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Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Never Not Working
Malissa Clark
Harvard Business Review Press
https://hbr.org
9781647825096, $32.00, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Never-Not-Working-Always-Business/dp/1647825091
Synopsis: Many workers believe that to compete with other top talent, they must embrace a culture that rewards long hours
and a constant connection to work. Businesses and society endorse busyness, overwork, and extreme commitment as the
most valued traits in workers. Sometimes that endorsement is explicit, as when Elon Musk told X/Twitter employees to
work "long hours at high intensity" or get fired. More often it is an implicit contract, a buildup of organizational and cultural
norms and the adoption of new technologies that make it easy to tether people to work.
Either way, this workaholic behavior is unhealthy and counterproductive for workers and for organizations. It's time to fight
back. With the publication of "Never Not Working: Why the Always-On Culture Is Bad for Business--and How to Fix It",
Malissa Clark (a preeminent researcher on the culture of overwork) shows you how.
Clark examines overwork and burnout, not just from the individual's perspective but from an organizational perspective too.
She delivers a comprehensive, nuanced definition of workaholism, busting myths along the way -- working long hours, it
turns out, doesn't automatically make you a workaholic. She also helps you assess whether you're falling prey to the
phenomenon and whether you're creating workaholics in your organization.
Clark also shows you how to escape the trap of putting work at the center of everything and thus losing your well-being (or
your company's performance) in the process. Deeply researched and written for everyone from leaders to individual
contributors, "Never Not Working" is an essential guide to identifying workaholism in yourself and others and starting on
the road to recovery.
Critique: An extraordinary, seminal, ground-breaking, iconoclastic study, "Never Not Working: Why the Always-On
Culture Is Bad for Business -- and How to Fix It" is exceptionally well written and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in
organization and presentation. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99), "Never Not Working" must be
considered essential reading for all corporate executives and managers -- as well as a critically important addition to
professional, community, and college/university library Workplace Culture/Business Management collections and
supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Malissa Clark (https://www.malissaclark.com) is an Associate Professor of Industrial and Organizational
Psychology at the University of Georgia, where she leads the Healthy Work Lab. She is one of the world's leading scholars
on workaholism, overwork, burnout, and employee well-being. In addition to serving as an expert consultant to many
organizations on these issues, Clark and her work have been featured in outlets including the New York Times, the BBC,
Time, Glamour, The Atlantic, HuffPost, and others.
Of Love And War
Angela Wanhalla
University of Nebraska Press
www.nebraskapress.unl.edu
9781496205100, $55.00, HC, 252pp
https://www.amazon.com/Love-War-Pacific-Brides-Studies/dp/1496205103
Synopsis: Between 1942 and 1945 more than two million servicemen occupied the southern Pacific theater, the majority of
whom were Americans in service with the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. During the occupation, American
servicemen married approximately 1,800 women from New Zealand and the island Pacific, creating legal bonds through
marriage and through children. Additionally, American servicemen fathered an estimated four thousand non-marital
children with Indigenous women in the South Pacific Command Area.
With the publication of "Of Love and War: Pacific Brides of World War II" Professor Angela Wanhalla details the intimate
relationships forged during wartime between women and U.S. servicemen stationed in the South Pacific, traces the fate of
wartime marriages, and addresses consequences for the women and children left behind.
Paying particular attention to the experiences of women in New Zealand and in the island Pacific (including Tonga, Fiji,
Samoa, and the Cook Islands) "Of Love and War" illuminates the impact of global war on these women, their families, and
Pacific societies.
Professor Wanhalla also argues that Pacific war brides are an important though largely neglected cohort whose experiences
of U.S. military occupation expand our understanding of global war. By examining the effects of American law on the
marital opportunities of couples, their ability to reunite in the immediate postwar years, and the citizenship status of any
children born of wartime relationships, Professor Wanhalla makes a significant contribution to a flourishing scholarship
concerned with the intersections between race, gender, sexuality, and militarization in the World War II era.
Critique: A unique and seminal contribution to personal, professional, community, and college/university library World War
II Pacific Theatre military history collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, "Of Love and War: Pacific Brides
of World War II" is an impressively meticulous and exceptionally well written, organized and presented study that will be of
paramount value to readers with an interest in the sociology of marriage/family, indigenous peoples studies, and the role of
women in war. Of special note is the inclusion of a number of illustrations, a sixteen page Bibliography, thirty- six pages of
Notes, and a thirteen page Index. For students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject
that "Of Love and War: Pacific Brides of World War II" it should also be noted that there is also a digital book format
(Kindle, $52.25) edition available as well.
Editorial Note: Angela Wanhalla (Ngai Te Ruahikihiki, Ngai Tahu) is Professor of History at the University of Otago, New
Zealand. She is also the co-author of He Reo Wahine: Maori Women's Voices from the Nineteenth Century and author of
Matters of the Heart: A History of Interracial Marriage in New Zealand, winner of the Ernest Scott Prize for best book in
Australian and New Zealand history in 2014.
Growing Up Army
Robert R. Heath Sr.
Warren Publishing
www.warrenpublishing.net
9781960146557, $30.95 Hardcover/$18.95 Paper
https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Army-soldier-adventurous-traveling/dp/1960146556
Growing Up Army: The Story Of A Soldier, His Loving Wife, And Their Nine Adventurous Army Brats Traveling The
World In Service To Our Country is a powerful, enlightening chronicle of what it means to be a family participating in
Army life, providing a service to others by documenting the daily routines of a military family.
This isn't your usual two-children family. Nine kids and two parents made numerous journeys, as military service required.
Robert R. Heath was one of these family members, and his account of what it meant to "grow up Army" captures, as few
other stories do, the impact of the nomadic life that gave so much to country and, in turn, built a family rich in values and
flexibility: "Through all our lives, as Army Brats, we had to deal with the heartbreak of constant separation from good
friends due to the normal rotation of Dad's assignments. Then occasionally we had the great joy of meeting them again a few
years down the road at another base. Growing up Army means never having roots to any one "hometown."
As the third of nine "Army brats," Robert learned not only to survive, but thrive. Family adventures and growth experiences
blend in a multi-generational effort to draw together family history and stories of military associations, achievements, and
life. These, in turn, strengthen and add historic dimensions into this story.
Readers who come from Army roots themselves will well recognize many of the challenges and opportunities this lifestyle
presented to the author, while those with little familiarity with Army life but a real interest in how families (especially large
ones) develop will find many thought-provoking insights accompanying the adventures the family navigated and
absorbed.
Whether presenting a child's illicit adventure encounter with Chinese soldiers or learning about differences between Army
and civilian life, Growing Up Army synthesizes the wealth and variety of life experiences that can only be found in the
world of "Army brats": "Experiencing all the differences in how other people lived has always been one of the great benefits
all of us Brats express when talking about growing up Army."
The result is lively, fun, and unexpected -- a story that holds the power to attract not just military families and those about to
enter service, but general-interest readers, who will enjoy a rollicking ride through cultural interactions and family
dynamics. Libraries and readers interested in Army experiences will find much to appreciate in Growing Up Army, which is
highly recommended for a wide audience.
The Social Issues Shelf
The Jail is Everywhere
Jack Norton, author
Lydia Pelot-Hobbs, author
Judah Schept, author
Verso
www.versobooks.com
9781804291313, $19.95, PB, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Jail-Everywhere-Fighting-Geography-Incarceration/dp/1804291315
Synopsis: Nearly every county and major city in the United States has a jail, the short-term detention center controlled by
local sheriffs that funnels people into prisons and long-term incarceration. While the growing movement against
incarceration and policing has called to reform or abolish prisons, jails have often gone unnoticed, or in some cases seen as a
"better" alternative to prisons."
Yet jails, in recent decades, have been the fastest-growing sector of the US incarceration state. Jails are widely used for
immigrant detention by ICE and the U.S. Marshals and as a place to offload people that prisons can't hold. As jails grow,
they transform the region around them, and whole towns and small cities see health care, mental health care, substance
abuse, and employment opportunities taken over by incarceration concerns.
If jails are everywhere, resistance to jails is too. The recent jail boom has sparked a wealth of local activist struggles to resist
and close jails all across the United States, from rural counties to major cities.
"The Jail is Everywhere: Fighting the New Geography of Mass Incarceration" brings these disparate voices together, with
contributions from activists, scholars, and expert journalists describing the effects of this quiet jail boom, mapping the
growth of the carceral state, and sharing strategies from recent fights against jail construction to strengthen struggles against
jailing everywhere.
Critique: A seminal and ground-breaking study that will have particular value to readers with an interest in Criminology,
Human Rights Law, and incarceration reform, "The Jail is Everywhere: Fighting the New Geography of Mass Incarceration"
is an essential, core, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university
library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, jail/prison reform political
activists, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Jail is
Everywhere: Fighting the New Geography of Mass Incarceration" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99)
as well.
Editorial Note #1: Jack Norton is Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at Governors State University.
Editorial Note #2: Lydia Pelot-Hobbs is an Assistant Professor of Geography and African American & Africana Studies at
the University of Kentucky, and author of Carceral Crisis: Punitive State Power, Racial Capitalism, and Struggles for
Abolition Democracy in Louisiana.
Editorial Note #3: Judah Schept is a Professor in the School of Justice Studies at Eastern Kentucky University. He is the
author of Coal, Cages, Crisis: The Rise of the Prison Economy in Central Appalachia and Progressive Punishment: Job
Loss, Jail Growth, and the Neoliberal Logic of Carceral Expansion.
We're All Neurodiverse
Sonny Jane Wise
Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Inc.
www.jkp.com
9781839975783, $18.95, PB, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Were-All-Neurodiverse-Neurodiversity-Affirming-Neuronormativity/dp/1839975784
Synopsis: "We're All Neurodiverse" is an affirming and thoughtful guide that effectively outlines how and why we need to
fundamentally shift our thinking about neurodivergent people. We need to accept differences rather than framing them as a
problem, abnormality or disorder. Welcome to the neurodiversity paradigm.
At times challenging and radical, with the publication of "We're All Neurodiverse" is a framework for understanding human
brain function and mental illness. It argues that diversity in human cognition is normal and that some conditions classified
as mental disorders are differences and disabilities that are not necessarily pathological. ", Sonny Jane Wise explores the
intersections of neurodivergence with disability, gender, sexuality and race. Through interviews, narratives, and the lens of
their own raw experiences, they consider how current systems and structures that impact neurodivergent people are rooted in
outdated capitalist and racist frameworks, and how these need to change and adapt to be neurodiversity affirming.
Sonny Jane's words are a rallying cry to challenge the pathology paradigm. They offer nine principles for facilitating change,
reflected in deeply personal stories from the neurodivergent community. Powerful and persuasive, "We're All Neurodiverse"
is a clarion call for a kinder and more neurodiversity affirming society.
Critique: Neurodiversity is a framework for understanding human brain function and mental illness. It argues that diversity
in human cognition is normal and that some conditions classified as mental disorders are differences and disabilities that are
not necessarily pathological. "We're All Neurodiverse" is a seminal study that will have immense value to both
medical/psychology professionals, parents of children with neurological pathologies and gender identification issues, as well
as non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject. Exceptionally 'reader friendly' in organization and
presentation, "We're All Neurodiverse" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as
community and college/university library parenting of children with disabilities collections and supplemental curriculum
lists.
Editorial Note: Sonny Jane Wise (www.livedexperienceeducator.com) is a non-binary, disabled and neurodivergent
advocate based in Australia. Sonny were diagnosed as a child and grew up only hearing a deficit narrative. Since then, their
mission has been to change the narrative on neurodiversity and neurodivergence as an internationally recognized public
speaker, author and creator.
The International Studies Shelf
Belonging, Identity, and Conflict in the Central African Republic
Gino Vlavonou
University of Wisconsin Press
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299345709, $89.95, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Belonging-Identity-Conflict-Central-Republic/dp/029934570X
Synopsis: Political conflict in many parts of the world has been shaped by notions of who rightfully belongs to a place. The
concept of autochthony (that a true, original people are born of a land and belong to it above all others) has animated
struggles across post-colonial Africa. But is this sense of rootedness from time immemorial necessary to assertions of
original being and thus political supremacy?
With the publication of "Belonging, Identity, and Conflict in the Central African Republic" by Gino Vlavonou (a Program
Officer at the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada) deftly examines how political conflict unfolds
when the language of autochthony is detached from historical land claims.
Focusing on violent struggles in the Central African Republic between 2012 and 2019, Vlavonou explores the social
practices, discursive strategies, and government policies that emerged in the relentless project of African state building.
Conflict and power struggles pitted Christian-animist communities, loosely organized as vigilante groups under the name
anti-Balaka, against Muslim rebels known as the Seleka. Fighters of the anti-Balaka claimed that they were autochthonous,
the "true Central Africans," reframing their Muslim neighbors as foreigners to be expelled.
While the country had previously witnessed episodes of violence, both peoples had lived together relatively peacefully and
intermarried. The speed and ferocity with which identity was weaponized puzzled many observers.
To understand this phenomenon, Vlavonou probes autochthony as a category of identity that differs from ethnicity in
important ways. He argues that elites and ordinary citizens alike mobilize the language of original belonging as "identity
capital," a resource to be deployed. The value of that capital is lodged in what people say and do every day to give meaning
to their identity, and its content changes across time and space.
Critique: An impressively original, seminal, and ground-breaking work of exhaustive research and meticulous scholarship,
Gino Vlavadnou's "Belonging, Identity, and Conflict in the Central African Republic" from the University of Wisconsin
Press also includes a number of figures and tables, as well as eighteen pages of Notes, a twenty-two page listing of
Resources, and an eighteen page Index. Of special and particular value to readers with an interest in 20th & 21st Century
national building in Central Africa, "Belonging, Identity, and Conflict in the Central African Republic" is a welcome and
exceptionally informative contribution to personal, professional, and college/university library Central African International
Studies collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
The Education Shelf
The Working Classroom
Matt Bromely, author
Andy Griffith, author
Crown House Publishing
www.crownhousepublishing.com
9781785836985, $24.95, PB, 220pp
https://www.amazon.com/Working-Classroom-School-Working-Class-Students/dp/1785836986
Synopsis: Collaboratively co-authored by Matt Bromley and Andy Griffith, "The Working Classroom: How to make school
work for working-class students" from the Crown House Publishing Company offers practical strategies and tools to help
secondary schools address the needs of working-class students, including by building cultural capital and designing more
engaging learning.
Schools do amazing work to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds. But "The Working Classroom" will enable
them to do even more. Disadvantage comes in many forms, but cultural poverty, where some students have relative
knowledge gaps compared with their more affluent peers, can be addressed successfully by schools. What "The Working
Classroom" does is to explore how working-class students are disadvantaged by a flawed system and what schools can do to
close the gap.
Written by two experienced authors with a deep understanding of the challenges that poverty and low aspiration can bring,
and a passion for social justice, "The Working Classroom" also examines how and why we must seek systemic changes. The
focuses is on actions within the control of teachers and school leaders which will ensure that we create a socially just
education system -- one that builds on the rich heritage of the working-class, rather than seeing their background as a
weakness. "The Working Classroom" offers practical ways for students and families to build on the best of working-class
culture, whilst also empowering teachers, students and parents to change the system.
"The Working Classroom" will provide teachers with useful methods to improve the cultural capital of students from
disadvantaged backgrounds that can be easily replicated and implemented in their own setting. Backed up by practical case
studies that have a proven impact in schools with high levels of deprivation, "The Working Classroom" will enable teachers
to audit their current provision and encourage them to adopt new systems and practices so that they, and the wider school,
will have a greater impact on the lives of working-class students and their families.
Critique: Deftly written, expertly organized, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in style and presentation, "The Working
Classroom: How to Make School Work for Working-Class Students" is an ideal DIY instructional 'how-to' guide for both
teachers and leaders in a secondary school or sixth form college settings who seek to support social change in education and
anyone in the corporate or non-education world who wants to practice effective altruism or philanthropy. While
unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, school district, and college/university library Educational Theory &
Practice collections and Teacher Education curriculum syllabus, "The Working Classroom" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $23.70).
Editorial Note #1: Matt Bromley is an education journalist, author, and advisor with twenty five years' experience in
teaching and leadership including as a secondary school headteacher and academy principal, further education college vice
principal, and multi-academy trust director.
Editorial Note #2: Andy Griffith is the director of MALIT and MALIT Community Learning. He is an award winning
trainer and the creator of high-impact training courses for leaders, teachers and students.
Creating a Reading Culture in Primary and Secondary Schools
Margaret K. Merga
Facet Publishing
www.facetpublishing.co.uk
9781783306398, $52.95, PB, 222pp
https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Reading-Culture-Primary-Secondary/dp/1783306394
Synopsis: A critically important question for parents and teachers is -- Does your school encourage a life-long love of
reading?
Children who identify as readers are three times more likely to have good mental wellbeing. A reading culture that
permeates a school can transform it into a space where reading is supported, encouraged, normalised and valued.
"Creating a Reading Culture in Primary and Secondary Schools: A Practical Guide" by Margaret K. Merga will help
teachers and librarians to: Advocate for the importance of a whole-school reading culture with recent research in this field;
Select from a number of research-supported strategies underpinning a whole-school reading culture to tailor your school's
approach according to resourcing and priorities; Develop a clear trajectory for building and sustaining stakeholder
engagement and resourcing, including securing external funding for related initiatives; Plan and manage a multi-faceted
approach to enable real change within your school.
Drawing on the Margare Merga's internationally-recognized experience in this field, "Creating a Reading Culture in Primary
and Secondary Schools: A Practical Guide" will be essential reading for anyone looking to develop reading in schools.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, expertly organized, and throughly 'reader friendly' in presentation and style, "Creating a
Reading Culture in Primary and Secondary Schools: A Practical Guide" is an extraordinarily informative study that is
especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, school district, and college/university library Reading
Education collections and curriculum studies syllabus. It should be noted that "Creating a Reading Culture in Primary and
Secondary Schools: A Practical Guide" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $50.30).
Editorial Note: Margaret K. Merga PhD; MEd; GradDipEd; BA(Hons), is the founder of Merga Consulting and consults
with schools, professional associations and governmental departments on educational policy and program issues.
(www.researchgate.net/profile/Margaret-Merga-2)
Classroom Assessment Essentials
Susan M. Brookhart
ASCD
www.ascd.org
9781416632528, $32.95, PB, 186pp
https://www.amazon.com/Classroom-Assessment-Essentials-Susan-Brookhart/dp/1416632522
Synopsis: Classroom assessment is a vital part of teaching. It helps make student learning (or a lack thereof) visible so that
teachers can adjust teaching practices and better support learners. But designing and implementing reliable assessments is a
complex process.
"Classroom Assessment Essentials" is comprehensive book by assessment expert Professor Susan M. Brookhart. In this
instructional guide Professor Brookhart covers the foundational concepts and practical skills necessary to be successful with
classroom assessment. Organized into 21 essentials, "Classroom Assessment Essentials " addresses everything from using
pre-assessment before starting new lessons to communicating with parents about their child's academic growth.
Additionally, classroom educators will discover how to:
* Create clear learning targets and success criteria based on standards.
* Provide meaningful feedback to students about progress toward goals.
* Involve students in the regulation of their own learning.
* Use homework to check for understanding.
* Decide on instructional follow-up based on formative assessment data.
* Make accommodations for students with IEPs and support equity and fairness.
* Design performance tasks for individuals and groups.
* Craft rubrics and design classroom tests.
With strategies that support high-quality assessment, tips and troubleshooting advice, and examples across subject areas and
grade levels, "Classroom Assessment Essentials" will help to make effective assessment a cornerstone of any public or
private K-12 classroom.
Critique: An ideal textbook for school district in-service training workshops, "Classroom Assessment Essentials" is
impressively comprehensive, exceptional well written, and thoroughly 'user friendly' in both organization and presentation.
Simply stated, "Classroom Assessment Essentials" is the only assessment book novice and experienced K - 12 teachers alike
will need in order to effectively monitor and maximize student learning. While unreservedly recommended for professional,
school district, and college/university library Education Assessment and Teaching Training collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for student teachers, academia, classroom teachers, school district administrators,
and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Classroom Assessment Essentials" is also available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $23.99).
Editorial Note: Susan M. Brookhart (https://susanbrookhart.com/about) is Professor Emerita in the School of Education at
Duquesne University and an independent educational consultant working with schools, districts, regional educational
service units, universities, and states doing professional development. She was the 2007 - 2009 editor of Educational
Measurement: Issues and Practice and is currently an associate editor of Applied Measurement in Education. She is also the
author or co-author of numerous books on classroom assessment, teacher professional development, and evaluation.
Brookhart has been named the 2014 Jason Millman Scholar by the Consortium for Research on Educational Assessment and
Teaching Effectiveness and is the recipient of the 2015 Samuel J. Messick Memorial Lecture Award.
Research Handbook on Migration and Education
Halleli Pinson, Nihad Bunar, and Dympna Devine, editors
Edward Elgar Publishing
www.e-elgar.com
9781839106354, $345.00, HC, 586pp
https://www.amazon.com/Research-Handbook-Migration-Education-Handbooks/dp/1839106352
Synopsis: Collectively compiled and co-edited by the team of Halleli Pinson, Nihad Bunar, and Dympna Devine, "Research
Handbook on Migration and Education" significantly contributes to the shaping of education and migration as a distinct
field of research. It is forward-looking Research Handbook from Edward Elgar Publishing that explores cross-cutting
questions on the range of challenges facing education systems, migrant children and students today.
Covering an impressive range of local, national and educational contexts, the contributors to the "Research Handbook on
Migration and Education" explore the diverse case studies, educational initiatives, approaches and policies that have been
developed to support migrant and mobile students, educational professionals and schools.
Diverse chapters offer a broad understanding of the multifaceted nature of global migration today, exploring varied
theoretical and methodological perspectives, and examining the educational challenges and opportunities presented by
migration.
The "Research Handbook on Migration and Education" ultimately stresses the importance of interdisciplinary research into
the complex phenomenon of global migration and its impact on education systems and the educational trajectories of
migrant children.
Students and scholars in the fields of education, migration, childhood studies and globalization studies will find the
"Research Handbook on Migration and Education" to be an invaluable reference. Its wide range of case studies on different
educational provisions designed to support migrant children in schools will further benefit educational practitioners and
policymakers.
Critique: Comprised of thirty-six articles deftly organized and presented in five major sections, informatively enhanced for
the reader with the inclusion of a twelve page listing of the contributors and their credentials, and featuring a twenty-two
page Index, the "Research Handbook on Migration and Education" must be considered an essential, significant, and core
addition to personal, professional, governmental, and college/university library Global Migration/Education reference
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Halleli Pinson, is part of the School of Education, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel.
(https://www.humanmovement.cam.ac.uk/directory/halleli-pinson)
Editorial Note #2: Nihad Bunar (https://www.su.se/profiles/nbuna-1.188149) is part of the Department of Special
Education, Stockholm University, Sweden.
Editorial Note #3: Dympna Devine (https://people.ucd.ie/dympna.devine) is part of the School of Education, University
College Dublin, Ireland.
Integrating Technology into Student Affairs
V. Barbara Bush, Ph.D, editor
Hugo A. Garcia, Ph.D, editor
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
https://www.ccthomas.com
9780398094263, $30.95, PB, 175pp
https://www.amazon.com/Integrating-Technology-American-Practice-Professional/dp/0398094268
Synopsis: Collaborative compiled and co-edited by B. Barbara Bush and Hugo A. Garcia, "Integrating Technology into
Student Affairs" is a valuable resource for graduate students in student affairs preparation programs and anyone working in
the field of student affairs. It provides readers with a comprehensive guide to the integration of technology in student affairs,
drawing on the expertise of leading scholars and practitioners in the field.
The chapters comprising "Integrating Technology into Student Affairs" explore the many ways in which technology can be
used to enhance student engagement, support, and learning outcomes. The topics include the history of technology in
student affairs, digital identity, integrating high-tech with high touch on campus, ethical issues with technology, technology
and risk management, consideration of the need for social media liaisons in student affairs, technology competency and
adaptability, and case study on technology decision-making.
Whether you are a seasoned professional or a new practitioner, you can gain a wealth of insights on how to use theoretical
models to address digital identity, convert traditional campus functions to technological approaches, apply a conceptual
framework for ethical technological practices, enhance campus and community engagement through the development of a
social media liaison, navigate technological competency and adaptability issues on campus as well as to identify legal issues
arising in daily practice and learn risk management skills.
The knowledge, skills, and wisdom provided in "Integrating Technology into Student Affairs" will guide you not only to
incorporate technology into your work but also empower you to leverage technology in innovative ways to better serve the
needs of your students and advance the field of student affairs.
Critique: Expertly organized and presented, "Integrating Technology into Student Affairs" is impressively informative and
essential reading for anyone with an interest in the technological innovations and advances in the field of education in
general, and student affairs in particular. Simply stated, "Integrating Technology into Student Affairs" is unreservedly
recommended for the personal reading lists of school administrators, as well as college/university Education Technology
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: V. Barbara Bush (University of North Texas) received the 2020 UNT Foundation Faculty Leadership
Award. The UNT Foundation Faculty Leadership Award acknowledges a faculty member who significantly impacts the
academic enterprise through initiatives, leadership, and service
Editorial Note #2: As an educator and academician (Texas Tech University) Hugo Garcia has an informative website at
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=zgw24FAAAAAJ
The Health/Medicine Shelf
All Bleeding Stops: Life and Death in the Trauma Unit
Stephen M. Cohn, M.D.
Mayo Clinic Press
https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org
9798887700632, $26.99, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/All-Bleeding-Stops-Death-Trauma/dp/B0BQYMD91N
Synopsis: For all the awe-inspiring medical stories we might hear and the hospital dramas that dominate the ratings on
television, most of us have no conception of the daily, Herculean efforts of trauma surgeons. A good trauma surgeon must
be a conductor presiding over an orchestra of healthcare providers as their patients cling to life by a thread. They are also a
steely quarterback who can't be rattled when they throw an interception -- lingering on a past failure would only ruin their
ability to care for the next patient, and the next. They have an encyclopedic knowledge of medical science and are practiced
in the art of instinctively reacting to whatever emergency comes flying at them on a stretcher, in addition to doing anything
they can to comfort patients' distraught families and friends.
"All Bleeding Stops: Life and Death in the Trauma Unit" by Dr. Stephen M. Cohn gives readers an intimate look at what
goes on inside a trauma center, highlighting injuries sustained in car crashes, shootings, and stabbings -- basically anything
bleeding, obstructed, or perforated. Having lived and breathed trauma for four decades, Dr. Cohn is an ideal guide to
demystify the role of the trauma surgeon and their place in a hospital. He pulls back the curtain to clarify such questions
as:
1. What exactly is a trauma surgeon, and what does one do?
2. How does a trauma center function, and what really goes on in the operating room?
3. How do you mold a medical student into a surgeon who can stay cool and act decisively when a patient's life hangs in the
balance?
His answers are infused with sobering tales from his career as a military surgeon and in trauma centers across the country as
well as his descriptions of high-profile medical stories.
Critique: Inherently fascinating, impressively informative, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "All
Bleeding Stops: Life and Death in the Trauma Unit" is enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of four pages of
Notes and a six page Index. Unreservedly recommended for, and of particular value to, personal, professional, and
college/university library Health & Medical and Medical Practitioner Biography/Memoir collections and supplemental
Emergency Medicine Services curriculum studies, it should be noted that "All Bleeding Stops: Life and Death in the Trauma
Unit" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Stephen Cohn, M.D., is a former surgeon in the U.S. Army Medical Corp in Desert Storm, past Division
Chief of Trauma and Surgical Critical Care at Yale University School of Medicine, past Medical Director of the Ryder
Trauma Center in Miami, past Chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center,
and current practitioner in New York City. He has also lent his knowledge as an educator and researcher, having produced
more than 300 scientific publications, edited eight surgical textbooks, conducted extensive funded research, participated in
many professional organizations, and served as an editorial reviewer for numerous journals. He is the recipient of Teacher of
the Year awards at Boston University, University of Massachusetts, Yale, and Northwell Health and a Lifetime
Achievement in Education award from the University of Miami Department of Surgery.
Well to the Core
Robin Long
Tyndale House Publishers
www.tyndale.com
9781496472625, $27.99, HC, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Well-Core-Realistic-Guilt-Free-Approach/dp/1496472624
Synopsis: With the publication of "Well to the Core: A Realistic, Guilt-Free Approach to Getting Fit and Feeling Good for a
Lifetime", certified Pilates instructor and founder of Lindywell, Robin Long, is on a mission dedicated to helping you
reclaim your health, your fitness, and your body.
With "Well to the Core", the reader will join Robin on a personal journey toward their own holistic health and discover: Ten
core components of an effective and realistic approach to healthy and balanced living; A grace-over-guilt mindset to release
shame and develop helpful habits in every season of life; How breath, nature, rest, and play can improve your quality of life;
Exclusive Pilates workouts, mindfulness exercises, and deliciously crafted recipes to nourish your mind, body, and
soul.
Robin Long's underlying message is that it's possible to break free from constant stress about what you're eating, how you're
exercising, or how much weight you need to lose in order to really start living. This is where true wellness begins -- and
Robin Long shows you the way in "Well to the Core".
Critique: Beautifully illustrated with full color images throughout, "Well to the Core: A Realistic, Guilt-Free Approach to
Getting Fit and Feeling Good for a Lifetime" is an ideal DIY manual for achieving and maintaining health and well-being at
any age. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Well to the Core" is especially and unreservedly
recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Health/Fitness Lifestyle collections. It
should be noted that "Well to the Core" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
Editorial Note: Robin Long struggled with body image and her on-and-off relationship with diet and workout programs. It
took a step inside the Pilates studio for Robin to change her entire approach to wellness. Pilates helped Robin connect her
mind and body for the first time. She started working with her body, not against it. Robin's health and mental transformation
motivated her to pursue a comprehensive Pilates certification through Body Arts and Science International and ultimately
perfect her own method of teaching Pilates. Robin is founder and CEO of Lindywell and still loves to create classes and
programs that transform her clients and members from the inside out.
The Psychology Shelf
Footprints of Schizophrenia
Steven Lesk, MD
Prometheus Books
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
www.rowman.com
9781633889286, $28.95, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Footprints-Schizophrenia-Evolutionary-Mental-Illness/dp/1633889289
Synopsis: Of all the mental illnesses, schizophrenia eludes us the most. No matter the strides scientists have made in
neurological research nor doctors have made in psychiatric treatment, schizophrenia remains misunderstood, almost
complacently mythologized. Without a reason for the illness, patients feel even more alienated than they already do, families
are left hopeless, and doctors struggle to provide accurate care.
Dr. Steven Lesk, though, after a medical career dedicated to those affected by schizophrenia and a determination to find the
answer to its existence, presents "Footprints of Schizophrenia: The Evolutionary Roots of Mental Illness", describing and
explaining a groundbreaking theory that will forever change the lives of the mentally ill.
In "Footprints of Schizophrenia: The Evolutionary Roots of Madness", Dr. Lesk threads evolutionary evidence with
neurological evidence, turning the mysteries of our minds into a tapestry of logic. With his breakthrough theory and this
unprecedented book, Dr. Lesk will invite necessary cultural dialogue about this stigmatized illness, provoke new psychiatric
and pharmacological research, and provide unequivocal comfort to those afflicted and affected by schizophrenia.
Dr. Lesk's "primitive organization theory" is based in human evolution, from Neanderthals to Homo sapiens, and the
specific changes to our brains after the emergence of language. We have existed in human-like form for six million years,
but we've only had language for 50,000; within the vast span of evolutionary time, that's hardly any time at all.
Additionally, Dr. Lesk elucidates us to the hormones affected by language, especially dopamine, and with brilliant clarity,
connects human evolution, our brain affected by language, and those with schizophrenia whose dopamine doesn't flow in
our new, adaptive way. In other words, the twenty million people who have schizophrenia in the world don't suppress
dopamine in the way evolution has trained us, so their brains don't process language well and function as if they're in a
hallucinatory, delusional dream state.
Not only will Dr. Lesk's theory focus treatment efforts for schizophrenia, but it will also affect that of other
dopamine-related mental illnesses like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's chorea, Tourette's, ADD, and more.
Publishing Lesk's work will usher in a new era of psychiatric understanding, one that the field and the public desperately
needs.
Critique: An inherently fascinating, challenging, comprehensive, informed and informative study, "Footprints of
Schizophrenia: The Evolutionary Roots of Mental Illness" by Dr. Steven Lask will prove of immense interest to medical
professionals and non-specialist general readers who have an inerest in medical/psychological pathologies in general, and
schizophrenia in particular. Exceptionally and impressively written, organized and presented, "Footprints of Schizophrenia"
is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Popular
Psychology collections and supplemental Schizophrenia curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: A practicing psychiatrist for thirty-seven years, past Director of Inpatient Psychiatric Services and chairman
at the Brooklyn VA Hospital, and assistant professor at the hospital's affiliated medical school, Dr. Steven Lesk has a life of
experience observing and treating the mentally ill. His commitment to patients and the subject extends beyond complacency
with the existing knowledge of schizophrenia; with well-supported investigation, he pioneered new, better knowledge.
(https://stevenleskmd.com)
A Brain for Innovation
Min W. Jung
Columbia University Press
https://cup.columbia.edu
9780231213363, $35.00, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Brain-Innovation-Neuroscience-Imagination-Abstract/dp/0231213360
Synopsis: What sets humans apart from other animals? Perhaps more than anything else, it is the capacity for innovation.
The accumulation of discoveries throughout history, big and small, has enabled us to build global civilizations and gain
power to shape our environment. But what makes humans as a species so innovative?
With the publication of "A Brain for Innovation: The Neuroscience of Imagination and Abstract Thinking" Professor Min
W. Jung offers a new understanding of the neural basis of innovation in terms of humans' exceptional capacity for
imagination and high-level abstraction. He provides an engaging account of recent advances in neuroscience that have shed
light on the neural underpinnings of these profoundly important abilities. Professor Jung examines key discoveries
concerning the hippocampus and neural circuits that have demystified the processes underlying imagination and abstract
thinking. He also considers how these capacities might have evolved as well as possible futures for intelligence.
Bringing together disparate findings in neuroscience, psychology, anthropology, and artificial intelligence, "A Brain for
Innovation" develops a unified perspective on the mechanisms of imagination, abstract thought, and creativity. Presenting
cutting-edge neuroscientific research in a way that is accessible to readers without a background in the subject, "A Brain for
Innovation" from the Columbia University Press is essential reading for anyone interested in the biological basis of one of
the most fundamental aspects of human nature.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of two Appendices (Dentate Gyrus & Value-
Coding Neurons), twenty-two pages of Notes, a twenty-page Bibliography, and a nine page Index, "A Brain for Innovation:
The Neuroscience of Imagination and Abstract Thinking" will prove of immense value for both professional and non-
professional readers with an interest in Cognitive Neuroscience & Neuropsychology. Exceptionally well written, organized
and presented, and also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.24), "A Brain for Innovation" is a seminal study that
is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Psychology collections
and supplemental Neuroscience curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Min W. Jung is a vice director of the Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions at the Institute for Basic
Science in South Korea and a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science
and Technology. He received his PhD from the University of California, Irvine. His primary interests are the neural
mechanisms of memory, imagination, and decision making.
Neurocomputational Poetics
Arthur M. Jacobs
Anthem Press
www.anthempress.com
9781839987700, $110.00, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Neurocognitive-Poetics-Literature-Bibliotherapy-Well-Being/dp/1839987707
Synopsis: With the publication of "Neurocomputational Poetics: How the Brain Processes Verbal Art ", Professor Arthur
Jacobs introduces the new and thrilling field: Neurocomputational Poetics. The is the scientific combination of cognitive
poetics, data science and neuroscience.
The goal of neurocomputational poetics is to uncover the secrets of verbal art reception and to explain how readers come to
understand and like literary texts. For centuries, verbal art reception has been considered too subjective for quantitative
scientific studies and till date many scholars in the humanities and neurosciences alike view literary reading as too complex
for accurate computational prediction of the neuronal, experiential and behavioural aspects of reader responses to texts.
"Neurocomputational Poetics: How the Brain Processes Verbal Art " will change this view in the field of cognitive
psychology.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of an informative Introduction, sixteen pages of Notes, and a
fourteen page Index, "Neurocomputational Poetics: How the Brain Processes Verbal Art" is a seminal and ground-breaking
work that will hold a special interest for psychology students, researchers and practitioners in the field of cognitive
psychology and verbal communications. Expertly written, organized and presented, as well as being readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $37.99), "Neurocomputational Poetics: How the Brain Processes Verbal Art" is unreservedly
recommended as a significant addition to personal, professional, clinical, and college/university library Cognitive
Psychology/Verbal Communications collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Arthur Jacobs is Professor of Experimental and Neurocognitive Psychology at Freie Universitat Berlin
(FUB). He is also the co-author of more than 250 scientific publications in the fields of reading research, psycholinguistics,
affective neuroscience and neurocognitive poetics, among which is "Gehirn und Gedicht" (Brain and Poetry, 2011; with R.
Schrott). (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=0QFr5KEAAAAJ)
Decolonizing Therapy
Jennifer Mullen, PsyD
W. W. Norton & Company
www.wwnorton.com
9781324019169, $43.99, HC, 480pp
https://www.amazon.com/Decolonizing-Therapy-Oppression-Historical-Politicizing/dp/1324019166
Synopsis: An essential work that centers colonial and historical trauma in a framework for healing, "Decolonizing Therapy:
Oppression, Historical Trauma, and Politicizing Your Practice" by Jennifer Mullan, Psy.D illuminates that all therapy is
(and always has been) inherently political.
To better understand the mental health oppression and institutional violence that exists today, we must become familiar with
the root of disembodiment from our histories, homelands, and healing practices. Only then will readers see how colonial,
historical, and intergenerational legacies have always played a role in the treatment of mental health.
"Decolonizing Therapy" is the emotional companion and guide to decolonization. It is an invitation for Eurocentrically
trained clinicians to acknowledge privileged and oppressed parts while relearning what we thought we knew. Ignoring
collective global trauma makes delivering effective therapy impossible; not knowing how to interrogate privilege (as a
therapist, client, or both) makes healing elusive; and shying away from understanding how we as professionals may be
participating in oppression is irresponsible.
Critique: Expertly organized and presented, impressively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of 15 B/W
figures, 2 tables, a 26 page listing of Practitioner Resources, a 12 page Glossary, a 28 page list of References, and a 23 page
Index, "Decolonizing Therapy: Oppression, Historical Trauma, and Politicizing Your Practice" is a clarion call to action for
all professional therapists to politicize their practice through an emotional decolonial lens. While unreservedly
recommended as a critically important addition to professional and college/university library Popular Psychology &
Pathology collections and supplemental curriculum lists, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students,
academia, practitioners, and non-specialist general readers with an interest PTSD counseling that "Decolonizing Therapy" is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.99).
Editorial Note: Jennifer Mullen, Psy.D (https://www.decolonizingtherapy.com) created the Decolonizing Therapy Instagram
in December 2017, which has since grown a large, enthusiastic following and profoundly shifted the world's understanding
of therapy and mental health. She continues to lead the charge - challenging how therapists are educated and how they
practice. Dr. Mullan has educated thousands of therapists, psychologists, social workers, and helpers as they UNLEARN &
UNDO colonial & Eurocentric methods of helping. Dr. Mullan received her doctorate in clinical psychology from California
Institute of Integral Studies, and Master's in Counseling & Community Agencies from New York University. Through her
research, teaching, therapy, personal and professional experiences, she developed expertise in anti-oppressive practices in
clinical practice child & adolescent wellness & trauma; community mental health; the politicization of mental health;
intergenerational & historical trauma transmission; ancestral healing; energy medicine; family dynamics and personal
development; sacred rage as medicine; and peer support & supervision.
LATER: The Neurophysiology of Decision-Making
Roger H. S. Carpenter, author
Imran Noorani, author
Cambridge University Press
www.cambridge.org
9781108827041, $59.99, HC, 190pp
https://www.amazon.com/LATER-Roger-H-S-Carpenter/dp/1108827047
Synopsis: Why is deciding to do something sometimes so slow and difficult? How do we make decisions when lacking key
information? When making decisions, the higher areas of the brain deliberately suppress lower areas capable of generating
much faster but ill-considered responses while they develop ones that are more sophisticated, based on what can be gained
in return.
With the publication of "LATER: The Neurophysiology of Decision-Making", co-authors Roger H. S. Carpenter and Imran
Noorani explore the increasingly popular neural model that may explain these mechanisms: the linear approach to threshold
ergodic rate (LATER).
Presenting a detailed description of the neurophysiological processes involved in decision-making and how these link to the
LATER model, this is the first major resource covering the applications in describing human behavior. With over 100
illustrations and a thorough discussion of the mathematics supporting the model, "LATER: The Neurophysiology of
Decision-Making" is a rigorous yet accessible resource for psychologists, cognitive neuroscientists and neurophysiologists
interested in decision-making.
Critique: A seminal work of meticulous and detailed scholarship, "LATER: The Neurophysiology of Decision-Making" is
especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, college and university library Neuroscience,
Neurology, and Psychology collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia,
practitioners, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "LATER: The Neurophysiology of
Decision-Making" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $54.84) as well.
Editorial Note #1: Roger H. S. Carpenter was formerly Professor of Oculomotor Physiology, University of Cambridge and
Tutor, Registrar and Director of Studies in Medicine, Gonville & Caius College. He was the creator of EPIC (the
Experimental Physiology Instrumentation Computer) and NeuroLab, a set of interactive demonstrations on the working of
the human brain. He was an influential scientist and passionate teacher of neurophysiology, collaborating with Dr Noorani
on the project before his death in 2019. Professor Carpenter made lasting contributions to the field of neurophysiology and
is widely regarded as an exceptional mentor by a plethora of his former students.
Editorial Note #2: Imran Noorani is a Neurosurgery NIHR Clinical Lecturer at University College London (Institute of
Neurology). He worked closely with Professor Carpenter to advance the LATER model to more complex decision processes
in the laboratory, such as antisaccades. Dr Noorani has won multiple awards for his research, including the European
Association of Neurosurgical Societies Award for Best Laboratory Research 2020, and in addition to clinical and research
interests, has a strong interest in teaching undergraduates.
The American History Shelf
Fighting for a Free Missouri
Sydney Norton
University of Missouri Press
https://upress.missouri.edu
9780826222923, $55.00, HC, 328pp
https://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Free-Missouri-Immigrants-Americans/dp/0826222927
Synopsis: The state of Missouri is well-known for its German American heritage, but the story of nineteenth-century
German immigrant abolitionists is often neglected in discussions of the state's history.
"Fighting for a Free Missouri: German Immigrants, African Americans, and the Issue of Slavery" is a collection of ten
original essays by Sydney Norton that relate to what unfolded when idealistic Germans, many of whom were highly
educated and devoted to the ideals of freedom and democracy, left their homeland and settled in a pre-Civil War slave
state.
Fleeing political persecution during the 1830s and 1840s, immigrants such as Friedrich Munch, Eduard Muhl, Heinrich
Boernstein, and Arnold Krekel arrived in the area now known as the Missouri German Heritage Corridor in hopes of finding
a land more congenial to their democratic ideals. When they witnessed the state of enslaved Blacks, many of them became
abolitionist activists and fervent supporters of Abraham Lincoln and the Union in the emerging Civil War.
Critique: Expertly compiled and edited by Sydney Norton, he and the other contributing authors to "Fighting for a Free
Missouri: German Immigrants, African Americans, and the Issue of Slavery" deftly explore the Germans' abolitionist
mission, their relationships with African Americans, and their activity in the radical wing of the Republican Party. Markedly
enhanced for the reader with an informative Foreword by Gary R. Kremer, a four page listing of the contributors and their
credentials, and a nine page Index, "Fighting for a Free Missouri" is a seminal work of collective scholarship and an
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library 19th Century
American History collections in general, and Missouri History curriculum studies lists in particular. It should be noted for
the personal reading lists of students, academia, historians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject
that "Fighting for a Free Missouri" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $52.25) as well.
Editorial Note: Sydney Norton is an independent scholar and the director of German Language Solutions, a company that
specializes in language teaching, translation, and cultural programming. Her publications include exhibition catalogs and
journal articles on contemporary German art and literature, the performing and visual arts of the Weimar Republic, and
German immigrants in Missouri.
The World History Shelf
History of the Caucasus: In the Shadow of Great Powers
Christoph Baumer
I. B. Tauris Publishers
www.ibtauris.com
c/o Bloomsbury Press
https://www.bloomsbury.com/us
9780755636280, $48.00, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/History-Caucasus-Shadow-Great-Powers/dp/0755636287
Synopsis: "In the Shadow of Great Powers" is the second volume of Christoph Baumer's "History of the Caucasus". It
covers the period from the Seljuk domination of the Southern Caucasus around 1050 CE to the present day.
After the Kingdom of Georgia's golden age of independent power and cultural blossoming in the 12th and early 13th
centuries, the Caucasus was overrun by the Mongols and soon disintegrated into innumerable smaller kingdoms,
principalities and khanates.
At the same time, an Armenian kingdom in exile maintained a precarious independence in Cilicia, today's southern Turkey,
by applying a three-way diplomatic policy balanced between the Mongol Il-Khanate, the Crusader states and, to a lesser
degree, the Mameluke Empire.
Then followed four centuries during which the highly fragmented polities of the North and South Caucasus became political
pawns of the regional great powers, above all the Ottomans, Iran and Russia.
In the wake of World War I the South Caucasus enjoyed a short-lived independence whereas its northern neighbours were
engulfed by the Russian civil wars. But by 1921 the Soviet Union had re-established Russian dominance over the whole
region and, from a Western perspective, the region 'disappeared' behind the Iron Curtain.
Nevertheless, the Caucasian nations kept their pronounced identities even under Soviet rule, giving rise at the dissolution of
the Soviet Union to a number of internecine conflicts. Whereas the Russian Federation managed to maintain its supremacy
over the North Caucasus (albeit at the cost of bloody wars and insurrections) Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia succeeded in
more or less gaining control over their destiny. Of these three republics, only Azerbaijan secured a wide-ranging
independence thanks to its fossil fuel resources.
Following Russian interference, Georgia lost control over two of its provinces while Armenia remains dependent on
Russian support in the face of its notoriously antagonistic relations with neighboring Azerbaijan and Turkey over the
unresolved issue of Karabakh.
"In the Shadow of Great Powers" includes some 200 full-colour images and maps which further bring the turbulent history
of this region to light.
Critique: This large format (9.8 x 1.3 x 11.7 inches, 5.15 pounds) hardcover edition of Christoph Baumer's "History of the
Caucasus: Volume 2: In the Shadow of Great Powers" from I. B. Taurus Publishers is profusely illustrated throughout in full
color and extensively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of an Appendix (Chronology of the Most Important
Caucasian Dynasties), eighty-two pages of Notes, an eleven page Bibliography, a one page listing of Maps, and three
Indexes (Concepts; People; Places). Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "History of the Caucasus: Volume
2: In the Shadow of Great Powers" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Caucasus History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Christoph Baumer (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christoph_Baumer) is a Swiss explorer and historian of
Central Asia. Starting in 1984, he has conducted explorations in Central Asia, China, Tibet and the Caucasus, the results of
which have been published in numerous books, scholarly publications, TV and radio programs.
Road to Civil War, 1625-1642: The Unexpected Revolution
Timothy Venning
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399055888, $49.95, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Road-Civil-War-1625-1642-Unexpected/dp/1399055887
Synopsis: With the publication of "Road to Civil War, 1625-1642: The Unexpected Revolution", author and historian
Timothy Venning presents a revisionist history showing a gradual build-up of opposition and a drift to conflict which few
expected or wanted. And this was despite growing Stuart absolutism, threats to Parliament and the accepted civil order and
religious controversy.
It is also a forensic study, replete with fascinating and even unexpected details, principal actors come to life and readers will
feel involved in an existential crisis of the British state(s).
"Road to Civil War, 1625-1642: The Unexpected Revolution" is also an important study of the three Kingdoms covers the
major themes of religious dispute with Laud, Wentworth and Strafford - towering figures - church reform, 'godly' religions
and explosion of 'news' and pamphlets, the King and Lords and Commons, the Queen's, often suspect influence, King
Charles' absolutism and rigidity, and iconic events like the Grand Remonstrance, arrest of the Five Members, Charles'
departure from London and the raising of the Royal Standard for war.
Critique: Impressive, informative, exceptional, and enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a seven page
Bibliography, nineteen pages of Notes, and a five page Glossary, "Road to Civil War, 1625-1642: The Unexpected
Revolution" is a seminal, groundbreaking, and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library 17th Century British History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be
noted for students, academia, historians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Road to Civil
War, 1625-1642: The Unexpected Revolution" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.49).
Editorial Note: Timothy Venning is a specialist in the English- British Civil Wars and in the history and biography of the
17th century. He has a particular interest in the history of Parliament and also Irish history. An established author, he has
contributed to New Dictionary of National Biography. (https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Timothy-Venning/a/2052)
The British Heroic Age: A History, 367-664
Flint F. Johnson
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9780786495221, $29.95, PB, 284pp
https://www.amazon.com/British-Heroic-Age-History-367-664/dp/0786495227
Synopsis: Drawing on historical documents, legends, archeology and literature, "The British Heroic Age: A History,
367-664" is history by Flint F. Johnson who describes the disintegration of Roman Britain that reached a climax in the
decades after the Britons overthrew Constantine's government and were refused Roman rule.
Beginning with the weakening of Roman Britain, Flint chronicles the breakdown of the empire's social, political and
economic order and the re-emergence of British political, economic and social structure as well as a parallel development
among the Germanic invaders.
Also examined are the roles of religion, disease, the military, the Irish and the Picts during the 4th through 7th centuries.
"The British Heroic Age: A History, 367-664" is a study that synthesizes advances in post-Roman studies since Leslie
Alcock's 1971 classic "Arthur's Britain".
Critique: Impressively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of an Appendix (The Vortigern Figure), a three
page Chronology: 367-664, a two page Glossary, a five page Guide to Period Sources, twenty-seven pages of Chapter Notes,
an eighteen page Bibliography, and a five page Index, "The British Heroic Age: A History, 367-664" is an fascinating and
informative read from start to finish. Exceptionally well written and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and
presentation, "The British Heroic Age: A History, 367-664" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended contribution to
personal, professional, community, and college/university library British History collections and supplemental curriculum
studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, historians, and non-specialist general readers with an nterest in the
subject that "The British Heroic Age: A History, 367-664" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$13.49).
Editorial Note: Flint F. Johnson is an independent scholar whose academic areas of interest include post-Roman British
history, Heroic Age Greek and Norse history, and the cultures existing before the first river valley civilizations. There is a
listing of his books online at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5860617.Flint_F_Johnson
The Worst Medieval Monarchs
Phil Bradford
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399083058, $49.95, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Worst-Medieval-Monarchs-Phil-Bradford/dp/1399083058
Synopsis: Stephen. John. Edward II. Richard II. Richard III. These five monarchs are widely viewed as the worst of
England's medieval kings. Certainly, their reigns were not success stories. Two of these kings lost their thrones, one only
avoided doing so by dying, another was killed in battle, and the remaining one had to leave his crown to his opponent.
All five have been seen as incompetent, their reigns blighted by civil war and conflict. They tore the realm apart, failing in
the basic duty of a king to ensure peace and justice. For that, all five of them paid a heavy price. As well as being
incompetent rulers, some also have reputations for cruelty and villainy, More than one has been portrayed as a tyrant. The
murder of family members and arbitrary executions stain their reputations.
All five reigns ended in failure. As a result, the kings have been seen as failures themselves, the worst examples of medieval
English kingship. They lost their reputations as well as their crowns.
Yet were these five really the worst men to wear the crown of England in the Middle Ages? Or has history treated them
unfairly?
With the publication of "The Worst Medieval Monarchs", by author and historian Phil Bradford examines the stories of
their lives and reigns, all of which were dramatic and often unpredictable. It then examines how they have been seen since
their deaths, the ways their reputations have been shaped across the centuries.
The standards of their own age were different to our own. How these kings have been judged has changed over time,
sometimes dramatically. Fiction, from Shakespeare's plays to modern films, has also played its part in creating the modern
picture. Many things have created, over a long period, the negative reputations of these five. Today, they have come to
number among the worst kings of English history. Is this fair, or should they be redeemed?
That is the question that "The Worst Medieval Monarchs" sets out to answer.
Critique: An extraordinary and unique study, "The Worst Medieval Monarchs" is enriched for the reader's benefit with an
informative Preface and Introduction, a Conclusion (The Worst Monarchs?), thirteen pages of Notes, a twelve page
Bibliography, and a twenty page Index. A seminal and groundbreaking study of meticulous scholarship and a simply
fascinating read from first page to last, and also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.49), "The Worst Medieval
Monarchs" is a very special and unreservedly recommended addition to personal reading lists and
community/college/university library Royal English History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Phil Bradford gained his PhD in medieval history from the University of York. He is the co-author of
"Proctors for Parliament: Clergy, Community and Politics, C.1248-1539" (Canterbury & York Society, 2017) and is
currently Vicar of St Michael's, Worcester.
The Civil War Shelf
Contrasts in Command: The Battle of Fair Oaks, May 31 - June 1, 1862
Victor Vignola
Savas Beatie LLC
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611216820, $34.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Contrasts-Command-Battle-Fair-Oaks/dp/1611216826
Synopsis: A bloody two-day battle was fought on the doorstep of the Confederate capital. It was the first major combat in
the Eastern Theater since Bull Run/Manassas almost a year earlier, left more than 11,000 casualties in its wake, and cost the
primary Southern field army its commander. The possession of Richmond hung in its balance. Yet, almost nothing has been
written about the battle of Seven Pines/Fair Oaks -- not until the publication of Victor Vignola's "Contrasts in Command:
The Battle of Fair Oaks, May 31 - June 1, 1862", which focuses primarily on the Fair Oaks portion of the battle, is a major
contribution to the historiography of the war.
Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan marched his Army of the Potomac up the Virginia Peninsula during the early spring of 1862
and placed his inexperienced IV Corps at the tip of the spear south of the flood-prone Chickahominy River. McClellan's
opponent Joe Johnston took the opportunity to strike and crafted an overly complex attack plan for his Virginia army to
crush the exposed corps. A series of bungled marches, piecemeal attacks, and a lack of assertive leadership doomed the
Southern plan. One of the wounded late in the day on May 31 was Johnston, whose injury led to the appointment of Robert
E. Lee to take his place -- a decision that changed the course of the entire Civil War.
Vignola's use of primary and archival sources, many of which have never been used, helped craft a wholly original tactical
and leadership study that directly challenges conventional accounts. His stunning reassessment has led to renewed interest in
Fair Oaks and the acquisition of a significant parcel of land by the American Battlefield Trust. It is no hyperbole to argue
that "Contrasts in Command: The Battle of Fair Oaks, May 31 - June 1, 1862" may be one of the most important tactical
studies ever published on the American Civil War.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of three Appendices, a six page Bibliography and a nine page
Index, "Contrasts in Command: The Battle of Fair Oaks, May 31 - June 1, 1862" is a seminal and ground-breaking study
that is an essential, core addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Civil War
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, military history buffs, and
non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Contrasts in Command" is also available in a digital books
format (Kindle, $15.99).
Editorial Note: Historian Victor Vignola is a lifelong student of the Civil War who has written articles for publication in
North and South Magazine and other forums. He delivers historical programs, conducts tours, and regularly visits various
Civil War sites.
The Military History Shelf
Rockets and Missiles Over Ukraine
Mihajlo S. Mihajlovic
Frontline Books
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399048101, $42.95, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Rockets-Missiles-Over-Ukraine-Changing/dp/1399048104
Synopsis: In the current and on-going Russian-Ukrainian war, both sides depended heavily on rockets and missiles. Some of
these date from Soviet times and some are very modern, being deployed in warfare for the first time.
The outbreak of the civil war in the east of Ukraine in 2014 showed that rockets and missiles, beside the artillery, are among
the decisive factors in both regular Ukrainian military, and paramilitary nationalistic formations as well as in the separatists'
bodies. For eight years hardly any day passed without these weapons being fired.
On 24 February 2022, Russia unleashed a 'limited military operation' (as President Putin defined it) with a barrage of new
equipment (cruise missiles and tactical ballistic missiles) pounding Ukrainian targets. The West responded with a pledge to
supply modern weapons to the otherwise outdated Ukrainian military to counter the Russian threat, especially armor.
Ukraine was turned into a vast depot for NATO ammunition and weapons including short-range air defense systems and
antitank rockets. Western stocks gradually shrank while numerous cargo lanes transported these weapons to Poland to be
hauled by trucks and railways to the Ukrainians.
In the meantime, Russia pounded these locations and large quantities of the Western aid disappeared in flames and
explosions - as yet more equipment poured into Ukrainian hands. The sheer amount is hard to estimate but large quantities
were captured by the Russians and occasionally turned against the former owners.
"Rockets and Missiles Over Ukraine: The Changing Face of Battle" by Mihajlo S. Mihajlovic is a comprehensive guide to
all missiles and rockets used by both sides as well as their effect on both military and civilian targets, including Russian
ship-borne weapons and anti-ship missiles used so effectively by Ukraine against the Russian cruiser Moskva. Besides the
numerous ex-Soviet, Ukrainian, and Russian anti-armor rockets (RPGs) and missiles, of particular interest are the
anti-armor missiles and rockets supplied by NATO which includes Javelin and British NLAW, and Brimstone.
The war in Ukraine was a full-scale conventional war between the two largest armies in Europe. But without modern
weapons, Ukraine's ability to hold out for an extended period was limited. Its only hope was help by the West. Yet NATO
supplies were precisely tracked and often destroyed immediately after unloading. Nevertheless, the Russian-Ukrainian war
allowed manufactures and military experts to assess the true effectiveness of their weapons in the most realistic setting of all
- the battlefield.
In his examination of the weaponry used in the conflict, Mihajlovic toured the Ukraine as the conflict unfolded, to
photograph and report on the first major war of the twenty-first century.
Critique: Profusely illustrated throughout with B/W photos and sketches, "Rockets and Missiles Over Ukraine: The
Changing Face of Battle" is impressively informative, exceptionally well organized, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in
presentation. A seminal work based on exhaustive and meticulous research that is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $18.99), "Rockets and Missiles Over Ukraine: The Changing Face of Battle" is a welcome and unreservedly
recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Russian/Ukrainian War collections
and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Mihajlo S. Mihajlovic is a professional engineer, physicist and historian with more than 25 years of
experience. He is a specialist in military technology, in particular weapons systems, missiles, radars and camouflage. His
area of specialties includes radar countermeasures and design of decoys. As a unique situation, he was member of the
Yugoslav armed forces during the conflict and later, after emigrating to Canada, he was also member of the Canadian
Armed Forces (officer), Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Branch, and served in Afghanistan. Mike is the author of
several books and articles related to the stealth technology, radar engineering, missile engineering and similar subjects.
Revolutionary War Forts: New York
Michael Garlock
Casemate Publishers
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636242606, $39.95, HC, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Revolutionary-War-Forts-Casemate-Illustrated/dp/163624260X
Synopsis: During the American Revolutionary War, the forts in and around New York were instrumental in initiating and
maintaining America's desire for independence and helped the nascent nation to eventually prevail.
These forts saw crucial, campaign-determining naval battles, and pivotal land engagements between battle-hardened
well-led British troops and unproven American militia. In both land and sea engagements the garrisons deployed a range of
weapons including different calibers of smooth-bore cannon, howitzers, musket, bayonets, and even tomahawks.
"Revolutionary War Forts: New York" by Michael Garlock covers Amsterdam, Clinton, Fort Clinton at West Point, Dayton,
Decker, Flagstaff, Au Fer, Brooklyn, Defiance, Franklin, Golgotha, Herkimer, Jay, Klock, Montgomery, Niagra Old Stone
Fort, Salonga, Stanwix, Ticonderoga, Wadsworth, and Washington. The expert text supported by a wealth of illustrations
and images discusses design, armament, and current status of the forts. It also explores their garrisons, commanders, and the
battles fought, as well as the spatial and military dependent relationships these forts had with one another.
Critique: This large format coffee-table style hardcover edition of "Revolutionary War Forts: New York" from Casemate
Publishers is a fully illustrated compendium of the 18 New York forts that played significant and strategic roles during the
American Revolutionary War. Informative and fascinating, "Revolutionary War Forts: New York" is a critically important
contribution to personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Revolutionary History
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Revolutionary War Forts: New York" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $17.99).
Eyes on the Enemy: U.S. Military Intelligence in World War II
Chris McNab
Casemate Publishers
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636243849, $29.95, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Eyes-Enemy-Intelligence-gathering-Techniques-Equipment/dp/1636243843
Synopsis: On December 7, 1941, an imperial Japanese carrier strike force attacked the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor,
taking advantage of what was one of the most profound intelligence failures in US history. Galvanized into action, the
branches of the U.S. military subsequently developed one of the greatest, albeit imperfect, intelligence-gathering and
analysis networks of the combatant nations, opening an invaluable window onto the intentions of their enemies.
The picture of U.S. military intelligence during World War II is a complex one. It was divided between the fields of signal
intelligence (SIGINT) and human intelligence (HUMINT), combat intelligence and War Department intelligence, and
between numerous different organizations, including the Military Intelligence Division (MID), Military Intelligence Service
(MIS), the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), the Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC), the Office of Strategic Services (OSS)
and the many intelligence units organic to Army, Navy, Army Air Forces, and Marine Corps.
The documents included in "Eyes on the Enemy: U.S. Military Intelligence in World War II" reveal the theoretical and
practical principles behind wartime intelligence gathering and analysis, from the frontline intelligence officer to the
Washington-based code-breaker. They explain fundamentals such as how to observe and record enemy activity and intercept
enemy radio traffic, through to specialist activities such as cryptanalysis, photoreconnaissance, prisoner interrogation, and
undercover agent operations.
The painstaking work of an intelligence operator required a sharp, attentive mind, whether working behind a desk or under
fire on the frontlines. The outputs from these men and women could ultimately make the difference between victory and
defeat in battle.
Critique: Military intelligence is essential for victory. Never was this more true than enabling the United States and its allies
to eventually overcome the arguably better prepared for war nations of Germany, Japan, and Italy. "Eyes on the Enemy: U.S.
Military Intelligence in World War II" is a seminal study on the subject and unreservedly recommended as an essential, core
addition to personal reading list, as well as professional, community, and college/university library World War II collections
and supplemental curriculum studies syllabus.
Editorial Note: Dr Chris McNab specializes in military history and related technology. To date he has published more than
100 books including US Soldier vs German Soldier (2020), Hitler's Tanks (2020) and The Great Bear at War (2019). Chris
has also written extensively for major encyclopedia series, magazines and newspapers.
Guderian 1941: The Barbarossa Campaign
David R. Higgins
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781526762122, $37.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Guderian-1941-Barbarossa-David-Higgins/dp/1526762129
Synopsis: During the first few weeks of Operation Barbarossa (Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941), Heinz
Guderian's Second Panzer Group played a leading role, cutting through the defenses on the border, then taking part in the
massive encirclement battles near Minsk, Smolensk, and Kiev.
The extraordinary speed of the advance reflects the experience of the Wehrmacht as a whole during the first phase of the
war on the Eastern Front. That is why in "Guderian 1941: The Barbarossa Campaign" David Higgins's graphic narrative,
which describes how Guderian's forces achieved enormous success before they were forced to halt, is such compelling
reading. It is a fascinating story, vividly told.
Drawing on a wide range of official German and Soviet records, Higgins reconstructs the entire course of Second Panzer
Group's advance, covering each stage in unprecedented detail. His narrative offers a German perspective and an inside view
of what the opposing commanders knew during each operation and shows how important logistics became as the German
supply lines stretched deep into the Soviet Union. It also explains how Soviet resistance and reinforcements, declining
strength and the onset of the Russian winter combined to bring Guderian to a stop at Tula where he was relieved of his
command.
The high hopes with which the German army had launched the campaign were dashed only a few months later before
Moscow. "Guderian 1941: The Barbarossa Campaign", an in-depth study the of operations of Second Panzer Group, gives
the reader telling insights into what went wrong.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the readers benefit with the inclusion of a descriptive Preface, Maps, an Appendix (A
Second Panzer Group, 22 June 1941), twenty-six pages of Notes, a four page Bibliography, a section of B/W historical
photos, and an eight page Index, "Guderian 1941: The Barbarossa Campaign" presents a key World War II German
campaign against the Russians as presented from the German perspective. A unique and seminal study that is also available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.49), "Guderian 1941: The Barbarossa Campaign" will prove to be a welcome and
highly valued addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library World War II history collections
and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: David R. Higgins is the author of several military history books and has written articles for magazines such
as Strategy & Tactics, Armchair General, World At War and Modern War. He has appeared on television's Greatest Tank
Battles.
The Han-Xiongnu War, 133 BC - 89 AD
Scott Forbes Crawford
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781526790668, $34.95, HC, 176pp
https://www.amazon.com/Han-Xiongnu-War-133-BC-89-AD/dp/1526790661
Synopsis: The Han-Xiongnu War (133 BC - AD 89) pitted the Han dynasty of China against a confederation of nomadic
steppe peoples, the Xiongnu Empire. In campaigns waged on a huge scale by the standards of contemporary Western
warfare (perhaps half a million soldiers were fielded at the Battle of Mobei in 119 BC), the two states fought for control of
Central Asia, hungry for its rich resources and Western trade links. China's victory set the stage for millennia of imperial
rule and a vast sphere of influence in Asia.
With the publication of "The Han-Xiongnu War, 133 BC - 89 AD: The Struggle of China and a Steppe Empire Told
Through Its Key Figures", author and historian Scott Forbes Crawford examines the war in a lively, engaging narrative.
He builds a mosaic encompassing the centuries of conflict through biographies of fifteen historical figures: the Chinese and
Xiongnu emperors who first led their armies into battle; 'peace bride' Princess Jieyou, whose marriage to a steppe king
forged a vital Chinese alliance; the explorer-diplomat Zhang Qian, who almost-inadvertently established the Silk Road,
among other key individuals. Their stories capture the war's breadth, the enduring impact on Han society and statecraft in
what became a Chinese golden age, and the doomed resistance of the Xiongnu to an ever-strengthening juggernaut.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Han-Xiongnu War, 133 BC - 89 AD: The Struggle of
China and a Steppe Empire Told Through Its Key Figures" is an extraordinary and seminal work of historical scholarship
and a simply fascinating read from beginning to end. Special features include a Prologue (A Misread Prophecy), an Epilogue
(Reard in Each Other's Shadow), a Chronology of Major Events in the Han-Xiongnu War, five pages of Notes, a two page
Bibliography, and a three page Index. An seminal and unique study, "The Han-Xiongnu War, 133 BC - 89 AD: The
Struggle of China and a Steppe Empire Told Through Its Key Figures" is an unreservedly recommended pick for personal,
professional, community, and college/university library Chinese Military History collections and supplemental Ancient
China curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Fascinated by China's past since first studying Mandarin at a Chinese university, Scott Forbes Crawford
(https://www.scottforbescrawford.com) has written extensively about Chinese and Asian history. His work, appearing in
Ancient History Magazine, Medieval Warfare Magazine, The History Network podcast and elsewhere, has explored China's
military developments, the culture of its nomadic steppe neighbours, and the conflicts borne at the intersection of these
areas. Also a novelist, Crawford brings narrative drive and an eye for character to the telling of history, making the ancient
past vivid to modern readers.
Weapons, Warriors and Battles of Ancient Iberia
Fernando Quesada-Sanz, author
Elizabeth Clowes, translator
Pablos Harding-Vera, translator
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781781592755, $60.00, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Armour-Ancient-Iberia-Fernando-Quesada-Sanz/dp/1781592756
Synopsis: In ancient times, the Iberian Peninsula (today's Spain and Portugal) was home to warriors of great renown. Iberian
and Celtiberian warriors, both infantry and cavalry, served as the backbone of the Carthaginian armies that terrorized Italy
under Hannibal, and proved even more fierce when defending their homeland against later Roman occupation. While the
Lusitanian resistance under Viriathus was among the toughest the Romans encountered anywhere.
Translated into English by Elizabeth Crowes and Pablos Harding-Vera, and published by Pen & Sword Books, "Weapons,
Warriors and Battles of Ancient Iberia" by Professor Quesada-Sanz details the arms, armor and equipment of the various
warriors of the region in fantastic detail, drawing on his intimate knowledge of the latest archaeological and historical
research.
Professor Quesada-Sanz's clear and informative text is supported throughout by a wealth of photographs, diagrams and
enhanced with the inclusion of the exquisite color artwork by Carlos Fernandez del Castillo.
"Weapons, Warriors and Battles of Ancient Iberia" is a beautiful book offering detailed, comprehensive information and
sumptuous visual appeal that will be cherished by anyone with an interest in the warriors and weapons of the ancient world.
The Spanish edition won the Hislibris Award for the 'Best Historical Book' for 2010.
Critique: Profusely and beautifully illustrated throughout, "Weapons, Warriors and Battles of Ancient Iberia" is a seminal
work of exceptionally well organized and presented historical scholarship that will be of particular value to readers with an
interest in Roman and Iberian history. Deftly presented in three major sections (In Time and Space; Offensive and Defensive
Weapons; Warriors, Battles, and Society), and including a thirty page Bibliography, "Weapons, Warriors and Battles of
Ancient Iberia" must be considered an essential and core contribution to personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Roman/Iberian History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. For students,
academia, historians, and members of the general public with an interest in the subject it should be noted that "Weapons,
Warriors and Battles of Ancient Iberia" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $27.99).
Editorial Note: Fernando Quesada Sanz is Professor of Archaeology at the University of Madrid and respected worldwide
for his expertise on the evidence for warfare in ancient Iberia. He is the author of many books and articles including Arms of
the Greeks and Romans (2008). (https://fernandoquesadasanz.academia.edu)
The Korean War Remembered
Michael J. Devine
University of Nebraska Press
www.nebraskapress.unl.edu
9781496234698, $65.00, HC, 346pp
https://www.amazon.com/Korean-War-Remembered-Contested-Memories/dp/1496234693
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Korean War Remembered: Contested Memories of an Unended Conflict", Professor
Michael J. Devine provides a fresh, wide-ranging, and international perspective on the contested memory of the 1950 - 1953
conflict that left the Korean Peninsula divided along a heavily fortified demilitarized zone.
His seminal work examines "theaters of memory", including literature, popular culture, public education efforts,
monuments, and museums in the United States, China, and the two Koreas, to explain how contested memories have
evolved over decades and how they continue to shape the domestic and foreign policies of the countries still involved in this
unresolved struggle for dominance and legitimacy.
"The Korean War Remembered" also engages with the revisionist school of historians who, influenced by America's long
nightmare in Vietnam, consider the Korean War an unwise U.S. interference in a civil war that should have been left to the
Koreans to decide for themselves.
As a former Peace Corps volunteer to Korea, a two-time senior Fulbright lecturer at Korean universities, and former director
of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, Professor Devine offers the unique perspective of a scholar with half a century
of close ties to Korea and the Korean American community, as well as practical experience in the management of historical
institutions.
Critique: Enhanced for the benefit of the reader with a number of Illustrations, a listing of Abbreviations, forty pages of
Notes, a thirty-eight page Bibliography, and a nine page Index, "The Korean War Remembered: Contested Memories of an
Unended Conflict"is an impressively well written, organized and presented ground-breaking study that be of immense value
to readers with an interest in America's involvement in the Korean War -- which was the first war that America was a part of
that ended in stalemate and not end in victory for America and its allies. While also available for personal reading lists in a
digital book format (Kindle, $61.75), "The Korean War Remembered: Contested Memories of an Unended Conflict" is
especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Korean War collections and
supplemental 20th Century American Military History curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Michael J. Devine (www.wilsoncenter.org/person/michael-devine) is an Adjunct Professor of History at the
University of Wyoming. Previously he was the director of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and a Professor of
History and Director of the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming. He is also the author of "John W.
Foster: Politics and Diplomacy in the Imperial Era, 1873 - 1917".
The Science Shelf
Thriving in Space
Medicine National Academies of Sciences, Engineering
The National Academies Press
www.nap.edu
9780309694988, $60.00, PB, 322pp
https://www.amazon.com/Thriving-Space-Ensuring-Biological-2023-2032/dp/0309694981
Synopsis: Research in biological and physical sciences in space provides the critical scientific and technological foundations
that make space exploration possible. As humanity looks towards the Moon and Mars for future missions, this work is
needed to help astronauts adapt and live in the harsh environments of space.
"Thriving in Space: Ensuring the Future of Biological and Physical Sciences Research: A Decadal Survey for 2023-2032"
provides a roadmap for increasing national investment in biological and physical science research, from experiments to
infrastructure to education. This report identifies key scientific questions, priorities, and ambitious research campaigns that
will enable human space exploration and transform our understanding of how the universe works.
"Thriving in Space" also reviews the state of knowledge in the current and emerging areas of space-related biological and
physical sciences research and generates recommendations for a comprehensive vision and strategy for a decade of
transformative science at the frontiers of biological and physical sciences research in space. Additionally, this report will
help NASA define and align biological and physical sciences research to uniquely advance scientific knowledge, meet
human and robotic exploration mission needs, and provide terrestrial benefits.
Critique: Of special value to readers with an interest in astrophysics and space science, "Thriving in Space: Ensuring the
Future of Biological and Physical Sciences Research: A Decadal Survey for 2023-2032" provides an impressively
informative survey of current findings from contemporary and on-going experiments and research. Exceptionally well
organized and presented, this large format (8.8 x 1.2 x 10.7 inches, 2 pounds) paperback edition of "Thriving in Space" is
particularly and especially recommended for personal, professional, college and university library Astrophysics/Space
Science collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: The National Academies Press (NAP) publishes more than 200 publications per year on a wide range of
topics in science, engineering, and medicine, providing authoritative, independently researched information on important
matters in science and health policy.
The Trilobite Collector's Guide
Andy Secher, author
Richard Fortey, foreword
Melanie J. Hopkins, foreword
Columbia University Press
https://cup.columbia.edu
9780231213806, $59.95, HC, 427pp
https://www.amazon.com/Trilobite-Collectors-Guide-Andy-Secher/dp/0231213808
Synopsis: Trilobites are extinct marine arthropods that form the class Trilobita. Trilobites form one of the earliest known
groups of arthropods. The first appearance of trilobites in the fossil record defines the base of the Atdabanian stage of the
Early Cambrian period (521 million years ago) and they flourished throughout the lower Paleozoic before slipping into a
long decline, when, during the Devonian, all trilobite orders except the Proetida died out. The last trilobites disappeared in
the mass extinction at the end of the Permian about 251.9 million years ago. Trilobites were among the most successful of
all early animals, existing in oceans for almost 270 million years, with over 22,000 species having been described.
So for more than 250 million years, the primeval oceans of the Paleozoic teemed with trilobites. These hardy invertebrates
evolved into an astonishing array of separate species (more than 25,000 at last count) and much remains unknown about
these once-ubiquitous creatures. Fossil enthusiasts are captivated by trilobites' diversity and adaptability, enthralled by the
possibility of catching a glimpse of a transcendently strange past.
With the publication of "The Trilobite Collector's Guide", Andy Secher (one of the most prolific trilobite collectors in the
world) takes readers on an entertaining and enlightening journey to the distant epoch when these ancient arthropods
swarmed through the seas.
"The Trilobite Collector's Guide" presents a series of "Top Ten" lists covering everything from celebrated Cambrian
localities and world-class fossil shows to invaluable collecting tips and ways to spot a fake trilobite. These brisk and often
witty chapters enumerate trilobites in all their beauty and strangeness, from the most common to the ridiculously rare, the
outrageously old to the last in line.
"The Trilobite Collector's Guide" also showcases more than 350 full-color photographs, mostly of stunning specimens from
Secher's personal collection, that put trilobites' staggering variety and complexity on full display. Engaging and informative,
"The Trilobite Collector's Guide" showcases the world of trilobites as it has never been done before.
Critique: This large format (8.5 x 1.5 x 11.1 inches, 4.35 pounds) hardcover edition from Columbia University Press of
"The Trilobite Collector's Guide" by Andy Secher will be of special and enduring value to readers with an interest in fossils
and invertebrate zoology. Beautifully illustrated throughout, and informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with two
Forewords (Beetles of the Paleozoic & 10 Reasons to Read this Book), a four page Glossary: Trilobite Terminology, and a
twelve page Index, "The Trilobite Collector's Guide" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, and college/university library Fossil collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It
should be noted for students, academia, paleontologists, fossil collectors, and non-specialist general readers with an interest
in the subject that "The Trilobite Collector's Guide" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $47.19).
Editorial Note #1: Andy Secher has been a field associate in paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History for
more than two decades. He curates one of the world's largest private trilobite collections. Secher is also the author of
"Travels with Trilobites: Adventures in the Paleozoic" (Columbia, 2022).
Editorial Note #2: Richard Fortey is the former head of fossil arthropod research at the Natural History Museum,
London.
Editorial Note #3: Melanie J. Hopkins is chair of the Division of Paleontology and curator in charge of fossil invertebrates
at the American Museum of Natural History.
Roadside Geology of Kansas
James S. Aber, Susan E.W. Aber, and Michael J. Everhart
Mountain Press Publishing Company
www.mountain-press.com
9780878427154, $26.00, PB, 318pp
https://www.amazon.com/Roadside-Geology-Kansas-James-Aber/dp/0878427155
Roadside Geology of Kansas should be on any destination traveler's reading list, to be used as a take-along tote for those
planning to explore Kansas, who harbor an appreciation of geology. Sixteen roads, including all the state's scenic byways,
are covered in a trip that not only points out geologic landmarks that might otherwise be missed, but discusses the history
and influences on their making, preservation, and appearance. Packed with inviting glossy color photos, route suggestions,
and science, Roadside Geology of Kansas is the perfect gift for any Kansas resident and those looking to explore the state's
wonders.
The Cookbook Shelf
Mildreds Vegetarian: Vegetable Focused, Delicious Food
Mildreds
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Books
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781845339982, $32.99, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mildreds-Vegetarian-Cookbook-Daniel-Acevedo/dp/1845339983
Synopsis: Showcasing more than one hundred vegetarian recipes, "Mildreds Vegetarian: Vegetable Focused, Delicious Food
" from the culinary staff of the popular British vegetarian restaurant, Mildreds is a simply delight to browse through, plan
menus with, and general showcase elegant vegetarian dishes that are as appetite satisfying as they are palate pleasing and
nutritious.
Whether you are a vegetarian or are trying to cut down on your meat intake, the international influences reflected in these
recipes promise variety and flavor. There are also plenty of ideas for how to adapt the dishes quickly by adding meat, to
cater for keen omnivores.
With easy ingredients and smart, time-saving ideas, each recipe is easy to cook from the comfort of your own home. The
dishes are flexible and include ingredients that can be easily sourced, allowing you to make hassle-free and delicious
meals.
Critique: Beautifully illustrated, impressively organized, and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in presentation, "Mildreds
Vegetarian: Vegetable Focused, Delicious Food" is an ideal pick for personal, professional, and community library
Vegetarian Cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Mildreds Vegetarian: Vegetable Focused, Delicious Food" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
Editorial Note: Mildreds (www.mildreds.co.uk/our-story) is a mecca for all food lovers that has been offering exciting,
affordable vegetarian and vegan food from its original restaurant, in London's Soho, since 1988. It now has two more
branches in King's Cross and Camden, and is hugely popular, both for its food and its vibe, with musicians, comedians and
other celebrities. The Mildreds manifesto is 'To reach as many people as possible and give them the ideas and confidence to
enjoy vegetarian and vegan food at home.'
Mildreds Vegan: Bright Food, Bold Flavour
Mildreds
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Books
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781784729363, $32.99, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mildreds-Vegan-Bright-food-flavour/dp/1784729361
Synopsis: Bursting with clever vegan ideas for feasts with family and friends, as well as for delicious, simple everyday
meals, the recipes comprising "Mildreds Vegan: Bright Food, Bold Flavour" brings you punchy flavors, satisfying dishes, a
dash of urban cool and a refreshing take on the conventional stereotype of vegan food.
There are plenty of dishes to wow a crowd, including Walnut, Date & Cinnamon Rolls and Smoky Baked Beans on Grilled
Sourdough for a brunch with friends; Memphis Bourbon Barbecue Skewers and Rainbow Root Slaw with Orange, Maple &
Thyme Dressing for a summer barbecue; Chocolate Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Fudge Icing (ideal for a children's
party); or Butternut Squash & Tofu Terrine with Redcurrant Stuffing and an I-can't-believe-it's-vegan Espresso Creme
Caramel for a celebration dinner.
A vegan diet the Mildreds way will bring joy and surprise to your life and ensure your taste buds are well, alive and kicking,
as they enjoy fantastic-tasting food suitable for everyone and every occasion.
Critique: Enhanced for the kitchen cook's benefit with a profusion of beautiful, full page, appetite arousing, color
photographs of finished dishes, "Mildreds Vegan: Bright Food, Bold Flavour" elevates a culinary wealth of vegan dishes to
the level of elegant cuisine. Certain to be an enduringly welcome addition to personal, professional, and community library
Vegan/Vegetarian cookbook collections, it should be noted that "Mildreds Vegan: Bright Food, Bold Flavour" is also
currently available in a digital book format (Kindle, $0.99, Amazon).
Editorial Note: Mildreds (www.mildreds.co.uk/our-story) is a mecca for all food lovers that has been offering exciting,
affordable vegetarian and vegan food from its original restaurant, in London's Soho, since 1988. It now has two more
branches in King's Cross and Camden, and is hugely popular, both for its food and its vibe, with musicians, comedians and
other celebrities. The Mildreds manifesto is 'To reach as many people as possible and give them the ideas and confidence to
enjoy vegetarian and vegan food at home.'
The Cookbook: Food for Wellness
Champneys
Aster
c/o Octopus Publishing
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781783255979, $32.99, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Champneys-Cookbook-Food-Wellness/dp/1783255978
Synopsis: Champneys is a spa pioneer since 1925, offering four elegant English countryside health spa resorts, two luxury
spa hotels and a range of spa treatments, wellness and events. Celebrating the 100th anniversary of Champneys, "The
Cookbook: Food for Wellness" showcases healthy, hand-crafted recipes for wellbeing from the UK's leading spa
retreats.
Written with the guidance of Champneys' in-house nutritionist, "The Cookbook: Food for Wellness" is comprised of
balanced and nourishing recipes to support your personal health goals.
Featured are more than 100 recipes to choose from, including delicious breakfasts, lunches and dinner dishes, plus juice
shots and blended drinks, dips and salads, desserts and sweet treats, everything you need to create the Champneys menu
experience at home is here.
Critique: A visual and impressive delight to simply browse through, "The Cookbook: Food for Wellness" is beautifully and
profusely illustrated throughout with full color photography of finished dishes and is a truly 'kitchen cook friendly' menu
planning resource for elegant and memorable dining experiences both formal and informal. Of special note are the culinary
wealth of Lower Carb, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, and Vegan selections and options suitable for breakfast, lunch, dinner,
snacks, juice drinks, and 'sweet treats'. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $1.99), "The Cookbook: Food
for Wellness" is an exceptionally impressive and highly recommended pick for personal, professional, and community
library cookbook collections.
Grow Cook Nourish
Darina Allen
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Publishing
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781909487741, $49.99, HC, 640pp
https://www.amazon.com/Grow-Cook-Nourish-Kitchen-Companion/dp/1909487740
Synopsis: Growing your own food is exciting but, when it comes to knowing how to make the most of your produce, it can
be daunting. With the publication of "Grow Cook Nourish: A Kitchen Garden Companion in 500 Recipes", Darina Allen
draws on more than 30 years of experience gardening at Ballymaloe to take you through an extensive list of vegetables,
herbs and fruits.
Each individual entry includes explanations of different varieties, practical information on cultivation, growing and
maintenance, plus instructions for the best ways to cook produce as well as preserve and utilize a glut.
Showcasing more than 500 recipes, including dishes for every ingredient, Darina shows how to use your harvest to its full
potential. Vegetables range from annual crops such as chicory, radishes and kohlrabi to perennials like asparagus and
spinach. Fruits cover apples, currants and peaches as well as the more unusual and interesting myrtle berries, loquats and
medlars. Plus a comprehensive list of herbs, edible flowers and foraged foods such as samphire, wild garlic and
blackberries.
Critique: A large format (8.25 x 2.25 x 10 inches, 4 pounds) hardcover edition from Kyle Books, Darina Allen's "Grow
Cook Nourish: A Kitchen Garden Companion in 500 Recipes" is very nicely illustrated throughout in full color. An
impressive compendium of thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes for any and all dining occasions both formal and
informal, "Grow Cook Nourish" is a delight to plan menus with -- and to simply browse through in search of culinary ideas
for making something new and memorable for family and friends. While a strongly recommended pick for personal,
professional, and community library cookbook collections, it should also be noted that "Grow Cook Nourish" is readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Darina Allen (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darina_Allen) is Ireland's best-known food ambassador and runs
the world-renowned cookery school at Ballymaloe, Ireland. She is the author of 'Irish Traditional Cooking', 'A Year at
Ballymaloe Cookery School', 'Healthy Gluten-free Eating', 'Easy Entertaining', 'Forgotten Skills of Cooking' (winner of the
Andre Simon Food Book Award 2009), 'A Simply Delicious Christmas' '30 Years at Ballymaloe', 'Grow, Cook, Nourish
(winner of The World Gourmand Cookbook Award 2018) and most recently Simply Delicious, The Classic Collection
(publishing date end of September 2018). She has won many other awards including for outstanding contribution to the Irish
culinary sector by Euro-Toques in 2007, the UK Guild of Food Writers Lifetime Achievement Award 2013 and the 2018
Guaranteed Irish Food Hero Award.
Taste of Home Easy Everyday Cooking
Taste of Home
https://www.tasteofhome.com
c/o Trusted Media Brands
https://www.trustedmediabrands.com
9798889770121, $22.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Home-Easy-Everyday-Cooking/dp/B0C99JKFH6
Synopsis: Showcasing 330 recipes, with each one delivering the time-saving convenience and fabulous flavor that modern
family cooks appreciate, "Taste of Home Easy Everyday Cooking" from the Taste of Home editorial staff brilliantly
showcases marvelous main courses, satisfying sides, heartwarming soups and tempting desserts are just the start.
There are also special chapters tailored to the way today's cooks create their family's meals -- including five-ingredient
recipes, one-dish wonders and make-ahead options. Shared by talented home cooks and approved by the experts in the Taste
of Home Test Kitchen, these recipes prove that the best meals don't rely on time-consuming methods or complex steps -- not
when they are made with quality ingredients and prepared with care and confidence.
Complete nutrition facts are featured with every recipe. Of special note is the inclusion of: Easy-to-Spot Icons throughout
the book identifying the healthiest recipes, freezer-friendly staples, five-ingredient classics, overnight dishes, recipes that are
done in 30 minutes or less, and those that use today's most popular kitchen gadgets -- the slow cooker, Instant Pot(TM) and
air fryer. Plus, a special icon index makes it simple to find just the type of dish you're looking for.
There is also 'Clip-&-Keep List of Quick-Fix Staples'. Cut this handy list off the back cover flap of the book, and tape it to
your pantry or fridge. Created by the experts at the Taste of Home Test Kitchen, it offers a thorough list of the convenience
items every cook should have on hand.
Critique: A highly prized compendium of delicious, nutrition, 'kitchen cook friendly', DIY recipes for memorable menus for
any and all dining occasions both formal and informal, "Taste of Home Easy Everyday Cooking: 330 Recipes for Fuss-Free,
Ultra Easy, Crowd-Pleasing Favorites" is a beautifully illustrated and highly recommended pick for personal, professional,
and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that Taste of Home Easy Everyday Cooking" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).
Editorial Note: Taste of Home is the leading multi-platform producer of information on food, cooking, baking and
entertaining, serving home cooks engaging media that capture the joy and comfort received from food made with love. Taste
of Home magazine has a circulation of 1.5 million and publishes top-selling cookbooks and newsstand specials.
Tasteofhome.com is a top destination for engaging audiences with kitchen-tested recipes, how-to techniques, cooking videos
and more. Taste of Home has more than 6.1 million fans on Facebook, 1.9 million followers on Instagram, 2.6 million
Pinterest followers and receives more than 28 million unique monthly visitors. For the best recipes from home cooks visit
www.tasteofhome.com.
Peinao: A Greek Feast for All
Helena & Vikki Moursellas
Smith Street Books
c/o Rizzoli
https://www.rizzoliusa.com
9781922754592, $35.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pein%C3%A1o-Greek-Recipes-Hungry-Guests/dp/1922754595
Synopsis: Peinao is a contemporary celebration of traditional tried-and-tested Greek food, delivered feast style: cooking for
roommates, brunch with your besties, or making Sunday dinner for the whole family. "Peinao: A Greek Feast for All:
Recipes to Feed Hungry Guests" isn't just another taverna cookbook as co-authors and twin sisters Helena and Vikki
Moursellas share their fun and modern spins on the Greek classics, presented in a beautiful coffee table cookbook
format.
Peinao translates to "I'm hungry" in Greek -- and whether you are cooking for a dinner party, for breakfast with the in-laws,
for a mezze with the neighbors, for your family, or simply for yourself and a loved one, just name the occasion or palette
and there are suitable, mouth-watering dishes to accompany it, with each one deftly presented with love and accompanied by
a great story that will leave readers with warmth in their hearts and their stomachs.
Critique: An impressive compendium of beautifully illustrated and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes showcasing an
authentic Greek cuisine, "Peinao: A Greek Feast for All: Recipes to Feed Hungry Guests" will prove an elegant and
enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, and community library Ethnic Cookbook collections.
Elegant Hungarian Tortes and Homestyle Desserts for American Bakers
Ella Novacs Szabo, author
Sharon Hudgins, editor
University of North Texas Press
www.untpress.unt.edu
9781574419146, $29.95, HC, 248pp
https://www.amazon.com/Elegant-Hungarian-Homestyle-Desserts-American/dp/1574419145
Synopsis: When Ella Szabo fled her homeland during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, she never dreamed that someday
she would become a member of the US Olympic swimming team, an accomplished baker in America, and the author of a
cookbook about Hungarian desserts. But a chance encounter with a fellow Hungarian in Connecticut led to Ella's becoming
the custodian of a collection of heirloom recipes that form the core of "Elegant Hungarian Tortes and Homestyle Desserts
for American Bakers".
More than fifty recipes tell you how to bake Hungarian tortes, cookies, pastries, and cakes, from elegant old-world
pastry-shop classics like Linzer Torte and Esterhazy Torte to easy homestyle desserts, many of them from recipes that have
never been published before. Try your hand at delicate nut-flour tortes made from walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts: Almond
Meringue Torte with Coffee-Cream Filling, Walnut Wedding Torte with Hazelnut Filling, and Chocolate Roulade with
Hazelnut Cream. Enjoy easy-to-make Hungarian Almond Biscotti, Orange Kugelhopf, and Cherry Sponge Cake. And
delight in devouring Walnut-Apricot-Lemon Bars, traditional Hungarian Cheese Biscuits, and Beigli, a festive Hungarian
pastry roll filled with walnuts or poppy seeds, always eaten at Christmas.
Of special note is a complete section on ingredients, equipment, and techniques, as well as several historical and
contemporary photographs. And as a bonus: most of the recipes for nut-flour tortes are naturally gluten-free!
Critique: An ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library Ethnic
Cookbook collections, "Elegant Hungarian Tortes and Homestyle Desserts for American Bakers" is a joy to plan memorable
menus with and is an ideal resource as a 'user friendly' compendium of palate-pleasing, appetite-satisfying, authentic
Hungarian recipes suitable for even the most novice of kitchen cooks.
Slimming Eats Made in the Air Fryer
Siobhan Wightman
Yellow Kite
https://www.yellowkitebooks.co.uk
9781399724661, $28.99, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Slimming-Eats-Made-Air-Fryer/dp/1399724665
Synopsis: An air fryer is a small countertop convection oven designed to simulate deep frying without submerging the food
in oil. A fan circulates hot air at a high speed, producing a crisp layer via browning reactions such as the Maillard
reaction.
"Slimming Eats Made in the Air Fryer" by Siobhan Wightman is packed from cover to cover with more than 80 tasty,
slimming, illustrated recipes -- each of which is brand new and under 600 calories.
Also included in "Slimming Eats Made in the Air Fryer" is an how-to guide to equip you with all you need to start your Air
Fryer journey today - as well as saving you time and money!
Featured recipes include: Warm Bacon, Halloumi, Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad; Thai Green Pork Curry; Chicken
Tacos with Mango Salsa and Lime Crema; Detroit-Style Supreme Pizza; Chipotle Beef Macaroni; Sweet Chilli Salmon
Bites with Sesame Garlic Broccoli; Cauliflower Katsu Curry; and Maple-Glazed Banana Cake -- just to name a few!
Critique: Thoroughly 'kitchen cook' friendly in organization and presentation, "Slimming Eats Made in the Air Fryer" is
ideal for planning palate pleasing, appetite satisfying meals for any dining occasion. Each recipe calls for fuss-free
ingredients and will result in quickly, easily prepared meals utilizing all the culinary advantages of air fry cooking. While a
highly recommended addition to personal, professional, family, and community library cookbook collections, it should be
noted that "Slimming Eats Made in the Air Fryer" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Siobhan Wightman is the creator of popular food blog www.slimmingeats.com -- which is a recipe blog
filled with hundreds of easy, delicious healthy recipes. She started Slimming Eats in 2009 to keep herself accountable on her
own weight-loss journey and to share her recipes along the way. When starting out on her own journey she quickly realized
that recipes available for those wanting to lose weight were uninspiring and too restrictive for something that should be a
lifestyle change. Using predominantly real ingredients and home style cooking means that Slimming Eats recipes provide a
way to enact that lifestyle change in a consistent and maintainable way rather than an unsustainable "fad diet" which is
difficult over a long period of time and ultimately leads to failure.
Taste of Home Bakeshop Classics
Taste of Home
https://www.tasteofhome.com
c/o Trusted Media Brands
https://www.trustedmediabrands.com
9798889770145, $26.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Home-Bakeshop-Classics-After-Dinner/dp/B0C99LDYMY
Synopsis: "Taste of Home Bakeshop Classics" is a beautifully illustrated compendium showcasing 247 recipes for palate
pleasing, appetite satisfying, kitchen cook friendly vintage delights, coffeehouse bites and after-dinner Highlights. In these
pages will be discovered the best recipes and the step-by-step techniques that every home cook will need to treat the coffee
klatsch, fill the cookie jar, bake up golden breads and master holiday-worthy pies -- all with recipes approved by the pros at
the Taste of Home Test Kitchen.
Featured are: 240+ Beloved Sweets (Discover the ultimate round-up of craveable treats, from macarons and smash cakes to
vintage long johns and upside-down cakes); 300 Gorgeous Color Photo. (Full-color photos and helpful step-by step
preparation images throughout) Short & Sweet Icons (Dozens of shortcut dishes made easier with store-bought ingredients
are highlighted with this at-a-glance icon).
Also included is Best Birthday Ever (A bonus chapter is brimming with dozens of sweet sensations for anyone's big day! Ice
cream cakes, birthday cake shooters, and even adorable children's treats; Nostalgic Seasonal Sweets (Create new memories
with your children as you revisit vintage Christmas candies, autumn's best caramel apples in the fall and the fruity summer
classics everyone adores).
Of special note is Cafe Beverages (Pumpkin Spice Latte, Chai Tea and Creamy Irish Coffee are just some of the coffeehouse
specialties you'll find here.
Saving money and dazzling friends has never been easier. Additionally is the inclusion of QR Codes -- Simply scan the
codes to watch the Taste of Home Test Kitchen staff put together some of the country's most popular dishes. These will
allow you bake with confidence as you follow their lead.
And finally is the feature of Nutrition Facts with Every Recipe, providing a complete set of nutrition facts with every recipe,
plus diabetic exchanges where applicable -- because it's important to know what you're serving family and friends.
Critique: A culinary and meal planning delight to browse through, plan menus with, or just coming up with a memorable
treat for any and all celebratory occasions, "Taste of Home Bakeshop Classics: 247 Vintage Delights, Coffeehouse Bites &
After-Dinner Highlights" is certain to be a welcome and valued addition to personal, professional, and community library
cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Taste of Home Bakeshop Classics" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $15.99). If you only have room for just one more cookbook, make it "Taste of Home Bakeshop Classics"!
Editorial Note: Taste of Home is the leading multi-platform producer of information on food, cooking, baking and
entertaining, serving home cooks engaging media that capture the joy and comfort received from food made with love. Taste
of Home magazine has a circulation of 1.5 million and publishes top-selling cookbooks and newsstand specials.
Tasteofhome.com is a top destination for engaging audiences with kitchen-tested recipes, how-to techniques, cooking videos
and more. Taste of Home has more than 6.1 million fans on Facebook, 1.9 million followers on Instagram, 2.6 million
Pinterest followers and receives more than 28 million unique monthly visitors. For the best recipes from home cooks, visit
tasteofhome.com and follow us on Facebook and Pinterest.
Taste of Home Easy Everyday Vegetarian Cookbook
Taste of Home
https://www.tasteofhome.com
c/o Trusted Media Brands
https://www.trustedmediabrands.com
9781621459804, $19.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Home-Everyday-Vegetarian-Cookbook/dp/1621459802
Synopsis: Whether on a plant-based diet or simply enjoying an occasional Meatless Monday, " you're sure to enjoy and
appreciate the tantalizing dishes that comprise "Taste of Home Easy Everyday Vegetarian Cookbook: 297 fresh, delicious
meat-less recipes for everyday meals Featuring more than 290 family-friendly recipes" -- a follow-up to the popular Taste of
Home edition of "Vegetarian Made Easy".
Laying out everything needed to set a fresh, flavorful, vegetarian meal on the table ranging from mouthwatering Instant Pot
and slow-cooked sensations, to colorful casseroles and other hearty entrees. Of special note is a bonus chapter that includes
Taste of Home's top-rated vegan dishes, and a Meat-Lover callout offers easy recipe additions sure to satisfy the beef and
poultry eaters at your table.
No matter how (or how often) you go meatless, the "Taste of Home Easy Everyday Vegetarian Cookbook" makes it a
culinary certainty to satisfy everyone at the table.
Critique: It's not that often that a cookbook comes along whose cornucopia of 'family cook friendly' vegetarian dishes will
provide the kind of palate-pleasing, appetite-satisfying cuisine that will keep everyone at the table (including the carnivores
amongst us) asking for second helpings! But that is exactly the case with this beautifully illustrated paperback edition of the
"Taste of Home Easy Everyday Vegetarian Cookbook". While highly recommended for personal, family, professional, and
community library Vegetarian Cookbook collections, it should be noted that "Taste of Home Easy Everyday Vegetarian
Cookbook" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Taste of Home is the leading multi-platform producer of information on food, cooking, baking and
entertaining, serving home cooks engaging media that capture the joy and comfort received from food made with love. Taste
of Home magazine has a circulation of 1.5 million and publishes top-selling cookbooks and newsstand specials.
Tasteofhome.com is a top destination for engaging audiences with kitchen-tested recipes, how-to techniques, cooking videos
and more. Taste of Home has more than 6.1 million fans on Facebook, 1.9 million followers on Instagram, 2.6 million
Pinterest followers and receives more than 28 million unique monthly visitors. For the best recipes from home cooks visit
www.tasteofhome.com
Kitchen Gear: The Ultimate Owner's Manual
Lisa McManus and Hannah Crowley
America's Test Kitchen
www.americastestkitchen.com
9781954210691, $40.00 HC, $24.99 Kindle, 432pp
https://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Gear-Ultimate-Equipment-Recommended/dp/1954210698
Kitchen Gear: The Ultimate Owner's Manual is especially highly recommended for cooks who don't already have their
kitchens outfitted with the latest and greatest gadgets. It will save these novices a lot of time in the kitchen as it recommends
skillets that produce predictably easy results, ice cream makers that churn out superior blends, coffee makers that excel in
high-quality flavor, and more. Many may be surprised to learn that the right tool, even in a kitchen environment, will make
all the difference not only in ease, but outcomes. Kitchen Gear is packed with expert tips on what is and is not useful in a
kitchen. It should be the first book consulted when building a kitchen from scratch (once the walls are up).
Wok for Less
Ching-He Huang
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Books
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781804191590, $29.99 HC, $14.99 Kindle, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Wok-Less-Budget-Friendly-Asian-Minutes/dp/1804191590
So many books about Chinese, Asian, and wok cooking are on the market that one might wonder at the need for yet another,
but Wok for Less: Budget-Friendly Asian Meals in 30 Minutes or Less is ideal for the busy cook who always presumed that
making Asian food at home was too labor-intensive (or special-ingredient-specific) to be worth the effort. Ching-He Huang
offers new creative ideas on how to stretch the meat and seafood in Asian dishes to make the most of a budget, organizing
dishes into cook-friendly chapters, from Budget Chop Suey to Entertaining, Sharing & Leftover Meals. Dishes come with
full-color photos to entice all eaters with such fare as Spicy Sweet Oyster Sauce Prawns with Pine Nuts or Roast Hoisin
Chicken Wings - all of which can be made in a snap. Cooks looking for Chinese cookbooks that are appealing, different,
and which put the 'quick and budget-minded' back into the kitchen and on the table will find Wok for Less a winning
choice.
Coffee Art Masterclass
Dhan Tamang
Cassell
c/o Octopus Books
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781788404648, $14.99 HC, $6.99 Kindle, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Coffee-Art-Masterclass-incredible-designs/dp/1788404645
Coffee Art Masterclass: 50 Incredible Coffee Designs for the Home Barista is for coffee lovers who always admired the
artistic bent of professional coffee house drink creators, and who wish to create homemade coffee using the same decorative
skills. Dhan Tamang provides a surprisingly diverse set of creative options, from images based on surrealistic elements and
art to seasonal designs, animals and birds from nature, and more. The color options will surprise any who associate barista
art with one-dimensional shades of brown, making Coffee Art Masterclass of particular interest to coffee fans that would
put the time into finishing touches. No special equipment required is an added bonus, here!
The Biography Shelf
King of Diamonds
Ronald Winston, author
William Stadiem, author
Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781510775602, $28.99, HC, 400pp
https://www.amazon.com/King-Diamonds-Flawless-World-Winston/dp/1510775609
Synopsis: Few American success stories rival that of Harry Winston.
Born Harry Weinstein, he came from humble roots. His parents were poor Jewish immigrants who left Ukraine around 1890
for New York, where they settled and started a small jewelry business. His genius for spotting priceless gems emerged
young. When Harry was twelve years old, he recognized a two-carat emerald in a pawn shop and bought it for 25 cents,
selling it two days later for $800 - a massive sum in the early 1900s. From that moment on, Harry became obsessed with
gems, especially diamonds.
A compact, unassuming man with no formal education, but unlimited drive and ambition, Harry Weinstein transformed
himself into Harry Winston, the enigmatic figure who created the world's most prestigious luxury brand.
Harry Winston built his empire while the Depression raged, World War II reshaped the world, and America entered its
post-war period of prosperity. "King of Diamonds: Harry Winston, the Definitive Biography of an American Icon"is a
riveting life story whose readers get a bird's eye view of the dangers of the diamond trade and the lengths men would go to
get their hands on the best of the "rough."
There's also a glimpse into the lives of the rich and famous, who clamored for Winston's gems.
Although he traveled the world doing business with kings, queens, and movie stars, Winston remained a devoted family
man, whose chief wish was that his sons carry on the legacy he had built.
Harry's older son Ronald Winston worked alongside his father for decades. After Harry's death, Ron grew the company into
the international brand that is still revered today. He ran it expertly, until he was forced to sell the company, due to his
younger brother's maligning litigation. "King Diamond" is also the story of a family business that survived and thrived for
more than a century, until it was undone by one, bitter family member.
Critique: Fascinating, detailed, candid, and compelling read from start to finish, "King of Diamonds: Harry Winston, the
Definitive Biography of an American Icon", and written with the professional assistance of biographer and author William
Stadiem, is especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community and college/university library American
Biography collections. It should also be noted for the personal reading lists of anyone with an interest in the jewelry
business and the biographies of the rich and famous, that "King of Diamonds" is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note #1: Ronald Winston, the eldest son of Harry and Edna Winston, was born in New York City in 1941 and
raised in Westchester, New York. As an undergraduate at Harvard University, he was twice recognized by the American
Rocket Society for research in solid propellants. He graduated from Harvard in 1963 with a degree in chemistry, then
worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and New York University developing rocket propulsion technologies.
In his late twenties, at the request of his father, he joined the executive team at Harry Winston, Inc. When his father passed
away in 1978, Ron assumed leadership of the company, turning it into the global luxury brand that is revered today. He left
the company in 2013 and returned to his first love, science. Winston holds many science patents and is currently working in
biotech on developing a cure for cancer.
Editorial Note #2: William Stadiem is the author of "Mr. S: My Life with Frank Sinatra", "Marilyn Monroe Confidential",
and "Dear Senator: A Memoir by the Daughter of Strom Thurmond". He has contributed to Vanity Fair and Town &
Country and was the Hollywood columnist for Andy Warhol's Interview and the restaurant critic for Los Angeles Magazine.
Stadiem is also a screenwriter whose credits include Elizabeth Taylor's last starring vehicle, Franco Zeffirelli's Young
Toscanini, and the television series L.A. Law.
The Great Survivor of the Tudor Age
Alex Anglesey
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399035095, $39.95, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Great-Survivor-Tudor-Age-William/dp/1399035096
Synopsis: Like Cromwell and Wolsey before him, William Paget (1506 - 9 June 1563) came from nowhere to become one
of Henry VIII's most powerful 'new men'. After serving as ambassador to the Court of Francis I of France, he became
Henry's most influential foreign policy advisor and developed a close relationship with Emperor Charles V. He had the
king's ear in Henry's later years, was the key player in drafting his will (was it a forgery?) and in enabling Somerset to
become Lord Protector in the reign of the boy king, Edward VI. For a while, he was Somerset's 'right-hand man'.
When Somerset fell, Paget was imprisoned in the Tower and nearly executed. But he survived and regained power. He had a
major role in delivering the Crown to the Catholic queen, Mary, and in arranging her marriage to Philip II of Spain, whom
he then advised on English politics. He kept in with the Protestant princess Elizabeth and survived to have influence when
she came to the throne.
William was also the founder of the aristocratic Paget family - Barons of Beaudesert, Earls of Uxbridge and Marquesses of
Anglesey.
From records of the mansion that he built on a site next to today's Heathrow Airport, a picture has been created of how life
was actually lived in a Tudor household at the personal family level.
William' story is partly told from previously unexamined family letters. It is an exciting narrative of dramatic ups and
downs: from rags to riches, plague to plenty, and prison to peerage. Court intrigues, conspiracies, rebellions and coups,
follow one after the other. William is usually in the thick of it, the power behind the throne.
Critique: An inherently fascinating and informative read from start to finish, "The Great Survivor of the Tudor Age: The
Life and Times of Lord William Paget" is a masterpiece of biographical scholarship and a critically important contribution
to our understanding of 16th Century British history. Significantly enhanced for the benefit of the reader with the inclusion
of an Appendix (A Family Epilogue), thirteen pages of Notes, a three page listing of Sources & Bibliography, and a three
page Index, "The Great Survivor of the Tudor Age: The Life and Times of Lord William Paget" is an extraordinary and
expressly recommended contribution to personal, professional, community, and college/university library 16th Century
British History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, historian,
and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Great Survivor of the Tudor Age: The Life and
Times of Lord William Paget" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.00).
Editorial Note: Alex Anglesey is the 8th Marquess of Anglesey, descendant of Lord William, founder of the Paget family.
He grew up in the family home, Plas Newydd on Anglesey, which is now part of the National Trust. After doing a PhD in
20th century British history, working in book publishing, and co-founding and running a successful business retailing and
publishing posters, he now works most of the time as an artist, mainly of landscapes in oils, under the name Alex
Uxbridge.
Favourite of Fortune: Captain John Quilliam Trafalgar Hero
Andrew Lambert, Andrew Bond, and Frank Cowin
Seaforth Publishing
c/o Naval Institute Press
www.nip.org
9781399012706, $44.95, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Favourite-Fortune-Captain-Quilliam-Trafalgar/dp/1399012703
Synopsis: Born on the Isle of Man two hundred fifty years ago, Captain John Quilliam (29 September 1771 - 10 October
1829) has, until now, evaded detailed study of his extraordinary life. While celebrated as a Manx hero, in the wider world
beyond the Island one of the most important men on the quarter deck of HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar remains
largely unrecognized.
Trafalgar, however, was not even the high point of Quilliam's professional journey. From the lowest rung of the ladder in
the dockyard at Portsmouth he climbed to become Victory's First Lieutenant, having already survived two of the bloodiest
sea-battles of the era at Camperdown and Copenhagen. In the process he won a share in undreamed of wealth through the
seizure of one of the largest hauls of Spanish gold ever taken by the Georgian navy.
Promoted post-Captain, Quilliam reached the apogee of his profession, commanding frigates in the Baltic and on the
Newfoundland station in the War of 1812. There, in a bizarre twist worthy of a novel by O'Brian or Forester, he defeated an
accusation of shirking an engagement with the American super-frigate President in a court-martial brought by his own First
Lieutenant.
Critique: Rescued from an undeserved obscurity by the team of Andrew Lambert (who is Professor of Naval History at
King's College, London), Manx Antiqurarian Andrew Bond,, and biographer Andrew Bond, "Favourite of Fortune: Captain
John Quilliam Trafalgar Hero" from Seaforth Publishing is impressively informative, exceptionally well written, expertly
organized and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in presentation. Enhanced for the readers benefit with the inclusion of
Illustrations, Notes, Glossary, Bibliography, and an Index, "Favourite of Fortune" is recommended as a key addition to
personal, professional, community, and college/university library War of 1812 Naval History and English Naval Biography
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Favourite of Fortune" is also available in a paperback edition (9781399016957,
$19.95).
Editorial Note: Andrew Lambert is Laughton Professor of Naval History in the Department of War Studies at King's
College, London. He provided the political and strategic context to the detailed biographical research by Andrew Bond, a
retired engineering journalist, while Frank Cowin, a prominent Manx antiquarian, dealt with Quilliam's background and
reputation on the Island.
Luck or Miracle: A World War II POW's Survival Story
Reginald Bollich, author
James Bollich, narrator
Modern History Press
https://www.modernhistorypress.com
9781615997787, $34.95, HC, 122pp
https://www.amazon.com/Luck-Miracle-World-Survival-Story/dp/1615997784
Synopsis: With the publication of "Luck or Miracle: A World War II POW's Survival Story", author Reginald Bollich
presents the true story of Jim Bollich, a 102-year-old World War II soldier, who offers a first-person account of courage,
fortitude and the will to survive three years of frost-bitten captivity as a POW in Manchuria, enduring the Bataan Death
March, thirst, starvation, diseases, a 32-day sea voyage (crammed into the hold of a Japanese hell ship) and aerial
bombings.
After liberation, the transport ship to take him home hit a mine and lost power. A violent typhoon ensued and he had to lash
himself to a bulkhead above deck to survive.
Jim survived because he strengthened his mind to confront evil and overcome fear in the face of danger, beatings and pain.
Daily prayer strengthened his will to live.
Critique: An invaluable memoir offering genuine perspective and information about life as a POW in the Pacific Theatre of
World War II, "Luck or Miracle: A World War II POW's Survival Story" is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit
throughout the the Japanese atrocities that were the hallmark of that conflict. "Luck of Miracle" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library World War II History/Biography
collections. It should be noted that "Luck of Miracle" is also readily available in both a paperback edition (9781615997770,
$19.95) and a digital book format (Kindle, $6.95).
Editorial Note #1: Reggie Bollich is a retired physicist, amateur biblical archaeologist, and ordained Catholic deacon. He
worked on NASA's Apollo project, for the oil/gas industry in the USA, Saudi Arabia, France, London, Singapore and the
UAE. He unearthed ancient sites in the Middle East and is president of a non-profit organization that supports Sarnelli
orphanage in Thailand.
Editorial Note #2: James Bollich is a 102-year-old World War II US Army veteran. He survived the Bataan Death March,
numerous diseases, starvation, a thirty-two-day sea voyage crammed into the hold of a Japanese hell-ship, and a
three-and-one-half year frost-bitten sojourn as a POW in a Manchuria prison camp. He went on to earn a degree under the
G.I. Bill and had a successful career as a geologist in Lafayette Louisiana where he lives today.
Dale L. Morgan
Richard L. Saunders
The University of Utah Press
https://uofupress.lib.utah.edu
9781647691202, $95.00, HC, 536pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dale-L-Morgan-Histories-Transition/dp/1647691206
Synopsis: "Dale L. Morgan: Mormon and Western Histories in Transition" by Richard L. Saunders is the first biography
of Dale L. Morgan (December 18, 1914 - March 30, 1971) who was preeminent Western historian of the fur trade, historic
trails, and the Latter Day Saint movement.
This comprehensive biography explores how, despite personal struggles, Morgan committed his life to tracking down
sources and interpreting the past on the strength of documentary evidence. Connecting Morgan's life with some of the broad
cultural changes that shaped his experiences, this biography engages with methodological shifts in the historical profession,
the mid-twentieth-century collision of interpretations within Latter Day Saint history, and the development of a descriptive,
scholarly approach to that history.
Morgan's body of work and commitment to serious scholarship signaled the start of new ways of understanding, studying,
and retelling history, and he motivated a generation of historians from the 1930s to the 1970s to transform their historical
approaches. Sounding board, mentor, and close friend to Nels Anderson, Fawn Brodie, Juanita Brooks, Bernard DeVoto,
Wallace Stegner, and Leonard Arrington, Dale Morgan is the common factor linking this influential generation of
mid-twentieth-century historians of western America.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a 24 page Dale L. Morgan Bibliography, 58 pages of Notes, a 20
page listing of Works Cited, and a 14 page Index, this University of Utah Press edition of academic librarian and biographer
Richard L. Saunders' detailed and documented historical study, "Dale L. Morgan: Mormon and Western Histories in
Transition" is a seminal work of impressively meticulous scholarship and is especially, unreservedly recommended addition
to personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Biography collections. It should be noted for
students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Dale L. Morgan: Mormon and
Western Histories in Transition" is also available in a paperback edition (9781647691219, $34.95).
Editorial Note: Richard L. Saunders is a librarian at Southern Utah University. He is also the author of Eloquence from a
Silent World: A Descriptive Bibliography of the Published Writings of Dale L. Morgan, and editor of Morgan's writing in
Shoshonean Peoples and the Overland Trails: Frontiers of the Utah Superintendency of Indian Affairs, 1849 - 1869.
A Dangerous Country: An American Elegy
Ron Kovic
Akashic Books
www.akashicbooks.com
9781636141664, $27.95, HC, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Country-American-Elegy/dp/1636141668
Synopsis: When 18 year old Ronald Lawrence Kovic enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1964, he couldn't foresee
that he would return from Vietnam paralyzed and in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
His best-selling 1976 memoir "Born on the Fourth of July" became an antiwar classic and was adapted into an
Oscar-winning film starring Tom Cruise as Kovic. His follow-up, "Hurricane Street", chronicled his advocacy for Vietnam
veterans' rights. "A Dangerous Country: An American Elegy" completes Kovic's Vietnam Trilogy, delving deep into his
long and often agonizing journey home from war and eventual healing, forgiveness, and spiritual redemption.
"A Dangerous Country" opens with Kovic's never-before-revealed Vietnam diary (July 7, 1967 - July 26, 1968). His entries
from this period portray a patriotic young soldier with a strong moral and religious conscience. Kovic then recalls his
political awakening after his return from Vietnam confined to a wheelchair following his horrific injury. He also chronicles
the tremendous guilt he feels over his accidental killing of a fellow Marine while on patrol. This killing psychologically
torments him as much as his severe disability.
After years of social, political, and sexual turmoil (and on the brink of suicide) Kovic experiences a powerful epiphany that
gives him a reason and purpose to live; a renewed faith and strength to carry on. Although his trauma is severe, his third
memoir is ultimately the inspirational story of a survivor finding a way to rise above his depression and despair, forgiving
his enemies and himself, and growing deeply committed to a new life.
Critique: A compelling, emotionally resonating, and thought-provoking read from start to finish, this third and final memoir
by Ron Kovic, and published by Akashic Books, "A Dangerous Country: An American Elegy" is of special and particular
value and appeal to readers with an interest in Vietnam War, social/political anti-war activist, and disability biographies and
memoirs, While especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library American
Biography/Memoir collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "A Dangerous Country" is also available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Ron Kovic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Kovic) served two tours of duty during the Vietnam War. He
was paralyzed from his chest down in combat in 1968 and has been in a wheelchair ever since. Along with Oliver Stone,
Kovic was the co-screenwriter of the 1989 Academy Award - winning film based on Kovic's best-selling memoir Born on
the Fourth of July (starring Tom Cruise as Kovic). Hurricane Street (2016) detailed Kovic's efforts to organize the American
Veterans Movement in 1974, fighting for better treatment of injured and disabled veterans.
A Surgeon and a Maverick
Simon Pearson, author
Fiona Gorman, author
American University in Cairo Press
www.aucpress.com
9781649031969, $29.95, HC, 446pp
https://www.amazon.com/Surgeon-Maverick-Pioneering-Magdi-Yacoub/dp/1649031963
Synopsis: With the publication of "A Surgeon and a Maverick: The Life and Pioneering Work of Magdi Yacoub", co-
authors and veteran journalists Simon Pearson and Fiona Gorman follow the remarkable life of heart surgeon Magdi Yacoub
from his formative years in Egypt, through spectacular success at Cairo University, to his long and distinguished career in
Britain.
Although at times he clashed with the medical establishment in London, Yacoub pioneered great advances in heart surgery.
He was knighted in 1992, and in 2014, he was awarded the highest honor in the gift of the Queen, the Order of Merit.
Written with unprecedented access and drawing on extensive interviews and research, this deftly crafted biography recounts
how Yacoub transformed the treatment of children with congenital heart disease. He performed some of the first heart
transplants in Britain and the first heart-lung transplants in Europe. At London's Harefield Hospital, he created the greatest
heart transplant center in the world. Among his patients are men and women who are still thriving more than thirty-five
years after he gave them new hope.
"A Surgeon and a Maverick: The Life and Pioneering Work of Magdi Yacoub" is also about the advances of medical
science, the development of new medical techniques, and a deeper understanding of how the human body works.
Today, at an age when most people have long since retired, Yacoub is still pushing the boundaries of scientific
understanding and surgical know-how. He is also taking heart surgery to places that until now have had little access to
cardiac treatment, developing centers of excellence across Africa, including in Egypt, where his hospital in Aswan has an
international reputation, and a new center is rising in Cairo.
Yacoub's life is one of triumph and tragedy, success and failure, fierce criticism and high praise -- it is also an enthralling
journey through the worlds of scientific research and medical politics and ethics at the highest levels.
Critique: An inherently fascinating read from start to finish, "A Surgeon and a Maverick: The Life and Pioneering Work of
Magdi Yacoub" is the extraordinary life story of an extraordinary man of medicine and will prove to be of immense value to
readers with an interest in organ transplant surgery. "A Surgeon and a Maverick: The Life and Pioneering Work of Magdi
Yacoub" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library
Contemporary Biography and Medical History collections. It should be noted that "A Surgeon and a Maverick: The Life and
Pioneering Work of Magdi Yacoub" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note #1: Fiona Gorman worked for The Times newspaper in London for more than thirty years. She has written on
a range of subjects including mental health.
Editorial Note #2: Mary Archer is a British scientist specializing in solar power conversion. In 2012, she was appointed
Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for her services to the National Health Service.
The General Fiction Shelf
The Girl from the Red Rose Motel
Susan Beckham Zurenda
Mercer University Press
www.mupress.org
9780881469011, $27.00, HC, 291pp
https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Red-Rose-Motel/dp/0881469017
Synopsis: Impoverished high school junior Hazel Smalls and privileged senior Sterling Lovell would never ordinarily meet.
But when both are punished with in-school suspension, Sterling finds himself drawn to the gorgeous, studious girl seated
nearby, and an unlikely relationship begins.
Set in 2012 South Carolina, "The Girl from the Red Rose Motel" by Susan Beckham Zurenda interlaces the stories of Hazel,
living with her homeless family in the rundown Red Rose Motel; Sterling, yearning to break free from his wealthy parents'
expectations; and recently widowed Angela Wilmore, their stern but compassionate English teacher.
Hazel hides her homelessness from Sterling until he discovers her cleaning the motel's office when he goes with his
slumlord father to unfreeze the motel's pipes one morning. With her secret revealed, their relationship deepens.
Angela (who has her own struggles in a budding romance with the divorced principal) offers Hazel the support her family
can't provide. Navigating between privilege and poverty, vulnerability and strength, all three must confront what they need
from themselves and each other as Hazel gains the courage to oppose boundaries and make a bold, life-changing decision at
novel's end.
"The Girl from the Red Rose Motel" explores the complex bonds between adults and teenagers and the power of the
families we both inherit and create. Inspired by the author's own experiences teaching in a South Carolina high school, her
novel is also an unflinching, authentic look at the challenges faced by America's public school teachers and the struggles of
the thousands of homeless children in motels who live, precariously and almost invisibly, amid the nation's most affluent
communities.
Critique: Deftly crafted with an impressive eloquence, "The Girl from the Red Rose Motel" showcases author Susan
Beckham Zurenda's genuine flair for the kind of narrative driven storytelling that makes for effective literary fiction. A
novel that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon
the shelf, "The Girl from the Red Rose Motel" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community and
college/university library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be
noted that "The Girl from the Red Rose Motel" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.00).
Editorial Note: Susan Beckham Zurenda (https://www.susanzurenda.com) taught English for thirty-three years to college
and high school students. Her debut novel, BELLS FOR ELI, has received several awards including first place for Best First
Book--Fiction in the 2021 Independent Publisher Book Awards. Zurenda has also published and won numerous awards for
her short fiction.
The Couple in the Photo
Helen Cooper
G. P. Putnam's Sons
c/o Penguin Group
www.penguin.com
9780593544907, $18.00, PB, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Couple-Photo-Helen-Cooper/dp/0593544900
Synopsis: Lucy and her husband, Adam, have been best friends with another couple, Cora and Scott, for years. The four are
practically family -- they vacation together, co-own a beach cottage, and their children are inseparable. So Lucy is
devastated when, while looking at a colleague's photos of a trip to the Maldives, she spots a picture of Scott, apparently on
vacation with another woman.
Then she learns that the woman in the photo has gone missing. Lucy can't help but fear that Scott was involved. But
searching for answers might uncover secrets about Scott, Cora, and even her own husband that could destroy the
picture-perfect lives they have built together. Or maybe she was never part of the picture at all. Is it possible everyone knows
more than they are letting on? If so, what are the consequences of exposing the truth?
Critique: An impressively original, deftly crafted, riveting, and entertaining read from start to finish, "The Couple in the
Photo" by Helen Cooper will prove to be a welcome and enduringly popular pick for community library suspense thriller
collections and of special appeal to readers with an interest in Women's Friendship/Domestic Life fiction. It should be noted
for personal reading lists that "The Couple in the Photo" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$12.99).
Editorial Note: Helen Cooper (https://www.helencooperwriter.com) is the author of The Other Guest and The Downstairs
Neighbor. She is from Derby and has a MA in Creative Writing and a background in teaching English and Academic
Writing. Her creative writing has been published in Mslexia and Writers' Forum; she was shortlisted in the Bath Short Story
Prize in 2014, and came third in the Leicester Writes Short Story Prize 2018.
High on the Vine
Terri Martin
Modern History Press
https://www.modernhistorypress.com
9781615997862, $34.95, HC, 166pp
https://www.amazon.com/High-Vine-Featuring-Entrepreneurs-Cousins/dp/1615997865
Synopsis: Laced with laughter, the stories comprising "High on the Vine: Featuring Yooper Entrepreneurs, Tami & Evi
Maki" by Terri Martin feature thrice-removed cousins, Tami & Evi Maki, who often contemplate how their lives would be
vastly different, if only they did not bear the burden of marriage to Toivo and Eino.
Always shirking responsibility, the two spousal reprobates tend to work as little as humanly possible and gamble beyond
their means. When Toivo and Eino do win a "pot" they pass along a share of the booty to their wives with an all-expense
paid trip to someplace "exotic." But while this may bring a tropical paradise to mind, it turns out to be a survival wilderness
weekend in the dead of winter in the middle of nowhere.
Tami & Evi punish their husbands with a hostile takeover of the boys' hunting camp. From there they explore many
entrepreneurial adventures, including a "rustic" vacation rental, an Amish-run chicken ranch, and a winery operated by a
group of misogynistic monks who turn out a product known as "Monk Juice."
While the bottom line for Tami and Evi is always murky, the various ventures they pursue are even murkier.
Critique: "High On The Vine" is a collection of humorous stories based on the adventures of Tami and Evi Maki (cousins
thrice removed) that originally made their debut in UP Magazine and now presented to an appreciative readership. While
also available for personal reading lists in a paperback edition (Gnarly Woods Publications, 9781735204321, $17.95) and in
a digital book format (Kindle, $5.95), "High On The Vine" is a fun read from start to finish and will prove an immediate and
enduringly popular pick for community library Contemporary Humor collections.
Editorial Note: Terri's first book, A Family Trait, which is a middle-grade novel, was first published in 1999 by Holiday House in New York and was republished by Modern History Press under the title Voodoo Shack in 2023. A second middle-grade children's book, The Home Wind, came out in 2021 and has been recognized as a UP Notable Book. After writing a monthly column for years for UP Magazine (Porcupine Press Publications), Martin anthologized her humorous stories into books: Church Lady Chronicles: Devilish Encounters (2020), High on the Vine: Featuring Yooper Entrepreneurs Tami & Evi Maki (2022), and her most recent collection, Roadkill Justice (2023). Terri's has a full-length novel, Moose Willow Mystery, which was published in 2022. Terri's books are available in print and eBook on Amazon and Barnes and Noble or through her website TerriLynnMartin.com
Meet the Benedettos
Katie Cotugno
Harper Perennial
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063329003, $24.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Meet-Benedettos-Novel-Katie-Cotugno/dp/006332900X
Synopsis: Every family is complicated, and the Benedettos are no exception. A few years after a reality TV show
skyrocketed them to pop-culture fame, the five twentysomething sisters are living together in their parents' crumbling
McMansion, nearly broke and teetering towards rock-bottom.
Lilly, the sensible second-eldest sister, is all too aware that her family is viewed as a spectacle, but she's focused on holding
herself and her family together, and unlike her siblings she tends not to care what the world thinks.
The Benedettos' fortunes finally appear to be brightening when Charlie Bingley, the dashing star of Captain Fantastic,
moves into their Los Angeles neighborhood with his friend Will Darcy in tow. It isn't long before Charlie falls for the warm
and lovely eldest sister, June.
Lilly has no such luck: the arrogant and judgmental Will Darcy, a man plagued by his own private demons, seems ready to
clash with her at every turn -- yet the two can't seem to stay away from each other.
And while the Benedettos' matriarch sets to work encouraging a potential match between Charlie and June, there are plenty
of others in the community who are determined to steer these eligible young men away from a ridiculous family of reality
show has-beens...
Critique: As a novelist, Katie Cotugno in "Meet the Benedettos" is able to create a big, boisterous and memorable cast of
characters to life in story that blends romance with dysfunctional family life dynamics. Exceptionally well crafted, "Meet the
Benedettos" is a fun read from start to finish and will prove a welcome pick for personal reading lists and community library
collections. It should be noted that "Meet the Benedettos" is also readily available in a paperback edition (Harper Perennial,
9780063324145, $12.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Katie Cotugno (https://katiecotugno.com) is the author of Birds of California and eight other novels for
young adults. She is also the co-author (with Candace Bushnell) of "Rules for Being a Girl".
The Historical Fiction Shelf
The Excitements
CJ Wray
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063337480, $19.99, PB, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Excitements-Novel-CJ-Wray/dp/0063337487
Synopsis: "The Excitements" by novelist C. J. Wray introduces the Williamson sisters, Britain's most treasured World War
II veterans. Now in their late nineties, Josephine and Penny are in huge demand, popping up at commemorative events and
history festivals all over the country. Despite their age, they're still in great form -- perfectly put together, sprightly and
sparky, and always in search of their next "excitement."
This time it's a trip to Paris to receive the Legion d'honneur for their part in the liberation of France. And as always, they
will be accompanied by their devoted great-nephew, Archie.
Keen historian Archie has always been given to understand that his great aunts had relatively minor roles in the Women's
Royal Navy and the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, but that's only half the story. Both sisters are hiding far more than the
usual "official secrets". There's a reason sweet Auntie Penny can dispatch a would-be mugger with an umbrella.
This trip to Paris is not what it seems either. Scandal and crime have always quietly trailed the Williamson sisters, even in
the decades after the war. Now armed with new information about an old adversary, these much decorated (but admittedly
ancient) veterans variously intend to settle scores, avenge lost friends, and pull off one last, daring heist before the curtain
finally comes down on their illustrious careers.
Critique: An impressively original, deftly crafted, and a thoroughly fun read from start to finish, "The Excitements" by C. J.
Wray will have a very special appeal to fans of 20th Century historical fiction. While available for personal reading lists in a
digital book format (Kindle, $12.99), "The Excitements" will prove to be an enduringly popular pick for community library
collections. It should be noted for librarians that "The Excitements" that there is also a large print, library binding edition
(Thorndike Press, 9798885799232, $36.99, 596pp) as well.
Editorial Note: C. J. Wray is the pseudonym of Christine Manby, an author with more than forty books to her name.
(www.harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/cj-wray-2023118511306)
The LGBTQ Fiction Shelf
After Camus
Jay Neugeboren
Madville Publishing
www.MadvillePublishing.com
9781956440737, $21.95, PB, 332pp
https://www.amazon.com/After-Camus-Jay-Neugeboren/dp/1956440739
Synopsis: A troubled marriage and and love story "After Camus" by Jay Neugeboren is set against the background of the
AIDS epidemic, and the American wars in Vietnam and Iraq.
It's the story of Saul Davidoff and Tolle Riordan, who meet during a protest against the Vietnam War, marry, live through
the Plague Years of the AIDS epidemic, raise a family -- and burn out.
Camus is a hero to both of them: Tolle, a young dancer and choreographer, has a liaison with him in Paris shortly before his
death; Saul, inspired by Camus's The Plague, becomes an infectious disease (and AIDS) doctor ... and Camus becomes a
ghostly presence central to our story.
Hoping to repair their marriage, Tolle and Saul return to a village in the South of France where they lived when they were
first in love, and where Camus lived when recovering from a siege of tuberculosis. The novel draws a vivid portrait of a
marriage that spans a series of historical events: from the Vietnam war through the AIDS epidemic and Gulf War, to the Iraq
War and the advent of the right wing Le Pen movement in France.
Critique: A powerful novel of enchantments and from start to finish, "After Camus" clearly reveals author Jay Neugeboren
to be at the hight of his abilities as a writer and storyteller. While a fictional meditation on recent American and LGBTQ
history, "After Camus" is also a compelling tale of how various forms of love and friendship do and do not survive in times
of social and political upheaval. Eloquent and original, "After Camus" is one of those novels that will linger in the mind and
memory of the reader long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf. Simply stated, "After Camus"
is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library LGBTQ Romance
collections and supplemental "Contemporary American Literature" curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Jay Neugeboren (http://jayneugeboren.com) is the author of 22 books, including five prize-winning novels
(The Stolen Jew, Before My Life Began,1940, Poli: A Mexican Boy in Early Texas, and The American Sun & Wind
Moving Picture Company), two prize-winning books of nonfiction (Imagining Robert, Transforming Madness), and four
collections of award-winning stories.
The Literary Fiction Shelf
Tali Girls: A Novel of Afghanistan
Siamak Herawi, author
Sara Khalili, translator
Archipelago Books
https://archipelagobooks.org
9781953861665, $22.00, PB, 391pp
https://www.amazon.com/Tali-Girls-Afghanistan-Siamak-Herawi/dp/1953861660
Synopsis: With the publication of "Tali Girls", author Siamak Herawi brings Afghan women center stage and takes us deep
into the heart of his motherland to witness the reality of their lives under the Taliban's most extreme interpretation of Islam.
Based on true stories, the result is a sobering and harrowing tale that relates the current ethos of a country under occupation
by one power or another for more than half a century.
"Tali Girls" is deftly written in a direct, conversational prose that offers us a vivid picture of the endless cycle of the
suffering of girls and women in the grip of the Taliban authorities, of the imbalance of power and opportunity.
The central figures illuminate the power of love, friendship, and generosity in the face of poverty and oppression. Their
experiences and dilemmas have a visceral power and we become deeply attached to Kowsar, Geesu, and Simin. These are
testaments of resilience, hope, courage, and visceral fear, of doors of opportunity opening just a crack that offer a way
out.
In Sara Khalili's vibrant and nuanced translation from the Persian, "Tali Girls" tears down the curtain and exposes the
treacherous realities of what women are up against in modern-day, war-torn Afghanistan.
Critique: A riveting (and often heart-breaking) read from start to finish, "Tali Girls" reflects author Siamak Herawi's
narrative driven storytelling skills that, as a novelist, elevates this original and compelling story to the elevated heights of
literary excellence. Expertly translated into English for an American readership by Sarah Khalili, "Tali Girls" is especially
and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted
for personal reading lists that "Tali Girls' is readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99) as well.
Editorial Note #1: Siamak Herawi was born in Herat province, Afghanistan, in 1968. He studied at Kabul University and
Stavropol University in Moscow. Returning to Afghanistan in 1991, Herawi started his career as a reporter and later joined
Anis Newspaper as its editor in chief. In 2003 he was appointed deputy spokesperson to President Hamid Kharzai, a
position he held until he was transferred in 2012 to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as deputy spokesperson. A year later, he
was appointed charges d'affaires of the Embassy of Afghanistan in London. Herawi resigned from his position in 2014 when
Ashraf Ghani was elected president and remained in the UK. Despite his long career in politics, Siamak Herawi is most
recognised as one of Afghanistan's most prolific writers whose body of work includes twelve novels.
Editorial Note #2: Translator Sara Khalili is an editor and translator of contemporary Iranian literature based in New York.
Her many translations include Censoring an Iranian Love Story by Shahriar Mandanipour.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sara_Khalili)
Prima Facie
Suzie Miller
Henry Holt & Company
www.henryholt.com
9781250292209, $27.99, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Prima-Facie-Novel-Suzie-Miller/dp/1250292204
Synopsis: Tessa Ensler loves her job. She's worked her way up to being a top criminal defense barrister against all the odds,
and fights to defend those pleading not guilty. Tessa believes in the law, believes in the system. Her quick-witted
cross-examinations and intelligence in the courtroom see her clocking up win after win - including securing freedom for
men accused of rape and sexual assault. Innocence until proven guilty is, after all, the bedrock of a civilized society.
But when Tessa is raped by a coworker, she struggles to find the strength to bring him to justice in the face of the barriers
and opposition within that same system. Determined to have her day in court, Tessa is forced to confront the stark reality
that the law was not written for victims, and that she is the one on trial. She fights on, even as her evidence is manipulated
to make her look like a liar, even while she is retraumatized in the stand.
Critique: A deftly crafted work of fiction that is based on the Olivier and Tony Award-winning play, author Suzie Miller, in
her debut as a novelist, is able to raise her crime thriller "Prima Facie" to a impressive level of literary excellence. This is a
compelling story of what happens when a victim who is exceptionally familiar with the legal system experiences must learn
from personal and hardcore experience that there is very little justice in the justice system -- even for her. While especially
and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Crime/Justice System Fiction collections, it should be
noted for personal reading lists that "Prima Facie" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Suzie Miller (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzie_Miller) is a contemporary international playwright,
screenwriter, and novelist. Based in both London and Sydney, Australia, Miller has had her work produced around the
world, winning multiple prestigious awards, including for her smash-hit one-woman play Prima Facie, which ran a sold-out,
critically successful season on London's West End, winning the Laurence Olivier Awards for Best New Play 2023 and Best
Actress 2023; followed by a critically successful season on Broadway, receiving four Tony Award nominations and a win
for Best Actress 2023. Miller is educated in science and law, with a doctorate in drama and mathematics. She practiced
human rights law before turning to writing full-time and is currently developing major theater, film, and television projects
across the UK, USA, and Australia, including feature film adaptations of her plays. "Prima Facie" is her first novel.
Burn Man: Selected Stories
Mark Anthony Jarman
Biblioasis
www.biblioasis.com
9781771965477, $19.95, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Burn-Man-Selected-Stories-ReSet/dp/1771965479
Synopsis: Drawing together the best of his short fiction published over the last four decades, "Burn Man: Selected Stories"
showcases Canadian author Mark Anthony Jarman's sharply observed characters and acrobatic, voice-driven prose in stories
that walk the tightrope between the commonplace and the mystical.
Also featuring an insightful introduction from John Metcalf, "Burn Man: Selected Stories" offers truly revelatory selection
highlights from one of the most spirited and singular contemporary masters of the short story format.
Critique: Showcasing the best of Mark Anthony Jarman's literary works over the past few years, this anthology of his short
stories from Biblioasis is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community and college/university library
Canadian Literary & Short Story Anthology collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Burn Man:
Selected Stories" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Mark Anthony Jarman is a Canadian fiction writer. Jarman's work includes the novel Salvage King, Ya!, the
short story collection Knife Party at the Hotel Europa and the travel book Ireland's Eye. A graduate of the Iowa Writers'
Workshop, Jarman is currently a faculty member of the English department at the University of New Brunswick in
Fredericton. Previously, he has taught at the University of Victoria. Jarman's writing has won the O. Henry Award, the Gold
National Magazine Award in nonfiction, the Jack Hodgins Fiction Prize, and has been a finalist for the Journey Prize.
Jarman has been awarded the Maclean-Hunter Endowment Award twice.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Anthony_Jarman)
The Hollow Beast
Christophe Bernard, author
Lazer Rhendler, translator
Biblioasis
www.biblioasis.com
9781771965552, $20.95, PB, 600pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hollow-Beast-Biblioasis-International-Translation/dp/177196555X
Synopsis: In a 1911 hockey game in Quebec's Gaspe Peninsula, local tough guy Billy Joe Pictou fires the puck into Monti
Bouge's mouth. When Monti collapses with his head across the goal line, Victor Bradley, erstwhile referee and local
mailman, rules that the goal counts.
Monti's ensuing revenge for this injustice sprawls over three generations, one hundred years and dozens of alcohol-soaked
tall tales, from treachery in northern gold-mining camps to the appearance of a legendary beast by turns playful and
ferocious.
Now it's up to Monti's grandson, Francois, to make sense of the vendetta between Monti and Bradley that has shaped the
destiny of their town and everyone who lives there.
Critique: Ably translated into English for an American readership by Lazer Lederhendler, "The Hollow Beast" is a deftly
crafted and original literary masterpiece by author/storyteller Christophe Bernard who uses a definitively sumptuous and
unpredictable language that is laced through and through with slapstick style humor. A master of epic storytelling, "The
Hollow Beast" is an inherently fascinating saga of a read from start to finish. While especially and unreservedly
recommended as a high quality pick for community and college/university library Literary Fiction collections, it should be
noted for personal reading lists that "The Hollow Beast" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.99).
Editorial Note #1: Originally from Carleton-sur-Mer in the Gaspe region of Quebec, Christophe Bernard
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christophe_Bernard) studied literature in Quebec City, Aix-en-Provence and Berlin. A
prolific literary translator, Bernard was a finalist for the 2016 Governor General's Literary Award for English-to-French
Translation.
Editorial Note #2: Lazer Lederhendler is a four-time finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award, and won the award
in 2008 for his translation of Nikolski. His translation of The Immaculate Conception by Gaetan Soucy was shortlisted for
the 2006 Scotiabank Giller Prize and won the French-to-English Translation Prize from the Quebec Writers' Federation.
Lederhendler lives in Montreal, where he teaches English and film at the College international des Marcellines.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazer_Lederhendler)
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
The Bright Spot
Jill Shalvis
Avon Books
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063235762, $30.00, HC, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bright-Spot-Novel-Sunrise-Cove/dp/0063235757
Synopsis: Luna Wright is a lot of things, but sweet and trusting isn't on the list. However, she's a sucker for the underdog
and a hard-luck story. Adopted at birth, with scant knowledge of her biological family, she's created her own inner circle, a
motley crew which includes her bestie Willow, to help her run the struggling but charming Apple Ridge Farm.
With a farm-to-table cafe as well as a menagerie of rescued animals (complete with a baby goat who keeps escaping to the
pantry to eat the secret stash of decidedly not organic potato chips), it's the best home she's ever known. But when the owner
Silas, who they secretly call The Grinch, passes away, Luna discovers the farm is now under control of his investment
manager, the enigmatic Jameson Hayes... and her. And that Silas had many, many secrets.
Now Luna's carefully controlled corner of the world is threatened and she (along with some help from her friends) has to dig
deep to find true strength and the real meaning of love and family.
Critique: A riveting great read from start to finish, "The Bright Spot" by talented novelist Jill Shalvis is as original as it is fun
and especially recommended for the personal reading lists of anyone with an interest in the kind of rom-coms that Hallmark
Channel movies are made. Laced with humor and memorable characters, "The Bright Spot" will prove a welcome and
popular pick for community library Contemporary Romance & Women's Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that "The Bright Spot" is also available in a paperback edition (9780063235755, $18.99) and in a digital book
format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Jill Shalvis (www.jillshalvis.com) lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. She claims
that any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental!
It Takes a Rake
Anna Bennett
St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250793959, $8.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Takes-Rake-Rogues-Lovers/dp/1250793955
Synopsis: Since she was a girl, Miss Kitty Beckett has been adept at finding trouble: sneaking brandy, running away, and
getting under the skin of the boy who, like her, was an apprentice to an architect. Now Kitty's a talented heiress who can
take a dry building plan and breathe life into it with her pencils and paints. Also? She can spot a rake at a hundred yards -
and she won't be tricked or charmed into marriage. Certainly not by a man who might interfere with her dreams. When
Bellehaven Bay announces its first ever architectural design contest, she vows to win -- with a little help from her childhood
rival.
Leo Lockland, a hardworking architect with a gift for numbers, has returned home after a few years in London, and he has
secrets. The biggest? He's been in love with Kitty since they were both apprentices. She refuses to give her heart to any man,
but Leo's determined to beat the odds - even if it means learning how to be a rake. Fortunately, Kitty's willing to tutor him in
the nuances of fashion, flirtation, and seduction in exchange for his help with the contest. But the whole plan would fall
apart if she knew how he felt, so he'll have to be very convincing.
Leo proves to be a surprisingly quick study in the ballroom, on the beach, and in the bedchamber. Before long, he's
softening Kitty's hard edges with his wicked words and kissing his way past all her defenses. Perhaps she's a bit too skilled
at teaching, because her lessons are threatening to backfire, putting her closely guarded heart in grave danger!
Critique: A fun read from start to finish, and of special and particular interest to dedicated fans of Regency Romance novels,
"It Takes a Rake" is the third title in author Anna Bennett's 'Rogues to Lovers' series. While especially and unreservedly
recommended for personal reading lists and community library Historical Romance collections, it should be noted that "It
Takes a Rake" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).
Editorial Note: Anna Bennett (https://annabennettauthor.com) is the award-winning author of the Debutante Diaries and
Wayward Wallflowers series. Her dream of writing romance began during a semester in London, where she fell in love with
the city, its history, and its pubs. Now Anna's living happily-ever-after in Maryland with her family, who try valiantly not to
roll their eyes whenever she quotes Jane Austen.
Calling on the Matchmaker
Jody Hedlund
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764242236, $29.99, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Calling-Matchmaker-Shanahan-Match-Book/dp/B0CP4JBLNS
Synopsis: Haunted by the death of her sister, Finola Shanahan has resolved that she's not worthy of a family of her own and
commits to spending her days caring for immigrants in the slums. Unwilling to consider marriage, Finola has perfected the
ability to sabotage the relationships her parents arrange for her. At wit's end, her father calls upon the local Irish
matchmaker, who pairs her with successful wagonmaker Riley Rafferty. After her usual tricks fail, Finola quickly realizes
she can't outsmart or outwit the dashing, determined, and daring man.
A candidate in the St. Louis mayoral election, Riley is confident a union with the wealthy Shanahan family will help solidify
his chances of winning--and even more assured he and Finola can make a difference together. When a cholera outbreak
begins to take St. Louis by storm, they must navigate a burgeoning attraction and growing danger testing all they know
about love and sacrifice.
Critique: Escape to 1849 St. Louis in author Jody Hedlund's "Calling on the Matchmaker", an original, deftly crafted, rather
daring and intensely romantic tale. Especially recommended to the attention of readers with an interest in Christian and
History Romance novels, as well as community library Historical Romance collections, it should be noted that "Calling on
the Matchmaker is also available from Bethany House Publishers in a paperback edition (9780764241963, $16.99) and in a
digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Jody Hedlund (www.JodyHedlund.com) is the author of more than fifty novels and is the winner of
numerous awards. She writes sweet historical romances with plenty of sizzle.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Death of a Punk
John P. Browner
Stark House Press
www.starkhousepress.com
9798886010695, $12.99, PB, 218pp
https://www.amazon.com/Death-Punk-John-P-Browner/dp/B0CKDSTSCP
Synopsis: Lenny Hornblower used to drive a cab. Now he finds people for a fee -- $100 a day plus expenses. When Lisa
Perlont calls and asks him to find her son Blinky, it seems like an easy job. Blinky hangs out at an East Village punk club
called AC-DC.
Lenny puts up with the noise and aggravation, but when someone knocks him out in the alley and steals his wallet, he starts
to take it personally.
However, the search for Blinky turns up more than a young punk with a safety pin in his nose -- Lenny also finds a group of
equipment hijackers with a large stash of cocaine. In fact, it looks like Blinky is running a scam of his own, one that just
might prove fatal.
Lenny wants to do right by his lovely client but is this any way to make a living?
Critique: Originally published in 1980, "Death of a Punk" by John P. Browner was the first novel to come directly out of the
NYC CBGBs Punk scene. Now reissued the 'Black Cat' series from Stark House Press for the first time in more than 40
years this time-lost classic will have an immense appeal to a new generation of fans with an interest in classic hard boiled
private investigator crime novels. While a great pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted
for personal reading lists that "Death of a Punk" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: John P. Browner lived in Greenwich Village during the 70's. An habitue of the downtown clubs that
spawned the Punk/New Wave music scene, he wrote Death of a Punk in 1977 78. It was originally published by Pocket
Books in 1980. Currently, he lives with his wife, the writer Lisa Yarger, and his daughter, Greta, in Munich, Germany,
where he owns and operates The Munich Readery, an English secondhand bookshop (http://readery.de).
So Deadly Fair / Diamonds Don't Burn
Gertrude Walker, author
Bill Kelly, introduction
Stark House Press
www.starkhousepress.com
9798886010343, $19.95, PB, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Fair-Diamonds-Dont-Burn/dp/B0C4NHZJFH
Synopsis: SO DEADLY FAIR -- It was dark and raining when Walter Johnson crawls out of the freight car that night. So
when he sees a woman motioning to him from the window of a house across from the tracks, he decides to investigate. What
he finds is a bloodied corpse, and the set-up with him as the killer. But Johnson doesn't intend to allow himself to be
railroaded into a murder charge. He grabs the woman who tried to frame him, and takes off with her for California.
Elizabeth is no victim herself. Sooner or later, she is going to have her way. She settles in with Johnson as a reluctant
married couple, but Johnson knows that it's only a matter of time before she makes her break. He just didn't realize that this
time he'd be accused of her murder.
DIAMONDS DON'T BURN -- Clara and her husband John have grown apart. Then John introduces her to his friend Roger,
and she feels an immediate attraction. But Clara is torn. She doesn't want to become an unfaithful wife. Still, Roger is
persuasive, and Clara finds herself meeting him in a New York hotel room. What neither of them could suspect is that a
diamond robbery has been planned for the next room that night. Mike Grant has been working on this plan for some time,
and nothing is going to get in his way. But how could he know that the man he has set out to rob would wake up, that he
would be forced to shoot him? And that racing to escape he would bump into Clara, also trying to escape her situation? Who
could foresee that their bags would get mixed up in the confusion?
Critique: Two time-lost classics of the hard-boiled crime novel genre by Gertrude Winifred Walker (April 8, 1902 - June 18,
1995) who was an American screenwriter, TV writer, and novelist best remember for her work on B movies at Republic
Pictures. "So Deadly Fair / Diamonds Don't Burn" have been brought back into print by Stark House Press as part of their
'Crime Classics' series. The stuff of which film noir movies were made, "So Deadly Fair / Diamonds Don't Burn" will prove
to be a memorably entertaining read for mystery and crime novel fans. While an excellent and enduringly popular pick for
community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "So Deadly Fair /
Diamonds Don't Burn" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: Gertrude Walker (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gertrude_Walker) joined the writing staff at Republic
Pictures, where she enjoyed the collegial atmosphere and working with writer Dane Lussier. As Walker later recounted, she
was almost laid off from the studio in 1944 - until her boss saw her script for Silent Partner (which she had written in three
days) and was blown away. During her time later in the decade at Warner Brothers, she also gained recognition as a
novelist; her 1948 title, So Deadly Fair, was named one of the 10 best mystery novels of the year. In 1955, her novel
Diamonds Don't Burn was published.
The Glass Heart / The Sleeping City
Marty Holland
Stark House Press
www.starkhousepress.com
9798886010534, $16.95, PB, 186pp
https://www.amazon.com/Glass-Heart-Sleeping-City/dp/B0CFZDD4KL
Synopsis: THE GLASS HEART -- Down on his luck, Curt snatches an overcoat and is chased by the police into a Beverly
Hills neighborhood where he meets Mrs. Virginia Block. Virginia is expecting a new handyman to show up, and Curt
quickly snags the position. He doesn't realize that this seemingly sweet old woman is a rich miser, and finds himself
working for pennies as her gardener, her chauffeur, and whatever else she needs to maintain her huge house. Then Lynn, as
aspiring actress, moves in, and things don't seem so bad there after all. But it isn't until Curt discovers Mrs. Block's secret
that he finds out what kind of a goldmine he's sitting on. All he has to do is figure out is how to work it... and then stay
alive.
THE SLEEPING CITY -- Officer Wade Reed is given his mission, to pose as a member of the Les Ties gang and infiltrate a
local mob. As Jim Cox, he is an out-of-town gunman who has been hired to help with a heist set up by Louie Thompson, an
old-style prohibition hoodlum who's planning a comeback. It's Wade's job to find out the details and report back to the
Gangster Squad. One false move from Jim Cox, and Wade's fiancee Betty will have to find a new husband. But Wade
doesn't figure on Thompson's girl Madge. At first she seems like a real tough cookie. But once she gets under Wade's skin,
he begins to have his doubts about the mission. Can he protect Madge and still stop the heist?
Critique: As an author, Marty Holland was a master of the hard-boiled mystery genre and two of her best were "The Glass
Heart" and "The Sleeping City". Now brought back into print for the benefit of a new generation of readers with an interest
in crime classics, this two tale Stark House edition of "The Glass Heart / The Sleeping City" will prove to be a welcome and
enduringly popular pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists
that "The Glass Heart / The Sleeping City" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Marty Holland (1919 - 1971) began writing at age 12. After moving to Hollywood with her family, she
landed a job as a script typist for the movie studios. Marty's own work was soon recognized by movie mogul Otto
Preminger, who snapped up her novel, Fallen Angel, and made it into a major motion picture. Known for her dark,
hard-boiled writing, she again found cinematic success with The File on Thelma Jordan, starring Barbara Stanwyck and
Wendell Corey. One of her last books, The Glass Heart, was made into a screenplay by James M. Cain.
McKee of Centre Street
Helen Reilly
American Mystery Classics
c/o Penzler Publishers
https://penzlerpublishers.com
c/o W.W. Norton (distribution)
www.wwnorton.com
9781613164983, $25.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/McKee-Centre-Street-Helen-Reilly/dp/161316498X
Synopsis: When one of New York's favorite dancers is killed in a crowded high-tone speakeasy, everyone present becomes a
suspect -- and those that may have eluded questioning as well. Now it's up to Inspector McKee of the NYPD to sift through
the witness statements, separate fact from fiction, and put together a picture of the crime as it happened in order to discover
what's missing from the official narrative. And in the process, he'll uncover a story that leads back into the past, with
blackmail and stolen emeralds lurking in the shadows...
As McKee's case comes into focus, a rich and confounding mystery plot is revealed, which will take all of the inspector's
resources to solve. Along the way, the inner workings of the New York City police department in the 1930s is on full
display, including the line-ups, the radio room, the morgue, and the fingerprinting office -- technologies that were at the
cutting edge of this era's fight against crime.
Critique: A speakeasy performer is murdered in this pioneering mystery from the mother of the police procedural. Reissued
for the first time eighty years, "McKee of Centre Street" by Helen Reilly is one of the first police procedurals novels ever
written by a woman. Her realistic descriptions of New York and her insightful view of police work were an instant hit with
fans and its lead character went on to star in over thirty mor crime novels. A literary treasure brought back from obscurity in
a new edition from American Mystery Classics, "McKee of Centre Street" is a fund read from start to finish and a welcome,
unreservedly recommended pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal
reading lists of all dedicated 'whodunnit' mystery buffs that "McKee of Centre Street" is also available in a paperback
edition (9781613164990, $15.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Helen Reilly (April 25, 1891 - January 11, 1962) was a pioneering author of American Golden Age
mysteries and considered to be one of the first women to write in the police procedural subgenre. She wrote over thirty
novels starring Inspector Christopher McKee, of the fictitious Manhattan Homicide Squad. Most of her writing was
published under her own name but she also published several novels under the pseudonym Kieran Abbey. A member of the
Mystery Writers of America, she served as president of the organization in 1953.
The Last Word
Gerri Lewis
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781639106318, $29.99, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Word-Gerri-Lewis/dp/1639106316
Synopsis: Obituary writer Winter Snow is no stranger to grief, and writing obituaries for the citizens of Ridgefield,
Connecticut, is her way of providing comfort to those who have been in her shoes. But funerals and eulogies are meant for
the dead, so when the very much alive Leocadia Arlington requests her own obituary by the end of the week, Winter's
curiosity is piqued. Even more so when she finds Mrs. Arlington dead soon after. Officer Kip Michaels and his relentless
partner Tom Bellini make it clear that Winter is under suspicion for the death.
Drafting an obituary for someone who hadn't died yet certainly looks bad, but Winter knows that it wasn't her, and she
becomes obsessed with trying to figure out the real killer. She dives headfirst into the investigation to give Mrs. Arlington
and herself some peace. When Winter realizes Mrs. Arlington was working on a revealing memoir that has now gone
missing, Winter begins to wonder if the death wasn't exactly random - accident or otherwise.
With the help of her foodie Uncle Richard, her wise octogenarian neighbor Horace, her best friend Scoop, and Diva, the
Great Pyrenees puppy she inherited from Mrs. Arlington, Winter must uncover the killer before the next obituary written is
her own.
Critique: A fun read for cosy mystery fans from start to finish, "The Last Word" is author Gerri Lewis debut launch of her
new A Deadly Deadlines Mystery'. This impressively original and carefully crafted 'whodunnit' mystery features an amateur
female sleuth caught up in the necessity of clearing her name and involving a number of memorable characters and a
dramatic conclusion. While highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted
for personal reading lists that "The Last Word" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Gerri Lewis (https://gerrilewis.com) started her career as a freelance writer and has published over 1,400
features, news stories, obituaries, and columns. Along with writing her novels, she continues to write magazine features for
O68 Magazine. Her cover features appear regularly and her HOW WE MET column was a popular staple of the magazine
for many years. Her accolades include feature-writing awards from the New England Press Association and the Society of
Professional Journalists, among others.
The Lost Dresses of Italy
M. A. McLaughlin
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781639105649, $29.99, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Dresses-Novel-M-McLaughlin/dp/1639105646
Synopsis: Verona, 1947. Textile historian Marianne Baxter comes to post-war Italy with one thing on her mind: three
pristine Victorian dresses, once owned by the famous poet Christina Rossetti. Hidden away in a trunk for nearly a century,
they were recently discovered at the Fondazione Museo Menigatti and Marianne's expertise is needed before they go on
exhibit. Still grieving the loss of her husband, the trip is also a reason for Marianne to start over. But when she arrives, she
discovers an unsupportive but handsome museum owner, a superstitious local community, and a mysterious letter with a
scribbled warning hidden among the dresses.
Verona, 1864. Christina Rossetti returns to her family's homeland in hopes of leaving her unfulfilled personal life and poetry
career in England and beginning a new chapter. After a chance encounter with an old family friend, she finds a gift her
father once gave her: a small ornate box with the three Muses carved into the lid. When she stumbles across a secret
compartment, Christina finds a letter from her father with an urgent and personal request.
The letter, speaking of a pendant and stolen book that must be returned, connects Marianne and Christina - and leaves them
both with more questions than answers. Inspired by the real-life mysteries surrounding poet Christina Rossetti, The Lost
Dresses transports readers to Verona with the enchantment and intrigue of Italian art and fashion.
Critique: A deftly crafted and innately fascination historical mystery set in Verona, Italy, "The Lost Dresses of Italy" by M.
A. McLaughlin showcases her genuine flair for originality and a distinctive storytelling style that makes for a fun read from
cover to cover. Of particular interest to fans of historical fiction with events separated by the better part of a century, "The
Lost Dresses of Italy" is certain to be an immediately welcome and enduringly popular pick for community library Historical
Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Lost Dresses of Italy" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $14.99) as well.
Editorial Note: M. A. McLaughlin (https://martyambrose.com) is an award-winning author who completed her M.Phil. at
the University of York (England) and teaches nineteenth-century British literature, composition, and fiction writing at
Florida Southwestern State College. She has also given numerous workshops in the U.S. and abroad on all aspects of
creating/publishing a novel, and is a member of The Byron Society, Historical Novel Society, Florida Writers Association,
and Women's Fiction Writers Association.
A Pie to Die For
Gretchen Rue
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781639106257, $29.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pie-Die-Lucky-Mysteries/dp/1639106251
Synopsis: Este March runs the family-owned Lucky Pie Diner on Split Pine Island in Northern Michigan. The pies at Lucky
Pie aren't just good, they're magical, made from a family recipe that grants certain customers their greatest hopes and dreams
when they eat the pie. The remote island is closed to outsiders over the winter months, but on the last day of the season, the
unpopular new produce vendor, Jeff, turns up dead on his boat, and Split Pine Island's peace goes up in smoke.
Tom Cunningham, the local sheriff, casts suspicion onto Este, who may have been the last person to see Jeff alive. Not to
mention several people witnessed her getting into an argument with the rude vendor in some of his final hours. Este decides
to clear her name and her diner's reputation by launching her own investigation, which means she must turn suspicion on her
friends and neighbors, because only a local could have murdered the victim.
As Este investigates, she uncovers a deeper web of secrets, finding that many of the locals had reason to either frame her, or
kill the victim. The clock is ticking to figure out the killer, and the clues in the case are flakier than an apple pie. Este will
have to uncover the killer before her future crumbles.
Critique: A classic cozy mystery from Gretchen Rue, "A Pie to Die For" is the first volume of the author's new 'A Lucky Pie
Mystery' series from Crooked Lane Books. Once again we find a young woman compelled to become amateur detective in
her attempt to clear herself from a murder mystery by finding out 'whodunnit'. A fresh and fun read from cover to cover, "A
Pie to Die For" will prove an instantly popular pick for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary
Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that "A Pie to Die For" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: Gretchen Rue (https://www.sierradean.com/gretchenrue) is a secondary pen-name from author Sierra Dean.
She is a cozy mystery author, whose works include The Witches' Brew series and now the Lucky Pie series from Crooked
Lane Books as well.
A Killer Romance
Maggie Blackburn
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781639106356, $29.99, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Killer-Romance-Beach-Reads-Mystery/dp/1639106359
Synopsis: When the Beach Reads bookshop hosts a Valentine's Day event, "Romance by the Sea," bookseller Summer
Merriweather has no idea that the guest author is under investigation for her own husband's murder. When that same author
is found dead at the local bed and breakfast, nobody assumes it's natural causes -- because there were plenty of people who
wanted her dead!
As Summer searches for the truth about the author's stranger-than-fiction life, Summer finds suspicious indications of shady
behavior in the author's belongings. But the casual sleuthing is quickly derailed when Summer's friend Glads gets hauled in
for the murder, and they launch a full-blown investigation to clear her name.
As Summer and company pick through the scant clues to solve the case, they may find more treachery and heartbreak than
they bargained for.
Critique: "A Killer Romance" is the third title in author Maggie Blackburn's 'A Beach Reads Mystery' series (following
"Once Upon a Seaside Murder" and "Little Bookshop of Murder") and once again an amateur female sleuth is called upon to
find out 'whodunnit' assisted by her equally amateur friends -- include one who is accused by the authorities of the crime. A
wonderfully original and deftly crafted read from first page to last, "A Killer Romance" is an ideal pick for community
library collections and readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: Maggie Blackburn (https://cozymystery.com/authors/maggie-blackburn) is the author of the Cora Crafts
mysteries and the Cumberland Creek mysteries under another pen name. Her books have been selected as finalists for an
Agatha Award and a Daphne du Maurier Award and as Top 10 Beach Reads by Woman's World. There is a complete listing
of her books online at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19744185.Maggie_Blackburn
Once Upon a Murder
Samantha Larsen
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781639106219, $29.99, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Once-Upon-Murder-Librarian-Mystery/dp/1639106219
Synopsis: 1784 England. Officially hired as the librarian for the Duchess of Beaufort, Miss Tiffany Woodall is through with
masquerades and murders for good. That is, until she stumbles upon the frozen dead body of former footman Mr. Bernard
Coram. The speed with which her peaceful new life is upended is one for the record books: the justice of the peace
immediately declares her the primary suspect in the murder.
As Tiffany hunts for the truth to clear her name, she learns that Bernard got into a fight over a woman at the local pub the
night of his death - but he was also overheard blackmailing Samir. The justice of the peace arrests Samir, and Tiffany
realizes that her life may have more in common with a tragic play than a light-hearted romance.
With her love locked up in jail and her own reputation on the line, Tiffany must attempt to solve the murder before the book
closes on her or Samir's life.
Critique: A fascinating and fun read from cover to cover, "Once Upon A Murder" by novelist Samantha Larsen will be of
very special interest to fans of historical 'whodunnit' mysteries solved by amateur female sleuths. While especially and
unreservedly recommended for community library Historical Fiction and Cozy Mystery collections, it should be noted for
personal reading lists that "Once Upon A Murder" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99).
Editorial Note: Samantha Larsen has degrees from Brigham Young University, the University of Reading (Berkshire,
England), and the University of North Texas. She met her husband in a turkey sandwich line. She spends most of her time
reading, eating popcorn, drinking tea, and chasing her kids. She publishes historical romances under Samantha Hastings.
Learn more at She also publishes historical romances under Samantha Hastings (www.SamanthaHastings.com).
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Medusa: A Novel
Jessie Burton
Bloomsbury Press
www.bloomsbury.com
9781639732685, $17.99, PB, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Medusa-Novel-Jessie-Burton/dp/1639732683
Synopsis: Exiled to a far-flung island after being abused by powerful Gods, Medusa has little company other than the snakes
that adorn her head instead of hair. Haunted by the memories of a life before everything was stolen from her, she has no
choice but to make peace with her present: she is Medusa the Monster. But when the charmed and beautiful Perseus arrives
on the island, her lonely existence is blown open, unleashing desire, love -- and betrayal.
Critique: An impressive re-invention of the Grecian myth, author Jessie Burton's newest novel, Medusa" is an original,
iconoclastic, and fun read from cover to cover. Bringing her readers a new perspective to a classic story, "Medusa: A Novel"
is one of those stories that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book itself has been finish and set
back upon the shelf. Original published in hardcover (2023), "Medusa: A Novel" this newly published paperback edition
from Bloomsbury Publishing is unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Literary Fiction
collections. Of special note for personal reading lists is the "Medusa: A Novel" is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Jessie Burton (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessie_Burton) is the author of "The Miniaturist", which was
adapted into a PBS series, starring Anya Taylor-Joy. Jessie has written essays and reviews for The New York Times and
The Wall Street Journal.
Baen Books
www.baen.com
https://www.amazon.com/Protected-Species-Caine-Riordan-Book-ebook/dp/B0C323NX9Y
Charles E. Gannon's Protected Species (9781982193072, $26.00) adds to the best-selling Caine Riordan series. Here, Caine
and his companions have overcome battles, aliens, and environmental attacks. They've even overcome the ferocious x'qao,
who consider other species vermin and take pleasure in eradicating them. As Caine and his troupe make friends in their
pursuit of survival long-term, they grapple with forces both natural and human that would rid the world of them. An epic
story replete with battles, action, and intrigue makes for a compelling story.
https://www.amazon.com/Audible-The-Icarus-Twin/dp/B0CNKXSKW5
Timothy Zahn's The Icarus Twin (9781982193058, $28.00) tells of Gregory and his partner Selene, who have a new job
undercover, working with the Icarus Group to locate teleportation portals that have been left behind by an alien race eons
ago. When the realize they are being stalked, they manage to locate and confront their spook; but when he turns up
murdered, Roarke becomes a major suspect. Intrigue, aliens, and locating lost portals fuel a story replete in adventure and
action.
https://www.amazon.com/Down-These-Mean-Streets-Dark/dp/B0CR6RHP7Z
Larry Correia and Kacey Ezell edit Down These Mean Streets: The Dark Side of the City (9781982193126, $28.00), which
offers stories by Correia and Ezell, Marisa Wolf, Laurell K. Hamilton, and others. They each create a blend of sci-fi and
hardboiled noir investigations that bring the darkness of urban territory to life in a different way that embraces sci-fi and
fantasy elements. The result is a diverse collection of intrigue and noir problem-solving that a wide range of readers, from
sci-fi to hardboiled mystery fans, will find thoroughly engrossing.
The Poetry Shelf
Change Your Life
Rainer Maria Rilke, poet
Martyn Crucefix, translator
Pushkin Press
www.pushkinpress.com
9781782278580, $19.95, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Change-Your-Pushkin-Press-Classics/dp/1782278583
Synopsis: The German poet Rainer Maria Rilke developed one of the most singular poetic styles of the twentieth century.
Visionary yet always anchored in the real world, his poems give profound expression to fundamental questions of love and
death, of the chaos of the modern world as well as the spiritual consolation of art and nature.
Deftly translated into English by Martyn Crucefix, "Change Your Life" draws from across Rilke's career to offer a
comprehensive view of his most essential poetry, featuring major selections from the great Duino Elegies and Sonnets to
Orpheus alongside less frequently anthologized work.
Critique: An impressive compendium of new translations of 142 poems by Rainer Maria Rilke, "Change Your Life" brings a
new generation of appreciative readers fresh insights and appreciation for how verse can impact upon the perceptions of
human experiences, especially those that, while intensely personal, and also universal. While especially and unreservedly
recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library poetry/literature collections in general,
and Rainer Maria Rilke curriculum studies lists in particular, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject that "Change Your Life" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$15.99).
Editorial Note #1: Rainer Maria Rilke (4 December 1875 - 29 December 1926) is considered one of the greatest
German-language writers to have ever lived. He is best known for his Duino Elegies, Sonnets to Orpheus, and The
Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge.
Editorial Note #2: Martyn Crucefix https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martyn_Crucefix) is a British poet, translator and
reviewer. He is the author of twelve original collections of poetry, most recently Cargo of Limbs (Hercules Editions, 2019;
photographs by Amel Alzakout). He is the recipient of several prizes, including an Eric Gregory award and the
Schlegel-Tieck Translation Prize for his translations of the poems of Peter Huchel. He is also a Royal Literary Fund Fellow
at The British Library.
The Graphic Novel Shelf
Zodiac: A Graphic Memoir
Ai Weiwei, author
Gianluca Costantini, illustrator
Ten Speed Graphic
c/o Ten Speed Press
www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9781984862990, $28.99, HC, 176pp
https://www.amazon.com/Zodiac-Graphic-Memoir-Ai-Weiwei/dp/1984862995
Synopsis: As a child living in exile during China's Cultural Revolution, Ai Weiwei often found himself with nothing to read
but government-approved comic books. Although they were restricted by the confines of political propaganda, Ai Weiwei
was struck by the artists' ability to express their thoughts on art and humanity through graphic storytelling. Now, decades
later, Ai Weiwei and Italian comic artist Gianluca Costantini present Zodiac, Ai Weiwei's first graphic memoir.
Inspired by the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac and their associated human characteristics, Ai Weiwei masterfully
interweaves ancient Chinese folklore with stories of his life, family, and career. The narrative shifts back and forth through
the years (at once in the past, present, and future) mirroring memory and our relationship to time. As readers delve deeper
into the beautifully illustrated pages of Zodiac, they will find not only a personal history of Ai Weiwei and an examination
of the sociopolitical climate in which he makes his art, but a philosophical exploration of what it means to find oneself
through art and freedom of expression.
Contemplative and political, Zodiac will inspire readers to return again and again to Ai Weiwei's musings on the
relationship between art, time, and our shared humanity.
Critique: Published in a B/W graphic novel style by Ten Speed Graphic, "Zodiac: A Graphic Memoir" by Ai Weiwei is a
compelling, thoughtful, thought provoking and unique memoir/biography presented through the illustrations of Gianluca
Costantini. A fascinating personal history and a compelling read from start to finish, "Zodiac: A Graphic Memoir" is
especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Biography/Memoir collections. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that "Zodiac: A Graphic Memoir" is also readily available in a paperback edition
(9781984863003, $22.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99) as well.
Editorial Note #1: Ai Weiwei leads a diverse and prolific practice that encompasses sculptural installation, filmmaking,
photography, ceramics, painting, writing, and social media. Born in Beijing, China, in 1957, he is a conceptual artist who
fuses traditional craftsmanship and his Chinese heritage, moving freely between a variety of formal languages to reflect on
contemporary geopolitical and sociopolitical conditions. Ai Weiwei's work and life regularly interact and inform one
another, often extending to his activism and advocacy for international human rights.
Editorial Note #2: Gianluca Costantini is an Italian cartoonist, comic journalist, and activist. He has contributed to
numerous publications and is the author of several graphic novels. He is well known for his drawing related to human rights
campaigns all over the world. He collaborates with organizations such as the Committee to Protect Journalists, ActionAid,
and SOS Mediterranee. In 2019, he received the Art and Human Rights Award from Amnesty International.
Nina Simone in Comics!
Sophie Adriansen
NBM Publishing
www.nbmpub.com
9781681123264, $27.99, HC, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Nina-Simone-Comics-NBM-Biographies/dp/1681123266
Synopsis: "Nina Simone in Comics!" by Sophie Adriansen is the personal story of the emancipation of a young black and
poor woman living in an America marked by segregation.
This is the graphic novel style but true story of a fierce battle, that of a musician involved in the civil rights movement. This
is also the story of the long career of a pianist and singer who was talented as she was determined.
This is the story of Nina Simone, a unique artist, role model, and inspiration for generations to come. Genius pianist,
fabulous singer and committed artist, Nina Simone remains an inspiration for generations.
Critique: Nina Simone (February 21, 1933 - April 21, 2003) born Eunice Kathleen Waymon, was an African American
singer, songwriter, pianist, composer, arranger and civil rights activist whose music spanned styles including classical, folk,
gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and pop. Published by NBM Publishing in a graphic novel story style, "Nina Simone in Comics!"
by Sophia Adriansen is an impressively informative and compelling biography that is a simply fascinating read from start to
finish. Of special interest to her legions of fans, "Nina Simone in Comics! is especially recommended for community and
college/university library Composer/Musician Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists
that "Nina Simone in Comics!" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: Sophie Adriansen (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_Adriansen) is a French writer, a member of the
Socie te des gens de lettres and of the "Charte des auteurs et des illustrateurs jeunesse". She has written over 56 works, from
novels to graphic novels to non-fiction and biographies including a non-comics biography of Nina Simone.
Blondie: Against the Odds
Jimmy Palmiotti, et al.
Z2 Comics
https://z2comics.com
9781940878768, $24.99, PB, 120pp
https://www.amazon.com/Blondie-Jimmy-Palmiotti/dp/1940878764
Synopsis: Combining an imaginative take on an oral history of the band, interspersed with artistic interpretations of 10
songs from their catalog, "Blondie Against The Odds", in a graphic novel format, fully captures the friction of New York
City as the band fought their way to prominence, as well as the power and energy contained within the songs that fueled
their rise to legendary status.
Critique: Blondie was an American rock band founded in 1974 in New York City by singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris
Stein. The band was a pioneer in the American new wave scene of the mid-1970s in New York City and was disbanded in
1982. Absolutely essential reading for the remaining legions of Blondie fans, "Blondie: Against the Odds" is an inherently
fascinating and expertly produced and illustrated, graphic novel based on the band and its members -- and is unreservedly
recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library Graphic Novel
collections.
Quentin Tarantino: A Graphic Biography
Michele Botton, author
Benardo Santiago Acosta, illustrator
Frances Lincoln
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartoknows.com
9780711290761, $19.99, HC, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Quentin-Tarantino-Graphic-Biography-BioGraphics/dp/0711290768
Synopsis: From the set of 1993's Pulp Fiction, to a bar room meeting with Robert Rodriguez and an inspirational lunch with
Leonardo di Caprio, "Quentin Tarantino: A Graphic Biography" is a unique graphic novel style biography that takes us
across a series of Hollywood-inspired vignettes covering the movie-obsessed life and career of one of modern cinema's
greatest filmmakers -- Quentin Tarantino.
Join the conversation as Tarantino talks John Travolta into starring in Pulp Fiction, find out about the inspiration for his
earliest screenplays and learn about Tarantino's obsessive childhood growing up in California.
Critique: For those looking for insights into Tarantino's influences, inspirations and the development of his signature style as
a filmmaker, "Quentin Tarantino: A Graphic Life" is fascinating, informative, and essential reading for his legions of fans.
While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), "Quentin Tarantino: A Graphic Life"
is a solid and recommended pick for community and college/university library American Biography collections.
Andy Warhol: A Graphic Biography
Michele Botton, author
Marco Maraggi, illustrator
Frances Lincoln
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartoknows.com
9780711290785, $19.99, HC, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Andy-Warhol-Graphic-Biography-BioGraphics/dp/0711290784
Synopsis: In 1962, Andy Warhol displayed 32 canvases of Campbell's soup cans in a New York art gallery. The art world
(and what we consider to be art) would never be the same again.
In this graphic novel format, "Andy Warhol: A Graphic Biography " by author/biographer Michele Botton and
artist/illustrator Marco Maraggi follows the life of Warhol through his upbringing in Pittsburgh, moving to New York City,
finding inspiration and conquering the creative world, in this unique graphic biography.
Readers will discover what made Warhol tick in terms of his delights, his drives and his frustrations. Revealed is his
fascinating lifestyle within the New York scene and the incredible way that he continually evolved as an artist.
For those looking for an entertaining introduction to this giant of modern art, or for existing fans after a fresh visual take,
this graphic biography approach reveals the real Andy Warhol!
Critique: A fun and informative read from start to finish, "Andy Warhol: A Graphic Biography" is a solid and unreservedly
recommended pick for community and college/university library American Biography collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that "Andy Warhol: A Graphic Biography" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.99).
The Audiobook Shelf
My Darling Bride
Ilsa Madden Mills, author
Sebastian York, narrator
Savannah Peachwood, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781501241635, $19.99, MP3-CD (9 Hours 48 Minutes)
https://www.amazon.com/My-Darling-Bride-Ilsa-Madden-Mills/dp/150124163X
Synopsis: On a normal day, Emmaline Darling isn't a car thief. She's just a simple girl who runs a bookstore and adores cats.
But when she's stranded in the desert and needs to get away from her dangerous ex-boyfriend, she picks her only option:
swiping the keys to a famous football player's Lamborghini and speeding away.
Football star Graham Harlan is in chaos. First he took a hit on the field that left him with a near-death experience, and now
he's promised his brother he'll get married to secure the family inheritance. Trouble is he isn't even seeing anyone.
Then a mystery woman steals his car. With his usual stubbornness, he tracks her all the way to Manhattan and gives her an
ultimatum: marry me or I'll press charges.
Her choice is obvious, only neither of them expect the sparks that ignite between them.
As the end of their arrangement looms, will Graham take a chance on love or let his darling walk away forever?
Critique: Truly the stuff of which Hallmark Move Channel rom-coms are made, this complete and unabridged audio book
edition of Ilsa Madden Mills' "My Darling Bride is a fun listening experience from start to finish. Superbly narrated by the
professional team of Sebastian York and Savannah Peachwood, "My Darling Bride from Brilliance Audio is especially and
unreservedly recommended as a prize addition to personal and community library Rom-Com & Contemporary Romance
audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: Ilsa Madden-Mills (www.ilsamaddenmills.com) is an established author of angsty new adult and
contemporary romances.
Editorial Note #2 Sebastian York spent much of his youth as a military brat throughout Europe, Asia, and the U.S., which
spurred a very adventurous sense for travel and faraway places. He has a pilot's license and operates small flying tours over
New York City in between his narration work. (https://www.facebook.com/SebastianYorkNarrator)
Editorial Note #3: Savannah Peachwood (http://www.savannahpeachwood.com) is an award-winning audiobook narrator.
She has narrated hundreds of audiobooks for many New York Times & USA Today Bestselling authors.
Spiced Right
Gigi Templeton, author
Amanda Stribling, narrator
Aiden Snow, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781501225581, $19.99, MP3-CD (8 Hours 54 Minutes)
https://www.amazon.com/Spiced-Right-Gigi-Templeton/dp/1501225588
Synopsis: Don't ever think I didn't want more time with you, darlin'.
Those were her college boyfriend's last words to her after a phone call summoned him home to Texas. In the ten years since,
Jack Reed has taken over his family's ranch, and Jillian Parks has experienced devastating losses with traumatic
repercussions.
Now a reclusive insomniac, she podcasts about the specialty hybrid chili peppers she grows in her Seattle greenhouse,
keeping a closed door between her and the past. But when Jillian's producer coaxes her to make a surprise call in to Jack's
YouTube BBQ channel, their chemistry still sizzles!
An invite to the ranch for a follow-up collab is a scary proposal for Jillian. But forward movement is key to her recovery,
and it's time to take the bull by the horns. With Jack's commanding yet soothing presence, maybe this charismatic cowboy is
just the right ingredient to help her heal -- while adding a different kind of spice to her life.
Critique: An impressively original and emotionally riveting story of lost love regained, this complete and unabridged audio
book edition of Spiced Right" by novelist Gigi Templeton is brought to life by the superbly performed narrative talents of
Amanda Stribling and Aiden Snow. Offering just shy of 9 hours of drama and romance storytelling excellent, "Spiced
Right" will prove an enduringly welcome addition to personal and community library dedicated romance audio book
collections.
Editorial Note #1: Gigi Templeton (www.facebook.com/ggtbooks) has written numerous full-length novels for traditional
publishers, digital publishers and forward-thinking reader apps, such as Radish Fiction and YONDER. Her debut book,
HARD KNOX, has over five million organic views on Radish and became an international bestselling series. She has also
won awards and notable nominations under other pseudonyms, including as a finalist for Romantic Times magazine's Best
Book of the Year and their Seal of Excellence.
Editorial Note #2: Amanda Stribling (https://www.amandastribling.com) is a SOVAS and One Voice nominated audiobook
narrator who has narrated around 180 books from my home studio. Her favorite genres are Romance, Romantic Comedy,
Literature, Young-Adult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, and Thriller. Being a self-proclaimed audio addict, she has listened to thousands of
audiobooks, and knows what it takes to engage the listener and help them to connect with the story. She also works under
the pseudonym of Allie Piper.
Editorial Note #3: Aiden Snow is a romance and erotica narrator who has been called "the crown prince of audio romance."
His rich baritone has garnered a solid fan base and has allowed him to range from paranormal romance to military romance,
from "motorcycle bad boy" to "boardroom dom." To him, every romance is true love, and every erotic romance is true
desire. (www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=Aiden+Snow)
A Sure Duke
Christi Caldwell, author
Timothy Campbell, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781501208690, $19.99, MP3-CD (8 Hours 4 Minutes)
https://www.amazon.com/Sure-Duke-McQuoids-Mayfair/dp/1501208691
Synopsis: Alexandra Bradbury and Dallin McQuoid are neighbors who couldn't be more different. She's prim, mindful, and
skittish of social improprieties. Dallin is slightly scandalous, boisterously charming, and unbothered by gossip. On an
unexpected night of magic forged under the stars, they discover what they do have in common. Could theirs be a rare love
match that might last forever?
But everything changes in a heartbeat: a death in the Bradbury family, financial ruin, and Alexandra's betrothal to a
wickedly wealthy marquess. Alexandra is expected to do what's best for her family, regardless of her heart.
Until another crisis arises, and the dutiful daughter must embark on a journey with the waggish lord across the street to
prevent a catastrophe for both of their families.
Along the road, will their stars finally align?
Critique: Simply stated, as an author Christi Caldwell is a master of the historical romance genre in general, and the
Regency Romance subgenre in particular. In this complete and unabridged audio book edition from Brilliance Audio "A
Sure Duke" is one of Christi's newest and best brought vividly to life in an extended theatre of the mind presentation deftly
narrated by Timothy Campbell -- making this fully entertaining story a highly prized pick for personal and community
library Historical Romance audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: When Christi Caldwell (www.christicaldwell.com) was at the University of Connecticut, she began
writing tales of love -- ones where even the most perfect heroes and heroines had imperfections. She learned to enjoy
torturing her couples before they earned their well-deserved happily ever after.
Editorial Note #2: Timothy Campbell (http://www.timcampbell.me) is an award winning actor and singer who works
primarily in audiobook narration & voice overs, and has narrated over 800 titles spanning almost every genre. He has won
or been nominated for almost every major award in the audiobook industry including a 2018 Audie, multiple Audie
nominations, a 2019 Voice Arts Award and several Audiofile Earphones Awards and Independent Audiobook Awards. He
specializes in accents, dialects, and character work and holds three degrees in theater and music as well as graduating from
the esteemed two year Great Books Colloquium of Pepperdine University.
Before the Dawn
D. S. Butler, author
Henrietta Meire, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781491596470, $19.99, MP3-CD (9 Hours 35 Minutes)
https://www.amazon.com/Before-Dawn-Detective-Karen-Hart/dp/1491596473
Synopsis: DC Sophie Jones was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Viciously bludgeoned one night in a dark alley, she is
left fighting for her life in hospital, leaving no clues as to why she was there or what might have motivated the attack.
For Detective Karen Hart, fiercely protective of her young protegee, this is already deeply personal: an attack on Sophie is
an attack on the whole team. When a car workshop near the crime scene is linked to local mobster Quentin Chapman, the
man Hart has spent years trying to bring down, it's hard not to jump to the most obvious conclusion.
But Chapman not only denies any knowledge of the incident - he asks for Karen's help. Someone is killing his associates,
and he fears he might be next. With little else to go on, Hart has no choice but to rely on her sworn enemy and his
underworld connections for valuable information. Can she trust Chapman to tell her the truth -- or will this shady
collaboration be the last case of her career? Only one person can help crack this case -- but he's also the prime suspect!
Critique: The eighth novel in author D. S. Butler's 'Detective Karen Hart' series, this complete and unabridged MP3-CD
edition of "Before The Dawn" from Brilliance Audio is masterfully narrated by Henrietta Meire and will have a particular
attraction to dedicated mystery buffs. Offering a compelling 'theatre of mind' experience, "Before The Dawn" is an a highly
recommended pick for both personal and community library audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: Born in Kent, D. S. Butler (https://dsbutlerbooks.com) grew up as an avid reader with a love for crime
fiction and mysteries. She has worked as a scientific officer in a hospital pathology laboratory and as a research scientist.
After obtaining a PhD in biochemistry, she worked at the University of Oxford for four years before moving to the Middle
East. While living in Bahrain, she wrote her first novel and hasn't stopped writing since. She now lives in the United
Kingdom with her husband.
Editorial Note #2: Henrietta Meire is a full-time voice-over artist and actress. Her studio is her second home where she
loves to engross herself in books of all genres and make characters come to life -- from the girl next door to the troll-witch
next door to a talking battery that lives with the girl next door! In addition to narrating a plethora of audiobooks, Henrietta
has voiced numerous commercial and charity campaigns, as well as video game and animation characters. As an actress,
Henrietta has performed in plays across the West End and Los Angeles and can be seen in a number of popular current
movies as well as HBO and CBS shows.
Meadow Falls
Carolyn Brown, author
Brittany Pressley, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781491556504, $19.99, MP3-CD (8 Hours 3 Minutes)
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/meadow-falls-carolyn-brown/1143179805?ean=9781491556504
Synopsis: Angela Marie has spent all of her thirty-five years on Meadow Falls, the farm that's been in her Texas family for
generations. It wasn't her plan. It was an obligation. Now that her parents (less loving kin than strangers) have passed, the
whole shebang belongs to Angela. And a legacy that she never wanted is now hers to uphold.
She can't forsake it now. Her beloved nanny, Mandy, who was always more of a mother, needs a caregiver herself. And
Mandy's great-granddaughter, as close to Angela as a sister, has returned to roost. When a handsome veteran arrives seeking
work as a farmhand, Angela thinks the future might not be half-bad after all.
But it's the past that proves enlightening. Mandy is revealing secrets Angela never knew about her parents. As the clouds on
her family history begin to part, the inheritance feels more like a precious gift, and Meadow Falls more like the home
Angela's been looking for her whole life.
Critique: An extraordinary and highly recommended pick for personal and community library audio book collections, this
Brilliance Audio MP3-CD audio book edition of Meadow Falls" by Carolyn Brown is deftly and expertly narrated by the
vocal storytelling talents of of Brittany Pressley and will prove to have a particular attraction for fans of Contemporary
Romance.
Editorial Note #1: Carolyn Brown (www.carolynbrownbooks.com) is the author of more than 100 novels and several
novellas. She's a recipient of the Bookseller's Best Award, Montlake Romance's prestigious Montlake Diamond Award, and
also a three-time recipient of the National Reader's Choice Award. Brown has been published for more than 20 years, and
her books have been translated 21 foreign languages.
Editorial Note #2: Brittany Pressley has won several Earphones Awards as well as the prestigious Audie Award for Best
Narration in 2018. She has recorded over one hundred titles and has received several nominations for American Library
Association's annual list of Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults. She is also an accomplished singer-songwriter and
voice actress. Her voice can be heard on national and international TV and radio commercials as well as several animated
series and video games.
The Last Caretaker
Jessica Strawser, author
Reba Buhr, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9798400145247, $19.99, MP3-CD (10 Hours 50 Minutes)
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Caretaker-Novel-Jessica-Strawser/dp/B0BT4W6XSZ
Synopsis: Katie's divorce was, in a word, humiliating. So when her friend Bess offers a fresh start in the form of a resident
caretaking job at a nature preserve -- Katie accepts. No matter that she's not exactly a "nature person", just how hard can it
be?
But from day one, something feels off. Katie's new farmhouse looks as if the last caretaker barely moved out at all. When a
frantic, terrified woman arrives late at night, expecting a safe place to hide, it's clear caretaking involves way more than
Katie bargained for.
Suddenly, Katie is no longer sure who she can trust: the brooding groundskeeper, the daily regulars (hikers, dog walkers,
bird-watchers, photographers) even Bess. As Katie digs deeper for clues in what the last caretaker left behind, she must
discover courage she never knew she had -- and decide how much she'll risk to do the right thing.
Critique: Of immense appeal and interest to fans of deftly crafted novels with the themes of family life intermixed with
elements of suspense and apprehension, and unreservedly recommended for personal and community library audio book
collections, "The Last Care Taker" by novelist Jessica Strawser is ably and effectively narrated by Reba Buhr in this
complete and unabridged Brilliance Audio MP3-CD edition.
Editorial Note #1: Jessica Strawser (www.jessicastrawser.com) is the author of five previous book club favorites: Almost
Missed You, Not That I Could Tell (a Book of the Month selection), Forget You Know Me, A Million Reasons Why, and
The Next Thing You Know, a People magazine Pick. She is editor-at-large at Writer's Digest, where she curates the Learn
by Example column; a popular speaker at writing conferences; and a freelance editor and writer whose work has appeared in
the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and others. A Pittsburgh native and graduate of Ohio University's prestigious
E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, she has also served as the 2019 writer-in-residence for the Cincinnati & Hamilton
County Public Library.
Editorial Note #2: Reba Buhr (https://www.rebabuhr.com/audiobooks) is the author of Get Thee to a Therapist, and an
actress, host, and voiceover artist based in Los Angeles, CA. Reba is also an outspoken mental health advocate. She uses her
instagram @get.thee.to.a.therapist to educate people about accessing mental health services and how to overcome the
stigma, fear, and other barriers to care that keep people from finding the healing they deserve.
Dream Town: Eve Ronin
Lee Goldberg
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781491595565, $29.99, MP3-CD (8 Hours 47 Minutes)
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dream-town-lee-goldberg/1143348897
Synopsis: Hidden Hills is a private celebrity enclave of white picket fences and horse trails that seems to exist in a
dreamworld. But when reality superstar Kitty Winslow is killed within their gates and corpses are found in the vast state
park outside them, LASD detective Eve Ronin realizes there is a deadly, razor-thin line between what's real and what's
imagined.
Eve discovers that Kitty's surreal on- and off-camera life, a blur of fact and fantasy, shockingly mirrors her own as she
struggles to investigate the killings, wade into a music industry war, and battle a vicious Chilean gang - all while her life is
being turned into a fictional cop show directed by her estranged father.
Eve's grip on reality and the case is strained to the breaking point as the slayings continue, the media frenzy reaches a fever
pitch, and the only inescapable truth she can see is death... and it's coming for her.
Critique: A deftly crafted suspense thriller that will have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in police
procedural murder mysteries, "Dream Town" by Lee Goldberg is now available as a complete and unabridged MP3-CD
audio book from Brilliance Audio. Brilliantly narrated by the impressively talented skills of Nicol Zanzareela, "Dream
Town" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for both personal and community library audio book
collections.
Editorial Note #1: Lee Goldberg (www.leegoldberg.com) is a two-time Edgar Award and two-time Shamus Award nominee
and the author of more than forty novels, including the Eve Ronin series and the Ian Ludlow series. He has also written
and/or produced many TV shows, including Diagnosis Murder, SeaQuest, and Monk, and is co-creator of the Mystery 101
series of Hallmark movies. As an international television consultant, he has advised networks and studios in Canada,
France, Germany, Spain, China, Sweden, and the Netherlands on the creation, writing, and production of episodic television
series.
Two Masquerades and a Major
Eloisa James, author
Felicity Foster, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9798400137785, $14.99, MP3-CD (8 Hours 48 Minutes)
https://www.amazon.com/Two-Masquerades-Major-Seduction-3/dp/B0CLYY5QWN
Synopsis: Livie never worried much about the world's opinion of her -- until the world came to despised her. One minute
she is happily dancing through her first Season, and the next her family is plunged into scandal and exiled from society.
Stealing into a masquerade ball, she meets the handsome, honorable Major FitzRoy, son of an earl. Yet if she removes her
mask and tells Joshua her name, the scandal might engulf him as well. Could he possibly love her enough to give up his
career -- and his honor?
Critique: Very strongly recommended for personal and community library audio book collections, "Two Masquerades and a
Major" is a carefully crafted historical romance novel by Eloisa James that is brought vividly to life in a true 'theatre of the
mind' listening experience produced by the eloquent storytelling talents of Felicity Foster. This complete and unabridged
MP3-CD edition from Brilliance Audio.
Editorial Note: Eloisa James (www.eloisajames.com) is a professor of English literature. She is the mother of two and, in a
particularly delicious irony for a romance writer, is married to a genuine Italian knight. She is also on Facebook at
(www.facebook.com/eloisajames)
Melody
Helen Hardt, author
Amanda Stribling, narrator
Lee Samuels, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781501224881, $19.99, MP3-CD (7 Hours 27 Minutes)
https://www.amazon.com/Melody-Steel-Brothers-Saga-28/dp/1501224883
Synopsis: Beautiful Brianna Steel has her life planned out. Graduate college early. Check. Work with her father in the Steel
family orchard. Check. Marry Jesse Pike -- but no check there because Jesse has never given her a look.
Finagling her way onto a rock and roll tour with Jesse and his band, Dragonlock, should help move her final goal along. At
least Brianna hopes it will. She's been in love with Jesse since she was fourteen years old, and though she's had several
relationships, no one compares to the darkly handsome rocker.
Jesse Pike and his band just got their big break. Opening for Emerald Phoenix on their Europe tour could lead to fame and
fortune, and his family desperately needs the money after a fire destroyed their livelihood. He can't let them down, and he's
determined not to let anything distract him - certainly not vivacious cowgirl Brianna Steel, even if she is the most gorgeous
woman he's ever laid eyes on.
In the end, though, it's not just his attraction to Brianna that puts the tour in jeopardy!
Critique: Of particular interest to fans of contemporary romantic erotica and suspense, this complete and unabridged audio
book edition of Helen Hardt's "Melodie" from Brilliance Audio is exceptionally performed by the narrative teamwork of
Amanda Stribling and lee Samuels. This MP3-CD edition is confidently recommended for personal and community library
collections.
Editorial Note #1: As an author, Helen Hardt (https://www.helenhardt.com) has a passion for the written word that began
with the books her mother read to her at bedtime. She wrote her first story at age six and hasn't stopped since. In addition to
being an award-winning author of romantic fiction, she's a mother, a black belt in Taekwondo, a grammar geek, an
appreciator of fine red wine, and a lover of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. She writes from her home. Helen loves to hear from
readers.
Editorial Note #2: Amanda Stribling (https://www.amandastribling.com) is a SOVAS and One Voice nominated audiobook
narrator who has narrated around 180 books from my home studio. Her favorite genres are Romance, Romantic Comedy,
Literature, Young-Adult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, and Thriller. Being a self-proclaimed audio addict, she has listened to thousands of
audiobooks, and knows what it takes to engage the listener and help them to connect with the story. She also works under
the pseudonym of Allie Piper.
Editorial Note #3: Lee Samuels (https://leesamuelsnarration.com) is a Romance narrator (SAG-AFTRA) for nearly 200
audiobooks -- everything from small-town to suspense, rom-coms and erotica. With a background in theatre, his audiobook
career began in New York City when his roommate, working as an audiobook engineer, offered to help him record a few
auditions. Those auditions led to bookings and romance projects in all of its shades. His production credits include Audible,
Recorded Books, Lyric, Podium, One Night Stand, Brick Shop, Blue Nose, Dreamscape, Macmillan, and others.
The Library CD Shelf
CT!
Adam Schroeder and Mark Masters
Capri Records Ltd.
www.caprirecords.com
$14.98 CD / $29.98 vinyl
https://caprirecords.com/html_index.cfm
Adam Schroeder and Mark Masters pay tribute to African-American swing and bebop trumpeter Clark Terry (1920-2015) in
CT!, a big band album with fresh arrangements of thirteen of Clark Terry's original classics. Additional music artists lend
their talents to creating this eclectic celebration of Clark Terry's musical career. Each song selection features a daring solo,
often but not always performed by Adam Schroeder. Highly recommended for both personal and public library music
collections. The tracks are Serenade to a Bus Seat, Ground Hog, Ode to Pres, Daylite Express, Boardwalk, Argentia,
Perdido Line, Slow Boat, Swingin' On The Cusp, Michelle, Top And Bottom, Boomerang, and In Orbit.
Believin' is Seein'
Re Mattei
www.ReMattei.com
Trendy Girl Records
$16.00 autographed CD
https://remattei.com/shop/believin-is-seein-signed-autographed-cd
Believin' is Seein' is a country music album featuring singer and songwriter Re Mattei, who also showcases her talent with
electric and acoustic guitars. Re Mattei is the co-writer of most tracks in this emotional album, supported by the talented
performers contributing background vocals, guitars, percussion, fiddle/mandolin, bass guitar, pedal steele and more.
Individual songs have creation dates ranging from 2007 to 2020. Passionate, entrancing, and uplifting with dulcet beautiful
vocals, Believin' is Seein' is highly recommended for country music fans and public library collections. The tracks are Try
To Break My Heart, Feels Like It's Gonna Rain, Bump Bump Bump, Flame Kissed, Ya Got Two Wheels, Believin' Is
Seein', Save It For Someone Who Cares, Let's Build A Church, Country Love, and Santa's Gone Country.
Sacred Places
Hollan Holmes
Spotted Peccary Music
www.SpottedPeccary.com
$16.00 CD (includes free downloads) / $8.00 MP3 / $10.00 16-bit + 24-bit studio master
https://spottedpeccary.com/shop/sacred-places
The third release of virtuoso Hollan Holmes, Sacred Places is an electronic, ambient instrumental collection of original
music. Inspired by Holmes' travels to beautiful natural sites, Sacred Places is an extraordinary and inspirational musical
reflecting, crafted on both hardware and software synthesizers. Sacred Places is excellent music for yoga, meditation, or
fostering creativity, highly recommended. The tracks are Order Out of Chaos, Temple of Stone, Bristlecone, Drawn To An
Intangible Energy, An Elevated Life, Hallowed Ground, Walking Among Kings, The Divine Connection, Primal Instinct, A
Light Unto The World, and Sacred Places.
No More Excuses
Danette McMahon
danettemcmahon.com
Privately Published
$20.00 CD / $12.00 digital
https://danettemcmahon.com/store
No More Excuses is a jazz album of songs created by singer and composer Danette McMahon, (plus her renditions of a
couple classics like "You and Me" by Dave Matthews and Oasis' "Wonderwall"). Supported by talented musicians on piano,
upright bass, guitar, percussion, and more, Danette McMahon sings songs resonating with the phases of her life, and the
challenges she has faced in her storied career. No More Excuses is soulful, rapturous, and highly recommended. The tracks
are Innocent Bystander, Come Dance With Me, Life Goes On, Road Trip, Closer To My Dream, Naughty Girl, Fallin'
Deeper, Wonderwall, My Pity Party, Don't Pretend, You and Me, Good Ol' Days, Bluebird, and The Lady I Never
Knew.
Tidal Currents: East Meets West
Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra with Jill Townsend and Christie Jensen
winnipegjazzorchestra.com
Chronograph Records
chronographrecords.com
$9.99 CD / $4.99 digital
https://chronographrecords.com/releases/tidal-currents-east-meets-west
The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra is Canada's first community-based, non-profit professional jazz orchestra. Tidal Currents:
East Meets West is the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra's seventh release, featuring a commission from expert big band jazz writers
Jill Townsend and Christine Jensen. Featuring sweeping, evocative harmonies and memorable soprano saxophone solos,
Tidal Currents: East Meets West is extraordinary, vibrant original work, highly recommended especially for big band jazz
connoisseurs. The tracks are Inside the Wave, Chrossing Lachine, Tidal Currents, and Rock Skipping Under Half
Moon.
Traces
Will Regnier
willregnier.com
Privately Published
$18.00 CAD (physical CD) / $10.00 CAD digital
https://willregnier.bandcamp.com/album/traces
Traces is the debut instrumental album from Montreal drummer, composer, and producer Will Regnier, with contributions
from Marcus Lowry on electric and acoustic guitar, Yannick Anctil on piano, and Alex Le Blanc on double bass. The
musical style transcends genre boundaries, incorporating elements of jazz, folk, and progressive rock. Traces is an
extraordinary, soul-stirring listening experience, highly recommended especially for music connoisseurs in search of
something new and inspiring. The tracks are Exit, Lights Out, Entre lis lignes, Whereto, Not a Real Place, Smoke and
Mirrors, Traces, Comme des traces oubliees, and Farewell.
Oh Mother
Andrea Superstein
andreasuperstein.com
Cellar Music Group
cellarlive.com
$TBA CD / $10.00 digital
https://mooreamasa.bandcamp.com/album/oh-mother
Vancouver vocalist and composer Andrea Superstein presents Oh Mother, an original contemporary jazz album inspired by
her own experiences with motherhood. The physical changes resulting pregnancy, the trauma of childbirth, the difficulty of
balancing work and parental responsibility, and the increased sense of isolation due to responsibility for one's child all make
motherhood difficult. Andrea interviewed nearly 100 mothers in a search to learn more about the common experiences of
motherhood. The songs of Oh Mother range in emotion from mourning, to frustration, to heartfelt love, reflecting on the
conflicting emotions that a parent feels. A grand ensemble of musicians lend their talents for the piano, bass, drums, flute,
trumpet, guitar, violin, harp, voice and much more to various songs. Oh Mother is a unique and rapturous treasure, and also
makes an excellent gift. The tracks are To All the Mothers, Everywhere, All I Need, Lay Your Head Down, I Carry Your
Heart, Mombo, Who Are You Now, The Heart Inside, May You, So In Love, and Musicbox.
Blue Topaz
Peter Hand
https://www.peterhandmusic.com
Whaling City Sound
www.whalingcitysound.com
$TBA CD / $TBA digital
https://whalingcitysound.com/recordings/peter-hand-blue-topaz
Guitarist and composer Peter Hand presents Blue Topaz, a jazz album that Hand crafted along with the talents of trumpeter
Eddie Allen, saxophonist Don Braden, pianists James Weidman and David Janeway, bassist Harvie S and drummer Steve
Jons. Featuring both original creations, reimagined Jazz classics, and exuberant Latin and Brazilian jazz pieces, Blue Topaz
is a treasure for connoisseurs of the genre and highly recommended. The tracks are Hand-Me-Down Blues, Cash Or Charge,
Bittersweet Morning, Pedro's Samba, One For My Baby (And One More For The Road), Little Sunflower, Rosalyn, Blue
Topaz, Lately, and Curioso.
Conspiracy Deliracy
Andrew Binder
www.andrewbindermusic.com
Privately Published
$20.00 CD / $11.00 digital
https://andrewbinder.bandcamp.com/album/conspiracy-deliracy
Bassist and composer Andrew Binder presents Conspiracy Deliracy, an original album featuring songs with elements of
modern jazz and pop. Additional music artists lend their talent on trumpt, saxophone, flute, trombone, guitar, keyboards,
drums, and bass. Conspiracy Deliracy is a tongue-in-cheek satire of conspiracy theories, criticizing the modern delusional
era of misinformation, which spreads all too quickly whether by word of mouth or social media. Conspiracy Deliracy is an
insightful work with a desperately needed message, and highly recommended. The tracks are Squatch Watch, Stevie Isn't
Blind, Mandela Effect, Rush for Area 51, Moonwalk, Katy is a Lizard, Dark Side of the Mattress Firm, Birds Aren't Real
(Intro), Birds Aren't Real, Avril is Dead, Beyonce is the Illuminati, and Rush for Area 51 - Alternate Take.
Jet Black
Satoko Fuji and the Tokyo Trio
Libra Records
https://librarecords.com
$18.00 CD / $TBA digital
https://librarecords.com/sne/store.html
Available as a CD from Libra Records or digitally on iTunes, Jet Black is a jazz album by Satoko Fuji's Tokyo Trio -
featuring composer and pianist Satoko Fuji, bassist Takashi Sugawa, and drummer Ittetsu Takemura. All songs are Satoko
Fuji's original compositions, rendered into a unique performance showcasing the band's talent for improvisation. Featuring
complex rhythms, free-energy solos, and a zest for experimentation, Jet Black is a treat for jazz connoisseurs and highly
recommended. The tracks are Along the Way, Gentle Slope, Sky Reflection, From Sometime, Take a Step, and Jet
Black.
The Blu-ray Shelf
Tears to Tiara Complete Collection
Sentai Film Works
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com
c/o RLJ Entertainment (distribution)
$79.98 Blu-ray, 3 discs
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com/products/816726026763-tears-to-tiara-complete-collection-blu-ray
Synopsis: For dozens of generations, the legions of the Divine Empire seemed unstoppable, brutally tearing asunder nation
after nation and subjugating their people. Then one of the Empire's power-hungry priests made the mistake of attempting to
resurrect an ancient Demon Lord. Instead of binding Arawn as planned, the Demon Lord chose to rescue the intended
sacrifice - the young high priestess Riannon - and formed an alliance with her potentially legendary brother Arthur and the
Gael Clan. Now the Empire will reap the seeds of destruction they have sowed, as Demon, Human, Elf, and even Dragon
join together in the battle of the complete master collection of TEARS TO TIARA!
Critique: Rated TV-PG (parental guidance recommended for younger children due to violence), Tears to Tiara Complete
Collection is a three-disc Blu-ray set that includes all 26 episodes of the epic fantasy-war anime series. Set in a world where
the Divine Empire has mercilessly conquered and subjugated all nations unfortunate enough to lie within its reach, Tears to
Tiara chronicles a turning point in history - when the Empire's attempt to summon a Demon Lord results in the Demon Lord
choosing to rescue the intended sacrifice and form an alliance with those humans, elves, and dragons who dare to resist the
Empire's relentless conquest. An exquisite interplay of political alliances, vicious battles, and complex characters, Tears to
Tiara is a "must" for fantasy-anime connoisseurs, utterly riveting to the end. Highly recommended! 1080p high definition,
650 minutes on 3 Blu-ray discs, Japanese and English audio with English subtitles.
My Life as Inukai-san's Dog Complete Collection
Sentai Film Works
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com
c/o RLJ Entertainment (distribution)
$59.98 Blu-ray, 1 disc
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com/products/816726023564-my-life-as-inukai-sans-dog-complete-collection-blu-ray
Synopsis: What if you were sitting in the rain and an attractive female classmate took you home for a bath together? It might
be some guys fantasy, but there's one detail that turns it into a nightmare for Pochita... he's been transformed into a dog!
Now he's locked up with a beautiful girl with a scary dog fixation, and he can only bark for help. As he struggles to unravel
what's happened to him, he also learns way too much about Inukai and her friends' private quirks than his now-canine brain
can handle in MY LIFE AS INUKAI-SAN'S DOG!
Critique: Rated TV-MA (for mature viewers only) due to nudity and sexual situations, My Life as Inukai-san's Dog
Complete Collection is the uncensored Blu-ray collecting all 12 episodes plus the 2 OVAs of a sexy anime comedy. In My
Life as Inukai-san's Dog Complete Collection, Pochita has been transformed into a dog; then, a beautiful girl with an eerie
dog fixation takes him in and dotes on him - perhaps a little too much! Trapped in dog form, he gets to see more of her and
her friends in their private (and undressed) moments than his human-brain-trapped-in-a-canine body can take! This
uncensored version truly bares all, in this laugh-out-loud funny and unashamedly raunchy romp. 168 minutes, 1080p high
definition, Japanese audio with English subtitles.
The Christian Studies Shelf
One Sunday at a Time
Mark Hart
Ave Maria Press
www.avemariapress.com
9781646802654, $24.95, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/One-Sunday-Time-Cycle-Preparing/dp/1646802659
Synopsis: With the publication of "One Sunday at a Time (Cycle B): Preparing Your Heart for Weekly Mass", Mark Hart
has created the essential companion to the Sunday readings and an ideal resource for busy Catholics who want to get more
out of Mass.
After almost thirty years in ministry, Hart hears two questions most often: "How do I get more out of Mass?" and "Where do
I start?"
His response? Begin with what you're already doing - going to Mass. You'll understand the Bible better, receive God's grace,
and the liturgy will come to life for you in a whole new way.
The extra features of each Sunday are designed to help you initiate faith-based conversations with your family and friends,
form the habit of scripture study, and carve out time for God every week.
In "One Sunday at a Time" features: Color-coded sections that correspond to the liturgical seasons; Brief summaries of the
Mass readings for Sundays, major feasts, and solemnities in liturgical year Cycle B; Engaging reflections that draw your
attention to a primary theme and common threads among the readings each week; Explanation of key Greek and Hebrew
words in the biblical text; Fun facts and cultural context of the biblical world.
"One Sunday at a Time" also includes prayers and a weekly challenge to help put into practice the message of each week's
readings in your daily life. Wide margins are ideal for notetaking. Readers have identified this book as the perfect
companion to Every Sacred Sunday.
Critique: A beautiful, full-color book that is ideal for individuals, families, RCIA classes, and small groups, "One Sunday at
a Time" is inspired and inspiring as it fulfills its implied promise to its readers that with just ten minutes a week it can help
them experience Sunday Mass more fully and deepen their love of the Word of God. While also readily available for the
personal reading lists of clergy, seminary students, and all members of the Catholic community, "One Sunday at a Time" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).
Editorial Note: Mark Hart serves as Executive Vice President for Life Teen International. A graduate of the University of
Notre Dame and a twenty-year veteran of youth ministry, Mark Hart is one of the most sought-after speakers serving in the
Catholic Church, today. His latest DVD resources - "Altaration" and "The 99" - are receiving praise across the globe as a
revolutionary and vital work for the young Catholic Church.
The author (or co-author) of over two dozen books, including best-sellers "Blessed are the Bored in Spirit", "Behold the
Mystery", "Ask the Bible Geek", "100 Things Every Catholic Teen Should Know" and "The 99 Handbook". Mark's writing
style is humorous yet deep, accessible to and enjoyed by readers of all ages.
Mark is also a co-host of the wildly popular "The Catholic Guy Show" on Sirius XM 129 and is a Research Fellow for the
St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. Mark's sense of humor and his passion for Scripture - as experienced in his DVD
Bible Study Series, "T3" and "Encounter" - are helping hundreds of thousands of young Catholics, begin to read and study
the Bible in engaging and relevant ways.
Pope Francis as Moral Leader
Thomas Massaro SJ
Paulist Press
www.paulistpress.com
9780809156634, $29.95, PB, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pope-Francis-Moral-Leader-Communicator/dp/0809156636
Synopsis: With the publication of "Pope Francis as Moral Leader: Ethicist, Discerner, Communicator, and Advocate for
Social Justice", Thomas Massaro, SJ deftly describes and analyzes the contribution of Pope Francis makes as an ethicist, a
practitioner of discernment, a skilled communicator, and a strong advocate for social justice on the global stage.
"Pope Francis as Moral Leader" also brilliantly highlights Francis's leadership qualities and the ethical achievements of his
papacy as he appeals to ethical values and proposes teachings and practices that embody mercy and justice for the church
and world.
Critique: As informed and informative as it is inspired and inspiring, "Pope Francis as Moral Leader: Ethicist, Discerner,
Communicator, and Advocate for Social Justice" must be considered essential reading for all members of the Roman
Catholic community including clergy and seminary students. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Pope
Francis as Moral Leader is unreservedly recommended as a key and core addition to personal, community, seminary, and
college/university library Papal Biography/History collections.
Editorial Note: Thomas Massaro, S.J., is Professor of Moral Theology at Fordham University. A Jesuit priest of the
Northeast Province, he served as professor of moral theology at Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge,
Massachusetts, at Boston College, and at Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University, where he also served as
Dean.
Forged: Following Jesus into a New Kind of Family
T. C. Moore
Broadleaf Books
www.broadleafbooks.com
9781506486864, $18.99, PB, 181pp
https://www.amazon.com/Forged-Following-Jesus-into-Family/dp/150648686X
Synopsis: The Jesus Way calls us into community with others to form a new kind of family -- a forged family. In an era
when our relationships with our families of origin are more complicated than ever, with the publication of "Forged:
Following Jesus into a New Kind of Family" pastor T. C. Moore shows us how following the way of Jesus can lead us to
forged families that are authentic and life-giving.
Our forged families are the ones who love us for who we are and show up for us when we're in desperate need. Our forged
families are the ones with whom we've worked through conflict. Our forged families make us who we are, strengthen our
faith, and sustain us through life's many challenges.
"Forged" also weaves together stories from the author's over twenty years of experience with having an urban, multiethnic
ministry all over the US, with principles from Scripture, and his own experience as an ex-gang member turned church
planter and pastor to propose a way of approaching faith in community that rejects hierarchical, bureaucratic structures in
favor of formative, inclusive friendships that last.
Critique: Inspired and inspiring, "Forged: Following Jesus into a New Kind of Family" is a fascinating, informative, and
potentially life changing, life enhancing read from start to finish. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$13.49), "Forged: Following Jesus into a New Kind of Family" is especially and unreservedly recommended for church,
community, seminary, and college/university library Christian Studies/Social Issues, and Christian Spiritual Growth
collections.
Editorial Note: Rev. T. C. Moore (https://tcmoore.net) is a pastor, graffiti artist, writer, and theology nerd. He serves as lead
pastor of Roots, a Moravian community in St. Paul, Minnesota, and works with court-involved youth and young adults,
applying restorative-justice practices. Since Jesus liberated him from gang life as a teenager, he has developed mentoring
programs, planted churches, and served in community-based nonprofits for over two decades. He is a graduate of
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary's Center for Urban Ministerial Education in Boston. He lives in St. Paul with his
wife, Osheta, and their three teenage children.
The Prayers of Saint Sarapion
The Bishop of Thmuis
Maxwell E. Johnson, translator
SVS Press
www.svspress.com
9780881417524, $26.00, PB, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Prayers-Saint-Sarapion-Bishop-Thmuis/dp/0881417521
Synopsis: St Sarapion was a friend of St Anthony the Great and St Athanasius, who first lived as a monk and abbot in the
Egyptian desert before becoming bishop of Thmuis. "The Prayers of Saint Sarapion" is a translation of the Euchologion (or
prayer book) of St Sarapion by Maxwell E. Johnson, and is comprised of thirty prayers for Baptism, the Liturgy, and several
other needs and situations. This edition from SVS Press includes the original Greek along with the translation.
Critique: A part of the outstanding Popular Patristics Series from SVS Press and unreservedly recommended to the attention
of the Catholic and Orthodox Christian communities, it should be noted that "The Prayers of Saint Sarapion" is also
available for the personal reading lists of clergy, seminary students, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: There is an informative biography hand history of Saint Sarapion online at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serapion_the_Sindonite
The Judaic Studies Shelf
From Time to Time: Journeys in the Jewish Calendar
Rabbi Dalia Marx
CCAR Press
www.ccarpress.org
9780881236132, $32.95, HC, 400pp
https://www.amazon.com/Time-Journeys-Jewish-Calendar/dp/0881236136
Synopsis: Time is fundamental to the human experience, and in Judaism it is even more, because to the Jewish people, time
is sanctified. Understanding the Jewish calendar is thus essential for fully comprehending Judaism.
With the publication of "From Time to Time: Journeys in the Jewish Calendar" from CCAR Press, Rabbi Dalia Marx, PhD,
presents a fascinating exploration of the treasures of the Jewish year. This coffee-table style large format volume artfully
blends traditional and contemporary perspectives on each Hebrew month and its holidays.
Rabbi Marx's insights are paired with striking illustrations; each month also features a diverse selection of poetry, prayers,
and songs and takes a distinctively Israeli, feminist, and progressive approach to the meaning of time within Judaism.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a six page Glossary, a two page Diagram of the
Hebrew Calendar Year, and twelve pages of Sources, Permissions, and Notes, "From Time to Time: Journeys in the Jewish
Calendar" is especially and unreservedly recommended for family, synagogue, community, and college/university library
Judaic Studies collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
students, academia, members of the Jewish community, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"From Time to Time: Journeys in the Jewish Calendar" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Rabbi Dalia Marx (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalia_Marx) is Professor of Liturgy and Midrash at
Hebrew Union College-JIR in Jerusalem. She received her rabbinic ordination at HUC-JIR (Jerusalem and Cincinnati) in
2003 and earned her PhD at the Hebrew University in 2005.
Loaves of Torah: Exploring the Jewish Year through Challah
Rabbi Vanessa M. Harper
CCAR Press
www.ccarpress.org
9780881233797, $31.95, HC, 360pp (Ages 10 and up)
https://www.amazon.com/Loaves-Torah-Exploring-through-Challah/dp/088123379X
Synopsis: Challah is a special bread of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, usually braided and typically eaten on ceremonial
occasions such as Shabbat and major Jewish holidays (other than Passover). Ritually acceptable challah is made of dough
from which a small portion has been set aside as an offering. Challah may also refer to the dough offering. The word is
biblical in origin, meaning "loaf".
Braided and spiral loaves of Challah have long been a delicious centerpiece of the Jewish table, but with a few extra twists,
the beloved Shabbat bread can become a work of art that teaches Torah. With the publication of "Loaves of Torah:
Exploring the Jewish Year through Challah", Rabbi Vanessa M. Harper (creator of the hit Instagram account
@lechlechallah) shapes interpretive challot for each weekly Torah portion and Jewish holiday.
A creative journey through the Jewish year, "Loaves of Torah" pairs gorgeous color photographs with insightful
commentary, in-depth questions for reflection and discussion, as well as beautiful kavanot. Rabbi Harper also includes
blessings, recipes, and tips for creating your own interpretive challot.
A fresh, contemporary commentary on our holiest text, "Loaves of Torah" will inspire you to think outside the braid and
take Torah into your own hands.
Critique: Inherently fascinating, impressively informative, as well as thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and
presentation, "Loaves of Torah: Exploring the Jewish Year through Challah" is especially and unreservedly recommended
for family, community, synagogue, and academic libraries Judaic Studies collections. It should be noted for personal reading
lists that "Loaves of Torah" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Rabbi Vanessa M. Harper (https://www.ccarpress.org/content.asp?tid=622), is passionate about shaping
creative, joyful, and meaningful Jewish learning and living experiences for people of all ages. She currently serves as
Assistant Rabbi at Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley, MA, and Reform Rabbi-in-Residence at Gann Academy. Rabbi
Harper was ordained in 2021 by the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in New York, where she also
received a Master's in Hebrew Literature and numerous awards for academic achievement. In 2017, she created
@lechlechallah - an Instagram-based education project using challah as an artistic medium for interpreting and teaching
Torah and the Jewish calendar -- which evolved into kinetic midrash classes that she taught all over the country.
The Religion/Spirituality Shelf
What Makes You Bloom
Kelvin Miguel Garcia, author
Broadleaf Books
www.broadleafbooks.com
9781506493589, $25.99, HC, 218pp
https://www.amazon.com/What-Makes-You-Bloom-Cultivating/dp/1506493580
Synopsis: So many of us are leaving conservative faith traditions behind, rightly saying goodbye to toxic theology, religious
bigotry, and the harm that derives from mind-sets. But in the process, we often lose our rhythm of gathering, prayer, and
worship. We may even lose our sense of connection to God. And we think it's our fault. But spiritual coach, speaker, and
podcaster Kevin Miguel Garcia is here with a reminder: "We don't need saving because we were never in danger. We don't
need to get found because we've never been lost. Everything we need to connect with the Divine is already inside us."
"What Makes You Bloom: Cultivating a Practice for Connecting with Your Divine Self" is a guide to creating your new
spiritual practice after your life or faith has fallen apart. When going to church, praying, and reading your Bible just doesn't
cut it or outright disturbs you, "What Makes You Bloom" will show you how to cultivate new, meaningful spiritual
practices (like stillness, presence, breath, and movement) that will help you overcome the pain of your past and root yourself
in the present.
Through stories, insights, and guided meditations, Garcia explains how the goal of every spiritual practice should be about
the attainment of peace -- about finding what truly makes you bloom. Along the way, you will discover that the smallest
changes in your life can bring about the biggest transformations, and that a feeling of bliss is only a few breaths away.
Critique: Inspired and inspiring from beginning to end, "What Makes You Bloom: Cultivating a Practice for Connecting
with Your Divine Self" by Kevin Miguel Gardia is a life changing, life affirming, life enhancing, spiritually restoring, faith
preserving read. Also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99), "What Makes You Bloom" is especially
and unreservedly recommended reading for all members of the Christian community regardless of their denominational
affiliation.
Editorial Note: Kevin Miguel Garcia (www.thekevingarcia.com) is a digital pastor, spiritual recovery coach, mystic
theologian, sought-after speaker, and host of the podcast A Tiny Revolution. Garcia holds a master of practical theology
from Columbia Theological Seminary. They coach clients from around the world through deconstruction, coming-out
processes, and cultivating spiritual practices to promote resilience, solidarity, and self-compassion. Garcia is the author of
Bad Theology Kills and is based in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
Jesus Christ Superstar
Ellis Nassour
Applause Books
c/o Globe Pequot
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
www.rowman.com
9781493068043, $36.95, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Christ-Superstar-Worldwide-Phenomenon/dp/1493068040
Synopsis: In 1969, when Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice decided to write a rock opera about Jesus Christ, they had
little idea they were about to embark on one of the most popular, boundary-pushing, and influential musicals ever.
The show's success was hardly assured at first: unable to secure enough funding, they initially resorted to just releasing its
title song as a single. A full album followed to widespread acclaim, and only then could a full production get underway.
More than fifty years later, Jesus Christ Superstar continues to be beloved in all its forms -- the live show, various cast
albums, and the wildly successful movie.
Few people had the chance to witness the musical's evolution from as many angles as Ellis Nassour, whether collaborating
with Rice and Lloyd Webber at MCA, writing for the New York Times, or assisting with the Broadway and LA productions.
In this expansive, beautifully illustrated book, Nassour draws on a wealth of knowledge, first-hand experience, and new
interviews to give the definitive story of the musical.
Combining an engaging narrative with abundant photographs (many in color and never before published) he follows the
show from its uncertain beginnings, through setbacks and controversies, to Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's ultimate
triumph, serving up an unparalleled look at one of the most important and best-selling musical works of all time.
Critique: Simply stated, "Jesus Christ Superstar: Behind the Scenes of the Worldwide Musical Phenomenon" by Ellis
Nassour is an essential 'must read' selection for the legions of Jesus Christ Superstar fans. While also available for personal
reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $26.49). "Jesus Christ Superstar: Behind the Scenes of the Worldwide
Musical Phenomenon" will prove to be an immediately-in-demand and enduringly popular addition to community and
college/university library Theatre/Cinema collections and Music History/Broadway Musical curriculum studies lists.
Apocalypse Television
David Craig, author
Applause Books
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
www.rowman.com
9781493079179, $36.95, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Apocalypse-Television-After-Helped-Cold/dp/1493079174
Synopsis: On November 20, 1983, a three-hour made-for-TV movie, "The Day After" premiered on ABC. Set in the
heartland of Lawrence, Kansas, the film depicted the events before, during, and after a Soviet nuclear attack with vivid
scenes of the post-apocalyptic hellscape that would follow.
The film was viewed by over 100 million Americans and remains the highest rated TV movie in history. After the premiere,
ABC News aired an episode of Viewpoint, a live special featuring some of the most prominent public intellectuals of the
debating the virtues of the Arms Race and the prospect of a winnable nuclear war. The response to the film proved more
powerful than perhaps any film or television program in the history of media. Aside from its record-shattering Nielsen
ratings, it enjoyed critical acclaim as well as international box office success in theatrical screenings.
The path to primetime for "The Day After" proved nearly as treacherous as the film's narrative. Battles ensued behind the
scenes at the network, between the network and the filmmakers, with Broadcast Standards and Ad Sales, in the edit room
and on the set, including the "nuke-mares" experienced by the cast.
After the director was pushed aside, he contemplated suicide while also engineering a comeback through the press. But
these skirmishes pale in comparison to the culture wars triggered by the film in the press, alongside a growing Nuclear
Freeze movement, and from a united, pro-nuclear Right. Once efforts to alter the script failed, the White House conducted a
full-throttled propaganda campaign to hijack the film's message.
With the publications of "Apocalypse Television: How The Day After Helped End the Cold War", Professor David Craig
features a dramatic insider's account of the making of and backlash against "The Day After".
No other study has told this story in similar fashion, taking the reader behind-the-scenes of the programming and news
divisions at ABC, Reagan officials in the White House who mounted the propaganda campaign, rogue publicists who
hijacked the film to promote a Nuclear Freeze, the backlash from the conservative movement and Religious Right, the
challenges encountered by film's production team from conception to reception, and the experiences of the citizens of
Lawrence, Kansas, where the film was set and shot, if also, ground zero in America's nuclear heartland.
Critique: An inherently fascinating read from beginning to end, "Apocalypse Television: How The Day After Helped End
the Cold War" is an extraordinary and seminal study that will prove to be of immense value for readers with an interest in
television history/criticism, and the cultural/political impact of movies and the performing arts. Exceptionally well
researched, written, organized and presented, "Apocalypse Television" is unreservedly recommended for community and
college/university library 20th Century Film collections and Cinematic History curriculum studies. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that "Apocalypse Television" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $29.65) as
well.
Editorial Note: David Craig (https://www.davidrcraig.com) is a Clinical Professor at the University of Southern California
in the Annenberg School at the University of Southern California. He is one of the world's leading scholars of the "emerging
creator" industries, marked by social media entrepreneurs and influencers harnessing global platforms. Craig has been cited
in major outlets including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Hollywood Reporter, Vox, CNN,
Bloomberg, and NBC News. Prior to his academic career, he was a multiple Emmy-nominated Hollywood producer and
cable television executive involved in over thirty projects, from feature films to television programs, web series and stage
productions. His television projects garnered critical acclaim and were nominated for over seventy Emmy, Peabody, and
Golden Globe awards.
The Business Shelf
The Risk Management Handbook
David Hillson, editor
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398610668, $201.00, HC, 416pp
https://www.amazon.com/Risk-Management-Handbook-Practical-Dimensions/dp/1398610666
Synopsis: Risk management is dynamic, with new risks continually being identified and risk techniques being adapted to
new challenges. Drawing together leading voices from the major risk management application areas, such as political,
supply chain, cybersecurity, ESG and climate change risk, this edited collection showcases best practice in each discipline
and provides a comprehensive survey of the field as a whole.
Expertly compiled and edited by David Hillson, this newly published second edition of "The Risk Management Handbook:
A Practical Guide to Managing the Multiple Dimensions of Risk) from Kogan Page has been significantly updated
throughout to reflect the latest developments in the industry. It incorporates content on updated and new standards such as
ISO 31000, MOR and ISO 14000. It also offers brand new chapters on ESG risk management, legal risk management, cyber
risk management, climate change risk management and financial risk management.
Whether you are a risk professional wanting to stay abreast of your field, a student seeking a broad and up-to-date
introduction to risk, or a business leader wanting to get to grips with the risks that face your business, "The Risk
Management Handbook" will provide expert guidance.
Critique: Exceptionally well organized and presented, "The Risk Management Handbook: A Practical Guide to Managing
the Multiple Dimensions of Risk" is an ideal MBA curriculum textbook that provides up-to-date information and
perspectives regarding current best practice and cutting-edge insights into new developments within corporate risk
management. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, corporate, and college/university
library Corporate Finance & Risk Management collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists, it should be
noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, corporate executives, business managers, entrepreneurs, and
non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Risk Management Handbook: A Practical Guide to
Managing the Multiple Dimensions of Risk" is also available in a paperback edition (9781398610613, $53.99).
Editorial Note: David Hillson (https://risk-doctor.com) is known globally as The Risk Doctor. Dr. Hillson is recognized as a
ground-breaking thinker and expert practitioner in risk management, and he has made several innovative contributions to
the discipline which have been widely adopted. He writes widely on risk, with thirteen major books, and over 100
professional papers. He has also produced the Risk Doctor Briefing series, written over a period of fifteen years, with 140
focused articles each addressing a specific aspect of the risk challenge, available in multiple languages.
Disruptive Technologies
Paul Armstrong
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398609228, $89.00, HC, 248pp
https://www.amazon.com/Disruptive-Technologies-Practical-Understand-Disruption/dp/1398609226
Synopsis: Now available in an updated and expanded second edition, "Disruptive Technologies: A Framework to
Understand, Evaluate and Respond to Digital Disruption" by Paul Armstrong offers a three-step framework that enables
readers to choose how their business responds to technological upheaval rather than being led by changes forced upon them.
Showing how to understand a new technology, evaluate the challenge it poses, and finally respond to it, readers will come
away secure in the knowledge that they have a workable system with which they can navigate ongoing technological
disruption.
This second edition features new chapters on the Metaverse and Web 3.0, as well as case studies and discussions of
emerging technologies such as NFTs, artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, graphene and 3D/4D
printing.
If companies do not grasp how developing technologies will impact their operations, supply chains, people and products,
they have little hope of weathering the ongoing storm of digital disruption. Disruptive Technologies is your essential guide
to creating a stable response to constant technological upheaval.
Critique: Technological advances impact business success and profitability. Companies (and their executives) who fail to
keep up with these advances are handicapping their shareholders, their employees, as well as their clients and customers. It
is the justifiable contention underscored by "Disruptive Technologies: A Framework to Understand, Evaluate and Respond
to Digital Disruption" that over the next twenty years we will see more and more waves of technological disruption than we
have experienced in the past fifty years in the form of the internet, digital marketing, database vulnerability, etc..
Adaptability and understanding of technological changes are now mission-critical to every business whether it is local,
regional, national, or international. Simply stated, "Disruptive Technologies" should be required reading for all corporate
executives, business managers, entrepreneurs, governmental policy makers.
While earning the highest possible recommendation for personal, professional, community, corporate, and college/university
library Strategic Business Planning collections and supplemental Automation, Robotics, Digital Systems & Planning
curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for MBA students, academia, and digital professionals that "Disruptive
Technologies" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781398609204, $29.99) and in a digital book format
(Kindle, $23.99).
Editorial Note: Currently running his own private emerging technology advisory, TBD Group/FORTH, Paul Armstrong is
an experienced social media and technologies strategist. He started his career with Myspace, Sony and Activision in the
United States before returning to the UK to join Global media agency, Mindshare, to head up their social technologies
team
Open Talent
John Winsor, author
Jin H. Paik, author
Harvard Business Review Press
https://hbr.org
9781647823887, $32.00, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Open-Talent-Leveraging-Workforce-Challenges/dp/1647823889
Synopsis: In the new world of hybrid work and AI, one thing is clear: the war for talent is over -- and talent won.
With sparsely populated offices and people working from wherever they are, and with AI emerging everywhere in business
and dominating headlines, our work lives have undergone a remarkable transformation, seemingly overnight. But the reality
is that for years the ever-growing digital wave has been breaking down organizational boundaries and increasing the
adoption of open innovation, including the use of crowdsourcing platforms as a talent solution. Now the imperative is clear:
adapt to and leverage this new, digitally enabled world of "open talent" -- or get left behind.
"Open Talent: Leveraging the Global Workforce to Solve Your Biggest Challenges" by co-authors John Winsor and Jin H.
Paik is an essential guidebook. John Winsor and Jin Paik, drawing upon their work at the Laboratory for Innovation Science
at Harvard, shows how the massive reset of the pandemic allowed talented workers everywhere to exit their jobs without
leaving the workforce. Now many are freelancing for multiple companies or are starting small businesses, challenging hiring
managers as never before amidst a transformed workforce.
What's more, talent has more power than ever using platforms such as Freelancer.com, Fiverr, and Upwork, setting their
own terms for work: what, where, when, and at what price.
How can companies adapt? The key, "Open Talent" argues, is shifting to a more distributed idea and structure of
collaborative work. The co-authors call this a networked organization, where talent is culled from both inside and outside
the organization and viewed through a single lens -- as a global ecosystem that can be tapped as needed.
With rich stories, keen insights, and an abundance of practical advice, Winsor and Paik provide a new framework and
operating model for transforming your organization into a talent-orchestrating, problem-solving machine.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Open Talent: Leveraging the Global Workforce to Solve
Your Biggest Challenges" is a seminal and ground-breaking work that is an impressively timely and informative
contribution to the growing emergence of AI technologies that are compelling corporate workforce adaptations. An essential
addition to personal, professional, community, corporate, and college/university library Business Systems & Planning and
Motivational Management & Leadership collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for
MBA students, academia, and business/corporate managers that "Open Talent" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note #1: John Winsor (www.johnwinsor.com) is the founder and chair of Open Assembly, the world's leading
authority on the open talent economy. He is an executive in residence at the Laboratory for Innovation Science at Harvard
and the author or coauthor of multiple books, including Baked In: Creating Products and Businesses That Market
Themselves and Spark: Be More Innovative Through Co-Creation.
Editorial Note #2: Dr. Jin H. Paik (https://lish.harvard.edu/people/jin-h-paik) is a cofounder and managing partner at
Altruistic, an AI consultancy, and a principal visiting research scientist at HBS. Previously he was the Head of Labs at the
Digital, Data, and Design Institute at Harvard and the founding general manager at the Laboratory for Innovation Science at
Harvard. He holds degrees from the University of Michigan, Harvard, and NYU.
HBR at 100
Michael E. Porter, et al.
Harvard Business Review Press
https://hbr.org
9781647823412, $35.00, HC, 496pp
https://www.amazon.com/HBR-100-Essential-Influential-Innovative/dp/1647823412
Synopsis: Launched in 1924, The Harvard Business Review is arguably the foremost destination for smart management
thinking. Now, at its 100th anniversary, "HBR at 100: The Most Influential and Innovative Articles from Harvard Business
Review's First Century" is a commemorative volume that brings together under one cover the most influential ideas since its
inception.
With an informative introduction written by editor in chief Adi Ignatius, "HBR at 100" features business publishing's most
influential voices on innovative topics, including:
Michael E. Porter on competitive strategy
Clayton M. Christensen on disruptive innovation
Tim Brown on design thinking
Linda A. Hill on being a first-time manager
Daniel Goleman on emotional intelligence
Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee on artificial intelligence
Robert Livingston on racial equity at work
Amy C. Edmondson and Mark Mortensen on psychological safety
Robert B. Cialdini on the science of persuasion
W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne on blue ocean strategy
Gary Hamel and C.K. Prahalad on strategic intent
Peter F. Drucker on managing yourself
Whether a longtime reader of Harvard Business Review publications, or you are picking up an HBR volume for the first
time, "HBR at 100" offers all you need to understand the most critical ideas in American business management over the past
century.
Critique: The most definitive management ideas of the century, all in one place, "HBR at 100: The Most Influential and
Innovative Articles from Harvard Business Review's First Century" is an inherently fascinating, informative, reflective read
from start to finish. A compendium of what can be called 'the best of the best' for the last one hundred years of its existence,
"HBR at 100" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, corporate, and college/university library
Business Management, Leadership, Motivation, Systems, and Planning collections and MBA curriculum studies lists. It
should be noted that "HBR at 100" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: The Harvard Business Review Press is a leading global book publisher and a division of the Harvard
Business Review Group. HBR Press publishes for the general, professional, and academic markets on the topics of
leadership, strategy, innovation, and management. Recent bestselling titles include HBR's 10 Must Reads on Managing
Yourself, Playing to Win, A Sense of Urgency, Leading the Life You Want, Conscious Capitalism, The Founder's
Mentality, HBR's 10 Must Reads on Mental Toughness, and The First 90 Days.
The Political Science Shelf
The Darkened Light of Faith
Melvin L. Rogers
Princeton University Press
https://press.princeton.edu
9780691219134, $35.00, HC, 400pp
https://www.amazon.com/Darkened-Light-Faith-Democracy-Political/dp/0691219133
Synopsis: Could the African American political tradition save American democracy? African Americans have had every
reason to reject America's democratic experiment. Yet African American activists, intellectuals, and artists who have sought
to transform the United States into a racially just society have put forward some of the most original and powerful ideas
about how to make America live up to its democratic ideals.
With the publication of "The Darkened Light of Faith: Race, Democracy, and Freedom in African American Political
Thought", Melvin Rogers provides a bold new account of African American political thought through the works and lives of
individuals who built this vital tradition -- a tradition that is urgently needed today.
"The Darkened Light of Faith" reexamines how figures as diverse as David Walker, Frederick Douglass, Anna Julia Cooper,
Ida B. Wells, W.E.B. Du Bois, Billie Holiday, and James Baldwin thought about the politics, people, character, and culture
of a society that so often dominated them.
Sharing a light of faith darkened but not extinguished by the tragic legacy of slavery, these and others resisted the
conclusion that America would always be committed to white supremacy. They believed that democracy is always in the
process of becoming and that they could use it to reimagine society. But they also saw that achieving racial justice wouldn't
absolve us of the darkest features of our shared past, and that democracy must be measured by how skillfully we confront a
history that will forever remain with us.
An ambitious account of the profound ways African Americans have reimagined democracy, "The Darkened Light of Faith"
offers invaluable lessons about how to grapple with racial injustice and make democracy work.
Critique: A seminal and ground-breaking study that is informative enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of
seventy-six pages of Notes and a thirteen page Index, "The Darkened Light of Faith: Race, Democracy, and Freedom in
African American Political Thought" is a key and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional,
community, and college/university library Political Philosophy, History, and Theory collections, and Contemporary African
American Studies curriculum lists. It should be noted for students, academia, political activists, and governmental policy
makers that "The Darkened Light of Faith" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.25) as well.
Editorial Note: Melvin L. Rogers (https://vivo.brown.edu/display/mrogers4) is Professor of Political Science and Associate
Director of the Center for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Brown University. He is also the author of "The
Undiscovered Dewey: Religion, Morality, and the Ethos of Democracy", as well as co-editor of "African American Political
Thought: A Collected History, and editor of John Dewey's The Public and Its Problems".
The Agriculture Shelf
The Resilient Farm and Homestead: Revised & Expanded
Ben Falk
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
www.chelseagreen.com
9781645021100, $44.95, PB, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Resilient-Farm-Homestead-Revised-Expanded/dp/1645021106
Synopsis: In this newly revised and expanded edition of "The Resilient Farm and Homestead: 20 Years of Permaculture and
Whole Systems Design" permaculture and gardening expert Ben Falk describes how he has transformed a degraded hillside
in the frigid Vermont climate into a thriving, biodiverse Eden that now provides year-round abundance for his family and
community.
Originally published in 2013, this newly updated edition of "The Resilient Farm and Homestead" well serves as a
comprehensive DIY how-to guide for building durable and productive land-based systems through the reciprocal interplay
of humans and the natural world. In the ten years since he first published this seminal work, Falk has deepened his wisdom
in harnessing nature-based solutions for increasingly challenging times, including addressing severe climate disruptions like
drought and flood conditions.
This new and updated edition of "The Resilient Farm and Homestead" covers every strategy Falk and his team have tested
on the Whole Systems Research Farms over the past two decades and includes detailed information on earthworks,
gravity-fed water systems, soil fertility management, growing nutrient-dense food and medicine, fuelwood production,
agroforestry, managed grazing, and so much more.
Complete with full-color photography and detailed design drawings, The Resilient Farm and Homestead, Revised and
Expanded Edition includes new information on: Designing greenhouses and microclimates; Reinvigorating human health
and embodying a vigorous lifestyle; Raising children on a homestead; Creating failure-proof and resilient energy systems;
Focusing on permaculture beekeeping; Cultivating proven cold climate plants; Overcoming analysis paralysis and mastering
the art of knowing where to start and when to take strategic risks -- and much, much more!
In an age that feels defined by disconnection, disease, and decline, "The Resilient Farm and Homestead, Revised and
Expanded Edition" offers a comprehensive roadmap to conquering uncertainty, maximizing efficiency, and creating a
bountiful, manageable landscape that will endure.
Critique: This large format (8 x 1 x 10 inches, 1.25 pounds) paperback edition of "The Resilient Farm and Homestead, 20
Years of Permaculture and Whole Systems Design" will prove to be of immense value for DIY readers with an interest in
sustainable agriculture and organic gardening. While unreservedly recommended as an essential and core addition to
personal, professional, community, and college/university library Agriculture/Horticulture/Gardening collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that "The Resilient Farm and Homestead: Revised & Expanded
Edition) is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $38.99).
Editorial Note: Ben Falk (www.wildabundance.net/bios/ben-falk) developed Whole Systems Design, LLC, as a land-based
response to biological and cultural extinction and the increasing separation between people and elemental things. Life as a
designer, builder, ecologist, tree-tender, and backcountry traveler continually informs Ben's integrative approach to
developing landscapes and buildings. His home landscape and the WSD studio site in Vermont's Mad River Valley serve as
a proving ground for the innovative land developments featured in the projects of Whole Systems Design. Ben has studied
architecture and landscape architecture at the graduate level and holds master of arts in landscape design degree. He has
taught design courses at the University of Vermont and Harvard's Arnold Arboretum as well as on permaculture design,
microclimate design, and design for climate change. He recently served on the board of directors at the Yestermorrow
Design-Build School, where he also teaches from time to time. He is also the author of The Resilient Homestead: Innovative
Permaculture Systems for the Home and Farm.
Flower Farming for Profit
Lennie Larkin
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
www.chelseagreen.com
9781645021766, $45.00, PB, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Flower-Farming-Profit-Complete-Successful/dp/1645021769
Synopsis: When Lennie Larkin set out to become a flower farmer, she found all sorts of resources about growing flowers but
a scarcity of reliable information on how to build a profitable cut flower business. How do you create efficient systems and
adequately value your own time and effort through your pricing? When and how should you consider scaling up your farm?
How can you make doing what you love support you financially?
With the publication of "Flower Farming for Profit: The Complete Guide to Growing a Successful Cut Flower Business",
Larkin answers these questions and a great many more. With instructive lessons and savvy business tips from her own and
other successful farms around the world, she explores: The diverse challenges of both wholesale and retail sales channels,
from florists and farm stands to farmers markets; Streamlining weddings for the farmer-florist, from communications to
floral design; Efficient recordkeeping and bookkeeping; Steps for conducting your own cost-of-production analysis;
Marketing and growth strategies; Business planning, goal setting, and making financial projections; Crop planning based on
local climatic conditions, market demand, and sales projections.
The cut flower industry continues to experience reliable and continuing growth. To successfully do what they love while
expanding the market for sustainably produced flowers, new and experienced farmers alike must deliberately step back from
the field and into the office. "Flower Farming for Profit" is a unique guide to creating the type of numbers-driven business
that will allow individual farms to prosper and local flower economies to thrive.
Critique: Simply stated, "Flower Farming for Profit: The Complete Guide to Growing a Successful Cut Flower Business" is
the Bible for creating and operating a profitable cut flower business, whether it be on a local, regional, national, or even
international basis. Nicely illustrated throughout with full color photography, "Flower Farming for Profit" is as
comprehensive as it is 'user friendly' in organization and presentation. Also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$33.99), "Flower Planning for Profit" is a necessary and core addition to personal, professional, corporate, and
college/university library Agriculture/Horticultural Industry collections.
Editorial Note: Lennie Larkin (www.flowerfarmingforprofit.com) started B-Side Farm in Sonoma County, California, in
2014, and has since moved the farm and settled on two beautiful acres outside of Portland, Oregon. B-Side has grown
flowers for all kinds of retail and wholesale customers over the years and designed for hundreds of weddings. Lennie's true
passion lies not only in tending to her own farm but in helping other farmers thrive in their businesses. She has been an
associate faculty member at Santa Rosa Junior College and served multiple terms on the board of the Association of
Specialty Cut Flower Growers. She teaches a business curriculum that she developed specifically for flower farmers,
provides coaching and business advising, and conducts grant-funded research on cut flower cost of production and
efficiency.
The Gardening Shelf
The Bricks 'n Blooms Guide to a Beautiful & Easy-Care Flower Garden
Stacy Ling
Ten Peaks Press
c/o Harvest House Publishers
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
9780736988483, $26.99, PB, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bricks-Blooms-Beautiful-Easy-Care-Flower/dp/0736988483
Synopsis: As household gardeners, most of us have never met a plant we couldn't kill. That's why maintaining a flourishing
flower garden can seem intimidating and/or time-consuming. Especially when we have hoed, planted, and weeded around in
the dirt with nothing to show for it except a sunburn and a sore back?
That's why "The Bricks 'n Blooms Guide to a Beautiful and Easy-Care Flower Garden" by Stacy Ling offers the ordinary,
non-specialist, ever hopeful, flower loving home gardener everything needed to be known in order to confidently grow
beautiful flowers.
This thoroughly 'user friendly' and beautifully illustrated DIY flower gardening guide covers: Gardening basics to set you up
for success; Great garden design ideas with ready-made plans for you to follow; Easy-care instructions for a wide variety of
flowers and flowering shrubs; Helpful how-tos for container and cut flower gardening. Of special note is the profusion of
graphs, charts, and lists to help you to stay organized and successful in raising your flower garden.
Critique: An absolutely ideal, step-by-step inspiringly illuminated DIY how-to guide will give both the novice as well as the
experienced gardener the knowledge and confidence needed to grow beautiful flowers season after season, year after year.
While especially and specifically recommended for personal, professional, and community library Gardening/Horticulture
collections, it should be noted that "The Bricks 'n Blooms Guide to a Beautiful and Easy-Care Flower Garden" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.49).
Editorial Note: Stacy Ling (https://stacyling.com) is a master gardener, a blogger, and the creator of the Bricks 'n Blooms
lifestyle brand. Stacy's successful partnerships with other notable brands include Proven Winners, Garden Design, and
Gardeners Supply. She has also been featured in Wine Enthusiast magazine and on an episode of the popular HGTV show
House Hunters. Stacy and her husband, Christopher, live in an 1850s farmhouse with their three daughters.
The Art Shelf
Ceramics: An Atlas of Forms
Glenn Barkley
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9781760763930, $65.00, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ceramics-Atlas-Forms-Glenn-Barkley/dp/1760763934
Synopsis: What can we learn about the Roman Empire from an amphora made in 200 BCE? How can a simple, unadorned
cup made in 1945 tell us so much about history? And what will an artwork comprising a vast collection of clay spheres tell
our descendants about the act of making?
Once fired, clay has the strength to last for millennia. Practical uses aside, ceramic objects are a testament to the power and
innovation of ancient and ongoing cultural traditions. A single piece can tell an invaluable story about its time, the people
who made it, how it was collected, or its role within a broader cultural network.
"Ceramics: An Atlas of Forms" by Glenn Barkley is a massive global cultural study told through the lens of ceramics.
Organized chronologically and ranging from an Egyptian ceremonial jar made over five thousand years ago to works by
twentieth-century luminaries Lucie Rie and Bernard Leach, contemporary artists and entirely unknown makers, this
profusely illustrated collection deftly weaves a tale of rich cultural stories through the diverse history of ceramics, honoring
the artists who have left their mark on this timeless practice.
Critique: This large format (8.7 x 1.3 x 11.1 inches, 4.01 pounds) hardcover edition of "Ceramics: An Atlas of Forms" from
Thames & Hudson is informatively enhanced for the benefit of the reader with 220 color illustrations of chronological
arranged ceramic objects, each with its own descriptive commentary that is augmented to include the date, origin, material,
size, and history. Of immense value to readers with an interest in ceramic art history, "Ceramics: An Atlas of Forms" is a
core and especially recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library collections
and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Glenn Barkley (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Barkley) is an artist, writer, curator, and gardener based
in Sydney, Australia. Barkley was previously senior curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (2008 - 2014)
and curator of the University of Wollongong Art Collection (1996 - 2007). His work can be found in most Australian public
collections, including the National Gallery of Australia. He is represented by the Mindy Solomon Gallery in the United
States.
The Life and Work of Ante Dabro, Australian-Croatian Sculptor
Peter Read
Anthem Press
www.anthempress.com
9781839989926, $49.95, HC, 234pp
https://www.amazon.com/Life-Work-Dabro-Australian-Croatian-Sculptor/dp/1839989920
Synopsis: Why does a highly skilled and highly trained sculptor, the master of every style and technique, insist on working
in the style of the Italian Renaissance? The answer is that to Australian/Croatian sculptor Ante Dabro, every sculpture must
speak to humanity, which means that it must be an element of humanity. If it does not, the sculptor has failed.
Working with female models throughout his long life, Dabro has sought to portray an essence of femininity, and therefore
an essence of humanity. As a sculptor and artist Dabro believes that the ability to see what other people don't see is a real
gift. In his own words: 'It's like a star wheeling round the earth, fertilising the imagination as it goes.'
"The Life and Work of Ante Dabro, Australian-Croatian Sculptor: The Midnight Sea in the Blood", Australian historian
Peter Read deftly explores the different ways he has liberated an essence of humanity by releasing the soul of a human form
from its imprisoning substance, whether it be from wood, marble, stone or plaster.
Critique: A seminal work on the life and accomplishments of sculptor Ante Dabro, "The Life and Work of Ante Dabro,
Australian-Croatian Sculptor: The Midnight Sea in the Blood" is informatively enhanced with the inclusion of an
Introduction (Making a Mark in Stone), eight pages of Notes, a six page listing of Works Cited, and a four page Index.
Comprehensive, definitively informative, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation -- and readily
available for personal/professional reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $42.30), "The Life and Work of Ante
Dabro, Australian-Croatian Sculptor: The Midnight Sea in the Blood" will prove to be a valued addition to art school,
community and college/university library Sculpture Art History/Biography collections and supplemental curriculum studies
lists.
Editorial Note: Peter Read (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Read_(historian)) is one of Australia's leading historians.
His work encompasses Australian history, Aboriginal history, Chilean history, and place studies.
Cute Creature Art Class
Naomi Lord
Rock Point
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartoknows.com
9781631069772, $21.99, PB, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Cute-Creature-Art-Class-Monsters/dp/1631069772
Synopsis: With the publication of "Cute Creature Art Class: Learn to Draw over 50 Magical Monsters", popular anime artist
Naomi Lord shares the secrets to drawing enchanting creatures in her signature style. Through easy-to-follow tutorials, Lord
walks you through the techniques she used to create these anime characters, including her personal suggestions when it
comes to using colored pencils, markers, digital programs, and more.
Discover the myths of creatures ranging from druids to dragons, including: Land Walkers (such as Kitsune, Yeti, Cerberus,
Naga); Air Gliders (such as Manticore, Quetzalcoatl, Pegasus, Fairy); Sea Splashers (such as Kraken, Akhlut, Kelpie,
Mermaid); Night Dwellers )such as Cthulhu, Mothman, Wendigo, Medusa) -- and so many more!
Of special note is the bonus section Mythical Combos where the mundane is bred into the mythical. Ever wondered what the
hybrid of a raven and a cat looked like? How about a shark and a dog, or (even cuter) an otter and a fish? Aspiring artists
and illustrators can see Naomi's creativity bloom, and follow in her footsteps/pencil strokes.
On top of the tutorials, novice and experienced artists alike will find inspiration for personalizing your drawings with
different fur textures, hairstyles, facial expressions, fashion, and more!
Critique: Thoroughly 'user friendly' in commentary tone, style, organization and presentation, "Cute Creature Art Class:
Learn to Draw over 50 Magical Monsters" is an ideal and highly recommended addition to personal, professional,
community, and art school library collections. It should be noted for art students and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in pastel, pen/ink, and pencil drawing that "Cute Creature Art Class: Learn to Draw over 50 Magical Monsters" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note: Naomi Lord is a prolific artist with a strong signature style. Her artwork has attracted a large following on
Instagram @naomi_lord and she has made a career of selling her work online and partnering with retailers like Hot Topic.
Naomi's creatures are both adorable and imaginative, and include a range of anime and kawaii characters inspired by
Dungeons and Dragons, popular anime, Game of Thrones, and Greek mythology, as well as witches, goth characters, and
her own creations. (https://www.facebook.com/NaomiLordArt)
Watercolor Textures for Artists
Quarry Books
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartous.com
9780760383407, $24.99, PB, 136pp
https://www.amazon.com/Watercolor-Textures-Artists-Explore-Techniques/dp/0760383405
Synopsis: It was through experimentation and exploration, Ana Victoria Calderon came to embrace a playful approach to
create a wide variety of textures, from organic lines to repeating patterns to spontaneous spatter, unlocking new creative
possibilities and expanding artistic horizons with the publication of "Watercolor Textures for Artists: Explore Simple
Techniques to Create Amazing Works of Art".
"Watercolor Textures for Artists" covers: Texture swatching (Finding simple step-by-step tutorials for applying beautiful
textures to simple shapes); Inspired textures (See how textures in the world around us can serve as inspiration for watercolor
textures); Mindful painting (Creating interesting effects using simple circles, dots, brushstrokes, and lines); Mystical
landscapes and skyscapes (Learning how to combine textures to create relaxing vistas).
Of special note is the chapter on essential supplies gives an overview of everything you need, and templates make it easy to
recreate the images with minimal drawing.
Written for artists of all skill levels, "Watercolor Textures for Artists" reveals how to transform simple painted textures into
stunning and meditative works of watercolor art.
Critique: Exceptionally 'art student' friendly in style, organization and presentation, "Watercolor Textures for Artists" is an
ideal DIY instructional guide for both novice and experienced watercolor illustrators and artists. Also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $11.99), "Watercolor Textures for Artists" is a solidly recommended pick for personal, professional,
community, art class curriculums, and college/university Watercolor Painting instructional reference collections.
Editorial Note: Ana Victoria Calderon is a Mexican - American watercolor artist and teacher with a bachelor's degree in
Information Design and continued studies in Fine Arts. Her licensed artwork can be seen in retail outlets throughout the
United States and Europe on a wide variety of products. Ana teaches in-person workshops and hosts creative retreats in
Tulum, Mexico, as well as summer watercolor retreats throughout Europe. She has taught more than 120,000 students on
Skillshare, where she is a Top Teacher, and she also teaches thousands of Spanish-speaking students on Domestika. See
more of Ana's work on Instagram (@anavictoriana), YouTube (Ana Victoria Calderon), and Facebook (Ana Victoria
Calderon Illustration).
Vibrant Watercolor
Geethu Chandramohan
Walter Foster Publishing
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartous.com
9780760384879, $22.99, PB, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Vibrant-Watercolor-creative-exploration-watercolor/dp/0760384878
Synopsis: With the publication of "Vibrant Watercolor: A creative and colorful exploration into the art of watercolor
painting" Geethu Chandramohan (the artist behind the popular Instagram account @colourfulmystique) introduces
beginning artists to creating vibrant watercolor artwork.
Each individual projects comprising "Vibrant Watercolor" is presented step by step, with Geethu's own beautiful, bright
artwork and photography accompanying each step in an exploration of a variety of subjects in watercolor including:
Landscapes, Sunsets, Mountains, Birds; Water in different forms; Cityscapes -- and so much more!
As you create stunning images in watercolor, you will also discover how to use painting as a tool for mindfulness, guided by
Geethu's own tips for remaining calm and present. Along the way, you will also learn about: Tools and materials, including
the best watercolor paints and papers to work with; Watercolor painting techniques, such as wet-into-wet, wet-on-dry, and
blending; Color theory and color mixing; Plein air painting; Composition; Perspective, and more.
Critique: An ideal textbook for beginners, and holding a great deal of informational value for even the more experienced
watercolorist, complex-sounding subjects are presented simply and encouragingly, making "Vibrant Watercolor: A creative
and colorful exploration into the art of watercolor painting" especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, art class, and college/university library Watercolor Painting instructional reference collections. It
should be noted that "Vibrant Watercolor" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Geethu Chandramohan (https://colourfulmystique.com) is an artist and aerospace engineer based in the
United Kingdom. Originally from Kerala, India, she lives with her husband and their young baby boy and comes from an
artistic background. A self-taught artist, Geethu teaches online classes and paints daily. Visit her online
@colourfulmystique
Watercolor Your Way
Sarah Cray
Quarry Books
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartous.com
9780760384664, $22.95, PB, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Watercolor-Your-Way-Techniques-Palettes/dp/0760384665
Synopsis: Written and illustrated by artist Sarah Cray, co-founder of the art education platform Let's Make Art, "Watercolor
Your Way: Techniques, Palettes, and Projects To Fit Your Skill Level and Creative Goals" is designed to inform and guide
you an aspiring artist at whatever your current skill level might be.
Each of four chapters focuses on different techniques and supplies, building on each other so you can bring your watercolor
art to the next level. Instead of presenting everything about paints, color mixing, and techniques all at once, it's offered in
four small installments, with frequently asked questions, pro tips, and projects geared toward where you are on your artistic
path, so you can get to the fun part of creating with watercolor faster!
For those just starting out, "Watercolor Your Way" focuses on just three fundamental elements: shape, the wet-on-wet
technique, and primary colors. For building confidence and skill, it spotlights creating value and form with watercolor. With
respect to finessing and enhancing, Watercolor Your Way" centers on adding detailed lines and backgrounds, and adjusting
values by hue. And for finding your own style it presents a process of how to develop a style that's uniquely yours.
With "Watercolor Your Way", you can explore watercolor the way you've always wanted to, with expert instruction on a
wide range of exciting techniques, themes, and color palettes that fit your needs as an artist.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, illustrated, organized and presented, "Watercolor Your Way: Techniques, Palettes, and
Projects To Fit Your Skill Level and Creative Goals" is an exceptional DIY 'how-to' manual for anyone aspiring to create art
using a watercolor medium. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99), "Watercolor Your Way" is
unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, art school, and college/university library Watercolor
Painting collections.
Editorial Note: Sarah Cray (https://www.sarahcray.com) is a watercolor artist, illustrator, and art instructor. She graduated
magna cum laude from California State University Sacramento in 2015 with an art studio degree with an emphasis in
painting and drawing. She has been creating custom watercolor and acrylic paintings since 2014, and is co-founder of Let's
Make Art, a brick-and-mortar and online retail company committed to making art more accessible for all through education
and affordable art kits. Let's Make Art, a sister brand of Missouri Star Quilt Company, carries art supplies, art kits, and Let's
Make Art branded items. Sarah teaches a variety of watercolor tutorials on the Let's Make Art website and YouTube channel
and is the illustrator of several gift books.
The Library Science Shelf
Unframing the Visual
Maggie Murphy, et al.
ACRL Books Association of College & Research Libraries
c/o American Library Association
https://www.ala.org
9780838939918, $120.00, PB, 452pp
https://www.amazon.com/Unframing-Visual-Literacy-Libraries-Information/dp/0838939910
Synopsis: Visual literacy is an interconnected set of practices, habits, and values for participating in visual culture that can
be developed through critical, ethical, reflective, and creative engagement with visual media. Approaches to teaching visual
literacy in higher education must include a focus on context and not just content, process and not just product, impact and
not just intent. Unframing is an approach to visual literacy pedagogy that acknowledges that visuals are a pervasive part of
everyday life, as well as embedded into every scholarly discipline.
In four parts, "Unframing the Visual: Visual Literacy Pedagogy in Academic Libraries and Information Spaces" explores:
Participating in a Changing Visual Information Landscape; Perceiving Visuals as Communicating Information; Practicing
Visual Discernment and Criticality; Pursuing Social Justice through Visual Practice
Twenty-four full color chapters present a range of theoretical and practical approaches to visual literacy pedagogy that
illustrate, connect with, extend, and criticize concepts from the Framework for Visual Literacy in Higher Education:
Companion Document, to the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. Topics include using TikTok to
begin a conversation on academic honesty and marginalization; supporting disciplines to move to multimodal public
communication assignments; critical data visualization; and exclusionary practices in visual media.
In exploring the discussions and engaging with the activities in "Unframing the Visual", you will find new inspiration for
how to unframe, adapt, and apply visual literacy pedagogy and praxis in your work.
Critique: Of special note is that "Unframing the Visual: Visual Literacy Pedagogy in Academic Libraries and Information
Spaces" also includes a complete listing of the editors, contributors, and their credentials. Expertly organized and presented,
and unreservedly recommended for personal/professional reading lists and college/university library collections, "Unframing
the Visual" is an ideal textbook that will have a very special value to readers with an interest in Library & Informational
Science, and supplemental General Library & Information Science curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Maggie Murphy is an associate professor and art and design librarian at UNC Greensboro, where she
works with students, faculty, and curators in the School of Art, Weatherspoon Art Museum, and Departments of Interior
Architecture and Media Studies. Her scholarly interests include practice-based research methods for studio artists and
speculative pedagogies for creative engagement with artificial intelligence. As a practicing artist, her print and mixed-media
work explore the vulnerability of existential disquietude.
Editorial Note #2: Stephanie Beene is an associate professor and art, architecture, and planning librarian at the University of
New Mexico (UNM) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she supports the Art Department within the College of Fine Arts
and the entire School of Architecture and Planning. Stephanie received an MSIS from the University of Texas at Austin, an
MA in art history from the University of California, Riverside, and a BA in art and art history from Colorado State
University. She served as a member of the Association of College and Research Libraries Visual Literacy Task Force and is
active in the Art Libraries Society of North America, the Association of Architecture School Libraries, and the International
Visual Literacy Association. Before coming to UNM, she worked at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, as the
visual resources and arts librarian. Her research interests include visual and information literacy frameworks as they relate to
trust, lifelong learning, and the politics of identity.
Editorial Note #3: Katie Greer is an associate professor at Oakland University in Rochester, Minnesota. She has an MA in
art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MLIS from Drexel University, and is currently pursuing a PhD in
educational leadership from Oakland University. Her published research includes undergraduate information behaviors and
best practices for online pedagogy and information literacy. She is currently studying the problems of conspiracy ideation
and how that is affecting information professionals, and how librarians and educators can utilize pedagogical and affective
strategies to help engender metaliterate and information literate learners.
Editorial Note #4: Sara Schumacher is the architecture image librarian at Texas Tech University, where she works to
improve visual media resources and promote visual literacy through discipline-specific and professional applications. She
holds an MA in art history from the University of Oregon (2007) and an MS in information studies from the University of
Texas at Austin (2011). Her research interests include ethical concerns surrounding using and creating visual media,
disciplinary-based visual literacy instruction, and bias within visual collections. She serves as the content editor for the
Visual Resources Association Bulletin, has published articles in Journal of Documentation, Journal of Visual Literacy,
portal: Libraries and the Academy, and Art Documentation, and was part of the task force that authored the ACRL
Framework for Visual Literacy in Higher Education.
Dana Statton Thompson is a research and instruction librarian at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky. In this
capacity, she supports the teaching, learning, and research of students and faculty within the Arthur J. Bauernfeind College
of Business. Dana holds an MLIS, an MA in art history, an MFA in studio art from Louisiana State University in Baton
Rouge, Louisiana, and a BA in journalism and studio art from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. She is
the president of the International Visual Literacy Association and an Institute for Research Design in Librarianship scholar.
She served as a member of the Association of College and Research Libraries Visual Literacy Task Force and is active in
the Art Libraries Society of North America. Her research and teaching interests focus on the intersection of visual literacy
and news literacy, the integration of visual literacy instruction into higher education, and the scholarship of teaching and
learning.
The Pets Shelf
Barking Up the Right Tree
Dr. Ian Dunbar
New World Library
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608687718, $29.95 HC, $12.99 Kindle, 376pp
https://www.amazon.com/Barking-Up-Right-Tree-Practice/dp/1608687716
Barking Up the Right Tree: The Science and Practice of Positive Dog Training joins other books on the subject of canine
management systems, but with a difference: it comes from a dog training expert who introduced his SIRIUS Puppy Training
in 1982. It was a positive reinforcing approach that, at the time, was considered revolutionary. Now that positive
reinforcement training is widely accepted, his new book presents yet another diversion to traditional thinking, arguing that
the typical "reward/punishment" routines dog trainers adopt too often fail ... and Dr. Dunbar shows why. Readers seeking
different training choices that embrace not just new routines, but an entirely different way of viewing behavior management
in canines, will welcome Barking Up the Right Tree as a lesson in positivity thinking and training alike.
The Autism Shelf
Notes for Neuro Navigators
Jolene Stockman
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
www.jkp.com
9781839978685, $13.95 PB, $9.99 Kindle, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Notes-Neuro-Navigators-Quick-start-Neurodivergent/dp/1839978686
Notes for Neuro Navigators: The Allies' Quick-Start Guide to Championing Neurodivergent Brains celebrates
neurodiversity and champions its development in autistic loved ones, offering caregivers, helpers, and friends concrete
information on how to support their advocacy and aid intentions. From strategies for fostering personal safety and
understanding triggers and breaking points to navigating life's challenges and typical family and public challenges, Jolene
Stockman considers a host of situations, support systems, and choices. These will prove essential for understanding and
aiding neurodivergent individuals in all kinds of situations. Libraries catering to readers interested in psychology,
neurodivergent issues, and autism in particular will welcome this strategy guide.
The Computer Shelf
Algorithmic Thinking, second edition
Daniel Zingaro
No Starch Press
www.nostarch.com
9781718503229, $49.99, PB, 480pp
https://www.amazon.com/Algorithmic-Thinking-2nd-Problem-Based-Introduction/dp/1718503229
Synopsis: Are you hitting a wall with data structures and algorithms? Whether you're a student prepping for coding
interviews or an independent learner, this newly updated and expanded second edition of "Algorithmic Thinking: Unlock
Your Programming Potential" by Daniel Zingaro is your essential guide to efficient problem-solving in programming.
You will be able to unlock the power of data structures and algorithms by learning about the intricacies of hash tables,
recursion, dynamic programming, trees, graphs, and heaps. Become proficient in choosing and implementing the best
solutions for any coding challenge.
"Algorithmic Thinking" includes real-world, competition-proven code examples. The programs and challenges featuring in
"Algorithmic Thinking" aren't just theoretical -- they are drawn from real programming competitions enabling you to train
with problems that have tested and honed the skills of coders around the world.
"Algorithmic Thinking" is ideal for getting 'interview ready" by preparing yourself for coding interviews with practice
exercises that help you think algorithmically, weigh different solutions, and implement the best choices efficiently.
All the code examples are written in C and designed for clarity and accessibility to those familiar with languages like C++,
Java, or Python. If you need help with the C code, no problem: recommended reading resources are also included.
Simply stated, "Algorithmic Thinking" is the complete package, providing the solid foundation you need to elevate your
coding skills to the next level.
Critique: Now is a fully updated and expanded second edition, Daniel Zingaro's "Algorithmic Thinking: Unlock Your
Programming Potential" from No Starch Press is an ideal, comprehensive, and thoroughly 'user friendly' instructional
resource for C Programming Language students and software development professionals alike. Also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $29.99), "Algorithmic Thinking: Unlock Your Programming Potential: 2nd Edition" is a highly
recommended addition to personal, professional, and college/university library Computer Program Structured Design
collections and curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Dr. Daniel Zingaro (https://danielzingaro.com) is an Associate Professor of Mathematical and
Computational Sciences at the University of Toronto Mississauga. He is well known for his uniquely interactive approach to
teaching and internationally recognized for his expertise in active learning. He is also the author of Learn to Code by
Solving Problems (No Starch Press) and a co-author of Learn AI-Assisted Python Programming (Manning).
Math for Security
Daniel Reilly
No Starch Press
www.nostarch.com
9781718502567, $49.99, PB, 312pp
https://www.amazon.com/Applied-Math-Security-Introduction-Programmers/dp/1718502567
Synopsis: For those who wish to explore the intersection of mathematics and computer security with this engaging and
accessible guide, "Math for Security: From Graphs and Geometry to Spatial Analysis" will equip you with essential tools to
tackle complex security problems head on. All you need are some basic programming skills. Once you've set up your
development environment and reviewed the necessary Python syntax and math notation in the early chapters, you will be
able to dive deep into practical applications, leveraging the power of math to analyze networks, optimize resource
distribution, and much more.
Of special note are the final chapters that will enable you to take your projects from proof of concepts to viable applications
and explore options for delivering them to end users.
As you work through various security scenarios, you will be able to: Employ packet analysis and graph theory to detect data
exfiltration attempts in a network; Predict potential targets and find weaknesses in social networks with Monte Carlo
simulations; Use basic geometry and OpenCell data to triangulate a phone's location without GPS; Apply computational
geometry to Voronoi diagrams for use in emergency service planning; Train a facial recognition system with machine
learning for real-time identity verification; Use spatial analysis to distribute physical security features effectively in an art
gallery.
Critique: Impressively comprehensive, expertly organized and thoroughly 'user friendly' in presentation, "Math for Security:
From Graphs and Geometry to Spatial Analysis" will prove of particular interest to aspiring security professionals, social
network analysts, or innovators seeking to create cutting-edge security solutions."Math for Security" will empower readers
with an interest in web encryption, computer hacking, and Python programming to resolve complex problems with precision
and confidence -- as well as embracing the intricate world of math as a secret weapon in creating and maintaining computer
security. While a core addition to personal, professional, corporate, and college/university library Computer/Database
Security collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that "Math for Security" is also available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $29.99).
Editorial Note: Daniel Reilly is a security researcher, analyst, and consultant based out of Seattle, WA. He has worked in the
security field for 20 years, more than half of which has been spent developing and managing operational security for small
businesses.
The Art of Randomness
Ronald T. Kneusel
No Starch Press
www.nostarch.com
9781718503243 $49.99 pbk / $29.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Randomness-Using-Randomized-Algorithms/dp/1718503245
Synopsis: The Art of Randomness is a hands-on guide to mastering the many ways you can use randomized algorithms to
solve real programming and scientific problems. You'll learn how to use randomness to run simulations, hide information,
design experiments, and even create art and music. All you need is some Python, basic high school math, and a roll of the
dice.
Author Ronald T. Kneusel focuses on helping you build your intuition so that you'll know when and how to use random
processes to get things done. You'll develop a randomness engine (a Python class that supplies random values from your
chosen source), then explore how to leverage randomness to:
Simulate Darwinian evolution and optimize with swarm-based search algorithms
Design scientific experiments to produce more meaningful results by making them truly random
Implement machine learning algorithms like neural networks and random forests
Use Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods to sample from complex distributions
Hide information in audio files and images, generate art, and create music
Reconstruct original signals and images from only randomly sampled data
Scientific anecdotes and code examples throughout illustrate how randomness plays into areas like optimization, machine
learning, and audio signals. End-of-chapter exercises encourage further exploration.
Whether you're a programmer, scientist, engineer, mathematician, or artist, you'll find The Art of Randomness to be your
ticket to discovering the hidden power of applied randomness and the ways it can transform your approach to solving
problems, from the technical to the artistic.
Critique: The Art of Randomness: Randomized Algorithms in the Real World is a useful reference and resource for anyone
who needs to apply the power of randomized algorithms, including programmers, scientists, engineers, mathematicians,
even artists and musicians. A wealth of graphs, tables, and example programing code in Python to help clarify the text's
discussion of applications such as reconstructing original signals or images from randomly sampled data, implementing
machine learning algorithms like neural networks and random forests, and designing scientific experiments with better
randomness, in order to generate more meaningful results. The Art of Randomness is highly recommended especially for
college library collections and the personal study of aspiring and practicing professionals. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that The Art of Randomness is also available in a Kindle edition ($29.99).
Javascript Crash Course
Nick Morgan
No Starch Press
www.nostarch.com
9781718502260 $49.99 pbk / $23.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/JavaScript-Crash-Course-Nick-Morgan/dp/1718502265
Synopsis: JavaScript Crash Course is a fun-filled, fast-paced introduction to programming with JavaScript. Dive right in and
you'll be writing code, solving problems, and building working web applications and games in no time. You'll start by
learning fundamental programming concepts, such as variables, arrays, objects, functions, conditionals, loops, classes, and
more. Aided by engaging examples and hands-on exercises, you'll build on this foundation and combine JavaScript with
HTML and CSS to create interactive web applications that you can run right away.
Then you'll put your new skills into play with three substantial projects: a Pong-style game with a virtual opponent, an app
that generates electronic music, and a platform for visualizing data fetched from an API.
Along the way, you'll learn how to:
Update web pages in real time by manipulating the Document Object Model
Trigger functions in response to events like key presses and mouse clicks
Generate graphics and animations with JavaScript and HTML's Canvas element
Visualize data with the D3.js library and scalable vector graphics (SVG)
Make electronic music with Tone.js and the Web Audio API
If you've been thinking about digging into programming, JavaScript Crash Course will get you writing real programs fast.
Why wait any longer? Jump on your magic carpet and ride!
Critique: Javascript Crash Course: A Hands-On, Project-Based Introduction to Programming is a user-friendly guide to
quickly learning Javascript for writing code, solving problems, building web applications, making games, and much more.
Chapters cover Javascript basics, and offer several interactive projects to try one's hand at coding as soon as possible! Ideal
for high school and college students, self-study, and public library collections, Javascript Crash Course is a "must-have" for
anyone who needs to learn Javascript fast for school, business, or just plain fun. Highly recommended! It should be noted
for personal reading lists that Javascript Crash Course is also available in a Kindle edition ($23.99).
The Android Malware Handbook
Qian Han, et al.
No Starch Press
www.nostarch.com
9781718503304, $49.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Android-Malware-Handbook-Detection-Analysis/dp/171850330X
Synopsis: "The Android Malware Handbook: Detection and Analysis by Human and Machine" is a groundbreaking guide to
Android malware. It distills years of research by machine learning experts in academia and members of Meta and Google's
Android Security teams. The result is a comprehensive introduction to detecting common threats facing the Android
eco-system today.
"The Android Malware Handbook" explores the history of Android malware 'in the wild' since the operating system was
first launched and then focuses on static and dynamic approaches to analyzing real malware specimens. Next, it examine
machine learning techniques that can be used to detect malicious apps, the types of classification models that defenders can
implement to achieve these detections, and the various malware features that can be used as input to these models.
In adapting these machine learning strategies to the identification of malware categories like banking trojans, ransomware,
and SMS fraud, you will Dive deep into the source code of real malware; Explore the static, dynamic, and complex features
you can extract from malware for analysis; Master the machine learning algorithms useful for malware detection; Survey the
efficacy of machine learning techniques at detecting common Android malware categories.
Critique: Comprehensive and exceptionally user friendly in organization and presented, "The Android Malware Handbook:
Detection and Analysis by Human and Machine" is an ideal textbook from the team of Android experts Qian Han, Salvador
Mandujano, Sebastian Porst, V.S. Subrahmanian, Sai Deep Tetali, and Yanhai Xiong should be considered essential reading
for anyone with an interest in computer viruses, computer software testing, and computer hacking. While a core addition to
personal, professional, and college/university library Computer Science collections and supplemental curriculum studies
lists, it should be noted that "The Android Malware Handbook" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$29.99).
Editorial Note #1: Qian Han, is a Research Scientist at Meta since 2021, received his PhD in Computer Science from
Dartmouth College and his Bachelor's in Electronic Engineering from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
Editorial Note #2: Salvador Mandujano, Security Engineering Manager at Google, has led product security engineering,
malware reverse engineering and payments security teams. Before Google, he held senior security research and architecture
positions at Intel and Nvidia. He has a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from Tecnologico de Monterrey, an MSc in Computer
Science from Purdue, an MBA from The University of Texas, and a BSc in Computer Engineering from Universidad
Nacional Autonoma de Mexico.
Editorial Note #3: Sebastian Porst is manager of Google's Android Application Security Research team, which tries to
predict or research novel attacks on Android devices and Android users by malware or through app vulnerabilities. He has
an MSc Masters from Trier University of Applied Sciences, Germany in 2007.
Editorial Note #4: V.S. Subrahmanian is the Walter P. Murphy Professor of Computer Science and Buffet Faculty Fellow in
the Buffet Institute of Global Affairs at Northwestern University. Prof. Subrahmanian is one of the world's foremost experts
at the intersection of AI and security issues. He has written eight books, edited ten, and published over 300 refereed
articles.
Editorial Note #5: Sai Deep Tetali, Principal Engineer and Tech Lead Manager at Meta, works on privacy solutions for
augmented and virtual reality applications. He spent 5 years at Google developing machine learning techniques to detect
Android malware and has a PhD from University of California Los Angeles.
Editorial Note #6: Yanhai Xiong is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and
Engineering at the University of Louisville. She has a PhD from Nanyang Technological University focusing on applying AI
techniques to improve the efficiency of electric vehicle infrastructure and a BS in Engineering from the University of
Science and Technology of China. will guide you through the Android threat landscape and prepare you for the next wave of
malware to come.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
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