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Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Logic for Everyone: From Proof to Paradox
Jason Decker
Cambridge University Press
www.cambridge.org
9781009220538, $135.00, HC, 461pp
https://www.amazon.com/Logic-Everyone-Paradox-Jason-Decker/dp/1009220535
Synopsis: A rigorous, yet accessible and entertaining introduction to the field of logic, "Logic for Everyone: From Proof to
Paradox" by Professor Jason Decker provides students (and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject)
with a unique insight into logic as a living field and how it connects to other fields of inquiry including philosophy,
computer science, linguistics, and mathematics.
With no background knowledge needed, the reader is introduced to a critical examination of 'classical logic', and the
technical issues and paradoxes that may be encountered. Each chapter includes key pedagogical features such as marginal
notes, definitions, chapter summaries and practice exercises. Arguments are backed up by authentic examples of logic
within natural languages and everyday life.
Ideal as a college/university philosophy curriculum textbook, the flexible chapter structure of "Logic for Everyone: From
Proof to Paradox" allows classroom instructors to tailor their teaching for either a one-semester or two-semester course,
according to their students' needs and knowledge. Online resources include a companion website featuring further readings,
class handouts, LaTeX resources, along with an Online Proof Evaluator allowing students to get real-time feedback.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Logic for Everyone: From Proof to Paradox" is especially
and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Philosophy collections and
curriculum studies .list. It should be noted for students, academia, and the general public that this large format (7 x 1 x 10
inches, $2.23 pounds) hardcover edition of "Logic for Everyone: From Proof to Paradox" from the Cambridge University
Press is also available in paperback (9781009220552, $45.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $43.69).
Editorial Note: Jason Decker (https://www.carleton.edu/directory/jdecker) is a Professor of Philosophy and Cognitive
Science at Carleton College, where he has taught a variety of courses in logic, language, mind, epistemology, cognitive
science, conspiracy theories and color. He has been teaching formal logic for twenty years since receiving his Ph.D. from
MIT in 2006. He has served as an associate editor of the journal Analysis and has published numerous papers on relevant
topics.
Gratitude Tiger
Joel Zuckerman
https://www.gratitudetiger.com
Greenleaf Book Group Press
www.greenleafbookgroup.com
9798886453324, $24.95, HC, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Gratitude-Tiger-Creating-Through-Impactful/dp/B0DLCSXSX9
Synopsis: No book on the subject of "gratitude" is quite like "Gratitude Tiger: Creating Joy Through the Art of Impactful
Letters" by Joel Zuckerman. One of the key elements to living a grateful life is to express gratitude, as opposed to just
feeling it or being aware of your blessings.
Joel is an award-winning golf, sports, and travel writer who turned his attention to the subject of proactive gratitude more
than eleven years ago. Subsequently, he's written nearly 300 'Letters of Gratitude' to individuals near and far. These
recipients of his heartfelt, funny, sincere, and freewheeling letters included friends, family members, business associates,
colleagues, mentors, proteges, those in his close orbit, and those who've had just a passing and ephemeral impact.
"Gratitude Tiger" aptly illuminates an easy, effective, endearing, and uplifting method to foster and enhance vital human
connections. That makes "Gratitude Tiger" a "why" book as much as it does a "how-to" instructional guide featuring one
dozen examples from the author's voluminous archive -- along with numerous ideas on how to jump-start such powerful and
personal letters of your own.
Critique: Original, informative, insightful, motivational, inspired and inspiring, "Gratitude Tiger: Creating Joy Through the
Art of Impactful Letters" is a unique and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library collections on self-help and self-improvement activities with respect to improved interpersonal
relations, communication skills, familial and social friendships. Exceptionally well organized and presented for
professionals and non-professionals alike, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Gratitude Tiger: Creating Joy
Through the Art of Impactful Letters" from the Greenleaf Book Group is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Joel Zuckerman (https://www.gratitudetiger.com) has written ten books and more than 250 Letters of
Gratitude. He is the only two-time recipient of the Book of the Year Award bestowed by the International Network of Golf.
For twenty-plus years, he wrote about golf, travel, and a wide range of sports and activities for more than one hundred
different publications and websites. These include Sports Illustrated, Delta's Sky Magazine, Continental, Maxim, and
Millionaire. As a speaker, he has been engaged by luxury cruise lines, at corporate retreats, conferences, and country clubs
on three continents.
The Hype Cycle
Arnold Schelsky
Open Universe
c/o Carus Books
www.carusbooks.com
9781637700556, $26.95
https://www.amazon.com/Hype-Cycle-Downers-Bipolar-Culture/dp/1637700555
The Hype Cycle: Uppers and Downers in Our Bipolar Culture comes from an applied mathematician whose discourse on
politics, propaganda, and hype should be made part of any college-level media studies, politics, or social issues reading. His
survey of hype's construction, catastrophes, impact, and presence in a wide range of disciplines, from science and math to
philosophy, economics, and social and political psychology, makes for a broad-ranging discussion that will prove
particularly intriguing for classroom debates and inspection. Medical hype, quantum system hype, multicultural and gender
hype, and more discuss how illusions are created, fallacies perpetrated, and how hype impacts not only mindset, but belief
and often reality itself. Psychologists, especially, will relish the concept of a "bipolar culture" which responds to hype's
structure and stimuli in unexpected ways.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
Your Writing Matters
Keiko O'Leary
www.KeikoOLeary.com
Thinking Ink Press
https://www.thinkinginkpress.com
9781942480341, $14.99, PB, 158pp
https://www.amazon.com/Your-Writing-Matters-Unstuck-Inspired/dp/1942480342
Synopsis: What you write can change someone's life.
"Your Writing Matters: 34 Quick Essays to Get Unstuck and Stay Inspired" is an engaging collection of short essays for
writers by Keiko O'Leary who explores what it means to live life as a writer, offering encouragement and inspiration, and
suggesting practical techniques to cultivate your writing life.
Drawing on her experience as a writer, writing group leader, and workshop instructor, Keiko writes about topics such
as:
MOTIVATION: "You deserve to create what's in you to create."
CREATIVITY: "Your personal geography is a wellspring of memoir and poetry, and a source of authentic detail for
fiction."
LEGACY: "Through your writing, you help people experience meaning, not only in what you write, but also in their own
lives."
Whether you have years of experience or are just starting out, these informative essays will support you on your journey as a
writer.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Your Writing Matters: 34 Quick Essays to Get Unstuck and
Stay Inspired" by Keiko O'Leary should be considered essential reading for anyone aspiring to writing for a living, and is
inspirationally motivating for even professionally seasoned writers when having to deal with the all too common experience
of writer's block that can strike at any time in a writer's career. This portable pocket sized (5 x 0.37 x 7 inches, 5.4 ounces)
paperback edition of "Your Writing Matters" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional,
community, writer workshop, and college/university library Writing instructional reference collections. It should be noted
that "Your Writing Matters" is also readily available from Thinking Ink Press and Amazon in a digital book format (Kindle,
$4.99).
Editorial Note: Keiko O'Leary (www.KeikoOLeary.com) helps writers see the big picture while taking meaningful action
today. She is a writer, editor, artist, and speaker. Poet Laureate of Cupertino, California, Keiko teaches workshops and
organizes the long-standing writing group Write to the End. She writes short pieces, including poetry, flash fiction, and
essays.
The Social Issues Shelf
Wards of the State: The Long Shadow of American Foster Care
Claudia Rowe
Abrams Press
c/o Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
www.abramsbooks.com
9781419763151, $28.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Wards-State-Shadow-American-Foster/dp/1419763156
Synopsis: A compelling and informative exploration of the broken American foster care system, told through the stories of six former foster youth. "Wards of the State: The Long Shadow of American Foster Care" by journalist Claudia Rowe is powerful, narrative driven, study that delves into the systemic failures that has lead many foster children into the criminal justice system, and thereby highlighting the urgent need for reform.
Rowe brings her extensive experience and investigative prowess to this eye-opening work. With a career spanning over 25 years. In "Wards of the State", her storytelling approach is both vivid and unflinching, offering readers a deep understanding of the foster care-to-prison pipeline. Through interviews with psychologists, advocates, judges, and the former foster children themselves, Rowe paints a heartbreaking picture of the lives shaped by this broken system.
For example -- By the time Maryanne was 16 years old, she had been arrested for murder. In and out of foster and adoptive homes since age 10, she'd run away, been trafficked and assaulted, and finally pointed a gun at the latest man to take her into his car. She pulled the trigger and fled. But with no family to turn to and few reliable friends, it didn't take long for the police to catch up with her.
In court, the defense blamed neither traffickers, nor Maryanne, but Washington state itself -- or rather, its foster care system, which parents thousands of children every year. The courts did not listen to that argument, but concerned journalist Claudia Rowe did.
Washington state isn't alone. Each year, hundreds of thousands of children grow up in America's $30 billion foster care system, only to leave and enter its prisons, where a quarter of all inmates are former foster youth.
Weaving Maryanne's story with those of five other foster kids across the country (including an 18-year-old sleeping on the New York City subways; a gangbanger turned graduate student; and a foster child who is now a policy advisor to the White House) Rowe paints a visceral survival narrative showing exactly where, when, and how the system channels children into locked cells.
Critique: Simply stated, "Wards of the State: The Long Shadow of American Foster Care" by Claudia Rowe is essential for anyone concerned with child welfare, social justice, and the transformative power of seminal and groundbreaking studies as this. Expertly well written, impressively organized, emotionally and intellectually engaging, eloquently presented, "Wards of the State" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Social Issues and Child Welfare collections and curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, social work professionals, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "Wards of the State" from Abrams Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.20, Amazon).
Editorial Note: Claudia Rowe (https://www.claudiarowejournalist.com) has been writing about the hallways where kids and government clash for 25 years. Her reporting on racially skewed school discipline for The Seattle Times helped to change education laws in Washington State, and her coverage of Latino youth gangs was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Claudia has also written for the New York Times and Mother Jones. She was recently hired as a columnist focused on foster care, juvenile justice, and public education at the online news site Crosscut, where her work is seen by nearly 1 million viewers a month. She received the Washington State Book Award for her true crime memoir The Spider and the Fly, and published the successful Amazon Original Story Time Out in 2018.
The Economic Studies Shelf
Commodity Chains under Pressure
Lara M. Espeter & Linda Herring, editors
Edward Elgar Publishing
www.e-elgar.com
9781035355297, $150.00, HC, 248pp
https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/usd/commodity-chains-under-pressure-9781035355297.html
Synopsis: Collaborative compiled and co-edited by Lara M. Espeter and Linda Herring, "Commodity Chains under Pressure:
Resilience through Coping, Adaptation, and Transformation" is insightful collection of ten impressively erudite and
informatively insightful contributions by experts in their fields that collectively presents an overview of how external shocks
affect commodity chains and their neighbouring systems. Knowledgeable contributors employ diverse theoretical and
methodological approaches to illustrate the extensive scope of this research area, exploring the impact of external shocks
throughout various parts of the commodity chain.
Dedicated chapters investigate the intricate relationships between agricultural commodity chains and external shocks
through interdisciplinary lenses, including geography, communication studies, economics, history, and sociology. They
draw on case studies from around the world ranging from the Kenyan cut roses industry to sheep farming in the UK,
providing individual and comparative analyses of the challenges caused by external forces. Examining the effects of both
short- and long-term shocks, the book evaluates potential actor strategies, ultimately underscoring the need for increased
collaboration across all scientific disciplines.
Presenting novel perspectives on the multiple social and spatial transformations associated with agricultural products,
"Commodity Chains under Pressure" is an invaluable read for students and scholars in global value chains, development
studies, human geography, sociology, and agricultural economics. Its practical guidance is also beneficial for policymakers
and practitioners in agriculture and supply chain analysis.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of numerous Tables, Figures, and an five page
listing of the contributors and their credentials, "Commodity Chains under Pressure: Resilience through Coping, Adaptation,
and Transformation" is exceptionally 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, making it a valued, timely, and
unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, and college/university library Contemporary Economics and
Business Globalization collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Lara M. Espeter is with the Department of Sociology, Technische Universitat Berlin, Germany.
Editorial Note #2: Linda Hering is with the Department of Geography, Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin, Germany.
The Science Shelf
Reefs of Time
Lisa S. Gardiner
Princeton University Press
https://press.princeton.edu
9780691247335, $29.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Reefs-Time-Fossils-Reveal-Survival/dp/0691247331
Synopsis: With rising global temperatures, pollution, overfishing, ocean acidification, and other problems caused by
humans, there's no question that today's coral reefs are in trouble. As predictions about the future of these ecosystems grow
increasingly dire, scientists are looking in an unlikely place for new ways to save corals: the past. The reefs of yesteryear
faced challenges too, from changing sea level to temperature shifts, and understanding how they survived and when they
faltered can help guide our efforts to help ensure a future for reefs.
With the publication of "Reefs of Time: What Fossils Reveal about Coral Survival", science writer Lisa Gardiner has woven
together the latest cutting-edge science with stories of her own expeditions to tropical locales to show how fossils and other
reef remains offer tantalizing glimpses of how corals persisted through time, and how this knowledge can guide our efforts
to ensure a future for these remarkable organisms.
In "Reefs of Time", Gardiner takes her readers on an excursion into "the shallow end of deep time" (when marine life was
much like today's yet unaffected by human influence) to explore the cities of fossilized limestone left behind by corals and
other reef life millennia ago. The changes in reefs today are unlike anything ever seen before, but the fossil record offers
hope that the coral reefs of tomorrow can weather the environmental challenges that lie ahead.
A breathtaking journey of scientific discovery, "Reefs of Time" reveals how lessons from the past can help us to chart a path
forward for coral reefs struggling for survival in an age of climate crisis and mass extinction.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a two page listing of Acknowledgments, thirty
pages of Notes, and an eleven page Index, "Reefs of Time: What Fossils Reveal about Coral Survival" is thoroughly 'reader
friendly' in organization and presentation that makes it particularly appropriate for both the environmental studies student
and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the subject. Impressively informed and informative, thoughtful and
thought-provoking, "Reefs of Time" will prove to be of extraordinary interest to readers specifically concerned about the
impact of human pollution of the oceans and the rapid acceleration of climate change on coral reef systems (and the marine
life that depends upon them). Especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Marine Environmentalism/Ecology collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should
be noted that this hardcover edition of "Reefs of Time" from the Princeton University Press is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $16.17).
Editorial Note: Lisa S. Gardiner (https://lisagardiner.com/index.html) is a science writer, geoscientist, and educator. She is
also the author of Tales from an Uncertain World: What Other Assorted Disasters Can Teach Us about Climate Change. Her
writing has appeared in leading publications such as the Atlantic, Hakai Magazine, and Scientific American.
The Health/Medicine Shelf
Nutraceuticals in Obesity Management and Control
Raj K. Keservani and Alka Lohani, editors
CRC Press
c/o Routledge
https://www.routledge.com
9781774917664, $240.00, HC, 442pp
https://www.amazon.com/Nutraceuticals-Obesity-Management-Control-Advances/dp/1774917661
Synopsis: A nutraceutical is a pharmaceutical effect derived from a compound or food product. In the United States,
nutraceuticals are considered and regulated as a subset of foods (such as dietary supplements) by the Food and Drug
Administration.
Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Professors Raj K. Keservani and Alka Lohani, "Nutraceuticals in Obesity
Management and Control" provides detailed information on nutraceuticals that can be helpful in the control and
management of obesity.
"Nutraceuticals in Obesity Management and Control" clarifies key aspects of nutraceuticals that include sources, extraction,
chemistry, mechanisms of action, pharmacology, bioavailability, safety, and various applications.
Beginning with a concise overview of the prevalence of obesity, complications related to obesity, and current treatment
regimens, "Nutraceuticals in Obesity Management and Control " delves into the roles of functional foods and nutraceuticals
for the management of body weight and for alleviating obesity co-morbidities. It goes on to discuss the effect of some of the
most commonly and frequently used naturally occurring nutraceutical substances, along with their mechanisms of action in
controlling obesity.
"Nutraceuticals in Obesity Management and Control" also looks at the role of nutraceutical fruits as well as the beneficial
aspects of carotenoids in fruits and vegetables and explores antioxidant-rich nutraceuticals, the role of vitamins and
supplements, the use of green tea, and the potential of pseudocereals and spices in the management of metabolic
syndrome.
Critique: An ideal and comprehensive textbook that is deftly organized into four major sections (Nutrition, Vegetables and
Fruits in Obesity; Antioxidants and Vitamins in Obesity; Spices and Cereals in Obesity; Micronutrients, Polyphenols, and
Others in Obsity), "Nutraceuticals in Obesity Management and Control" also includes a four page listing of the contributors
and their credentials and a sixteen page Index. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $120.84), this
hardcover edition of "Nutraceuticals in Obesity Management and Control" from CRC Press is a critically important and
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and college/university library Health/Medical and Obesity
Treatment collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Raj K. Keservani, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Pharmacy at CSM Group of Institutions, Prayagraj,
India. He has more than 12 years of academic (teaching) experience and has published peer-reviewed papers, book chapters,
and edited and authored books in the field of pharmaceutical sciences. He is active as a reviewer for several international
scientific journals. His research interests include nutraceutical and functional foods, novel drug delivery systems (NDDS),
transdermal drug delivery/drug delivery, health science, cancer biology, and neurobiology. He is also co-editor of the book
series AAP Advances in Nutraceuticals.
Editorial Note #2: Alka Lohani, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Amity Institute of Pharmacy of Amity University,
Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. Her area of research expertise is dermatology, development of cosmetic formulations,
transdermal drug delivery systems, nanotechnology, and polymer-based drug delivery systems. Dr. Lohani has gained
international recognition and prestigious grants. Her research excellence was acknowledged at the IBRO Neuroscience
School Nepal - 2024, where she received the "Best Dream Project" award for her outstanding project. With over 12 years of
teaching and research experience, Dr. Lohani has made significant scholarly contributions. She has authored more than 30
research articles and has edited books and published several book chapters. She also serves as a reviewer for various
journals, including the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, Cosmetics, Molecules, International Journal of Dermatology and
Venereology, and Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology.
The Great Healthcare Disruption
Marschall Runge, MD
Forbes Books
https://books.forbes.com
9798887505909, $29.99, HC, 216pp
https://www.amazon.com/Great-Healthcare-Disruption-American-Medicine/dp/B0F1F35PC5
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Great Healthcare Disruption: Big Tech, Bold Policy, and the Future of American
Medicine", Dr. Marschall Runge (cardiologist, researcher, and CEO of Michigan Medicine) offers an informative and
gripping insider's account of the forces rapidly reshaping American healthcare. From artificial intelligence and retail
medicine to revolutionary gene therapies and next-generation obesity drugs, "The Great Healthcare Disruption" is an
essential guide to the most significant transformation in medical care since the discovery of antibiotics.
"The Great Healthcare Disruption" covers:
The rise of Big Tech in medicine - how Amazon, Google, and other disruptors are redefining the patient experience
Breakthrough treatments and AI-driven diagnostics reshaping chronic disease management, behavioral health, and drug
development
The hidden trade-offs of innovation - how cutting-edge care delivery models are improving outcomes while straining the
systems meant to support them
Why traditional institutions must evolve - and how academic medical centers can remain vital in a tech-driven world
Hard truths about access, equity, and affordability - and what must change to make healthcare work for everyone
With his effective storytelling style, sharp insights, and 'real world' practical solutions, Dr. Runge cuts through the
complexity of modern medicine to offer a bold, balanced path forward. Whether you're a healthcare professional, policy
leader, or curious reader, "The Great Healthcare Disruption" is an ideal guide to understanding (and shaping) the medical
and healthcare revolution already underway.
Critique: From next generation therapies, to the impact of AI on medicine research and application, retail medicine, new
perspectives on aging, preparing for the next global crises, and so much more, "The Great Healthcare Disruption: Big Tech,
Bold Policy, and the Future of American Medicine" by Marschall Runge, MD should be considered essential reading for all
members of the medical community, healthcare reformers, governmental medicine policy makers and political
medicine/healthcare activists and advocates. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional,
community, and college/university library Contemporary Medicine/Healthcare collections and supplemental curriculum
studies lists, it should be noted for medical students, practitioners, policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "The Great Healthcare Disruption: Big Tech, Bold Policy, and the Future
of American Medicine" from Forbes Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Dr. Marschall Runge (https://drmarschallrunge.com) serves as Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs
at the University of Michigan, dean of the Medical School, and CEO of Michigan Medicine. With advanced degrees from
Vanderbilt and Johns Hopkins, and specialized training at Harvard's Massachusetts General Hospital, he has spent his career
driving healthcare innovation and transforming medical education. His insights draw from decades of experience as both a
practicing cardiologist and healthcare executive.
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Juijun Xu, MD, PhD and Lynn R. Webster, MD, Editors
Oxford University Press
https://corp.oup.com
9780197640692, $59.95 Paperback/$56.95 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Complex-Regional-Pain-Syndrome-Medicine-ebook/dp/B0DQJQ79VV
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome joins others in Oxford University Press's What Do I Do Now Pain Medicine series,
addressing a perplexing, debilitating condition that can follow all kinds of trauma and treatments. Eleven selected clinical
cases are profiled for this book, representing a diverse set of circumstances and presentations of CRPS. This allows for
explorations of vastly different syndrome origins, treatment options, prevention considerations, and the presence and
challenges of CRPS in patients ranging from children through adults.
While this guide is directed to healthcare professionals, it is also accessible to lay readers interested in the broad spectrum of
research and treatment options surrounding CRPS. Contributors of articles to this volume are physicians and PhD
researchers. Each offers a range of insights, from psychological and physical influences on who develops CRPS to genetics,
medicines, and injuries that pose risk factors for its development and progression. Medical students, in particular, will find
the technical references and "Key Points to Remember" summaries at the end of each article offer important, easy
informational quality that lends to both skimming and deeper opportunities for bibliographic pursuit. Each profiled case has
been chosen for its unique challenges, providing healthcare professionals with a range of considerations and tools when
diagnosing and managing CRPS in their own patients.
Designed as a pocket guide but holding vast opportunities for further study and research, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
is a highly recommended addition to any medical library catering to healthcare professions, classrooms that include CRPS in
their discussions and lay readers who would gain a better sense of the condition and its various incarnations. The
organization and clear presentation of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome makes it a highly recommended acquisition for all
kinds of library collections. It's important (if not essential) reading for healthcare students and professionals who would
learn more about this challenging condition and its management.
The American History Shelf
Black Hills History Tours: The Gateway to the Hills
David A. Wolff
South Dakota Historical Society Press
https://www.sdhspress.com
9781941813584, $19.95, PB, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Hills-History-Tours-Gateway/dp/B0F6PGSFDJ
Synopsis: From military expeditions to gold mining boomtowns, outlandish business ventures to stunning national parks,
the Black Hills teem with history as rich as their natural beauty. Inspired by field trips that he organized for his classes at
Black Hills State University, with the publication of "Black Hills History Tours: The Gateway to the Hills", Professor David
A. Wolff has distilled decades of experience exploring, researching, and teaching the history of this majestic region into
accessible and informative self-guided tours.
In February 1876, John Brennan and his associates decided to abandon their mining claims and create a service center
modeled on Denver, Colorado. Dubbed Rapid City, the town overcame a rocky start to become "the Gateway to the Black
Hills." In this armchair traveler's South Dakota history tour, you will discover how Rapid City and the gold towns of the
Central Hills adapted to changing times and conquered the dreaded boom-and-bust cycle.
Featuring maps by the South Dakota Department of Transportation and dozens of photographs, Wolff's historical synopsis
provides just the right amount of context for each site on the route, along with precise mileage and directions. By tour's end,
you will have completed a mini-course in Black Hills history!
Critique: Impressively well written, accessibly organized, reader friendly in presentation, "Black Hills History Tours: The
Gateway to the Hills" by Professor David A. Wolff is nicely illustrated throughout with B/W historical photos, as well as
featuring an eight page Bibliography and a nine page Index. A fun and fascinating read from cover to cover, this paperback
edition of "Black Hills History Tours: The Gateway to the Hills" from the South Dakota Historical Society Press is
especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library South Dakota History
and Travel Guide collections.
Editorial Note: David A. Wolff is professor emeritus of history at Black Hills State University, where he specialized in
South Dakota and the Black Hills. He is the author of three books on Black Hills and mining history. His honors include
BHSU's distinguished Faculty Member Award. (https://sdhumanities.org/david-wolff)
The World History Shelf
Repast: The Story of Food
Jenny Linford
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500481158, $45.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Repast-Story-Food-British-Museum/dp/0500481156
Synopsis: Our insatiable appetite for creativity in the kitchen (or around the open fire) is reflected in the fascinating objects
explored within the pages of "Repast: The Story of Food". Written by food writer Jenny Linford in collaboration with the
British Museum, "Repast" focuses on artifacts in the museum's collection (from ancient clay cooking vessels to exquisite
gold cups) spanning multiple continents and dating from prehistory to the modern day.
Taking a broadly chronological approach to the subject, "Repast" is arranged into thirteen thematic chapters, starting with
explorations of hunting and gathering and ending with the history of eating out; along the way, agriculture, alcohol, and
cooking (among other subjects) are also investigated. Interspersed among the many remarkable objects examined in each
chapter is a series of in-depth essays on such topics as tea (the world's most consumed drink after water), pork (one of the
world's most consumed meats), and wheat (the source of 20 percent of the world's human calorie consumption), revealing
the many social, cultural, and religious aspects of food.
Through a feast of words and images, "Repast" presents the irresistible, international story of food, drink, and the culinary
arts.
Critique: Profusely and beautifully illustrated throughout with 300 color illustrations in support of an exceptionally well
written and impressively informative text, British food writer Jenny Linford's "Repast: The Story of Food" is an inherently
fascinating and informative read from start to finish. This large format hardcover edition of "Repast: The Story of Food"
from Thames & Hudson is a unique and emphatically recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Culinary/Gastronomy collections and supplemental 'History of Food' curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Jenny Linford (https://jennylinford.co.uk) is a London-based food writer and a long-standing member of the
Guild of Food Writers. She has written more than fifteen books, including The Missing Ingredient: The Curious Role of
Time in Food and Flavor, which explores time as the "universal, invisible ingredient" in the food we grow, make, and cook.
She also produces and presents a cheese-centric podcast called A Slice of Cheese for Food FM Radio.
The Military History Shelf
Five Flags: The Warship that Reshaped the World
Stuart Buxton
Stackpole Books
c/o Globe Pequot
https://www.globepequot.com
9780811777230, $34.95, HC, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Five-Flags-Warship-Reshaped-World/dp/0811777235
Synopsis: As wooden ships gave way to ironclads, and sail gave way to steam in the nineteenth century, one warship fought
through the civil wars that shaped modern America, Germany and Japan. Its career spanned high politics and secret
diplomacy, arms dealers and royal courts, spies, sailors, and samurai across three continents. In a vivid narrative travelling
from London to Paris, from Copenhagen to Havana, from Washington to Tokyo, with the publication of "Five Flags: The
Warship that Reshaped the World", author Stuart Buxton brings this incredible true maritime naval story to life.
Strangled by the Union's naval blockade, the Confederacy needed ships - and turned to Europe to build them. In 1862,
Emperor Napoleon III agreed to deliver a unique new design whose 300-pounder canon, 5 inches of armour, and twenty-foot
bow ram made her a threat to every warship on earth.
Before the mighty ironclad was finished, U.S. agents discovered it, and she was sold to Denmark, only to be smuggled back
after her defeat by Prussia. Christened the 'Stonewall' after the legendary general, the ship took on an elite crew with 5
captains among them, narrowly survived terrifying storms, took refuge in Spain and had to run the gauntlet of Union
warships and Spanish courts to escape. The Stonewall reached Cuba in May 1865 - too late to change the Civil War - before
her sale to the Queen of Spain, and a handover to a newly re-united America.
But the ironclad would not end its career mothballed at the Washington Navy Yard. Though sold to the Tokugawa shogun in
1867, she was delivered to his bitter enemy the emperor and led the brutal and harrowing war at sea that secured the Meiji
restoration and set Japan on a path of modernization, industrialization, and expansion that would end in World War II.
Critique: An original, seminal and groundbreaking study, "Five Flags: The Warship that Reshaped the World" by Stuart
Buxton is a truly extraordinary, inherently fascinating, impressively detailed, and exceptionally informative account of the
history of the proto-iron ship 'Stonewall'. Enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a section of B/W historical
photos, fifty pages of Notes, and a seven page Index, "Five Flags" is a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to
community and college/university Maritime Naval History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should
be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, historians, naval history buffs, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "Five Flages" from Stackpole Books is also available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $33.00).
Editorial Note: Currently residing in Australia, Stuart Buxton spent three decades in product management and marketing for
tech companies in Asia.
Savage Skies, Emerald Hell
Jay A. Stout
Stackpole Books
c/o Globe Pequot
https://www.globepequot.com
Blackstone Publishing
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9780811775632, $34.95, HC, 432pp
https://www.amazon.com/Savage-Skies-Emerald-Hell-Australia/dp/0811775631
Synopsis: While the Marine Corps island-hopped across the Pacific from Guadalcanal to Saipan to Iwo Jima, the U.S. Army
was locked in a grueling, multiyear fight for the jungle island of New Guinea, which in Japanese hands threatened both
Australia and the vital supply lines stretching to the United States.
Forces under Douglas MacArthur intended to deny the Japanese this opportunity and use New Guinea as a stepping stone on
the road back to the Philippines and, beyond it, Japan. A critical component of that campaign was waged in the air, where
American pilots supported ground troops and took the battle to the Japanese in scattered villages and beaches, along the way
fighting not only the Japanese, but also the dangers of the island's mountainous terrain and thick jungles, the weather, and
the surrounding ocean.
With the publication of "Savage Skies, Emerald Hell: The U.S., Australia, Japan, and the Ferocious Air Battle for New
Guinea in World War II" retired Marine Corps fighter pilot Jay A. Stougt tells the true story of the stirring and terrible air
combat that made winning the fight for New Guinea possible.
Included are accounts drawn from fighter, bomber, and transport crews (primarily George Kenney's Fifth Air Force) and
places their actions within the broader context of strategy and tactics, also providing descriptions of equipment and the
experiences of the mechanics and support men who made it all possible.
Featuring a riveting narrative of World War II in the air, combining deep primary research and Jay Stout's personal
experience as a fighter pilot, "Savage Skies, Emerald Hell" is a significant contribution to World War II history.
Critique: A simply fascinating read from cover to cover, "Savage Skies, Emerald Hell: The U.S., Australia, Japan, and the
Ferocious Air Battle for New Guinea in World War II" is enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of two sections
devoted to historical B/W photos, fourteen pages of Notes, a two page Bibliography, and a twelve page Index. A seminal
work of military history that reads with all the drama of a work of fiction, "Savage Skies, Emerald Hell" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library World War II history collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists. For students, academia, military history buffs, and non-specialist general readers with
an interest in the subject it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Savage Skies, Emerald Hell" from Stackpole
Books is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.39) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone
Publishing, 9798228443228, $45.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Lieutenant Colonel Jay A. Stout, USMC (Ret.) is an acclaimed author of military history and a senior
aviation analyst for one of the world's preeminent defense corporations. (https://www.jayastout.com)
The American Civil War Shelf
Glorious Courage: John Pelham in the Civil War
Sarah Kay Bierle, author
Savas Beatie LLC
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611217469, $16.95, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Glorious-Courage-Confederate-Northern-Virginia/dp/1611217466
Synopsis: "It is glorious to see such courage in one so young!"
So declared Confederate General Robert E. Lee on December 13, 1862, during the battle of Fredericksburg as he watched
Major John Pelham fight at least five Union batteries with just one lone gun. The dashing and handsome 24-year-old
Alabama officer earned the compliments and admiration of his men, the war gods of Virginia (Lee, Jackson, and Stuart),
and Southern society -- all while helping transform the concept of horse artillery on Civil War battlefields across Virginia
and Maryland.
After Pelham's death in battle in 1863, his place as a beloved Southern hero soared, and admirers firmly elevated him into
the upper ranks of the Confederate pantheon. His status as a Lost Cause martyr exacted a price, though: Admirers
transformed Pelham's memory into "the beau ideal of Confederate arms", sometimes altering and clouding the realities of
his life. His memory has been trapped there ever since -- until now.
With the publication of "Glorious Courage: John Pelham in the Civil War', historian Sarah Kay Bierle reconsiders Pelham's
extraordinary, if short, life by drawing on primary and secondary sources and her extensive knowledge of the
battlefields.
Pelham's zest for living carried him from Alabama to the military academy at West Point, while his zeal in command of the
Stuart Horse Artillery earned him well-deserved plaudits. But like every other man who served the Confederate cause, the
remarkable young officer was a human being with flaws. He deserves his place in history as he lived it, not varnished with
the perspectives shoved upon him by later generations.
Critique: A masterpiece of historical research by an expert in Civil War history, "Glorious Courage: John Pelham in the
Civil War" by Sarah Kay Bierle is an informative, fascinating, and insightful biography that is especially and unreservedly
recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Civil War History/Biography
collections. This paperback edition of "Glorious Courage: John Pelham in the Civil War" from Savas Beatie is impressively
enhanced with numerous B/W historical photos and maps, making it additionally interesting for students, academia, and
Civil War history buffs.
Editorial Note: Sarah Kay Bierle (https://sarahkaybierle.com) works in the public history field, focusing on education and
battlefield preservation. A graduate of Thomas Edison State University with a B.A. in history, she has spent years
researching, writing, and speaking about the American Civil War. Her work helps audiences gain a stronger appreciation
and understanding for the accounts of real people caught in the struggles of the Civil War era.
The Education Shelf
Educating Young Children: A Neurodevelopmental Approach
Dr. Maria C. Sargent, Ph.D.
Brookes Publishing Company
www.brookespublishing.com
9781681256528, $84.95, PB, 324pp
https://www.amazon.com/Educating-Young-Children-Neurodevelopmental-Approach/dp/1681256525
Synopsis: How do young children learn, and what do educators need to know and do to teach them? Covering the full birth -
8 early childhood age range, "Educating Young Children: A Neurodevelopmental Approach" by Dr. Maria Sargent is
introductory textbook that delivers up-to-date answers through a unique lens: a deep focus on the neurological foundations
of developmentally appropriate practices.
Pre-service and in-service educators will explore the basic neurological concepts that affect learning and development -- and
discover specific ways to apply this knowledge to their classroom teaching practices to help young children thrive.
Practical enough to use in the field, this unique foundational textbook is comprised of strategies, figures, illustrations, and
examples that are easy for all early childhood educators to understand and apply.
"Educating Young Children: A Neurodevelopmental Approach" showcases effective techniques for:
Structuring a classroom and choosing instructional materials
Planning and organizing the curriculum
Creating an engaging classroom that responds to all students' needs
Helping children develop strong social-emotional skills
Supporting play and active learning
Providing both general behavior supports and advanced behavior interventions
Teaching students with processing disorders and disabilities
Using assessments to make data-based decisions
It should be noted that faculty materials include Teacher Guides for every chapter with summaries, key terms, and sample
questions to support use in courses!
Critique: This large format (8.5 x 0.9 x 10.9 inches, 1.11 pounds) paperback edition of "Educating Young Children: A
Neurodevelopmental Approach" by Professor Maria Sargent (Ashland University) is exceptionally well organized and
thoroughly 'reader friendly' in presentation, making it an ideal textbook for school district and college/university library
Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education instructional reference collections and supplemental Education
Theory curriculum studies lists. Comprehensive, meticulous, informed and informative, "Educating Young Children: A
Neurodevelopmental Approach" is available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $75.95).
Editorial Note: Maria Sargent (www.ashland.edu/faculty/maria-sargent-phd) has been active for 30+ years in general
education, special education, behavior intervention, and arts intervention. She is a full professor at Ashland University in
Ashland, Ohio. Her work history has also spanned a wide variety of ages and populations (e.g., Behavioral Intervention
Coordinator/Cuyahoga County Board of Mental Health; Research Coordinator/Akron Children's Hospital's Family Child
Learning Center; Infant-Toddler Program Coordinator/Kent State University and Child Development Center; Director of the
Behavior and Parenting Resource Center/multiple state, national, and international locations; Behavior Intervention and
Curriculum Design Consultant /birth through grade 12) and has just finished a 12-year tenure as a Board Member or Board
President of ArtSparks (www.artsparksdance.org), an arts intervention program operating across Northeast Ohio. She
archives her work through the website www.neuro-teach.com. The documents and videos available on this website are
totally free to professionals and families.
AI with Intention
Tony Frontier
ASCD
www.ascd.org
9781416633624, $33.95, PB, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/AI-Intention-Principles-Teachers-Leaders/dp/1416633626
Synopsis: With new artificial intelligence tools sweeping into districts and schools, educators must be able to assess the
tools' benefits and limitations and determine if and how they might serve students. With the publication of "AI with
Intention: Principles and Action Steps for Teachers and School Leaders" teaching and leadership expert Tony Frontier
provides the insight and knowledge necessary to use these tools effectively and responsibly.
"AI with Intention" presents guiding principles and action steps that address both the issues and the opportunities that come
with artificial intelligence. School leaders will learn how to cultivate a schoolwide understanding of AI, implement
student-centered practices that support academic integrity, and ensure that effective teaching and learning remain the
school's top priority. Teachers will learn how to efficiently and effectively use AI tools to help their students engage in the
productive struggle necessary for learning.
New and evolving technologies can be exciting, but as Frontier points out, how we respond to innovation is more important
than the innovation itself. "AI with Intention" is a roadmap for all educators looking to better understand and incorporate AI
in ways that support (rather than undermine) effective teaching and learning.
Critique: Especially and unreservedly recommended for school district and college/university library Teacher
Education/Artificial Intelligence collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, this large format (7.11 x 0.37 x 9.88
inches, 11.2 ounces) paperback edition of "AI with Intention: Principles and Action Steps for Teachers and School Leaders"
by seasoned and experienced educator Tony Frontier is an extraordinary, informative, and 'reader friendly' guide and
introduction to the potential of artificial intelligence as an aid to classroom instruction and curriculum
development/implementation. It should e noted for personal reading/resource lists of teachers and school administrators that
this edition of "AI with Intention" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3225) from ASCD and
Amazon.
Editorial Note: Tony Frontier, PhD, is an award-winning educator who works with teachers and school leaders nationally
and internationally to help them prioritize efforts to improve student learning. With expertise in student engagement,
evidence-based assessment, effective instruction, technology integration, data analysis, and strategic planning, Frontier
emphasizes a systems approach to build capacity and empower teachers to improve each student's schooling
experience.
The Cookbook Shelf
Sicily: Recipes from an Italian Island
Enza Genovese, author
Sandra Mahut, photographer
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781840919523, $32.99, HC, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Sicily-Recipes-Italian-Enza-Genovese/dp/1840919523
Synopsis: A beautiful collection of delicious Sicilian recipes, complete with specially commissioned photography of the
stunning Italian island, with the publication of "Sicily: Recipes from an Italian Island", author Enza Genovese and
photographer Sandra Mahut showcase essential recipes that form the distinctive cuisine of Sicily, a Mediterranean island off
the coast of Italy.
From the bustling streets of Palermo to the colorful markets of Cefalu, from arancini to cannoli, Sicily is home to some of
the world's freshest, most delicious food. In this impressive collection of recipes curated by Sicilian Enza Genovese
showcases the entire island of Sicily through its cuisine, while kitchen cooks from around the world are being taught how to
easily prepare these tasty hallmark dishes of this Italian region (alongside some new favorites) at home.
Critique: Authentic, step-by-step, kitchen cook friendly, beautifully illustrated, and an inspiring resource for planning palate
pleasing, appetite satisfying, memorable meals with a distinctive Sicilian flair for all dining occasions both formal and
informal, this large format (8.8 x 1 x 10.9 inches, 2.45 pounds) hardcover edition of "Sicily: Recipes from an Italian Island"
from Mitchell Beazley is a prized and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library
Ethnic/Mediterranean cookbook collections.
Editorial Note #1: Enza Genovese was born in Trapani in 1956, on the western coast of Sicily, 'the city of the two seas'. Like
many Sicilians at the time, in 1961 her parents left to settle in Montpellier, France, where they started a Sicilian grocery
store that Enza managed for many years. Enza has regularly travelled around Italy in search of new and exciting products,
maintaining a strong link with her mother country. This culminated in her cookbook, "Sicily: Recipes from an Italian
Island", a collection of recipes that pay tribute to both her parents' home cooking and the rich gastronomic tradition of the
island.
Editorial Note #2: Sandra Mahut (http://sandramahut.com) is an accomplished food, lifestyle, and portrait
photographer.
Real Japanese Cooking
Makiko Itoh
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805316153, $39.99, HC, 512pp
https://www.amazon.com/Real-Japanese-Cooking-Traditions-Techniques/dp/4805316152
Synopsis: The first comprehensive cookbook to fully cover all aspects of Japanese cuisine, "Real Japanese Cooking:
Traditions, Tips, Techniques and Over 600 Authentic Recipes" by Makiko Itoh is the culmination of a culinary lifetime
steeped in two cultures.
Born in Tokyo and raised in New York, cookbook author Makiko Itoh grew up in the heart of her mother's acclaimed
Japanese restaurant, a culinary landmark for over twenty years. Now a celebrated bilingual food writer and translator, she
brings a rare perspective that is uniquely equipped to bridge the gap and share the soul of Japanese cuisine with the
world.
Her new cookbook, "Real Japanese Cooking: Traditions, Tips, Techniques and Over 600 Authentic Recipes" provides
answers to all the questions that people usually ask about one of the world's greatest cuisines, including:
Why is Japanese food so unique? Providing a full overview from aesthetics to umami
Essential ingredients like miso, mirin, dashi, sake and kombu, how and why are they used?
How to prepare and serve a Japanese meal from cookware to tableware and etiquette
Which recipes are right for you?
The 600 recipes comprising "Real Japanese Cooking" cover everything from sushi to ramen to donburi rice bowls, nukazuke
pickles and Japanese bread!
Itoh's mission is to demystify Japanese cuisine for non-Japanese home cooks. "Real Japanese Cooking includes 400
beautiful color photos with clearly-presented recipes interspersed with fascinating essays and sidebars explaining all aspects
of Japan's unique food culture.
A must-read book for every Japanese food lover!
Critique: Fully living up to the claim of its title, "Real Japanese Cooking: Traditions, Tips, Techniques and Over 600
Authentic Recipes" by Makiko Itoh is an ideal resource for American kitchen cooks and professional chef seeking to
establish authentic, genuine, and quality meals and menus featuring Japanese cuisine. Exceptionally well organized and
presented, "Real Japanese Cooking" is thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' and an ideal resource that is a pleasure to browse
through in search of palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, Japanese dishes for any and all dining occasions both formal and
informal. Especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and community library Ethnic/Japanese
cookbook collections, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Real Japanese Cooking" from Tuttle Publishing is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $31.19).
Editorial Note: Makiko Itoh (https://makikoitoh.com) was raised and educated in Japan, the UK and the US and has lived in
Europe for many decades. Despite living abroad, she has always returned to her native Japanese culinary roots. In 2003 she
started writing the JustHungry blog to introduce Japanese homestyle dishes to people with limited access to the authentic
ingredients. In 2007 she launched a blog dedicated to bento, which led to the publication of her first book, The Just Bento
Cookbook, which has become an international bestseller. She now lives in Switzerland and writes a monthly column on
Japanese food for The Japan Times.
French Bakes Made Simple
Edd Kimber
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Books
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781804193150, $29.99
https://www.amazon.com/French-Bakes-Made-Simple-millefeuille/dp/1804193151
French Bakes Made Simple presents almost a hundred recipes for classic French desserts, pairing them with full-page color
photos for a new edition of a classic that should be in any serious baker's library. The dishes use bakeware common to most
kitchens and streamline complex-sounding recipes for ease of home baking. This makes the dishes especially appealing to
busy cooks who like to bake, but don't want to spend hours in the kitchen. The introductory histories to each dish provide
different versions of the recipe and discuss its influences and appeal. The recipe for Mont Blanc, for example, notes that
"French baking has been influenced by many countries in mainland Europe, including Germany, Poland and Italy. This
dessert can originally be traced back to Italy..." The result appeals and educates on many different levels.
Scandinavia Recipes & Ingredients
Gisli Egill Hrafnsson and Inga Elsa B.
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Books
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781840919387, $29.99
https://www.amazon.com/Scandinavia-Ingredients-G%C3%ADsli-Egill-Hrafnsson/dp/1840919388
Scandinavia Recipes & Ingredients surveys the extent of Scandinavian and Nordic cuisine, pairing lovely food photography
and landscape images with over fifty recipes that delve into the culinary attractions of Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and more.
There are a number of Scandinavian cookbooks on the market, but this wider-ranging celebration of the different nations
and their cultures adds far more insights into the origins of classic dishes. This allows readers to both learn about the
ingredients and preparation from an artistic and cultural standpoint and appreciate each nation's influences. More so than
most cookbooks, the authors pack Scandinavia Recipes & Ingredients with alluring, colorful, close-up images. These will
prove inviting not just to cooks, but anyone interested in Scandinavia. This translates to a standout and a top
recommendation that moves well beyond recipes and into artistic and cultural value that cooks and non-cooks will
relish.
The LGBTQ Studies Shelf
Too Good to Get Married: The Life and Photographs of Miss Alice Austen
Bonnie Yochelson
Fordham University Press
www.fordhampress.com
9781531509507, $39.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Too-Good-Get-Married-Photographs/dp/1531509509
Synopsis: Alice Austen (March 17, 1866 - June 9, 1952) lived at Clear Comfort, her grandparent's Victorian cottage on
Staten Island, which is now a National Historic Landmark. As a teenager, she devoted herself to photography, recording
what she called "the larky life" of tennis matches, yacht races, and lavish parties.
When she was 25 and expected to marry, Austen used her camera to satirize gender norms by posing with her friends in
their undergarments and in men's clothes, "smoking" cigarettes, and feigning drunkenness. As she later remarked, she was
"too good to get married".
Austen embraced the rebellious spirit of the "New Woman," a moniker given to those who defied expectations by pursuing
athletics, higher education, or careers. She had romantic affairs with women, and at 31, she met Gertrude Tate, who became
her life partner.
Briefly, Austen considered becoming a professional photographer. She illustrated Bicycling for Ladies, a guide written by
her friend Violet Ward, and she explored the working-class neighborhoods of Manhattan to produce a portfolio, "Street
Types of New York." Rejecting the taint of commerce, however, she remained within the confines of elite society with Tate
by her side.
Although interest in Austen has accelerated since 2017, when the Alice Austen House was designated a national site of
LGBTQ history, the only prior book on Austen was published in 1976. Copiously illustrated, "Too Good to Get Married" by
Bonnie Yochelson fills the need for a fresh and deeply researched look at this skillful and witty photographer. Through
analysis of Austen's photographs, Yochelson illuminates the history of American photography and the history of
sexuality.
Critique: This large format (8.25 x 1 x 10.25 inches, 2.8 pounds) hardcover edition of "Too Good to Get Married: The Life
and Photographs of Miss Alice Austen" by historian Bonnie Yochelson is a singular work of impressive historical research
and with a meticulous attention to detail. Deftly written, profusely illustrated with B/W historical photos, exceptionally
informed and informative, "Too Good to Get Married" is a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to personal,
community, and college/university library American Photography & American LGBTQ History/Biography collections. A
fascinating read from start to finish, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "Too Good to Get Married" from the Fordham University Press is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $30.33).
Editorial Note: Bonnie Yochelson (https://www.bonnieyochelson.com) is a former Curator of Prints and Photographs at the
Museum of the City of New York and an established historian of New York City's photographic history. Her notable works
include Jacob A. Riis: Revealing New York's Other Half, Alfred Stieglitz New York, and Berenice Abbott: Changing New
York.
The Pets Shelf
I Love Dogs
Patricia M. Sherwood, editor
The Lyons Press
www.lyonspress.com
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
9781493090426, $22.95, PB, 258pp
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Dogs-Patricia-M-Sherwood/dp/1493090429
Synopsis: Compiled and edited by Patricia M. Sherwood, "I Love Dogs" is a delightful collection of the most insightful,
humorous, and heartwarming quotes from renowned figures that celebrate the joy, quirks, and enduring bond we share with
our canine companions, making it ideal reading for any and all dog lovers!
"I Love Dogs" is a treasure trove of the wisest, funniest, and most heartwarming comments ever uttered about our beloved
canine friends. From philosophers such as Jean-Paul Sartre to presidents such as Woodrow Wilson, an astonishing array of
celebrated people have had all manner of things to say about our favorite animal -- the dog.
Included in this classic collection are such notable dog lovers as: Winston Churchill, T. S. Eliot, Robert Frost, Don Marquis,
Willie Morris, Beatrix Potter, Anna Quindlen, James Thurber, Evelyn Waugh, and more.
"I Love Dogs" is the perfect companion for a quiet night in front of the fireplace, a day in the park, or a stroll on the beach.
The perfect companion, that is, short of a dog.
Critique: Profusely illustrated throughout with B/W dog photos, "I Love Dogs" is a fun and inspirational read from cover to
cover and will thoroughly delight anyone who has a canine companion of their own -- or who would like to have one!
Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "I Love Dogs" is especially and unreservedly recommended
for personal and community library Pets/Dogs collections. It should be noted that this trade paperback edition of "I Love
Dogs" is also readily available from Lyons Press in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.50).
Editorial Note: Patricia M. Sherwood (a writer and dog fancier) is the editor of An Honest Angler, the collected works of
her father, Sparse Grey Hackle. She lives in Windham Center, Connecticut.
(https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/724145.Patricia_M_Sherwood)
The Wildlife Shelf
Citizen Bird
Mabel Osgood Wright and Elliott Coues, authors
Louis Agassiz Fuertes, illustrator
Rutgers University Press
https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org
9781978837072, $69.95, HC, 466pp
https://www.amazon.com/Citizen-Bird-Mabel-Osgood-Wright/dp/1023097192
Synopsis: "Citizen Bird: Scenes from Bird-Life in Plain English for Beginners" by co-authors Mabel Osgood Wright and
Elliott Coues offers a charming introduction to the world of birds. Originally published for young readers, this engaging
natural history guide makes the study of ornithology accessible and enjoyable to readers of all ages. Through clear and
simple language, "Citizen Bird" unveils the habits and habitats of various bird species, fostering an appreciation for the
natural world.
Beautifully illustrated throughout by Louis Agassiz Fuertes, "Citizen Bird" blends scientific observation with engaging
storytelling. A perfect starting point for budding birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts, "Citizen Bird' encourages readers to
become active observers of the avian life around them as they discover the enduring appeal from this classic work and
embark on a delightful armchair journey into the fascinating realm of birds.
A timeless treasure for anyone interested in natural history and the wonders of the natural world. This work has been
selected by scholars as being culturally important, and a part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. "Citizen
Bird" is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may
freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars
believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the
public.
Critique: This large format (6.14 x 0.75 x 9.21 inches, 1.33 pounds) hardcover edition of "Citizen Bird" from Rutgers
University Press is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university
library Avian Wildlife and Natural History collections. It should be noted for students, academia, and dedicated
birdwatchers from 8 to 88 that "Citizen Bird" is also readily available in paperback (9781978837065, $29.99).
Editorial Note #1: Mabel Osgood Wright (January 26, 1859 - July 16, 1934) was an American writer and conservationist.
She was an early leader in the Audubon movement who wrote extensively about nature and birds.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mabel_Osgood_Wright)
Editorial Note #2: Elliott Ladd Coues (September 9, 1842 - December 25, 1899) was an American army surgeon, historian,
ornithologist, and author. He led surveys of the Arizona Territory, and later as secretary of the United States Geological and
Geographical Survey of the Territories. He founded the American Ornithological Union in 1883, and was editor of its
publication, The Auk. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliott_Coues)
Editorial Note #3: Louis Agassiz Fuertes (February 7, 1874 - August 22, 1927) was an American ornithologist, illustrator
and artist who set the rigorous and current-day standards for ornithological art and naturalist depiction and is considered one
of the most prolific American bird artists. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Agassiz_Fuertes)
The Biography/Memoir Shelf
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn: The Rebel Girl, Democracy, and Revolution
Mary Anne Trasciatti
Rutgers University Press
https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org
9781978817579, $34.95, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Elizabeth-Gurley-Flynn-Democracy-Revolution/dp/1978817576
Synopsis: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn was involved in almost every major campaign of the U.S. Left in the first two thirds of the
twentieth century. An outstanding orator, writer, and tactician, Flynn is one of the most important figures in the history of
the American labor movement. Inspired by the Irish freedom struggle and appalled by the exploitation and grinding poverty
she saw around her, she devoted her life to the advancement of civil liberties. Here, Mary Anne Trasciatti traces Flynn's
personal and political life to explore the broader social issues of a fraught era.
Born in 1890, Flynn began her activist career by joining the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) when she was just
sixteen, and she ended it as the first female chair of the American Communist Party, a position she held from 1961 until her
death in 1964. In the intervening years she organized workers into unions, led strikes, championed women's rights,
supported anti-imperialist movements around the globe, protested deportation, advocated for prison reform, and fought for
Black liberation. Above all, she showed absolute devotion to workers and their struggles.
Slandered as an "un-American" in the anticommunist fervor of the 1940s and 1950s, Flynn was eventually ousted from the
very organization she helped found, the American Civil Liberties Union, and imprisoned for two years. Though her own
movement abandoned her, her commitment to the cause never wavered. This stirring biography illuminates Flynn's inspiring
life and worldview and returns her to her rightful place at the heart of labor and civil liberties history.
Critique: Informed and informative, "Elizabeth Gurley Flynn: The Rebel Girl, Democracy, and Revolution" by Mary Anne
Trasciatti is an extraordinary work of meticulous and exhaustive research into the life and achievements of a civil liberties
icon. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, this exceptional biography is enhanced for the reader's benefit
with the inclusion of an informative six page Introduction, a four page Epilogue, a four page listing of Acknowledgments,
fifty-eight pages of Notes, and a fifteen page Index. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
community, and college/university library 20th Century American Biography/Memoir collections and supplemental
American Civil Rights/Liberties History curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, political
activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "Elizabeth Gurley
Flynn: The Rebel Girl, Democracy, and Revolution" from the Rutgers University Press is also readily available paperback
(9781978817562, $32.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $33.20,Amazon).
Editorial Note: Mary Anne Trasciatti is a professor of rhetoric and the director of labor studies at Hofstra University in
Hempstead, New York. She co-edited the collections Where Are the Workers?: Labor's Stories at Museums and Historic
Sites and Talking to the Girls: Intimate and Political Essays on the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire.
Joshua Hill of Madison
Bradley R. Rice
Mercer University Press
www.mupress.org
9780881469608, $45.00, HC, 472pp
https://www.amazon.com/Joshua-Hill-Madison-Republican-1812-1891/dp/0881469602
Synopsis: In 1876, Joshua Hill mused, 'not a foot print will remain to show that I was of those who lingered by the stormy
sea of politics.' He was too pessimistic about his legacy.
Distinguished Georgia historian Tom Dyer declared that Hill was 'undoubtedly Georgia's most prominent wartime Unionist.'
Nevertheless, Hill's career lacks the full biography that it deserves.
Joshua Hill served in the United States House of Representatives prior to the Civil War and strongly opposed secession.
During the War he ran for governor as the so-called peace candidate and later met with William T. Sherman in peace
negotiations that failed. In November 1864 when the March to the Sea reached his hometown, Hill interceded with the
Union command and earned his legendary title as the man who saved Madison, the village 'too pretty to burn.'
During Reconstruction, Hill supported Republican President Ulysses S. Grant and endorsed black suffrage, yet he clashed
with the Radical wing of his party. As a result of a compromise between Democrats and moderate Republicans, Hill became
the state's first Republican member of the U.S. Senate. After two years Confederate General John B. Gordon replaced him in
1873.
Hill remained a Republican senior statesman until his death in 1891, and Georgia did not send another Republican to the
Senate until 1980.
Professor Bradley R. Rice's meticulous research, the foundation of his biography "Joshua Hill of Madison: Civil War
Unionist and Georgia's First Republican Senator, 1812-1891" has produced a long overdue account of the life and times of
the man who was, as his gravestone reads, 'a staunch southern friend of the Union.'
Critique: A detailed, seminal and groundbreaking historical and biographical study, "Joshua Hill of Madison: Civil War
Unionist and Georgia's First Republican Senator, 1812-1891" by Professor Bradley R. Rice is enhanced for the reader's
benefit with the inclusion of a thirteen page section of captioned historical illustrations, an informative Introduction
(Unswerving Unionist, Conservative Republica), a five page Note on Sources and Bibliography, a twenty-five page listing
of Abbreviations, and a seven page Index. This hardcover edition of "Joshua Hill of Madison: Civil War Unionist and
Georgia's First Republican Senator, 1812-1891" from the Mercer University Press is an especially and unreservedly
recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library 19th Century American
Biography/Memoir collections and of special interest for students, academia, and non-specialist readers with respect to the
American Civil War and the origins of the Republican Party.
Editorial Note: Bradley R. Rice is emeritus professor of History at Clayton State University. He is past president of the
Georgia Association of Historians and former board member of the Georgia Historical Society. For over fifteen years Rice
served as editor of the learned journal of the Atlanta History Center. The author and editor of several articles and books,
Rice retired to Madison, Georgia, where he serves as chair of the Historic Preservation Commission.
(https://www.clayton.edu/arts-sciences/departments/humanities/faculty/rice.php)
Audrey Hepburn: A Life of Beautiful Uncertainty
Tom Santopietro, author
Jeffrey Banks, commentary
Applause Books
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
www.rowman.com
9781493068081, $45.00, HC, 448pp
https://www.amazon.com/Audrey-Hepburn-Life-Scenes-Dresses/dp/1493068083
Synopsis: Academy Award-winning actress, fashion icon, ethereal beauty, wife, mother, World War II resistance activist,
UNICEF champion -- Audrey Hepburn (4 May 1929 - 20 January 1993) transcended her era and became a global idol whose
appeal continues to soar in the twenty-first century.
Packed with beautiful photographs of the star at her most captivating and supplemented with incisive fashion commentary
from award-winning designer Jeffrey Banks, "Audrey Hepburn: A Beautiful Uncertainty" is a unique and informative
exploration of Audrey's glamorous image and remarkable life. Always leading with her heart, Hepburn is shown here fully
captured in all her complexity: an often self-doubting but brilliant and genuinely kind woman whose style and activism
changed the world.
Slipping behind the scenes of Hollywood's Golden Age, in "Audrey Hepburn: A Life of Beautiful Uncertainty", author and
biographer Tom Santopietro details Audrey's personal and professional life, from her legendary dance partnership with Fred
Astaire on the classic Funny Face to her love affairs with Albert Finney and William Holden.
Throughout, her life and career are juxtaposed with the lasting legacy of her iconic image and unerring fashion sensibility,
as she played muse to the brilliant designer Hubert de Givenchy and inspired women from Jacqueline Onassis to Carly
Simon.
Critique: This large format (7.17 x 1.14 x 10.34 inches, 2.78 pounds) hardcover edition of "Audrey Hepburn: A Life of
Beautiful Uncertainty" from Applause Books is a 'must' for the legions of Audrey Hepburn fans and is a complete,
comprehensive, informative, expertly written, accessibly organized, nicely illustrated, and impressively presented biography
of the life and achievements of a Hollywood Icon that includes her film career and her public service activities. Of special
note is the inclusion of a commentary by fashion and design expert Jeffrey Banks on the influence Hepburn had on the
fashions of the day. Also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $31.58), "Audrey Hepburn: A Life of Beautiful
Uncertainty" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library 20th
Century American Biography/Memoir collections and supplemental Cinematic History/Criticism curriculum studies
lists.
Editorial Note #1: Tom Santopietro (http://www.tomsantopietro.com) is the author of nine previous books, including The
Sound of Music Story, The Importance of Being Barbra, Sinatra in Hollywood, The Godfather Effect, Why To Kill A
Mockingbird Matters, the New York Times Editor's Choice Considering Doris Day, and, most recently, The Way We Were:
The Making of a Romantic Classic. Over the past thirty years, he has managed three dozen Broadway shows.
Editorial Note #2: Jeffrey Banks (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Banks) is an American fashion designer and author,
who has been described as a major black fashion maker.
Mosaic
Laura Gaddis
https://lauragaddis.com
Unsolicited Press
https://www.unsolicitedpress.com
9781956692914, $22.95, PB, 290pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mosaic-Laura-Gaddis/dp/1956692916
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mosaic-laura-gaddis/1146431247
Synopsis: "Mosaic" is a deeply personal life story with a universal resonance. It's a story of exploration and
self-identification, of grief, relationships, tackling mental health, and how to walk through difficult times when there is
nowhere else to go.
"Mosaic" follows Laura, who along with her husband Jason, embarked on having a baby, only to go on a journey that
spanned over five years.
Over this time, Laura learned the hard truth about pregnancy loss, the medical field, and how to negotiate unforeseen
difficulties. She persevered through four high-risk pregnancies, with the last one being a pregnancy more successful than the
rest. Yet, it posed many tribulations, launching Laura and her husband into the world of an unpredictable birth, fetal
abnormalities, their premature baby, the NICU, and breath-holding.
"Mosaic" delves into grief and resilience, and how they work together to get Laura through a difficult time in her life. It also
shows how relying on her own mother also taught her how to enter motherhood for herself, no matter at what stage she
considered herself to be a "mother."
"Mosaic" explores how to use challenges to change us into better versions of ourselves.
Critique: Deftly written, emotionally engaging, informative, insightful, inspiring, "Mosaic" by Laura Gaddis is one of those
memoirs that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book has been finished and set back upon the
shelf. Especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary American
Biography/Memoir collections and supplemental Pregnancy/Childbirth curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for
readers with an interest in books focused on love, loss, death and grief, that this paperback edition of "Mosaic" from
Unsolicited Press is also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Laura Gaddis (https://lauragaddis.com) is a writer, book coach, and educator. With a former career in
clinical psychology, and more recently earning her MFA in creative writing from the Miami University (of Ohio), she is
interested in writing about the human condition, whether it be her own or that of others. Laura writes fiction and nonfiction
that centers around the idea that through storytelling we can connect humanity on profound levels, elevating us to be better
for ourselves and for each other. Her writing has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and she has publications in literary
nonfiction, poetry, and humor fiction in Thin Air Magazine, The Avalon Literary Review, Adelaide Literary Magazine,
Ligeia Magazine, Pif Magazine, Vita Brevis Press, Kitchen Sink Magazine, The Dillydoun Review, Evening Street Review,
805 Lit + Art, Stonecoast Review, The Weekly Humorist. Additionally, she has published articles on parenting and mental
health on the popular websites Scary Mommy, Tiny Buddha, and The Mighty.
Queen of All Mayhem
Dane Huckelbridge
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063307018, $28.99, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Queen-All-Mayhem-Blood-Soaked-Mysterious/dp/0063307014
Synopsis: On February 3, 1889, just two days shy of her forty-first birthday, Myra Maybelle Shirley (better known at that
point by her outlaw sobriquet "Belle Starr") was blown from her horse saddle and killed by a pair of shotgun blasts,
delivered by an unseen assailant, only a few miles away from her home in the Indian Territory of present-day Oklahoma.
Thus ended the life of one of the most colorful, authentic, and dangerous women in the history of the American West.
While famous women of the Old West like Annie Oakley and Calamity Jane may have had dubious criminal bona fides,
Belle's were not in any doubt. She led a gang of horse thieves (a very serious crime in an era when horses were often the
basis of one's livelihood and even survival); was romantically involved with two of the West's most legendary outlaws, Cole
Younger and Jim Reed (her first husband); and participated in stickups and robberies across present-day Texas and
Oklahoma. When Reed was murdered, Belle crossed into Indian Territory, where she assimilated into the Cherokee tribe, a
matrilineal society, and soon married Sam Starr, a direct descendant of Nanye'hi, the greatest female warrior in Cherokee
history.
With the publication of "Queen of All Mayhem: The Blood-Soaked Life and Mysterious Death of Belle Starr, the Most
Dangerous Woman in the West", biographer Dane Huckelbridge probes a life rich in contradictions and intrigue.
Why did a woman who had considerable advantages in life (a good family, a decent education, solid marriage prospects, a
clear path to financial security) choose to pursue a life of crime?
The life of Belle Starr is one of almost endless trauma: the horrors of the Civil War, which destroyed her hometown and
killed her beloved brother, Bud; the untimely deaths of her first two husbands, both of them murdered; a stint in Detroit's
notorious women's prison. Her career coincided with those of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and yet Belle
Starr was a very different sort of feminist icon.
"Queen of All Mayhem" reveals the life and times of Belle Starr -- one of the most-mythologized figures of Western lore as
she truly was.
Critique: A seminal, comprehensively detailed, groundbreaking, and deftly crafted biographical study, "Queen of All
Mayhem: The Blood-Soaked Life and Mysterious Death of Belle Starr, the Most Dangerous Woman in the West" is a
presentation of Belle Starr's life and times organized into two major sections (The Frontier and Among the Cherokee), and
informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a Map, a B/W photo of Belle Starr, a Prologue (A
Lethal Twilight), and Introduction (The Forgotten Outlaw Queen), a two page listing of Acknowledgments, an eight page
bibliographic listing of Sources, and an eleven page Index.
An original, extraordinary, fascinating, and informative read from start to finish, "Queen of All Mayhem" by Dane
Huckelbridge is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library Women's
Biography and American Western History collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Queen of All
Mayem" from William Morrow is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and
unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing, 9798228467637, $44.79, CD).
Editorial Note: Dane Huckelbridge (https://danehuckelbridge.com) has written for the Wall Street Journal, Tin House, The
New Republic, and New Delta Review. He is the author of No Beast So Fierce, The United States of Beer, and Bourbon, as
well as a novel, Castle of Water. A graduate of Princeton University, he lives in Paris.
"My Name Is Not Tom"
Susan Cooke Soderberg
Georgetown University Press
www.press.georgetown.edu
9781647126100, $29.95, PB, 248pp
https://www.amazon.com/My-Name-Not-Tom-Reverend/dp/164712610X
Synopsis: Josiah Henson led a fascinating life that ranged from the plantation fields of Maryland to the Georgetown Market,
from the plantations of Kentucky to escaping to freedom in Canada, to being introduced to the Queen in England. Born
enslaved, Henson eventually escaped and became a respected minister and famed secular leader.
"My Name Is Not Tom": The Life of the Reverend Josiah Henson is a biography by Susan Cooke Soderberg of Josiah
Henson, the man catapulted into fame after Harriet Beecher Stowe noted that certain events in his life partially influenced
the development of her fictional character Uncle Tom.
While previous biographies have relied heavily on Henson's four autobiographies, which replicated the myth that he was the
sole inspiration for Stowe's character, "My Name Is Not Tom" uses new primary source research to fill in the untold parts of
his extraordinary life and examine his views of slavery and morality, which changed substantially over the course of his
life.
Critique: A fascinating, exceptional, and well written/presented life story that substantially benefits from new, meticulous
and groundbreaking research, ""My Name Is Not Tom": The Life of the Reverend Josiah Henson" by historian and
biographer Susan Cooke Soderberg is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university
library 19th Century African-American history/biography collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this trade paperback edition of "My
Name Is Not Tom": The Life of the Reverend Josiah Henson from the Georgetown University Press is also readily available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.34).
Editorial Note: Susan Cooke Soderberg retired as a historian with the Maryland - National Capital Park and Planning
Commission and has written several books on state and local history.
(https://prabook.com/web/susan_cooke.soderberg/432313)
Improvising in Italian
Jennifer Artley
Koehler Books
www.koehlerbooks.com
9798888246252, $27.95, HC, 184pp
https://www.amazon.com/Improvising-Italian-Jennifer-Artley/dp/B0DR3QJWKW
Synopsis: In 2017 Jennifer and her husband Michael relocated to a small town in the north of Italy, immersing themselves in
Italian culture and cuisine-passionate about food quality and regional recipes -- while making close friendships with an
eclectic group of Italians and expats.
As the couple involves themselves in local projects and struggles to build their Italian dreamlife, they navigate through the
country's notoriously corrupt bureaucracy, leaving them feeling frustrated and powerless. When Michael's venture in Italy
collapses, the couple pursues a series of business deals involving everything from premier Italian football clubs and classic
Ferraris to Stradivarius violins, leading them on crazy misadventures, encountering outlandish and colorful characters across
the peninsula.
Out of the blue, a strange new virus spreads like wildfire and Italy is at the epicenter. This prompts one of the strictest
lockdowns in world history, and Jennifer and Michael are brought to the brink of personal and financial ruin, culminating in
an unexpected twist of fate.
"Improvising in Italian" is a memoir that is narrated by Jennifer Artley with candor and humor, while giving an honest
appraisal of the romance and pitfalls of being a global nomad in a fast-changing world. It follows the couple as they survive
missteps and setbacks-while struggling to maintain their love and friendship-improvising their way through it all.
Critique: Exceptionally well written and presented, "Improvising in Italian" if a true life story that is told with the emotional
and intellectual engagement of a novel. An inherently fascinating and compelling memoir that will also hold immense
appeal for readers with an interest in Italian culture and cuisine, "Improvising in Italian" by Jennifer Artley is especially and
unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary Biography/Memoir collections. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Improvising in Italian" from Koehler Books is also
readily available in paperback (9798888246238, $17.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Noe: Jennifer Artley began her travel adventures early on as the child of US diplomats posting in far-flung
countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. In college, she interned at the American Embassy in Burma (Myanmar)
during the pro-democracy demonstrations led by Aung San Suu Kyi. In her adult life, Jennifer continued to live abroad in
China, Israel, and Italy while raising her two children. Her first book, Hard Sleeper, is a murder mystery that takes place in
1930s Peking. It was a finalist of the 2003 Readers Preference Editor's Choice Award for Historical Fiction. Jennifer divides
her time between Alexandria, Virginia, and Milan, Italy.
Where Did i Go? A Memoir Plus
Francene Gillis
OC Publishing
https://ocpublishing.ca
9781989833520, $19.99, PB, 366pp
https://www.amazon.com/Where-Did-Go-Memoir-Plus/dp/1989833527
Synopsis: With the publication of "Where Did i Go? A Memoir Plus", author Francene Gillis shares her personal story of
the arduous years and months that followed a tragic accident -- a slip and fall on black ice on her way to work as a high
school English teacher that caused a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), the symptoms of which lasted many years.
Francene candidly tells her story of the uphill battle that ensued in the hunt for the right treatments and providers at a time
when the simplest task was nearly impossible due to the 'hidden' injury she suffered. Her symptoms were very real, from
severe balance issues and brain fog, to speech impairment and more.
Along with being a teacher, Francene was also a regular columnist for her local paper, both of which came to a halt
following her injury. As she slowly regained the ability to focus for short periods of time, she began writing her story in the
hope that she could help those with TBI and other 'hidden' injuries by sharing her research and others' stories of resilience
and perseverance.
"Where Did i Go? A Memoir Plus" holds seven other TBI stories plus Francene's to help people fighting a battle in relation
to health, injury, or loss, and while raw and difficult to read at times it shows how mindset, support, and the right treatment
is imperative to recovery.
Critique: With its timely release (June 2025 is Brain Injury Awareness Month), "Where Did i Go? A Memoir Plus" by
Francene Gillis is an informative, insightful, candid, thoughtful and thought-provoking read from start to finish.
Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Where Did i Go? A Memoir Plus" is especially and unreservedly
recommended for personal reading lists, as well as professional, community, and college/university library
Biography/Memoir collections and supplemental Medical/Brain Injury curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: The daughter of Mary (White) and Frank Jessome, Francene Gillis grew up in Port Hood on the coast of
Cape Breton, NS. She majored in English at St. Francis Xavier University, continued with a BEd, and obtained a master's in
education in Multiculturalism, Administration & Leadership. A community activist, she writes advocacy pieces, such as
those gathered in her book, A Rose in November and in her regular column for the Inverness Oran.
The General Fiction Shelf
Tuesday -- Where Snowbirds Play
Gina Goldhammer
Renard Press Ltd
https://renardpress.com
9781804471357, $14.99 PB, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/Where-Snowbirds-Play-Gina-Goldhammer/dp/1804471356
Synopsis: From the moment recent Oxford graduate Philip takes the helm of a new marine life institute in Palm Beach, his
presence revives old feuds and sparks rivalries among the wealthy resident snowbirds, many of whom have invested heavily
in a biotech company soon to be exposed for insider trading. It quickly becomes clear that Philip's quest for atonement on
the behalf of his father will embroil many of the community's most prominent members.
Interwoven with snippets of real-life drama from an insider-trading scandal, with the publication of his novel, "Where
Snowbirds Play", author Gina Goldhammer paints a compelling portrait of the lives of the privileged, and what happens
when their world is turned upside down.
Critique: Although a deftly crafted and original work of fiction that is all the more impressive when considering that it is
Gina Goldhammer's debut as a novelist, "Where Snowbirds Play" accurately and dramatically reflects genuine realities with
respect to the impact and consequences of such financial practices as insider trading has upon the lives, privileges, and
relationships those who engage in it. A riveting read from cover to cover, "Where Snowbirds Play" reveals Goldhammer's
genuine and impressive flair for the kind of narrative storytelling style that fully engages the reader from start to finish.
Especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary General Fiction
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Where Snowbirds Play" from Renard
Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).
Editorial Note: Gina Goldhammer (https://www.ginagoldhammer.com) grew up in communist Yugoslavia and New York.
She now lives in Florida and also spends time in London and Venice.
Last Night at the Disco
Lisa Borders
Regal House Publishing
https://regalhousepublishing.com
9781646036448, $19.95, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Night-Disco-Lisa-Borders/dp/1646036441
Synopsis: "Last Night at the Disco" begins with " I may have ended up more notorious than famous, but make no mistake:
long before Aura Lockhart began commodifying her feminist rage ballads, I was the best-known person to come out of
Keyhole, New Jersey."
In 1977, twenty-six-year-old Lynda Boyle is desperate for fame and a way out of New Jersey. After failing to make her mark
as an East Village poet and rubbing elbows with stars at Studio 54, she discovers a new path to glory through two local
musicians, Johnny Engel and Aura Lockhart.
Lynda believes she alone can transform them into rock ' n' roll legends.
Fast forward four decades: Lynda is in hiding after a series of events force her to flee the tri-state area. When she sees Aura
inducting Johnny into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Lynda's rage ignites.
Determined to reclaim her narrative, she sets out to tell her story and secure her rightful place in music history. If she settles
a few other scores along the way, that's just a bonus!
Critique: Although a work of fiction, with the publication of "Last Night at the Disco", novelist Lisa Borderrs deftly,
realistically, and with cutting humor, explores the impact of ruthless ambition, corruptive casts of fame, and the betrayal of
friendship in the competitive music world. With an effective, memorable, distinctive, and narrative driven storytelling style,
"Last Night at the Disco" is a fully entertaining and engaging read from cover to cover that makes this paperback edition of
"Last Night at the Disco" from Regal House Publishing an ideal and highly recommended pick for personal reading lists and
community library Contemporary Literary Fiction
Editorial Note: Lisa Borders (https://www.lisaborders.com) is also the author of the novels Cloud Cuckoo Land and The
Fifty-First State. She is a frequent humor contributor at McSweeney' s. Her essays and short fiction have appeared in The
Rumpus, Cognoscenti, Post Road and other journals.
Midlife, Mayhem and Merlot
Nanda Roep
Nanda Publishing
9789083548708, $9.99, PB, 194pp
https://www.amazon.com/Midlife-Mayhem-Merlot-Nanda-Roep/dp/9083548708
Synopsis: Joanne has always been the reliable one - the rock for her family, the silent cheerleader for her brother's sports
career, the supportive partner to her ambitious husband, and the ever-present mum to her bright and opinionated daughter.
But now, in her forties, she feels adrift. Somewhere between school runs, marital routine, and yet another glass of Merlot,
Joanne realizes she's disappeared from her own life.
Determined to shake things up, she makes a decision that shocks everyone around her - her puzzled husband, the brother she
hasn't spoken to in years, and her almost-eleven-year-old daughter -- who surprisingly finds her mum's new "fun-weird" side
kind of cool.
Set between the windswept beaches of the Dutch coast and the sun-drenched countryside of rural France, "Midlife, Mayhem
and Merlot" by novelist Nanda Roep is the story of a woman who after a life spend taking care of of everyone else, finally
asks the question: What about me?
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, emotionally engaging, and a simply fascinating read from start to finish, "Midlife,
Mayhem and Merlot" will hold a very special appeal to readers with an interest in stories about female midlife crisis, second
chances at life, and the heartfelt joy available to women wanting to reinvent themselves after a life time of service to others
-- of finally choices and choosing for themselves. Author Nanda Roep reveals a genuine flair for the kind of narrative driven
storytelling skills that make for a memorably entertaining and thought-provoking read. This paperback edition of "Midlife,
Mayhem and Merlot" from Nanda Publishing is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and
community library Contemporary General Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Nanda Roep (www.nandaroep.com) is an author and publisher from the Netherlands who is known for her
heartfelt, witty and character-driven stories. She writes for both children and adults, and believes that storytelling connects
us all. When she's not writing, she's dreaming up her next adventure - on the page or in real life!
The Lemon Golf Diary
Christine Foster
Buddha Press
www.christinefoster.ca
www.besstheotherhoudini.com
9781738660384, $9.95, PB, 140pp
https://www.amazon.com/Lemon-Golf-Diary-Imagination-Neurodivergent/dp/1738660389
Synopsis: Rory may be ADHD or ASD or something else entirely - all she knows is that everything she does is wrong and
everything her confused mother does to help is wrong. She starts a halting diary to try to make sense of her private world,
but can't seem to write more than a sentence at a time.
But Rory's neurodivergence fuels a powerful imagination so when a new girl arrives at school,
complaining there is no magic in their dull suburban lives, Rory knows she finally has something to offer. She begins to spin
fantastic tales for the gullible Paige, but the trouble is, Paige wants real magic. Magic with Wishes.
Delighted that she can actually fool her new friend, Rory manages to keep the game going,
but when Paige's wishes turn stranger and darker, Rory realizes she has started something
she can't control. She just wanted to be good at something. Now they are both hurtling toward disaster.
Critique: Although a work of fiction, "The Lemon Golf Diary: An Adventure of Imagination with a Neurodivergent
Heroine" by Christine Foster is based on true events and real people. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented,
"The Lemon Golf Diary" will hold a very special appeal to readers with an interest in parenting children with disabilities, as
well as the relationship of mothers and their special needs children. "The Lemon Golf Diary is one of those books that will
linger in the mind and memory long after it has been finished and set back upon the shelf. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that "The Lemon Golf Diary" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $0.99). This paperback
edition of "The Lemon Golf Diary" from Buddha Press is especially and unreserved recommended for community and
college/university library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Beginning her career as an actor, journalist, casting director and script editor, Christine Foster is now a
multi-award winning playwright and passionate storyteller whose work has appeared worldwide on both stage and major
television networks. She has published both short stories and poetry but "The Lemon Golf Diary" is her first novel.
Christine is also the mother of a neurodivergent adult daughter, a child who always defied easy labels, and from whom she
has learned more than she can say.
In the Mountain's Shadow
Isabella Falconer
https://www.isabellafalconeri.com
Talon & Quill
9798998738852, $9.99 PB, $0.99 Kindle, 97pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mountains-Shadow-Isabella-Falconeri-ebook/dp/B0F6W4NMDL
Synopsis: In a fractured world where survival means loss and solitude, an aging woman walks into the mountains to die in
accordance with a half-remembered tradition. But the forest offers her more than silence -- it offers memory, and something
like grace.
The woman has sacrificed everything to secure her family's survival while battling starvation, predators, and the slow
erosion of her humanity -- she forges a fragile existence in the shadow of a vast, merciless mountain.
But when strangers stumble into her solitary world (some desperate, others dangerous) she must decide whether survival
demands her soul, or if a different kind of strength still remains.
"In The Mountain's Shadow" by Isabella Falconeri is a story of ritual, resilience, sacrifice, and the fierce, enduring spark of
hope against all odds.
Critique: Original, deftly scripted, and an inherently fascinating read from cover to cover, "In The Mountain's Shadow"
readily showcases author Isabella Falconeri's genuine flair for the kind of distinctive, narrative driven storytelling style that
creates a compelling, thought-provoking, imaginative and memorable read. "In The Mountain's Shadow" will linger in the
mind and memory of the reader long after the novel itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf. Especially and
unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary American Literary Fiction
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "In The Mountain's Shadow" from
Talon & Quill is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $0.99).
Editorial Note: Isabella Falconeri is an independent literary fiction author and publisher. Her novels deftly explore themes of
memory, survival, psychological transformation, and mythic inheritance. "In the Mountain's Shadow" is her third book. Her
first two are "Fragmentations" and "Razorblade".
Closest Kept
Kitty Johnson
www.kittyjohnsonbooks.com
Lake Union Publishing
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662518102, $16.99, PB, 332pp
https://www.amazon.com/Closest-Kept-Novel-Kitty-Johnson/dp/1662518102
Synopsis: Best friends Lily and Inga do everything together -- they even meet their future loves at the same bar. After one
serendipitous night, it seems like it's going to be Lily and Alex and Inga and Matt forever.
But life gets more complicated. A job offer moves Inga and Matt from Norwich to London. Lily, who craves stability after a
traumatic childhood, is already struggling with the change when Inga confides in her a secret that could tear the group apart
for good. At the same time, Lily's friendship with Matt deepens, and she wonders if she was always meant to be with him
instead of Alex.
As the two couples try to hold on to their dreams and one another, Lily's life is further upended by the reappearance of her
long-lost sister -- and all the terrible truths she brings home. Lily needs her chosen family more than ever, but in order to
heal the rifts, she must find the courage to be honest with herself and reveal the secrets she's kept hidden from her loved
ones for too long.
Critique: Emotionally engaging, complex, original, compelling, "Closest Kept" by novelist Kitty Johnson is a fascinating
and compulsive page turner of a read from cover to cover. Of special appeal to readers with an interest in intricate and
involved stories of complicated relationships of friends and family. Especially recommended for community library
Contemporary General Fiction collections, this trade paperback edition of "Closest Kept" from Lake Union Publishing is
also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Kitty Johnson (www.kittyjohnsonbooks.com) is also the author of Prickly Company and Five Winters. She
has an MA in creative writing from the University of East Anglia and teaches occasional creative writing classes.
Five Oaks
Julie Hensley
www.juliehensleywriter.com
Lake Union Publishing
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662529894, $16.99, PB, 303pp
https://www.amazon.com/Five-Oaks-Novel-Julie-Hensley/dp/1662529899
Synopsis: Spending summer away from home for the first time, fifteen-year-old Wren Pritchard and her younger sister,
Sylvie, arrive at Five Oaks, their grandparents' Arkansas lake house. As it was for their grandmother and mother before
them, it's a place for coming of age, first love, triumphs and failures, and keeping secrets.
This year, it's Wren's end-of-girlhood season. And Sylvie vows to keep all her secrets: Wren slipping away in the middle of
the night, the boy on the dock, racing with him on the dark back roads, and slipping quietly into bed before dawn, carrying
the scent of adventure. And still, as Wren's behavior begins changing and the moonlit escapes become more daring, Sylvie
holds her tongue. Even when it feels like Wren is speeding toward disaster. Then one night, Wren doesn't come home.
The halcyon days in the Ouachita Mountains are not what they appear. When the truth comes to light (about mothers,
daughters, and sisters) no one in the family will ever be the same.
Critique: A deftly crafted combination of a coming-of-age novel and a family/sisterhood story, "Five Oaks" by novelist Julie
Hensley is an inherently fascinating and original from start to finish. Emotionally engaging, exceptionally memorable, and
unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections, it should be noted for
personal reading lists that this trade paperback edition of "Five Oaks" from Lake Union Publishing is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).
Editorial Note: Julie Hensley (www.juliehensleywriter.com) is an Appalachian writer, raised in the mountains of Virginia.
She earned an MFA from Arizona State University and is the author of Viable, a collection of poetry, and Landfall: A Ring
of Stories. Hensley's poems and stories have also appeared in dozens of journals, including the Southern Review, Indiana
Review, Crab Orchard Review, and Quarterly West. She is a core faculty member of the Bluegrass Writers Studio, the
low-residency MFA program at Eastern Kentucky University.
The Historical Fiction Shelf
The Queen's Musician
Martha Jean Johnson
SparkPress
c/o Spark Point Studio
www.gosparkpress.com
9781684633104, $17.99, PB, 344pp
https://www.amazon.com/Queens-Musician-Martha-Jean-Johnson/dp/1684633109
Synopsis: A glamorous queen, a volatile king, a gifted musician concealing a forbidden romance. Everyone knows Anne
Boleyn's story. No one knows Mark Smeaton's.
On May 17, 1536, a young court musician was executed, accused of adultery and treason with the queen. Most historians
believe both he and Anne Boleyn were innocent -- victims of Henry VIII's rage.
Mark Smeaton was a talented performer who rose from poverty to become a royal favorite. He played for the king in private
and entertained at sumptuous feasts. He witnessed Anne Boleyn's astonishing rise and fall -- her reign of a thousand days.
History tells us little about him, other than noting his confession and execution.
"The Queen's Musician" imagines his story, as seen from his perspective and that of the young woman who loves him. It all
takes place amid the spectacle and danger of the Tudor court.
Critique: Original, clever, deftly crafted, engaging, a fun read from cover to cover, and a 'must' for fans historical novels set
in the Tudor/Renaissance era, "The Queen's Musician" by Martha Jean Johnson, although a skillfully written work of
fiction, is inspired by historical characters and events. The result is a riveting and memorable novel that is an especially and
unreservedly recommended pick for community library Historical Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that this trade paperback edition of "The Queen's Musician" from SparkPress is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Martha Jean Johnson (https://www.marthajeanjohnson.com) is a writer of fiction and non-fiction and the
author of a series of books and articles on public opinion and public policy. The Queen's Musician is her debut novel. She
also reviews trends in historical fiction and discusses her own love of reading and writing in her biweekly blog, Historical
Magic. She currently divides her time between writing and her work with the National Issues Forums Institute, an
organization that encourages civil discourse and nonpartisan deliberation on national and local issues.
The Palace at the End of the Sea
Simon Tolkien
www.simontolkien.com
Lake Union Publishing
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662528620, $28.99, HC, 463pp
https://www.amazon.com/Palace-End-Sea-Novel-Sterling/dp/1662528620
Synopsis: New York City, 1929. Young Theo Sterling's world begins to unravel as the Great Depression exerts its icy grip.
He finds it hard to relate to his parents: His father, a Jewish self-made businessman, refuses to give up on the American
dream, and his mother, a refugee from religious persecution in Mexico, holds fast to her Catholic faith. When disaster
strikes the family, Theo must learn who he is. A charismatic school friend and a firebrand girl inspire him to believe he can
fight Fascism and change the world, but each rebellion comes at a higher price, forcing Theo to question these ideologies
too.
From New York's Lower East Side to an English boarding school to an Andalusian village in the foothills of the Sierra
Nevada, Theo's harrowing journey from boy to man is set against a backdrop of societies torn apart from within, teetering on
the edge of a terrible war to which Theo is compulsively drawn like a moth to a flame.
Critique: Proving to be a fascinating, emotionally and intellectually engaging read from cover to cover, "The Palace at the
End of the Sea" is a deftly crafted and original novel by Simon Tolkien. With a genuine flair for authenticity of detail and
the kind of narrative storytelling style that holds the reader's full attention for start to finish, "The Palace at th End of the
Sea" will be of particular interest to readers who appreciate political fiction that the author is able to raise to an impressive
level of literary excellence. While highly recommended for community and college/university library Literary Fiction
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "The Palace at the End of the Sea"
from Lake Union is also readily available in paperback (9781662528644, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$1.99).
Editorial Note: Simon Tolkien (www.simontolkien.com) is the author of No Man's Land, Orders from Berlin, The King of
Diamonds, The Inheritance, and Final Witness. He studied modern history at Trinity College, Oxford, and went on to
become a London barrister specializing in criminal defense. Simon is the grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien and is a director of the
Tolkien Estate. In 2022 he was named as series consultant to the Amazon TV series The Rings of Power.
The Traitor of Sherwood Forest
Amy S. Kaufman
Penguin Books
c/o Penguin Group
www.penguin.com
9780143138129, $18.00, PB, 416pp
https://www.amazon.com/Traitor-Sherwood-Forest-Novel/dp/014313812X
Synopsis: Jane Crowe is an ordinary peasant girl who never dreamed she would work for the infamous Lord of the
Greenwood. But when she's forced out of her home, she has no choice but to turn to Robin Hood for help -- and he makes
her an irresistible offer. He needs a pair of eyes in the King's Houses, and quiet, unassuming Jane (who has spent her whole
life going unnoticed) will be the perfect spy.
At first, Jane's work for Robin seems straightforward. She whispers to him about the nobles at King's Houses and all their
secrets, including the new Sheriff of Nottingham, who would like nothing more than to see Robin Hood's head on a spike.
But the more Jane is drawn into Robin's world, the more she's drawn to Robin himself -- a man as charismatic as he is
cunning, capable of plucking at her heart as easily as he notches an arrow. As Robin's tricks grow increasingly dangerous,
and shockingly violent, Jane starts to suspect that her hero cares more about his own legacy than helping the common
people -- and that despite his declarations of affection, he sees her as just another object to be stolen.
When Robin's schemes implicate Jane in a brutal murder, she must decide: is she a prize to be won, a pawn to be used and
discarded -- or is she an equal player in the game between nobles and thieves?
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a fun read from cover to cover, "The Traitor of Sherwood Forest" by Amy S. Kauman
is a new and entertaining take on the Robin Hood of folklore as told from the perspective of a young woman of the times,
this impressive work of medieval historical fiction is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists
and community library collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "The Traitor of Sherwood Forest" from
Penguin Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Amy S. Kaufman (https://www.amyskaufman.com) has a Ph.D. in medieval literature and writes about
medieval history, myths, and legends.
The LGBTQ Fiction Shelf
Days of Light
Megan Hunter
Grove Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802164773, $28.00, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Days-Light-Megan-Hunter/dp/0802164773
Synopsis: Easter Sunday, 1938. Ivy is nineteen and ready for her life to finally begin. Her sprawling, bohemian family and
their friends gather in the idyllic English countryside for lunch, arranging themselves around well-worn roles. They trade
political views and artistic arguments as they impatiently await the arrival and first sight of Frances, the new beau of Ivy's
beloved older brother, Joseph.
In this auspicious atmosphere of springtime, Ivy's world feels on the cusp of something grand -- but neither she nor those
closest to her predicts how a single, enchanted evening and an unexpected tragedy will alter the rest of their lives.
A radiant, philosophical, and intimate journey through time, "Days of Light" chronicles six pivotal days across six decades
to tell the story of Ivy's pursuit of answers -- to the events of this fateful Easter Sunday and to the shifting desires of her own
heart. Moving through the Second World War up to the close of the 20th century, "Days of Light" reveals galvanic love and
transformative moments, the kind that define a winding, beautiful, well lived life.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, emotionally and intellectually engaging, "Days of Light" by British novelist Megan Hunter
will hold a very special appeal, especially to readers with an interest in LGBTQ historical fiction. With her expert and
eloquent storytelling skills, author Megan Hunter raises her novel to an impressively level of literary elegance. While
unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for
personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Days of Light" from Grove Press is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Megan Hunter (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megan_Hunter) is a novelist, dramatist and screenwriter. Her
first novel, The End We Start From (2017) was shortlisted for Novel of the Year at the Books Are My Bag Awards,
longlisted for the Aspen Words Prize, was a Barnes and Noble Discover Awards finalist and won the Foreword Reviews
Editor's Choice Award. It was adapted into a major motion picture by Alice Birch, starring Jodie Comer and directed by
Mahalia Belo. Her second novel, The Harpy (2020), was Indie Book of the Month; she is currently adapting it for television
with Red Planet Pictures. In 2024 her dramatic monologue Salt of the Earth premiered at Venice Film Festival. Megan's
other writing has appeared in the White Review, the TLS, Literary Hub, Vogue, Elle, BOMB, and elsewhere. She lives in
Cambridge, UK.
The Literary Fiction Shelf
Where I Went Wrong
David Galef
Regal House Publishing
https://regalhousepublishing.com
9781646035861, $19.95, PB, 248pp
https://www.amazon.com/Where-Went-Wrong-David-Galef/dp/1646035860
Synopsis: Tony Mazza is no stranger to bad days; in fact, they often seem to define his life, including stints at a real estate
agency, a bike shop, and a bar. After his latest job, as a hospital orderly, he faces jail time for driving off in a stolen
ambulance.
"Where did I go wrong?" he wonders as he thinks back on his failed relationships, a disastrous investment, and family
challenges dating back to high school and earlier...all the way back to his birth, as recounted by his much-put-upon
mother.
"Where I Went Wrong" is a new novel in which author David Galef successfully blends action with rueful reflection,
examining the complexities of failure and success. "Where I Went Wrong" poses the question of why some people lose out
while others get away with little short of murder, offering a narrative both comic and profoundly serious.
Critique: Deftly scripted, impressively original, emotionally and intellectually engaging, and a simply fascinating read from
cover to cover, "Where I Went Wrong" by author David Galef will hold a very special appeal to readers with an interest in
an expertly crafted novel whose author's storytelling skill set has raised it to an impressive level of literary excellence.
Especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary Literarry Fiction
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Where I Went Wrong" from Regal
House Publishing is readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: David Galef (https://davidgalef.com) is a self-described shameless eclectic who has published over a dozen
books, including the novel Flesh, the short story collection My Date with Neanderthal Woman, the children's books Tracks,
Japanese Proverbs: Wit and Wisdom, and Brevity: A Flash Fiction Handbook. He is an English professor and creative
writing program director at Montclair State University. He is also the editor of Vestal Review, the longest-running flash
fiction magazine on the planet (https://www.vestalreview.net).
Speak to Me of Home
Jeanine Cummins
Henry Holt & Company
www.henryholt.com
9781250759368, $29.99, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Speak-Me-Home-Jeanine-Cummins/dp/1250759366
Synopsis: On her wedding day in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1968, Rafaela Acuna y Daubon has mild misgivings, but she
marries Peter Brennan Jr. anyway in a blaze of romantic optimism. She has no way of knowing how dramatically her life
will change when she uproots her young family to start over in the American Midwest, unleashing a fleet of
disappointments.
In the 1980s, against the backdrop of her mother's isolation in St. Louis, Missouri, Rafaela's daughter, Ruth, wants only to
belong. Eager to fit in, Ruth lets go of her language, habits, and childhood memories of Puerto Rico. It's not until decades
later when Ruth's own daughter, Daisy, returns to San Juan that her mother and grandmother begin to truly reflect on the
choices that have come to define their lives.
When a hurricane ravages the island in 2023, leaving Daisy critically injured, Rafaela and Ruth return to the city where their
story began. As they gather at Daisy's bedside, we follow them back into the moments that brought them to this point: We
watch as they come of age, fall in love, take risks, and contend with all the heartbreaks, triumphs, and reversals of fortune -
both good and bad - that make up a meaningful life. As old memories come to light, so do buried secrets, leaving everyone
in the family wondering exactly where it is that they belong.
A striking, resonant examination of marriage, family, and identity, "Speak to Me of Home" is ultimately a story of mothers
and daughters that asks: How can three women who share geography and genetics have such wildly different ideas of where
they come from? And, more important, can they discover a common language to find their way back home?
Critique: Original, impressive, fascinating, deftly crafted and of particular appeal to readers with an interest in Hispanic
family sagas, "Speak to Me of Home" by Jeanine Cummins is a particularly eloquent novel whose author's flair for the kind
of narrative driven storytelling style holds the reader's rapt attention from start to finish. While a popular and recommended
pick for community library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this
hardcover edition of "Speak to Me of Home" from Henry Holt & Company is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Jeanine Cummins (https://jeaninecummins.com) is also the author of "American Dirt". Her other works
include the memoir "A Rip in Heaven", and the novels "The Outside Boy" and "The Crooked Branch".
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
The Light on Horn Island
Valerie Fraser Luesse
Fleming H. Revell Company
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.revellbooks.com
9780800746780, $29.99, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0800746783
Synopsis: When Edie Gardner's life in New York falls apart, her grandmother Adele "Punk" Cheramie coaxes her back to
tiny Bayou du Chene, Mississippi. Edie spent many happy summers there, a stone's throw from untamed Horn Island, where
she once found love. Can she now demystify the island's strange new light?
Punk and her colorful friends introduce Edie to the Trove, a fascinating gallery and antique shop. Like Horn Island's light,
The Trove has appeared out of nowhere. Its proprietor, with a gift for discerning his customers' needs, gives Edie a
Victorian parlor game that asks players a series of personal questions, which is harmless fun at first. But Edie and her
grandmother's circle find that the game has a way of uncovering secrets, including a heartbreak that has haunted one of the
women for decades.
Banding together, this Southern sisterhood is determined to find answers that will bring healing, hope, and happiness -- and
maybe explain the transcendent illumination of a wild and windswept barrier island.
Critique: A deftly crafted and fun read from cover to cover, "The Light on Horn Island" by novelist Valerie Fraser Luesse
will hold a very special appeal for readers with an interest in original stories about southern small town stories of women's
friendship, sisterhood, and self-discovery. While a highly recommended pick for community library Contemporary Fiction
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "The Light on Horn Island" from
Revell is also readily available in paperback (9780800741617, $17.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Valerie Fraser Luesse (https://www.valeriefraserluesse.com) is the author of Missing Isaac, Almost Home,
The Key to Everything, Under the Bayou Moon, and Letters from My Sister. She is also an award-winning magazine writer
best known for her feature stories and essays in Southern Living, where she retired as senior travel editor.
An Unexpected Grace
Tracie Peterson and Kimberly Woodhouse, authors
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764239021, $29.99, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Unexpected-Grace-Christian-Historical-Bestselling/dp/0764239023
Synopsis: After a decade away, Parker Bennett returns home with a traveling troupe to perform a play based on Uncle Tom's
Cabin at the Kalispell Opera House. Parker has relished his life on the road, but being home awakens long-buried emotions
when he encounters his first love, Johanna St. John. He can't help but wonder if there might still be a place for him in her
heart.
Widowed for three years, Johanna devotes all her time to a demanding toddler, an injured father, and a successful millinery
business. After the loss of her husband, she desires to move on, but reconnecting with her past love leaves her unsure of
what lies ahead. Both committed to God's distinct calling on their lives, Johanna and Parker struggle to see how their futures
can unite, and when strange things start happening around town, their second chance at a life together seems more unlikely
than ever.
Critique: With the publication of "An Unexpected Grace", co-authors Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse present
another journey to the American Frontier with themes of second chances and the enduring power of grace despite life's
trials. Original, deftly crafted, and emotionally engaging, "An Unexpected Grace" is a fun compelling read that will prove of
immense interest to fans of Christian romance novels that explore love through the lens of a Christian faith. Highly
recommended for community library Historical Romance collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this
paperback edition of "An Unexpected Grace" from Bethany House Publishers is also readily available in paperback
(9780764239014, $18.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).
Editorial Note #1: Tracie Peterson (www.TraciePeterson.com) is the author of more than 100 novels, both historical and
contemporary. She has won the ACFW Lifetime Achievement Award and the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award.
Her avid research resonates in her many bestselling series.
Editorial Note #2: Kimberley Woodhouse (www.KimberleyWoodhouse.com) is an the author of more than forty fiction and
nonfiction books.
A Lesson in Propriety
Jen Turano
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764245145, $39.99, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Lesson-Propriety-Merriweather-Academy-Ladies/dp/0764245147
Synopsis: With her father dead, her fortune stolen, and her fiance casting her aside, Miss Drusilla Merriweather has one
option: to open a finishing school in the only property she has left -- an allegedly haunted castle. But first she'll have to
contend with unscrupulous developers and a handsome gentleman determined to rescue her.
Critique: Deftly written, exceptionally original, emotionally engaging, distinctively memorable, and a decidedly fun read
from cover to cover, "A Lesson in Propriety" showcases author Jen Turano's genuine flair for the kind of narrative driven
storytelling that raises an historical romance novel to an impressive level of literary elegance. While also readily available
for personal reading lists in a paperback edition (9780764243851, $18.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99),
this hardcover edition of "A Lesson in Propriety" from Bethany House Publishers is highly recommended for community
library collections, and readers with an interest in Gilded Age Historical Romance novels.
Editorial Note: Jen Turano (www.JenTurano.com) is known for penning quirky historical romances set in the Gilded Age.
She has been a finalist twice for the RT Reviewers' Choice Awards and had two of her books listed in the top 100 romances
of the past decade from Booklist.
Homebound
Meredith Trapp
Emily Bester Books
c/o Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster Publishing
https://www.simonandschusterpublishing.com/atria
9798989848119, $16.99, PB, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Homebound-Small-Romance-Meredith-Trapp/dp/B0DC55JSXM
Synopsis: Dakota and Wyatt. Storm and sunshine. Growing up, they were as inseparable as a pair of cowboy boots. The best
of friends -- or so Dakota thought. Every summer, Wyatt would come home to his family's flower farm in Granite Falls,
Texas and they'd stargaze in the fields, pinkies brushing, laughter rumbling with the cicadas until one summer... he never
came back.
Dakota Cutler hasn't heard a peep from Wyatt Patterson in over three years, and a lot has changed. He's the hockey world's
golden-boy, and she's developed a reputation for riding bulls and leaving men with broken hearts. After a string of one-night
stands, the last thing Dakota needs is a distraction, but when her oldest childhood friend waltzes back into town, begging to
move into her barn with the most adorable baby girl on his hip, everything changes.
Wyatt Patterson's back to get the girl he's been obsessing over for years, and he's doing everything to get her to see him as
more than a friend -- two-stepping at the rodeo, jumping into Cibolo Creek, even rendezvousing in outdoor showers. All
Dakota wants is to keep her distance from her ex-friend, but when she learns the truth behind why Wyatt left, it turns out the
scorching Texas sun might not be the only thing that burns them this summer.
Critique: Original and a fun read from cover to cover, "Homebound" will hold a very special appeal to readers with an
interest in complicated small town romances. With the publication of "Homebound", novelist Meredith Trapp is a natural
born storyteller and a master of the romantic comedy genre. While available and recommended for community library
Contemporary Romance collections, it should be noted for dedicated romance fans that this paperback edition of
"Homebound" from Emily Bester Books is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Meredith Trapp (https://authormeredithtrapp.com) is a professional daydreamer who writes romance stories
full of spice, smooches, and swoons. To stay up to date on Meredith's upcoming projects, you can connect with her on social
media: @authormeredithtrapp
You, Me, and Forever
Laura Pavlov
https://www.laurapavlov.com
Montlake
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662525438, $16.99, PB, 283pp
https://www.amazon.com/You-Forever-Blushing-Laura-Pavlov/dp/1662525435
Synopsis: Myles St. James is tearing my world apart. Wish I'd known that before I slept with him. It was supposed to be a
one-night stand. Like I knew anything about those. But I needed to blow off steam. My ex had just gotten engaged. My dry
spell was nearing six months. And my booming wedding planning business (the one I started with my bestie) was about to
lose its favorite venue to some bulldozer-happy developer from New York.
The Seaside Inn is such a special place. My second home. And ever since that famous singer got married there, people are
flocking to Blushing, Alaska, for their own weddings too. Guess whose fling turns out to be the hotshot real estate guy?
But he isn't what I expected. And sleeping with the enemy doesn't feel nearly as wrong as it should. Because Myles St.
James is rocking my world. Too bad giving in to him could mean giving up my dreams.
Critique: Deftly crafted and impressively original, this latest novel from the mind and imagination of novelist Laura Pavlov
once again demonstrates her complete mastery of the contemporary romance genre. Engaging, entertaining, and a true
page-turner of a read from start to finish, "You, Me, and Forever" is a solid and recommended pick for community library
collections. It should also be noted for the personal reading lists of Laura's legions of dedicated fans that this trade
paperback (5.5 x 1 x 8.5 inches, 11.2 ounces) edition of "You, Me, and Forever" from Montlake is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $3.99).
Editorial Note: Laura Pavlov (https://www.laurapavlov.com) is best known for writing swoony, emotional stories with a
side of angst and a dash of humor. A hopeless romantic at heart, she likes to take her characters on a journey that always
leads to happily ever after.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Postmarked Castle Cove
Judy M. Kerr
https://www.judymkerr.com
Launch Point Press
https://www.launchpointpress.com
9781633040755, $18.95 PB, $8.95 Kindle, 244pp
https://www.amazon.com/Postmarked-Castle-Cove-McCall-Suspense-ebook/dp/B0F92CHXJK
Synopsis: Back on the job after a stint in rehab, US Postal Inspector MC McCall is assigned to mentor an unseasoned young
inspector while trying to tune out her demons. The challenge is to stay sober and deal with the Columbo-loving newbie.
Then MC is sent to Castle Cove, Minnesota, to investigate a post office robbery, which turns into something much worse.
McCall must navigate the grief and guilt of her personal loss while fighting furiously to reel in degenerates preying on
children and profiting from peddling illegal images.
Will MC succeed in taking down the twisted predators without taking a nosedive back into the bottle? A firm believer in
never giving up, MC must persist while learning how to let others in if she wants to survive.
Critique: A deftly scripted and fully entertaining novel featuring loss, redemption, lesbianism, and an older female sleuth,
"Postmarked Castle Cove" is the third installment in author Judy M. Kerr 'MC McCall' series and will be of immense appeal
for readers with an interest in police procedurals and cozy mysteries. Novelist and storyteller Judy Kerr once again
demonstrates her genuine and distinctive flair for the kind of narrative driven storytelling style that raises this suspense
thriller to an impressive level of literary excellence. A fun read from a true master of the genre, this paperback edition of
"Postmarked Castle Cove" from Launch Point Press is also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book
format (Kindle, $8.95. Along with this simply outstanding series first two titles ("Black Friday" and "Silent Service"), this
edition of "Postmarked Castle Cove" is especially and unreservedly recommended to the attention of dedicated mystery fans
and is an immediate and enduringly popular pick community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: Judy M. Kerr (https://www.judymkerr.com) lives and writes in Minnesota. A number of Judy's short stories
have been published in various anthologies, including "Ruby Red Heist" in the Dark Side of the Loon: Where History Meets
Mystery anthology published in 2018 by the Twin Cities Chapter of Sisters in Crime. She has an avid interest in crime (true
and fiction) and is always working on ideas for her next story.
The English Masterpiece
Katherine Reay
Harper Muse
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9781400347278, $18.99, PB, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/English-Masterpiece-Novel-Katherine-Reay/dp/1400347270
Synopsis: As the recently promoted assistant to the Tate's Modern Collections keeper Diana Gilden, Lily helps plan a
world-class Picasso exhibit to honor the passing of the great artist -- and she's waited her whole life for this moment. The
opening is beyond anyone's expectations -- the lighting, the champagne, the glittering crowd, and the international acclaim --
until Lily does the unthinkable. She stops in front of a masterpiece and hears her own voice say, "It's a forgery." The gallery
falls silent.
Lily's boss, Diana, is polished perfection, schooled in art, and descends from European high society. She's worked hard to
become the trusted voice in London's modern art scene and respected across the Continent. The Tate's Picasso
Commemorative is to be her crowning achievement, featuring not only the artist's most iconic and intimate works, but a
newly discovered painting -- one she advised an investor to purchase. But when Lily makes her outrageous declaration,
suspicion and scandal threaten everything Diana has achieved, as museums and collectors across Europe, already doubting
most post-war acquisitions, fall into chaos and rumors of a world-wide forgery run wild.
All Lily has ever wanted is to follow in Diana's footsteps and take the art world by storm in her own right. Yet one comment
puts not only her own career at risk but also her mentor's. Unless... Was she right? With the clock ticking and the clues
starting to pile up against her, Lily must uncover the truth behind the Picasso before she loses not only the career she's
always wanted, but her freedom.
Critique: An original historical thriller featuring an amateur female sleuth who must solve a complicated question
concerning art forgery upon reputations will be built or ruined, "The English Masterpiece" by author Katherine Reay is an
inherently fascinating and well crafted novel that will hold a special appeal to readers with an interest in deftly scripted
stories of mystery and suspense. While an ideal pick for community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections, it
should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "The English Masterpiece" from Harper Muse is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Katherine Reay (www.katherinereay.com) is an award-winning author who has enjoyed a lifelong affair with
books. She publishes both fiction and nonfiction, holds a BA and MS from Northwestern University, and currently lives
outside Bozeman, MT, with her husband and three children. She can be followed online at: Facebook:
@KatherineReayBooks; X: @katherine_reay; Instagram: @katherinereay
Blood on the Cat
Nancy Rutledge
American Mystery Classics
c/o Penzler Publishers
https://penzlerpublishers.com
9781613166666, $15.95, PB, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Penzler-Presents-American-Mystery-Classics/dp/1613166664
Synopsis: Bennet Farr was the richest, most corrupt, and most hated man in Cognac, a small town just outside of Chicago.
He ruled the village with his money and crossed nearly all of the villagers in the process. So when he is found dead one
November morning with a bread knife in his back, the chief of police faces a long line of suspects. Was it the new librarian,
angered by Farr's threat to close the library? Was it the schoolteacher, whose pupil he threatened? Or perhaps his son, who
he disinherited just before his death?
Reporter Killian McBean is also among the list, since Farr was planning to foreclose on the Cognac Courier and put him out
of a job. But, as the cops are befuddled by too many motives, Killian's journalistic acumen cuts through the noise in search
of the real story -- even if, in the end, it's his cat Smoky that discovers the essential clue that leads to its solution.
Never before issued in paperback in unabridged form, "Blood on the Cat" by the late Nancy Rutledge is a lost classic worthy
of rediscovery, with memorable characters, fair-play clues, and a cat that's as clever as it is charming. Cozy in subject
matter, it's sure to please any fan of Golden Age detective fiction.
Critique: This paperback edition of "Blood on the Cat" by mystery novelist Nancy Rutledge is a true gem of a 'whodunnit'
murder mystery. A simply riveting read from cover to cover, after many years of being out of print, this American Mystery
Classics edition of "Blood on the Cat" is once again available for a whole new generation of appreciative readers and a
choice, unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It
should be noted for the dedicated mystery fan that "Blood on the Cat" is readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$15.15).
Editorial Note #1: Nancy Rutledge was born in Chicago and educated at Rockford College and Northwestern. Between 1944
and 1960, she authored ten works of crime fiction under her own name, two of them published only in England. She also
had one mystery novel published as by Leigh Bryson, a Handi-Book paperback original in 1947. In the 1950s and '60s, she
had eight mystery novels serialized in the Saturday Evening Post, and one that appeared complete in an issue of Redbook.
(https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1140186.Nancy_Rutledge)
Editorial Note #2: Otto Penzler, the creator of American Mystery Classics, is also the founder of The Mysterious Press
(1975); MysteriousPress.com (2011), an electronic-book publishing company; and New York City's Mysterious Bookshop
(1979). He has won a Raven, the Ellery Queen Award, two Edgars (for the Encyclopedia of Mystery and Detection, 1977,
and The Lineup, 2010), and lifetime achievement awards from NoirCon and The Strand Magazine. He has edited more than
70 anthologies and written extensively about mystery fiction.
Take it to the Limit
Linda Opdyke
Independently Published
9798283950587, $14.95 PB / $2.99 Kindle, 374pp
https://www.amazon.com/Take-Limit-Book-Linda-Opdyke/dp/B0F8TXPLYC
Synopsis: Husband and wife team, Ethan and Michele (Mickey) Jenks, own separate investigative agencies in Nashville,
Tennessee. He is a seasoned pro that loves dangerous undercover work. She is brand new but believes her skills match her
husband's, but inexperience lands her in one dangerous situation after another.
Mickey is hired to find a girl who disappeared from Hellbound, a notorious biker bar. Ethan has infiltrated a sex trafficking
ring run out of that same bar. Unknown to Mike, she and her husband are working the same case -- but from very different
angles.
The bar's hardcore biker owner uses a double-dealing journalist to manipulate Mickey into revealing how Ethan got inside
and what he's uncovered, with deadly results.
When two of her informants are murdered, Mickey dives deeper into the bar's activities and learns a transport to auction the
girls is scheduled. It's a race against time for her to locate her client's sister, but it will take all of Ethan's skill and experience
to locate not only the nondescript freight car transporting the girls to the auction, but also his wife, imprisoned by the bar
owner and now part of the transport!
Critique: Original, clever, deftly scripted, compelling, and a fun read for P.I. mystery buffs from start to finish, "Take It To
The Limit" showcases author Linda Opdyke's genuine flair for the kind of narrative driven storytelling style that keeps the
reader fully engaged and entertained. While an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community library
Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of
"Take It To The Limit" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).
Editorial Note: Linda Opdyke's previous novels won numerous awards, including thriller Stones Throw, named a Best of the
Year - classic by Mystery Morgue Magazine and a finalist in the first annual Eppie (EPIC) Awards for e-books. She loves
hearing from readers. There is a listing of her published novels at
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/220959.Linda_Opdyke
Take it to the Limit: Book Two: A Dish Best Served Cold
Linda Opdyke
Independently Published
ASIN: B0F8W2V1JK, Kindle $3.99 / $14.95 PB
https://www.amazon.com/Take-Limit-Book-Two-served-ebook/dp/B0F8W2V1JK
Synopsis: When top private investigator Ethan Jenks works undercover at a Nashville Christmas gala, a staged robbery and
shocking drug-spiked drink exposes a three way race to retrieve an embezzled five million dollars. With a rising body count,
events rapidly escalate.
Ethan and his wife Michele (Mickey) follow the deadly trail from Nashville to Ethan's small Kentucky home town to
uncover who's behind the killings and why their family is targeted. Simultaneously, his brother Logan plays international
financial cat-and-mouse with his fraud partner from years ago.
All bets are off when his old partner, the student, takes on Logan, the teacher, in a race to locate and recover the five million
dollars. When Mickey is kidnapped by the killer, they learn he no longer wants the money, just sweet revenge!
Critique: As an author, Linda Opdyke has a simply riveting storytelling style that is ideally suited to an action/adventure
suspense thriller of a novel keeping the reader's rapt attention from start to finish. The sequel to her novel 'Take it to the
Limit", and currently available in a digital book (Kindle) format "Take it to the Limit: Book Two: A Dish Best Served Cold"
is latest installment featuring the husband and wife PI duo Mickey and Ethan Jenks is another fun read, especially for
anyone with an interest in a deftly crafted, original, and exceptionally entertaining fast paced 'whodunnit' style multiple
murder mystery thriller. Simply stated, ""Take it to the Limit: Book Two: A Dish Best Served Cold" will prove an
immediate and enduringly popular pick for personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: Linda Opdyke's previous novels won numerous awards, including thriller Stones Throw, named a Best of the
Year - classic by Mystery Morgue Magazine and a finalist in the first annual Eppie (EPIC) Awards for e-books. She loves
hearing from readers. There is a listing of her published novels at
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/220959.Linda_Opdyke
The Busybody Book Club
Freya Sampson
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin/Random House
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9780593550540, $30.00, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Busybody-Book-Club-Freya-Sampson/dp/0593550544
Synopsis: Having recently moved from London to a small Cornish seaside village, Nova Davies started a book club at the
local community center, but so far it's a disaster. The five members disagree on everything, and to make matters worse, a
significant sum of money is stolen during one of the meetings, putting the much-loved community center at risk.
Suspicion for the theft falls on book club member Michael, especially when he disappears and a dead body turns up at his
house. But the book club has their own theories. Agatha Christie superfan Phyllis is determined to prove Michael's been
framed, while romance reader Arthur believes there's a mystery woman involved, and teenage sci-fi fan Ash thinks dark
forces are at play.
While trying to locate Michael, solve the murder and recover the stolen money, each of them has their own secrets to
protect. But despite the danger closing in, they won't rest until they've cracked the case and gotten everyone safe at home
with a book, where they belong.
Critique: Unique, imaginative, compelling, deftly crafted, and a fun, fascinating read from cover to cover, "The Busybody
Book Club" by novelist Freya Sampson will prove to be of immense appeal to readers with an interest in amateur sleuths
trying to solve a murder mystery when they are having internal conflicts with each other. While highly recommended,
especially for community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading
lists of cozy mystery fans that this hardcover edition of "The Busybody Book Club" from Berkley Books is also readily
available in paperback (9780593550557, $19.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Freya Sampson (https://freya-sampson.com) works in television as a creator and executive producer. Her
credits include two documentary series for the BBC about the British royal family as well as a number of factual and
entertainment series. She studied history at Cambridge University and in 2018 was short-listed for the Exeter Novel Prize.
She lives in London with her husband, two young children, and an antisocial cat.
A Death on Corfu
Emily Sullivan
Kensington
c/o Kensington Publishing Corp.
www.kensingtonbooks.com
9781496751416, $27.00, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Death-Corfu-Emily-Sullivan/dp/1496751418
Synopsis: Minnie Harper isn't used to putting herself first. Not after she moved away from England only to be left raising
two children alone on the Greek Island of Corfu following her husband's unexpected death. But with her daughter begging
to be sent to school abroad and her son grasping at his own independence, Minnie realizes she must prepare for the next
stage of her life.
When famous mystery author Stephen Dorian settles into a neighboring villa to escape writer's block and hidden scandals,
she is intrigued at first by the handsome Londoner -- until he proves to be nothing more than a boorish grump. Determined
to avoid the man as much as possible, Minnie is shocked when he offers her a well-paid job as his typist. She isn't in a
position to turn down work, even from a man she has sworn to hate.
But before Minnie can fully regret her decision to take the job, she makes a horrifying discovery that changes everything. A
young maid has been murdered, and local authorities aren't moving fast enough to bring justice to the terrible crime.
Unwilling to allow the death to fade into obscurity like the stories of so many other women deemed unworthy by society,
Minnie launches an investigation of her own -- and reluctantly accepts Stephen's help.
As she embarks on a dangerous search for answers that reveals another side of Corfu, unsettling questions take shape about
her employer-turned-confidant and the culprit who just might do whatever it takes to strike again!
Critique: Launching a new cozy mystery series from novelist Emily Sullivan, "A Death on Corfu" is impressively original,
extraordinarily well written, fully engaging, as well as a fun and fascinating read from cover to cover. Deftly set in Greece at
the turn of the twentieth century, "A Death on Corfu" will prove to be a welcome and enduringly popular pick for
community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for dedicated 'whodunnit' mystery buffs that this
hardcover edition of "A Death on Colrfu" from Kensington is also quite readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$12.99). It is also available for personal and public library collections as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone
Publishing, 9798228446649, $45.95, CD).
Editorial Note: Emily Sullivan (https://emilysullivanbooks.com) is an award-winning author of historical romance set in the
late Victorian period. Her love of romance first began when she was an angsty, tortured teenager, but now she prefers stories
with a HEA. She has both a BA and MA in English and her writing has been featured in a variety of print and online
publications, including the Southampton Review and the Toast.
Not the Trip We Planned
Linda N. Edelstein, author
Carol G. Kerr, author
Koehler Books
www.koehlerbooks.com
9798888246108, $28.95, HC, 308pp
https://www.amazon.com/Not-Trip-Planned-Linda-Edelstein/dp/B0DQYD1S85
Synopsis: Chickie and Maddy are aging in their typical yin and yang styles when old friend Lena's husband, Edward,
suddenly dies. Maddy, a retired social worker, is eager to offer support; Chickie, a chronically underemployed journalist, is
peeved at the inconvenience. Friendship prevails and the two reluctantly return to Chicago, where they'd all met decades
earlier.
They soon learn that Lena requires more than comfort or casseroles -- she is certain Edward was murdered and demands
answers. Chickie and Maddy dismiss her suspicions as grief but agree to help. They're soon astonished to discover they have
a penchant for unraveling secrets, learning more about Edward than they ever wanted to know. As the tensions increase, the
women must choose to remain silent or pursue justice...or is it revenge?
Critique: Original, deftly co-authored by Linda Edelstein and Carol Kerr, and an emotionally/intellectually engaging read
from start to finish, "Not The Trip We Planned" is an extraordinary and compelling novel that will be of particular interest
to fans of Women's Friendship Fiction and the cozy mystery format of amateur female sleuths having to solve a 'whodunnit'
murder. While especially and unreservedly recommended as a popular pick for community library Mystery/Suspense
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Not The Trip We Planned" from
Koehler Books is also readily available in paperback (9798888246085, $19.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$7.99).
Editorial Note: As a clinical psychologist and professor, Linda Edelstein has authored five nonfiction books about the twists
and turns of life. Carol Kerr and Linda met a long time ago in graduate school at Northwestern. Then, marriage took Carol
back to her native California, where she worked in Bay Area public mental health for thirty-five years, doing crisis
intervention and graduate clinical training in serious mental illness. She has longed to write detective fiction since she first
discovered Nancy Drew.
Marguerite by the Lake
Mary Dixie Carter
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
www.minotaurbooks.com
9781250790385, $28.00, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Marguerite-Lake-Mary-Dixie-Carter/dp/1250790387
Synopsis: Marguerite Gray is a lifestyle icon known for her garden parties, high-end business ventures, and being the muse
behind the famous Serge Kuhnert painting, 'Marguerite by the Lake'. Her presence is overpowering, her taste,
legendary.
For the last few years, Phoenix has been the gardener on the famed Rosecliff grounds, home of the Gray family: Marguerite
and her husband Geoffrey. Phoenix came from humble beginnings, and now she works hard to craft the landscape that
underpins Marguerite's brand.
When a storm threatens the launch party for Marguerite's latest book, it's Phoenix who spots the danger to the guests and
rushes to Geoffrey's side to save him from a falling tree. Geoffrey is grateful -- perhaps too grateful, because Marguerite is...
jealous.
Phoenix senses the danger of being drawn deeper into their lives but can't resist the attention, becoming embroiled in an
affair that could destroy her career.
But soon after the affair begins Marguerite falls to her death, from the same high point at Rosecliff where she posed for
Marguerite by the Lake. Now Phoenix has another secret, one that haunts her even as Geoffrey invites her to move into the
manor with him. A secret that Detective Hanna and Marguerite's daughter (her spitting image) are circling closer and closer
to.
Phoenix tries to put it all behind her and find her rightful place at Rosecliff. But as every gardener knows, nothing stays
buried forever.
Critique: Original, creative, compelling, deftly scripted, and a fascinating read from cover to cover, "Marguerite by the Lake
by author Mary Dixie Carter is a true gem of a psychological suspense thriller novel from start to finish. While especially
and unreservedly recommended as a popular pick for community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections, it
should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated murder mystery fans that this hardcover edition of "Marguerite by
the Lake" from Minotaur Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Mary Dixie Carter (https://www.marydixiecarter.com) is the author of the critically acclaimed novel The
Photographer. Her writing has appeared in TIME, The Economist, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Chicago Tribune, The
Philadelphia Inquirer, The New York Sun, The New York Observer, and other print and online publications. She worked at
The Observer for five years, where she served as the publishing director. Mary Dixie graduated from Harvard with an
honors degree in English Literature and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School.
A Botanist's Guide to Rituals and Revenge
Kate Khavari
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
Blackstone Publishing
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9798892420426, $29.99, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Botanists-Rituals-Revenge-Saffron-Everleigh/dp/B0DGP6KDK6
Synopsis: Saffron Everleigh returns to Ellington Manor after her grandfather suffers a heart attack. Back in her childhood
home for the first time in years, Saffron faces tense family relationships made worse by the presence of the enigmatic Bill
Wyatt, hired on as a doctor to the ailing Lord Easting. But the man is no doctor -- in reality, he is a mysterious figure
involved in the trafficking of dangerous government secrets, and his presence at Ellington can only mean trouble.
When their neighbors, the Hales, invite a spiritual medium into the village who starts angling for Saffron's mother's
attention, Saffron realizes that there is more afoot in her hometown than she originally thought. Not to mention inviting
Alexander to Ellington has put their budding relationship under her family's microscope.
As tensions rise at Ellington, Bill demands that Saffron hand over old research documents belonging to her late father. With
her relatives under his power as their 'doctor,' Saffron fears she may be forced to surrender the files along with her hopes of
ever understanding her father's obscure legacy. Nothing and no one is as they seem at Ellington. It's through the perfumed
haze of the seance's smoke that Saffron must search for the truth before it's too late.
Critique: The fourth book in novelist Kate Khavari's 'Saffron Everleigh Mystery Series', "A Botanist's Guide to Rituals and
Revenge" is an impressively crafted and simply terrific read from cover to cover for dedicated mystery fans. With a
storytelling style that is imaginatively original, intellectually engaging, compelling and entertaining, "A Botanist's Guide to
Rituals and Revenge" is a welcome and recommended addition to community library Historical Mystery collections. It
should be noted for fans of mystery novels featuring women sleuths that this hardcover edition of "A Botanist's Guide to
Rituals and Revenge" from Crooked Lane Press is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete
and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing, 9798228579866, $45.95, CD).
Editorial Note: Kate Khavari (https://www.kkhavari.com) is the author of novels that range from historical mysteries to high
fantasy epics. She has her parents to thank for her fascination for historical mysteries, as she spent the majority of her
childhood memorizing Sherlock Holmes's and Poirot's greatest quips.
A Poisonous Silence
Jenny Adams
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892420389, $29.99, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Poisonous-Silence-Deadly-Twenties-Mystery/dp/B0DCF595NX
Synopsis: Philadelphia, 1921. Edie Shippen has officially started her new career as a private investigator... even though she
has yet to book a client. When she runs into an old friend, the film actress Ava Sylvester, Edie is delighted at the chance to
rekindle their relationship. But when Ava's co-star and new husband, Duncan, dies suddenly, all signs point to Ava. Edie's
first official case begins in earnest, desperately trying to clear her friend's name.
Gilbert Lawless has carved out a peaceful existence as a coroner's assistant. The last thing he wants is to jeopardize his
position by involving himself with Edie Shippen. But when the body count racks up, Gilbert finds himself drawn into Edie's
investigation on the set of Philadelphia's most famous film studio, where everyone seems to have something to hide.
As the cameras roll, Edie and Gilbert race to catch a poisoner before one of them ends up being the next body in the
morgue.
Critique: Set in the Roaring Twenties prohibition era, with the publication of "A Poisonous Silence", historical mystery
novelist Jenny Adams sets the stage for this second and exceptionally entertaining book in her 'A Deadly Twenties' mystery
series that was launched with "A Deadly Endeavor". A deftly crafted, fun and simply riveting read from cover to cover, "A
Poisonous Silence" will be especially prized reading for dedicated fans of the murder mysteries involving amateur women
sleuths. A prized pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that
this hardcover edition of "A Poisonous Silence" from Crooked Lane Press is also available in paperback (9798892422406,
$19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Jenny Adams (https://jenny-adams.com) has always had an overactive imagination. She turned her love of
books and stories into a career as a librarian and author of novels for adults. She holds degrees in Medieval Studies and
Library Science from The Ohio State University and Drexel University.
Grave Words
Gerri Lewis
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892422482, $29.99, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Grave-Words-Deadly-Deadlines-Mystery/dp/B0DHN7BGKS
Synopsis: Winter Snow has had it! With her business in a death drought, her best friend Scoop implicated in a string of
arsons, and an obituary listing Winter herself as deceased, her life is heating up. But just as she's trying to cool things down,
she receives her newest assignment: an obituary for Chester, a homeless man found in a burning building.
Promising the local funeral home manager that she will have the obituary by the deadline, Winter is stonewalled at every
turn, failing to discover Chester's last name, or where he came from. When it is discovered that Chester was murdered and
that the fire was set to cover it up, all fingers immediately point to Scoop. Not only is Scoop a person of interest in the
arsons, he was also the last person to see Chester alive.
As more nails are pounded into Scoop's coffin, Winter's uncle Richard hopes to help by inviting the notorious town gossips,
The Nosy Parkers, to a neighborhood food fest. Unfortunately, the breadcrumbs they toss set murder in motion.
More determined than ever, Winter must figure out the twists and turns of the case to clear Scoop's name, putting her on a
deadly deadline to solve the murder and avoid meeting the same grave consequences.
Critique: Original, deftly scripted, clever, a fun and fascinating read from start to finish, "Grave Words" is the second title in
novelist Gerri Lewis' new cozy mystery murder mystery series 'A Deadly Deadlines Mystery'. Showcasing Lewis' distinctive
and engaging storytelling style, "Grave Words" (like "The Last Word" which the first volume in the series) is an especially
and highly recommended pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal
reading lists of cozy mystery fans everywhere that this hardcover edition of "Grave Words" from Crooked Lane Press is also
readily available in paperback (9798892422482, $19.99) and 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
068 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. Beyond journalism, Gerri works as a public information officer for the Ridgefield
Office of Emergency Management.
Shot Through the Book
Eva Gates
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892420440, $29.99, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Shot-Through-Lighthouse-Library-Mystery/dp/B0DCFWYJ9S
Synopsis: The upcoming YA book festival at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library is bringing in renowned authors from all
over the world. When best selling author Todd Harrison unexpectedly visits librarian Lucy McNeil at her Outer Banks beach
house after a meeting, she is puzzled by his presence, since they're virtually strangers. After she steps inside to get him a
drink, she's shocked to discover that he's been murdered on her deck in the few minutes she had left him alone.
Not knowing why he wanted to meet with her in private, or how someone managed to kill him in the time it takes to make
lemonade, Lucy is determined to help with the investigation and figure out what happened. When Heather Harrison, Todd's
widow, shows up in town, her motivations aren't inspired by grief. She's intending to use her husband's tragic death to
launch her candidacy for state senator and her first order of business is to go after the local police force - and Lucy
herself.
Caught between an intrusive fan club mourning Todd, squabbling authors fighting for prominence in his absence, and a
politically ruthless widow, Lucy must roll up her sleeves and and catch the killer before the chapter closes on justice.
Critique: Simply stated, as an author, Eva Gates is a true master of the cozy mystery genre. This is once again amply
demonstrated with the publication of "Shot Through the Book", the ninth title in her outstanding 'Lighthouse Library
Mystery' series. An original and fun read from cover to cover, "Shot Through the Book" is especially and unreservedly
recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for dedicated fans of cozy animal
mysteries featuring amateur female sleuths having to solve 'whodunnit' murders that this hardcover edition of "Shot Through
the Book" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Eva Gates (https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/eva-gates) is an author who began her writing career as a
Sunday writer. Now she has more than twenty novels under her belt in the mystery genre, published under the name Vicki
Delany. She lives in Ontario, Canada.
Fire Mountain
Dana Mentink
Fleming H. Revell Company
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.revellbooks.com
9780800746520, $18.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Mountain-Dana-Mentink/dp/080074652X
Synopsis: In the shadow of a threatening volcano, long-haul trucker Kit Garrido wakes up in her crashed big rig, unable to
recall what happened or why she's suddenly in possession of someone's baby. Fiercely independent, she has to admit that
perhaps this time she could use a little help.
As the threat of eruption grows, former cop Cullen Landry refuses to leave his cabin in the evacuation area, which is why
he's the only one left who can help Kit escape the crumpled cab of her truck. He doesn't want to get tangled up in the
mystery of the beautiful woman with an abandoned infant, but when he sees the bullet hole in the windshield and the bloody
handprint on the interior, he realizes that he's in this thing, like it or not.
When two armed men with ill intent approach, the race is on to stay alive, discover the truth, and find the baby's missing
mother -- all while a deadly mountain rains fire from above!
Critique: Original, carefully crafted, and an impressively spell-binding read from start to finish, "Fire Mountain" by author
Dana Mentink is a Christian romantic/suspense novel that is aptly set in 1980 under the shadow of a live volcano in
Washington state. Emotionally and intellectually engaging, "Fire Mountain" especially and unreservedly recommended for
community library Suspense/Thriller Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback
edition from Revell is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).
Editorial Note: Dana Mentink (www.DanaMentink.com) has successful written more than 50 mystery and suspense novels
for Love Inspired Suspense, Harvest House, and Poisoned Pen Press. She is also the winner of two ACFW Carol Awards, a
Holt Medallion Award, and a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award.
A Case of Mice and Murder
Sally Smith
Raven Books
c/o Bloomsbury Publishing
www.bloomsbury.com
9781639736928, $28.99, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Case-Mice-Murder-Trials-Gabriel/dp/1639736921
Synopsis: When barrister Gabriel Ward steps out of his rooms at exactly two minutes to seven on a sunny May morning in
1901, his mind is so full of his latest case (the disputed authorship of bestselling children's book Millie the Temple Church
Mouse) that he scarcely registers the body of the Lord Chief Justice of England on his doorstep.
But even he cannot fail to notice the judge's dusty bare feet, in shocking contrast to his flawless evening dress, nor the silver
carving knife sticking out of his chest. In the shaded courtyards and ancient buildings of the Inner Temple, the hidden heart
of London's legal world, murder has spent centuries confined firmly to the casebooks. Until now...
The police can enter the Temple only by consent, so who better to investigate this tragic breach of law and order than a man
who prizes both above all things? But murder doesn't answer to logic or reasoned argument, and Gabriel soon discovers that
the Temple's heavy oak doors are hiding more surprising secrets than he'd ever imagined...
Critique: The first in a series by British barrister and novelist Sally Smith introducing the amateur and unwilling sleuth Sir
Gabriel Ward KC, "A Case of Mice and Murder" is original, deftly crafted, and a fun read from start to finish for dedicated
'whodunnit' mystery buffs, "A Case of Mice and Murder" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community library
Mystery/Suspense collections. Showcasing a genuine flair for narrative driven storytelling by novelist Sally Smith, it should
also be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "A Case of Mice and Murder" from Raven Press is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Sally Smith (https://www.fantasticfiction.com/s/sally-smith) is a barrister and KC who has spent all her
working life in the Inner Temple. After writing a biography of Sir Edward Marshall Hall KC, a renowned Edwardian
barrister she retired from the bar to write fulltime. This, her first novel, was inspired by the historic surroundings in which
she lives and works and by the centuries of rich history in Inner Temple Archives and Library.
The Red Queen
Martha Grimes
Atlantic Monthly Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802164940, $28.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Red-Queen-Martha-Grimes/dp/0802164943
Synopsis: One calm night in Twickenham, a businessman named Tom Treadnor is shot off his barstool at The Queen pub.
Superintendent Richard Jury is called in to investigate, and quickly realizes that everyone in Treadnor's life -- from his
widow, Alice, to the staff at his manor, to his business partner had differing opinions of him. And to complicate things
further, Jury has just happened upon a photo in a newspaper of a man in the United States, who is a dead ringer for
Treadnor.
Meanwhile, Wiggins, Jury's partner at New Scotland Yard, becomes sidetracked by an investigation of his own: His sister,
missing for years and presumed dead, has just sent a postcard to their mother. When Wiggins takes off in search of his
sister, the two investigations begin to converge.
Critique: The 26th novel 'Richard Jury Mysteries' series by Martha Grimes, "The Red Queen" is a fun and fascinating read
from cover to cover. Clever, original, and a 'must' for the legions of Martha Grimes fans, "The Red Queen" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for personal reading
lists that this hardcover edition of "The Red Queen" from Atlantic Monthly Press is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $14.99). But dedicated mystery lovers for whom "The Red Queen" is their first encounter with author
Martha Grimes be warned -- you will compelled to go back and read her previous 25 Richard Jury novels!
Editorial Note: Martha Grimes (https://www.marthagrimes.com) is the author of more than thirty books, twenty-five of
them featuring Richard Jury. The recipient of the 2012 Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master Award, Grimes lives in
Bethesda, Maryland.
Death in the Cards
Mia P. Manansala
Delacorte Press
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
www.randomhouse.com
9780593897928, $19.99, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Death-Cards-Mia-P-Manansala/dp/0593897927
Synopsis: Danika Dizon is a natural problem-solver. Thanks to her private investigator mom and mystery author dad, she's
equipped with the skills to offer guidance to anxious classmates who come to her for a tarot reading between classes. For a
price, of course.
But when one of her clients vanishes shortly after they're dealt a death card, the girl's younger sister Gaby begs Danika to
figure out what went wrong. Danika takes on the case, thinking it's the perfect way to prove to her parents that she should be
an official investigator in the family's detective agency.
What starts off as a compelling challenge quickly devolves into something darker as Danika and Gaby peel back layer after
layer of the secret life the missing girl has been living. A life that those involved would do anything to keep from being
revealed...
Critique: Clever, original, skillfully crafted, and a fun read from cover to cover, "Death in the Cards" by novelist Mia P.
Manasala is an extraordinary, memorable, and unreservedly recommended to the attention of all dedicated cozy mystery
fans. Especially and unreservedly recommended as a prized pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it
should be note for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Death in the Cards" from Delacorte Press is also
readily available in paperback (9780593897935, $12.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).
Editorial Note: Mia P. Manansala (https://miapmanansala.com) is a writer and book coach from Chicago who enjoys books,
baking, and badass women. She uses humor (and murder) to explore aspects of the Filipino diaspora, queerness, and her
obsession with pop culture. A lover of all things geeky, Mia spends her days procrastibaking, playing JRPGs and dating
sims, reading cozy mysteries and diverse romance, and cuddling her dogs, Gumiho and Max Power.
A Murder for Miss Hortense
Mel Pennant
Pantheon
www.pantheonbooks.com
c/o Penguin Random House
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9780593701621, $27.00, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Miss-Hortense-Mystery/dp/0593701623
Synopsis: Retired nurse, avid gardener, and renowned cake maker Miss Hortense has lived in Bigglesweigh, a quiet suburb
of Birmingham, England, since she emigrated from Jamaica in 1960. She takes great pride in her home, starching her lace
curtains bright white, and she can tell if she's being shortchanged on turmeric before she's taken her first bite of a beef patty.
A career in nursing has also left her afraid of nobody, whether an interfering priest or a local drug dealer, and she's an expert
in deciphering other people's secrets with just a glance.
Miss Hortense once used her skills to benefit the Pardner network -- a local group of Black investors that she helped found.
Until, that is, she was unceremoniously ousted from its ranks, severing her ties to the majority of her friends and
community. That was thirty years ago. Now, as a new millennium dawns, an unidentified man has been found dead in the
home of one of the Pardner members, a Bible quote written on a note beside his body. Suddenly, Miss Hortense finds her
long-buried past rushing back, bringing memories of the worst moment of her life -- and secrets behind an unsolved crime
that has haunted her for decades.
It is finally time for Miss Hortense to solve a mystery that will see her and the community she loves pushed to their
limits.
Critique: Original, clever, deftly crafted, and a fun read for cozy mystery fans from cover to cover, "A Murder for Miss
Hortense" is all the more impressive when considering the literary background of author, playwright, and screenwriter Mel
Pennant. Introducing Miss Hortense as fearless amateur sleuth, "A Murder for Miss Hortense" is an especially and
unreservedly recommended pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that this hardcover edition of "A Murder for Miss Hortense" from Pantheon is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $14.99). Librarians should be noted that "A Murder for Miss Hortense" is also available in a large
print edition (Random House Large Print, 9798217157730, $29.00, PB, 512pp).
Editorial Note: Mel Pennant is a playwright, screenwriter and novelist. She graduated in 2014 with an MA in Screenwriting
from the London College of Communication. In 2013, she won the Brockley Jack Write Now 4 award with her play, No
Rhyme, and was involved with the Tamasha Theatre Company--writing for the Barbican Box. Mel has written audio plays
with Tamasha and the National Archives and, in 2018, she was awarded a place on the Hachette X Tamasha scheme for
aspiring playwright novelists.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
The Nightmare Quest of April May
Rosemary Jones
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
9781839083129, $16.95, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Nightmare-Quest-April-May-Drowned/dp/1839083123
Synopsis: April May is convinced she has the worst job at the Arkham Advertiser: placing adverts for lost dogs is about as
tedious as it gets! The only thing that alleviates her boredom is her fantasies of pulp adventures.
But when her best friend succumbs to a mysterious unwakeable sleep, she realizes the city of Arkham is sleepwalking
towards something terrible. It's been raining for days and the Miskatonic River is rising to dangerous levels.
Arkham grinds to a halt as its population falls into a deep sleep. Under cover of these apparently unrelated disasters,
shadowy forces move to usher in something truly nightmarish.
With the aid of psychologist Carolyn Fern and Professor Harvey Walters, April May must venture into the strange realms of
the Dreamlands, where a man in a golden mask holds the key to rousing the city from its collective nightmare. But for
Arkham, the waters continue to rise, and it's closer than ever to the manifestation of something that no one can wake
from.
Critique: A deftly crafted horror fantasy that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after it has been finished
and set back upon the shelf, "The Nightmare Quest of April May" by novelist Rosemary Jones is especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Horror/Fantasy collections. It should be noted
that this paperback edition of "The Nightmare Quest of April May" from Aconyte Books is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $9.95).
Editorial Note: Rosemary Jones is the author of the Arkham Horror novels Mask of Silver, The Deadly Grimoire, and The
Bootlegger's Dance. She is also an ardent collector of children's books, and a fan of talkies and silent movies. Her other
works include Wrecker of Engines (Cobalt City 20th Anniversary edition), Dungeons & Dragons' Forgotten Realms novels,
numerous novellas, short stories, and collaborations.
Galloper's Quests
Augustus Cileone
Independently Published
9798305198256, $18.99, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Gallopers-Quests-Fall-Earth-Destiny/dp/B0DRTFCK1J
Synopsis: "Galloper's Quests: The Fall of Earth and the Rise of a New Destiny" by Augustus Cileone begins in the year
2079.
Navy Captain Samuel Galloper is a scientist who continually seeks answers about the mysteries of the universe. The military
only temporarily quieted his feverish mind through its regimented ways. Galloper invents a propulsion system that
transforms matter into energy and can open wormholes. However, the military now wants to steal his work and use it to
wage war. So, Galloper decides to prevent the perversion of his invention by leaving Earth on a journey through the
cosmos.
He visits three planets whose inhabitants exhibit very different ways of dealing with life. He becomes involved in the armed
conflict between two of the planets.
Along the way he befriends aliens and a witty robot. Plus, he falls in love with an extraterrestrial who might know more
about humanity than Galloper does!
As Galloper nears the end of his quests, he must weigh the risks of returning to Earth. Will his invention fall into the wrong
hands? Will anyone believe his story about his intergalactic travels? What fate awaits his new love if she goes with
him?
Critique: Inspired by the classic novel 'Gulliver's Tales', this hardcover edition of "Galloper's Quests: The Fall of Earth and
the Rise of a New Destiny", a new science fiction novel by author Augustus Cileone, is a fun read from cover to cover.
Written with imagination, humor, and a distinctive flair for the kind of narrative driven storytelling that fully emerges the
reader from start to finish, "Galloper's Quests" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and
community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections. It should be noted for dedicated action/adventure science fiction
fans that "Galloper's Quests" is also readily available in paperback (9798305195248, $10.95) and in a digital book format
(Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: Augustus Cileone won the Dark Oak Mystery Contest sponsored by Oak Tree Press, which published his
first novel, A Lesson in Murder. His second novel, Feast or Famine, is about growing up as a South Philadelphia Catholic
Italian American. He has been honored for his writing by Annual Art Affair, Hidden River Arts, the annual Writer's Digest
writing competition, The Philadelphia Writers' Conference, the Montgomery County Community College's Annual Writers'
Club Poetry and Fiction Contest, Filmmakers International Screenwriting Awards, and the Annual StoryPros International
Screenplay Contest. His short stories are included in Don Ron Books "South Philly Fiction," the Delaware Valley Chapter
of Sisters in Crime's "Death Knell V," and the Schuylkill Valley Journal. His film blog, My Meaningful Movies, analyzes
various motion pictures weekly, and he is a contributor to the film site ScreenPrism.com
A Simple Twist of Fate
April Asher
St. Martin's Griffin
c/o St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
Blackstone Publishing
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9781250357854, $19.00, PB, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Twist-Fate-Novel/dp/1250357853
Synopsis: At the bright-eyed age of eighteen, witch Harlow "Harry" Pierce attended her first Fates Festival Finding
Ceremony certain the Blue Willow Wisp would lead her to her Fated match, her cougar shifter boyfriend, Jaxon Atwood.
But Fate had other plans, guiding her best friend to him instead. With a broken heart, all her belongings, and a vow to never
return, Harry did the only thing a heartsick witch could do. Run.
Thirteen years later, she returns to her magical hometown (with her half-human, half-shifter goddaughter in tow) hoping that
not only would the town work its magic on the troubled teenager, but that the local Alpha of the Rocky Mountain Pack
could help Grace identify (and control) her fiery abilities.
Jaxon Atwood was a shifter of few words and even less patience... until his mother retired as Alpha of the Rocky Mountain
Pack and left the running of things to him. It's a headache he didn't need, and one that brought the witch who'd ripped his
heart from his chest knocking on his door.
Ever since the disappearance of the town's Fate Witch over a decade ago, Fates Haven's magic has been slowly going
haywire. There hasn't been a Fated Match made in thirteen years, putting the town in serious jeopardy of losing its title of
Highest Fated Mates Percentage in the World. But now, something is stirring in Fates Haven, Colorado, and it smells like
the past, tastes like change, and looks like 'a simple twist of fate'.
Critique: Original, clever, imaginative, and a fun read from cover to cover, "A Simple Twist of Fate" by April Asher is a
deftly crafted blending of fantasy, magic and romance. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community
library Contemporary Fantasy Fiction collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated fantasy
romance fans that this paperback edition of "A Simple Twist of Fate" from St. Martin's Griffin is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $11.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing,
9798228507388, $45.95, CD).
Editorial Note: April Asher (https://www.aprilhuntbooks.com) was hooked on romantic stories from the time she first snuck
a bodice-ripper from her mom's bedside table. By day, April dons dark blue nursing scrubs and drinks way too much
caffeine. By night, she still consumes too much caffeine, but she does it with a laptop in hand. She pens rom-coms with a
paranormal twist, but also writes high-octane romantic suspense as April Hunt.
Baen Books
www.baen.com
https://www.amazon.com/Across-Ocean-Stars-Black-Rising/dp/1668072548
Three new books from Baen provide readers with gripping, action-packed stories that are hard to put down. Such is the new
novel by Robert E. Hampson, Across An Ocean of Stars (9781668072547, $18.00), which builds on John Ringo's Black
Tide Rising series to create a new post-apocalyptic adventure. When a virus takes away human higher thinking and turns
them into savages, only the Hawaiian Islands stands a chance of surviving, even when the virus lands on their shores. A
team of scientists isolated atop a dormant volcano saves high tech and, along with survivors off the coast of Kauai and
ranchers on the Big Island, may be the only ones able to rebuild civilization. A fast-paced story keeps readers involved with
confrontations and revelations.
https://www.amazon.com/Sometimes-Fall-John-Van-Stry/dp/1668072475
John Van Stry's Sometimes in the Fall (9781668072479, $18.00) tells of Dave's struggle to build his family's business while
considering his future goal of becoming an engineer. Affecting his decisions is his relationship with his rich grandfather and
his brother, which means he seemingly has time to make his moves. Or, does he? Other forces on Earth coalesce to impact
his time and decisions, escalating a confrontation that threatens Dave and forces him into a decision about war that will
impact not just his future, but his family and the world. Family ties and challenges drive a story replete with action and
thought-provoking dilemmas.
https://www.amazon.com/Diviners-Bow-27-Liaden-Universe%C2%AE/dp/1668072521
Sharon Lee and Steve Miller's Diviner's Bow (9781668072523, $28.00) is a new Laiden Universe novel that portends the
end of civilization and the Haosa. The prophecy may be wrong, but who's to know until it happens? Some would say it's
best ignored; others want to take action. Affected by the prophecy's content and reactions to it, the Tree-and-Dragon Trade
Team is considering new moves. What do two small children have to do with these lofty confrontations? Plenty. As clashes
between councilors, forces of Haosa governance, and master traders emerge, the fact-paced story juxtaposes many special
interests and approaches that build to a satisfyingly unexpected crescendo of action and reaction. The result is hard to put
down and satisfyingly unpredictable.
Baen Books
www.baen.com
https://www.amazon.com/Monster-Hunter-Guardian-Larry-Correia/dp/1668072564
These new Baen arrivals are strong recommendations for libraries seeking popularity with Baen's authors and special brand
of action-packed confrontations. Larry Correia and Sarah A. Hoyt's Monster Hunter Guardian (9781668072561, $18.00)
brings Owen Pitt and the Monster Hunter International crew on a new rescue mission that takes place in another dimension,
leaving Owen's wife behind to care for their new baby and matters at home. Julie didn't expect to face evil and possible
death in her husband's absence, but when her son is taken, she must battle her own monsters and nightmares on her own.
Can one woman succeed against an army? The vividly powerful tale will engross both newcomers and prior Monster Hunter
enthusiasts.
https://www.amazon.com/Icarus-Coda-Saga/dp/1668072351
Timothy Zahn's The Icarus Coda (9781668072356, $28.00) presents a truth-finding mission by Gregory Rourke and his
Kadolian partner Selene. They worked for the Icarus Group and sought the mysterious Icari teleportation portals, but now
have become fugitives from their own work, wanted by all involved because of their unique connections to the Icari
technology. Flight, struggles, discoveries, and relationships emerge with the nonstop action of a thriller and the sci-fi
components of a galaxy-wide hunt for the truth and control of the future in a story that is thoroughly engrossing and hard to
put down.
https://www.amazon.com/Endangered-Species-Caineverse-Charles-Gannon/dp/1668072416
Charles E. Gannon's Endangered Species (9781668072417, $18.00) returns Caine Riordan and his crew to new challenges.
This time they are adrift in uncharted space with little hopes of rescue. They have only 48 hours to save themselves from
crashing into a bleak world covered with storms and dangerous species. As if this weren't enough challenge, the forbidding
planet also holds evidence that its first inhabitants, the Ktor, may still reside there. As humanity's mortal enemy, they stand
to pose further problems not just to Caine and his struggle to survive, but for the rest of the galaxy. These are engrossing
adventures that are hard to put down.
The Poetry Shelf
Heaven Unbuilt
Colin Dodds, poet
Dodds Amalgamated
https://tunein.com/radio/Stream-Dodds-Amalgamated-a88962
9798330499526, $44.44, PB, 950pp
https://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Unbuilt-treasury-well-loved-children/dp/B0DX3GMHVG
Synopsis: Friends in the Bar
The yelling bar crowd
wants to be your friend.
Unlike other nights,
you are not looking for a friend.
When you say no,
they ask what's wrong with you.
Then, with clenched fists,
they ask what's wrong with them.
They've wondered forever.
And they will tear you apart
to learn what it is.
And they will tear you apart
to keep you from telling.
"Heaven Unbuilt: A treasury of well-loved poems for old children" encompasses the entirety of Colin Dodds' career as a
poet, which spanned more than twenty years, beginning in the late 1990s.
"Heaven Unbuilt" includes selections from early books like The Last Man on the Moon and The Blue Blueprint, the entire
Spill-O cycle, decades of poems from bars, selected lyrics from the band Adultogram and the 2018 collection Spokes of an
Uneven Wheel.
The poems comprising "Heaven Unbuilt" have appeared in more than three hundred publications.
Critique: Eloquent, elegant, emotionally and intellectually engaging, deftly crafted, impressively memorable, this substantial
trade paperback (6 x 2.12 x 9 inches, 3.01 pounds) edition of "Heaven Unbuilt: A treasury of well-loved poems for old
children" is the ideal showcase for the tangible results of a lifetime of creating poetry by a master wordsmith and is
published to mark Colin Dodds' self-announced retirement from poetry.
A major volume of verse and one to be brought back to again and again and again, "Heaven Unbuilt" is especially and
unreservedly recommended as a core addition and pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library
Contemporary American Poetry collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Colin Dodds (https://thecolindodds.com) is an author, poet and filmmaker whose works include Pharoni,
Ms. Never and The 6th Finger of Tommy the Goose. He has made his living as a journalist, editor, copywriter and video
producer. His work has appeared in Gothamist, The Washington Post and more than three hundred other publications, and
been praised by luminaries such as David Berman and Norman Mailer. Forget This Good Thing I Just Said, a
first-of-its-kind literary and philosophical experience (the book form of which was a finalist for the Big Other Book Prize
for Nonfiction), is available as an app for the iPhone.
Psychedelic Psalms: Reflections from an Offline World
Joshua Dean Rogers
Hat & Beard Press
https://hatandbeard.com
9781955125499, $24.95, HC,
https://www.amazon.com/Psychedelic-Psalms-Reflections-Offline-World/dp/195512549X
Synopsis: The Question
In my dream, I sat in front of Maharajji's tucket, rubbing his feet.
He smiled at me with a smile that combined love with mocking.
He took out a large blue notecard from under his blanket and started writing...
He then held up the card to me with that smile on his face. The card read:
"In this lifetime, can you renounce money, power, and sexual desire?"
He said nothing, but spoke directly into my mind,
"If yes, then you are done with reincarnation."
"If yes, you may have siddhi powers."
psychodelic psalms v8.indd 95
Written in very short snippets for the attention spans of today's readers, "Psychedelic Psalms: Reflections from an Offline
World" by Josh Rogers is a contemporary collection of his poetry, essays and aphorisms, illustrating our shared current
experience and giving us guidance on how we should proceed in the increasing digitally dominated world of the 21st
Century.
A synthesis of Rumi's Spiritual Poems, Marcus Aurelius' Meditations, and Khalil Gibran's The Prophet, "Psychedelic
Psalms" is an easy to read, entertaining analysis of human existence. At times poetic and spiritual; at other times offering the
reader hard-hitting pragmatic critiques of culture and education.
Addressing topics ranging from technology, revolutionary new education policies, to spirituality, "Psychedelic Psalms"
seeks to awaken all humans to a more evolved future and to remember the truths of existence which we already know in our
immortal souls.
Critique: Original, insightful, thoughtful and thought provoking, with the publication of "Psychedelic Psalms: Reflections
from an Offline World", poet and essayist Josh Rogers ably showcases a thought-provoking collection of his poems,
aphorisms, essays, quotes, and illustrations written over the first 23 years of the 21st century. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in
organization and presentation impressive blending of philosophy, poetry, and the art of the essay, "Psychedelic Pslams" is a
unique and inherently fascinating read from start to finish and one that is especially and unreservedly recommended for
personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library Contemporary Philosophy collections.
Editorial Note: Joshua D. Rogers (https://aretewealth.com/member/joshua-d-rogers) is the CEO of Arete, the largest
distributor of alternative investments in the United States. He is a voracious reader, writer, and an avid art collector. Prior to
entering financial services, Joshua left Georgetown Law early to pursue innovation and co-invent several patents, including
the 'name your own price' e-commerce concepts that became Priceline.com. In his expanded business and community
works, Rogers is actively involved in the Chicago chapter of the Young Presidents' Organization (YPO); currently serves as
an Elected Trustee of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago; an is also a graduate of St. John's College in Annapolis,
Maryland, where he is an elected Trustee. He has also taught entrepreneurship at both St. John's Annapolis and Sante Fe
campuses.
The Graphic Novel Shelf
In the Land of the Lacandon
Richard Ivan Jobs, Steven Van Wolputte, and Manuel Bolom Pale, authors
McGill-Queen's University Press
www.mqup.ca
9780228024767, $29.95, PB, 168pp
https://www.amazon.com/Land-Lacand%C3%B3n-Graphic-Adventure-Imperialism/dp/0228024765
Synopsis: In the mid-1930s the amateur French ethnographer and filmmaker Bernard de Colmont ventured into Mexico's
mountainous state of Chiapas to study the Lacandon people and broadcast their way of life to a curious European public.
Considered a "lost tribe", the Lacandon were thought to be the closest living relatives of the ancient Maya. De Colmont
became a celebrity explorer whose adventures generated considerable attention. The Lacandon themselves, however, were
silenced in his tale.
Nearly a century later, Richard Ivan Jobs and Steven Van Wolputte have taken up this story in all its complexity, creating a
graphic history from de Colmont's narratives and images in the form of a heroic adventure comic.
An essay contextualizing and historicizing the tale follows, as does an evocative, reflective poem by Tsotsil writer Manuel
Bolom Pale, which offers an Indigenous perspective on the encounter.
A captivating experiment in a graphic novel style form, "In the Land of the Lacandon: A Graphic History of Adventure and
Imperialism" puts an immersive new spin on studying the past as it illuminates de Colmont's expedition against the
backdrop of late imperialism on the eve of the Second World War in Europe. It also investigates the history of exploration,
science, and media, revealing how these narratives represented and constructed Indigenous Peoples for the public -- and
how such representations continue to resonate to this very day.
Critique: An original and unique approach to Mexican history and one of its indigenous people, "In the Land of the
Lacandon: A Graphic History of Adventure and Imperialism" is informative, instructive, extraordinary, and an inherently
fascinating read from start to finish. With its 'reader friendly' presentation in graphic illustration form, "In the Land of the
Lacandon: A Graphic History of Adventure and Imperialism" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
community, highschool, and college/university library Native/Indigenous American/Mexican History collections. It should
be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this trade paperback
edition of "In the Land of the Lacandon: A Graphic History of Adventure and Imperialism" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $28.45).
Editorial Note #1: Richard Ivan Jobs (https://richardivanjobs.com) is a professor of European history at Pacific
University.
Editorial Note #2: Steven Van Wolputte is professor of anthropology at KU Leuven.
(https://kuleuven.academia.edu/vanwolputte)
Editorial Note #3: Manuel Bolom Pale is a translator, researcher, and Tsotsil poet from Huixtan, Chiapas, Mexico.
(https://www.loc.gov/item/no2011156794/manuel-bolom-pale)
Raymond Chandler's Trouble Is My Business
Raymond Chandler, author
Adapted by Arvind Ethan David
Ilias Kyriazis, illustrator
Pantheon Books
www.pantheonbooks.com
c/o Penguin Random House
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9780553387599, $29.00, HC, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Raymond-Chandlers-Trouble-My-Business/dp/0553387596
Synopsis: Los Angeles, 1930s. A rich old man who knows trouble when he sees it hires a detective agency to scare off a
young woman who seems to be making his adopted son hemorrhage cash. Fortunately for the detective, a hard drinking man
named Philip Marlowe, trouble is his business.
The young woman, Harriet, has an agenda all her own and aspirations beyond being a shill for a gambler. She's nobody's
fool. Nor is the old man, for his part. He's got serious muscle -- a chauffer with a degree from Dartmouth, the only Black
student from his class, who knows his way around a gun and isn't afraid to use it.
Right in the middle of it all is a big pile of money. And when the bodies begin to drop, only Philip Marlowe can sort out
which of these suspects is pulling the trigger.
Critique: A classic crime noir novel by the late Raymond Chandler and now deftly adapted to a graphic novel format by
author Arvind Ethan David and illustrator Ilias Kyriazis, this large format (7.55 x 0.55 x 11.25 inches, 1.44 pounds)
hardcover edition of "Raymond Chandler's Trouble Is My Business" from Pantheon Books is especially and unreservedly
recommended for personal, community and college/university library Mystery/Suspense themed graphic novel collections. It
should be noted for the legions of hard-boiled detective novel fans that "Raymond Chandler's Trouble Is My Business" is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
Editorial Note #1: Raymond Thornton Chandler (1888 - 1959) was the master practitioner of American hard-boiled crime
fiction. Chandler's detective stories often starred the brash but honorable Philip Marlowe (introduced in 1939 in his first
novel, The Big Sleep) and were noted for their literate presentation and dead-on critical eye. Never a prolific writer,
Chandler published only one collection of stories and seven novels in his lifetime. Some of Chandler's novels, like The Big
Sleep, were made into classic movies that helped define the film noir style. In the last year of his life he was elected
president of the Mystery Writers of America.
Editorial Note #2: Arvind Ethan David is a Stoker Award nominated graphic novelist who has also written chart-topping
Audiodramas (The Crimes of Dorian Gray, Earworms), television (Anansi Boys) and plays (The Boy with Wings).
Editorial Note #3: Ilias Kyriazis (https://www.iliaskyriazis.com) is a comic book writer/artist based in Athens, Greece.
The Well
Jon Allen
Top Shelf Productions
c/o IDW
www.idwpublishing.com
9781603095495, $29.99, PB, 720pp
https://www.amazon.com/Well-Jon-Allen/dp/1603095497
Synopsis: Veronika is 24 and tired: of her crummy boyfriend, of living with her parents, of feeling stalled out while
everyone else moved on. With a new job coding software for a "wellness" company that makes brain-boosting energy
drinks, she finally has a chance to turn things around. At this rate, Veronika may never feel tired again!
But as she gets more comfortable with the office and the people in it, Veronika stumbles upon surprises in the dark that
leave her questioning everything she thought she knew about the world... and about herself.
Critique: With confident cartooning and expert pacing, with the publication of "The Well", writer/artist/graphic novelist Jon
Allen makes his Top Shelf debut as an imaginative storyteller whose anthropomorphic animals feel exquisitely human. "The
Well" deftly combines deadpan dialogue with thrilling plot twists, and its skepticism about techno-utopian promises is
matched by its affection for relatable characters. Original, unique, clever, imaginative, and a fun, fascinating, memorable
read from cover to cover, this trade paperback (7.19 x 1.72 x 7.06 inches, 2.6 pounds) edition of "The Well" is especially
and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Graphic Novel collections. It should be noted
for the personal reading lists of graphic novel fans that this edition of "The Well" from Top Shelf Productions is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: Jon Allen (https://www.jonallenart.com/about) studied painting and illustration and has been drawing
comics since 2009. He has exhibited his work at comics festivals for over a decade, including SPX, MICE, MoCCA, TCAF,
CAB, and more. He makes a living as a UX designer in Brooklyn, New York.
Johnny Geronimo: Art of Darkness
Gary Robinson, author
Dale DeForest, illustrator
University of New Mexico Press
www.unmpress.com
9780826367914, $24.95, PB, 132pp
https://www.amazon.com/Johnny-Geronimo-Darkness-Planet-Books/dp/0826367917
Synopsis: Someone, or something, is killing the Native American artists and art collectors of Santa Fe.
The police are baffled by a series of brutal murders in the dead of night: bloody ritual killings with all the trappings of some
of the mythic monsters of the Apache origin stories, all signed with the same bloody signature: the Coyote.
But where the police fail, Johnny may succeed.
Johnny Geronimo is a an old-school, hard-bitten, hard-boiled private investigator with a key advantage: as an Apache,
Johnny can go places the police can't, and he can talk to the people the police won't.
As the owner of Eagle Eye Investigations, Johnny moves effortlessly among both the high society of Santa Fe and the
outlaw underworld. With his assistants, Willy and Jessie, as well as a succession of lady friends, Johnny sets out on the trail
of the Coyote. The closer he gets, the more it becomes apparent that the hunter is also the hunted.
Critique: Original, clever, skillfully crafted, and an inherently fascinating page turner of a read from cover to cover, "Johnny
Geronimo: Art of Darkness" by author/storyteller Gary Robinson and artist/illustrator Dale DeForest deftly incorporates
themes drawn from Apache and other Native American traditions. The result is a compelling B/W (with the occasion trace
of Red) graphic novel about a classic private eye antihero and his nemesis -- the demonic Coyote, who may turn out to be
more than anyone can imagine! While also available from the University of New Mexico Press in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.99), this paperback edition of "Johnny Geronimo: Art of Darkness" is especially and unreservedly recommended
for personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense graphic novel collections.
Editorial Note #1: Gary Robinson is a writer and filmmaker of Choctaw and Cherokee descent. He is the author of the
"Lands of our Ancestors" series of Native American historical novels, A Native American Night Before Christmas, the YA
novel Billy Buckhorn and the Book of Spells, and others.
(https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/20244934.Gary_Robinson)
Editorial Note #2: Dale DeForest (https://daledeforest.squarespace.com) is a member of the Dine tribe and grew up in the
Four Corners area of the Navajo Nation around Shiprock and Farmington, New Mexico. He studied 2-D arts and
photography at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Dale's work has been featured in
numerous exhibitions. Most recently, his piece "The Force Is With Our People"--an exhibition celebrating Native people's
relation to pop culture--was shown at the Museum of Northern Arizona. He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Suitor Armor: Volume 2
Purpah
Ten Speed Graphic
c/o Ten Speed Press
https://crownpublishing.com/imprint/ten-speed
9780593835661, $24.99, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Suitor-Armor-2-Purpah/dp/0593835662
Synopsis: Lucia has just begun her exciting mage apprenticeship with Norrix, finally tapping into her innate capabilities as a
magical being, and she sets off to find her fellow fairy Quinn who is captured within the kingdom's dungeons. While trying
to free her, she discovers a shocking secret about the fairy-human war that spirals into a series of mistrustful encounters with
the people around her. Building off of Modeus's newfound ability to speak, Lucia continues to teach him about the world
and help develop his sentience. However, as their relationship deepens, the two must grapple with the true violent purpose
for his existence...
In this second volume of "Suitor Armor", Norrix's complicated past is revealed, the connection between Lady Kirsi and
King Reimund blossoms, and the darker side of Lucia's journey to magical discovery rears its head. Complete with original
behind-the-scenes content and a bonus storyline exclusive to the book, this second volume includes episodes 18-38 of the
greatly successful Webtoon webcomic.
Critique: The "Suitor Armor" graphic novel three-part series by author/artist Purpah has now had its second volume
published by Ten Speed Graphic and continues the action/adventure fantasy saga of Lucia. Original, deftly crafted, and a fun
read from cover to cover, "Suitor Armor: Volume 2" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for
community and college/university library Graphic Novel collections. It should be noted for the legions of dedicated fantasy
fans that this hardcover edition of "Suitor Armor: Volume 2" is also readily available for personal reading lists in paperback
(9780593835654, $17.99).
Editorial Note: Purpah (https://purpahcreations.com) is an artist and writer based in California. Earning a BFA in
illustration, Purpah has since gone on to create Suitor Armor on Webtoon as well as writing for other projects.
The Audiobook Shelf
Houston Night
Stephen Leather, author
Paul Thornley, narrator
Isis Audio
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781399190114, $107.95, 9 CDs, 9 Hours 50 Minutes
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781399190114
Synopsis: Supernatural detective Jack Nightingale used to be a police negotiator in a previous life -- back in the days before
he confronted devils and demons for a living. So when a young woman embarks on a killing spree in a Houston mansion,
Nightingale is the perfect choice to intervene.
But there is nothing that Nightingale can do to stop the slaughter. And there is worse to come. More killings. More
bloodshed. More young women with murderous intentions.
The killings aren't random -- a demon from Hell is orchestrating the massacres as part of a diabolical scheme. And the only
way that Nightingale can stop the carnage is to put his own soul on the line!
Critique: Certain to be of immense interest to fans of Occult Fiction & Demonology, "Houston Night" by novelist Stephen
Leather is brought to an especially vivid reality with a true theater of the mind style of narration by vocal actor and
performer Paul Thornley. Original, riveting, entertaining, and memorable, this complete and unabridged CD edition of
"Houston Night" from Isis Audio, with its clam shell casing, is a strongly recommended pick for community library audio
book collections. It should be noted for personal listening that "Houston Night" is also available in an MP3-CD format
(9781399190121, $107.95, 1 Disc).
Editorial Note #1: Stephen Leather (www.stephenleather.com) is one of the UK's most successful thriller writers and author
of the Dan "Spider' Shepherd series and the Jack Nightingale supernatural detective novels. His novel The Chinaman was
filmed as The Foreigner starring Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan. He has also written for television shows such as London's
Burning, The Knock and the BBC's Murder in Mind series and two of his books, The Stretch and The Bombmaker, were
filmed for TV.
Editorial Note #2: An extensive listing of books narrated by Paul Thornley is available online at
https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=Paul+Thornley
Doctor Who: The Alt Reality Collection
Derek Jacobi, John Leeson, Jon Culshaw, Mark Gates, narrators
BBC Studios
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781529965537, $132.95, 14 CDs, 16 Hours 40 Minutes
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781529965537
Synopsis: The Doctor ventures into alternative dimensions in the four exciting novelizations of the TV stories comprising
"Doctor Who: The Alt Reality Collection".
In The Mind Robber by Peter Ling, the Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe land in a world populated by storybook characters -
but who, or what, lurks behind the fiction?
In The Invisible Enemy by Terrance Dicks, the Fourth Doctor, and Leela make a terrifying journey into the Time Lord's own
brain in order to confront the Nucleus of the Swarm.
Warriors' Gate by Stephen Gallagher is the destination at the ethereal intersection between universes for the Fourth Doctor,
Romana, Adric and K9.
In Twice Upon a Time by Paul Cornell it's a case of deja vu for the First and Twelfth Doctors when they meet by chance in a
strange yet familiar No Man's Land.
Narrators Derek Jacobi, John Leeson, Jon Culshaw and Mark Gatiss deftly perform these stories of Doctor Who adventures
in Time & Space.
Critique: Simply stated, this complete and unabridged audio book edition of "Doctor Who: The Alt Reality Collection" from
BBC Studios is comprised of engaging and entertaining stories about the 1st, 2nd, 4th & 12th Doctors and is a 'must' for the
legions of Doctor Who fans. Certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular pick for community libraries, it should be
noted for personal acquisitions that this CD edition (with its clam shell casing) is also readily available in a flawless
MP3-CD format (9781529965544, $132.95, 2 Disc).
Editorial Note: BBC Studios (https://www.bbcstudios.com) is a global producer and distributor of TV, film, audio book,
and digital content. It creates and nurtures iconic brands, such as Bluey, Frozen Planet II and Strictly Come Dancing, and
produces award-winning stories for BBC and other platforms.
The Isis Covenant
James Douglas, author
John Telfer, narrator
Isis Audio
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781399188654, $126.95, 11 CDs, 11 Hours 44 Minutes
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781399188654
Synopsis: AD 64: Roman centurion Marcus Domitus leads an expedition to find the mythical treasure hidden deep inside
Queen Dido's temple.
1945: Two Nazis disappear amidst the chaos of a burning Berlin - and so does a precious object.
2009: Two brutal murders in London and Boston linked by a single name and a shared history.
When art recovery expert Jamie Saintclair is asked to help investigate those murders, he finds himself delving deep into the
occult and uncovering dark secrets, tales of lust and greed and a curse linked to ancient Egypt.
Can he discover the truth before the curse claims more victims and catches up with him?
Critique: Brilliantly narrated by John Telfer who brings author James Douglas deftly crafted and original thriller of a novel
to life in a true theater of the mind performance, this complete and unabridged CD edition of "The Isis Covenant" with its
protective clam shell case is flawless produced by Isis Audio and especially recommended for community library audio
book collections. It should be noted for personal collections that this edition of "The Isis Covenant" from Isis Audio is also
readily available in an MP3-CD format (9781399188661, $126.95).
Editorial Note #1: James Douglas is the pen name of the popular Scottish author of successful historical fiction novels. "The
Doomsday Testament" is the first in a series of thrillers featuring art recovery expert Jamie Saintclair.
(https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/james-douglas)
Editorial Note #2: John Telfer is an AudioFile Earphones Award - winning narrator. He has appeared many times in various
television dramas, while his parallel theatrical career has involved him in leading roles at the Bristol Old Vic, the Royal
National Theatre, the Old Vic in London, and regional theaters.
(https://learnoutloud.com/Results/Narrator/John-Telfer/21587)
The Library CD Shelf
Wes 101
Kristen R. Bromley Quartet
https://kristenbromley.com
Privately Published
$14.98 CD / $9.49 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F6KXRRCP
https://www.amazon.com/music/player/albums/B0F5CTJMTN
Wes 101 is a jazz album by the Kristin R. Bromley Quartet: Kristin Bromley on guitar, Melanie Shore on organ, David Ian
Baker on bass, and Matt Coleman on drums. An experienced master of the guitar who has taught music at the university
level in addition to 20 years of private music lessons, Kristen Bromley composed all the songs of Wes 101. Created partly as
a tribute to legendary jazz guitarist John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (1923-1968) and partly to explore the rich potential of
the classic organ and guitar sound that Wes favored in his timeless music, Wes 101 will appeal to fans of classic and
modern jazz alike, and is highly recommended for both personal and public library music collections. The tracks are Bring It
On; Swing It for the Maestro; Wes 101; Cherished Moments; House of Fire; Wahoo!; and Indy Blues.
Vagabond
Royce Campbell and the Vosbein Magee Big Band
Max Frank Music
https://www.maxfrankmusic.com
$12.00 CD
https://www.maxfrankmusic.com/catalog/vagabond/index.php
Vagabond is a live recording of world-class jazz guitarist Royce Campbell and the Vosbein Magee Big Band (which has
members on trumpet, trombone, saxophone, piano, bass, and drums) showcasing ten original compositions by Campbell
(plus an eleventh song, "Body and Soul" composed Edward Heyman, Frank Eyton, John Green, and Robert Sour. Every
song has grand solo highlights, in this vivacious, high-energy collection. Vagabond is enthusiastically recommended for
connoisseurs of the genre and public library music collections. The tracks are Peepers; Gentle Breeze; A Sharp Blues; Body
and Soul; Mambo Puente; Moon Cycle; Vagabond; Middle Ground; Dancing Waterfall; Inner Peace; and Viper.
Blue Bossa in the Bronx: Live from the Blue Morocco
Kenny Dorham
Resonance Records
$17.99 CD / $12.99 digital
https://kennydorhamlive.bandcamp.com/album/blue-bossa-in-the-bronx-live-from-the-blue-morocco
Blue Bossa in the Bronx: Live from the Blue Morocco is a deluxe CD of a never-before-released live performance by
legendary American jazz trumpeter Kenny Dorham (1924-1972), also known as "the uncrowned king". The CD includes
notes by two-time Grammy winner Bob Blumenthal, a Dorham appreciation by Dan Morgenstern, remembrances from
trumpeters Eddie Henderson, Charles Tolliver, Steven Bernstein, and Jeremy Pelt, and more. Blue Bossa in the Bronx: Live
from the Blue Morocco is a lost treasure of jazz history rediscovered, as brilliant now as it was when played live in 1967,
and highly recommended for both connoisseurs and public library music collections. The tracks are Blue Bossa;
Confirmation; Memories of You; My One and Only Love; Bag's Groove; Blue Friday; and The Theme.
Spaces
Kim Perlak and Francisco Mela
kimperlak.com
Sacred Black Records
sacredblackrecords.org
$TBA CD / $TBA digital
https://music.apple.com/us/album/spaces/1799292801
Spaces is the debut album of two rising stars from the Berklee College of Music, guitarist/composer Kim Perlak and
drummer/percussionist Francisco Mela. The original music of Spaces is sorted into three resonant suites, forming a
transcendent soundscape. Spaces is a choice pick for centering the mind and expanding creative vision, highly
recommended. The tracks are (Lake Suite) Dawn; Day; Dream; (Stream Suite) Asking; Flowing; Joyful - Asking; and
(Riverwalk Suite) Walking; Introspective; Moving.
Night Mist
Peter Calandra
www.petecalandramusic.com
Pecamusic, BMI
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F1DRHMG7
Night Mist is an instrumental new age album of piano and synthesizer music, composed and performed by Peter Calandra.
Beautiful, quiet, and contemplative, Night Mist is a gentle album ideal for supporting meditation or creativity. Night Mist is
highly recommended for personal and public library collections, and also makes an excellent gift. The tracks are Winter
Song; Peaceful Valley; Whispers Of The Dawn; Mohonk Morning; Autumn Nights; Starlit Night; Night Mist; The Heart of
Mount Seleya; Sweet Symphony; Veiled In Time; and Love's Embrace.
Keepers of the Flame
Gwen Laster and New Muse 4tet
www.gwenlaster.net
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $12.00 digital
https://gwenlastergameboard.bandcamp.com/album/keepers-of-the-flame
Keepers of the Flame is an album of original, instrumental music inspired by African mythology, social justice, current
events, and the African diaspora lexicon. Featuring Gwen Laster on violin, Melanie Dyer on viola, Teddy Rankin-Parker on
cello, and Andrew Drury on drums and percussion, Keepers of the Flame encourages the listener to help build better world
and a brighter future. Immersive and inspiring, Keepers of the Flame is highly recommended for both personal and public
library music collections. The tracks are Keepers of the Flame, Black Sun Shifting, Drishti, Foraging for Freedom, When
Peace, Asamondo, and Shoreline.
All the Light of Our Sphere
Glenn Dickson and Bob Familiar
www.GlennDicksonMusic.com
Sounds Familiar
$10.00 CD / $7.00 digital
https://dicksonfamiliar.bandcamp.com/album/all-the-light-of-our-sphere
Acclaimed clarinet player Glenn Dickson and synthesizer maestro Bob Familiar present All the Light of Our Sphere, an
avant-garde, electro-acoustic album featuring original, instrumental songs recorded live with no overdubs, beat tracks or
midi timers. The music itself weaves stories with melodic improvisation and harmonic movement, making All the Light of
Our Sphere a creative, immersive, and mind-expanding experience. Highly recommended, especially for ambient music
connoisseurs! The tracks are When fortune laid the Trojans low; Words set free from doubt; Just one inch in a hundred
years; It haunts me still; Sweet seed from bitter fruit; Pretending she was someone else; All the light of our sphere; When
the mist thins; And even yours is mine.
The Life & Times of Catharina Pratten
Emma Rush
https://emma-rush.com
Canada Council for the Arts & Ontario Arts Council
MP3-CD, $20.00 CAD
$12.00 CAD digital (Bandcamp)
$9.49 USD digital (Amazon)
https://emma-rush.com/store
https://emmarush.bandcamp.com/album/the-life-and-times-of-catharina-pratten
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F3M27LZ2
Synopsis: "The Life and Times of Catharina Pratten" celebrates the Victorian guitar icon and her contemporaries. The album
includes seven previously unrecorded works by Pratten, first recordings of music by her father Ferdinand Pelzer, her
husband Robert Sidney Pratten, her colleague Leonard Schulz, her student Frank Mott Harrison, and music by her
contemporaries Francisco Tarrega, Giulio Regondi, and Ernest Shand.
Born Catharina Josepha Pelzer in Mulheim, Germany in 1824, Pratten and her family moved to England in 1829. As a child
she was such a keen student of the guitar (and also concertina) that by the age of 11 her reputation as a skilled player was
established. A contemporary review quoted by her biographer, Frank Mott Harrison, said "Her touch is powerful, and her
execution wonderful; we were surprised how such tiny fingers could draw forth such perfect sounds..." She continued
performing throughout her life, with a final concert in 1892, age 68.
Pratten also established herself as a composer. Many of her works were set in print by publisher Boosey and Sons, and
others, she published herself out of her London home. Pratten's compositions include upper intermediate works and
advanced pieces, chamber music offerings, and a large collection of works in E-Major tuning. In her catalogue of well over
200 works, there are sentimental and lyrical miniatures, rousing and rhythmic marches, arrangements of popular tunes, and
virtuosic fantasies..
"I simply take up my guitar and out of the tips of my fingers tumble out the sounds on the strings..." -Pratten letter to
Harrison, Reminiscences of Madame Sidney Pratten, 1899
Critique: Comprised of seventeen eloquently performed 19th Century pieces ranging from Daisey to Lucia de Lamermoore,
"The Life & Times of Catharina Pratten" celebrates the Victorian guitar icon and her contemporaries. This remarkable
album includes seven previously unrecorded works by Pratten, first recordings of music by her father Ferdinand Pelzer, her
husband Robert Sidney Pratten, her colleague Leonard Schulz, her student Frank Mott Harrison, and music by her
contemporaries Francisco Tarrega, Giulio Regondi, and Ernest Shand. The album is a musical treasure whose production by
Emma Rush in an MP3-CD format was supported by the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council.
Beautiful music, beautifully performed, "The Life & Times of Catharina Pratten" is especially and unreservedly
recommended for personal, community, and college/university library CD Music collections.
Editorial Note: Emma Rush (https://emmarush.bandcamp.com) has established herself as one of Canada's top classical
guitarists. Her career has commanded world recognition. Recent touring highlights include a four-city tour in China,
appearances at major guitar festivals in Germany, Mexico, Sweden, the USA, and Canada. She loves presenting unusual
music in unusual spaces.
Prog vs Fusion: A War of the Ages
The Ed Palermo Big Band
www.palermobigband.com
Sky Cat Records
$18.00 CD / $10.00 digital
https://palermobigband.bandcamp.com/album/prog-vs-fusion-a-war-of-the-ages
The Ed Palermo Big Band consists of a multitude of master music artists on saxophones, trumpets, trombones, tuba, violin,
piano, keyboard, bass, drums, and more. Prog vs Fusion: A War of the Ages is a grand, full-length album of popular favorite
songs from two different genres - progressive rock and jazz fusion. The "war" between these dueling musical styles unfolds
track by track, in a ferocious "battle" animated by the top-tier performance of world-class talent. Highly recommended! The
tracks are Resolution; Black Hole Sun intro/Bodhisattva; There Comes a Time; Tarkus; Vrooom; Long Distance
Runaround; Snake Oil; G-Spot Tornado/Resolution/Jingo; Vrooom Vrooom; There's No Mystery About My G- Spot;
Spanish G-Spot Tornado; Mystic Knights of the Sea; On the Milky Way Express; Take a Pebble; One Word; The Fish;
Fred; Black Hole Sun; and Pictures of a City.
Sextet
Pitch, Rhythm and Consciousness
Reva Records
revainc.org
$15.00 CD / $10.00 digital
https://tonyjonessax.bandcamp.com/album/sextet
Sextet is an album by the group Pitch, Rhythm and Consciousness: founders Tony Jones on tenor saxophone and Charlie
Burnham on violin, as well as Kenny Wollesen on drums, Marika Hughes on cello, Jessica Jones on tenor saxophone, and
Rashaan Carter on base. Together they form an extraordinary instrumental soundscape, enhanced with moments of creative
improvisation. A deeply spiritual album, Sextet is beautiful, mind-expanding, and highly recommended. The tracks are I
Shall Not Want; The Beginning of the Universe; Tiny Little Inkling; Kush; Fundamental Blue; Trouble, Running in the
Darkness; Whose Tears Are These; This Herein Goes Nowhere; Psalm for a Shared Tomorrow; Shadow Box; and Prepare a
Refuge.
Multiverse
Nicolas Ferron Trio
www.nicolasferron.com
Privately Published
$15.00 CAD CD / $30.00 CAD vinyl / $10.00 CAD digital
https://nicolasferron.bandcamp.com/album/multiverse-2
Multiverse is the debut album of the Nicolas Ferron Trio: Nicolas Ferron on guitar, Jonathan Cayer on the Hammond B3
organ, and Louis-Vincent Hamel on drums. The original, instrumental songs have the improvisational flair of jazz and the
heady beats of 1960s psychedelic rock. Bold and visionary, Multiverse is an exciting new soundscape enthusiastically
recommended especially for audiophiles and connoisseurs. The tracks are Multiverse; Valencia; Shiitake; Complot;
Mithridate; Muffin Au Son; Eveil; and Un Peu Confus.
Hier Encore
Mira Choquette
mirachquette.bandcamp.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $12.00 CAD digital
https://mirachoquette.bandcamp.com/album/hier-encore
Jazz vocalist Mira Choquette presents Hier Encore, an extraordinary performance of popular jazz songs by an eclectic
variety of composers. Most songs have English lyrics, although some have French or Spanish lyrics. Choquette's dulcet
vocals are supported by Samvel Gasparyan on piano, Dave Geodakyan on upright bass, Arman Mnatsakanyan on drums,
and for one song ("Just Friends") David Tadevosyan on trumpet, Khachatur Khachatryan on tenor saxophone, and Karen
Sargsyan on trombone. Entrancingly beautiful, Hier Encore is a treasure for vocal jazz connoisseurs, highly recommended.
The tracks are If You Could See Me Now (Tadd Dameron/Carl Sigman); Sur les quais de Cherbourg (Michel
Legrand/Jacques Demy); Reflections (Looking Back) (Thelonious Monk/Jon Hendricks); Just Friends (John Klenner/Sam
M. Lewis); Contigo Aprendi (Armando Manzanero); Que feras-tu de ta vie? (Michel Legrand/Eddy Marnay); Hier Encore
(Charles Aznavour/Georges Garvarentz); and Long Daddy Green (Blossom Dearie/David Frishberg).
Para Sayo
Joshua Banks
banksjmusic.com
Privately Published
$20.00 CAD CD / $48.00 CAD vinyl / $10.00 CAD digital
https://banksjmusic.bandcamp.com/album/para-sayo
Para Sayo is a contemporary jazz album of original compositions by Filipino-Canadian pianist Joshua Banks. Banks'
masterful piano playing is supported by a medley of music artists; different artists lend their talents on bass, drums, alto
saxophone, tenor saxophone, violin, viola, and cello to different tracks. Three tracks have vocals - one singing, one spoken
word, and one rap. Para Sayo explores the depths of Asian-inspired jazz; the song "Opo" incorporates lyrics in both English
and Tagalog (a language widely spoken in the Phillippines), and the song "Indemok i Talaw" includes a spoken- word
contribution in Ibaloi (a language belonging to an indigenous group native to the Philippine Cordillera mountains) by Banks'
mother, Corazon Banks. Adventurous, inspired, and inspiring, Para Sayo is a welcome addition to multicultural jazz
collections, highly recommended. The tracks are From My Shores To Yours; Go Fish; Opo (Lyrics: Hazel Cavida);
Indemok i Talaw (Lyrics: Corazon Banks); Agila; Nature Boy; Burning Bridges; A Day In The Life; and Outspoken (Lyrics:
Tea Fannie).
I Am Doing My Best
Curtis Nowosad
curtisnowosad.com
La Reserve Records, LLC
$15.00 CD / $30.00 vinyl / $10.00 digital
https://curtisnowosad.bandcamp.com/album/i-am-doing-my-best
The fourth full-length album by JUNO-nominated drummer Curtis Nowosad with special guests Joanna Majoko on vocals
and Andrew Renfroe on guitar, I Am Doing My Best features eight original songs. Five songs were written solely by
Nowosad; "Choices" is by Nowosad and Joanna Majoko; "Carry You Home" is by Nowosad and two-time JUNO-winning
guitarist and singer-songwriter Josey Landreth; and "(I'm Learning to Be) Kind" is by Nowosad, Majoko, and Landreth. The
evolving jazz embodies the complex journey of self-healing, self-improvement, and gradually working to make the world a
better place. I Am Doing My Best is a choice pick for connoisseurs of modern jazz with intricate drum rhythms, highly
recommended. The tracks are We Do We; Choices (A Butterfly Breaks Free); Mythologies (The Stories We Tell); Carry
You Home; Echo Delta; (I'm Learning to Be) Kind; No Such Place As Away; and The Archer (I Am Doing My Best).
The Library DVD Shelf
The Cinema Within
First Run Features
https://www.firstrunfeatures.com
$19.95
https://www.firstrunfeatures.com/cinemawithinvod.html
Synopsis: From the director of The Pruitt-Igoe Myth comes a documentary about the psychology of film editing.
Why do film cuts work? Why do people around the world - even children - so effortlessly understand them? In real life we
don't instantly jump from one viewpoint to another. Such a bizarre disruption of reality would be nauseatingly jarring. And
yet, most viewers don't even notice the hundreds or thousands of edits in their favorite films and shows.
The Cinema Within delves into the mystery of how and why an edited movie feels so natural and so effortlessly makes
sense. Drawing on the insights of editor Walter Murch, scholar David Bordwell, and a varied group of perceptual scientists,
the Cinema Within explores the idea that in film's earliest years, the most common edits were instinctively shaped to fit the
contours of human perception - and that this might explain why, more than a century later, most modern-day filmmakers
still rely on these exact same techniques.
Produced over the course of four years, The Cinema Within is a film unlike any other. Playfully inventive in its construction
and striking in its visuals, it dives deep into the deliberately hidden language of film editing - a language so seemingly
natural it usually goes unnoticed. Drawing on dozens of examples from both well-known and obscure films across cinema
history, it explores not only the essential grammar of the world's most popular art form, but the very mechanics of how we
perceive reality. The result is a scientific cinematic adventure - a documentary in which our basic understanding of film
editing becomes the dramatic heart of its story.
Critique: The Cinema Within: A Documentary about the Psychology of Film Editing is a documentary on DVD that
explores why and how film editing techniques work so well. When a movie cuts from scene to scene, how can the audience
follow the action without being disoriented, or experiencing motion sickness? Is the ability to internalize edited film as an
unfolding narrative instinctive, or learned behavior? In search of answers, one researcher traveled to a remote dwelling with
a family who had never seen a movie before. Another researcher carefully studied when and how humans blink while
watching film. Award-winning film editor Walter Murch and scholar David Bordwell examine what cinematic techniques
reveal about how humans see and process the world around them, in a fascinating and enlightening study that is thoroughly
accessible to viewers of all backgrounds, The Cinema Within is especially recommended for high school, public, and
college library cinema and psychology collections. 93 min., optional English subtitles.
The Blu-ray Shelf
Dungeon People Complete Collection
Sentai Film Works
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com
c/o RLJ Entertainment (distribution)
$69.98 Blu-ray, 2 discs
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com/products/816726029467-dungeon-people-season-1-complete-collection-blu-ray
Synopsis: When Clay's father, a highly skilled thief, disappears, she literally follows in his footsteps, training as a thief and
then following his trail into the dungeon where he was last seen. However, while Clay thought she could handle the
dungeon's level bosses, she wasn't prepared for the actual Boss of the dungeon, a young girl named Belle! And when Belle
invites Clay to join the secret staff of workers who run the dungeon from behind the scenes, it's too sweet a deal to pass up!
Now going to the Dungeon isn't an adventure for Clay, it's her job as she becomes one of the DUNGEON PEOPLE!
Critique: Adapted from an original Japanese manga, Dungeon People Complete Collection presents all twelve episodes of
the anime series on two Blu-ray discs. The story is a twist on common fantasy tropes; as the protagonist Clay searches for
her missing adoptive father, she decides that her best opportunity to find clues in the dungeon where he went missing is to
work for the dungeon's final boss, a young girl named Belle! Could behind-the-scenes dungeon upkeep be more work - or
more danger - than Clay bargained for? Offering a fine balance of humor, parody, narrative twists, and character
development, Dungeon People Complete Collection is a "must-have" for fantasy anime connoisseurs, highly recommended!
Special features include clean opening and closing animations, and original Japanese promos. Dungeon People Complete
Collection is rated TV-14 for violence, and has options for English or Japanese audio with English subtitles. 300
minutes.
The Archaeology Shelf
Beneath Our Feet
Michael Lewis and Ian Richardson, authors
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500027523, $40.00, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Beneath-Our-Feet-Discoveries-Reshaping/dp/0500027528
Synopsis: Britain has a rich past as evidenced by its incredible archaeology discoveries. Every day, new discoveries
transform our understanding of its history. Most are made not by professional archaeologists, but by ordinary members of
the public. Some are chance finds; others are recovered by the thousands of fieldwalkers, mudlarks, and metal detectorists
who scour Britain's countryside and waterways looking for artifacts and coins.
"Beneath Our Feet: Everyday Discoveries Reshaping History" is a celebration of this growing public involvement in
archaeology, and of the groundbreaking work of the Portable Antiquities Scheme managed by the British Museum in
England and Amgueddfa Cymru in Wales.
Its mission is collaboration with public finders, encouraging them to report their discoveries so they can be recorded on a
national database and shared with archaeologists, historians, and everyone with an interest in the past buried beneath our
feet.
From the 3,500-year-old Ringlemere Cup to the Anglo-Saxon Staffordshire Hoard, a heart pendant connected to Henry VIII
and Catherine of Aragon, and a jar of American gold coins buried by a Jewish refugee fleeing the Nazis, these are the stories
of more than fifty astonishing treasures, the people who found them, and how they are reshaping British history.
Critique: Visually enhanced with 200 color illustrations supporting and expertly written and impressively informative text,
"Beneath Our Feet: Everyday Discoveries Reshaping History" by British Museum professionals Professor Michael Lewis
and senior treasure registrar Ian Richardson is enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of an informative
Foreword by writer, director, and star of the BAFTA-winning television series Detectorists, Mackenzie Crook. The
archaeology finds are chronologically grouped: Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman, Early Medieval, Medieval,
Post-Medieval and Modern. Especially and unreservedly recommended, this hardcover edition of "Beneath Our Feet:
Everyday Discoveries Reshaping History" from Thames & Hudson is an ideal pick for personal, professional, community,
and college/university library British Archaeology/History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Michael Lewis is head of portable antiquities and treasure at the British Museum and a visiting professor
at the University of Reading and the University of Helsinki. He is known for his research on medieval finds associated with
religion and everyday life and is coauthor of The Story of the Bayeux Tapestry (with Dave Musgrove).
Editorial Note: Ian Richardson is the senior treasure registrar at the British Museum and secretary to the treasure valuation
committee. He has a particular interest in postmedieval archaeology -- and especially vervels!
The Language Studies Shelf
Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global
Laura Spinney
Bloomsbury Publishing
www.bloomsbury.com
9781639732586, $29.99, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Proto-Ancient-Language-Went-Global/dp/1639732586
Synopsis: Daughter. Duhitar. Dustr. Dukte. Listen to these English, Sanskrit, Armenian and Lithuanian words, all meaning
the same thing, and you hear echoes of one of history's most unlikely journeys.
All four languages-along with hundreds of others, from French and Gaelic, to Persian and Polish-trace their origins to an
ancient tongue spoken as the last ice age receded. This language, which we call Proto-Indo-European, was born between
Europe and Asia and exploded out of its cradle, fragmenting as it spread east and west. Its last speaker died thousands of
years ago, yet Proto-Indo-European lives on in its myriad linguistic offspring and in some of our best loved works of
literature, including Dante's Inferno and the Rig Veda, The Lord of the Rings and the love poetry of Rumi.
How did this happen?
Acclaimed journalist Laura Spinney set out to answer that question, retracing the Indo-European odyssey across continents
and millennia. With her we travel the length of the steppe, navigating the Caucasus, the silk roads and the Hindu Kush. We
retrace the epic journeys of nomads and monks, warriors and kings -- the ancient peoples who carried these languages far
and wide. In the present, Spinney meets the scientists on a thrilling mission to retrieve the lost languages and their speakers:
the linguists, archaeologists and geneticists who have reconstructed that ancient diaspora. What they have learned has
profound implications for our modern world, because people and their languages are on the move again.
"Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global" is a revelatory portrait of world history in its own words.
Critique: With the publication of "Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global", Laura Spinney presents a unique and
simply fascinating study of how a universal language that dominated in the last Ice Age became so diversified as humans
and human populations spread across the world. Of immense value to academia and non-academic readers with an interest
in the evolution of language, "Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global" is further enhanced for the reader's benefit
with the inclusion of a twenty-two page Bibliography, twenty-two pages of Endnotes, and a fifteen page Index. A
meticulously researched and impressively well written, organized and presented study, "Proto: How One Ancient Language
Went Global" is especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community and college/university library Language
Development and Civilization/Cultural History collections and supplemental curriculum Linguistics studies lists. It should
be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that this hardcover edition of "Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global" from Bloomsbury Press is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Laura Spinney (https://www.lauraspinney.com) is also the author of "Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918
and How It Changed the World", which has been translated into more than a dozen languages, and two novels. Her science
writing has appeared in The Atlantic, National Geographic, Nature, The Economist, The Guardian, and elsewhere. She lives
in Paris.
The Native American Studies Shelf
Beyond Blood Quantum
Norbert S. Hill, Megan M. Hill, and Desirae Louise Hill, editors
Fulcrum Publishing
www.fulcrumbooks.com
9781682754627, $24.95, PB, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Blood-Quantum-Refusal-Disappear/dp/1682754626
Synopsis: "Beyond Blood Quantum: Refusal to Disappear" is the second volume of The Great Vanishing Act series. Voices
from Indian Country convey the insidious impacts of the Indian Reorganization Act confronting the existential and
pragmatic questions facing many Native Nations to determine who is (and who is not) a citizen. The voices of poets,
parents, academics, activists, educators, young adults, and elders prompt conversations in consideration of shared cultural
values and lived realities outside of the limited confines of blood quantum.
Both informational and poetic, "Beyond Blood Quantum: Refusal to Disappear" is a guide for conversation in-community
and a songline of voices grappling with contemporary Native identity and the sovereignty inherent in defining citizenship
with analysis softened by appreciation for kin, land, and promises to future generations from the descendants of generations
who continue to resist, who refuse to disappear.
Critique: Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by the team of Norbert S. Hill, Megan M. Hill, and Desirae Louise Hill,
"Beyond Blood Quantum: Refusal to Disappear" is a compendium of twenty-five informative, erudite, and Native American
themed essays by knowledgeable contributors and will prove to be of special and particular interest to readers with an
interest in Indigenous People's Studies/History/Politics. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Beyond
Blood Quantum: Refusal to Disappear" is additionally enhanced with the inclusion of a two page listing of Questions for
Reflection, thirty-two pages of Notes, a twenty page listing of Contributors and their credentials, and a seven page Index.
While a unique, and unreservedly recommended addition to community and college/university library Native American
collections and supplemental Indigenous Peoples curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, and
non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this paperback edition of "Beyond Blood Quantum: Refusal
to Disappear" from Fulcrum Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note #1: Megan M. Hill is the Senior Director of the Project on Indigenous Governance and Development and the
Director of the Honoring Nations program at the Harvard Kennedy School. The core mission of the Project is to arm
Indigenous people with the tools needed to (re)build their nations and govern effectively through research, teaching,
leadership development, policy analysis, and pro bono advising for and with Native nations and communities. Its flagship
program, Honoring Nations, is a national awards program that identifies, celebrates, and shares outstanding examples of
tribal governance. (https://indigenousgov.hks.harvard.edu)
Editorial Note #2: Desirae Louise Hill (https://desiraelouise.com) is the co-founder and managing creative director and
strategist at Three Track Mind -- a design studio and consultancy supporting startups, small businesses, and nonprofits doing
purposeful work related to the arts, culture, education, environment, and wellness. She is also co-founder of Storywell and
editor at Minoka Press. She earned a BA in Business Administration with concentration in marketing while also studying
literature at Western Washington University.
Editorial Note #3: Philip J. Deloria (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_J._Deloria), is a Dakota descendant and the son of
Vine Deloria Jr. (author of God Is Red). Philip currently serves as the Leverett Saltonstall Professor of History at Harvard
University and received his PhD in American Studies from Yale University in 1994. He taught at the Universities of
Colorado and Michigan before joining the faculty at Harvard in January 2018. He is the author and co-author of many books
and was a long-serving trustee of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI).
The Literary Studies Shelf
E.D.E.N. Southworth's Hidden Hand
Rose Neal, author
The Lyons Press
www.lyonspress.com
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
9781493089130, $32.95, HC, 312pp
https://www.amazon.com/D-Southworths-Hidden-Hand-Nineteenth-Century/dp/1493089137
Synopsis: E.D.E.N. Southworth (Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte) was one of the nineteenth century's most prolific and
successful authors, with more novels to her credit than Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, and Mark Twain combined.
Readers loved her feisty heroines who rode horses, shot pistols, captured notorious villains, became sea captains, and had
other such grand adventures. In 1859, countless readers named their daughters Capitola after their favorite character in
Southworth's best-selling novel The Hidden Hand.
In her fifty-plus novels, Southworth wrote about unspeakable topics for the time, including alcoholism, domestic violence,
poverty, and capital punishment -- all nicely tucked away within the pages of her "domestic fiction". Despite being raised in
a slave-owning family, she wrote for The National Era (a known abolitionist magazine), supported emancipation, and
encouraged her longtime friend Harriet Beecher Stowe to publish Uncle Tom's Cabin. Southworth also advocated for better
education for girls and better living conditions for the poor and joined the early women's rights movement.
Although Southworth achieved international fame in her lifetime, knowledge of her work virtually disappeared as readers
were drawn to the new Modernist literature. Because Southworth never discussed her progressive views publicly (a
necessity as a single mother who made a living by her pen) she has long been incorrectly categorized as being against causes
she in fact supported. Now, by combining details from Southworth's novels, newspapers, and personal letters, with the
publication of "E.D.E.N. Southworth's Hidden Hand: The Untold Story of America's Famous Forgotten Nineteenth-Century
Author", research scholar Rose Neal has set the record straight, piecing together the fascinating life of a woman who was as
determined as the heroines she created.
Critique: The result a twelve year research project, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth (December 26, 1819 - June 30,
1899), "E.D.E.N. Southworth's Hidden Hand: The Untold Story of America's Famous Forgotten Nineteenth-Century
Author" is a seminal and groundbreaking study of the life and achievements of E.D.El.N. Southworth by Rose Neal, a
dedicated and meticulous scholar whose biography of Southworth began as her master thesis when a student at Swansea
University (Wales). Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "E.D.E.N. Southworth's Hidden Hand" is
unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library 19th Century Women's Literary Biography
collections and supplemental Literary History/Criticism curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading
lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of
"E.D.E.N. Southworth's Hidden Hand" from Lyons Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$31.00).
Editorial Note: Rose Neal, PhD, is one of the preeminent scholars on the author's work and life. In 2012, she finished her
master's thesis on Southworth before embarking on a doctorate in literature from Swansea University in Wales, where she
successfully defended her dissertation on Southworth's impact on female education. Dr. Neal has also presented about the
author at professional conferences and libraries. After a twenty-plus-year career in teaching, both at the high school and
university levels, Dr. Neal retired and is now devoting herself full-time to a second career as a writer.
(https://www.rosenealwrites.com)
The Music Shelf
The Complete Reba McEntire Illustrated Discography
Daniel Selby
BearManor Media
www.bearmanormedia.com
9798887717449, $64.00, HC, 262pp
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Reba-McEntire-Illustrated-Discography/dp/B0F8JKGR4Q
Synopsis: Country singer and actress Reba McEntire was born in McAlester. Oklahoma on March 28. 1955 and raised on a
cattle ranch in Chockie. Oklahoma. Her father was a rodeo rider and the family used to travel the south by car. On those car
trips Reba's mother. Jacqueline McEntire. taught her four children to sing harmony.
Young Reba then went on to perform at her school. Beginning in first grade she sang "Away in a Manger" at her elementary
school Christmas pageant. In fifth grade, she joined the 4-H club and won first place in the Junior Act Division for singing
"My Sweet Little Alice Blue Gown."
With her mother's help, she and her siblings formed the Singing McEntires, which played at local events around the state.
She enrolled at Southeastern Oklahoma State University and studied to become a public school teacher like her mother had
been. She continued to occasionally perform and in 1974 was heard singing at the National Rodeo Finals by country
performer Red Steagall.
Attracted by her singing voice. Red helped her secure a recording contract with Mercury Records in 1975. She relocated to
Nashville. Tennessee, with her mother that year. In 1976 Reba released her first single, it basically went nowhere. But that
was just the start.
Since that release Reba has sold more than 75 million records worldwide and placed over 100 singles on the Billboard Hot
Country Songs chart, 25 of which reached the # I position.
As an actress Reba made her film debut in 1989's "Tremors" with Michael Gross and Kevin Bacon. Other film roles include
1991's "The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw" with Kenny Rogers, 1994's "North" and several others.
On television she starred in the series "Reba," which aired for six seasons starting in 1991. "Malibu Country" in 2012. In
2023 "Reba McEntire's The Hammer" aired. She is a judge on "The Voice" and the upcoming, as of this writing. "Happy's
Place" co-starring Melissa Peterman who also co-starred in "Reba."
On January 26, 2001. Reba expanded her acting into theater starring as Annie Oakley in the Broadway revival of "Annie Get
Your Gun" to great acclaim. She also owns several businesses, including a restaurant and a clothing line. Reba has truly
done it all!
The focus for "The Complete Reba McEntire Illustrated Discography" is on her career as a recording artist and the albums
of music that she created.
Editorial Note: A discography is the study and cataloging of published sound recordings, often by specified artists or within
identified music genres. The exact information included varies depending on the type and scope of the discography, but a
discography entry for a specific recording will often list such details as the names of the artists involved, the time and place
of the recording, the title of the piece performed, release dates, chart positions, and sales figures. (Wikipedia)
With the publication of "The Complete Reba McEntire Illustrated Discography" popular music historian Daniel Selby has
provided the legions of Reba McEntire fans with a deftly researched, exhaustively compiled, and the most up to date
discography of the songs and albums of a remarkable and beloved country music Icon!
"The Complete Reba McEntire Illustrated Discography" is a comprehensive, chronologically presented compendium of all
of Reba's albums to date, and includes recording dates, foreign releases, reviews, chart information and more!
A unique and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Popular &
Country Music History/Performer collections, and an absolute 'must' for the legions of dedicated Reba McEntire fans, this
large format (8.25 x 0.81 x 11 inches, 1.63 pounds) hardcover edition from BearManor Press is also readily available in
paperback (9798887717432, $53.00).
Editorial Note: Daniel Selby, has spent the last 4 years writing 9 discography books about musical icons. Four of his books
have been nominated for an ARSC Award, the latest the discography of Loretta Lynn. The ARSC is the Association for
Recorded Sound Collections Awards for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research. Founded in 1966 the goal of
the ARSC Awards program is to recognize and draw attention to the finest work now being published in the field of
recorded sound research.
Other interests include currently (2024) writing a Christmas themed TV film script with a veteran Hollywood director and
taking flying lessons with to pilot small Cessna planes. In his younger years Daniel was an actor and did theater, print, TV
and film. The profile photo here is from his first leading musical theater role in Oliver! (as Oliver) in 1974.
Reverberations
Ted Clark
Genius Book Publishing
www.geniusbookpublishing.com
9781958727508, $22.95, PB, 437pp
https://www.amazon.com/Reverberations-Classic-1950s-Songs-Reverberate/dp/1958727504
Synopsis: "Reverberations: 21 Classic 1950s Rock 'N' Roll Songs That Still Reverberate" by Ted Clark is a journey through
the golden age of rock and roll. "Reverberations" dives into the stories behind twenty-one iconic songs from the 1950s that
have left a lasting impact on music and culture.
From the rebellious energy of "Hound Dog" to the infectious rhythm of "Rock Around the Clock," these tracks defined a
generation and continue to inspire artists today. The reader will discover how "Tutti Frutti" brought Little Richard's
flamboyant style to the forefront and how "Johnny B. Goode" became a rock and roll anthem thanks to Chuck Berry's
groundbreaking guitar work. While The Beatles, in their early days, played almost all these songs, showcasing their timeless
appeal and influence.
Ted Clark's meticulous research and insight offers a fresh perspective on these classics, revealing their origins, the numerous
subsequent artists who covered these songs and/or included them on their concert set lists, the movie soundtracks they have
appeared on, and why they still resonate with listeners around the world.
"Reverberations" explores in detail the tremendous impact that songs like "Rock Around the Clock," "Be-Bop-A-Lula,"
"That'll Be the Day," and "Summertime Blues" had in the UK. And Clark explains why the artists who sang these songs
(Bill Haley, Gene Vincent, Buddy Holly and The Crickets, and Eddie Cochran respectively) are more revered across the
pond than they are in the U.S.
Critique: This large format (8.5 x 0.99 x 11 inches, 2.23 pounds) paperback edition of "Reverberations: 21 Classic 1950s
Rock 'N' Roll Songs That Still Reverberate" by music collector and enthusiast Ted Clark will prove of immense value and
attraction for readers with an interest in mid-twentieth century popular music history and culture. Inherently fascinating and
impressively informative from cover to cover, "Reverberations: 21 Classic 1950s Rock 'N' Roll Songs That Still
Reverberate" is especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and
college/university library 20th Century Music History/Criticism collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: By vocation, R. Theodore Clark, Jr. -- Ted Clark to his many friends -- is an acclaimed lawyer who,
following graduation from the University of Michigan Law School, has represented hundreds of primarily public sector
clients nationwide. Over the years, he has authored or co-authored over 50 published articles and books, including the first
law school textbook on public sector labor law.
By avocation, Ted is an avid record collector. He started collecting in 1955, the year the "Rock Around The Clock" by Bill
Haley and the Comets became the first Rock 'n' Rock" record to top the charts in both the US and the UK. The mid to late
50s were a fertile period in the development of Rock 'n' Roll as a major force in music in the US and elsewhere, especially
in the UK, Europe, and Australia. Ted was fortunate to have witnessed this firsthand. The records selected for this book
were among the records he had in his collection in the 1950s. It was his fascination with how these records were covered
repeatedly by later artists such as The Beatles and other artists worldwide and their influence on those artists that eventually
led to this book.
The Art Shelf
Fashion Illustration Techniques
Hiroko Fukuchi
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805319451, $19.99, PB, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Fashion-Illustration-Techniques-Illustrators-illustrations/dp/4805319453
Synopsis: "Fashion Illustration Techniques: A Beginner's Guide for Fashion Designers and Illustrators" by Hiroko Fukuchi
is fascinating and inspiring DIY guide for budding fashion designers and illustrators that shows you how to draw human
figures accurately with a full range of fabrics, garments and accessories. It explains clearly all the techniques used by
professional designers and illustrators with hundreds of examples to study and learn from!
Hiroko Fukuchi is one of Japan's leading fashion illustration teachers and draws from her yers of experience and expertise to
share a wealth of insider tips and techniques to help you master the art of fashion drawing -- from sketching realistic human
figures to illustrating stylish outfits and textured fabrics
The detailed chapters in "Fashion Illustration Techniques: A Beginner's Guide for Fashion Designers and Illustrators"
present all the essential information you need to know including:
Drawing the Human Figure: Master the proportions of male and female figures, including heads, hands, arms, legs, and
torsos
Drawing Fabrics on the Body: Learn to render various fabrics and textiles with folds, gathers, wrinkles and shadows and
how to draw them draped over the body using different types of pens and media
Illustrating and Designing Clothes: Learn to draw a wide range of individual garments as well as stunning ensembles and
accessories, including skirts, dresses, shirts, pants, jackets, shoes, bags, bras, panties and much more!
Getting Creative with Colors and Fabrics: Explore patterns, surface textures, and color palettes to elevate your illustrations
with depth and personality
"Fashion Illustration Techniques: A Beginner's Guide for Fashion Designers and Illustrators" is comprehensive guide
delivers all the foundational skills taught in top Tokyo fashion schools and is ideal for self-study or supplementing a formal
design course!
Critique: Essential for the novice and with a great deal of value for the experienced fashion designer, this large format
(7.50(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.00(d), 1.11 pounds) trade paperback edition of Hiroko Fukuchi's "Fashion Illustration Techniques:
A Beginner's Guide for Fashion Designers and Illustrators" from Tuttle Publishing is an exceptional and unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, professional, community, art school, and college/university Fashion Art instructional
reference collections and curriculums.
Editorial Note: Hiroko Fukuchi is a lecturer in fashion illustration and design at Sugino Fashion College in Tokyo. She also
teaches at Dressmaker Gakuin and Wayo Women's University and creates illustrations for books and apparel designers. She
has contributed to many fashion books including Modalina's Illustrated Book of Fashion, Modalina's Illustrated Book of
Men's Fashion and How to Draw a Suit. This is her first book in English.
David Hockney
Norman Rosenthal, editor
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500029527, $60.00, HC, 328pp
https://www.amazon.com/David-Hockney-Norman-Rosenthal/dp/0500029520
Synopsis: Published in association with the Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris, to coincide with their major 2025 David
Hockney exhibition, this hardcover edition of "David Hockney" from Thames & Hudson charts the life and work of one of
Britain's most popular and significant artists.
Expertly written by preeminent curatorial experts, art historians, and critics including Sir Norman Rosenthal, Sir Simon
Schama, and Fiona Maddocks, "David Hockney" is a definitive survey that showcases a curated selection of archival
photographs and eye-catching artworks presented in a lavish, large-format coffee-table style book offering a visually
engaging and detailed journey through Hockney's remarkable life and career.
Following an introduction that offers an overview of Hockney's life and work, a series of chapters explore in detail the
important moments and signature styles and preoccupations of the artist's varied career, from his early life in Bradford and
London through his years in California to his later life in Bridlington, Yorkshire, and Normandy.
Several of the chapters are arranged thematically according to artistic subject matter and medium, ranging from still lifes
and portraits to his much-loved landscapes and stunning designs for opera.
A final chapter explores Hockney's engagement with new technology, particularly the iPad, demonstrating the endless
inventiveness, curiosity, and creativity that have characterized Hockney's work over the decades.
Compiled with the full involvement of David Hockney and his studio, and with a large-scale landscape format with a
selection of gatefolds that enables the reader to revel in the art, "David Hockney' is the most important book on Hockney's
entire career to have been published, and will appeal to the many fans of the artist's work across the globe.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a two page Glossary of Techniques, a four
page Chronology, three pages of Notes, a two page Selected Bibliography, and a one page listing of the contributors and
their credentials, this large format (12.3 x 1.4 x 10.5 inches, 5.2 pounds) and profusely illustrated hardcover edition of
"David Hockney" is a singular and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Contemporary Art & Artists collections.
Editorial Note: Sir Norman Rosenthal (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Rosenthal) is an independent British curator
and art historian. He was exhibitions secretary at the Royal Academy, London, from 1977 to 2008.
Pacific Northwest Line Drawing
Peggy Dean
Sasquatch Books
www.sasquatchbooks.com
9781632175601, $21.00, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pacific-Northwest-Line-Drawing-Mushrooms/dp/1632175606
Synopsis: With the publication of "Pacific Northwest Line Drawing: How to Draw Flowers, Trees, Mushrooms, Birds,
Animals, Landmarks, and More", Peggy Dean shows even the most novice of aspiring artists how to draw 150 Pacific
Northwest natural wonders (plus iconic landmarks) in just a few simple steps each!
Rooted in love for the PNW, "Pacific Northwest Line Drawing" is a no-skills-necessary how-to-draw instructional guide
book that will encourage users to stop and notice the beauty that surrounds them. Within these pages you will learn the
basics of line drawing as well as facts about the ecology, plants, wildlife, and landmarks of this amazing region.
"Pacific Northwest Line Drawing" covers:
Native plants like salmonberries, sword ferns, and Pacific rhododendron
Majestic trees like the Western red cedar and Douglas fir
Mysterious mushrooms like the chanterelle and morel
Iconic animals like otters and orcas
Bucket-list birds like the Northern spotted owl and tufted puffin
Popular landmarks like the Space Needle, Mount Rainier, and Crater Lake
Line drawing is a meditative, easy-to-master art form featuring illustrative, doodle-like designs. artist Peggy Dean (who has
deep roots in the Pacific Northwest) teaches you how to start with the simplest doodles, building into more elaborate,
delicate illustrations. These simple line drawings will allow you to branch out and have fun with your own personal style, as
well as inspire you to add flourishes to other projects. Drawings are ordered from simple to advanced, and by category
(flora, fauna, landmarks).
Critique: A consumable with opportunities for the reader to practice line drawing, "Pacific Northwest Line Drawing: How to
Draw Flowers, Trees, Mushrooms, Birds, Animals, Landmarks, and More" is an ideal textbook for aspiring artists wanting
to become proficient in line drawing and is especially and unreservedly recommended as a textbook for art class curriculums
and personal artist/illustrator DIY instructional guide collections. It should be noted that this trade paperback edition of
"Pacific Northwest Line Drawing" from Sasquatch Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$21.00).
Editorial Note: Peggy Dean (https://www.thepigeonletters.com) is author of Mindful Sketching,The Ultimate Brush
Lettering Guide, Botanical Line Drawing and Peggy Dean's Guide to Nature Drawing & Watercolor. Peggy is a self-taught
artist "born into creativity through a struggle with mental health." She promotes the embrace of imperfection and is devoted
to ensuring that everyone who wants to feels empowered to be able to create. To that end, Peggy teaches online in and
in-person classes, which to date have reached more than 500k students. Peggy blogs at ThePigeonLetters.com
The Watercolor Feast
Erin Gleeson
https://www.theforestfeast.com/about-erin
Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
www.abramsbooks.com
9781419776793, $24.99, HC, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Watercolor-Feast-Simple-Vegetables-Flowers/dp/1419776797
Synopsis: Author Erin Gleeson's previous and vibrantly designed cookbooks have transported her readers to her beautiful
cabin in the woods of Northern California for years, and now, with the publication of "The Watercolor Feast: Learn to Paint
Simple Fruits, Vegetables, and Flowers" she reveals to aspiring artists how they can re-create her signature watercolor
illustrations.
Comprised of 40 fun, easy, and beautiful tutorials, even the novice artists new to watercolor painting can follow the simple
step-by-step instructions laid out in "The Watercolor Feast"
"The Watercolor Feast" shows how to hand-letter in watercolor; paint an array of specific fruits, vegetables, and flowers;
and create beautiful menus, place settings, and other designs to display in your home or at your next dinner party. Erin also
introduces three of her favorite watercolor artists, with distinct and lovely styles for further inspiration.
"The Watercolor Feast" concludes with eight pages of watercolor paper so that you can test your new skills. For anyone who
is looking for an easy way to make a little time in your life for creativity, "The Watercolor Feast" is a charming introductory
guide to painting that celebrates the beauty of food and the natural world.
Critique: "The Watercolor Feast: Learn to Paint Simple Fruits, Vegetables, and Flowers" is impressively 'reader/user'
friendly in its instructional style, organization and presentation. Ideal for beginners, and with a great deal of value for the
more experienced artist/illustrator, this hardcover edition of "The Watercolor Feast: Learn to Paint Simple Fruits,
Vegetables, and Flowers" is particularly recommended for personal, professional, community, art school, and
college/university library Watercolor Painting instructional reference collections. It should be noted that this edition of "The
Watercolor Feast" from Harry N. Abrams is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Erin Gleeson is the author, illustrator, and photographer behind the New York Times bestselling cookbook
The Forest Feast, as well as The Forest Feast for Kids, The Forest Feast Gatherings, The Forest Feast Mediterranean, The
Forest Feast Roadtrip, and the popular blog of the same name. Gleeson also teaches photography in continuing studies at
Stanford University. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, The Kitchn, Design*Sponge, Food52, InStyle,
Country Living, Better Homes and Gardens, Bon Appetit, and Saveur. Gleeson lives in a cabin in the woods in Northern
California, where she creates simple and delicious vegetarian recipes inspired by her weekly farm box.
The Theatre/Cinema Shelf
Chai Noon: Jews and the Cinematic Wild West
Jonathan L. Friedmann
University of Wisconsin Press
https://uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299352103, $42.95, HC, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/Chai-Noon-Cinematic-Wisconsin-Studies/dp/0299352102
Synopsis: Only a few Western movies contain explicitly Jewish stories or themes, and very rarely do Old West tales involve
identifiably Jewish characters. Yet Jewish contributors have shaped the Western (once Hollywood's most popular genre)
ever since the silent era, both onscreen and offscreen, and some filmmakers have sought to infuse the genre with a distinctly
Jewish sensibility.
With the publication of "Chai Noon: Jews and the Cinematic Wild West", academician Jonathan L. Friedmann applies some
of the central questions of Jewish film studies to the Western: What makes a movie "Jewish"? What counts as a "Jewish
image" on screen? What types of Jewish representation are appropriate? How much of a film's "Jewishness" owes to the
filmmakers and how much to the viewer's interpretation?
A part of the simply outstanding University of Wisconsin Press 'Wisconsin Film Series', Jonathan Friedmann's "Chai Noon:
Jews and the Cinematic Wild West" joins other academic reconsiderations of outsider and minority representations in
Western movies to offer a more nuanced view of the genre. Friedmann engages with larger themes of Jewish identity in
popular film, including depictions of race, ethnicity, and foreignness. He also identifies similar concerns within the
invention and creation of the imaginary West writ large in American culture. The juxtapositions prove to be both
unexpected and intuitively understandable.
Critique: An original, seminal, and groundbreaking study, "Chai Noon: Jews and the Cinematic Wild West" is enhanced for
the reader's benefit with the added inclusion of a twenty-four page Bibliography, thirty-two pages of Notes, and a fifteen
page Index. Impressively well written, detailed, organized and presented, "Chai Noon: Jews and the Cinematic Wild West"
is a unique and highly recommended pick for the personal reading lists of film students, academia, film buffs, and
non-specialist readers with an interest in Judaic impacts upon the broader popular culture, as well as community and
college/university library Cinematic History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Jonathan L. Friedmann is a scholar of Jewish music history and the president of the Western States Jewish
History Association. He serves as vice president, academic dean, and director of programs at Ezzree Institute; admissions
director and associate professor at the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism; director of the Jewish
Museum of the American West; and cohost of Amusing Jews, an interview show celebrating Jewish contributors and
contributions to American popular culture. He is the author or editor of numerous books and articles, most recently Jewish
Historical Societies: Navigating the Professional-Amateur Divide, coedited with Joel Gereboff.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_L._Friedmann)
The Gardening Shelf
The Manga Guide to Organic Vegetable Gardening
Hideki Yoda
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805319086, $18.99, PB, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Manga-Guide-Organic-Vegetable-Gardening/dp/4805319089
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Manga Guide to Organic Vegetable Gardening: Detailed Tips for Growing 50 Types
of Vegetables, Fruits and Herbs", manga artist and passionate home gardener Hideki Yoda illustrates the joy and simplicity
of raising vegetables in your own small home garden.
He covers everything from creating the rows and preparing the soils to building the trellises and keeping the pests and weeds
away without the use of any chemicals.
Over two thousand detailed step-by-step color photos and drawings throughout "The Manga Guide to Organic Vegetable
Gardening" explain the techniques and guide you through each step.
Entertaining and informative, "The Manga Guide to Organic Vegetable Gardening" is packed from cover to cover with
practical advice on:
What to grow, when to plant it, and how to get started
What seedlings to purchase and how to make good compost
Homemade organic fertilizers and chemical-free ways to keep pests and diseases at bay
Companion planting and natural weed control techniques
How to use your limited garden spaces more efficiently
And so much more!
Yoda's lighthearted illustrations and cartoon "assistants" keep it all fun. They show you how to grow beautiful potatoes,
peppers, taro, tomatoes, melons, edamame, turmeric and dozens of other vegetables, fruits and herbs -- over 50 varieties in
total.
Critique: A unique and ideal DIY instructional guide book and 'how to' manual for beginners who like a playful, illustrated
approach to solid gardening information, "The Manga Guide to Organic Vegetable Gardening: Detailed Tips for Growing
50 Types of Vegetables, Fruits and Herbs" by expert gardener Hideki Yoda has a great deal of value for even the more
experienced family gardener. This large format paperback edition of "The Manga Guide to Organic Vegetable Gardening:
Detailed Tips for Growing 50 Types of Vegetables, Fruits and Herbs" from Tuttle Publishing is an original, unique,
effective, and highly recommended addition to personal, community, and college/university library Organic/Sustainable
Gardening/Horticulture collections and supplemental Agriculture curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Hideki Yoda describes himself as a part-time farmer and part-time manga artist. He draws wonderful manga
and illustrations for newspapers and magazines, and also conducts lectures on gardening and small-scale farming for diverse
groups from farming organizations to PTA meetings. He is the author of several manga gardening books like this one.
Birdscaping for Wisconsin and the Great Lakes Region
Mariette Nowak
University of Wisconsin Press
https://uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299353049, $34.95, PB, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Birdscaping-Wisconsin-Great-Lakes-Region/dp/0299353044
Synopsis: Want to turn your yard into a bird paradise? Mariette Nowak, gardener, educator, and ecologist, has a simple
suggestion: think beyond bird feeders.
"Birdscaping for Wisconsin and the Great Lakes Region: The 50 Best Native Plants to Attract Birds to Your Midwestern
Garden" is Nowak's indispensable guide for gardeners throughout the Upper Midwest and parts of the Northeast. She
highlights the fifty best native plants for attracting such beloved bird species as Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, American
Goldfinches, Eastern Bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Cedar Waxwings, and Wood Warblers.
"Birdscaping for Wisconsin and the Great Lakes Region" also explains the value of particular plants for birds and other
wildlife, not only as food sources but as nesting sites and cover. Each plant is described in depth, with details on color,
height, blooming time, light requirements, and soil preferences, along with planting tips and suggested companion
plants.
Nowak offers closer looks at the intriguing features of these diverse plant species and their intertwined relationships with
birds, complemented by more than 150 color photos that showcase the beauty of the plants and birds together.
Novice gardeners will also find essential information on birdscaping basics, site preparation, management guidelines, and
safeguarding songbirds.
Critique: This large format (7 x 0.9 x 9 inches, 1 pounds) trade paperback edition of "Birdscaping for Wisconsin and the
Great Lakes Region: The 50 Best Native Plants to Attract Birds to Your Midwestern Garden" by wildlife/birding friendly
landscaping expert Mariette Nowak is a profusely and beautifully illustrated compendium of practical information,
observation, and recommendation that will prove invaluable for the novice bird-loving gardener and have immense value for
even the more experienced wildlife oriented landscaper. This University of Wisconsin Press edition of "Birdscaping for
Wisconsin and the Great Lakes Region: The 50 Best Native Plants to Attract Birds to Your Midwestern Garden" is an
original, unique, 'reader/user' friendly, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Gardening/Landscaping Design collections.
Editorial Note: Mariette Nowak, (https://uwpress.wisc.edu/Contributors/N/Nowak-Mariette), is the author of "Birdscaping
in the Midwest" and an active leader and volunteer for Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes. She is also a public
speaker on landscaping, native plants, and birding, and is the former director of the Wehr Nature Center, a unit of the
Milwaukee County Parks in Wisconsin.
Japanese Gardens: Tranquility, Simplicity, Harmony
Geeta K. Mehta and Kimie Tada, authors
Noboru Murata, photographer
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805309421, $34.95, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Gardens-Tranquility-Simplicity-Harmony/dp/4805309423
Synopsis: At the heart of a Japanese garden is harmony with nature. More than simply a landscape of trees and flowering
shrubs, a Japanese garden provides a place of serenity and rest, filled with peaceful spots that lend themselves to meditation
and contemplation.
With the publication of "Japanese Gardens: Tranquility, Simplicity, Harmony", co-authors Geeta Mehta and Kimie Tada
(along with the visual images of photographer Noboru Murata) celebrates and illustrates this ideal, showcasing the exquisite
natural beauty of more than 20 quintessentially Japanese gardens -- big and small, urban and rural, traditional and
contemporary.
"Japanese Gardens: Tranquility, Simplicity, Harmony" excels at capturing and explaining the essential elements and
techniques that distinguish Japanese garden design from that of other countries. The featured sites reflect a cross-section of
Japanese culture and history including large feudal period gardens, temple and Zen gardens and private countryside gardens.
The mountain flower garden, tea garden, rock garden and bonsai garden alike are all celebrated and appreciated in this
beautiful coffee-table style volume.
Critique: This large format (9 x 0.8 x 9.5 inches, 2.31 pounds) hardcover edition of "Japanese Gardens: Tranquility,
Simplicity, Harmony" is a thing of contemplative beauty, inspiration, and aspiration. Of special attraction and
recommendation for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Japanese Gardening/Landscaping
Design collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted by students, academia, homeowners,
professional gardeners, landscapers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover
edition of "Japanese Gardens: Tranquility, Simplicity, Harmony" from Tuttle Press is also readily available in paperback
(9784805318690, $29.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.22).
Editorial Note #1: Geeta K. Mehta is a partner in the firm of Braden and Mehta Architects. She is the co-author of several
books, including Japan Style and Japan Houses.
Editorial Note #2: Kimie Tada runs I See All Inc., an editorial company set up in 2000. Previously she was editor-in-chief of
Confort, a Japanese magazine featuring Japanese houses and interiors.
Editorial Note #3: Noboru Murata is one of Japan's most accomplished design photographers. His recent publications
include The Japanese House and Japan Style.
The Mathematics Shelf
A Beginner's Guide to Mathematical Proof
Mark J. DeBonis
CRC Press
c/o Routledge
https://www.routledge.com
9781032686196, $169.44, HC, 170pp
https://www.amazon.com/Beginners-Guide-Mathematical-Proof/dp/1032686197
Synopsis: An ideal textbook on the subject, "A Beginner's Guide to Mathematical Proof" by Mark J. DeBonis will prepare
mathematics majors for the transition to abstract mathematics, as well as introducing a wider readership of quantitative
science students, such as engineers, to the mathematical structures underlying more applied topics.
The text of "A Beginner's Guide to Mathematical Proof" is specifically and intentionally designed to be easily utilized by
both instructor and student, with an accessible, step-by-step approach requiring minimal mathematical prerequisites. "A
Beginner's Guide to Mathematical Proof" builds towards more complex ideas as it progresses but never makes assumptions
of the reader beyond the material already covered.
The features of "A Beginner's Guide to Mathematical Proof" require no mathematical prerequisites beyond high school
mathematics. It is especially suitable for an Introduction to Proofs curriculum course for mathematics majors and other
students of quantitative sciences, such as engineering.
Critique: Exceptionally well organized and presented, as well as replete thoroughly with student friendly exercises and
examples, "A Beginner's Guide to Mathematical Proof" is an ideal pick for personal, professional, and college/university
library Mathematics collections and curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students and academia that this
hardcover edition of "A Beginner's Guide to Mathematical Proof" from CRC Press is also readily available in paperback
(9781032687704, $66.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $50.91).
Editorial Note: Mark DeBonis received his PhD in Mathematics from University of California, Irvine, USA. He began his
career as a theoretical mathematician in the field of group theory and model theory, but in later years switched to applied
mathematics, in particular to machine learning. He spent some time working for the US Department of Energy at Los
Alamos National Lab as well as the US Department of Defense at the Defense Intelligence Agency as an applied
mathematician of machine learning. He is at present working for the US Department of Energy at Sandia National Lab. His
research interests include machine learning, statistics and computational algebra.
Functional Analysis for the Applied Mathematician
Todd Arbogast & Jerry L. Bona
CRC Press
c/o Routledge
https://www.routledge.com
9781032791562, $125.00, HC, 406pp
https://www.amazon.com/Functional-Analysis-Mathematician-Textbooks-Mathematics/dp/103279156X
Synopsis: "Functional Analysis for the Applied Mathematician" by co-authors and professors of mathematics Todd
Arbogast and Jerry L. Bona is a self-contained volume that provides a rigorous introduction to functional analysis and its
applications. Students from mathematics, science, engineering, and certain social science and interdisciplinary programs
will substantial benefit from the material.
This textbook edition of "Functional Analysis for the Applied Mathematician" from CRC Press is fully accessible to
graduate and advanced undergraduate students who have a solid background in undergraduate mathematics and an
appreciation of mathematical rigor. Students are called upon to actively engage with the material, to the point of proving
some of the basic results or their straightforward generalizations, both within the text and within the generous set of
exercises.
"Functional Analysis for the Applied Mathematician" features:
Replete with exercises and examples
Suitable for graduate students and advanced undergraduates
Develops the basics of functional analysis, exploring the interplay between algebraic linear space theory and topology
Presents a variety of applications, often dealing with partial differential equations and their numerical approximation
Doubles as a reference book with an extensive index listing the concepts and results
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Functional Analysis for the Applied Mathematician" by
Professors Todd Arbogast and Jerry L. Bona is an ideal textbook and unreservedly recommended for college/university
library Applied Mathematics collections and supplemental Mathematics curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for
students and academia that this hardcover edition of "Functional Analysis for the Applied Mathematician" from CRC Press
is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $100.00).
Editorial Note #1: Todd Arbogast is a Professor of Mathematics, born December 9, 1957. He earned his Ph.D. from the
University of Chicago in 1987 under the direction of Professor Jim Douglas, Jr. He has held faculty positions at Purdue
University, Rice University, and the University of Texas at Austin, where he is a core member of the Oden Institute for
Computational Engineering and Sciences. He is a Fellow of both the American Mathematical Society and the Society for
Industrial and Applied Mathematics. His research contributes to the development and analysis of numerical algorithms for
the approximation of partial differential systems, homogenization and multiscale modeling, and scientific computation, as
well as applications of the same to the modeling and simulation of multiphase flow and transport through geologic porous
media.
Editorial Note #2: Jerry L. Bona is a professor of Mathematics, Statistics & Computer Science who earned his Ph.D. in 1971
from Harvard University under the supervision of Professor Garrett Birkhoff. His early work in the Fluid Mechanics
Research Institute at the University of Essex with Professors Brooke Benjamin and J. J. Mahony resulted in a model
equation for long waves in non-linear dispersive systems, known as the Benjamin-Bona-Mahony equation. He has held
faculty positions at the University of Chicago, the Pennsylvania State University, the University of Texas at Austin, and the
University of Illinois at Chicago. He is a fellow of the American Mathematical Society, the Society for Industrial and
Applied Mathematics, the Centre de Recherche Mathematiques of the Universite de Montreal, and the American
Association for the Advancement of Science. His research is in fluid mechanics, oceanography, coastal engineering,
mathematical aspects of biology, mathematical economics, and the associated theory of partial differential equations,
computational mathematics, and numerical analysis.
Theory of Stochastic Integrals
Jorge A. Leon
CRC Press
c/o Routledge
https://www.routledge.com
9781032778105, $260.00, HC, 486pp
https://www.amazon.com/Theory-Stochastic-Integrals-Jorge-Le%C3%B3n/dp/1032778105
Synopsis: With the publication of "Theory of Stochastic Integrals" mathematician Jorge A. Leon provides the answer to this
problem by introducing readers to the study of some interpretations of stochastic integrals with respect to stochastic
processes that are not necessarily semimartingales, such as Volterra Gaussian processes, or processes with bounded
p-variation among which we can mention fractional Brownian motion and Riemann-Liouville fractional process.
"Theory of Stochastic Integrals" features self-contained treatment of the topic; is suitable as a teaching or research tool for
those interested in stochastic analysis and its applications, and includes original results.
Critique: A fundamental, comprehensive, and detailed introduction to stochastic integrals, "Theory of Stochastic Integrals"
is an ideal and unreservedly recommended pick for professional and college/university library collections and as a
supplemental Calculus curriculum textbook. Exceptionally well organized and presented, it should be noted for students,
academia, and anyone with an interest in learning about stochastic integrals that this large format (7 x 1.29 x 10 inches, 2.32
pounds) hardcover edition of "Theory of Stochastic Integrals" is also readily available in paperback (9781032778129,
$105.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $79.80).
Editorial Note: Jorge A. Leon studied the PhD in equivalence of solutions to stochastic evolution equations at the
Department of Mathematics of Cinvestav-IPN, Mexico. He has carried out joint research work with internationally
recognized researchers. He has mainly contributed to the development of stochastic calculus and integration, and their
applications to stochastic differential equations with different interpretations of stochastic integral. He has co-organized
several conferences on stochastic analysis among which we can mention the Latin American Congress of Probability and
Mathematical Statistics (CLAPEM), the joint meeting between USA and Mexico, Bernoulli-IMSWorld Congress,
Symposium on Probability and Mathematics Statistics, which was the most important meeting in probability at Mexico, etc.
He has taught at Cinvestav-IPN for 35 years. (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=FfmxcFgAAAAJ&hl=en)
The Business Shelf
Consumer Behaviour
Jean-Eric Pelet
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398618640, $204.00, HC, 344pp
https://www.amazon.com/Consumer-Behaviour-Understanding-Consumers-Landscape/dp/1398618640
Synopsis: With the publication of "Consumer Behaviour: Understanding Consumers in a Digital Landscape", Professor
Jean-Eric Pelet combines theoretical underpinnings with real-world practice to provide comprehensive, up-to-date coverage
of the subject. "Consumer Behaviour" explores how consumer behaviour has evolved with the impact of technology,
personalization and sustainability on perception and decision-making. This textbook is ideal for postgraduate students
taking modules on Consumer Behaviour as part of their Marketing degrees.
"Consumer Behaviour" features:
Chapters on the psychological and social dynamics of consumer behaviour and the scientific foundations of learning and
memory in brand engagement.
Examination of the role of AR/VR and the metaverse in retail experiences, live streaming and voice commerce as well as
quantum computing and the importance of good UX design.
Ethical considerations of the digital consumer landscape, including privacy and data concerns.
Learning outcomes, key terms, a glossary and exercise questions international examples throughout, to help develop critical
thinking.
Critique: This large format (6.69 x 0.81 x 9.61 inches, 1.65 pounds) hardcover edition of "Consumer Behaviour:
Understanding Consumers in a Digital Landscape" by Professor Jean-Eric Pelet is enhanced for the reader's benefit with a
48 page bibliography listing of References, a seventeen page Glossary, and seven page Index. An ideal and strongly
recommended pick for college/university library Business & Finance collections and MBA curriculum studies lists, it should
be noted for MBA students and academia that "Consumer Behaviour" from Kogan Page is also available for personal
reading lists in paperback (9781398618619, $59.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $56.05).
Editorial Note: Jean-Eric Pelet is an Associate Professor at IAE Amiens (France). He leads the Consumer Behaviour
teaching at Masters level at IAE Amiens, IAE Vannes, EM Normandie, PBS and EMLV. He is also a visiting professor both
in France and abroad in England, Poland, Finland, Switzerland and Thailand.
(https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jean-Eric-Pelet)
The Lean-Agile Dilemma
Katie Tamblin
Apress
https://www.apress.com/us
9798868803208, $49.99, PB, 268pp
https://www.amazon.com/Lean-Agile-Dilemma-Product-Management-Corporate/dp/B0CVTSDL5V
Synopsis: Over the last decade in the corporate world, 'Lean-Agile' principles have become the standard methodology by
which product and technology teams operate. However, 'Lean-Agile' was written for small companies seeking new markets
to buy their innovative software products, not for an average corporation with a catalogue of existing software products that
must be maintained and rebuilt. The typical tech-enabled business isn't a lean startup; it's a chunky corporate. With the
publication of "The Lean-Agile Dilemma: Product Management Inside a Chunky Corporate" Katie Tamblin offers an
alternative software development methodology perfectly suited for chunky corporate product management.
You will quickly find out how individual players in the corporate organization impact business performance. Of special note
is the illustrative story of Blake, a well-meaning but ultimately naive, CEO of a fictional company called Acme Tech. As he
and Acme struggle to maintain business performance, it becomes apparent how embedded and complex his challenges are.
Lean-Agile principles are regularly misapplied in the corporate environment, causing tension, missed deadlines, and
inefficient working practices.
You will see that managing software transformation at a large, mature business requires a new set of tools. Popular
development methodologies are not well-suited for the replatforming exercises that chunky corporations and their
executives inevitably face. "The Lean-Agile Dilemma" helps product and technology leaders navigate software development
projects at organizations grappling with the constraints of investor ownership.
Chunky corporates have a lot going for them: "The Lean-Agile Dilemma" reveals that, when managed well, they have the
potential to be safe havens in a relentlessly unstable world.
Critique: "The Lean-Agile Dilemma: Product Management Inside a Chunky Corporate" covers understand how
replatforming differs from new product development, learning how to manage existing data when updating or building new
software, and gaining the tools to prioritize items in an overstuffed product roadmap. Exceptionally well written, organized
and presented, "The Lean-Agile Dilemma: Product Management Inside a Chunky Corporate" must be considered essential
reading for product managers and owners, product leadership/entrepreneurship, tech leadership and business leaders at
mature tech-enabled businesses. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community,
corporate, business school, and college/university library Business Management collections and supplemental MBA
curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for MBA students, corporate leaders, entrepreneurs, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that this paperback edition of "The Lean-Agile Dilemma: Product Management Inside
a Chunky Corporate" from Apress is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.50).
Editorial Note: Katie Tamblin (https://www.katietamblin.com) started her career as an entry-level analyst and made it all the
way to the board room, working as Chief Product Officer and now serving as a Non-Executive Director to data and tech
businesses and an Advisor to private equity firms. She applies the learnings amassed over a 20+ year career to help readers
recognize a chubby corporate for what it is and navigate its unique qualities in order to drive efficiency and success.
Another Way: Building Companies That Last... and Last... and Last
Dave Whorton & Bo Burlington
Harvard Business Review Press
http://hbr.org/books
9798892791137, $32.00, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Another-Way-Building-Companies-That/dp/B0D9J3SVQD
Synopsis: Dave Whorton was John Doerr's associate partner at high-flying Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers during Silicon
Valley's big shift, when he witnessed the VC industry pivot from a proven forty-year playbook of managing risk to
something much more aggressive: "get-big-fast". Don't worry about profitability. Cash out and find another venture.
For a while, Whorton took part in this whirlwind as he pursued his dream of becoming the next Hewlett or Packard, starting
two companies himself. But soon it all got to be too much. Whorton recognized that if get-big-fast was the formula for
building a great technology company in the twenty-first century, that just wasn't for him.
That could have been the end of the story, but instead it turned out to be the beginning of another, deeply inspiring one.
Whorton went on a journey to find a better way to build companies, a way focused on long-term stability and steady growth,
funded through profitability; a way in which leaders were committed to a purpose beyond personal wealth generation, to
putting their people first, and to setting up their companies to endure. He calls these companies "Evergreen." Another Way
combines Whorton's inspiring story with his Evergreen 7Ps framework, designed to guide more entrepreneurs and business
leaders to follow his path.
Full of revelations, practical advice, and real-world examples of companies going Evergreen, Another Way is as instructive
as it is inspiring at showing capitalism at its best.
Critique: With the collaboration of business writer Bo Burlington, "Another Way: Building Companies That Last... and
Last... and Last" by Dave Whorton is informative enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of three Appendices
(The Evergreen 7Ps Principle; An Evergreen Leader's Reading List; Continue Your Evergreen Journey), an eight page
Index, and a two page listing of Acknowledgments. Exceptionally 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation,
"Another Way" is as thoughtful and thought-provoking as it is inspired and inspiring. Of immense value for readers with an
interest in business systems, planning, leadership, motivation, and entrepreneurship, this hardcover edition of "Another
Way" from Harvard Business Review Press is especially recommended as a core addition to personal, professional,
community, corporate, and college/university library Business/Entrepreneur Management collections and supplemental
MBA curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for MBA students, academia, corporate managers and entrepreneurs that
"Another Way" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio
book (Ascent Audio, 9798228509627, $35.99, CD).
Editorial Note #1: Dave Whorton is an experienced tech investor and founder who spent twenty years of his career at the
highest levels of Silicon Valley venture capital and tech startups. At the preeminent tech venture capital firm Kleiner
Perkins, he worked directly with chairman John Doerr for several years. He cofounded four companies, including Good
Technology. In 2013 he founded the Tugboat Institute to connect, support, and inspire purpose-driven leaders of Evergreen
businesses -- those built to adapt and grow profitably for one hundred years and more. Whorton considers Evergreen
company leaders and their businesses to represent capitalism at its best. (https://www.tugboatinstitute.com/about-us)
Editorial Note #2: Bo Burlingham (https://boburlingham.com) is an editor-at-large of Inc. magazine and the author of five
books, including Finish Big: How Great Entrepreneurs Exit Their Companies on Top (Portfolio/Penguin, 2014). A previous
book, Small Giants: Companies That Choose To Be Great Instead of Big (Portfolio/Penguin, 2006), was one of five finalists
for the 2006 Financial Times/Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year award.
Founders, Keepers
Richard Hagberg, author
Tien Tzuo, author
Matt Holt Books
c/o BenBella Books
www.benbellabooks.com
9781637746905, $30.00, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Founders-Keepers-Built-Takes-Succeed/dp/1637746903
Synopsis: It's a brutal paradox often encountered. The same entrepreneurial founder attributes required to put a startup in
motion will almost invariably blow it up. The difference between success and failure lies in the personal journey that every
founder must pursue to avoid their own worst impulses.
Steeped in nearly forty years of research in leadership psychology, "Founders, Keepers: Why Founders Are Built to Fail, and
What it Takes to Succeed" begins with the same personality assessment Rich Hagberg, a psychologist and executive
management coach, gives his clients. Hagberg and Tien Tzuo (founder and CEO of Zuora), help founders build a Swiss
Army knife of practical tools that will give them a much better chance of making it to the next level of success.
A unique and effective instructional guide for founders, investors, and academics alike, the result of a decade-long
collaboration between a successful CEO and Silicon Valley's "CEO Whisperer" offers readers insights into:
The differentiators between successful and unsuccessful founders
The three pillars of leadership that every founder needs to be successful
The essential skills founders need to master to be successful over the long haul
An examination of the common personality traits that lead founders to make fatally flawed decisions
What makes founders tick, including the default tendencies and leadership styles that often undermine their success
How founders frustrate their investors, partners and employees
Founders may not be able to account for all the complexities of their companies, but they can account for themselves. It's a
difficult but unavoidable truth: to grow your startup, you have to grow as a person. And that's where "Founders, Keepers"
comes in.
Critique: For any entrepreneurial enterprise to succeed over the long run, the skill set and personal qualities necessary to
launch a business must continue to evolve and adapt for that business to successfully deal with the inevitable problems that
business growth and an every changing business environment will arise. "Founders, Keepers: Why Founders Are Built to
Fail, and What it Takes to Succeed" by co-authors Rich Hagberg and Tien Tzuo is the ideal instructional guide, a kind of
'how-to' manual for making that evolution as effective as possible. Exceptionally well written, comprehensive, and
thoroughly 'reader/user' friendly in organization and presentation, "Founders, Keepers" is an extraordinary and highly
recommended addition to personal, professional, corporate, community, and college/university library Entrepreneurship and
Business Management collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for MBA students,
academia, entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this
hardcover edition of "Founders, Keepers" from Matt Holt Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$14.99).
Editorial Note #1: Rich Hagberg, Ph.D. is a trained psychologist who has spent the last 40 years of his career as an
executive management coach for over 6,000 executives. Since 2009 he has worked with companies like Tinder, Twitter,
Dropbox, MixPanel, Zendesk, Quora, Asana, Pinterest, Salesforce, Munchery, Reddit, Gusto, Cruise, Tinder, Optimizely,
Instacart, Patreon, Nerdwallet, and Super Evil Megacorp (it's a gaming company). Dr. Hagberg is often quoted in the
business and general media and has been featured in publications such as Fortune, Forbes, BusinessWeek, The Wall Street
Journal, Inc., Entrepreneur, The Information, Business Insider and CNN.
Editorial Note #2: Tien Tzuo, Founder and CEO of Zuora, evangelized the shift to subscription and service-based business
models, coining the phrase "Subscription Economy." In an effort to empower this new economy, Tien created what became
an award-winning monetization suite capable of powering any recurring revenue model. Before Zuora, Tien was one of the
"original forces" at Salesforce, joining as employee number 11. In his 9 years at Salesforce, he built its original billing
system, later serving as Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Strategy Officer. Tien is also the author of "Subscribed". He
holds a BS in electrical engineering from Cornell and an MBA from Stanford's Graduate School of Business.
The Money/Finance Shelf
An Introduction to Early-Stage Impact Investing
Jennifer M. Walske and Katherine J. Klein, editors
Edward Elgar Publishing
www.e-elgar.com
9781803922706, $141.00, HC, 244pp
https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Early-Stage-Impact-Investing/dp/1803922702
Synopsis: Co-edited by Jennifer Walske and Katherine Klein, "An Introduction to Early-Stage Impact Investing" provides a
comprehensive overview of early-stage impact investing, discussing best practices and equipping readers with the resources
to make effective investments that achieve financial returns and societal or environmental benefits.
The co-editors (who are academically trained and experienced impact investors) of "An Introduction to Early-Stage Impact
Investing" and their contributors provide practical advice for purpose-driven startup investing. Each chapter delves into key
topics such as setting investment criteria, sourcing deals, defining and measuring impact, structuring investments including
setting valuation and determining investment terms, and portfolio management. "An Introduction to Early-Stage Impact
Investing" draws from a culmination of years of research, practice, and advising passionate founders of startups,
emphasizing that impact investing will only continue to evolve as the field enters the mainstream. "An Introduction to
Early-Stage Impact Investing" closes with a look forward to both the challenges and opportunities involved in impact
investing.
Students and scholars focusing on entrepreneurship, innovation, and finance will find "An Introduction to Early-Stage
Impact Investing" to be highly beneficial. Additionally, it is useful for investors that are new to early stage impact investing,
as well as seasoned investors seeking to move into early stage impact investing.
Critique: Exceptional and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "An Introduction to Early-Stage
Impact Investing" is the ideal and comprehensive DIY tutorial in successful financial investing. Composed of nine erudite
and informative contributions by experts in the field, "An Introduction to Early-Stage Impact Investing" is further enhanced
for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a twenty page glossary, a complete listing of the contributors and their
credentials, and an eight page Index. While an outstanding and recommended pick for personal, professional, and
college/university library Money/Finance and Business/Entrepreneurship Investment collections and supplemental
Economics/Venture Capital curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "An Introduction to Early-Stage Impact Investing" from
Edward Elgar Publishing is also readily available in paperback (9781803922720, $51.25).
Editorial Note #1: Jennifer M. Walske, is a Visiting, Distinguished Scholar, Berkeley Haas, Adjunct Professor, USC
Marshall and Managing Director,Myriad Investments.
Editorial Note #2: Katherine J. Klein, is the Edward H. Bowman Professor of Management, Wharton School and Faculty
Co-Director, Wharton's Impact Investing Research Lab., USA
Editorial Note #3: The contributors to "An Introduction to Early-Stage Impact Investing" include: Brian Trelstad, Tasha
Seitz, Tyler Wry and Michael Brown.
Medicare Mama's Guide to Medicare and Social Security Retirement
Sylvia A. Gordon, JD
Independently Published
9798992214000, $9.99
https://www.amazon.com/Medicare-Mamas-Social-Security-Retirement-ebook/dp/B0F1KX9FRH
Sylvia A. Gordon has created a guide that probes underlying legal processes surrounding Medicare to enlighten readers
about choices, legal interpretations, and misconceptions of applying for and using these benefits. Take penalties for late
Medicare applications, for one example. Gordon outlines the possibility of employer plan participation mitigating
Medicare's penalties, advising that "creditable coverage" "...is a term that's often used incorrectly in the insurance industry,
as well as by HR departments - but fortunately, it doesn't cause any issues if we all agree to keep using it incorrectly." She
goes on to emphasize what the definition of 20 employees in a company means: "Twenty doesn't mean the number of
employees on the health plan, but total employees working at the company." Another common misconception is the
Medicare Part D prescription payment plan. Gordon points out that: "This program doesn't save you money. It just allows
you to pay for your drugs in equal monthly payments instead of a large upfront payment."
The legal clarifications of terminology, benefits, coverage, application snafus and processes, and more assures that readers
on the cusp of considering retirement benefits gain the most information for consideration before they apply for anything.
Another benefit to this manual lies in graphic illustrations which simplify the process of retirement. An example lies in the
fine chart for those born in 1960 and up which proves at-a-glance information on when one will achieve full social security
benefits and beyond. While this information may indeed change over the years to come, the book's ongoing value lies in its
strong focus on advice likely to carry over into any future incarnation of social security or Medicare (as long as they still
exist). Tips such as to "never mail things to SSA unless you have no other option" may seem like no-brainers to some, but
will save a huge audience a lot of headaches over "lost" documents that can include original or certified materials. A QR
code with the book allows readers access to updates if the book is purchased in 2026 (a revised edition will appear in
2027).
Packed with clear instructions, outlines of pitfalls and best practices, and most of all, legal clarification of often-puzzling
terminology and processes, this book is quite simply a treasure trove of stories and insights delivered in plain and simple
language, without the confusing jargon that assumes too much knowledge. Ideally, Medicare Mama's Guide to Medicare and
Social Security Retirement would be given, along with a silver watch or retirement honor, to any up-and-coming retiree. But
we don't live in ideal circumstances, so it's more likely libraries will want to obtain this for their collections and point out its
relevance to anyone seeking enlightenment about government retirement benefits.
The Political Science Shelf
The Civility Book
Nolan Finley and Stephen Henderson, authors
Lynne Golodner, contributor
Wayne State University Press
http://wsupress.wayne.edu
9780814352182, $25.99, PB, 184pp
https://www.amazon.com/Civility-Book-Building-Bridges-Political/dp/0814352189
Synopsis: Once pitted as adversarial counterparts as the opinion editors of right-leaning and left-leaning newspapers, and
with the publication of "The Civility Book: A Guide to Building Bridges Across the Political Divide", veteran journalists
Nolan Finley and Stephen Henderson join forces in this groundbreaking work to champion a novel approach to political
discourse.
In 'The Civility Book", Finley, a resolute conservative, and Henderson, a committed progressive, defy expectations by
demonstrating that civil conversation is not only possible but also richly rewarding, even across colossal ideological
divides.
In 2020, they launched the Civility Project with journalist and author Lynne Golodner, beginning their journey to teach
Americans how to engage in respectful dialogue and maintain relationships despite political differences. "The Civility
Book" is an extension of that mission, offering practical tools and strategies for fostering civility in everyday
interactions.
At the core of this work, the co-authors position their four pillars of civility to explain what civility is, why it matters, and
how individuals can use it to overcome the antagonistic rhetoric that threatens our society today, one conversation at a time.
This conversational, no-nonsense guide provides valuable lessons, a detailed curriculum, probing questions for
consideration, and an extensive appendix of resources outlining ongoing efforts to curb unproductive contention and
advance a more harmonious society.
Critique: Never more so than in this Age of Trump is civility needed if our American style democracy is to survive. "The
Civility Book: A Guide to Building Bridges Across the Political Divide" is a light in the growing political darkness that is
threatening to descend upon us all. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Civility Book" is an essential
instructional guide and 'how to' manual for restoring sanity and civility in our political debates and conversations. Especially
recommended as essential reading for political activists on the Right, the Middle, and the Left, "The Civility Book" is
especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Political
Science & Communication collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this trade
paperback edition of "The Civility Book" from the Wayne State University Press is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $24.69, Amazon) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (HighBridge Audio, 9798228518094,
$39.99, CD).
Editorial Note #1: Nolan Finley is the editorial page editor of The Detroit News"
(https://www.detroitnews.com/staff/2646740001/nolan-finley)
Editorial Note #2: Stephen Henderson has worked as a public relations professional and journalist since graduating from
Wheaton College in 1979, and Yale Divinity School in 1987. In a highly circuitous career, he's worked on everything from
Avon Books' romance novels, Arrow men's dress shirts, and Maxwell House coffee, to the Radio City Rockettes, Union
Theological Seminary, and The John Templeton Foundation. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Town and
Country, Food and Wine, and elsewhere.
Editorial Note #3: Lynne Golodner (https://lynnegolodner.com) is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Goddard
College, and earned a Certificate in Entrepreneurship from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program at Wayne
State University.
The Sports Shelf
Charlie Hustle
Keith O'Brien
Vintage Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
www.randomhouse.com
9780593469392, $19.00, PB, 480pp
https://www.amazon.com/Charlie-Hustle-Rise-Glory-Baseball/dp/0593469399
Synopsis: As an athlete, Pete Rose is a legend. A baseball god. He compiled more hits than anyone in the history of
baseball, a record he set decades ago that still stands today. He was a working-class white guy from Cincinnati who made it;
less talented than tough, and rough around the edges. He was everything that America wanted and needed him to be, the
American dream personified -- until he wasn't.
In the 1980s, Pete Rose came to be at the center of one of the biggest scandals in baseball history. He kept secrets, ran with
bookies, took on massive gambling debts, and he was dramatically and publicly cast out for betting on baseball and lying
about it. The revelations that followed ruined him, changed life in Cincinnati, and forever altered the game of professional
baseball.
With the publication of "Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball", Keith
O'Brien tells the full story of one of America's most epic tragedies -- the rise and fall of Pete Rose. Drawing on firsthand
interviews with Rose himself and with his associates, as well as on investigators' reports, FBI and court records, archives, a
mountain of press coverage, O'Brien chronicles how Rose fell so far from being America's "great white hope." It is Pete
Rose as we've never seen him before.
This is no ordinary sport biography, but cultural history at its finest. What O'Brien shows is that while Pete Rose didn't
change -- America and baseball did. This is the story of that change.
Critique: A simply riveting read from cover to cover, "Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory
Days of Baseball" by journalist Keith O'Brien is a 'must' for the legions of professional baseball fans in general, and former
Pete Rose fans in particular. A comprehensive and deftly crafted sports biography that is informatively enhanced for the
reader's benefit with the inclusion of a two page Bibliography, eighty-eight pages of Notes, and a twenty-one page Index,
"Charlie Hustle" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Sports
History/Biography collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Charlie Hustle" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).
Editorial Note: Keith O'Brien is the author of Paradise Falls, Fly Girls, and Outside Shot, a finalist for the PEN/ESPN
Award for Literary Sportswriting, and an award-winning journalist. O'Brien has written for The New York Times, The
Washington Post, and Politico, and his stories have also appeared on National Public Radio and This American Life.
The Martial Arts Shelf
Adaptive Tai Chi
Zibin Guo
Shambhala Publications, Inc.
www.shambhala.com
9781645472735, $21.95, PB, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Adaptive-Tai-Chi-Accessible-Empowering/dp/1645472736
Synopsis: In Tai Chi Chuan, the traditional Chinese martial and healing art, the underlying message from Professor Zibin
Guo is that we learn to overcome challenges by empowering the mind and transforming the body. In "Adaptive Tai Chi: An
Accessible Practice for Empowering Body and Mind" Professor Guo offers an innovative approach that speaks to this
powerful idea and makes Tai Chi accessible and beneficial to people with a range of physical conditions or ambulatory
impairment.
The slow, circular, flowing, and graceful movements of Tai Chi require little space and no equipment, making it an ideal
practice for people with different physical abilities (it's been included in the Paralympics since 2008). "Adaptive Tai Chi"
introduces readers to the culture, philosophy, and physiology of Tai Chi -- and gives readers four completely illustrated
practices, each modified for different physical abilities, including conventional standing/moving, stationary standing, seated,
and wheelchair sequences.
Along with the complete illustrated adaptive Tai Chi sequences, Professor Guo includes notes and philosophical insights
into each practice. The complete program offered in "Adaptive Tai Chi" allows everyone and anyone with a physical
limitation or concern to access the profound benefits of Tai Chi practice.
Critique: This large format (7.98 x 0.5 x 9.47 inches, 12.9 ounces) illustrated trade paperback edition of "Adaptive Tai Chi:
An Accessible Practice for Empowering Body and Mind" by Professor Zibin Guo is impressively 'reader/user' friendly in
organization and presentation. A unique and invaluable contribution to the practice of Tai Chi for those with physical
limitations (such as being confined to a wheelchair) "Adaptive Tai Chi: An Accessible Practice for Empowering Body and
Mind" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library
Martial Arts collections in general, and Tai Chi DIY studies lists in particular. It should be noted for Tai Chi students and
practitioners that this paperback edition of "Adaptive Tai Chi: An Accessible Practice for Empowering Body and Mind" is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: Zibin Guo (https://taijicommunity.com/dr-zibin-guo) is a professor of medical anthropology at the
University of Tennessee Chattanooga and a Tai Chi Chuan Master. He specializes in Applied Medical Anthropology with a
focus on applying traditional healing knowledge to serve vulnerable populations. Prior to joining the University of
Tennessee Chattanooga, the author served as a lecturer in the Department of Social Medicine of Harvard Medical School
and the Director of Clinical Studies at New England School of Acupuncture. Funded by U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs and partnering with VA healthcare communities across the country, he has, since 2016, conducted instructional
training for hundreds of health care providers from participating VA medical centers.
The Egyptology Shelf
Motherhood and Early Childhood in Ancient Egypt
Amandine Marshall, author
Colin Clement, translator
American University in Cairo Press
www.aucpress.com
9781649030900, $70.00, HC, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/Motherhood-Early-Childhood-Ancient-Egypt/dp/1649030908
Synopsis: In ancient Egypt, a woman's primary role was that of mother, and as such she ensured her place within both her
household and her community. And so, gods, doctor-magicians, as well as ghosts were all called upon to help the woman
become pregnant and successfully deliver.
Pregnancy was not without risks, and the many tests, prescriptions, and spells that have survived to this day help us to
understand obstetrics as it was practiced in those distant times.
Once the woman had eluded the ill will of Seth (who was held responsible for miscarriages) and had reached her term, she
was faced with the much awaited and yet also feared moment of birth.
The successful delivery of a child into the world was seen as a gift of the gods, but it did not mean that the parent's worries
were over. It has been estimated that a third of all children did not reach the age of five years despite the combined efforts of
parents and doctor-magicians to protect them.
With the publication of "Motherhood and Early Childhood in Ancient Egypt: Culture, Religion, and Medicine", Amandine
Marshall has drawn upon a wealth of sources, including texts, images, iconography, artefacts, and children's bodies
themselves, as well as medicine, anthropology, and ethnography, to examine these issues and more, and in doing so sheds
unprecedented light on the experience of maternity and early childhood in ancient Egypt.
Critique: A masterpiece of seminal, meticulous, and groundbreaking scholarship, "Motherhood and Early Childhood in
Ancient Egypt: Culture, Religion, and Medicine" is an extraordinary contribution to the field of Egyptology that is
unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Egyptology collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists. Featuring illustrations, a chronology, a glossary, chapter notes, a bibliography, and an
index, it should be noted for students, academia, archaeologists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that this hardcover edition of "Motherhood and Early Childhood in Ancient Egypt: Culture, Religion, and Medicine"
from The American University of Cairo Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $69.99).
Editorial Note #1: Amandine Marshall obtained her PhD in Egyptology from the Ecole des hautes etudes en sciences
sociales (EHSS), Toulouse. She is a research associate with the French Archaeological Mission of Thebes West, a scientific
advisor for French television, and the director of two bilingual Egyptological channels, ToutankaTube (for adults) and
NefertiTube (for children and teachers). She is the author of thirty books, including Childhood in Ancient Egypt (AUC
Press, 2022). She resides in France.
Editorial Note #2: Salima Ikram is distinguished professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo. She has
directed the Animal Mummy Project and the North Kharga Darb Ain Amur Survey, among other truly exciting projects and
excavations, throughout Egypt and in Turkey, Sudan, and Greece. She has worked in museums around the world, including
the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. She has published extensively, for both scholarly
and general audiences.
The Architecture Shelf
Home on Earth: Recipes for Healthy Houses
BLDUS, author
Ty Cole, photographer
ORO Editions
www.oroeditions.com
9781961856516, $50.00, HC, 300pp
https://www.amazon.com/Home-Earth-Recipes-Healthy-Housing/dp/1961856514
Synopsis: Using traditional materials processed with contemporary techniques, BLDUS is an architectural firm that designs
and builds sustainable houses in and around Washington D.C. that pay tribute to their contexts and gain integrity as they
age.
A compendium of full color, full page interior design photos (including blueprints and informative commentaries), "Home
on Earth: Recipes for Healthy Houses" showcases built houses alongside material studies and models to propose a healthy
building cuisine specific to the Mid-Atlantic Region.
Each of these contextual houses are illustrative advocates for simple healthy building materials that work well in the
Mid-Atlantic region and have low impacts on their points of growth, manufacture, installation, inhabitation, and eventual
disposal.
Critique: This large format (8.2 x 1.5 x 8.2 inches, 2.85 pounds) hardcover edition of "Home on Earth: Recipes for Healthy
Houses" from ORO Editions provides a loose framework for BLDUS's unique farm-to-shelter architecture in "Home on
Earth", offering delectable suggestions for healthy modes of human habitation. Exceptionally well organized and presented,
"Home on Earth" is a unique and inspiring pick for personal, professional, and college/university library Architectural &
Green Design collections and as a supplemental Architectural Sustainability curriculum textbook.
Editorial Note #1: BLDUS (https://bld.us) is an architecture and development office founded by Jack Becker and Andrew
Linn in 2013
Editorial Note #2: Ty Cole (https://www.tycole.com) is an award-winning photographer who is driven by a passion for
design, technology and a curiosity about how humans connect with each other and their environments, built or natural.
Robotic Fabrication and Architectural Design
Robert Stuart-Smith
ORO Editions
www.oroeditions.com
9781957183961, $50.00, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Robotics-Autonomous-Systems-Fabrication-Architectural/dp/1957183969
Synopsis: At present, architectural design and construction approaches are unable to meet immediate and projected societal
needs in productivity, affordability, and sustainability or to adequately engage with the diverse conditions found in our built
environment.
The MSD-RAS seeks to address these challenges through bespoke design solutions that are integral to a critical and creative
approach to production. Implied in the term "RAS", the program seeks to harness the potential of AI and robotic systems to
work more adaptively than automation affords.
Primarily operating through the development of robotically fabricated prototypes, projects are presented that incorporate
custom approaches to generative computational design, machine learning, robot tooling, real-time adaptive robot
programming, sensor feedback, material and manufacturing processes or human-in-the-loop activities.
"Robotic Fabrication and Architectural Design: Integrated Approaches to Fabrication, Computation, and Architectural
Design" Professor Robert Stuart-Smith well serves as a graphical reflection on the first three years of the program as
research projects are presented alongside interviews with some of the program's graduates together with insights into the
exciting career trajectories they embarked on post-study.
Essays from the program's faculty dive deeper into several core topics such as the MSD-RAS's approach to design research,
critical engagement with industrial manufacturing processes, and the integration of semi-autonomous workflows in design
and production. Also discussed is the program's unique integrated approach to coursework and why it is inducive to the
creation of novel collaborative work that expands design agency into unchartered territories and careers.
Critique: A seminal and groundbreaking study, "Robotic Fabrication and Architectural Design: Integrated Approaches to
Fabrication, Computation, and Architectural Design" by Professor STuart-Smith and a number of expert contributors is an
ideal introduction to the subject of architecture and robotics. This profusely illustrated, large format (7.2 x 1 x 9.2 inches,
2.1 pounds) hardcover edition of "Robotic Fabrication and Architectural Design: Integrated Approaches to Fabrication,
Computation, and Architectural Design" from ORO Editions is an ideal and recommended addition to personal,
professional, and college/university library Architecture & Robotics collections and supplemental curriculum studies
lists.
Editorial Note: Robert Stuart-Smith is Director of the MSD-RAS Program, an assistant professor of architecture, and an
affiliate faculty in engineering's GRASP Lab at the University of Pennsylvania. He also directs the Autonomous
Manufacturing Research Lab in Penn's Department of Architecture and University College London's Department of
Computer Science.
(https://www.design.upenn.edu/people/robert-stuart-smith)
Editorial Note #2: The contributors to "Robotic Fabrication and Architectural Design" include: Robert Stuart-Smith Jeffrey
Anderson Billie Faircloth Nathan King Andrew Saunders Evangelos Kotsioris Ezio Blasetti Patrick Danahy
The Travel Shelf
Wilderness Navigation
Bob Burns and Mike Burns, authors
Mountaineers Books
www.mountaineersbooks.org
9781680517217, $21.95, PB, 216pp
https://www.amazon.com/Wilderness-Navigation-Finding-Compass-Altimeter/dp/168051721X
Synopsis: For nearly three decades, "Wilderness Navigation: Finding Your Way Using Map, Compass, Altimeter & GPS"
has been the official textbook for outdoor education courses throughout the US as well as a trusted resource for adventurers
all over the world. Authors and educators Bob Burns and Mike Burns describe essential tools and proven techniques for
selecting and interpreting maps, taking and following compass bearings in the field, using an altimeter, and navigating with
GPS using an app or dedicated device.
"Wilderness Navigation" features: Full-color maps to highlight real-life orientation methods and challenges. Detailed
descriptions and comparison charts of recommended tools, including personal locator beacons and satellite communicators.
Navigation exercises and practice problems. Guidance for adapting skills and techniques for a wide range of outdoor
activities
Critique: "Wilderness Navigation: Finding Your Way Using Map, Compass, Altimeter & GPS" by Bob and Mike Burns is
an ideal and unreservedly recommended instructional guide and DIY tutorial for hikers, backpackers, kayakers, climbers,
backcountry skiers, or outdoor travelers. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, this detailed
step-by-step 'how-to' handbook will help you find your way wherever you go in the great Out of Doors.
While a valued and recommended addition to personal, community, and college/university library Hiking & Camping travel
guide collections, it should be noted that this trade paperback (5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.60(d), 1.11 pounds) edition of
"Wilderness Navigation" from Mountaineers Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.95).
Editorial Note #1: Bob Burns joined The Mountaineers Club in 1971. In 1972 he graduated from the Basic Climbing Course
in the Everett branch. In 1975 he moved to Seattle, and graduated from The Mountaineers Snowshoe Course in 1974 and the
Intermediate Climbing Course in 1976. He served on the Club's Climbing Committee from 1975 to 1985, and on its Board
of Trustees from 1986 through 1991. He has hiked, scrambled, climbed and snowshoed extensively in Washington, Oregon,
and California, and is a longtime contributor to Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills.
Editorial Note #2: Mike Burns has climbed, scrambled, and hiked extensively and has been teaching outdoor skills
(navigation, climbing, or section hiking) for decades. He is a longtime contributor to Mountaineering: The Freedom of the
Hills and has also written numerous articles for The Mountaineer and Climbing magazines.
100 Things to Do in Door County Before You Die
Tamara Gaumond and Jean O'Brien Gibbons, authors
Reedy Press
www.reedypress.com
9781681065243, $18.00, PB, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/100-Things-Door-County-Before/dp/168106524X
Synopsis: Boasting miles of Lake Michigan and Green Bay shoreline, picturesque villages, and nautical flair, Door County
is an idyllic vacation destination in Northeast Wisconsin. With its pristine beaches, natural wonders, robust art and theater
scene, all-season sporting opportunities, unique restaurants, breweries and wineries, and activities for kids, Door County
truly offers something for everyone.
Visitors can climb to the top of the Cana Island Lighthouse or explore shipwrecks and nautical history. Hike through forests
and along rugged shorelines or bike scenic rustic roads. Kayak caves in Cave Point County Park or try stand-up paddleboard
at local beaches. Spend the day gallery hopping or on a craft brew tour. Catch live theater or music. And end every day with
a great dinner and a beautiful sunset.
Showcasing "100 Things to Do in Door County Before You Die", visitors will discover enchanting destinations and exciting
activities that will keep them returning year after year.
With the publication of "100 Things to Do in Door County Before You Die", good friends and co-authors Tamara Gaumond
and Jean O'Brien Gibbons bring an unmatched enthusiasm for Door County.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "100 Things to Do in Door County Before You Die" is
information packed from cover to cover and the perfect itinerary planning guide and resource for day trips, weekend
adventures, and extended vacationing in Door County, Wisconsin. This trade paperback edition of "100 Things to Do in
Door County Before You Die" from Reedy Press is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as
well as community and college/university library Wisconsin Travel Guide collections. It should be noted for Door County
visitors and armchair travelers that "100 Things to Do in Door County Before You Die" is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note #1: Tamara Gaumond is an architect, writer, and author of "100 Things to Do in Rockford Before You Die".
She works as a content strategist for a transportation engineering firm with locations in Chicago and Milwaukee. Tamara
considers Door County a second home and enjoys spending time on the peninsula as a family getaway and writing
destination.
Editorial Note #2: Jean O'Brien Gibbons is a mechanical engineer with expertise in the design of systems that heat,
ventilate, and cool complex buildings such as hospitals. Her love for the environment and Door County's natural beauty led
her to specialize in sustainable systems design. Jean and her husband have a home in Egg Harbor, and she enjoyed a Door
County residence during her childhood. Jean provided photography and content collaboration for "100 Things to Do in Door
County Before You Die".
The Christian Studies Shelf
Ancient Slavery and Its New Testament Contexts
Christy Cobb and Katherine A. Shaner, editors
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
www.eerdmans.com
9780802884138, $28.99, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Slavery-Its-Testament-Contexts/dp/080288413X
Synopsis: Slavery permeated society in the ancient world. The realities of slavery and its shadows pervade the New
Testament and other early Christian texts. Yet enslavement remains an under-taught aspect of the context of the New
Testament and early Christianity. Because of this, readers are left with numerous questions about ancient slavery. How did
people become enslaved? What kinds of work did enslaved people do? Who enslaved people? How did ancient slavery
compare with more contemporary enslavement eras? Did anyone in the ancient world criticize slavery? Was ancient slavery
racialized? Did Christians have a different understanding of slavery than others? These are just some of the questions
students ask in higher education and in Bible study classrooms alike.
Collaborative compiled and co-edited by Professor Christy Cobb and Katherine A. Shaner, "Ancient Slavery and Its New
Testament Contexts" takes on these questions, introducing seminary students, clergy, and members of the Christian
community with an interest in the subject to the textures, complexities, and material realities of slavery in the Greco-Roman
world.
"Ancient Slavery and Its New Testament Contexts" draws on the expertise of scholars from around the world with a focus
on introductory information, accessibility, and readability. It does not attempt to dismiss or downplay the role of New
Testament texts in the perpetuation of either ancient slavery or slavery in the North American context. Rather, "Ancient
Slavery and Its New Testament Contexts" will aid and inform seminary students, clergy, and members of the Christian
community who seek to understand the ongoing historical, theological, and ethical legacies of slavery in their own faith
formation and engagement with the biblical text.
Critique: Comprised of fifteen erudite, informative, and insightful essays/contributions by experts on the subject of
Christianity and Slavery, "Ancient Slavery and Its New Testament Contexts" is a unique and inherently fascinating study
that is enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a ten page Glossary, a six page listing of the Contributors and
their credentials, a three page Index of Subjects, and a five page Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Sources. Especially
and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Christian History
collections and supplemental History of Slavery curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of
"Ancient Slavery and Its New Testament Contexts" from Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company is also readily available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $27.54).
Editorial Note #1: Christy Cobb is an associate professor of Christianity at the University of Denver. She is also the author
of Slavery, Gender, Truth, and Power and co-editor of Sex, Violence, and Early Christian Texts and Ancient Slavery and Its
New Testament Contexts. She has published multiple articles on ancient slavery and focuses especially on issues of gender
and sexuality in early Christianity. (https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/scholar/christy-cobb)
Editorial Note #2: Katherine A. Shaner is associate professor of New Testament at Wake Forest University School of
Divinity. She is the author of Enslaved Leadership in Early Christianity. She has also edited a volume of her students' work,
Shouts and Whispers, aimed at mainline church communities and individuals who struggle with injustices in biblical texts.
An ordained Lutheran (ELCA) pastor, she preaches and teaches regularly in churches across the nation.
(https://divinity.wfu.edu/academics/faculty/katherine-a-shaner)
Archaeology and the Ministry of Paul
David A. deSilva
Baker Academic
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
9781540960955, $32.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Archaeology-Ministry-Paul-Visual-Testament/dp/1540960951
Synopsis: A fundamental principle of biblical interpretation is the importance of context -- historical, literary, and canonical.
But an often-neglected source of context for understanding Scripture is the field of archaeology.
The physical and cultural world we inhabit affects us deeply, and that was no less true for the original writers and readers of
Scripture. Archaeology provides insights into important questions like, What did these believers see day to day? What
messages did they receive from their environment? What social practices influenced them?
"Archaeology and the Ministry of Paul: A Visual Guide" is first of three planned volumes by New Testament scholar David
deSilva uses archaeological findings to explore places where the apostle Paul ministered and his audiences lived. This
visually compelling and beautifully designed study contains more than 250 full-color photographs of sites and artifacts.
Professor deSilva focuses on the fruits of archaeology in regard to the sites associated with Paul's ministry in Acts and in
Paul's own writings.
The achieved purpose of "Archaeology and the Ministry of Paul: A Visual Guide" is to help its readers understand the
real-life situations Paul addressed.
Critique: A seminal and ground-breaking study that is an important supplemental textbook for courses on the New
Testament and for anyone who wants to better understand the lived context of Paul and his readers, "Archaeology and the
Ministry of Paul: A Visual Guide" by Professor David A. deSilva is is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with
the inclusion of an eight page Bibliography, a two page Modern Authors Index, a four page Scripture and Other Ancient
Writing Index, and a three page Select Subject Index. Especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional,
community, seminary, church, and college/university library Biblical Archaeology collections and supplemental curriculum
studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, clergy, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that this paperback edition of "Archaeology and the Ministry of Paul: A Visual Guide" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $26.46).
Editorial Note: David A. deSilva (PhD, Emory University) is Trustees' Distinguished Professor of New Testament and
Greek at Ashland Theological Seminary in Ashland, Ohio. He is the author of more than thirty books on the New Testament
and Second Temple Period Jewish literature, including Archaeology and the Ministry of Paul, Introducing the Apocrypha,
Discovering Revelation, Judea Under Greek and Roman Rule, and commentaries on Hebrews, Galatians, and Ephesians. He
is also an ordained elder in the Global Methodist Church.
Faith in Full Color: A Tapestry of Anabaptist Stories
Jeanne Zimmerly Jantzi
Herald Press
www.heraldpress.com
9781513815121, $34.99, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Faith-Full-Color-Tapestry-Anabaptist/dp/1513815121
Synopsis: A church begins a nonprofit to assist single mothers in their neighborhood. A baptism takes place in a barrel
during a drought in a war-torn country. An urban congregation creates an intentional community of asylum seekers.
Published in conjunction with the 500th anniversary of the Anabaptist Christian faith, "Faith in Full Color: A Tapestry of
Anabaptist Stories" from the Herald Press introduces readers to a tapestry of creative expressions of contemporary
Anabaptist witness in the world.
"Faith in Full Color" showcases the intersection of faith and life, showing how congregations, faith communities, and
individuals express their faith. Together, these stories written and compiled by Jeanne Zimmerly Jantzi and accompanied by
a diverse collection of photos address where we have been and, more importantly, where we are going as Anabaptist
Christians: Where do we see God at work in our lives today? How have we seen God's faithful presence in diverse
Anabaptist communities? And what does God desire of the Anabaptist movement for the next 500 years?
The stories and voices comprising "Faith in Full Cor" offer wise, inspiring, forward-looking counsel as we celebrate our
shared Anabaptist faith and glimpse God at work among us.
Critique: Profusely illustrated throughout with full color photography, this large format (9.13 x 0.71 x 10.08 inches, 1.9
pounds) hardcover edition of "Faith in Full Color: A Tapestry of Anabaptist Stories" by Jeanne Zimmerly Jantzi is inspired
and inspiring. A compendium of photo essays in celebration of the Anabaptist/Mennonite Christian movement, culture and
history, "Faith in Full Color" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community, church,
and college/university library Christian Studies/History collections.
Editorial Note: Jeanne Zimmerly Jantzi spent much of her professional life serving in Africa and Asia with Mennonite
Central Committee. She now lives with her husband Dan in an old log house on the farm where she grew up in Wayne
County, Ohio, on the lands of the Wyandotte, Shawnee, and Leni Lenape. She enjoys writing, being outdoors, and working
as a process consultant and leadership coach with Design Group International. Jeanne and Dan have three adult sons, three
daughters-in-law, and four grandchildren. She loves her Orrville Mennonite Church congregation and her ties to the global
church.
Read the Bible like a Mystic
Carl McColman
Broadleaf Books
www.broadleafbooks.com
9781506486307, $25.99, HC, 202pp
https://www.amazon.com/Read-Bible-like-Mystic-Contemplative/dp/1506486304
Synopsis: Can the Bible be saved? More and more Christians are troubled by how difficult passages in the Bible can be used
to promote sexism, homophobia, hostility to other faiths, and other problems -- but a sterile, "academic" reading of the
sacred text seems spiritually unfulfilling.
With the publication of "Read the Bible like a Mystic: Contemplative Wisdom and the Word", Carl McColman, (author of
"The New Big Book of Christian Mysticism"), reminds us that there is an ancient "third way" of approaching the Bible:
reading scripture like a mystic. This contemplative approach to the Bible understands that much of the sacred text was never
meant to be taken literally, yet this approach maintains that spiritual wisdom, guidance in prayer, and encouragement for
meditation are encoded throughout the sacred text.
"Read the Bible like a Mystic" will help Christians find an expanded relationship with their sacred textbook, and it will also
invite all people (Christian and non-Christian alike) to bring together the wisdom of the written word with the wisdom of
the contemplative life and the call to foster peace, justice, and equality in our world.
Whether you come to the Bible from a preexisting interest in Christianity or mysticism, "Read the Bible Like a Mystic"
shows how contemplative wisdom unlocks the liberating power of the Word for our time.
Critique: The underlying messages of Carl McColman in the pages of "Read the Bible like a Mystic: Contemplative
Wisdom and the Word" is that there is a better way to read the Bible than is taught in a traditional Sunday School or
Seminary class. That better way is to read the Bible with the eyes of a mystic and the heart of meditative contemplation.
Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of an Appendix (Lectio Divina and Ignatian Prayer), a two
page Words of Gratitude, and seven pages of Note, "Read the Bible like a Mystic: Contemplative Wisdom and the Word" is
especially and unreservedly recommended for community, seminary, and college/university library New Age Mysticism and
Christian Spirituality/Studies collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of clergy, seminary students, and
all members of the Christian community regardless of denominational affiliations, that this hardcover edition of "Read the
Bible like a Mystic: Contemplative Wisdom and the Word" from Broadleaf Books is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $16.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Tantor Audio, 9798228563742, $35.95, CD).
Editorial Note: Carl McColman is the author of numerous books, including The New Big Book of Christian Mysticism,
Eternal Heart, Answering the Contemplative Call, An Invitation to Celtic Wisdom and Unteachable Lessons. His books
cover a variety of spiritual perspectives, from Christian mysticism and contemplative living, to Celtic wisdom,
earth-centered and pagan spirituality, and Wicca. Carl's own contemplative practice is deeply interspiritual, and he is a
practicing Christian & Buddhist. (www.goodreads.com/author/list/17038.Carl_McColman))
The Wine Shelf
Wednesday Night Wine-Down: 52 Drinks for Low-Alcohol Midweek Sipping
Jennifer Newens, author
Alyson Brown, photographer
Collective Book Studio
https://thecollectivebook.studio
9781685559298, $19.95, HC, 152pp
https://www.amazon.com/Wednesday-Night-Wine-Down-Low-Alcohol-Midweek/dp/1685559298
Synopsis: With the publication of "Wednesday Night Wine-Down: 52 Drinks for Low-Alcohol Midweek Sipping", author
and wine connoisseur Jennifer Newens offers inspired, easy-to-put-together, low-alcohol cocktails to help you relax
midweek without overdoing it. The 52 creative infusions are crafted with seasonal ingredients and use widely available still,
sparkling, and fortified wines, bring you a delicious array of seasonal sips.
Here you'll find the classics everyone knows and loves from an Aperol Spritz, the French-inspired Kir, a New Orleans -
Style French 75 to favorites from Spain, Italy, and Portugal and even some original creations.
The recipes also include fresh takes on favorite spirit-based cocktails, such as a Red Wine Margarita, a Spanish Negroni
made with sherry instead of gin, or a White Wine Mojito. Wednesday Night Wine-Down is your go-to for a midweek
libation, every week of the year.
Critique: Profusely illustrated throughout with full color photos by Alyson Brown of finished drinks, Jennifer Newens'
"Wednesday Night Wine-Down: 52 Drinks for Low-Alcohol Midweek Sipping" is a pleasure to browse through and
thoroughly 'user friendly' to prepare drinks from. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, and college/university library Wine, Cocktail, Mixed Drinks, and Alcoholic Spirits collections, it
should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Wednesday Night Wine-Down" is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note #1: Jennifer Newens is a cookbook editor, cooking teacher, and literary agent from Oakland, California. She
received her culinary training from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. She believes that
everyone deserves to have a special drink in a fancy glass with a pretty garnish at the end of a long day - whether or not they
choose to put booze in it!
Editorial Note #2: Alyson Brown is a beverage photographer and drink stylist with an appreciation for a well-built cocktail.
Her passion for cocktails led her to author her first book, The Flower-Infused Cocktail: Flowers with a Twist. It was while
photographing for her book that she found her true love for beverage photography and styling.
The Self-Help Shelf
Underestimated
Mary Marantz, author
Fleming H. Revell Company
www.revellbooks.com
c/o Baker Publishing Group
https://bakerpublishinggroup.com
9780800738495, $26.99, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Underestimated-Surprisingly-Simple-Playing-Forward/dp/0800738497
Synopsis: It's all been done. I can't start until it's perfect. What if the critics come? What if I start and then can't follow
through? What if my voice doesn't matter? What if I don't actually matter? What if it's already too late?
Sound familiar? Do you find that year after year you stay stuck in the same tired, broken scripts fear uses on all of us?
It's time for a wake-up call. Because so often when faced with the choice between creating nothing and creating failure, we
choose nothing. Another year goes by. The clock goes on ticking. And the world is worse for our absence. It's time to move
from stuck to start.
with the publication of "Underestimated: The Surprisingly Simple Shift to Quit Playing Small, Name the Fear, and Move
Forward Anyway", Mary Marantz does the heavy lifting to dismantle all the lies fear uses, moves you out of an endless
spiral of your own excuses (not to mention other people's opinions), and brings you right up to a threshold of no return --
this place where we become people who feel the fear and move forward anyway.
With equal parts powerful prose and tactical action steps, "Underestimated" will easily become the essential go-to field
guide for anyone who is ready to once and for all quit playing small.
Critique: Original, deftly written, exceptionally reader friendly in organization and presentation, "Underestimated: The
Surprisingly Simple Shift to Quit Playing Small, Name the Fear, and Move Forward Anyway" by Mary Marantz is an
extraordinary and 'real world' practical instructional guide for readers seeking to improve their personal and professional
lives. Especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library Motivational
Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Underestimated" from Revell is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book
(Christianaudio, 9798228515277, $39.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Mary Marantz (www.MaryMarantz.com) is the author of Dirt and Slow Growth Equals Strong Roots, as
well as the host of the popular podcast The Mary Marantz Show. She grew up in a trailer in rural West Virginia and was the
first in her family to go to college before going on to Yale for law school. Her work has been featured on CNN, MSN,
Business Insider, Bustle, Thrive Global, Southern Living, Hallmark Home & Family, and more.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
The Practical Tarot Method
Lisa Kessler
Beyond Words Publishing
www.beyondword.com
9781582709413, $22.00, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Tarot-Method-Learn-Intuitively/dp/1582709416
Synopsis: For the metaphysical studies student and practitioner, Tarot cards are a powerful tool to help them tap into Spirit
and guide the on a divine path -- that is, if they know how to read them.
That is the fundamental purpose of "The Practical Tarot Method: Learn to Read Tarot Cards Intuitively" by Lisa Kessler,
who draws upon her many years of experience and expertise to teach her readers how to become empowered, deepen
self-confidence, and help to develop more trust in their own intuition so that they may better connect with and understand
the cards.
Presented in a relatable way with practice exercises, "The Practical Tarot Method" offers different ways to use tarot cards in
everyday life, such as for meditation and journaling, reading spreads to answer questions, and as inspiration for creative
pursuits. It also includes Lisa's quite stunning and impressively diverse tarot deck (called Practical Tarot) which was created
to reflect and celebrate the diversity of people in the world -- there is even a 32-page insert in the back of the book that
showcases the full-color cards.
From choosing your tarot deck to insights into the natural cycles in the tarot system to the traditional interpretations of tarot
cards, both novices and seasoned tarot practitioners are sure to enjoy and profit from "The Practical Tarot Method" and how
it will help them hone their natural intuitive gifts.
Critique: This large format trade paperback edition of "The Practical Tarot Method: Learn to Read Tarot Cards Intuitively"
is an extraordinary introduction for the novice Tarot reader while holding substantial value for every the more experienced
Tarot practitioner. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Practical Tarot Method" is decidedly 'user
friendly' and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community and college/university library Metaphysical
Studies/Tarot Card Reading collections. It should be noted that "The Practical Tarot Method" from Beyond Words is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Lisa Kessler (www.AuthorLisaKessler.com) is the author of the Practical Tarot deck and The Practical Tarot
Method: Learning to Read Tarot Cards Intuitively and has been a professional tarot card reader for nearly twenty years,
reading for clients all over the world. She's a passionate teacher of tarot and has taught her Practical Tarot courses in the
United States as well as online to international audiences. Her Tarot for Writers course has been presented at writer's
conferences and groups around the country to help creatives connect with their intuition through tarot cards. She also posts
free weekly tarot readings on her YouTube channel.
The Akashic Records
Theresa Cheung
Godsfield
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781841816142, $22.99, HC, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Akashic-Records-Open-discover-purpose/dp/1841816140
Synopsis: Akasha is the Sanskrit word for "aether", "sky", or "atmosphere". Akashic records are believed to be a
compendium of all universal events, thoughts, words, emotions, and intent ever to have occurred in the past, present, or
future, regarding not just humans, but all entities and life forms. They are believed by theosophists to be encoded in a
non-physical plane of existence known as the mental plane. (Wikipedia)
With the publication of "The Akashic Records", spiritual expert Theresa Cheung leads you on the path to enlightenment by
introducing you a new realm of self-discovery: the Akashic records.
In the traditional Hindu Ayurvedic medicine practice, 'akasha' is one of the building blocks of the cosmos -- the empty space
where everything connects. Your Akashic record is part of this unseen dimension, an endless energetic library that records
your soul's journey through life. All your experiences, past, present and future, are written in this plane. Among them you'll
find the answers to all your burning questions about yourself, your life and the universe.
With Theresa as your guide, accessing your Akashic record will heighten your self-awareness, teach you to approach the
world with unconditional love and give you new tools to steer the direction of your life.
"The Akashic Record" includes:
A history and explanation of the Akashic records
An introduction to the Akashic records' spiritual guardians
The benefits of accessing your own Akashic record in your daily life
The 12 most common pathways to channel your Akashic record, featuring guided mediations, intuitive tools and dreamwork
exercises
Critique: Exceptionally 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Akashic Records" by Theresa Cheung is a
comprehensive and informative guide to accessing your Akashic records and, in the process, discovering your own true
potential. Also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99), this hardcover edition of "The Akashic Records" is
especially and unreservedly recommended as a prized addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university
library Metaphysical Studies collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Theresa Cheung (www.theresacheung.com) has been writing about spirituality, dreams and the paranormal
for the past 25 years, and was listed by Watkins Mind Body and Spirit magazine as one of the 100 most spiritually
influential living people in 2023. She has a degree in Theology and English from Kings College, Cambridge University,
frequently collaborating with leading scientists and neuroscientists researching consciousness. Theresa is regularly featured
in national newspapers and magazines, and she is a frequent radio, podcast and television guest. She has given workshops at
venues such as Olympia, Alexandra Palace and The College of Psychic Studies, and she hosts her own popular spiritual
podcast called White Shores.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
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