found stabbed to death in the storeroom. Hayley has no shortage of suspects to interrogate and very little time before the killer adds another victim to the menu. "Death on the Menu" is another beautifully crafted novel by a master of the genre and the latest addition to author Lucy Burdette's 'Key West Food Critic' mystery series. While unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of Lucy Burdett fans that "Death on the Menu" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781982539870, $29.95, MP3 CD).

Three Strikes, You're Dead
Elena Hartwell
Camel Press
PO Box 70515, Seattle, WA 98127
www.camelpress.com
9781603817271, $15.95, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com

In "Three Strikes, You're Dead", private investigator Eddie Shoes heads to a resort outside Leavenworth, Washington, for a mother-daughter getaway weekend. Eddie's mother Chava wants to celebrate her new job at a casino by footing the bill for the two of them, and who is Eddie to say no? On the first morning, Eddie goes on an easy solo hike, and a few hours later, stumbles upon a makeshift campsite and a gravely injured man. A forest fire breaks out and she struggles to save him before the flames overcome them both. Before succumbing to his injuries, the man hands her a valuable rosary. He tells her his daughter is missing and begs for her help. Is Eddie now working for a dead man? Barely escaping the fire, Eddie wakes in the hospital to find both her parents have arrived on the scene. Will Eddie's card-counting mother and mob connected father help or hinder the investigation? The police search in vain for a body. How will Eddie find the missing girl with only Eddie's memory of the man's face and a photo of his daughter to go on? The third title in author Elena Hartwell's 'Eddie Shoes Mystery Series', "Three Strikes, You're Dead" is another riveting read by a master of the genre who offers more plot twists and turns than a Coney Island roller coaster! While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated mystery buffs that "Three Strikes, You're Dead" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.95).

Murder on the SS Rosa
Lee Strauss
https://www.leestraussbooks.com
Brown Books Publishing Group
16250 Knoll Trail Drive, Suite 205, Dallas, TX 75248-2871
www.brownbooks.com
9781612549941, $9.99, PB, 180pp, www.amazon.com

Another deftly crafted mystery by a master of the genre, "Muder on the SS Rosa" by Lee Strauss is set in 1923, when young war-widow fashionista Ginger Gold makes a cross-Atlantic journey with her companion Haley Higgins to London, England, to settle her father's estate. When the ship's captain is found dead, Ginger is only too happy to lend her assistance to the handsome Chief Inspector Basil Reed. The SS Rosa delivers a convincing array of suspects the wife, the mistress, a jealous crewmate. To Ginger's dismay, her name has been added to the list! With a little help from Ginger's dog, Boss, Ginger and Haley navigate the clues (those wartime operative skills come in handy). They must solve the case and clear Ginger's name before they dock, and oh, whatever shall she wear! Another inherently entertaining 'whodunnit' in author Lee Strauss' A Ginger Gold Mystery series, "Murder on the SS Rosa" will prove to be a welcome and enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated mystery buffs and Ginger Gold fans that "Murder on the SS Rosa" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).

A Tiding of Magpies
Steve Burrows
Oneworld Publications
https://oneworld-publications.com
9781459737617, $15.99, PB, 384pp

When his most celebrated case is suddenly reopened, Detective Chief Inspector Jejeune's long-buried secrets threaten to come to light. Meanwhile, his girlfriend, Lindy, faces an unseen threat of her own, one which Jejeune may not be able to protect her from. Between fending off inquiries from the internal review and an open murder case to solve, more than ever Jejeune will have to rely on the help of the stalwart Sergeant Danny Maik. But Maik is learning things on his own that have caused him to question his DCI's actions, both past and present. In the current case, and in the former one, the facts seem clear enough. But it is in the silent spaces between the facts that the truth is often found. The fifth title in author Steve Burrows simply outstanding 'Birder Murder Mystery' series, "A Tiding of Magpies" is a truly riveting read that will have immense appeal for all dedicated mystery buffs. Offering more plot twists and turns that a Coney Island roller coaster, "A Tiding of Magpies" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "A Tiding of Magpies" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).

Fire in the Thatch
E. C. R. Lorac
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave., #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
www.poisonedpenpress.com
9781464209673, $12.95, PB, 244pp, www.amazon.com

The Second World War is drawing to a close. Nicholas Vaughan, released from the army after an accident, takes refuge in Devon where he rents a thatched cottage in the beautiful countryside at Mallory Fitzjohn. Vaughan sets to work farming the land, rearing geese and renovating the cottage. Hard work and rural peace seem to make this a happy bachelor life. On a nearby farm lives the bored, flirtatious June St Cyres, an exile from London while her husband is a Japanese POW. June's presence attracts fashionable visitors of dubious character, and threatens to spoil Vaughan's prized seclusion. When Little Thatch is destroyed in a blaze, all Vaughan's hard work goes up in smoke -- and Inspector Macdonald is drafted in to uncover a motive for murder. Edith Caroline Rivett (1894 - 1958) (who wrote under the pseudonyms E. C. R. Lorac and Carol Carnac) was a British crime writer. Now Poisoned Pen Press has brought back one of her best to represent her complete master of the genre for the edification of a new general of mystery buffs. An inherently gripping read from beginning to end, "Fire in the Thatch" is unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Fire in the Thatch" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.23).

Trial on Mount Koya
Susan Spann
Seventh Street Books
c/o Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228
www.prometheusbooks.com
9781633884151, $15.95, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com

In November 1565, Master ninja Hiro Hattori and Portuguese Jesuit Father Mateo travel to a Buddhist temple at the summit of Mount Koya, carrying a secret message for an Iga spy posing as a priest on the sacred mountain. When a snowstorm strikes the peak, a killer begins murdering the temple's priests and posing them as Buddhist judges of the afterlife -- the Kings of Hell. Hiro and Father Mateo must unravel the mystery before the remaining priests, including Father Mateo, become unwilling members of the killer's grisly council of the dead. Set in medieval Japan with meticulous attention to historical detail, author Susan Spann's "Trial on Mount Koya" is a superbly crafted novel by a master of the genre and will prove to be an especially and enduringly popular addition to both the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs as well as community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that "Trial on Mount Koya" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Undercurrents
Mary Anna Evans
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave., #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
www.poisonedpenpress.com
9781464209307, $26.95, HC, 341pp, www.amazon.com

Archaeologist Faye Longchamp has traveled to Memphis, a city steeped in music, poverty, history, and the smoky tang of barbecue. She's there working alone to do an assessment of a site, welcome work for her small archaeological consulting firm. When Faye spies a child too young to be wandering along a creek alone, she follows the girl. A day later she uncovers a dying woman, buried alive near a spot where Kali might well be hiding. Nobody would blame Faye for running hard, but she can't make herself leave Kali, the woman's now orphaned daughter, who might be in danger. She's not welcomed by the people in Kali's struggling community, nor by the police working the crime. Yet she stays, for Kali, and for the bereaved who need her to communicate their fears to a police department that they trust even less than they trust Faye. When they confide rumors of other women beaten to death by a man so obsessed with burial that he places fresh flowers in their cold hands, Faye begs the police to widen the investigation to seek a serial killer. They refuse. Faye's gut is telling her that a monster is stalking Memphis, endangering the child she has come to love. If the police can't catch him, then she will have no choice but to try to find him herself. The eleventh title in author Mary anna Evans' simply outstanding 'Faye Longchamp Mystery' series, "Undercurrents" is yet another riveting gem of a novel that will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated mystery buffs that "Undercurrents" is also available in a paperback edition (978-1464209321, $15.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).

Sister of Mine
Laurie Petrou
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781683317173, $26.99, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Penny and Hattie, orphaned sisters in a small town, are best friends, bound together to the point of knots. But Penny, at the mercy of her brutal husband, is desperate for a fresh start. Willing to do anything for her older sister, Hattie agrees to help. A match is struck and a fire burns Penny's marriage to the ground. With her husband gone, Penny is free, and the sisters, it seems, get away with murder. But freedom comes at a cost. More than a year after the fire, a charming young man comes to town. Hattie and Penny quickly bring him into the fold and into their hearts but their love for him threatens the delicate balance. Soon long-held resentments, sibling rivalry, and debts unpaid boil over, and the bonds of sisterhood begin to snap. As one little lie grows into the next, the sisters' secrets will unravel, eroding their lives until only a single, horrible truth remains: You owe me. "Sister Mine" by Laurie Petrou showcases that author's genuine flair as a for character and narrative driven storytelling. The result is a compelling and entertaining novel that is unreservedly recommended for community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Sister Mine" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (BlackstoneAudio, 9781982539559, $29.95, MP3 CD).

Wake Me When It's Over
Cheryl A. Head
Bywater Books
P.O. Box 3671, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106-3671
www.bywaterbooks.com
9781612941158, $16.95, PB, 310pp, www.amazon.com

Born and raised in the now distressed city of Detroit, Charlene "Charlie" Mack has built a highly-respected private investigations firm through hard work, smart choices, and relentless ambition. When Charlie and her team of investigators are asked to take on a seemingly impossible case (to identify and thwart an attack on the upcoming Detroit Auto Show) it takes a $100K incentive and the help of a dozen freelancers for Charlie and her crew to unravel a twisted plot that runs through several countries and many more bank accounts. But finding out who's behind the intricate plot only solves half the problem. Charlie and her crew are drawn into a deadly game of cat-and-mouse as they try to locate dozens of hidden bombs before they can be detonated in an arena full of hundreds of people. "Wake Me When It's Over" is a simply riveting novel with a roller coaster ride of plot twists and turns. Showcasing author Cheryl Head's impressively mastery of the genre, "Wake Me When It's Over" is unreservedly and especially recommended addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Wake Me When It's Over" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).

The Moment Before Drowning
James Brydon
Akashic Books
232 Third Street, #A115, Brooklyn, NY 11215
www.akashicbooks.com
9781617756252, $25.95, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com

In December 1959 a furious anticolonial war rages in Algeria. Captain Jacques le Garrec, a former detective and French Resistance hero, returns to France in disgrace. Traumatized after two years of working in the army intelligence services, he's now accused of a brutal crime. As le Garrec awaits trial in the tiny Breton town where he grew up, he is asked to look into a disturbing and unsolved murder committed the previous winter. A local teenage girl was killed and her bizarrely mutilated body was left displayed on the heathland in a way that no one could understand. Le Garrec's investigations draw him into the dark past of the town, still haunted by memories of the German occupation. As he tries to reconstruct the events of the murder, the violence of this crime and his recollections of Algeria intertwine, threatening to submerge him. A skillfully constructed and absolutely riveting thriller of a novel by a genuine master of character and narrative driven storytelling, James Brydon's "The Moment Before Drowning" is an especially recommended addition to community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Moment Before Drowning" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.33).

A Stone's Throw
James W. Ziskin
Seventh Street Books
c/o Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228
www.prometheusbooks.com
9781633884199 $15.95 www.seventhstreetbooks.com

A Stone's Throw crafts an Ellie Stone mystery set in 1962, when a suspicious fire takes out a barn on a formerly notable estate, adding to several that have mysteriously affected the remote, abandoned farm. The local sheriff has no particular reason to want to investigate further, until two bodies are found in the ruins and what seems to be arson turns into a double murder case. Ellie finds herself in a dangerous investigation that moves rapidly from building fires to fires of the heart in this riveting thriller.

Dyeing Up Loose Ends
Maggie Sefton
Berkley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9780425282540 $26.00 www.amazon.com

Dyeing Up Loose Ends is the last book in the Knitting Mystery series, concluding a winning set of mysteries with young mother and knitter Kelly, who springs into action when her favorite waitress is murdered, leaving the knitting circle in shock. Julie appeared to have no enemies; but now it's all too obvious that someone considered her enough of a threat to kill her. Can Kelly and her knitting friends solve this terrible crime before death strikes again? It's sad to see this long-standing series (sixteen books!) conclude. Each book is engrossing, different, yet cemented by the common activity of knitting.

Berkley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com

Two excellent new mysteries revolve around books and will especially delight readers who like book-based conundrums. Lorna Barrett's Poisoned Pages (9780451489838, $26.00) adds to the best-selling Booktown mystery series. Here bookstore owner Tricia, who seems to have a penchant for attracting murderers, faces let another challenge when a guest drops dead at her housewarming dinner party. She hadn't intended on making food to 'die for' with her new cooking skills, but when the police decide the victim was poisoned, Tricia has even more cause to defend her cooking skills and her world. Add an even bigger complication as Tricia runs her own political campaign and faces a vandal and a sister being blackmailed for a healthy dose of riveting mystery reading. Kate Carlisle's Buried in Books (9780451477743, $25.00) comes from a New York Times best-selling author who provides the twelfth book to her Bibliophile mystery series. Here a San Francisco book restoration expert prepares for her wedding day, only to discover a dead body just a few days before her main event. An unfortunate choice for a surprise bridal shower, an uncertain reunion among troubled acquaintances from the past, and a fake book enter into the foray to make for an unusually fast-paced story. Both are exceptional murder mysteries that book fans will relish.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Garrison Girl: An Attack on Titan Novel
Rachel Aaron
Attack on Titan created by Hajime Isayama
Quirk Books
215 Church Street, Philadelphia PA 19106
www.quirkbooks.com
9781683690610 $12.99 pbk / $9.99 Kindle amazon.com

Garrison Girl: An Attack on Titan Novel is an original, full-length prose novel that takes place during the early chapters of the wildly popular Attack on Titan manga and anime series. Attack on Titan is set in a horrific, dystopian, post-apocalyptic world where the last vestiges of humanity huddle within walls. Outside of the walls stalk Titans, nigh-immortal humanoid giants that relentlessly hunt and devour humans - not for food, but only to vomit out the tangled remains of their hapless victims. Amid this bleak nightmare, Rosalie Dumarque defies the wishes of her wealthy family to join the military's failing defense of human survivors at Wall Rose. Yet the monstrous Titans are not Rosalie's only foes; can she survive the machinations of corrupt officers, and win the trust of her fellow soldiers? A story of struggle, sacrifice, and even forbidden romance in a world stalked by death, Garrison Girl is highly recommended especially for connoisseurs of the series. It should be noted that, as a self-contained story, Garrison Girl is also a good introduction to Attack on Titan for those new to this dark, terrifying, yet utterly fascinating saga.

The Darkest Legacy
Alexandra Bracken
Hyperion Books
77 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023-6298
www.hyperionbooks.com
9781368023245, $18.99, HC, 576pp, www.amazon.com

Five years after the destruction of the so-called rehabilitation camps that imprisoned her and countless other Psi kids, seventeen-year-old Suzume "Zu" Kimura has assumed the role of spokesperson for the interim government, fighting for the rights of Psi kids against a growing tide of misinformation and prejudice. But when she is accused of committing a horrifying act, she is forced to go on the run once more in order to stay alive. Determined to clear her name, Zu finds herself in an uncomfortable alliance with Roman and Priyanka, two mysterious Psi who could either help her prove her innocence or betray her before she gets the chance. But as they travel in search of safety and answers, and Zu grows closer to the people she knows she shouldn't trust, they uncover even darker things roiling beneath the veneer of the country's recovery. With her future-and the future of all Psi-on the line, Zu must use her powerful voice to fight back against forces that seek to drive the Psi into the shadows and save the friends who were once her protectors. Another deftly crafted gem of a science fiction novel by a master of the genre, Alexandra Bracken's "The Darkest Legacy" is a part of her simply outstanding 'Darkest Minds' series and unreservedly recommended for community library Science Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated science fiction fans that "The Darkest Legacy" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).

The Last Sun
K.D. Edwards
Pyr
c/o Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
www.prometheusbooks.com
9781633884236, $17.00 PB, $9.99 Kindle, $14.99 MP3 CD, www.amazon.com

The Last Sun introduces a new series, the Tarot Sequence, by opening with the story of Rune Saint John, the last child of the fallen Sun Court who is slated with searching for a missing son on an island city occupied by the Atlanteans after humans destroyed their original home. Rune's journey to find the missing man in the noble ranks of the inhabitants of New Atlantis results in the discovery of a long-kept secret, a legendary monster, and a startling truth about the past in a blend of fantasy and mystery that will immerse readers in a gripping saga.


The Library Science Shelf

Metadata for Information Management and Retrieval
David Haynes
Facet Publishing
www.facetpublishing.co.uk
9781783301157, $161.32, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com

In this newly updated and expanded second edition "Metadata for Information Management and Retrieval: Understanding Metadata And Its Use", David Haynes (who is a Visiting Lecturer on the Library and Information Science Programme at City University London) provides a thought-provoking introduction to metadata for all library and information students and professionals. This newly revised edition brings "Metadata for Information Management and Retrieval " fully up to date with new technology and standards, containing as it does new chapters on Metadata Standards and Encoding Schemes, assessments of the current theory and practice of metadata, and examinations of key developments in terms of both policy and technology. Coverage includes: an introduction to the concept of metadata a description of the main components of metadata systems and standards an overview of the scope of metadata and its applications a description of typical information retrieval issues in corporate and research environments a demonstration of ways in which metadata is used to improve retrieval a look at ways in which metadata is used to manage information consideration of the role of metadata in information governance. "Metadata for Information Management and Retrieval" is essential reading for library and information students at undergraduate and postgraduate level and will also be useful reading for LIS professionals looking for an accessible introduction to metadata. While strongly and unreservedly recommended for both community and academic Library Science instructional reference collections, it should be noted for students, librarians, and non-specialist readers with an interest in the subject that "Metadata for Information Management and Retrieval" is also available in a paperback edition (9781856048248, $59.95).

Text, Lies and Cataloging
Jana Brubaker
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9780786497447, $55.00, PB, 166pp, www.amazon.com

What do James Frey's "A Million Little Pieces", Margaret B. Jones' "Love and Consequence", and Wanda Koolmatrie's "My Own Sweet Time" have in common? None of these popular books are what they appear to be. Frey's fraudulent drug addiction "memoir" was really a semi-fictional novel, Jones chronicle of her life in a street gang was a complete fabrication, and Koolmatrie was not an Aboriginal woman removed from her family as a child, as in her seemingly autobiographical account, but rather a white taxi driver named Leon Carmen. Deceptive literary works mislead readers and present librarians with a cataloging dilemma. Whether making recommendations to patrons or creating catalog records, objectivity and accuracy are crucial -- and can be difficult when a book's authorship or veracity is in doubt. "Text, Lies and Cataloging: Ethical Treatment of Deceptive Works in the Library" by Jana Brubaker (who is the Acting Associate Dean for Collections, Technical Services, and Digital Scholarship at Northern Illinois University Libraries in DeKalbis) is an informative and occasionally downright entertaining study deftly addresses ethical considerations for deceptive works and proposes cataloging solutions that are provocative and designed to spark debate. Of special note is the extensive annotated bibliography describes books that are not what they seem. While unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university Library Science instructional reference collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of librarians that "Text, Lies and Cataloging" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $29.99).


The Technology Shelf

Introduction to Wireless Communication Circuits
Foruhar Farzaneh, et al.
River Publishers
c/o Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9788793609716, $100.00, HC, 400pp, www.amazon.com

Over the past decade, tremendous development of wireless communications has changed human life and engineering. Considerable advancement has been made in design and architecture of related RF and microwave circuits. "Introduction to Wireless Communication Circuits" focuses on special circuits dedicated to the RF level of wireless communications. From oscillators to modulation and demodulation, and from mixers to RF and power amplifier circuits, all are presented in a sequential manner. A wealth of analytical relations is provided in the text alongside various worked out examples. Related problem sets are given at the end of each chapter. Basic concepts of RF Analog Circuit Design are developed with the technical topics discussed including: Wireless Communication System; RF Oscillators and Phase Locked Loops; Modulator and Demodulator Circuits; RF Mixers; Automatic Gain Control and Limiters; Microwave Circuits, Transmission Lines and S-Parameters; Matching Networks; Linear Amplifier Design and Power Amplifiers; and Linearization Techniques. An ideal textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, as well as RF Engineers and professionals, "Introduction to Wireless Communication Circuits" is unreservedly recommended for technical college curriculums and university library collections. It should be noted for students that "Introduction to Wireless Communication Circuits" is also available in a digital book format (eTextbook, $21.25).

Wireless Sensor Networks
S. R. Vijayalakshmi & S. Muruganand
Mercury Learning
c/o Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9781683922254, $59.95, PB, 500pp, www.amazon.com

The collaborative work of academicians and wireless communication experts S. R. Vijayalakshmi and S. Muruganand, "Wireless Sensor Networks" is an essential instructional guide for anyone interested in wireless communications for sensor networks, home networking, or device hacking. It covers a large number of topics encountered in the architecture, application, and recent advancements of a wireless sensor network, including hardware and software architectures, the Internet of Things, routing and security, MANETs, MEMS, Zigbee, TDMA, securing networks for Wi-Fi, ubiquitous sensor networks, underwater, mobile, and multimedia wireless networks. "Wireless Sensor Networks" includes a wide range of applications to industry, science, transportation, civil infrastructure, and security; covers the Internet of Things (IoT), MEMS, Zigbee, TDMA, mobile wireless networks, and more. Of special note is the article on securing networks for Wi-Fi by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity Engineering. Impressively well organized and presented, "Wireless Sensor Networks" is an especially valued and highly recommended addition to professional, corporate, technical college, and university library Computer Science collections in general, and Wireless Communications supplemental studies reading lists in particular.

5G and Satellite Spectrum, Standards, and Scale
Geoff Varrall
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com
9781630815028, $169.00, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com

"5G and Satellite Spectrum, Standards, and Scale" by Geoff Varrall (Executive Director of RIOT, a company providing technology and business serves to the wireless industry) is new resource presenting the emerging role of Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), and Geostationary satellites (GSO) as a delivery option for backhaul and wide area rural and urban mobile broadband and fixed access. "5G and Satellite Spectrum, Standards, and Scale" offers insight into recently established Non Terrestrial Network standards. Readers learn which bands will need to be supported in next generation 5G and satellite devices and networks and how the bands will be characterized. Channel spacing, guard bands, FDD or TDD, out of band emission limits, and in band performance requirements are discussed. "5G and Satellite Spectrum, Standards, and Scale" discusses what interference issues will arise from new band allocations including co-shared allocations and how interference will be mitigated in and between next generation terrestrial and satellite 5G networks. Readers learn how modulation choices will affect co-existence issues. "5G and Satellite Spectrum, Standards, and Scale" also discusses the design, performance, cost, and test implications of integrating next generation satellite physical and MAC layers with release 16 and 17 5G standards and explores how these emerging spectrum and standards map on to IOT and MTC use cases in specific vertical markets. Readers learn how new active and passive antennas in the K bands and V and W band (E band) impact the satellite link budget and satellite delivery cost economics. "5G and Satellite Spectrum, Standards, and Scale" is a critically important and unreservedly recommended addition to both college and university library Satellite/Mobile Communications instructional reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.

Intersystem EMC Analysis, Interference, and Solutions
Uri Vered
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com
9781630815615, $179.00, HC, 352pp, www.amazon.com

With "Intersystem Emc Analysis, Interference, and Solutions" Uri Vered (who with fifty years of experience in the field is currently a freelance consultant conducting EMC analysis and seminars in EMC/RFI) provides comprehensive new resource provides methods and tools for defining EMC requirements and techniques for performing predictions and calculations to achieve electromagnetic compatibility. Vered deftly demonstrates how radar, communications, and navigation systems can function without interference. EMC requirements for the device, platform, site, and arena level are discussed and this book shows how EMC detection analysis is utilized to predict EMC problems. Vered deftly explores the interference between receiving and transmitting electronic systems and examines intersystem and intrasystem EMC. Techniques and mathematical framework for performing EMC prediction and calculations to solve electromagnetic compatibility problems are highlighted. Moreover, Vered presents classic methods and several original EMC calculation procedures including new approaches in mathematical development of interference probability calculations. Readers learn how to anticipate problems and then define EMC solutions. An ideal text book for EMC curriculums, "Intersystem EMC Analysis, Interference, and Solutions" is very highly recommended for college and university library Technology instructional reference collections.

Design and Applications of Active Integrated Antennas
Mohammad S. Sharawi & Oualid Hammi
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com
9781630813581, $169.00, HC, 276pp, www.amazon.com

With the publication of "Design and Applications of Active Integrated Antennas", Mohammad S. Sharawi (Professor of Electrical Engineering at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia) and Oualid Hammi (Associate Professor in the Electrical Engineering Department at the American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, and an Adjunct Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Calgary, AB, Canada) have created a comprehensive resource guide for professionals with respect to the latest methods used when designing active integrated antennas (AIA) for wireless communication devices for various standards. This textbook formatted resource provides complete design procedures for the various elements of such active integrated antennas such as the matching network, the amplifier/active element as well as the antenna; offers insight into how active integration and co-design between the active components (amplifier, oscillator, mixer, diodes) and the antenna can provide better power transfer, higher gains, increased efficiencies, switched beam patterns and smaller design footprints; introduces the co-design approach of active integrated antennas and its superior performance over conventional methods; and provides complete design examples are given of active integrated antenna systems for narrow and wideband applications as well as for multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) systems. AIA students will find the latest design methods for narrow and broadband RF matching networks. Unreservedly recommended for college and university library Technology instructional reference collections, "Design and Applications of Active Integrated Antennas" provides a complete listing of performance metrics for active integrated antennas and serves as a complete reference and design guide in the area of AIA. It should be noted that "Design and Applications of Active Integrated Antennas" also includes an instructional DVD.


The Biography Shelf

Rise and Fight Again
Spencer C. Tucker
ISI Books
3901 Centerville Road, Wilmington, DE 19807-1938
1610171497 $16.95 www.isibooks.org

Written with the precision of a military historian, yet thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Rise and Fight Again: The Life of Nathanael Greene is an excellent biography of one of America's Founding Fathers, Nathanael Greene (1742-1786). Greene served as a major general of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783), where he earned a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Motivated, self- taught, and highly skilled, Greene is a fascinating historical figure, and this excellent, in-depth account of his life is a "must" for public and college library Biography shelves. Highly recommended.

I, Iolo
Gareth Thomas
Y Lolfa
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, 124 Byers Road, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
www.dufoureditions.com
9781784614515, $18.00, PB, 400pp, www.amazon.com

Edward Williams, better known by his bardic name Iolo Morganwg (10 March 1747 - 18 December 1826), was an influential Welsh antiquarian, poet, collector, and literary forger. In his day he was widely considered a leading collector and expert on Medieval Welsh literature, but after his death it was revealed that he had forged a number of his manuscripts, especially parts of the Third Series of Welsh Triads. (Wikipedia) "I, Iolo" by Gareth Thomas is a first-person retelling of the story of Iolo Morganwg, a Welshman who had many personas including that of a stonemason, self-taught scholar, poet, hymnist, politician, patriot, revolutionary, druid, failed businessman, drug addict, campaigner for human rights and perpetrator of the greatest act of literary forgery in European history. "I, Iolo" follows his adventurous quest to achieve fame for himself, respect for his culture, and freedom from oppression in a malevolent world. Mogwanwg went on to be admired by some as a hero who helped create the identity of modern Wales, but reviled by others as a conman and cheat. An inherently fascinating read from beginning to end, "I, Iolo" is an extraordinary account of a memorable and controversial life and very highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library biography collections and Welch History supplemental studies lists. It should be noted that "I, Iolo" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Animal Viruses and Humans, a Narrow Divide
Warren A. Andiman
Paul Dry Books
1700 Sansom Street, Suite 700, Philadelphia, PA 19103-5214
www.pauldrybooks.com
9781589881228, $19.95, PB, 248pp, www.amazon.com

Zoonoses are infectious diseases that can be naturally transmitted between animals (usually vertebrates) and humans. Major modern diseases such as Ebola virus disease and salmonellosis are zoonoses. HIV was a zoonotic disease transmitted to humans in the early part of the 20th century, though it has now evolved to a separate human-only disease. Most strains of influenza that infect humans are human diseases, although many strains of swine and bird flu are zoonoses; these viruses occasionally recombine with human strains of the flu and can cause pandemics such as the 1918 Spanish flu or the 2009 swine flu. Taenia solium infection is one of the neglected tropical diseases with public health and veterinary concern in endemic regions. Zoonoses can be caused by a range of disease pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites; of 1,415 pathogens known to infect humans, 61% were zoonotic. Most human diseases originated in animals; however, only diseases that routinely involve animal to human transmission, like rabies, are considered direct zoonosis. (Wikipedia). In a time where just one person can create a world wide pandemic in our modern ages of transportation, "Animal Viruses and Humans, a Narrow Divide: How Lethal Zoonotic Viruses Spill Over and Threaten Us" by Dr. Warren Andiman (Professor emeritus of pediatrics and epidemiology at the Yale Schools of Medicine and Public Health) is extraordinarily timely, exceptionally informative, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, making it unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library Contemporary Health & Medicine collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of medical students, health advocates, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Animal Viruses and Humans, a Narrow Divide" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Breaking the Cycle of Opioid Addiction
Uwe Blessching
North Atlantic Books
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA 94704-2607
www.northatlanticbooks.com
9781623171865, $15.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com

Opioid addiction has exploded to epidemic proportions in the U.S. Drug overdose is now the leading cause of accidental death. In 2012, 259 million prescriptions were written for opioids -- more than enough to give every American adult their own bottle of pills. In "Breaking the Cycle of Opioid Addiction: Supplement Your Pain Management with Cannabis", medical journalist and regular contributor to the cannabinoid health sciences, mind-body medicine, phytopharmacology, as well as evidence-based illness prevention and treatment protocols Uwe Blesching (who is also the author of The Cannabis Health Index), clearly and thoroughly lays out the overwhelming benefits of using cannabis, not only to reduce the nation's dependence on opioids, but also to manage the craving and withdrawal symptoms of opioid addiction, and especially to address the pain that leads to drug use and addiction in the first place. Citing statistics showing that states allowing legal access to cannabis have seen a 25 percent drop in opioid-related deaths, Blesching explains how precision applications of cannabis can alleviate the mental and emotional aspects of pain by modulating numerous neurotransmitters and their emotional counterparts. He presents a convincing case for the powerful benefits of cannabis in reducing the risks of addiction and overdose, cutting monetary costs, and restoring a sense of balance and control to those who struggle with pain. A timely and invaluable contribution to the current national dialogue with respect to the present opioid addiction crisis, as well as the medical benefits of cannabis, "Breaking the Cycle of Opioid Addiction" should be a part of ever community, college, and university library Contemporary Health Issues collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, governmental health care policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Breaking the Cycle of Opioid Addiction" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Pilates for Rehabilitation
Samantha Wood
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61820-5076
www.HumanKinetics.com
9781492556497, $49.95, PB, 296pp, www.amazon.com

Whether amateur or professional, sports injuries are a fact of athletic life. "Pilates for Rehabilitation: Recovery From Injury And Optimize Funcition" by Samantha Wood (a licensed physical therapist and Pliates method Alliance-certified Pilates instructor), shows in pictorial detail how to apply proven Pilates methods to address dysfunction and help patients achieve optimal performance. In addition to step-by-step instructions for Pilates apparatus and mat work, pilates practitioners will learn the indications and contraindications of each exercise and the primary muscles involved so you can determine when the exercise is appropriate for each client. Modifications and progressions allow for adaptation of exercises based on the stage of rehabilitation or the severity of the injury or condition being treated. Suggested exercise protocols, organized by common orthopedic injuries in anatomical regions, offer the flexibility to tailor a program to the specific needs of each client. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Pilates for Rehabilitation" is especially and unreservedly recommended for professional, community, and academic library Sports Health & Medicine collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists that "Pilates for Rehabilitation" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $30.36).

The Headache Healer's Handbook
Jan Mundo
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608685134, $18.95, PB, 384pp, www.amazon.com

Jan Mundo, CMSC, CMT, has held headache programs at medical centers, universities, and corporations including Kaiser Permanente, Stanford University, and Apple. She is a certified Master Somatic Coach and massage therapist with advanced training in multiple healing modalities. Mundo's mind-body program teaches headache and migraine sufferers how to relieve and prevent their symptoms naturally -- without drugs and their side effects. In "The Headache Healer's Handbook: A Holistic, Hands-On Somatic Self-Care Program for Headache and Migraine Relief and Prevention" she shares her powerful personalized, comprehensive program for the first time. In step-by-step instructions, she helps readers discover and prevent the triggers that perpetuate their headaches -- and stop their pain on the spot with her unique hands-on therapy. In a caring and compassionate presentation, she makes her techniques accessible to both occasional headache sufferers and those who have long felt misunderstood and misdiagnosed. Brimming with inspirational narratives, questionnaires, guidelines, tracking tools, and author-illustrated instructions, "The Headache Healer's Handbook" effectively offers hope for a headache-free future. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in tone, commentary, organization and presentation, "The Headache Healer's Handbook" is unreservedly recommended reading for anyone suffering from migraines or any other form of headache. While certain to be an immediately useful and enduringly popular addition to community and academic library Health & Medicine instructional reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Headache Healer's Handbook" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.15).

Light Therapies
Anadi Martel
Healing Arts Press
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781620557297, $24.99, PB, 384pp, www.amazon.com

Anadi Martel is a physicist and electronics designer, who has acted as a consultant for IMAX, Cirque du Soleil, and the Metropolitan Opera of New York. For more than 30 years he has researched the therapeutic properties of light and the interaction between technology and consciousness, leading to the creation of the Sensora multisensorial system. In "Light Therapies: A Complete Guide to the Healing Power of Light" he draws upon his years of experience and expertise to create a comprehensive guide to the therapeutic benefits of light and color and how they affect our physical and psychological well-being; to share scientific research on how different wavelengths of light influence our cells, brain function, sleep patterns, and emotional stability; to examine several forms of light therapy, including chromotherapy, heliotherapy, actinotherapy, and thermotherapy; and to explain how to use light and color therapy, maximize the benefits of sunlight, and avoid the health risks of new light sources such as compact fluorescents and LEDs. Investigating the many laser, monochrome, audiovisual, and infrared machines designed to heal disease and treat emotional disorders, Martel also reveals promising medical applications for light that are currently in development, inviting the reader not only to appreciate the complexities of light but to maximize its therapeutic dimensions. A unique, impressively informative, and unreservedly recommended addition to both community and academic library Alternative Medicine collections and supplemental studies lists, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of non-specialist general readers that "Light Therapies" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).

The Hard Road to Staying Thin, Healthy and Youthful, While Enjoying Life and Food to the Fullest
Dafna Lazar
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1717183549
9781451235043, $24.95 PB, $3.49 Kindle, 104 pp, www.createspace.com

It's hard to live life and still remain healthy. "The Hard Road to Staying Thin, Healthy, and Youthful, While Enjoying Life and Food to the Fullest" is a memoir and health guide from Dafna Lazar as she shares her story of managing to attain balance for health and life with a degree of spirituality thrown in. Thoughtful with many good ideas, "The Hard Road to Staying Thin, Healthy, and Youthful, While Enjoying Life and Food to the Fullest" is an enticing pick.

The Pain Companion
Sarah Anne Shockley
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608685707, $15.95 PB, $9.99 Kindle, 192pp, www.amazon.com

The Pain Companion: Everyday Wisdom for Living with and Moving Beyond Chronic Pain joins a host of other books on the subject of pain management, comes from an author who has personally lived with chronic pain for over a decade, and offers sufferers a supportive manual for managing pain in a way that compliments medical healing programs. From meditative approaches to physical pain that use exercises to alleviate physical challenges to understanding lessons that can be applied to one's life from the experience of pain, this offers a range of tools for handling significant, relentless pain and will prove inspiring, hope-filled reading for many who struggle with conventional approaches and treatments.

What You Must Know About Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Jeffrey Anshel, OD and Laura Stevens, M.Sci
Square One Publishers
115 Herricks Road, Garden City Park, NY 11040
www.squareonepublishers.com
9780757004490, $17.95 PB, $9.95 Kindle, 288pp, www.amazon.com

What You must Know About Age-Related Macular Degeneration: How You Can Prevent, Stop, or Reverse AMD tackles a difficult problem: an age-related eye condition that is a big cause of vision loss in people over fifty. It's irreversible and hard to stop, and few treatments have proven much more than stop gates to the inevitable. This book, written by an optometrist and a medical researcher, refutes common treatment options by examining different nutrients and the eye protection they offer, from over-the-counter supplements to foods. It promotes an Anti-AMD Diet and recommends lifestyle changes that can lead to enhanced eye health and restorative possibilities for those with macular degeneration.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

Gigged
Sarah Kessler
St. Martins Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.stmartins.com
9781250097897, $25.99 HC, $13.99 Kindle, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Gigged: The End of the Job and the Future of Work tells of the "gig economy" and a new type of work Sarah Kessler first reported on years ago. Since her initial expose of the new routines, she's produced many more articles on the topic and here provides not only a history of this new job style, but its trends and impact on traditional jobs over the decades. From how various kinds of businesses use the gig economy, narrating stories from real-life experiences from Uber to Amazon, to how workers experience freedom and challenge in the concept of freelance work, this powerful survey considers not only the pros and cons of freelance operations and their rise in startup and other jobs, but taps individual experience to demonstrate how it affects the idea of work and its future. The result is especially recommended for Millennials and younger workers who are coming of work age in this new gig economy, which has now been around long enough to prove it's not a passing fad.

What else can a teacher do?
David Hodgson
Crown House Publishing
81 Brook Hills Circle, White Plains, NY 10605
www.crownhousepublishing.com
9781785830150, $19.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com

In the pages of "What else can a teacher do?: Review your career, reduce stress and gain control of your life", David Hodgson (a training consultant and author who works with teachers and students across the UK and abroad) surveys and suggests a diverse range of alternative career options suited to teachers transferable skill sets. Hodgson covers such essential educator employment oriented subjects, issues and questions as: Where are you now?; What are your job options?; Job options based around teaching skills; Job options for recent graduates; Job options for school leaders; and Job profiles. Hodgson feels passionately that everyone should be supported to find a rewarding career that suits their unique mix of skills, qualities and experience, and in "What else can a teacher do?" he has distilled his specialist careers advice and extensive research in order to address the most frequently asked concerns that weigh upon teachers minds. Split into three interactive and user-friendly parts, 'What Else Can a Teacher Do?' also features a variety of self-reflective checklists, charts and activities to engage with; an exploratory range of at least thirty education-based career moves to consider; and a comprehensive list of around 120 job profiles providing details on the key roles, entry routes, salaries and tasks involved in each profession to both inform and inspire. While very highly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library collections, it should be noted that "What else can a teacher do?" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.24).


The Cookbook Shelf

How Do I Make...?
Editors at Taste of Home
Taste of Home Books
tasteofhome.com
c/o Reader's Digest Trade Publishing
44 South Broadway, White Plains, NY 10601
www.rdtradepublishing.com
9781617657238 $17.99 pbk / $12.99 Kindle amazon.com

Featuring full-color photography of each recipe How Do I Make...? A Hands-On Guide to Cooking Anything (& Everything) You Love lives up to its title as a cookbook for novice to intermediate chefs. Individual recipes carefully walk the reader through preparations step-by- step, in a thoroughly accessible and reader-friendly manner. Dishes range from Breakfast Quiche to Bacon Avocado Salad to Saucy Ranch Pork & Potatoes, Heavenly Filled Strawberries (a delightful, sugary strawberry and cream cheese dessert), and much more. How Do I Make...? is a superb source for cooking delectable and unforgettable homemade meals, highly recommended.

Healthy Family Favorites
Editors at Taste of Home
Taste of Home Books
tasteofhome.com
c/o Reader's Digest Trade Publishing
44 South Broadway, White Plains, NY 10601
www.rdtradepublishing.com
9781617657191 $15.99 pbk / $11.99 Kindle amazon.com

Featuring reader-friendly instructions and a wealth of full-color photography, Healthy Family Favorites features 284 figure-friendly recipes that do not sacrifice the pleasure of taste! The nutritious dishes are especially selected to appeal to kids and adults alike. From Vanilla French Toast to Zippy Sirloin Steak, Tomato Baguette Pizza, Eggplant Snack Sticks and more, Healthy Family Favorites is a "must-have" for anyone and everyone responsible for cooking family meals! Highly recommended.

Gluten Free, Naturally
Caroline Byron
Kyle Books
http://www.kylebooks.com
c/o National Book Network
www.nbnbooks.com
c/o Octopus Publishing
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781909487840 $24.95 hc / $13.99 Kindle amazon.com

Author and pastry chef Caroline Byron trained at the New York Culinary Institute, and adopted a gluten-free lifestyle after catching Lyme disease. Gluten Free, Naturally is a compendium of her extraordinary gluten-free recipes of her favorite foods, including mac and cheese, pizza, applie pie, chocolate cake, and much more. Featuring user-friendly instructions, full-color photography, and an index for ease of use, Gluten Free, Naturally is a treasure for gustatorians who happen to have celiac disease, or who just want to cut down on how much gluten they consume. Highly recommended!

Better Homes and Gardens Fast or Slow
Better Homes and Gardens
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
3 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016
www.hmhco.com
9781328918499, $19.99, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Kitchen cooks who utilize Slow Cookers, Pressure Cookers, or Multi Cookers when preparing meals for their families now have a new culinary compendium of palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, and menu planning recipes for all dining occasions created especially for them in the beautifully illustrated pages of "Better Homes and Gardens Fast or Slow". The recipes themselves range from Scrambled Breakfast Hash; Pork Roast and Roots with Quick Apricot Sauce; New England Clam Chowder; Asian-Style Pulled Chicken Sliders with Snow Pea Slaw; and Chili Mac and Cheese; to Indian-Scented Roasted Beets and Carrots with Lime-Cilantro Cream; Warm Roasted Barley, Kale, and Apple Salad; Corn Pudding Casserole; and Coconut Rice Pudding with Berries. A mouth-watering pleasure to simply browse through and inspiring to plan menus with, the "Better Homes and Gardens Fast or Slow" is an ideal and highly recommended addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that 'Better Homes and Gardens Fast or Slow" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

A Soup A Day
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Books
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9780600635406, $9.99, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com

Showcasing 365 soup recipes, "A Soup a Day" is simply packed from cover to cover with delicious soups -- one for each day of the year. These thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes range from Chillied Gazpacho, Chestnut Soup with Truffle Oil, Seafood Gumbo, and Mediterranean Garlic Soup, to Spring Vegetable Broth, Watercress Soup with Poached Quails' Eggs, Spinach Bouillabaisse, and Greek Chicken Avgolomeno. Nicely illustrated with color photos throughout, there is a palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, seasonally appropriate soup for all dining occasions. While very highly recommended, especially for family and community library cookbook collections, it should be noted that "A Soup A Day" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).

The Beginner's Guide to Dehydrating Food, second edition
Teresa Marrone
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
www.storey.com
9781635860245, $24.95, PB, 320pp, www.amazon.com

Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout, "The Beginner's Guide to Dehydrating Food, 2nd Edition: How to Preserve All Your Favorite Vegetables, Fruits, Meats, and Herbs" by Teresa Marrone is the essential instructional guide and companion for putting a food dehydrator to work and features thoroughly 'user friendly' instructions and techniques for drying all the most popular fruits and vegetables, along with meat and herbs. "The Beginner's Guide to Dehydrating Food " provides step-by-step instruction for drying fruits and vegetables at their peak, giving an easy and economical way to stock any family kitchen pantry with apple rings, mango slices, banana chips, dried soup beans, tomatoes, and much more for year-round enjoyment. In addition, drying guidelines for specialty items like meat jerky, fruit leather, dried herb and spice mixtures, backpacking meals, and even baby food round out this extraordinarily useful handbook. While very highly recommended for personal, professional, family, and community library food preparation collections, it should be noted that "The Beginner's Guide to Dehydrating Food" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Instant Pot Miracle 6 Ingredients or Less
Ivy Manning
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
3 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016
www.hmhco.com
9781328557124, $21.99, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com

With the thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes compiled by Ivy Manning and comprising "Instant Pot Miracle 6 Ingredients or Less: 100 No-Fuss Recipes for Easy Meals Every Day" is a culinary compendium of no-fuss recipes that complement the Instant Pot's many settings. The result is simple, satisfying meals ready when they are wanted with a minimum of fuss and effort. The recipes include meaty braises, soups and stews, healthy breakfasts (for anytime of day!), pastas and grains, and more. For even greater convenience, one-pot recipes are noted with icons throughout, and some versatile recipes can be made using either the Instant Pot's pressure-cook or slow-cook function, so you can cook according to your schedule. "Tasty tips" and serving suggestions offer even more flexibility to make the most of ingredients you already have on hand. Whether you're just getting to know your Instant Pot or you're a long-time fan, "Instant Pot Miracle 6 Ingredients or Less" makes cooking delicious, wholesome meals easier than ever. While very highly recommended as an enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections, it should be noted that "Instant Pot Miracle 6 Ingredients or Less" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Canning Full Circle
Diane Devereaux, author
Photography by Jeff Hage
Privately Published
www.canningdiva.com
9780998686905 $29.99 amazon.com

Featuring full-color, full-page photography of each dish, Canning Full Circle is a sumptuous cookbook designed especially for gardeners who preserve their own crops in jars and cans. Chapters walk the reader through the basics of food preservation, step-by-step instructions for to- the-jar "canning", followed by delicious recipes using those canned goods for to-the-table "eating". From Apple Cider Butter Muffins, to Tangy Huevos (eggs with Tangy Pepper Salsa), to Blonde Chutney Stuffed Pork Loin and much more, Canning Full Circle is a "must" for any gardener and canner who seeks to make the most of their preserves, highly recommended. The savory repast of recipes will also appeal to cooks who don't necessarily grow or preserve their own ingredients!

Brian McDermott's Donegal Table
The O'Brien Press
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, 124 Byers Road, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
www.dufoureditions.com
9781847179791 $32.00 amazon.com

Brian McDermott's Donegal Table is a cookbook featuring healthy, delicious meals for the whole family, grounded in local produce. Award-winning chef Brian McDermott showcases recipes based on tradition, such as Sunday's Finest Roast Lemon and Thyme Chicken, Wild Atlantic Way Fish Pie, My Garden Rhubarb Crumble, Black Pudding Dipping Fritters and much more. Beautiful, full-color photography and an index for ease of use round out this user-friendly cookbook. Highly recommended!

Pulutan!: Filipino Bar Bites, Appetizers and Street Eats
Marvin Gapultos
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9780804849425, $14.99, HC, 120pp, www.amazon.com

In the pages of "Pulutan!: Filipino Bar Bites, Appetizers and Street Eats", food blogger and creator of the first Los Angeles Filipino food truck 'The Manila Machine', Marvin Gapultos showcases Filipino cuisine by exploring the drinking food and bar snacks of the Philippines known as "Pulutan". Marvin shows how to eat and drink like a Filipino with a range of easy Pulutan recipes -- all of which are perfect accompaniments to an icy cold beer! Toward this last feature, Marvin also provides perfect beer pairings for each dish so the Filipino cuisine experience can be elevated to the highest degree. An essential guide to Filipino food and drinking culture the more than 60 thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly recipes range from Grilled Coconut and Lemongrass Shrimp; fried Calamari with Crispy Purple Yam Crust ; Fried Green Mangoes; and Grilled Bacon Skewers with Pineapple Glaze; to Pork Meatballs with Spicy Coconut Sauce; Beef and Tripe Ginger Soup; and Grilled Garlic Lamb Chops. Then there is the culinary wealth of unique cocktails and desserts! While unreservedly recommended for personal, family, professional, and community library ethnic cookbook collections, it should be noted that "Pulutan!: Filipino Bar Bites, Appetizers and Street Eats" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.24).

Beautiful Bundts
Julie Anne Hession
Robert Rose Inc.
www.robertrose.ca
9780778805762, $24.95, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com

A Bundt cake is a cake that is baked in a Bundt pan, shaping it into a distinctive ring shape. The shape is inspired by a traditional European cake known as Gugelhupf, but Bundt cakes are not generally associated with any single recipe. The style of mold in North America was popularized in the 1950s and 1960s, after cookware manufacturer Nordic Ware trademarked the name "Bundt" and began producing Bundt pans from cast aluminum. Publicity from Pillsbury saw the cakes gain widespread popularity. (Wikipedia) Today the appeal of bundt-style cakes is stronger than ever. The distinctive ring shape of a Bundt pan is more popular than ever, with many next-generation bakers discovering their unique and iconic shape for the first time. In the beautifully illustrated pages of "Beautiful Bundts: 100 Recipes for Delicious Cakes and More", successful chef, competitive cook, and popular food blogger Julie Hession has created 100 delicious and versatile recipes for every occasion featuring the retro classics enjoyed as a child, to modern pull apart Bundts like Monkey Bread which have exploded in popularity. Each recipes is thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' making this culinary compendium and absolute 'must' for family, personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections.

Farmacy Kitchen Cookbook
Camilla Fayed with Susie Pearl, et.al.
Aster
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781912023462, $29.99 HC, $17.99 Kindle, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Farmacy Kitchen Cookbook: Plant-Based Recipes for Conscious Living comes from a successful London restaurant, the business of author Camilla Fayed, and pairs more conscious eating habits with a food lifestyle support system of vegetarian and vegan recipes alike. Readers searching for new inspiration will find herein many dishes unique to Fayed and her creations; from a Fruit Chia Jam and a Sweet Potato & Mushroom Curry to Mushrooms & Chard Stems with Tarragon Sauce. Full-page color photos of the dishes are exceptionally bright and appealing and reinforce the attraction of these dishes. Readers seeking innovative fare that's good for the planet as well as personal health will find Farmacy Kitchen Cookbook an outstanding pick filled with ideas not seen elsewhere.


The Aviation Shelf

Chasing the Demon
Dan Hampton
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
195 Broadway New York, New York 10007
www.harpercollins.com
9780062688729, $28.99, HC, 352pp, www.amazon.com

In 1947 a military aircraft's sheer speed represented the difference between victory and annihilation, the ability to deliver a nuclear device to its target faster than one's enemy became the singular obsession of American war planners. And so, in the earliest days of the Cold War, a highly classified program was conducted on a desolate air base in California's Mojave Desert. Its aim: to push the envelope of flight to new frontiers. There gathered an extraordinary band of pilots, including Second World War aces Chuck Yeager and George Welch, who risked their lives flying experimental aircraft to reach Mach 1, the so-called sound barrier, which pilots called "the demon". Shrouding the program in secrecy, the US military reluctantly revealed that the "barrier" had been broken two months later, after the story was leaked to the press. The full truth has never been fully revealed -- until now in the pages of "Chasing the Demon: A Secret History of the Quest for the Sound Barrier, and the Band of American Aces Who Conquered It" by Dan Hampton who was a Lieutenant Colonel who flew 151 combat missions during his twenty years (1986 - 2006) in the United States Air Force. Exceptionally and impressively well written, organized and presented, "Chasing the Demon" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended contribution to personal, community, and academic library 20th Century Military Aviation History collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Chasing the Demon" is also available in a paperback edition (HarperLuxe, 9780062845702, $28.99, Large Print, 464pp) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).


The Military Shelf

Cruiser Birmingham
Conrad Waters
Seaforth Publishing
c/o Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
www.nip.org
9781526724977, $46.95, HC, 128pp, www.amazon.com

The technical details of British warships were recorded in a set of plans produced by the builders on completion of every ship. Known as the "as fitted" general arrangements, these drawings documented the exact appearance and fitting of the ship as it entered service. Today these plans form part of the incomparable collection of the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich, which is using the latest scanning technology to make digital copies of the highest quality. "Cruiser Birmingham: Detailed in the Original Builders' Plans" by Conrad Waters (who has been the editor of the annual Seaforth World Naval Review since its inception, and who has also edited Navies in the 21st Century) is one of a series based entirely on these draughts which depict famous warships in an unprecedented degree of detail, including complete sets in full color, with many close-ups and enlargements that make every aspect clear and comprehensible. Extensive captions point the reader to important features to be found in the plans, and an introduction covers the background to the design. The HMS Birmingham was selected for the series because this famous interwar 'Town-Class Cruiser' is especially well documented. Unusually, three separate sets of plans survive, as completed in 1937, as refitted in 1943, and as modernized in 1952, thereby allowing this novel form of anatomy to cover the whole of the ship's long career. Enhanced for academia with the inclusion of a Bibliography and a List of Plans, "Cruiser Birmingham: Detailed in the Original Builders' Plans" is a uniquely informative and highly recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library British Military Naval History collections and supplemental studies reading lists.

Merc: American Soldiers of Fortune
Jay Mallin & Robert K. Brown
Casemate
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781612005911, $19.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com

American soldiers of fortune (mercenaries) have seen action on nearly every battlefield in history -- from the Revolutionary War to modern times. They fight because they enjoy combat, for causes in which they passionately believe, for money, or simply for adventure. The mercenaries profiled in "Merc: American Soldiers of Fortune" range from West Point graduates and Harvard poets to former CIA agents and ex-cons. They are men like William Morgan, a guerrilla leader in the Cuban uprising against Fulgencio Batista, later imprisoned and executed by Fidel Castro; David Marcus, raised in New York's Hell's Kitchen, who went on to a brilliant career in law and reform politics and died in 1947 fighting for the survival of a tiny new nation called Israel; William Brooks, Vietnam Special Forces veteran who, down and out in a cheap Paris hotel, joined the French Foreign Legion and ended up in a remote African outpost where he lived on Coke, salt tablets and paregoric while fighting Somali insurgents; and George Bacon, an ex-CIA operative in Laos with mysterious connections, who died fighting Cubans in Angola. Because their private histories parallel the larger history of unconventional warfare and political upheaval, "Merc: American Soldiers of Fortune" provides insight into global conflicts, but most of all it is a fast-paced, eye-opening account of a little-known but fascinating way of life. Illustrated with 40 b/w photos and 15 color photos, "Merc: American Soldiers of Fortune" is a unique and extraordinary read from first page to last. While very highly recommended for both community and academic library Military History collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Merc: American Soldiers of Fortune" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

The 31st Infantry Regiment
By the members of the 31st Infantry Regiment Association
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476669090 $45.00 amazon.com

Featuring a wealth of black-and-white photographs, The 31st Infantry Regiment: A History of "America's Foreign Legion" in Peace and War is a detailed chronicle of the U.S. Army 31st Infantry Regiment, also known as the Polar Bears, who have fought in virtually every war in modern American history. Here are chronicles of battlefields in Manila, Siberia, Iraq, the nightmarish horrors of the Bataan Death March, and much more. A list of regiment soldiers who were killed in action, extensive chapter notes, a bibliography, and an index round out this excellent reference and resource. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library Military History collections.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

The Prayer List
Jane Knuth
Loyola Press
3441 North Ashland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657
www.loyolapress.com
9780829446654, $14.95, PB, 184pp, www.amazon.com

When Jane inherited the family "prayer list" from her aunt, she decided to continue the tradition of praying regularly with the list of needs and thanks for relatives and friends. But prayer fits itself to every person's (and every family's) situation and culture. As Jane learned how to pray in her family and explored the prayer experiences of other families, she discovered a simple truth: the best way to pray with your family is the way that works best for your family. "The Prayer List" shares the true stories of how families from many faith traditions (Christian, non-Christian, or no defined faith) pray together in meaningful ways. With prompts to inspire prayer after each chapter, collectively, these individual stories prove that family prayer can be a path to the intimacy and closeness we long for. It's like making God a member of the family. Jane Knuth wrote "The Prayer List" specifically for those who find themselves struggling to find the right way to integrate prayer into their daily family life and are worried that their children won't practice the same faith that has sustained them in times of difficulty. While very highly recommended for all people of faith, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Prayer List" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

How We Got Our Bible
Fyan M. Reeves & Charles E. Hill
Zondervan Publishing House
5300 Patterson Avenue, S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49530
www.zondervan.com
9780310537205, $16.99, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com

The easy accessibility of the Bible in most of the world's major languages can obscure a dramatic and sometimes unexpected story of how the Bible came to be the sacred scripture of the Christian church. In "Know How We Got Our Bible", biblical scholars Ryan Reeves (Associate Professor of Historical Theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Dean of the seminary's Jacksonville campus) and Charles Hill (John R. Richardson Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity, Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando, Florida) trace the history of the Bible from its beginnings to the present day, highlighting key figures and demonstrating overall the reliability of Scripture. Professors Reeves and Hill begin with the writing of the Bible's books (including authorship and dating), move into the formation of the Old and New Testaments (including early transmission and the development of the canon), and conclude with several chapters on Bible translation from the Latin Vulgate to the ongoing work of translation around the world today. Written simply and focused on the overarching story of how the Bible came to us today, "Know How We Got Our Bible" is an excellent introduction for formal seminary students and lay learners alike. Each individual chapter includes reflection questions and recommended readings for further learning. While very highly recommended for church, seminary, and community library Christian Studies collections in general, and Biblical History supplemental studies lists in particular, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "How We Got Our Bible" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Brilliance Audio, 9781978642324, $21.99, MP3 CD).


The Agriculture Shelf

Compendium of Cucurbit Diseases and Pests
A. P. Keinath, author
T. A. Zitter, author
W. M. Wintermantel, editor
APS Press
3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121
9780890545737, $169.00, PB, 228pp, www.amazon.com

In the 20 years since APS PRESS published the first edition of Compendium of "Cucurbit Diseases", the worldwide production of watermelon, cucumber, melon, and squash has roughly doubled. Wherever your cucurbits are grown, the newly updated, expanded, and illustrated second edition of the "Compendium of Cucurbit Diseases and Pests" provides the latest pest management and diagnostic information to suppress diseases of all cultivated cucurbits plus major insect pests and abiotic disorders affecting crops. Exceptionally well organized, impressively comprehensive, notably informative, "Compendium of Cucurbit Diseases and Pests: Second Edition" is definitively recommended for professional, corporate, college and university library Agriculture & Horticulture collections in general, and Cucrbit instructional reference supplemental studies lists in particular. It should be noted for agricultural students and farmers that this new edition of "Compendium of Cucurbit Diseases and Pests" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $152.10).

Compendium of Conifer Diseases
Everett M. Hansen, Kathy J. Lewis, and Gary A. Chastagner, eds.
APS Press
3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121
9780890545973, $179.00, PB, www.shopapspress.org

Producing Christmas trees is big business. Every year, growers in the United States and Canada deliver 30 to 40 million trees to consumers, earning $2 billion in revenue. Growers in Europe produce an additional 110 million trees, earning $1.64 billion. To prepare for future crops, growers also plant up to three times as many trees as they harvest every year. Bringing each crop to market involves years of intensive management. The critical information needed to manage diseases and disorders of all types of conifer trees is provided in this newly updated and expanded second edition of "Compendium of Conifer Diseases". Featuring the contributions of 102 experts drawn from 18 countries, this new edition presents the modern world of forest pathology. Forests today grow under increasing stress from an ever-growing human population, newly identified and invasive species of pathogens, and a changing climate. And since publication of the first edition of this compendium in 1997, diagnostic tools have evolved considerably, enabling more precise identification of pathogens, greater understanding of population genetics, and better understanding of evolutionary relationships among various species. All of these factors are addressed in the exceptionally informative, illustrated compendium which is a critically important addition to professional, college and university Agriculture & Horticulture instructional reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.


The Psychology Shelf

Developing the Therapeutic Relationship
Orya Tishby & Hadas Wiseman, editors
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
www.apa.org/books
9781433829222, $27.95, HC, 360pp, www.amazon.com

What makes therapy work? Clearly, the therapeutic alliance is an important component of a successful relationship between therapist and client, but how does it fit into the relationship more broadly conceived? A better question might be: What works with whom and in which circumstances? Collaborative compiled and co-edited by Orya Tishby (Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology and Clinical Social Work, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel) and Hadas Wiseman (Professor in the Department of Counseling and Human Development, Faculty of Education, at the University of Haifa, Israel), "Developing the Therapeutic Relationship: Integrating Case Studies, Research, and Practice" is a compendium of contributions by master clinicians and psychotherapy researchers who examine how technique and the therapeutic relationship are inseparably intertwined. Using a variety of theoretical and research "lenses" and drawing on various models of psychotherapy, including psychodynamic therapy, cognitive - behavioral therapy, emotion focused therapy, and brief family therapy, the various contributors discuss the factors affecting client outcomes. The link between relationship processes and technique is bought to life in a rich array of engaging case studies that demonstrate how successful therapists negotiate the relationship, make key moment to moment decisions, and promote positive change in their clients. Providing an impressive body of contemporary research and scholarship, "Developing the Therapeutic Relationship" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to college and university library Psychology & Counseling collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, therapists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Developing the Therapeutic Relationship" is also available in a digital book format (eTextbook, $79.95).


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

For Better or for Worse The Complete Library Volume Two: 1983-1986
Lynn Johnston
IDW Publishing
2765 Truxton Road, San Diego, CA 92106
www.idwpublishing.com
9781684052561 $39.99 hc / $29.99 Kindle amazon.com

For Better or for Worse The Complete Library Volume Two: 1983-1986 gathers more than 1,200 sequential daily and Sunday comics from this beloved newspaper comic series. All Sunday comics are printed in their original color! These wonderfully funny comics beautifully capture the ups and downs of family life, with a light touch of gentle social satire, and wry glimpses into the subtle prejudices that creep into all of us. "'Elly, I've just spent 6 weeks with a cast on my foot. You don't know what discomfort's like!' 'Try being pregnant for 9 months.'" For Better or for Worse The Complete Library Volume Two: 1983-1986 is a treasure for both personal and public library comic strip collections, highly recommended.

The Silence of Malka
Jorge Zentner, author
Ruben Pellejero, illustrator
IDW Publishing
2765 Truxton Road, San Diego, CA 92106
www.idwpublishing.com
9781684052875, $24.95, HC, 112pp, www.amazon.com

For the family of the little red-headed Malka, trading the Russian shtetl for the Argentine pampas isn't so easy. Even in a country eager to populate its vast territories, the immigrants discover that their new home isn't the promised land. They encounter hostility from both man and nature, as they struggle through droughts and locusts in an attempt to cultivate the arid soil. When misery pushes them to the extreme, Malka's uncle is visited by the prophet Elias, who advises that he create a Golem--the mythical creature fashioned from earth and endowed with life by engraving on his body the word Emet ("Truth")--to pose as a man and aid the immigrants. When years later the adult Malka is visited by Elias, the events of her youth force her to decide whether or not she can maintain her silence--with fate and divine justice hanging in the balance. A sweeping and poignant story of Ashkenazi Jews fleeing the Russian pogroms at the end of the 19th Century, as well as a parable of the making of a modern society and the extent to which religion and mysticism meet, "The Silence of Malka" is inspired by a story told to the author by his grandmother. A truly compelling and thought-provoking read from first page to last, "The Silence of Malka" is unreservedly and especially recommended for personal and community library graphic novel collections.

My Hero Academia Vigilantes 1
Story by Hideyuki Furuhashi
Art by Betten Court
Original Concept by Kohei Horikoshi
Viz Media LLC
1355 Market Street, Suite 200, San Francisco CA 94103
9781974701599 $9.99 www.viz.com

Fast-paced and fun, My Hero Academia Vigilantes 1 kicks off a brand new black-and-white manga (Japanese graphic novel) series set in a world that reinvents the superhero genre! Superpower "quirks" are extremely common, and most citizens are required by law not to use their powers, for the sake of societal order. Some brave individuals are licensed as heroes, and legally permitted to use their powers for justice. Others are villains, who willfully use their powers for selfish ends. But a very few are vigilantes, unlicensed "heroes" who fight for what's right in their own way! Koichi Haimawari is a college student with a minor mobility quirk, who isn't strong enough to earn the official status of a hero; a chance encounter with thugs leads him to meet two other odd-heroes-out: a girl who aspires to be a pop star and a gruff old man who enjoys the thrill of pummeling bad guys just a little too much. The three of them might be the city's only hope against a new menace that has the police stumped - a black market drug that transforms anyone with a quirk into a full-blown supervillain! My Hero Academia Vigilantes is suggested for teen and older readers, due to occasional scenes of violence (but nothing particularly severe). Highly recommended!

Robotech Archives: Macross Saga Volume 2
Created by Jack Herman and Carl Macek
Art by Svea Stauch, Neil Vokes, Reggie Byers, Dave Johnson, and Mike Leeke
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781785862953 $24.99 amazon.com

Robotech Archives: Macross Saga Volume 2 continues the full-color, omnibus collection of rare Robotech comics, gathering issues 12 to 23 of the "Macross Saga" in a single volume. Robotech is a science fiction saga based on an enduringly popular anime (Japanese animation) series, about the SDF-1 starship carrying untold technological secrets, and a ruthless, gigantic alien race out to capture it - with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance! In volume 2, mortal peril stalks the SDF-1 crew. The enemy aliens Khyron and Miriya return; Miriya in particular seeks to avenge her battlefield honor by becoming a "Micronian" spy! Meanwhile, Rick Hunter must choose which of two love interests to pursue - the charismatic singer Minmei or the dutiful military officer Lisa. Robotech Archives: Macross Saga Volume 2 is a treasure especially for space opera connoisseurs, making long out-of-print comics affordable and accessible at last, and is highly recommended.

The Chronicles Of Corum: The Queen of the Swords
Michael Moorcock, author
Mike Baron, author
Mike Mignola, illustrator
Kelley Jones, illustrator
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781782763260, $24.99, HC, 112pp, www.amazon.com

After his defeat of the Chaos Lord Arioch, Prince Corum has little time to rest. His actions have angered Arioch's sister, Xiombarg, known as the Queen of the Swords. The Prince in the Scarlet Robe must fight on, facing the formidable Mabden armies, and taking on the might of the Queen of the Swords herself. Faced with immense powers of evil on all sides, Corum must reach the City of the Pyramid. But first he will encounter nightmarish creatures, unsettling sorcery, and uncanny new planes of existence. The second volume of the Chronicles Of Corum sword & sorcery series, "The Queen of the Swords" is a vividly designed graphic novel that will hold the reader's riveted attention from first page to last. Part of the Titan Comics 'Michael Moorcock Library' graphic novel series, "The Chronicles Of Corum: The Queen of the Swords" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Fantasy Graphic Novel collections. It should be noted for the legions of Michael Moorcock fans that "The Chronicles Of Corum: The Queen of the Swords" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.74).

Minky Woodcock: The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini
Cynthia Von Buhler, creator
Hard Case Crime
c/o Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781785863974, $24.99, HC, 128pp, www.amazon.com

Unappreciated at her father's acclaimed detective agency, the fabulous, rabbit-loving Minky Woodcock straps on her gumshoes in order to uncover a magical mystery involving noted author Arthur Conan Doyle and world-famous escape artist, Harry Houdini in "Minky Woodcock: The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini". A 1920's noir mystery thriller that is written and illustrated by Cynthia Von Buhler, with lettering by Simon Bowland, "Minky Woodcock: The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini" is an inherently riveting read from first page to last and highly recommended. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of graphic novel mystery fans that "Minky Woodcock: The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

Quarry's War
Max Allan collins
Hard Case Crime
c/o Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781785851186, $16.99, PB, 112pp, www.amazon.com

1970s Chicago and the grim brutality of the Vietnam War collide in the pages of "Quarry's War", a brand new graphic novel title featuring Max Allan Collins' Quarry, an eponymous assassin who is an expert sniper marksman and former Vietnam vet, as he receives details of his latest target from The Broker. It's an assignment that will see his past as a U.S Marine sniper come back to haunt him. In a unique storytelling format, Quarry's Vietnam back story and his current career as a hit man are presented simultaneously on alternating pages -- until the final action-packed chapter with a truly surprising and unanticipated plot twist. Another riveting read from Titan Comics' Hard Case Crime series of graphic novels, "Quarry's War" is very highly recommended and entertaining read. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Quarry's War" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

Atlas & Axis
Pau, creator
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781782763505, $19.99, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com

Atlas and Axis follows the exploits of the two titular canine adventurers. When they return home to find that their village has been destroyed by Viking raiders, Atlas and Axis set off in search of the Viking homeland and their missing friends. A perilous journey across land and sea ensues as the two dogs valiantly battle elements and enemies in the name of love and vengeance. A beautifully illustrated anthropomorphic graphic novel that touches upon such fascinating subjects as evolution and the ethics of invasion, "Atlas & Axis" is the first title in what is proving to be a simply outstanding new graphic novel series -- and one which will leave its fully entertaining readership looking eagerly toward the next volume of adventures by these two daring canine adventurers in the next installment of what will prove to be a four part series.

Alisik: Fall
Hubertus Rufledt, author
Helge Vogt, illustrator
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781785861321, $16.99 pbk / $9.99 Kindle www.amazon.com

One night, a young girl named Alisik wakes up in a cemetery. Frightened, she tries to flee only to discover that nobody can see her, touch her, or help her except for a disparate group of other deceased members of the cemetery community who are waiting for their own final judgements as to whether they will ascent into the Light or descend into the Dark. Alisik is dead. Worse, she is trapped between worlds, between hell and paradise, awaiting the judgment of Mr. Mortis, which is slow to come. Meanwhile, the cemetery faces destruction and Alisik and her new friends in the afterlife are bound to protect it. Luckily, Alisik has the help of Ruben, a young blind man, and the only person able to hear her. With Ruben as a light to guide her, Alisik has a chance to save the cemetery and find her way through the dark night. Very highly recommended and available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), it should be noted that "Alisik: Fall" is the first of an original and outstanding new graphic novel series by the team of author Hubertus Rufledt and illustrator Helge Vogt.

Hasib & The Queen of Serpents
David B., author/illustrator
NBM Publishing
160 Broadway, Ste. 700, East Wing, New York, NY 10038
www.nbmpub.com
9781681121628, $24.99, HC, 112pp, www.amazon.com

Heir to the wise Daniel, Hasib is a young woodcutter promised to a great future. When his greedy companions abandon him in the middle of the forest, he meets the Queen of Serpents. She then tells her story, a fabulous adventure filled with gods and demons, princes and prophets. From Kabul to Cairo, journeys intertwine with intrigues and spiritual quests while the fabulous nights follow one another. An enchanting and intricately designed interpretation of the story of Hasib Karim ad-Dim, through which David B. opens for us the gates of the Thousand and One Nights. A superbly crafted graphic novel for mature readers, "Hasib & The Queen of Serpents: A Thousand and One Nights Tale" is an extraordinarily entertaining read from beginning to end. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Hasib & The Queen of Serpents" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).


The Audiobook Shelf

Windfall
Meghan L. O'Sullivan, author
Eliza Foss, narrator
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
www.recordedbooks.com
ND0364, $TBA, CD, www.recordedbooks.com/title-details/9781501971891

"Windfall: How the New Energy Abundance Upends Global Politics and Strengthens America's Power" by Harvard professor and former Washington policymaker Meghan L. O'Sullivan reveals how fears of energy scarcity have given way to the reality of energy abundance. This abundance is transforming the geo-political order and boosting American power. "Windfall" describes how new energy realities have profoundly affected the world of international relations and security. New technologies led to oversupplied oil markets and an emerging natural gas glut. This did more than drive down prices. It changed the structure of markets and altered the way many countries wield power and influence. America's new energy prowess has global implications. It transforms politics in Russia, Europe, China, and the Middle East. "Windfall" explains the consequences for each region's domestic stability as energy abundance upends traditional partnerships, creates opportunities for cooperation. The advantages of this new abundance are greater than its downside for the US: it strengthens American hard and soft power. Offering a powerful description of how new energy realities creates a strategic environment to America's advantage, "Windfall" is complete, unabridged, and ably narrated by Eliza Foss, making it unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library audio book collections. (11 CDs, 13.5 Hours).

The Sea Takes No Prisoners
Peter Clutterbuck, author
Narrated by Malk Williams
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781501990571 $TBA www.recordedbooks.com

The Sea Takes No Prisoners: Offshore Voyages in an Open Dinghy is an unabridged, true-life memoir of author Peter Clutterbuck's high-seas expedition as a teenager. In the 1960's, Peter dared to take his family's open dinghy "Calypso", a Wayfarer designed for sheltered waters, as far as he could. Aided by the occasional crewman, he sailed across the Channel, through the Bay of Biscay, down French canals, into the Mediterranean, up to the North Sea and the Baltic to Oslo, living aboard for three months at a time. The Sea Takes No Prisoners tells of surviving waves, gales, capsizes, fog, and severe sleep deprivation. Written with tongue-in-cheek humor and descriptive prose bringing the voyage of a lifetime to the theater of the mind's eye, The Sea Takes No Prisoners is highly recommended for both personal and public library audiobook collections. 4 CDs, 4.5 hours.

The Book of Disquiet
Fernando Pessoa, author
Translated by Richard Zenith
Read by Adam Sims
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28, Franklin, TN 37064
www.naxosaudiobooks.com
9781781981429 $89.98 amazon.com

Now available in a complete and unabridged audiobook rendition superbly performed by Adam Sims (whose accomplishments include productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company), The Book of Disquiet is a posthumously published anthology of prose-poetry writings about dreams, solitude, memories, and the nuances of time itself. Portuguese author Fernando Pessoa (1888- 1935) created The Book of Disquiet as a "factless autobiography", from the perspective of "Bernardo Soares", one of his Pessoa's many alternate names. "Soares" leads a dull, ordinary life as an assistant bookkeeper in downtown Lisbon, bereft of ambition or friends. Yet deep within, he suffers from disquiet, relieved only by an internal wellspring of dreams and creativity. A thoughtful tribute to the power of imagination, The Book of Disquiet is highly recommended especially for public and college library audiobook collections. 15 CDs, 17 hours 28 min.

Nana
Emile Zola, author
Alfred Ernest Vizetelly, translator
Leighton Pugh, narrator
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28, Franklin, TN 37064
www.naxosaudiobooks.com
9781781881481, $31.95, CD, www.amazon.com

Nana Coupeau is a beautiful woman, able to attract men of enormous wealth with the crook of her finger. Part-time prostitute, part-time actress, she makes her debut in a mediocre operetta "The Blonde Venus" at the bustling Paris World's Fair of 1867. She can't sing, act, or dance, yet she is stunning. Nana soon rockets through elite Parisian society, and, blinded by desire, men crawl to her feet, yielding to her every demand. Affections are manipulated, hearts are broken; fortunes are gutted and inheritances squandered. The poverty and violence of Nana's upbringing have led her to a cold and profligate life -- a metaphoric indictment of the excesses of France's Second Empire, and a striking example of author Emile Zola's naturalism. A classic of French literature that is superbly narrated by Leighton Pugh, this flawlessly produced, complete and unabridged audio book edition of "Nana" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, college, and university library collections. (15 CDs, 17 Hours, 45 minutes).

Hell Divers III: Deliverance
Nicholas Sansbury Smith, author
R. C. Bray, narrator
Blackstone Audiobooks
31 Mistletoe Road, Ashland, OR 97520
www.BlackstoneAudio.com
9781584782481, $34.95, CD, www.amazon.com

Left for dead on the nightmarish surface of the planet, Commander Michael Everhart and his team of Hell Divers barely escape with their lives aboard a new airship called Deliverance. After learning that Xavier ''X'' Rodriguez may still be alive, they mount a rescue mission for the long-lost hero. In the skies, the Hive is falling apart, but Captain Jordan is more determined than ever to keep humanity in their outdated lifeboat. He will do whatever it takes to keep the ship in the air -- even murder. But when he learns the Hell Divers he exiled have found Deliverance, he changes course for a new mission -- find the divers, kill them, and make their new ship his own. In the third installment of science fiction author Nicholas Sansbury Smith's Hell Divers series, Michael and his fellow divers fight across the mutated landscape in search of X. But what they find will change everything. Ably narrated by R. C. Bray, this complete and unabridged audio book production is a 'must' for all Hell Diver fans as a natural conclusion to an outstanding post- holocaust science fiction trilogy, but can be listened to as an individual 'stand alone' story, making it highly recommended for personal as well as community library Science Fiction Audio Book collections. (9 CDs, 11 hours, 18 minutes).

A Gathering of Secrets
Linda Castillo, author
Kathleen McInerney, narrator
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.macmillanaudio.com
9781427296313, $39.99, CD, www.amazon.com

When an historic barn burns to the ground in the middle of the night, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called in to investigate. At first it looks like an accident, but when the body of eighteen-year-old Daniel Gingerich is found inside burned alive Kate suspects murder. But who would want a well-liked and hardworking young Amish man dead? Kate delves into the investigation and discovers Daniel had a dark side. He was a sexual predator. His victims were mainly Amish women, too afraid to come forward, and he's been getting away with it for far too long. Now someone has stopped him, but who? The women he victimized? Their boyfriends? Their parents? As Kate wades through a sea of suspects, she's confronted by her own violent past and an unthinkable possibility. Featuring more plot twists and turns than a Coney Island roller coaster, "A Gathering of Secrets" is another deftly crafted mystery from Linda Castillo (a true master of the genre) and expertly narrated by Kathleen McInerny. The result is an audio book mystery that will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library collections -- and a 'must listen' for all dedicated mystery buffs.

The Invaders Plan
L. Ron Hubbard
Galaxy Press
7051 Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 200, Hollywood, CA 90028
www.galaxypress.com
9781619865402, $19.99, CD, www.amazon.com

Voltar is an intergalactic empire 110 planets strong and headed straight for Earth which has been targeted as a supply base for Voltar's galactic conquest. But the powers that be on Earth are slowly destroying the planet, and it's up to the charismatic Jettero Heller to infiltrate the population and stem the tide of pollution and global warming. It's a dangerous mission that puts him into conflict with the ruthless Voltarian Lombar Hisst, who has plans of his own for the planet. Playing with fire, however, is in Heller's nature; he has fallen in love with the hypnotic Countess Krak -- a woman as voluptuous as she is violent. "Invaders Plan: Volume 1 - Soltan Gris Confesses his Crimes" is the first volume of a ten audio book series based on L. Ron Hubbard's 'Mission Earth' saga. This flawlessly produced audio book production features a cast of more than 85 actors performing 127 characters; features more than 150,000 sound effects; has a cinematic sound track with full orchestral musical compositions creating a captivating reality; and showcases impressive productions of 6 original songs written by L. Ron Hubbard. An extraordinary project that is especially and unreservedly recommended for all dedicated science fiction fans (and leave them looking eagerly toward the next scheduled volume!), "Invaders Plan: Volume 1 - Soltan Gris Confesses his Crimes" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library audio book collections. (17 CDs, 19 Hours).

Give Me Your Hand
Megan Abbott, author
Read by Chloe Cannon
Hachette Audio
1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104
www.HachetteAudio.com
9781549168994 $30.00 amazon.com

Give Me Your Hand is the unabridged audiobook rendition of a psychological thriller, penned by award-winning author Megan Abbott. Two high girls sharing a chemistry class once developed a close friendship over their mutual love of science - a friendship that cracked under the strain of an ominous secret. Over ten years later, the former friends are competing for the same, coveted research job, directed by a genius who is their mutual idol. But the desperate desire for the career of their dreams leads to dangerous obsession, in this deftly crafted novel of the dark sides of gifted brilliance and all-out competition. Highly recommended, especially for public library audiobook collections. 9 CDs, 11 hours.


The Library CD Shelf

Evensong: Canticles for the Earth
Meg Bowles
www.megbowlesmusic.com
Candlewood Digital
www.candlewooddigital.com
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com

Evensong: Canticles for the Earth is an orchestral, instrumental album crafted as a tribute to the Earth and all aspects of nature. Mysterious, creative, and vibrant, Evensong stirs the soul with its subtle beauty, and is enthusiastically recommended for both personal and public library ambient music collections. The tracks are "Hymnus", "Migration at Dusk", "The Ridgewalker", "Chalice of Shadows", "Berceuse for a Star Child", "Evensong", and "Time and Light".

Fellowship of Solitude
Lynn Tredeau
www.lynntredeau.com
Privately Published
$12.99 CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com

Fellowship of Solitude is the fifth solo piano album by music artist Lyn Tredeau. The new age songs reach out to the listener with a lofty, timeless quality that frees the mind to creatively soar. A timelessly beautiful and thoughtful reflection on dreams, memories, and inner peace, Fellowship of Solitude is highly recommended for new age connoisseurs. The tracks are "Fellowship of Solitude", "Traces of Daylight", "Land of Forgotten Dreams", "Call of the Owyhees", "Love Leaves a Memory", "What Hides in the Dark", "Afternoon Reflection", "The Time Machine", "Peace in the Midst", "Left Behind", "Life is in the Journey", and "Purple Fog".

River
Don Latarski
www.donlatarski.com
Heart Dance Records
www.heartdancerecords.com
$12.99 amazon.com

River is a new age album featuring solo, acoustic fingerstyle guitar music by Don Latarski. Its individual tracks from a continuous suite, creating a smooth, gentle audio experience that encourages the listener to flow with the soundscape, River uplifts the spirit like a bubbling wellspring. Highly recommended for personal and public library collections as well as gift- giving. The tracks are "Into the Clouds", "Gravity", "Serpentine", "Undercurrent", "March to the Sea", "Eddify", "Reflections", "The Falls", "Full Circle", "Tough by Nature", "Fall from Place", and "Bently".

Songs from Lyon County
Dennis Duff
Gracey Holler Music
$15.00 www.graceyhollermusic.com

Songs from Lyon County is a music album of original songs written by Kentucky native Dennis Duff. Delving into the history of Kentucky's Lyon County, including the Civil War, tobacco wars, floods, the iron industry, the bedrock that is faith in God, and more, the songs are from the perspective of people who lived, loved, and labored through Kentucky's history, and feel like a window into the personal lives of past generations. Songs from Lyon County is a captivating treasure, highly recommended. The tracks are "Wilson Holler", "Hey Mr. TVA", "Road to Dover", "Night Riders", "TC & Pearl", "Castle on the Cumberland", "Iron Hill", "37 Flood", and "When I Leave Kentucky".

Somewhere New
Sherry Finzer & Mark Holland
www.sherryfinzer.com
Heart Dance Records
www.heartdancerecords.com
$12.99 amazon.com

Somewhere New is a beautiful collaboration of contemporary, instrumental album by award- inning music artists Sherry Finzer and Mark Holland. Sherry Finzer plays concert C, alto, bass and contrabass flute while Mark Holland performs on a variety of world and Native American style flutes. Additional artists contribute to individual tracks, making Somewhere New a joyous, original fusion. A treasure for connoisseurs of new age music, Somewhere New is highly recommended for both public library and personal collections. The tracks are "Never Forgotten", "As the Night Blooms", "When the Stillness Comes", "In Search of Somewhere New", "Evening Star", "Leaving All Shadows Behind", "Five Shades", "The Beauty Lies Within", "Golden Daybreak", "Silence of a Cavern", "Deeper Distance", and "Dolphin Dreams".

Baby You Win
Cliff Westfall
cliffwestfallmusic.com
High Fidelity Recording
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com

Country songwriter Cliff Westfall presents Baby You Win, and original country album crafted with a flair for bittersweet humor. The music reflects on serious troubles, but also applies turns of phrase as a subtle way to keep the listener's spirit elevated with a wry spark of hope. A captivating Americana treasury, Baby You Win is highly recommended. The tracks are "It Hurt Her To Hurt Me", "Baby You Win", "Till the Right One Comes Along", "More and More", "Off the Wagon", "Hanging On", "I'll Play the Fool", "The Man I Used to Be", "A Lie If You Must", "The End of the Line", "Sweet Tooth", and "The Odds Were Good".


The Library DVD Shelf

Murdoch Mysteries, Season 11
Starring Yannick Bisson
Based on novels by Maureen Jennings
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$59.99 DVD or Blu-ray www.acornonline.com

Available in both DVD and Blu-ray formats, Murdoch Mysteries, Season 11 continues the award-winning murder mystery series based on the beloved novels of Maureen Jennings. Set in Toronto during the tumultuous era that was the close of the 19th century and the dawn of the 20th century, Murdoch Mysteries follows the dashing Detective William Murdoch (played by Yannick Bisson), who makes use of radical new forensic techniques such as fingerprinting, ultraviolet light, and trace evidence to solve horrifying murders. In series 11, Murdoch confronts cases involving poisoned wine, botched organ transplants, and anti-Semitic riots; in the process, he crosses paths with historical figures including Helen Keller, Alexander Graham Bell, and Theodore Roosevelt. A delight for murder mystery connoisseurs, Murdoch Mysteries, Season 11 is especially recommended for personal and public library collections. Bonus material includes the 23 min. featurette "Making Murdoch". 18 episodes on 5 DVDs or 4 Blu-ray discs, 792 min. plus bonus, SDH subtitles.

Keeping Faith
Starring Eve Myles
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$49.99 DVD or Blu-ray www.acornonline.com

Available in both DVD and Blu-ray formats, Keeping Faith is an original drama-thriller set in a quiet Welsh town. Award-winning actress Eve Myles stars as Faith Howells, a happily married lawyer with three children on extended maternity leave from the law firm she founded with her husband, Evan (played by Bradley Freegard). Then one day, Evan disappears. Faith struggles to handle the legal troubles of her firm's clients. Days go by with no sign of Evan. Faith becomes the prime suspect of the police. In an increasingly desperate search for her husband, Faith learns more about the criminal machinations beneath the surface of her seemingly sleepy town. The more she discovers, the more Faith wonders whether she truly knew who her husband was at all. Edge-of-seat engaging to the very end, Keeping Faith is highly recommended. Bonus materials include a behind-the-scenes featurettes and brief character introductions. 8 episodes on 3 DVDs or Blu-ray discs, 480 min. plus bonus, SDH subtitles.

No Offense, Series 1
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$49.99 www.acornonline.com

Winner of the Best Drama Series from the Royal Television Society, No Offense Series 1 is the DVD debut of a British police procedural featuring an unorthodox, female police squad that takes on Manchester's most bizarre and gruesome crimes. Their targets include drug dealers, neo- Nazis, black-market organ sellers, and serial killers. A vicious streak of black humor threads through this shockingly irreverent crime drama laced with plot twists. No Offense, Series 1 is a "must-see" for connoisseurs of the genre, highly recommended. No Offense is expressly intended for mature viewers due to the presence of violence, strong language, sexual situations, nudity, scenes of drug use, and disturbing images. Bonus materials include a brief meet the cast and crew section and deleted scenes. 8 episodes on 3 DVDs, 381 min. plus bonus, SDH subtitles.


The Genealogy Shelf

Genealogy and the Librarian
Carol Smallwood & Vera Gubnitskaia, editors
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476670874, $55.00, PB, 275pp, www.amazon.com

Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by the editorial team of author Carol Smallwood and college reference librarian Vera Gubnitskaia, "Genealogy and the Librarian: Perspectives on Research, Instruction, Outreach and Management" covers trends, issues and case studies as part of a collection that presents 34 new essays by library professionals actively engaged in helping patrons with genealogy research across the United States. Topics include strategies for finding military and court records, mapping family migration and settlement, creating and accessing local digital services, and developing materials and instruction for patrons. Remarkably informative, exceptionally well organized, thoroughly 'user friendly' in tone and commentary, "Genealogy and the Librarian: Perspectives on Research, Instruction, Outreach and Management" is unreservedly and especially recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Genealogy instructional reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted for genealogy students and librarians, as well as all non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Genealogy and the Librarian" is also available in a digital book format (eTextbook $29.99).


The International Studies Shelf

Understanding Contemporary Russia
Michael L. Bressler, editor
Lynne Rienner Publishers
1800 30th Street, Suite 314, Boulder, CO 80301
www.rienner.com
9781626377110, $28.50, PB, 447pp, www.amazon.com

Present day Russia under the control of Vladimir Putin is today in many significant ways different from the country portrayed a decade ago in the first edition of "Understanding Contemporary Russia". With an upsurge of both national pride (despite a struggling economy) and civil society activism, with a palpable tension between the support for democratic values and the intense desire for political stability, with an increased role in world politics that puts Putin in the headlines almost daily, contradictions and complexities abound. These contradictions, complexities, and much more are captured in this new edition. Now this newly updated second edition of "Understanding Contemporary Russia" (comprised of twelve erudite and informative articles) provides a sophisticated yet accessible introductions to the country's history, domestic politics, economy, foreign policy, society, and culture. The result is a well-grounded exploration of the realities of contemporary Russia and a study that should be a part of every personal, governmental, community and academic library Contemporary Russia collection and supplemental studies reading lists.


The Economic Studies Shelf

Prioritizing Development
Bjorn Lomborg, editor
Cambridge University Press
One Liberty Plaza, Fl. 20, New York, NY 10006
www.cambridge.org
9781108415453, $120.00, HC, 554pp, www.amazon.com

Compiled and edited by Bjorn Lomborg (President of the Copenhagen Consensus Center and Visiting Professor at the Copenhagen Business School), "Prioritizing Development: A Cost Benefit Analysis of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals" is a unique guide to making the world a better place. A diverse group of experts apply a critical eye to the United Nations' Sustainable Development agenda, also known as the Global Goals, which will affect the flow of $2.5 trillion of development aid up until 2030. Renowned economists, led by Bjorn Lomborg, determine what pursuing different targets will cost and achieve in social, environmental and economic benefits. There are 169 targets, covering every area of international development - from health to education, sanitation to conflict. Together, these analyses make the case for prioritizing the most effective development investments. A panel of Nobel Laureate economists identify a set of 19 phenomenal development targets, and argue that this would achieve as much as quadrupling the global aid budget. A collaborative work of seminal scholarship that is enhanced with the inclusion of figures, tables, a listing of the contributors and their credentials, and a seventeen page index, "Prioritizing Development: A Cost Benefit Analysis of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals" is an especially recommended addition to both community and academic library International Economics collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Prioritizing Development: A Cost Benefit Analysis of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals" is also available in a paperback edition (9781108401456, $39.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.80).


The Photography Shelf

3D: Double Vision
Britt Salvesen
Prestel Publishing
900 Broadway, Suite 603, New York, NY 10003
www.prestel.com
9783791356686, $60.00, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com

Published in association with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, "3D: Double Vision" by Britt Salvesen (Curator and Head of the Wallis Annenberg Photography Department and the Prints and Drawings Department at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art) follows the advancement of 3D photography over the decades, showing how the practice has evolved and, ironically, returned to its most basic form of expression. Pursuing a career-long obsession, Salvesen deftly explores the origins and impact of the stereoscope, featuring historic images by Jules Duboscq, Oskar Fischinger, Salvador Dal-, and others. She traces the invention to the dawn of film, and then to its post-World War II iterations, such as the ViewMaster, lenticular printing, and holography. Readers will learn how 3D photography became incorporated into the work of such artists as John Baldessari, Dan Graham, and Andy Warhol. Encompassing more than 100 years of innovation and experimentation, and covering a wide range of genres, artists, and forms, ranging from sophisticated perceptual experimentation to popular cinema, "3D: Double Vision" shows how the mystery of 3D images remain appealing to 21st-century artists and audiences. Each book includes a 3D-viewing apparatus, to enhance readers' appreciation of the possibilities in this multi-dimensional form of artistic expression. A uniquely informed and informative study, "3D: Double Vision" will prove to be an enduringly valued and appreciated addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library History of Photography collections and supplemental studies reading lists.


The Gaming Shelf

Gamer Nation
Eric Geissinger
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
www.prometheusbooks.com
9781633883796 $25.00 hc / $11.99 Kindle amazon.com

Gamer Nation: The Rise of Modern Gaming and the Compulsion to Play Again explores the negative impacts that have come with the rise of increasingly sophisticated video games designed expressly to keep the player hooked, consuming both their time and money. Modern video games such as "Candy Crush" have fine-tuned the art (or the scam) of appealing to the primal desire for rewards, extracting enormous amounts of money through microtransactions. Other games such as "World of Warcraft" create compelling virtual worlds that distract players from engaging in the real world, absorbing time and effort that could have been invested in forming real-life relationships or pursuing a rewarding career. One suggested antidote is to utilize external tools to limit time sunk into video games/Facebook/smartphones/etc. So-called "Parental Controls" or similar apps aren't only for parents and children; they're useful for anyone seeking to restore a healthy work-play balance. Gamer Nation is a "must-read" for anyone and everyone in the modern age of gamification, and highly recommended especially for public and college library collections.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

You Are Psychic
Sherrie Dillard
Llewellyn Publications
2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125
www.llewellyn.com
9780738751320, $18.99, PB, 312pp, www.amazon.com

In "You Are Psychic: Develop Your Natural Intuition Through Your Psychic Type", Sherrie Dillard (who has been a professional intuitive, medium, medical intuitive and teacher for over thirty years) guides the reader in discovering when and how their intuition works. Filled with easy-to-follow exercises, guided meditations, and illuminating stories drawn from Sherrie's years of teaching, "You Are Psychic" deftly shares the secrets of the four psychic types and shows how to identify spiritual strengths while overcoming the doubts or fears that may be standing in the way of personal and metaphysical success. Learning to trust the elusive energy of psychic awareness can be an important step in life's journey. "You Are Psychic" will helps even the most novice metaphysical student to interpret the intuitive information they receive, opening the gateway to support, guidance, and love from the realm of spirit. Whether the desire is to improve relationships, career, health, or finances, "You Are Psychic" will helps the reader to move beyond the five senses and embrace their deep inner wisdom. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "You Are Psychic" is especially informative and recommended reading that is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.49).

Barefoot Wisdom
Sharon Whiteley & Ann Marie Chiasson, MD
Red Feather
c/o Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764355448, $16.99, PB, 112pp, www.amazon.com

Co-written by author, serial entrepreneur, and innovator Sharon Whiteley and Ann Marie Chiasson (who is the co-director of the Fellowship in Integrative Medicine and Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Arizona's Center for Integrative Medicine), "Barefoot Wisdom: Better Health Through Grounding" shows the reader how to reconnect with nature's energy to step into better health through getting grounded. Grounding is a freely available way to tap into the Earth's always-accessible and ever-powerful natural energy to re-balance the body and restore health. An indispensable primer on the natural health benefits of grounding, "Barefoot Wisdom" specifically shows how to use the Earth's power to counteract the harmful nature deficiency found in our modern society. Contemporary readers will learn what people knew in the past about grounding and its use in linking to nature and the Earth, as well as finding out how to use grounding to change their lives, regain connections to the Earth, dispel misconceptions and challenge myths, and stay grounded wherever they are. By using the Earth as a treatment table, "Barefoot Wisdom" will teach understanding with respect to keeping our feet on the ground (sole to soil!) by taking a walk on the wild side -- all the way to a healthier future. A unique and valued contribution to the growing library of Alternative Medicine, "Barefoot Wisdom" is an extraordinarily informative, thoroughly 'reader friendly', and unreservedly recommended addition to personal reading lists, as well as both community and academic library collections.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Treating Trauma in Christian Counseling
Heather Davediuk Gingrich & Fred C. Gingrich, editors
InterVarsity Press
PO Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
www.ivpress.com
9780830828616, $55.00, HC, 400pp, www.amazon.com

As anywhere else, traumatic experiences are distressingly common within the Christian community. And the risks of developing posttraumatic stress disorder are high. But in recent years the field of traumatology has grown strong, giving survivors and their counselors firmer footing than ever before on which to seek healing. Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by counselor, scholar, teacher and former missionary Heather Gingrich and her husband Fred, "Treating Trauma in Christian Counseling" is a combined effort to introduce counseling approaches, trauma information, and Christian reflections to respond to the intense suffering people face. With extensive experience treating complex trauma, Heather and Fred Gingrich have brought together key essays representing the latest psychological research on trauma from a Christian integration perspective. "Treating Trauma in Christian Counseling" provides an overview of the kinds of traumatic experiences; coverage of treatment methods, especially those that incorporate spirituality; material to critically analyze as well as emotionally engage trauma; theoretical bases for trauma treatment and interventions; and references for further consideration and empirical research. While unreservedly recommended for professional, community, college, and university library Christian Studies and Psychology/Counseling instructional reference collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, instructors, clinicians, and researchers that "Treating Trauma in Christian Counseling" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $33.40).

Finding Jesus in Israel
Buck Storm
Worthy Publishing
6100 Tower Circle, Suite 210, Franklin, TN 37067
www.worthypublishing.com
9781683971405, $19.99, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com

An inherently fascinating blend of travel journal and spiritual guide, "Finding Jesus in Israel: Through the Holy Land on the Road Less Traveled" by touring singer and songwriter Buck Storm takes an unvarnished look at the Holy Land with an off-the-bus peek into the people and places that make Israel such an amazing destination. We are shaped and transformed by the oceans we sail, the deserts, mountains, and valleys we wander, and the people we meet along the way. And as any traveler worth his salt knows, the real trip happens within. Most Israel books are presented with a political, theological, or social agenda. Some are simply tourist guidebooks. But "Finding Jesus in Israel" isn't driven by agenda but rather it is a traveler's journey an unreservedly recommended reading for travel veterans, people with wanderlust, and anyone else who simply enjoys a good story well told. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Finding Jesus in Israel" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99).

A Theology of the Presence and Absence of God
Anthony J. Godzieba
The Liturgical Press
2950 Saint John's Road, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
www.litpress.org
9780814663585, $49.95, PB, 340pp, www.amazon.com

Contemporary American society is dominated by technology and an economic system based on consumerism. "A Theology of the Presence and Absence of God" by Anthony J. Godzieba (Professor of Theology and Religious Studies, Villanova University) deftly explores the Christian tradition of thinking and speaking about God. By focusing on God's dialectical character-divine availability ("presence") and divine excess ("absence") -- and the belief that "God is love" (1 John 4:16), Professor Godzieba provides an informative and insightful history of just how God became a problem in contemporary Western culture. He then goes on to show how human experience remains accessible to divine transcendence and how that encounters with the revelation of God as Trinity still persist. An impressive volume of theological inquiry within a Christian framework, "A Theology of the Presence and Absence of God" is an especially recommended addition to church, seminary, college, and university library Christian Studies collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of theology students, clergy, and non- specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "A Theology of the Presence and Absence of God" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.99).

Plantation Jesus
Skot Welch & Rick Wilson
Herald Press
P.O. Box 866, Harrisonburg, VA 22803
www.heraldpress.com
9781513803319, $29.99, HC, 192pp, www.amazon.com

Not so long ago in the once segregated southern states, most white American Christians believed that Jesus blessed slavery. God wasn't bothered by Jim Crow. Baby Jesus had white skin. Meet Plantation Jesus: a god who is comfortable with bigotry, and an idol that distorts the message of the real Savior. That false image of God is dead, right? Wrong, argue the authors Skot Welch and Rick Wilson. "Plantation Jesus: Race, Faith, and a New Way Forward" is an authoritative new look on one of the most urgent issues of our day. Through their shared passion for Jesus Christ and with an unblinking look at history, church, and pop culture, Welch and Wilson detail the manifold ways that racism damages the church's witness. Together they take on common responses by white Christians to racial injustice, such as "I never owned a slave.", "I don't see color; only people.", and "We just need to get over it and move on." Together they call out the church's denials and dodges and evasions of race, and they invite readers to encounter the Christ of the disenfranchised. With practical resources and Spirit-filled stories, "Plantation Jesus" nudges readers to learn the history, acknowledge the injury, and face the truth. Only then can the church lead the way toward true reconciliation. Only then can the legacy of "Plantation Jesus" be replaced with the true way of Jesus Christ. Especially timely as racism is beginning to once again become 'mainstream' under the encouragement of the Trump administration and the contemporary corruption of bigotry that has contaminated the Republican Party, as well as the present day leadership of the Evangelical Christian movement, "Plantation Jesus: Race, Faith, and a New Way Forward" is deserving of the widest possible readership, especially within the Christian community. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Plantation Jesus" is also available in a paperback edition (9781513803302, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

42 Seconds: The Jesus Model for Everyday Interactions
Carl Medearis
NavPress
www.navpress.com
c/o Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
www.tyndale.com
9781631464898, $15.99, PB, 176pp, www.amazon.com

The average length of Jesus' conversations as recorded in the Gospels was 42 seconds long. Jesus' conversations were remarkably simple. Contemporary Christian lingo has set up a dichotomy between what we call "discipleship" and "evangelism", but the Bible doesn't do that. Jesus had conversations all the time with those who thought they were close to God, as well as with those who deemed themselves lost and without hope. He invited all of them to come and learn from Him. "42 Seconds: The Jesus Model for Everyday Interactions " by international expert in Arab-American and Muslim-Christian relations Carl Medearis is a simple book that uses the ordinary moments of our lives the way Jesus used the same moments in his own. The premise is straightforward: If we can learn from Jesus how to have great conversations, it will change our lives and the lives of those around us. Its four-part structure, including five short chapters per section, is for churches and small groups to engage with the practical ideas together. "42 Seconds" includes discussion questions to help groups and individuals implement Jesus' natural rhythm of interaction in their own lives. In a time that desperately needs civility in our dialogues, kindness in our personal and professional relationships, and the example of Jesus in our conduct with one another, "42 Seconds: The Jesus Model for Everyday Interactions" is an extraordinary useful and instructive read by all members of the Christian community. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "42 Seconds" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (ChristianAudio, 978-1545901922, $12.98, CD).

The Divine Christ
David B. Capes
Baker Academic
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
9780801097867, $24.99, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com

For the past century, biblical scholars have debated when and how a divine Christology emerged. Part of the Acadia Studies in Bible and Theology series, "The Divine Christ: Paul, the Lord Jesus, and the Scriptures of Israel by David B. Capes (Associate Dean of Biblical and Theological Studies and Professor of New Testament at Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois) considers the earliest evidence we have -- the letters of Paul the Apostle. Professor Capes is a veteran teacher and highly regarded scholar who deftly examines Paul's letters to show how the apostle constructed his unique portrait of Jesus as divine through a rereading of Israel's Scriptures. Exceptionally well written, impressively informed and informative, expertly organized and presented, "The Divine Christ" is an ideal study for curriculum courses on Paul, Christology, biblical theology, and intertextuality. While unreservedly recommended for church, seminary, community, and academic library Christian Studies collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists of seminary students, clergy, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Divine Christ" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.74).

Sacred Signposts
Benjamin J. Dueholm
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
2140 Oak Industrial Drive, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
www.eerdmans.com
9780802874177, $16.99, PB, 190pp, www.amazon.com

The church isn't a building or an institution. The church is what it does. At the very heart of Christianity are its central, sacred, subversive practices -- the sacred signposts that have always shown the way to practice Christian faith, even when the terrain around it changes. In "Sacred Signposts: Words, Water, and Other Acts of Resistance", Benjamin J. Dueholm (who is the Pastor of Worship and Education at Messiah Lutheran Church in Wauconda, Illinois) unpacks Christianity's seven "holy possessions," which function as signposts -- words, water, bread and wine, confession and forgiveness, ministry, worship, and suffering. Then he offers a visionary account of the critical, radical, life-affirming role that faith can play in a secular, post-Christian world. An impressively informative and inspiring read that is particularly well written, organized and presented, "Sacred Signposts" is unreservedly recommended for community, seminary, and church library collections, as well as the personal reading lists for all members of the Christian community.

Our One Word: Creating Spiritual Joy and Depth
Martha Johnson Bourlakas
Church Publishing Incorporated
445 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016
www.churchpublishing.org
9781640650190, $19.95, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Women live uniquely demanding lives as providers, managers, caretakers, and, amidst those many roles, both chosen and cast upon them, the individual spirit sometimes loses her voice. To awaken this voice, Martha Bourlakas began a group for women in the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia called "Our One Word" to pray about and observe the secular, holy, and personal significance of one word each week. This simple goal affects participants in profound ways, and now Bourlakas shares their practice with the rest of us in the pages of "Our One Word: Creating Spiritual Joy and Depth". Here she provides a structure and resource for those who want to start a group, as well as meditation for anyone who wants to expand her or his own spiritual horizons. "Our One Word" encompasses words Bourlakas has offered to groups in the weekly format and at weekend retreats. Each individual chapter focuses on a different word, such as Joy, Heart, Change. There are brief quotations from religious texts, literature, music, etc. that explicate the word, combined with her own perspective. "Our One Word" offers a way for individuals or groups to cultivate a hospitable, constant presence, modeling the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives as a way to celebrate, pray, and just be. Inspired and inspiring, "Our One Word" is unreservedly recommended for all members of the Christian community. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Our One Word" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Maimonides: Between Philosophy and Halakhah
Lawrence J. Kaplan, editor
Urim Publications
c/o KTAV Publishing House
527 Empire Boulevard, Brooklyn, New York 11225
www.UrimPublications.com
9789655242034, $28.95, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Compiled and edited by Lawrence J. Kaplan (Professor of Rabbinics and Jewish Philosophy in the Department of Jewish Studies of McGill University in Montreal), "Maimonides: Between Philosophy and Halakhah" is the first and only comprehensive study of the philosophy of Maimonides by the noted 20th-century rabbinic scholar and thinker, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. Based on a complete set of notes, taken by Rabbi Gerald (Yaakov) Homnick, on R. Soloveitchik's lectures on Maimonides' Guide of the Perplexed at the Bernard Revel Graduate School, and edited by Professor Kaplan, this work constitutes a major contribution to our knowledge of both Maimonides and Rabbi Soloveitchik. In these lectures Rabbi Soloveitchik emerges as a major commentator on the Guide. In a wide-ranging analysis he eloquently and incisively explores such diverse topics in Maimonides' philosophy as his views on prophecy, the knowledge of and approach to God: normative, intellectual, and experiential; divine knowledge; human ethics and moral excellence; the divine creative act; imitation of God; and the love and fear of God. He also undertakes an extensive and penetrating comparison and contrast of Maimonides' and Aristotle's philosophical views. Over the course of these lectures develops a very profound and challenging overall approach to and interpretation of the Guide's central and critical issue: the relationship between philosophy and divine law. This work sheds a bright light on the thought of both Maimonides and Soloveitchik -- two great philosophers and rabbinic scholars. Simply stated, "Maimonides: Between Philosophy and Halakhah" is a significant and enduringly valued contribution to personal, rabbinic, community, and academic library Judaic Studies collections in general, and Maimonides supplemental studies lists in particular.


The Islamic Studies Shelf

The Little Book of Sufi Stories
Neil Douglas-Klotz
Hampton Roads Publishing Company
65 Parker St., Ste. 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
www.hrpub.com
9781571748294, $15.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com

Sufism is a form of Islamic mysticism characterized by values, ritual practices, doctrines and institutions dating back to very early on in Islamic history. Both the well known and the obscure Sufi tales comprising "The Little Book of Sufi Stories: Ancient Wisdom to Nourish the Heart" are drawn from the dozens that Neil Douglas-Klotz (Director of the Edinburgh Institute for Advanced Learning, Scotland) has enjoyed telling in his seminars over the past 20 years. Most of them appear in works of the classical Sufis, such as Rumi, Attar, or S'adi. To preserve some of the in-person feeling and bring the language up to date, Professor Douglas-Klotz has given them his own improvised turns. Thoughtful and thought-provoking, "The Little Book of Sufi Stories" is an inherently fascinating and entertaining read. While very highly recommended for both community and academic library Religion/Spirituality collections in general, and Sufi studies reading lists in particular, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Little Book of Sufi Stories" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).


The Hobby Shelf

Building Vehicles for Model Railroads
Jeff Wilson
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612
www.kalmbachstore.com
9781627004633, $21.99, PB, 95pp, www.amazon.com

On any model railroad, vehicles are important in establishing the era and location of the layout. In "Building Vehicles for Model Railroads", expert railroad modeler Jeff Wilson covers the many facets of modeling vehicles in HO scale with accuracy and realism. Profusely illustrated throughout, "Building Vehicles for Model Railroads" is a brief and ideal instructional guide to the evolution of prototype autos and trucks. "Building Vehicles for Model Railroads" covers assembling plastic, metal, and resin vehicle kits, as well as adding details to modify kits and assembled models, including painting, decaling, weathering, kitbashing, scratchbuilding, and converting toys to scale models. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Building Vehicles for Model Railroads" is a 'must' for all serious model railroad enthusiasts!

The Complete Photo Guide to Hand Lettering and Calligraphy
Abbey Sy
Quarry Books
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartous.com
9781589239630, $22.99, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com

"The Complete Photo Guide to Hand Lettering and Calligraphy: The Essential Reference for Novice and Expert Letterers and Calligraphers" by artist and designer Abbey Sy begins with an overview of tools and materials, both traditional (pointed pen and fountain pen) and modern (including brush markers and chalk), then presents a visual glossary of letterforms, highlights the unique characteristics of the featured alphabets, and demonstrates how to draw letterforms to foster an understanding of how they're created. The core chapters explore traditional, modern, and special effects lettering using a variety of mark-making tools, with in-depth how-to on adding flourishes and other special details, plus creative projects. There's also an introduction to modifying and creating letterforms digitally, as well as practice sheets for the featured alphabets. "The Complete Photo Guide to Hand Lettering and Calligraphy" is an ideal instructional guide and manual, especially for those who have never tried lettering before or who would like to develop their skills and consider all their creative options, Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, this profusely illustrated edition of "The Complete Photo Guide to Hand Lettering and Calligraphy" is especially recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Calligraphy instructional reference collections. It should be noted that "The Complete Photo Guide to Hand Lettering and Calligraphy" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.66).

Launchers, Lobbers, and Rockets Engineer
Lance Akiyama
Rockport Publishers
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9781631594274, $24.99, PB, 144pp, www.amazon.com

In "Launchers, Lobbers, and Rockets Engineer ", Lance Akiyama presents step-by-step directions to creating twenty devious weapons of backyard warfare. Each of these launchers are made from PVC, soda bottles, rubber bands, hairspray cans, and anything you might find in the junk drawer, and are capable of firing marshmallows, poker chips, tennis balls, sponges, and plenty more. Although intended primarily for adults, kids and teens (under adult supervision) can get in on the fun, too. The individual projects comprising "Launchers, Lobbers, and Rockets Engineer" range from simple shooters suitable to being built by novice crafters, to the more complicated Slide Action Rubber Band Gun, A Wrist-Mounted Crossbow, and even a Desk Drawer Booby Trap. Offering hours of creative fun and excitement, "Launchers, Lobbers, and Rockets Engineer" is very highly recommended for personal and community library collections. It should be noted that "Launchers, Lobbers, and Rockets Engineer" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.99).


The Needlecraft Shelf

The Cat Lover's Craft Book
Neko Shugei
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805314920, $12.99, PB, 80pp, www.amazon.com

Neko Shugei is a collective of cat-loving crafters comprising Yumi Ooami, Miko Ogura, Miyuki Hayashi, Chizuko Kojima, Minou 14, Naoko Suzuki, Kyoko Maruoka, Yoko Kobayashi, Hitomi Hanaoka, rie, Kanade Isshiki, Marupoleland, and nekogao along with their many feline muses. Collectively they have produced "The Cat Lover's Craft Book: Cute and Easy Accessories for Kitty's Best Friend" especially and particularly for anyone in love with all things cat-related! Embroidery, crocheting, sewing, knitting or felting, there's a 'cat-tastic' project inside this charming instructional guide and manual ranging from: Turning an umbrella handle into a furry cat's tail; Sewing and embroidering a personalized cat book cover; Making a lovely hand embroidered brooch or earrings; Making a cute cat door stop using a bottle and fabric; Making cuddly cat pouches, purses and bags; Knitting, crocheting or sewing a charming cat-shaped pillow; Sewing a chic cat badge or button cover using cross-stitched fabric; Sewing an adorable cat doll and dress her up -- and so much more! Super simple, step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and templates make these adorable cat crafts accessible to knitting, felting and embroidery beginners. These 'purr-fect' needlework crafts will delight cat lovers of all ages, and provide many hours of fun, making it an immediate and enduringly popular addition to personal and community library do-it-yourself needlecraft collections!

That Patchwork Place
c/o Martingale & Company
19021 - 120th Avenue NE, Suite 102, Bothell, WA 98011
www.ShopMartingale.com

Elegant Embroidery by Reiko Mori (Stitch; 9780986302954, $29.95) provides motifs from a Japanese embroiderer who outlines some forty images; then demonstrates how to incorporate them into a variety of projects. Some of these ideas, such as embellishing boxes with fabric and the motif, are innovative and not readily seen in other collections; while all the motifs are original, revealing, and fun ideas for a range of projects that begin with the introductory pieces featured herein and hold potential for other applications. Kim Diehl's Simple Whatnots: A Brach of Satisfyingly Scrappy Little Quilts (9781604689341, $29.99) provides 18 very small quilt patterns. Five are new to this collection and thirteen were part of her Simple Whatnots Club productions. All receive clear step-by-step directions, color photos, and projects for small patchwork pieces and applique; from home products such as table toppers and layered quilts to wool projects that can be displayed as works of art. The diverse simplicity of these projects makes for an appealingly unique collection needleworkers will relish. Karen M. Burns compiles Fat-Quarter Favorites: 13 Eye-Catching Quilts You'll Love to Make (9781604689020, $22.99), a gathering of new directions and fresh takes on classic quilt block designs. Fat quarters are the foundation of these creations, but they take a different turn than most quilting collections featuring them because they show how to use traditional piecing and applique approaches to design refreshingly different quilts. Full-page photos of finished blocks and quilts accompany specific directions, materials lists, and tips on cutting and piecing. Karen M. Burns and Amelia Johanson's 180 More Doodle Quilting Designs: Free-Motion Ideas for Blocks, Borders, and Corners (9781604689068, $28.99) covers 'doodle quilting' and provides designs that can be used in the process of creating such a quilt, outlining the tracing and drawing practices unique to the doodle machine quilt idea. Sets for blocks, borders, and corners include swirls, curves, feathers, and more, offering a key to this style of machine quilting that will especially interest those who have used their sewing machines for traditional approaches, but who want to expand into more creative avenues. All are recommended picks for serious quilter collections.


The Philosophy Shelf

Iron Man vs. Captain America and Philosophy
Nicolas Michaud & Jessica Watkins, editors
Open Court Publishing Company
70 East Lake Street, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60601
www.opencourtbooks.com
9780812699760, $19.95, PB, 276pp, www.amazon.com

Iron Man or Captain America? Which one is superior -- as a hero, as a role model, or as a personification of American virtue? Argued out by legions of Marvel comic book fans, it is also in the realm of philosophers who take different sides come together in Iron Man versus Captain America to debate these issues and arrive at a deeper understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of these iconic characters. The discussion ranges over politics, religion, ethics, psychology, and metaphysics. Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Nicolas Michaud (Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Florida State College Jacksonville) and Jessica Watkins (who is the co-editor of Jurassic Park and Philosophy: The Truth Is Terrifying), "Iron Man vs. Captain America and Philosophy" is comprised of twenty-four erudite essays and thought- provoking articles on the subject. An inherently fascinating and occasionally iconoclastic read, "Iron Man vs. Captain America and Philosophy" is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary Popular Culture and Contemporary Philosophy collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of Marvel fans, students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Iron Man vs. Captain America and Philosophy" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.95).


The Business Shelf

Driving Digital Strategy
Sunil Gupta
Harvard Business Review Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
http://hbr.org/books
9781633692688, $32.00, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com

No business today, regardless of what product they are producing or service they are providing can avoid utilizing computers and the internet to conduct their business. For over a decade, Sunil Gupta (who is the Edward W. Carter Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School) has studied digital transformation at Fortune 500 companies. He knows what works and what doesn't. To succeed in our electronic age companies ensure that their digital strategy touches all aspects of their organization including their: business model, value chain, customer relationships, and company culture. In "Driving Digital Strategy: A Guide to Reimagining Your Business", Professor Gupta informatively covers each aspect in vivid detail while providing navigation tips and best practices along the way. Enhanced with rich and illuminating case studies of companies at the forefront of digital transformation, "Driving Digital Strategy" an impressively comprehensive guide that will enable even the most novice of business managers to take full and effective advantage of the limitless opportunities the digital age provides for their business activities. While very highly recommended for company, community, and academic library Business Management instructional reference collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of business executives, entrepreneurs, business students, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Driving Digital Strategy" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.27).

Knockout Presentations
Diane DiResta
https://www.diresta.com
Morgan James Publishing
11815 Fountain Way, Suite 300, Newport News, VA 23606-4448
www.morganjamespublishing.com
9781683508793, $19.95, PB, 294pp, www.amazon.com

"Knockout Presentations: How to Deliver Your Message with Power, Punch, and Pizzazz" by Diane DiResta (who is the founder and CEO of DiResta Communications, Inc, a New York City-based communications skills consultancy serving business leaders who want to communicate with greater impact - whether one-to-one, in front of a crowd, or from an electronic platform) is a "seminar in a book" on the subject of public speaking that will reduce fear and give speakers the steps to craft of delivering a talk that will make them a knockout on the platform! The next best thing to having Diane DiResta as a personal coach, "Knockout Presentations provides all the fundamentals without the fluff. Aspiring speakers will learn what confidence looks like, sounds like, and how to speak the language of confidence, reduce preparation time, craft a compelling talk, size up an audience, overcome fear, and master questions and answers. The Dos and Don'ts at the end of each chapter help speakers review and remember the principles even after putting them into practice. Speaking is the new competitive advantage and Knockout Presentations gives speakers tools and techniques, templates, and resources to improve their skills. While very highly recommended for community, corporate, and academic library Self- Help/Self-Improvement instructional reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Knockout Presentations" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Delivery
Andre Babikian
Samfundslitteratur
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213
www.isbs.com
9788759330012, $24.00, PB, 132pp, www.amazon.com

"Delivery" by Andre Babikian is a succinct and thoroughly 'reader friendly' instructional guide and manual featuring 18 'tools' to help anyone produce powerful and effective presentations, whether they will be speaking for an audience of two or two thousand. "Delivery" is a compendium of simple 'tricks of the trade' that can help even the most novice of public speakers connect with an audience, and make a presentations lively, inspiring, engaging and relevant. "Delivery" will help to avoid the typical one-way communication trap, and show how to engage any kind of audience in collaborative workshops, as well as how to deftly adapt a presentation on the fly to ensure that the speaker and the speaker's message will impress and inform any audience. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Delivery" is an especially recommended addition to personal, professional, corporate, community, and academic Business Studies instructional reference collections in general, and Public Speaking supplemental studies reading lists in particular.


The Automotive Shelf

Jaguar from the Shop Floor
Brian James Martin
Veloce Publishing Ltd.
www.veloce.co.uk
9781787112797, $50.00, HC, 192pp, www.amazon.com

In the pages of "Jaguar from the Shop Floor: Foleshill Road and Browns Lane 1949 to 1978", Brian Martin (who is a long time member of both The Jaguar Drivers' Club, The Jaguar Enthusiasts' Club, and The Jaguar Apprentices' Motor Club) tells the story of his life as a long-time employee at Jaguar, giving a first-hand account of the development and production processes, and the ups and downs of factory life through the eyes of someone who was actually there. A part-autobiographical and part-historical account, "Jaguar from the Shop Floor" tells of Brian's childhood in a typical working family of the depression era, and then describes his career from starting at the Jaguar factory in 1949, through a spell doing national service in the RAF and then going back to Jaguar. He left briefly in 1972 to try other jobs, but returned to the factory in the mid-1970s. Providing a fascinating insight into the Jaguar production process, the book also covers the development of the XK120, Mk V, Mk VII, MK X. The Mark 1 and 2 (2.4, 3.4 & 3.8 litre) saloons, the XKSS, E1A, E2A, lightweight E Types, XJ6 XJ12 & XJS, "Jaguar from the Shop Floor" is a 'must' for all Jaguar car enthusiasts and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, community, and academic library Automotive History collections.

Morris Minor: 70 Years On The Road
Ray Newell
Veloce Publishing Ltd.
www.veloce.co.uk
9781787112070, $60.00, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com

The postwar Morris Minor, designed by Alec Issigonis, was one of the most popular vehicles in British automotive history. 2018 marks 70 years since the first Minors rolled off the production lines at Cowley in Oxfordshire. In this celebratory publication Ray Newell (who is a well known and respected figure within Morris Minor circles, has been Secretary of the UK based Morris Minor Owners Club since 1983, and has contributed significantly to the Club's growth and development in that time) looks in detail at the development of the wide range of models produced during a production run that spanned twenty two years in the UK. Using mainly contemporary materials covering four decades, "Morris Minor: 70 Years On The Road" transports the reader back to an era when the pace of life was much slower and the marketing of the vehicles was considerably different to the slick advertising of today. The worldwide appeal of this trend-setting vehicle is examined in the context of the 'export or die' mentality that dominated postwar Britain, as are the innovative production methods used to ensure that 'Morris Motors Ltd' lived up to its 'quality first' reputation. Variations from standard specifications are considered with reference to mechanical uprating, different body styles and the use of modern accessories to enhance further the comfort and styling of what was dubbed 'The World's Supreme Small Car'. Issigonis sketches of the prototype cars, sales brochures, promotional materials, and rare and unusual photographs make this a fascinating book. The continuing appeal of the car voted Britain's most popular classic in 2016 is examined, as are the factors which continue to attract a new generation of 21st century owners. Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout, "Morris Minor: 70 Years On The Road" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to personal, community, and academic library British Automotive History collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students and automotive history enthusiasts that "Morris Minor: 70 Years On The Road" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $27.99).

Dyno Don
Doug Boyce
CarTech Inc.
838 Lake Street South, Forest Lake, MN 55025
www.cartechbooks.com
9781613254059, $34.95, PB, 176pp, www.amazon.com

The 1950s through the 1970s are arguably the 'Golden Years of drag racing as an organized sport. That was when individual drivers often became associated with a particular manufacturer, such as Chevy, Ford, or Chrysler through sponsorship, factory team rides, or sometimes simply their own preference. The Ford company's most successful driver of the era was the legendary "Dyno Don" Nicholson. His first wins on a national level were actually in the early 1960s in Chevrolet products. He became extremely successful on the match-race circuit. Then, in 1964, he switched over to Mercury with the new Comet after General Motors enacted a factory ban on racing activities. He won 90 percent of his match races that year. He stuck with Ford and Mercury products and won throughout the 1960s and 1970s, even after Ford also pulled the plug on factory team sponsorship. He made it to the final rounds in nearly 50 national events during that period, in addition to winning championships, awards, and match races along the way. Profusely illustrated throughly, "Dyno Don: The Cars and Career of Dyno Don Nicholson" by drag racing enthusiast Doug Boyce is an impressively informative and inherently fascinating read that is a 'must' for the legions of drag racing enthusiasts in general, and Dyno Don fans in particular!

Chrysler A-833 Transmissions: How to Rebuild and Modify
Jamie Passon
CarTech Inc.
838 Lake Street South, Forest Lake, MN 55025
www.cartechbooks.com
9781613253243, $26.95, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com

Chrysler A-833 Transmissions: How to Rebuild and Modify is a recommended reference for any car repair library in general and Chrysler owners in particular who receive the specifics of the A-833 transmission, what makes them work, common problems and solutions, and how to perform a complete rebuild. Auto mechanics and buffs receive the expertise of an owner devoted to the business of rebuilding these transmissions, Passion Performance, which also manufactures many parts for the A-833. The result is packed with color photos and step-by-step details on assembling, disassembling, and repairing these transmissions: a treasure trove of detail that should not be missed by these car owners, tinkerers, and auto repair shops.


The Travel Shelf

Moon: New England
Jen Rose Smith
Moon Handbooks
c/o Avalon Travel
1700 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.moon.com
9781640491748, $23.99, PB, 550pp, www.amazon.com

Compiled, organized and presented by Vermont local Jen Rose Smith, "Moon: New England" is a compact yet comprehensive travel guide that is ideal for exploring the best of New England's historic cities, its famed fall foliage, as well as it's the stunning coastline. "Moon: New England" includes: Flexible itineraries for every season, including quick weekend getaways from Boston and New York and two weeks exploring all of New England; Strategic advice for foliage-seekers, beach bums, winter sports enthusiasts, foodies, and more; Can't-miss highlights and unique experiences: Catch America's first sunrise at Acadia, or hike the rocky landscape of the White Mountain Peaks. With "Moon: New England" travelers can sample their way through craft breweries, or sip chowder in America's oldest restaurant; Explore rolling dunes and sandy beaches at Cape Cod, and find the best local seafood shack for lobster rolls, fresh-shucked oysters, and piles of fried clams; Follow in the footsteps of the founders on Boston's Freedom Trail, or gaze at glamorous 19th-century mansions in Newport; Hit the top slopes in the region for skiing and snowboarding, or watch the changing leaves paint the landscape in red and gold. Of special note is the expert advice from Jen Rose Smith on when to go, where to stay, and how to get around. Enhanced with the inclusion of full-color photos and detailed regional and city maps throughout; thorough background information on the wildlife, landscape, climate, and local culture; recommendations for families with children, international visitors, seniors, travelers with disabilities, and more, "Moon: New England" will prove an invaluable reference for planning anything from day trips to extended vacations throughout New England. It should be noted that "Moon: New England" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).

Hiking the Gulf Islands of British Columbia
Charles Kahn
Harbour Publishing
PO Box 219, Madeira Park, BC, Canada, V0N 2H0
www.harbourpublishing.com
9781550178258, $24.95, PB, 344pp, www.amazon.com

Nestled in the Strait of Georgia between British Columbia's mainland and Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands are a hiker's paradise, each boasting an eclectic character and an array of flora and fauna unique to the temperate climate of the southern West Coast of Canada. Hikers can discover the panoramic views, inviting beaches and friendly hospitality of the Gulf Islands -- all within a short distance of Vancouver and Victoria. Now in a fully updated and expanded fourth edition, "Hiking the Gulf Islands of British Columbia" includes something for everyone eager to explore the diverse and stunning archipelago often referred to as BC's Enchanted Isles. A chapter, which includes historical and practical information, is dedicated to each island ranging from the much-visited Bowen Island at the entrance to Howe Sound to the often-overlooked islands of Texada and Lasqueti. Along with helpful illustrations and maps, at-a-glance information is provided for each hike, including a starred rating for the trail, a short description of the hike, its length, the time required to hike it, the degree of difficulty, access points, as well as any cautions for exploring the area responsibly to ensure the protection of these ecological oases. This thoroughly 'user friendly' guide also contains up-to-date information on the islands' marine parks, including the spectacular Gulf Islands National Park Reserve (36 square kilometres of land and marine area scattered over fifteen islands) as well as paddling suggestions and launch sites for kayakers. Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Hiking the Gulf Islands of British Columbia " continues to be an ideal and very highly recommended travel guide for anyone with an interest in visiting this scenic part of British Columbia.

Brian Solomon's Railway Guide to Europe
Brian Solomon
Kalmbach Media
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612
www.KalmbachHobbyStore.com
9781627004770 $24.99 amazon.com

Featuring tips and tricks for navigating 21 countries and a wealth of full-color photography, Brian Solomon's Railway Guide to Europe is a "must-read" for any traveler who plans to see Europe by train. There is a brief history with context and travel basics for each of the 21 countries, as well as suggestions for the best tickets to buy, and the most fascinating destinations to visit. Railway connoisseurs of all walks of life will also find Brian Solomon's Railway Guide to Europe a joy to page through.

Trekking in the Everest Region, sixth edition
Jamie McGuinness
Trailblazer
www.trailblazer-guides.com
9781905864812 $21.95 amazon.com

Now in an updated sixth edition, Trekking in the Everest Region is packed cover to cover with tips, tricks, routes, health and safety guides, lodging recommendations, suggestions for employing a guide or a porter, and much more especially for anyone seeking to trek through the Everest region of Nepal's Himalaya. Author Jamie McGuinness puts his years of experience living in Kathmandu, running a trekking agency, and climbing Everest (seven times!) to paper. There are recommendations for travelers on a wide range of possible budgets, from staying simple lodges with Sherpa families on a shoestring budget, to guided treks with luxuries for those who can afford it. "In Thamel the nightlife has blossomed and so has the late-night trouble. After 11pm or so single women walking home have been hassled (albeit rarely), usually by Nepali guys who have followed them out of a club." Trekking in the Everest Region is a "must-have" for any tourist or business traveler destined for this remote, extraordinarily beautiful land, highly recommended.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Collectibles Handbook & Price Guide 2019-2020
Judith Miller
Miller's Guides / Mitchell Beazley
www.millersguides.com
c/o Octopus Books
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781784724207, $27.99, PB, 432pp, www.amazon.com

Collectibles Handbook & Price Guide 2019-2020 provides the 25th updated edition of a classic collector's handbook which pairs a completely updated price guide with new listings, photos, special sections, and discussions of ceramics, dolls, media memorabilia, glass, rock and pop cultural oddities, and more. Also included are tips on buying or selling on eBay, to dealers or through shops, and in flea market or garage sale environments. The result will appeal to a wide audience and is recommended as a basic reference especially useful for identification, valuation, and insights on the latest trends in the collectible industry.


The Music Shelf

Accidentally Like a Martyr
James Campion
Backbeat Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
33 Plymouth Street, Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042-2677
www.halleonard.com
9781617136726, $24.99, PB, 290pp, www.amazon.com

The late Warren William Zevon (January 24, 1947 - September 7, 2003) was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician. Warren Zevon songs are like chapters in a great American novel. Its story lies in the heart of his and our psyche. The lines are blurred. We never seem to know if we are looking in a mirror or peering through a window; we only know that when we listen we see something . The music sets the scene his voice a striking baritone, its narrator our guide through a labyrinth of harrowing narratives. The plot unfolds without subtlety; each musical and lyrical arc awakens imagination. In "Accidentally Like a Martyr: The Tortured Art of Warren Zevon", music journalist James Campion presents 13 erudite and informative essays on seminal Zevon songs and albums that provide context to the themes, inspirations, and influence of one of America's most literate songwriters. In-depth interviews with Zevon's friends and colleagues provide first-person accounts of how the music was lived, composed, recorded, and performed. Longtime fans of this most uniquely tortured artist, as well as those who want to discover his work for the first time, will get inside the mind, talent, and legacy of the wildly passionate Excitable Boy. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Accidentally Like a Martyr" offers an extraordinary and analytical study of a man and his music that is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary American Biography and Contemporary American Music collections in general, and Warren Zevon supplemental studies lists in particular.


The Art Shelf

One Piece Color Walk Compendium: East Blue to Skypiea
Eiichiro Oda
Viz Media LLC
1355 Market Street, Suite 200, San Francisco CA 94103
www.viz.com
9781421598505 $39.99 amazon.com

One Piece Color Walk Compendium: East Blue to Skypiea is a showcase of full-color images and special illustrations from the worldwide popular manga (Japanese graphic novel) series One Piece. A joy to page through and savor, One Piece Color Walk Compendium collects the contents of the first three Color Walk art books into a single volume, spanning the early manga storyline from the East Blue arc (where the main characters of One Piece's somewhat-maybe- possibly-heroic "Straw Hat" pirate crew first meet) to the Skypiea arc. Occasional comments from One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda, as well as several pages of interviews between Oda and other famous artists including Final Fantasy visual designer Yoshitaka Amano and Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, round out this "must-have" treasure for One Piece connoisseurs. Highly recommended!


The Computer Shelf

Data Structures and Program Design Using C
D. Malhotra and N. Malhotra
Mercury Learning
www.merclearning.com
9781683922070, $59.95, PB, 450pp, www.amazon.com

Data Structures and Program Design Using C: A Self-Teaching Introduction covers the basics of data structures using C and pairs tips, real-world application discussions, and frequently asked questions with a format that includes self-testing exams at the end of each chapter. The purpose and approach is to serve as both an introduction or a refresher course in the subject, offering newcomers and those who may wish reinforcement of their skills an approach that explains technical concepts and how they relate to actual projects and practical applications. Charts, graphs, formulas, and definitions accompany discussions of operations and algorithms in a manner that makes for an invaluable survey easy for self-learners to apply to either accompanying courses on the subject or a basic refresher course for home study.


The Sports Shelf

The Ultimate Guide to Whitewater Rafting & River Camping
Molly Absolon
Falcon Press
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.falcon.com
9781493032334, $22.95 PB, $13.19 Kindle, 280pp, www.amazon.com

The Ultimate Guide to Whitewater Rafting & River Camping is recommended for new and would-be rafters who may know little about the skills and equipment involved in embarking on a whitewater rafting trip, but who want to learn. Equipment and techniques have changed as new technology has resulted in better and different approaches to whitewater in recent years, and this book incorporates the latest details. From choosing basics and caring for equipment to rafting techniques and basic rescue, this cover everything from planning a trip to handling emergencies. Packed with color photos and sidebars of information such as internet search tips for permits and selected river games, this is the item of choice for anyone who would organize a whitewater rafting and river camping expedition.


The Holocaust Studies Shelf

Eyewitness: My Journey to the Hague
Isak Gasi & Shaun Koos
Brandylane Publishers
5 South First Street, Richmond, VA 23219
www.brandylanepublishers.com
9781947860025, $29.95, HC, 270pp, www.amazon.com

Before April of 1992, Isak Gasi was a world-class athlete and community leader, content to live a quiet life with his wife and infant daughter in the Bosnian city of Brcko. He never could have dreamed that within just a few short years, he would come face to face with Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and others indicted for war crimes, as a lead prosecution witness at the International Criminal Trials for the Former Yugoslavia. "Eyewitness: My Journey to the Hague" is an accessible and deftly presented history that joins the personal story of a man who was close to the action with the war's broader historical and political contexts. In a world still challenged by ethnic violence and refugee response, "Eyewitness: My Journey to the Hague" is a compelling story of justice, forgiveness, and truth will continue to resonate readers as Europe and the world are once again plunged into chaos with the migrations of immigrants pouring into the continent and giving rise to the kind of racial bigotry that gave rise to the ethnic cleansing movements such as that experienced and witnessed by Isak Gais first hand. "Eyewitness: My Journey to the Hague" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal reading lists, as well as community, college, and university library collections.


James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
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