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Reviewer's Choice
Emergency Management for Law Enforcement
James F. Prescott Jr.
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
https://www.ccthomas.com
9780398094300, $55.95, PB, 374pp
https://www.amazon.com/Emergency-Management-Law-Enforcement-Strategies/dp/0398094306
Synopsis: With renewed interest in both emergency management and homeland security, disproportionate attention and
resources have been focused on terrorist threats. However, natural hazards pose a far greater risk of death, injury, and
property damage to the typical American jurisdiction.
Hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes cause billions of dollars in damage and substantial numbers of deaths and injuries each
year. The purpose of "Emergency Management for Law Enforcement: Strategies, Operations, and Tactics " by James F.
Prescott Jr. is to focus on these natural hazards and the linkage between law enforcement and emergency management.
"Emergency Management for Law Enforcement" draws from criminal justice, psychology, public administration, emergency
management, public health, meteorology, leadership, and management in an effort to synthesize a wealth of knowledge to
better prepare police officers to respond to the complete range of emergencies and disasters they encounter on the job.
"Emergency Management for Law Enforcement" will help to better integrate law enforcement officers with other first
responder agencies as they work together to resolve critical incidents. It pulls together important information obtained from
empirical research and disaster experience. This knowledge is designed to help law enforcement officers deal with disasters
and emergencies more effectively as important players in emergency management.
Learning these evidence-based practical applications will assist police officers and law enforcement agencies in making
better decisions in order to take more effective actions at critical incident scenes.
Critique: Comprehensive, up-to-date, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Emergency
Management for Law Enforcement: Strategies, Operations, and Tactics" is an ideal choice for personal, professional, police
academy, governmental, and college/university library Law Enforcement & Disaster Management collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists.
My Darling Boys: A Family at War, 1941-1947
Fred H. Allison
University of North Texas Press
www.untpress.unt.edu
9781574419061, $34.95, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/My-Darling-Boys-1941-1947-Biography/dp/1574419064
Synopsis: With the publication of "My Darling Boys: A Family at War, 1941-1947", Fred H. Allison presents the story of a
New Mexico farm family whose three sons were sent to fight in World War II. All three flew combat aircraft in the Army
Air Forces.
In 1973 one of the boys, Oscar Allison, a B-24 top turret gunner and flight engineer, wrote a memoir of his World War II
experiences. On a mission to Regensburg, Germany, his bomber, ravaged by German fighters, was shot down. He was
captured and spent fifteen months in German stalag prisons. His memoir, the core of this unique book and details his
training, combat, and prisoner-of-war experience in a truthful, introspective, and compelling manner.
The author of "My Darling Boys", Fred H. Allison, is Oscar's nephew, and gained access to family letters that supplement
Oscar's story and bring to light the experiences of Oscar's brothers. Harold Allison, (Fred Allison's father) was sidelined
from combat as a bomber copilot due to a health condition. The letters also tell of the brother who did not come home,
Wiley Grizzle Jr., a P-51 fighter pilot. Wiley's last mission brought his squadron of Mustangs into a pitched battle with
German fighters bound for the front to attack American troops.
The letters also introduce the boys' family, who fought the battle of the home front on their farm in New Mexico. Allison
reveals the burden home folks bore for their boys in combat and then the emotional trauma from the dreaded War
Department letters announcing "missing in action" or "killed in action." Allison conducted extensive research in the official
records and in secondary sources to give context to the memoir and letters.
"My Darling Boys" brings a new and important aspect to personal accounts of World War II combat, giving the reader a
unique blend of first-person military action tied to the home front family.
Critique: Rescued from obscurity and a welcome contribution to the growing library of World War II histories and
biographies, "My Darling Boys: A Family at War, 1941-1947" is an extraordinary accomplishment and unreservedly
recommended for community, and college/university library Military History/Biography collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, military historians, and non-specialist general readers
with an interest in American World War II military aviation that "My Darling Boys: A Family at War, 1941-1947" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.99).
Editorial Note: Fred H. Allison (www.usni.org/people/fred-h-allison) is a retired Marine officer and aviator, served as the
US Marine Corps oral historian from 2000 to 2020. He is the editor of We Were Going to Win, or Die There: With the
Marines at Guadalcanal, Tarawa, and Saipan by Roy H. Elrod (UNT Press). Allison earned his PhD in military history at
Texas Tech University.
So You Think You Know George Washington?
Jack Darrell Crowder
Clearfield Press
c/o Genealogical Publishing Co.
600 Clipper Mill Rd., Suite 260, Baltimore, MD US 21211
www.genealogical.com
9780806359656, $45.00, PB, 230pp
https://www.amazon.com/Think-George-Washington-Stories-School/dp/080635965X
So You Think You Know George Washington? Stories They Didn't Tell You in School blends American history with
personal facts in anecdotes told by those who knew him personally, and adds a lively personal touch to the historical
literature surrounding Washington 's life and times.
From his various incarnations as plantation owner to politician, stories about his life, business pursuits, and experiments
includes insights on things Washington should have done differently, whether they be militarily or in his life pursuits. The
result is a lively compendium of biographical impart that should be in any definitive American history collection.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
Writing Beyond Writing
Tim Brookes
Percentage Possibility Publications
9780990442813, $49.95, HC, 172pp
https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Beyond-Tim-Brookes/dp/0990442888
Synopsis: The outcome of a life's work as a successful writer and a dozen years of researching the world's indigenous and
minority writing systems, "Writing Beyond Writing: Lessons from Endangered Alphabets" by Tim Brookes is an entirely
original exploration of writing itself.
As the world's leading investigator of rare alphabets, Brookes examines the world's fascinating and often stunning
disappearing minority scripts and shows that writing can and often does have qualities we have forgotten -- iconic qualities,
community values, spiritual qualities, even magical qualities.
Brookes considers the ways in which we in the West have increasingly defined writing as something abstract, purely
symbolic, merely a mechanical tool for representing the sounds of speech, and asks what is lost when writing is reduced to
such a narrow and colorless definition.
Brookes also shows that just as many cultures around the world are reviving their embattled traditional alphabets, even in
the West the old division between writing and art is being healed in surprising ways -- and right under our noses!
Critique: A fascinating, informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking study that will have a particular and special value for
readers with an interest in the history and evolution of the alphabet and written languages, as well as the cultural
implications of diverse writing styles from antiquity down to the present day. A bibliographer's delight and unreservedly
recommended for community and college/university History of Writing collections and supplemental curriculum studies
lists, this large format hardcover edition of Tim Brookes seminal and ground-breaking work, "Writing Beyond Writing:
Lessons from Endangered Alphabets" from Percentage Possibility Publications is also readily available for students
academia, and non-specialist general readers in a paperback edition (9780990442882, $32.50).
Editorial Note: Tim Brookes (https://www.timbrookesinc.com) has acted as a publisher or publishing consultant for more
than 75 books. Offering editing and publishing services, he is also the creator of endangered alphabet games.
You've Got the Time
Ken Wachsberger
Azenphony Press
https://www.azenphonypress.com
9780945531135, $20.00, PB, 279pp
https://www.amazon.com/Youve-Got-Time-Write-Publish/dp/0945531133
Synopsis: Whether you are writing a book for credibility and back-of-the-room sales, to transform your life, or to prove to
your high school principal that you can do it, with the publication of "You've Got the Time: How to Write and Publish That
Book in You" by professional book coach Ken Wachsberger will guide aspiring writers step by step to publishing
success.
Of special note are the chapters on: How to prepare your writing "space"; Finding time in a busy lifestyle; Labeling and
organizing your digital files; Freewriting your way to a table of contents; Turning prose into poetry; Choosing your
platforms; Getting the word out (publicity); Negotiating your contract; and more.
Critique: Packed from cover to cover with sound advice that include a wealth of invaluable tips, tricks, and techniques for
any writer aspiring to become a successfully published author, "You've Got the Time: How to Write and Publish That Book
in You" is a complete and comprehensive DIY instruction course on writing for publication. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in
organization and presentation, "You've Got the Time: How to Write and Publish That Book in You" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Writing/Publishing
collections and workshop/curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that "You've Got the Time: How to Write and Publish
That Book in You" is presently available in a digital book format (Kindle, $0.99) from Amazon.
Editorial Note: Ken Wachsberger is an award-winning author/editor/book coach. He is an educator, member of National
Speakers Association and National Writers Union, and renowned expert on negotiating book contracts.
(https://kenthebookcoach.com/ken-wachsberger)
The Social Issues Shelf
Black Lives, American Love
D. B. Maroon
Lawrence Hill Books
c/o Chicago Review Press
www.chicagoreviewpress.com
9781641609326, $27.99, HC, 248pp
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Lives-American-Love-Resilience/dp/164160932X
Synopsis: With the publication of "Black Lives, American Love: Essays on Race and Resilience", a collection of
commentaries by D.B. Maroon, readers are presented with a personal biography of America, Blackness, and racial politics in
unflinching, unapologetic style, as he delivers a relentless truth-telling on some of the country's fiercest debates and most
profound challenges with respect to race relations in America..
From the birthplace of the Black Lives Matter movement to the murders of unarmed Black people, this compelling essay
collection invites readers to ask questions as much as it asks for accountability. Moving through debates on the 1619 Project
to the rippling impact of resurgent white nationalism, the golden thread of each essay is the hopeful continuance of the
Black community, as well as a call to greater truth as the first step toward reconciliation.
Intersectional, personal, and ultimately centered on truth, love, and perseverance, "Black Lives, American Love" details and
tends to the fractures in American culture. It is a meditation on how we can all do more to secure America's vastly beautiful
possibilities for all its citizens, rather than a few.
Critique: Eloquent, informative, insightful, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Black Lives, American Love: Essays on
Race and Resilience" is comprise of eighteen erudite essays that are especially and unreservedly recommended for readers
with an interest in African American History, biography, and demographic studies. While a welcome and timely addition to
personal, professional, community, and college/university library Black Studies collections and supplemental curriculum
studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, political activists, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject that "Black Lives, American Love: Essays on Race and Resilience" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note: D.B. Maroon (https://dbmaroon.com) is an expert on American culture, an anthropologist, and CEO of an
urban research institute. Her essays have been published in The Themed Space: Locating Culture, Nation, and Self and
Spirited: Affirming the Soul and Black Gay/Lesbian Identity. A committed public scholar, she's appeared in Bustle, Shape,
Healthline, and Women's Health. She holds a PhD in anthropology from UC Santa Cruz.
The Algorithm
Hilke Schellmann
Hachette Books
c/o Hachette Book Group
www.hachettebookgroup.com
9780306827341, $30.00, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Algorithm-Decides-Hired-Monitored-Promoted/dp/0306827344
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Algorithm: How AI Decides Who Gets Hired, Monitored, Promoted, and Fired and
Why We Need to Fight Back Now", Hilke Schellmann delivers a shocking and illuminating expose on one of the most
pressing civil rights issues of our time: how AI has quietly, and mostly out of sight, taken over the world of work.
Schellmann takes his readers on a journalistic detective story, meeting job applicants and employees who have been
subjected to these technologies, playing AI-based video games that companies use for hiring, and investigating algorithms
that scan our online activity to construct personality profiles -- including if we are prone to self -harm.
Schellmann also convinces whistleblowers to share results of faulty AI -tools, and tests algorithms that analyze job
candidates' facial expressions and tools that predict from our voices if we are anxious or depressed. Schellmann finds
employees whose every keystrokes were tracked and AI that analyzes group discussions or even predicts when someone
may leave a company. Her reporting reveals in detail how much employers already know about us and how little we know
about the technologies that are used on us.
"The Algorithm" tells an even bigger story with Schellmann discovering faulty algorithms and systemic discrimination of
women and people of color, which may have already harmed thousands of job seekers and employees. It advocates to go
beyond these tools to more thoughtfully consider how we hire, promote, and treat human beings -- with or without AI. As
Schellmann emphasizes, we need to decide how we build algorithmic tools in any industry and what protections we need to
put in place in an AI-driven world.
Critique: A seminal and ground-breaking study of a new technological that will continue to have a profound impact on
humanity, "The Algorithm: How AI Decides Who Gets Hired, Monitored, Promoted, and Fired and Why We Need to Fight
Back Now" will be of immense importance to readers with an interest in artificial intelligence (AI), semantics, the
social/cultural/workplace impact of technology. Exceptionally well written, exhaustively researched, and thoroughly 'reader
friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Algorithm: How AI Decides Who Gets Hired, Monitored, Promoted, and
Fired and Why We Need to Fight Back Now" is a timely and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional,
community, corporate, governmental, and college/university library Artificial Intelligence collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, corporate executives, governmental policy makers,
political activists, and non-specialist general readers that "The Algorithm: How AI Decides Who Gets Hired, Monitored,
Promoted, and Fired and Why We Need to Fight Back Now" is also available in a paperback edition (9780306835148,
$25.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
Editorial Note: Hilke Schellmann (https://pulitzercenter.org/people/hilke-schellmann) is an Emmy-award winning
investigative reporter and journalism professor at NYU. Her work covering artificial intelligence has been published in The
New York Times, The Guardian, the MIT Technology Review, and The Wall Street Journal, where she led a team
investigating how AI is changing our lives. She has also reported for NPR's Planet Money podcast on fake online reviews
and her investigation for VICE on HBO was a finalist for a Peabody Award. Her PBS Frontline documentary Outlawed in
Pakistan premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was honored with an Emmy.
The Environmental Studies Shelf
Land, Water, Air and Freedom
Joan Martinez-Alier
Edward Elgar Publishing
www.e-elgar.com
9781035312764, $230.00, HC, 798pp
https://www.amazon.com/Land-Water-Air-Freedom-Environmental/dp/103531276X
Synopsis: Simply stated, "Land, Water, Air and Freedom: The Making of World Movements for Environmental Justice" by
Joan Martinez-Alier is seminal and ground-breaking study that makes visible the global counter-movement for
environmental justice, combining ecological economics and political ecology. Using 500 in-depth empirical analyses from
the Atlas of Environmental Justice, environmental activist and academician Martinez-Alier deftly analyses the
commonalities shared by environmental defenders and offenders respectively.
Each individual narrative emphasizes the diverse vocabularies, iconographies, and valuation languages of poor and
Indigenous activists without losing sight of the global scale of climate action and biodiversity loss. Revealing the circularity
gap at the centre of the industrial economy, the book focuses on the frontiers of commodity extraction and waste disposal.
Alongside exploring protagonists and geographies of resistance, chapters delve into corporate irresponsibility, unequal trade,
and feminist neo-Malthusianism. Although grassroots movements for socio-economic sustainability are deeply diverse,
there are global patterns of action and empowerment.
Critique: While "Land, Water, Air and Freedom: The Making of World Movements for Environmental Justice" by Professor
Joan Martinez-Alier must be considered essential reading for students and scholars of environmental social sciences and
humanities, anthropology, geography, international relations, and ecology, it will also help environmental activists engaged
in the diverse movements advocating for environmental justice, preservation, and restoration. Exceptionally well organized
and presented, and comprised of 30 erudite and informative contributions by experts in the field, "Land, Water, Air and
Freedom: The Making of World Movements for Environmental Justice" is a core and essential addition to personal,
professional, community, governmental, and college/university library Environmental Policy and Political Advocacy
collections, as well as supplemental Public Policy curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Joan Martinez-Alier (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Martinez_Alier) is Professor of Economics and
Economic History, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain, as well as the recipient of the Balzan Prize in 2020 and the
Holberg Prize in 2023.
The Urban Planning Shelf
City Science: Performance Follows Form
Ramon Gras, author
Jeremy Burke, author
Actar D
c/o Actar Publishers
https://actar.com
9781638409908, $49.95, HC, 400pp
https://www.amazon.com/City-Science-Performance-follows-Form/dp/1638409900
Synopsis: The Aretian team, a spin off company from the Harvard Innovation Lab, has developed a city science
methodology to evaluate the relationship between city form and urban performance. With the publication of "City Science:
Performance Follows Form" co-authors Ramon Gras and Jeremy Burke illuminate the relationship between a city's spatial
design and quality of life it affords for the general population.
By measuring innovation economies to design Innovation Districts, social networks and patterns to help form organization
patterns, and city topology, morphology, entropy and scale to create 15 Minute Cities are some of the frameworks presented
in this illustrated and ground-breaking volume.
Therefore, urban designers, architects and engineers will be able to successfully tackle complex urban design challenges by
using the authors' frameworks and findings in their own work. Case studies help to present key insights from advanced,
data-driven geospatial analyses of cities around the world in an illustrative manner.
"City Science: Performance Follows Form" is an inaugural publication by Aretian Urban Analytics and Design and will
provide readers a new set of tools to learn from, expand, and develop for the healthy growth of cities and regions around the
world.
Critique: This large format (8 x 1.5 x 9.75 inches, 3.53 pounds) hardcover edition of "City Science: Performance Follows
Form" from Actar D is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, governmental, and college/university library
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, and featuring a four page Atlas of Global Cities and an extended
Bibliography, "City Science: Performance Follows Form" is a seminal and exceptional study that will prove of immense
value to readers with an interest in Architectural Criticism, Materials, City Planning and Urban Development.
Editorial Note #1: Ramon Gras Aloma recently presented insights from the new Aretian Urban Analytics and Design book
"City Science: Performance Follows Form", at the first Urban AI conference held at the prestigious UCL Bartlett School of
Architecture and Urban Design. During this conference on AI and Urban Design, the different speakers explored how
artificial intelligence can help urban designers shape better, more sustainable and inclusive cities. This conference created a
much-needed link between academia and industry which allowed people in the field to meet with other urban experts and
discuss novel advances, methodologies and technologies.
Editorial Note #2: Jeremy Burke is a City and Architectural Designer and Researcher interested in how new modeling
techniques can describe complex social systems. At Harvard, Jeremy graduated from the inaugural cohort of the Harvard
MDE program, where he developed research around design criteria for innovation districts operating in synergy with
logistics hubs and developed industrial infrastructure to support local agriculture. Jeremy explores how traditional design
methodologies can be informed through computational thinking. The resulting systems-level understanding of a space can
be used to inform the design and development of sustainable architectural and infrastructure projects and to foster healthy
communities. Prior to his joint thesis with Ramon at Harvard, Jeremy worked with Kennedy Violich Architecture, BRU
Architects, and Alon Development, and has experience completing a wide range of projects from smart sustainable houses,
to modern renovations within historical contexts, and the master plan and design of a four million square foot resort and
entertainment facility.
Participatory Design Thinking in Urban Design Education
John Odhiambo Onyango
Actar D
c/o Actar Publishers
https://actar.com
9781638400714, $44.95, HC, 164pp
https://www.amazon.com/Participatory-Design-Thinking-Urban-Education/dp/1638400717
Synopsis: Since the Boyer of 1996 of 'Building Communities: A New future for Architectural Education and Practice' there
has been some movements in architectural and design schools and practitioners exploring ways to inculcate a concern for
larger social issues in the design process.
Several alternative approaches to the education, practice of architecture and urban design have emerged rooted in the Social
Architecture based on four groups of participants; the private visionary; the public professional with a vision; the
professional based at non-profit organizations, and the activist university. The urban laboratory model is one such model
housed in the activist university. One of the arguments for this methodology is that it would lead to a better place-making
process.
With the publication of "Participatory Design Thinking in Urban Design Education" John Odhiambo Onyango provides
literature of the social movements that led to the rise of alternative design methods. Onyango also critically examines the
methodologies used and how they contribute to best practice in place-making; and it suggests universal application that may
be incorporated in the use of the urban design laboratory model as a tool for educating future architecture & urban
designers.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Participatory Design Thinking in Urban Design Education"
from Actar D is a seminal contribution to the growing field of Architecture & Urban Planning literature and an ideal
textbook Urban Planning curriculum studies lists. Featuring occasional and informative illustrations, "Participatory Design
Thinking in Urban Design Education" is solidly recommended for personal, professional, and college/university library
Urban Planning/Architecture collections.
Editorial Note: John Odhiambo Onyango, Ph.D. is an academic, scholar and is currently an Associate Professor of
Architecture at the School of Architecture, University of Notre Dame (USA). He has a Doctor of Philosophy degree in
Architecture from the University of Glasgow (Scotland, UK); a Master of Architecture degree from University of Notre
Dame, (USA); Certificate in Professional Practice & Management in Architecture (RIBA Part 3-Architect's License in the
United Kingdom) from the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, (England, UK) and a Bachelor of
Architecture (honors) degree from University of Nairobi (Kenya).
The Education Shelf
Engaging Young Engineers, second edition
Angela K. Stone, et al.
Brookes Publishing Company
www.brookespublishing.com
9781681257495, $42.95, PB, 248pp
https://www.amazon.com/Engaging-Young-Engineers-Teaching-Problem-Solving/dp/1681257491
Synopsis: Boost young children's problem-solving skills and set them up for long-term success with the second edition of
the practical guidebook "Engaging Young Engineers: Teaching Problem-Solving Skills Through STEM". Enhanced with
new lessons and timely topics (including equity and the use of makerspaces), this newly updated and expanded second
edition of "Engaging Young Engineers" will help get all children ready for kindergarten by teaching them basic practices of
engineering design and critical thinking skills.
Using a clear instructional framework and fun lesson plans tailored for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, teachers and
caregivers will be able to guide their "emerging engineers" as they explore big ideas and develop new ways of thinking
through engaging and challenging learning experiences.
Practical materials include classroom-tested activities that incorporate children's books, self-reflection checklists, practical
strategies and modifications, Early Childhood UDL Planning Sheets, and blank Experience Planning Templates.
"Engaging Young Engineers" will: Introduce hands-on learning experiences that teach critical thinking skills - curiosity,
persistence, flexibility, reflection, and collaboration; Demystify and teach key phases of engineering design: think about it,
try it, fix it, and share it; Support school readiness by helping children work toward kindergarten standards, including
Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards; Use universal design for learning (UDL) principles
to ensure that learning experiences work for all children, with and without disabilities; Encourage language and literacy
development with suggestions for weaving reading into problem-solving experiences and using language to prompt
children's thinking skills; Promote other skills needed for school success, including social-emotional skills, self-regulation,
and executive functioning.
This new edition of "Engaging Young Engineers" features three new themes: computational thinking, makerspaces, and
inclusion and equity in STEM. Every lesson plan is updated. More lessons are based on new children's books. Included are
new art/music/drama lesson options for STEAM-focused schools. There is more coverage of spatial development. Also
features are | expanded information on assessment , as well as updated book resources and references.
Critique: This large format (8.46 x 0.33 x 10.96 inches, 1.48 pounds) paperback edition from the Brookes Publishing
Company, and co-authored by the team of academicians and education specialists Angi Stone MacDonald, Kristen Wendell,
Anne Douglass, Mary Lu Love, and Amanda Wiehe Lopes is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, family, daycare center, preschool, community, school district, and college/university Science/STEM education
collections and supplemental Education Lesson Planning curriculums for children ages 1-5. It should be noted that
"Engaging Young Engineers: Teaching Problem-Solving Skills Through STEM" is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $40.80).
Editorial Note #1: Angi Stone MacDonald, Ph.D., is a professor and chair for the Special Education, Rehabilitation, and
Counseling Department at California State University, San Bernardino.
Editorial Note #2 Kristen Wendell, Ph.D., is an associate professor of mechanical engineering and education at Tufts
University.
Editorial Note #3: Anne Douglass, Ph.D., is a professor of early childhood education and founding executive director at the
Institute for Early Education Leadership and Innovation at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Editorial Note #4: Mary Lu Love, M.S., is a retired lecturer/director of early childhood services at the Institute for
Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston, where she managed grants, evaluation projects, and a
variety of grant work in the early childhood field.
Editorial Note #5: Amanda Wiehe Lopes has been a teacher, program leader, and curriculum consultant at early learning
organizations across the U.S. including developing creative arts immersive early education and professional learning
programs at the New York State Theater Institute, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Children's Theater, Pacific Science Center,
and Woodland Park Zoo.
Creativity: Crossroads in K-12 Education
Kirk Schiebold
Apple Books
https://www.apple.com/apple-books
No ISBN $39.99
https://books.apple.com/us/book/creativity-crossroads-in-k12-education/id6461866071
Creativity: Crossroads in K-12 Education is a book that not only all educators should read, but anyone concerned with
educational processes, objectives, and history. It's a lesson in alternative teaching approaches that parents, educators, and the
general public need to learn, if the educational system is to move forward and up from its downward trajectory. Creativity
and correctness often clash in the educational system, bringing with them "...misconceptions of discipline-based education,
that through an emphasis on submissive imitation and forced instruction..."
Kirk Schiebold's own epiphany about education's failures when he "took flight and surveyed my opportunities" resulted in a
new paradigm and (thankfully for fellow educators) this book, which outlines an alternative pathway to juxtaposing
educational quality with creativity in teaching and learning. These approaches embrace many unusual approaches, including
analyzing recurring dreams and offering personal and case history examples of how various teachers in his life and career
introduced ideas that captured the attention and interest of youth: "We pushed our hands into the cloudy water and swished
it around. It was wet, gooey and textured - like the raw hamburger and egg mixture mom used to make my favorite Italian
meatballs. Mr. Welfare made learning fun and interesting, arousing our curiosity and holding the attention of a bunch of
squirrelly fourth graders!"
Schiebold doesn't make suggestions that eschew set educational standards. Indeed, he mentions and embraces them by
showing how creative teaching can operate within the boundaries of these systems: "The teacher frames a problem within a
reality-based context. The teacher sets the parameters of the problem: we have to be reflective and innovative, committed to
diversity. Basically any lesson created has to fit into the national and state standards for teaching English. Any piece of local
or universal truth discovered or created can fit into the national and state standards for teaching English."
By undertaking teaching and curriculum reform within the existing framework, but pushing the creative element beyond its
typical borders, Schiebold creates a mandate for change which is practical, inspiring, and achievable for those operating
within a traditionally rigid, non-creative environment and system. No educator should be without the points raised in
Creativity: Crossroads in K-12 Education. This is why it should be considered a 'must' for any library strong in education
references and parenting books, and also very highly recommended to book clubs interested in debating and discussing
issues surrounding education system reassessment and rejuvenation.
The Jobs/Careers Shelf
Job Interviewing For Dummies
Pamela Skillings
For Dummies
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
https://www.dummies.com
Tantor Media
https://tantor.com
9781394192915, $24.99, PB, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Job-Interviewing-Dummies-Pamela-Skillings/dp/1394192916
Synopsis: With the publication of "Job Interviewing For Dummies", Pamela Skillings (Top Career Coach and Co-Founder of Big Interview) will teach you how to prepare for your next job interview, deal with tough
questions, and gain the tools and skills to interview with confidence and poise.
"Job Interviewing For Dummies" offers a structured, step-by-step approach for succeeding in virtual and in-person
interviews. You will find information, strategies, and examples to empower you to present your best self to potential
employers. You will also learn how to anticipate and prepare for the most likely questions, regardless of your level or
industry, and be prepared for anything -- an interview on short notice, explaining gaps on your resume, changing careers,
and beyond.
With examples and stories from the interview trenches, this friendly Dummies guide will help you breathe new life into your
job search; Gain the poise you need to own the interview room (or the video chat); Brush up on your interview skills if you
haven't done this in a while; Come prepared with impressive answers and questions to ask; Overcome common challenges
like resume gaps.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Job Interviewing For Dummies" is the ideal DIY
instructional reference manual and 'how-to' guide to being successful in searching for employment. Replete with tips, tricks
and techniques of effective job interviewing, "Job Interviewing For Dummies" is especially and unreservedly recommended
for personal reading lists, as well as professional, community, highschool, and college/university library Jobs/Careers and
Vocational Guidance/Counseling collections. It should be noted that "Job Interviewing For Dummies" is also available in a
spiral bound edition ($45.54), in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.00), and as a complete and unabridged audio book
(Tantor Audio, B0CT6B79JX, $20.99, MP3-CD).
Editorial Note: Pamela Skillings (biginterview.com) has 15+ years of experience as a career coach, corporate training
professional, and hiring consultant.
The American History Shelf
Hidden Alleyways of Washington, DC: A History
Kim Prothro
Georgetown University Press
www.press.georgetown.edu
9781647123925, $29.95, HC, 172pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Alleyways-Washington-DC-History/dp/1647123925
Synopsis: The alleyways of Washington, DC, have always been a fundamental part of the city's life and economy.
Deliberately hidden from public view by the capital's early planners, DC's alleys were created to provide access to stables,
carriage houses, and other utility buildings. But as the city grew and property values rose, the nature of some alleys and their
buildings changed, resulting in a parallel world of residential , manufacturing, and artistic spaces.
With the publication of "Hidden Alleyways of Washington, DC: A History", architectural historian Kim Prothro Williams
reveals this world in a fascinating and richly illustrated history.
In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the city's inhabited alleys were often unsanitary spaces that were home to its
poorest residents. These conditions spurred Progressive Era campaigns to demolish alley dwellings, which in turn led to the
displacement of minority and disadvantaged communities.
Today, many remaining alleyways, with their intimately scaled buildings, have been transformed into vibrant commercial
and residential spaces. Yet this new wave of development raises questions about how spaces that were once reserved for the
city's poorest residents now cater to the wealthy.
Critique: A unique lending of architectural and social history of Washington DC's multifaceted alleyways, "Hidden
Alleyways of Washington, DC: A History" from the Georgetown University Press is essential reading and an informative
history for students, academicians, historians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in Washington's social
history, architecture, or historical preservation. While also available for in a digital book format (Kindle, $28.45), "Hidden
Alleyways of Washington, DC: A History" is especially recommended for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library American History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Kim Prothro Williams is an architectural historian with a particular interest in researching local history,
neighborhoods, and urban planning developments in and around Washington, D.C. For the past ten years, she has been
working in the D.C. Historic Preservation Office, where she is engaged in the research and historical designation of
buildings, neighborhoods, and institutional districts. She is also the author of "Chevy Chase, A Home Suburb for the
Nation's Capital" (1998) and "Pride of Place: Rural Residences of Fauquier County, Virginia" (2004)m and "Lost Farms and
Estates of Washington, D.C." (2018).
Logging for the Company
Jack Losensky
Sweetgrass Books
https://www.sweetgrassbooks.com
c/o Farcountry Press
www.farcountrypress.com
9781591523376, $27.95, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Logging-Company-Marcus-Anaconda-1883-1917/dp/1591523370
Synopsis: Anaconda, Montana, in its earliest beginnings, was built and held together in no small measure by the enterprising
flume loggers who worked and lived there -- as well as by the business moguls like Marcus Daly who employed them.
But the flume logging business was legally complex and frequently physically and financially demanding. To stay afloat,
flume loggers employed technological innovations, lateral thinking, and (on occasion) a little legal creativity in order to stay
profitable.
With the publication of "Logging for the Company: Marcus Daly and Flume Logging Near Anaconda, 1883-1917" author
Jack Losensky takes deep dive into the most formative days of Anaconda contains the fruits of a wealth of historical
research, as well as illustrative photographs, maps, excerpts from old newspaper articles, and much more.
Readers will fully enjoy this valuable, illustrated, and historical study the early days of flume logging in Anaconda that
would help it grow into the political powerhouse that would soon change the fate of the Treasure State.
Critique: Profusely illustrated throughout with captioned B/W historical phonographs, "Logging for the Company: Marcus
Daly and Flume Logging Near Anaconda, 1883-1917" is an extraordinary and inherently fascinating history of American
logging in general, and early logging in Montana in particular. Exceptionally well organized and presented, this large format
paperback edition of "Logging for the Company: Marcus Daly and Flume Logging Near Anaconda, 1883-1917" from
Sweetgrass Books (an imprint of Far Country Press) is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community,
and college/university library American History collections and supplemental curriculum lists.
Editorial Note: Brownie John 'Jack'; Losensky grew up in the historic southeastern portion of Pennsylvania, where he gained
his love of local history. Moving west after graduating from Penn State with a master's degree in Forest Ecology, he spent
the next thirty-five years of his life working for the National Forest Service. His specialty became historic vegetation and
fire history. After retiring, he became interested in the Mt. Haggin history and spent the next 20 years tracing the old flume
paths and cabin remains.
The World History Shelf
Vandal Heaven: Reinterpreting Post-Roman North Africa
Simon Elliott
Casemate Publishers
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636242873, $34.95, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Vandal-Heaven-Reinterpreting-Post-Roman-Africa/dp/1636242871
Synopsis: North Africa was one of the richest parts of the Roman Empire and the agricultural powerhouse of the
Mediterranean. It was also home to some of the emperor's biggest imperial estates, and prosperous cities of all kinds.
Its loss to the Vandals in the first half of the 5th century AD was the mortal blow which both precipitated the fall of the
western empire, and set the eastern empire back for decades. Its re-conquest then became an obsession with each new
emperor in Constantinople. Time and again the eastern Romans failed in this goal, until Justinian I finally succeeded in the
AD 530s. Although North Africa's restoration to the world of Rome only lasted a short time, it has widely been regarded as
a positive development.
However, new research (published in "Vandal Heaven: Reinterpreting Post-Roman North Africa" for the first time) shows
that post-Roman North Africa thrived under the Vandals. To them it was Vandal heaven, a place where they found a way as
the new incumbent elite to live comfortably alongside the late Roman inhabitants, despite their different interpretations of
Christianity.
Together, the two cultures flourished.
When the eastern Romans (now known as the Byzantines) returned, they were not welcome. This is evidenced in the
surviving built environments of this new period of North African history, namely chains of small forts along the frontier and
interior, where the Byzantines used mounted troops to keep an unhappy local population under control.
With the publication of "Vandal Heaven: Reinterpreting Post-Roman North Africa", Dr Simon Elliott not only presents a
brand-new interpretation of post-Roman North Africa, but makes the case that the Arab Conquest was so successful in this
region because the Byzantine overlords were so unpopular. Furthermore his argument explains how the region today came
to be part of the Arab world, in contrast to the regions along the northern Mediterranean freeboard, which maintain their
Roman-ness to this day.
Critique: A seminal and ground-breaking study, "Vandal Heaven: Reinterpreting Post-Roman North Africa" is deftly
organized into six chapters: The Romans; The Barbarians; Vandal Origins; Vandal Migrations; Vandal Conquests; Vandal
Apocalypse). Also included for the reader's benefit is a seven page Bibliography and a three page Index. An extraordinary,
fascinating, informative, thought-provoking read from first page to last, "Vandal Heaven: Reinterpreting Post-Roman North
Africa" is highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Roman History
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Vandal Heaven: Reinterpreting Post-Roman North Africa" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
Editorial Note: Dr Simon Elliott (www.simonelliott20.com) is an award-winning archaeologist, historian and broadcaster.
He has written numerous books on themes related to the classical world and military history, and frequently appears on
broadcast media as a presenter and expert. Amongst others, his books published by Casemate Publishers include Ancient
Greeks at War (2021), Old Testament Warriors (2021) and Romans at War (2020). Dr. Elliott is an Honorary Research
Fellow at the University of Kent, Trustee of the Council for British Archaeology, Ambassador for Museum of London
Archaeology, President of the Society of Ancients, and Guide Lecturer for Andante Travels and Hidden History Travel.
The Military History Shelf
Legion: Life in the Roman Army
Richard Abdy
The British Museum Press
c/o Getty Publications
www.getty.edu/publications
9781606069189, $99.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com.au/Legion-Life-Roman-Richard-Abdy/dp/1606069187
Synopsis: With the publication of the J. Paul Getty Museum edition of "Legion: Life in the Roman Army", historian Richard
Abdy tells the story of everyday life in the Roman army (including the experiences of women and enslaved people) through
a range of rare objects and testimonies. These include letters from Apion and Terentianus, young Egyptian soldiers writing
home to their families; the tombstone of 4-year-old Vacia, a touching reminder of the presence of children near forts; the
remains of a soldier found at Herculaneum, killed in the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79; and a board game played by
soldiers in their spare time.
Human experiences are set within the context of the first three centuries of the common era, widely recognized as the
heyday success for the Roman army. During this period, forces were split into legions of citizen-only troops and auxiliary
units of non-citizen troops, with the latter offered a chance at citizenship and social advancement after around 25 years of
service. As well as describing the social forces behind the army, "Legion: Life in the Roman Army" also addresses its
violent reality for civilians and troops -- battle tactics, weaponry and the risk for convicted soldiers of becoming
amphitheatre entertainment are all explored.
Traveling from the deserts of North Africa to the freezing climes of Scotland, and moving from the gruesome life of a medic
to loving correspondence between friends, with "Legion: Life in the Roman Army" readers gain a vivid picture of life in the
Roman army, with all the spectacular and ordinary experiences it involved.
Critique: Profusely and beautifully illustrated throughout, this large format (15 x 2.4 x 22 cm) paperback edition of "Legion:
Life in the Roman Army" from the J. Paul Getty Museum is a remarkably informative and inherently fascinating read from
cover to cover. Of special and particular value for readers with an interest in Roman Military History, this extraordinary
volume will prove to be a prized and enduringly significant pick for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Roman History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Richard Abdy is curator of Roman coins in the department of coins and medals at the British Museum.
(https://britishmuseum.academia.edu/RichardAbdy)
Patton's Tactician
James W. Holsinger Jr., editor
The University Press of Kentucky
www.kentuckypress.com
9780813198712, $40.00, HC, 502pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pattons-Tactician-Lieutenant-Geoffrey-American/dp/0813198712
Synopsis: Nineteen months after Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor and forced the United States to enter World War II,
boats carrying the 7th US Army landed on the shores of southern Sicily. Dubbed Operation Husky, the campaign to
establish an Allied foothold in Sicily was led by two of the most noted American tacticians of the twentieth century: George
S. Patton Jr. and Geoffrey Keyes.
While Patton is the subject of numerous books and films, Keyes's life and achievements have gone unrecognized, but his
anonymity is by no means an accurate reflection of the value of his contributions and dedicated service in World War II and
the succeeding cold war.
Deftly compiled and edited by James W. Holsinger Jr. and published by the University of Kentucky Press, "Patton's
Tactician: The War Diary of Lieutenant General Geoffrey Keyes" is the first transcribed edition of Keyes's personal diary to
be published.
The diary begins in October 1942, prior to the invasion of French Morocco and Keyes's engagement in World War II and the
Cold War. Holsinger has integrated a variety of related sources, including correspondence between Keyes, Patton, and
Eisenhower. A day-to-day chronicle of Keyes's experiences in the World War II Mediterranean Theater and the early days of
the Cold War in occupied Germany and Austria, "Patton's Tactician" is an invaluable primary source that offers readers a
glimpse into the mind of one of America's most important World War II corps commanders.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of two Appendices, forty-six pages of Notes, a two page listing
of References, a two page listing of Oral History Interviews, and a ten page Index, "Patton's Tactician: The War Diary of
Lieutenant General Geoffrey Keyes" will be of particular interest to students, academicians, historians, and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in World War II Histories/Biographies. An exceptional and inherently interesting read for
American military history buffs and a prized pick for community and college/university collections, it should be noted that
"Patton's Tactician" is also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $30.49).
Editorial Note: James W. Holsinger Jr., M.D., Ph.D., is the Charles T. Wethington Jr. Chair in the Health Sciences at the
University of Kentucky. He also served as secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services from 2003 to
2005.
The Cookbook Shelf
Vibrant Vegetables
Janneke Philippi
Tra Publishing
www.trapublishing.com
9780966438871, $40.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Vibrant-Vegetables-Delicious-Recipes-Veggies/dp/0966438876
Synopsis: With the publication of "Vibrant Vegetables: 100+ Delicious Recipes Using 20+ Common Veggies", Janneke
Philippi provides an impressive strikingly beautiful compendium packed from cover to cover with delightful and versatile
vegetable-forward recipes that fully showcase the vibrant flavors of more than 20 vegetables through over 100 delicious
recipes, offering new inspiration for anyone seeking creative and satisfying vegetarian meals.
From quick and easy everyday recipes like Eggplant Satay and Mushroom Lasagna to impressive dinner party dishes such as
Pumpkin Wellington and Crispy Camembert, "Vibrant Vegetables" provides a culinary wealth of options for vegetarian
meals suitable every day of the week, as well as any special or formal dining occasions.
Critique: A visually gorgeous, elegant, and thoroughly kitchen cook friendly collection, "Vibrant Vegetables: 100+
Delicious Recipes Using 20+ Common Veggies" is ideal and inspirational for planning menus with and will prove of very
special and particular resource for anyone with an interest in vegetarian dining and international vegetable based cuisines.
Simply stated, "Vibrant Vegetables: 100+ Delicious Recipes Using 20+ Common Veggies" is especially and unreservedly
recommended for personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections.
Editorial Note: Janneke Philippi (www.studiophilippi.nl) is a recipe writer, food stylist and regular columnist for Delicious,
the leading food magazine of the Netherlands. She is the author of various cookbooks. Janneke lives with her family in the
Netherlands.
The 5-Minute Noodle Salad Lunchbox
Alexander Hart
Smith Street Books
c/o Rizzoli
www.rizzoliusa.com
9781923049000, $19.95, HC, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/5-Minute-Noodle-Salad-Lunchbox-Healthy/dp/1923049003
Synopsis: Sometimes it seems like too much of a chore to get our lunch prepped for the day ahead. We can often run out of
inspiration too, meaning we end up with the same dull dailey lunch menu that makes healthy eating so much harder than it
should be.
With the publication of "The 5-Minute Noodle Salad Lunchbox: Happy, Healthy & Speedy Meals to Make in Minutes",
Alexander Hart aims to make prepping your lunch each day a breeze -- while also ensuring they are deliciously healthy.
The 52 recipes comprising "The 5-Minute Noodle Salad Lunchbox: Happy, Healthy & Speedy Meals to Make in Minutes"
cover a range of diverse salads, utilizing the power of noodles, from vermicelli to udon to rice noodles, as well as low-carb
zoodle options. There's also advice throughout on how to make bulk lunches for your week, if that's your style, and how to
overhaul last night's leftovers into a great midday meal.
Critique: Featuring palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, health supportive recipes utilizing hokkien noodles, ramen noodles,
rice noodles, soba noodles, and veggie noodles, along with beautifully inspiring, full page, full color photos of finished
dishes -- coupled with the thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' step-by-step recipes, "The 5-Minute Noodle Salad Lunchbox:
Happy, Healthy & Speedy Meals to Make in Minutes" an ideal and unreservedly recommended pick for personal,
professional, and community library cookbook collections.
Editorial Note: Alexander Hart is a cook, food writer, and long-time health-food advocate based in the Blue Mountains,
west of Sydney, Australia. Alexander has previously authored Jar Salads and The 5-Minute Salad series of books, published
by Smith Street Books.
Kitchen Sanctuary Quick & Easy
Nicky Corbishley
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Publishing
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781804191002, $26.99, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Sanctuary-Quick-Easy-Delicious/dp/1804191000
Synopsis: Making dinner from scratch can feel like a chore -- often half the battle is trying to find something that's, quick,
healthy and, most importantly, delicious. But delicious doesn't have to mean demanding. "Kitchen Sanctuary Quick & Easy:
Delicious 30-minute Dinners" focuses on quick and easy meals that are also budget friendly.
The individual recipes are thematically presented in CHAMPION CHICKEN (chicken is so versatile and so quick to cook,
it merits a chapter of its own); MOREISH MEAT (covering pork, lamb and beef); FANTASTIC FISH (a quick and often
healthy option, good for pescatarians; VITALLY VEGGIE (dedicated to veggie dinners, both for ease of use and to appeal
to broad family tastes); PERFECT PASTA (super quick and easy); RICE, NOODLES, GRAINS AND BREAD (just what it
says!); SNACK SUPPERS (for those occasions when you want something good to eat but not a full dinner - eg Chicken
Quesadillas, Crispy Lamb Salad, Spicy Turkey Rice Wraps); SUPER SAUCES (game-changers that can be made ahead and
frozen, and can be turned into a meal with the addition of some meat/pasta/veg);
Of special note is the inclusion of SMART SHORTCUTS featuring hints and tips for speeding up dinner, covering both
ingredients and practical advice.
Around 80% of the recipes are new and haven't previously appeared on the brand's website or YouTube channel and as well
as offering quick and easy dinner solutions, the book is budget-friendly, with most recipes low or medium cost, and around
a quarter being fully vegetarian. This hardcover edition also includes QR codes linked to video content.
Critique: Comprised of 100 quick and easy, home-cooked family recipes, each one of which can be ready in 30 minutes or
less, and drawn from the hugely popular blog and YouTube channel Kitchen Sanctuary, each showcased, step-by-step,
kitchen cook friendly recipes is beautifully illustrated with a full page, full color photog of the finished dish ready to serve.
A delight to browse through and plan menus with, "Kitchen Sanctuary Quick & Easy: Delicious 30-minute Dinners" is a
very special pick for personal, professional, family, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that it is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Nicky Corbishley is an award-winning food blogger who lives in the UK with her husband Chris and their
two children, Gracey and Lewis. After a 14-year career in corporate IT, Nicky wanted to do something more creative, whilst
being able to spend more time with the children. With a life-long passion for cooking (and eating!), her blog Kitchen
Sanctuary was born. Initially it was intended to be a place to diarise her recipes, but it quickly grew, and Nicky was able to
turn it into a full-time career towards the end of 2015. Chris joined her in 2017 and they now spend their days doing what
they love - creating recipes and doing food photography and videography both for the blog and as freelancers. For recipes,
blogging tips and more, you can visit her at https://kitchensanctuary.com and https://livingtheblog.com.
The Pets Shelf
Barking Up the Right Tree
Dr. Ian Dunbar
New World Library
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608687718, $29.95, HC, 376pp
https://www.amazon.com/Barking-Up-Right-Tree-Practice/dp/1608687716
Synopsis: When Dr. Ian Dunbar introduced his SIRIUS(R) Puppy Training in 1982, dog training mostly comprised
punishing adult dogs for bad habits and lack of compliance. Dunbar focused on verbally cuing and creatively luring to
achieve desirable behavior and using "life rewards" (sniffing, walking, play with dogs, and interactive games) to reinforce
speedy compliance and good habits from the outset. His "dog's point of view" approach revolutionized the field, and today
there are few trainers who have not been strongly influenced by it.
While positive reinforcement is now widely adopted, in "Barking Up the Right Tree: The Science and Practice of Positive
Dog Training" Dr. Dunbar details how other reward-training techniques have strayed from his original, quick and easy,
highly effective lure-reward approach for teaching dogs ESL, in which we can verbally cue specific responses, offer
heartfelt praise for success, and give guidance when dogs err. With Dr. Dunbar's method, we can teach dogs when and
where to eliminate, what to chew, when and for how long to bark, and when and how to appropriately let off steam.
"Barking Up the Right Tree" offers proof that aversive punishment seldom works to eliminate undesirable behavior or to get
the dog back on track. Dr. Dunbar presents numerous nonaversive yet highly effective solutions for misbehavior and
noncompliance -- simply by using the words you teach, and without even raising your voice.
The culmination of fifty-plus years at the vanguard of dog behavioral science, "Barking Up the Right Tree: is an
indispensable guide for anyone who wants harmonious, two-way communication with a calm, confident, well-behaved,
happy canine companion.
Critique: Simply stated, "Barking Up the Right Tree: The Science and Practice of Positive Dog Training" by veterinarian
and animal behavior expert Ian Dunbar must be considered as essential reading by veterinarian students and anyone who has
a canine companion of their own. Exceptionally well written and thoroughly 'user friendly in organization and presentation,
"Barking Up the Right Tree: The Science and Practice of Positive Dog Training" is unreservedly recommended as a core
pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Pets, Zoology, and Dog Training collections. It
should be noted that "Barking Up the Right Tree: The Science and Practice of Positive Dog Training" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing,
9798874709587, $51.99, CD)
Editorial Note: Dr. Ian Dunbar (www.DunbarAcademy.com) is a veterinarian and animal behaviorist who developed the
SIRIUS Puppy Training method in 1982, which revolutionized how puppies and dogs were trained. His unique lure-reward,
off-leash training techniques provided an alternative to leash jerks, alpha rollovers, training collars, and other aversive
means. SIRIUS techniques and philosophy have influenced almost all dog trainers worldwide. Dunbar is also the author of
numerous bestselling books, including Before and After Getting Your Puppy, How to Teach a New Dog Old Tricks, and
Doctor Dunbar's Good Little Dog Book.
The Wildlife Shelf
Return of the Condor
John Moir
The Lyons Press
www.lyonspress.com
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
9781493076659, $24.95, PB, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Return-Condor-Race-Largest-Extinction/dp/1493076655
Synopsis: "Return of the Condor: The Race to Save Our Largest Bird from Extinction" is the riveting account of one of the
most dramatic attempts to save a species from extinction in the history of modern conservation.
With the condor's population down to only twenty-two birds in the 1980s and their very survival in doubt, the condor
recovery team flouted conventional wisdom and pursued a controversial strategy to pull the bird back from the brink of
extinction. Thus began the ongoing, decades-long program to reestablish America's largest bird in its ancient home in
Western skies.
In "Return of the Condor, award-winning science writer John Moir takes his readers into the backcountry to get to know the
recovery program scientists as well as some of the individual condors. These are stories of peril, uncertainty, and
controversy. Woven throughout these tales of heartbreak and triumph is the extraordinary dedication of the humans who
have sometimes risked their lives for this charismatic, intelligent, and social bird.
Despite the program's remarkable successes, the condor's narrative is still unfolding with a number of challenges remaining.
This includes the dilemma of lead poisoning among free-flying condors that is a major obstacle to the bird's recovery.
Critique: This new paperback edition of "Return of the Condor: The Race to Save Our Largest Bird from Extinction" from
Lyons Press features a new Afterword by author John Moir in the form of a compelling examination of the progress and
continuing adversity facing the condor recovery effort since the first edition of the book was published in 2006. Highly
recommended for personal, professional, community, highschool, and college/university library Wild Life and Nature
Conservation collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that "Return of the Condor: The Race
to Save Our Largest Bird from Extinction" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.50).
Editorial Note: John Moir is an author and environmental journalist whose special interest is the preservation of
biodiversity. He is the author of two nonfiction books, has contributed to four anthologies, and has won more than two
dozen writing awards. Moir is a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists, National Association of Science
Writers, Authors Guild, American Society of Journalists and Authors, and a Fellow in the International League of
Conservation Writers. For the past 20 years, Moir has volunteered as a docent naturalist at the Elkhorn Slough Reserve.
The Biography Shelf
Joyce Carol Oates: Letters to a Biographer
Greg Johnson
Akashic Books
www.akashicbooks.com
9781636141169, $28.95, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Joyce-Carol-Oates-Letters-Biographer/dp/1636141161
Synopsis: Joyce Carol Oates (born June 16, 1938) is an American writer. Oates published her first book in 1963, and has
since published 58 novels, a number of plays and novellas, and many volumes of short stories, poetry, and non-fiction. Her
novels Black Water (1992), What I Lived For (1994), and Blonde (2000), and her short story collections The Wheel of Love
(1970) and Lovely, Dark, Deep: Stories (2014) were each finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. She has won many awards for her
writing, including the National Book Award, for her novel them (1969), two O. Henry Awards, the National Humanities
Medal, and the Jerusalem Prize (2019).
"Joyce Carol Oates: Letters to a Biographer" is comprised of a generous selection of Joyce Carol Oates's letters to her
biographer and friend Greg Johnson. In them readers will discover a never-before-seen dimension of her phenomenal
talent.
In 1975, when Johnson was a graduate student, he first wrote to Oates, already a world-famous author, and drew an
appreciative, empathetic response. Soon the two began a fairly intense, largely epistolary friendship that would last until the
present day. As time passed, letters became faxes, and faxes became emails, but the energy and vividness of Oates's writing
never abated.
Her letters are often sprinkled with the names of famous people, from John Updike and Toni Morrison to Steve Martin and
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. There are also descriptions of far-flung travels she undertook with her first husband, the
scholar and editor Raymond Smith, and with her second, the distinguished Princeton neuroscientist Charlie Gross. But much
of Oates's prose centered on the pleasures of her home life, including her pet cats and the wildlife outside her study
window.
Whereas her academic essays and book reviews are eloquent in a formal way, in these letters she is wholly relaxed, even
when she is serious in her concerns. Like Johnson, she was always engaged in work, whether a long novel or a brief essay,
and the letters give a fascinating glimpse into Oates's writing practice.
Critique: Compiled and edited by Greg Johnson, "Joyce Carol Oates: Letters to a Biographer" is essential reading for
students, academia, and fans of Joyce Carol Oates. A welcome and invaluable addition to community and college/university
library American Biography collections, and supplemental Joyce Carol Oates curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that
"Joyce Carol Oates: Letters to a Biographer" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Greg Johnson has a PhD in English from Emory University and has published three novels and five
collections of short stories, including Pagan Babies, I Am Dangerous, and Night Journey, in addition to five books of
nonfiction, including Joyce Carol Oates: A Study of Short Fiction and Invisible Writer: A Biography of Joyce Carol Oates.
He has published essays and reviews in the New York Times Book Review, the Washington Post, the Yale Review, and
many other publications. Johnson has twice been named Georgia Author of the Year.
In the House of Rising Sounds
Stephen Copeland
Resource Publications
c/o Wipf and Stock Publishers
https://wipfandstock.com
9781666752410, $29.00, HC, 146pp
https://www.amazon.com/House-Rising-Sounds-Stephen-Copeland/dp/166675241X
Synopsis: Ancient Celts saw what they called "thin places" -- where heaven and earth came strangely close to touching.
Stephen Copeland experienced something similar when his mentor took him to the Double Door Inn, an historic
hole-in-the-wall blues venue in Charlotte, North Carolina.
This unassuming place invited Copeland further into a spiritual journey that calls out to each of us: to open our senses and
"tune our ears" to thin places all around; to become aware of sacred spaces in everyday places.
When Copeland learned the half-century-old Double Door Inn would be tragically closing, he made the old white house of
sound his home during its final year. What do thin places teach us about ourselves? What do they teach us about reality
itself? And what do we do when they're gone?
Copeland's soul-searching journey (with the Double Door as his guide) will help readers become more present and attentive
to the thinness of reality as we walk "with our feet on the ground and our soul in the stars".
Critique: A unique memoir/biography that will appeal to readers with an interest in R&B/Soul music, spiritual insights and
personal growth, "In the House of Rising Sounds: A Boisterous Music Bar, a Faith in Transition, and the Thin Space They
Inhabited" is an inherently fascinating, thoughtful and thought provoking read from start to finish. While also available for
personal reading lists in both a paperback edition (9781666752403, $17.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), "In
the House of Rising sounds" is a prized addition to community and college/university library collections.
Editorial Note: Stephen Copeland (www.ncronline.org/authors/stephen-copeland) is a writer and storyteller who writes
regularly for Franciscan Media and the St. Anthony Messenger. He is the author of Where the Colors Blend and a
collaborator on Franciscan Lectio.
If You Would Have Told Me: A Memoir
John Stamos
Henry Holt & Company
www.henryholt.com
9781250890979, $29.99, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/If-You-Would-Have-Told/dp/1250890977
Synopsis: If you would have told a young John Stamos flipping burgers at his dad's fast-food joint that one day he'd be a
household name and that, at the height of his success, he'd be living alone, divorced, with no kids, high on a cocktail of
forgetting, he might've asked, "You want fries with that?"
John burst onto the scene in General Hospital, propelling him into the teen idol stratosphere, a place that's often a point of
no return. But Stamos beat the odds and over the past four decades has proved himself to be one of his generation's most
successful and beloved actors. Whether showing off his comedic chops on Full House or his dramatic skills on ER, pushing
the boundaries on Broadway or living out his youthful dreams as an honorary Beach Boy, John has surprised everyone, most
of all himself.
A universal story about friendship, love, loss, and the courage to embrace love once more, John Stamos's autobiography, "If
You Would Have Told Me: A Memoir" is filled with some of the most memorable names in Hollywood, both old and new.
Funny, deeply poignant, and brutally honest, this is a portrait of a boy who went from believing in Disney magic to a man
who learns that we have to create our own magical moments in life.
Critique: Fascinating, informative, and an absolute 'must read" for the legions of John Stamos fans, "If You Would Have
Told Me: A Memoir" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library American
Biography collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "If You Would Have Told Me: A Memoir" is also
readily available in a paperback edition (9781250891006, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: John Stamos (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stamos) is a three-time Emmy nominee who has earned
his reputation as a highly regarded actor and producer throughout his over forty-year career in television, film, and on
Broadway. His rise to fame began with his role in General Hospital and he has since captivated viewers with his diverse
performances in Big Shot, You, ER, Grandfathered, Full House, and Fuller House and on stage in Cabaret, Bye Bye Birdie,
and Gore Vidal's The Best Man. Beyond acting, Stamos is a skilled musician, collaborating with The Beach Boys since
1985. He also serves as an ambassador for Childhelp.
The General Fiction Shelf
Love and Hot Chicken
Mary Liza Hartong
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063304796, $30.00, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Hot-Chicken-Delicious-Southern/dp/0063304791
Synopsis: When PJ Spoon returns home for her beloved daddy's funeral, she doesn't expect to stick around. Why abandon
her PhD program at Vanderbilt for the humble charms of her hometown, Pennywhistle, Tennessee? Mamma's broken heart,
that's why. But truth be told, PJ's own heart ain't doing too good either. She impulsively takes a job as a fry cook at
Pennywhistle's beloved Chickie Shak, where locals gather for Nashville-style hot chicken. It may not be glamorous, but it's
something to do.
Fate shakes up PJ's life again when the town rallies around the terribly retro and terribly fun Hot Chicken Pageant. PJ finally
notices her cute redheaded coworker Boof, a singer-songwriter with a talent as striking as her curly hair, and learns to fear
her smack-talking manager, Linda.
As PJ and Boof fall for each other, Boof's search for her birth mother (a Pennywhistle native) catapults the budding couple
into a mystery that might be better left unsolved. The Chickie Shak pageant takes off, spurring old rivalries and new
friendships in this tale of unexpected connections and new beginnings.
Critique: With a very special appeal to readers with an interest in the rural/small town life and experiences of women
thoroughly laced with humor and originality, "Love and Hot Chicken: A Delicious Southern Novel" is all the more
impressive when considering that it is author Mary Liza Hartong's debut as a novelist. A deftly crafted and fun read from
start to finish, "Love and Hot Chicken" is a solid pick for personal and community library Contemporary Fiction collections
and is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book
(Blackstone Publishing, $40.76, CD).
Editorial Note: Mary Liza Hartong lives and writes in her hometown of Nashville. She graduated from Dartmouth College
with a degree in English and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She also holds a master's from Dartmouth in
Creative Writing and a master's from the University College Cork in British and American Literature via Fulbright grant.
Mary Liza is the aunt of five boisterous nieces and a proud member of the queer community. When she's not writing, you
can find her combing yard sales for treasures.
Holiday Country: A Novel
Inci Atrek
Flatiron Books
https://www.flatironbooks.com
9781250889461, $28.99, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Holiday-Country-Novel-%C4%B0nci-Atrek/dp/1250889464
Synopsis: Ada adores spending every summer in a Turkish seaside town with her mother and grandmother at the family
villa. The glittering waters, endless olive groves, and her spirited friends make it easy to leave her idle life in California
behind. But no matter how much Ada feels she belongs to the country where her mother grew up, deep down, her
connection to the culture feels as fleeting as the seasons.
When Levent, a mysterious man from her mother's past, shows up in their town, Ada can't help but imagine a different
future for her mother -- one that promises a return to home, to love, to happiness. But while playing matchmaker, Ada has to
come to terms with her own intensifying attraction to Levent. Does the future she's fighting for belong to her mother -- or to
her alone?
Critique: Her debut as a novelist, "Holiday Country" by author Inci Atrek is lush, evocative, and a rapturous meditation
about what it means to experience being of two worlds, the limitations and freedom of a life in translation, and the
intricacies of a love triangle that stretches across generations and continents. Impressively original, exceptionally well
crafted, thoroughly absorbing, and a memorable read from start to finish, "Holiday Country" will prove to be an immediate
and enduringly popular pick for community library coming-of-age novel that will have a special and particular interest for
fans of women's domestic/family life fiction. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Holiday Country" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Inci Atrek (https://www.inciatrek.com) holds a BA in English and creative writing from Wellesley
College.
Like it Never Happened
Jeff Hoffmann
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781639106998, $28.99, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Like-Never-Happened-Jeff-Hoffmann/dp/1639106995
Synopsis: Thirty years ago, Tommy, Malcolm, Henry, and Kevin were best friends graduating high school, brothers almost,
until the night they did something terrible. The decision to keep hidden what they did in that parking lot shattered their
friendship and warped their lives. But when Kevin, struggling with a heroin addiction, drives his motorcycle into the side of
a truck, the other three find themselves together again -- at Kevin's funeral.
When they meet Kevin's wife Naomi at the wake, they can tell that she knows everything, and when they learn that she's a
reporter, they're terrified. When she sends them to visit one of their victims from that night (at the nursing home where he's
been suffering for decades) they do as they're told, even though they know it won't stop there.
After watching her husband pay a steep price for keeping the friends' secret, Naomi has crafted a plan to make Tommy,
Malcolm, and Henry pay their fair share. When the three men decide to fight back, they're forced to decide just how far
they'll go this time.
Critique: A compelling and deftly crafted novel that will hold special appeal for readers with ani interest in psychological
suspense thrillers, "Like It Never Happened" reveals author Jeff Hoffman's extraordinary flair for originality, the vivid
creation of characters, the construction of unexpected plots twists and turns, and the kind of narrative driven storytelling
style that makes for a great read from start to finish. While highly recommended for community library collections, it should
be noted for personal reading lists that "Like It Never Happened" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$17.99).
Editorial Note: Jeff Hoffmann's debut novel was :Other People's Children", and his writing has been published in The Sun,
Booth, Harpur Palate, and Publishers Weekly. He was the winner of the Madison Review's Chris O'Malley Prize in Fiction
and a finalist for the Missouri Review's Jeffrey E. Smith Editor's Prize. (https://www.jeffhoffmannwrites.com)
Since She's Been Gone
Sagit Schwartz
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781639106271, $28.00, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Since-Shes-Been-Gone-Novel/dp/1639106278
Synopsis: Can we ever truly know the people we love?
Losing her mother to a hit-and-run at age 15 threw Beatrice "Beans" Bennett's life into turmoil. Bereft, she developed a
life-threatening eating disorder, and went through a challenging recovery process which paved the way for her work as a
clinical psychologist decades later.
When a new patient arrives at her office and insists that Beans's mother is still alive (and in danger) Beans is forced to
revisit her past in order to uncover the truth. She learns the "patient" is a member of a notorious family that owns a drug
company largely responsible for the national opioid epidemic, and that her mother was once tangled in their web. In a race
against time (and her mother's assailants) while once again facing the disorder she thought she'd put behind her, Beans
discovers that, like herself, her mother had a devastating secret.
Critique: "Since She's Been Gone" by the impressively talented storyteller Sagit Schwartz is an original, compulsive,
action/adventure novel that is involves an intimate look at mental health and the corruption of the pharmaceutical industry.
Of special attraction to readers with an interest in suspenseful and deftly crafted novels, "Since She's Been Gone" is one of
those deftly crafted novels that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself has been finished and set back
upon the shelf.
Editorial Note: Sagit Schwartz (https://sagitschwartz.com) is a writer, producer, and licensed psychotherapist. Her work has
been featured in Medium, Slate, The Atlantic, Reddit NoSleep, and Lifetime Television.
Aftershock: A Novel
Zhang Ling, author
Shelly Bryant, translator
Amazon Crossing
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662510373, $28.99, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Aftershock-Novel-Zhang-Ling/dp/1662510373
Synopsis: In the summer of 1976, an earthquake swallows up the city of Tangshan, China. Among the hundreds of
thousands of people scrambling for survival is a mother who makes an agonizing decision that irrevocably changes her life
and the lives of her children. In that devastating split second, her seven-year-old daughter, Xiaodeng, is separated from her
brother and the mother she loves and trusts. All Xiaodeng remembers of the fateful morning is betrayal.
Thirty years later, Xiaodeng is an acclaimed writer living in Canada with a caring husband and daughter. However, her
newfound fame and success do little to cover the deep wounds that disrupt her life, time and again, and edge her toward a
breaking point. Xiaodeng realizes the only path toward healing is to return to Tangshan, find her mother, and get
closure.
Spanning three decades of the emotional and cultural aftershocks of disaster, Zhang Ling's intimate epic explores the
damage of guilt, the healing pull of family, and the hope of one woman who, after so many years, still longs to be
saved.
Critique: Author Zhang Ling's gift for the kind of narrative driven storytelling style that raises "Aftershock" to an impressive
level of literary excellence, is deftly translated into English for an American readership by Shelly Bryant. The result is an
original novel that will have immense appeal to readers with an interest in parent/adult child relationships. An inherently
interesting Chinese family saga, "Aftershock" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and
college/university library Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Aftershock" is also
available in a paperback edition (9781662509025, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note #1: Zhang Ling is the author of ten novels and numerous collections of novellas and short stories, including
A Single Swallow, translated by Shelly Bryant; Where Waters Meet, her first novel written in English; Gold Mountain
Blues; and Aftershock, which was adapted into China's first IMAX movie with unprecedented box office success. Born in
China, she moved to Canada in 1986 and, in the mid-1990s, began to write and publish fiction in Chinese while working as
a clinical audiologist. Since then, she has won the Chinese Media Literature Award for Author of the Year, the Grand Prize
of Overseas Chinese Literary Award, and Chinese Times's Open Book Award.
Editorial Note #2: Shelly Bryant divides her year between Shanghai and Singapore, working as a teacher, writer, researcher,
and translator. She is the author of two volumes of poetry, Cyborg Chimera and Under the Ash. Her third volume of poetry,
Voices of the Elders, and her travel memoir The End of the Line are slated for release in 2012. Her current projects include
writing an updated guide to the city of Shanghai for Urbanatomy and translating Sheng Keyi's novel Northern Girls for
Penguin Books. Shelly's poetry has appeared in journals, magazines, and websites around the world, as well as in several art
exhibitions, including dark 'til dawn, Things Disappear, and Studio White Exhibition 2011.
The Academy
David Poyer
St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250273086, $29.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Academy-Dan-Lenson-Novel-Novels/dp/1250273080
Synopsis: In his final tour of duty after a remarkable career at sea, Dan Lenson is appointed Superintendent of the US Naval
Academy at Annapolis. He begins at a difficult time: Congress is cutting military budgets in the wake of the devastating
world war with China, calls for radical reform are upending traditions, and Dan himself faces legal jeopardy for his actions
during the war. And when a Category 5 hurricane threatens to overwhelm the coast, Dan must fight to rescue the Academy
itself.
Parallel to this narrative runs the dramatic story of Dan's years as a first class midshipman, 40 years ago. An Academy
classmate commits suicide, and Dan is drawn into the investigation. The decisions he makes will affect his entire career and
shape how he comes to lead troops in battle and at peace.
Critique: "The Academy" demonstrates that it is no accident that, as a novelist, David Poyer is compared to Herman
Melville and Joseph Conrad. Original, deftly crafted, and a fun read from start to finish, "The Academy" will prove of
immense interest to fans of sea stories and military themed thrillers. Raising his novel to the level of literary elegance with
his distinctive style of narrative driven storytelling, David Poyer's "The Academy" is especially and unreservedly
recommended for community and college/university library General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that this edition "The Academy" from St. Martin's Press is also available in a digital book format as well
(Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: David Poyer (https://poyer.com) had a sea career that included service in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Arctic,
Caribbean, and Pacific. He is the author of over forty novels and works of nonfiction including the War with China series:
Tipping Point, Onslaught, Hunter Killer, and Deep War. Poyer's work has been required reading in the Literature of the Sea
course at the U.S. Naval Academy, along with that of Joseph Conrad and Herman Melville.
The Historical Fiction Shelf
A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure
Angela Bell
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764242717, $29.99, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ladys-Guide-Marvels-Misadventure/dp/0764242717
Synopsis: London, England, 1860 -- When Clara's ex-fiance begins to spread rumors that her family suffers from hereditary
insanity, it's all she can do to protect them from his desperate schemes, society's prejudice, and a lifetime in an asylum. Then
Clara's Grandfather Drosselmeyer brings on an apprentice with a mechanical leg, and all pretense of normalcy takes
wing.
Theodore Kingsley, a shame-chased vagabond haunted by the war, wants a fresh start far from Kingsley Court and the
disappointed father who declared him dead. Upon returning to England, Theodore meets clockmaker Drosselmeyer, who
hires him as an apprentice, much to Clara's dismay.
When Drosselmeyer spontaneously disappears in his secret flying owl machine, he leaves behind a note for Clara,
beseeching her to make her dreams of adventure a reality by joining him on a merry scavenger hunt across Europe.
Together, Clara and Theodore set off to follow Drosselmeyer's trail of clues, but they will have to stay one step ahead of a
villain who wants the flying machine for himself -- at any cost.
Critique: A fun read from cover to cover, "A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure" is impressively original
storytelling by Angel Bell, an author with a genuine knack for the kind of imaginative and narrative driven storytelling style
that is especially effective when crafted an historical romance. While especially and unreservedly recommended as a
popular addition to community library Historical Romance collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists that
"A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure" is also available in a paperback edition (9780764242137, $17.99) and in a
digital book format (Kindle, $13.49).
Editorial Note: Angela Bell is a 21st-century lady with 19th-century sensibilities. One might categorize her books as
historical romance, but Angela likes to describe them as a cuppa Victorian whimsy. Whenever you need a respite from the
21st-century hustle, you're welcome to visit her imaginary parlor at www.authorangelabell.com, where she can be found
waiting with a pot of tea and a great book.
The Devil and Mrs. Davenport
Paulette Kennedy
Lake Union Publishing
c/o Amazon Publishing
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781662514883, $16.99, PB, 351pp
https://www.amazon.com/Devil-Mrs-Davenport-Novel/dp/1662514883
Synopsis: The first day of autumn brought the fever, and with the fever came the voices.
Missouri, 1955. Loretta Davenport has led an isolated life as a young mother and a wife to Pete, an ambitious assistant
professor at a Bible college. They're the picture of domestic tranquility -- until a local girl is murdered and Loretta begins
receiving messages from beyond. Pete dismisses them as delusions of a fevered female imagination. But Loretta knows
they're real -- and frightening.
Defying Pete's demands, Loretta finds an encouraging supporter in parapsychologist Dr. Curtis Hansen. He sees a woman
with a rare gift, more blessing than curse. With Dr. Hansen's help, Loretta's life opens up to an empowering new purpose.
But for Pete, the God-fearing image he's worked so hard to cultivate is under threat. No longer in control of his dutiful wife,
he sees the Devil at work.
As Loretta's powers grow stronger and the pleading spirits beckon, Pete is determined to deliver his wife from evil. To solve
the mysteries of the dead, Loretta must first save herself.
Critique: An original, fun and fascinating read from start to finish, "The Devil and Mrs. Davenport" is a 'must' for fans of
gothic fiction, magic realism, and historical thrillers. Author Paulette Kennedy reveals a genuine literary flair for creating
memorable characters, as well as the kind of narrative driven storytelling style that fully engages the reader's attention from
cover to cover. Certain to be an enduringly welcome pick for community library fiction collections, it should be noted for
personal reading lists that "The Devil and Mrs. Davenport" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99) and as a
complete and unabridged audio book (Brilliance Audio, 9781501218750, $19.99, MP3-CD).
Editorial Note: Paulette Kennedy (www.paulettekennedy.com) is the author of The Witch of Tin Mountain and Parting the
Veil, which received the prestigious HNS Review Editor's Choice Award.
Falling Through the New World
Cynthia Reeves
https://www.cynthiareeveswriter.com
Gold Wake Press
9781737780861, $15.95
https://www.amazon.com/Falling-Through-World-Cynthia-Reeves/dp/1737780860
Falling Through the New World features fourteen linked narratives about a different generations of an Italian family who
find their lives challenged by political currents and personal trials. In employing the stories-in-novel format, the narrative
assumes a uniform continuation of family encounters and themes while staying true to the changing currents of social and
political forces that buffet the family and force changes.
Each character lives within a very different milieu that lends a sense of familiar uniformity via their Italian heritage while
embracing different contrasts between old and new world thinking and forces. From aging family members and
relationships that shift with immigration and confrontation to departures and arrivals that assure new victories and revised
life goals when different environments and people come to influence their lives, Cynthia Reeves creates a satisfying
juxtaposition of times, places, people, and events.
These ultimately lead and lend to a family portrait that flexes and bends with time and tides. "How is it possible I feel
anything when nothing works?" one character wonders. But, the crux of the story lies in how families do work against all
odds, and in this, Reeves has produced a powerful set of interlocked vignettes that shine with a sense of place, purpose, and
connection, whether their characters reside in the Old Country or abroad.
Libraries and readers seeking powerful collections that represent the best of the short-stories-in-novel approach to fiction
will find Falling Through the New World's powerful characters, who represent and contrast old and new world thinking,
makes it suitable not just for those of Italian descent, but literary readers seeking examples of effective short story
devices.
The Literary Fiction Shelf
Once Persuaded, Twice Shy
Melodie Edwards
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin/Random House
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9780593440797, $18.00, PB, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Once-Persuaded-Twice-Shy-Reimagining/dp/059344079X
Synopsis: When Anne Elliott broke up with Ben Wentworth, it seemed like the right thing to do. But now, eight years later,
she's not so sure.
In her scenic hometown of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Anne is comfortable focusing on her successful career: filling her late
mother's shoes as town councilor and executive director of her theater company. She certainly keeps busy as the all-around
wrangler of eccentric locals, self-centered family members, elaborate festivals, and the occasional attacking goose.
But the more she tries to convince herself that her life is fine as is, the more it all feels like a show -- and not nearly as good
as the ones put on by her theater company. She's the always responsible Anne, always taken for granted and cleaning up
after other people, and the memories of happier times with Ben Wentworth still haunt her.
So when the nearby Kellynch Winery is bought by Ben's aunt and uncle, Anne's world is set ablaze as her old flame crashes
back into her life -- and it's clear he has not forgiven her for breaking his heart.
A joint project between the winery and Anne's theater compels both Ben and Anne to confront their complicated history,
and as they spend more time together, Anne can't help but wonder if there might be hope for their future after all.
Critique: Inspired by the Jane Austen's classic novel "Persuasion" (which was published in 1817 and was her final literary
work), "Once Persuaded, Twice Shy: A Modern Reimagining of Persuasion" is a fun read from start to finish. "Once
Persuaded, Twice Shy" showcases author Melodie Edwards' genuine flair for the kind of narrative driven storytelling style
that will particularly impress readers with an interest in contemporary romance fiction. While unreservedly recommended as
a popular pick for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Once Persuaded, Twice
Shy: A Modern Reimagining of Persuasion" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99) and as a
complete and unabridged audio book (Penguin Audio, B0C6YKNQ7J, $18.20, 10 Hours 23 Minutes).
Editorial Note: Melodie Edwards (https://melodieedwards.com) is the author of "Jane & Edward". She has a BA from the
University of Toronto, a master's degree from McMaster University and Syracuse University (2023), studied comedy writing
at the Second City Training Centre, and currently works in communications.
The Ark and the Dove
Jill Eileen Smith
Fleming H. Revell Company
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.revellbooks.com
9780800745721, $29.99, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ark-Dove-Story-Noahs-Wife/dp/0800745728
Synopsis: Zara and Noah have walked together with the Creator for their entire lives, and they have done their best in an
increasingly wicked and defiant world to raise their three sons to follow in their footsteps. It has been a challenge -- and it's
about to get much, much harder.
When the Creator tells her husband to build an ark to escape the coming wrath against the sins of humankind, Zara steps out
with him in faith. But the derision and sabotage directed their way from both friends and extended family are difficult to
bear, as is knowing that everyone she interacts with beyond her husband, her sons, and their wives is doomed to
destruction.
When the ark is finally finished and the animals have been shut up inside, Zara and her family embark on an adventure that
will test their patience and their faith as they await deliverance and dry ground.
Critique: A unique and deftly crafted re-telling of the biblical story of Noah and the flood, author Jill Eileen Smith
showcases her impressive and narrative driven storytelling skills. A fun, memorable, and fascinating read from cover to
cover, "The Ark and the Dove: The Story of Noah's Wife" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to
personal and community library Biblical Fiction & Historical Fiction collections. It should be noted that "The Ark and the
Dove" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9780800737658, $17.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$12.99).
Editorial Note: Jill Eileen Smith (www.JillEileenSmith.com) is the author of the biblical fiction series The Wives of King
David, Wives of the Patriarchs, and Daughters of the Promised Land, as well as The Heart of a King, Star of Persia: Esther's
Story, Miriam's Song, The Prince and the Prodigal, and Daughter of Eden. She is also the author of the nonfiction books
When Life Doesn't Match Your Dreams and She Walked Before Us. Her research has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and
she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in biblical times. Jill lives with her family in Michigan.
Journey by Moonlight
Antal Szergb, author
Len Rix, translator
Pushkin Press
www.pushkinpress.com
9781805330240, $16.99, PB, 304pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/journey-by-moonlight-antal-szerb/1100238734
Synopsis: Mihaly and Erzsi are on honeymoon in Italy. Mihaly has recently joined the respectable family firm in Budapest,
but as his gaze passes over the mysterious back-alleys of Venice, memories of his bohemian past reawaken his old desire to
wander.
When bride and groom become separated at a provincial train station, Mihaly embarks on a chaotic and bizarre journey that
leads him finally to Rome, where he must reckon with both his past and his future. In this intoxicating and satirical
masterpiece, Szerb takes us deep into the conflicting desires of marriage and shows how adulthood can reverberate endlessly
with the ache of youth.
Critique: Ably translated into English for an American readership by Len Rix, and part of the Pushkin Press Classics series,
"Journey by Moonlight" showcases author Antal Szergb's impressive flair for originality and the carefully crafted kind of
narrative driven storytelling style that will immediately capture and hold the rapt attention of the reader from start to finish.
This new edition of "Journey by Moonlight" from the Pushkin Press is especially and unreservedly recommended for readers
with an interest in humorous, psychological, and literary fiction. While a welcome addition to community and
college/university library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Journey by Moonlight" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
Deep River
June Davies
Linford Romance Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444851779, $TBA, PB, Large Print, 276pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/uk/search/Deep%20River
Synopsis: Lucy Sinclair grew up with her family in their red-roofed homestead near the prosperous Missouri settlement of
Deep River during the turbulent 1860s. After the Civil War ends, Lucy secures a responsible post within the grandest
household in the town. She falls in love, happily looking forward to her future. Until the man she thought she'd never again
set eyes upon mysteriously returns to Deep River, determined to unearth long-buried secrets and exact justice for old
wrongs...
Critique: Of particular interest to fans of Civil War era frontier romance novels, "Deep River" is a memorably crafted and
entertaining read from start to finish. This large print paperback edition from the Linford Romance Library series will prove
a popular pick for personal reading lists and community library Historical Romance collections.
Editorial Note: June Davies writes historical romantic and family suspense, serials, short stories and stories for children.
(www.goodreads.com/author/list/5088290.June_Davies)
It Takes a Rake
Anna Bennett
St. Martin Paperback
c/o St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250793959, $8.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Takes-Rake-Rogues-Lovers/dp/1250793955
Synopsis: Since she was a girl, Miss Kitty Beckett has been adept at finding trouble: sneaking brandy, running away, and
getting under the skin of the boy who, like her, was an apprentice to an architect. Now Kitty's a talented heiress who can
take a dry building plan and breathe life into it with her pencils and paints. Also? She can spot a rake at a hundred yards -
and she won't be tricked or charmed into marriage. Certainly not by a man who might interfere with her dreams. When
Bellehaven Bay announces its first ever architectural design contest, she vows to win - with a little help from her childhood
rival.
Leo Lockland, a hardworking architect with a gift for numbers, has returned home after a few years in London, and he has
secrets. The biggest? He's been in love with Kitty since they were both apprentices. She refuses to give her heart to any man,
but Leo's determined to beat the odds -- even if it means learning how to be a rake. Fortunately, Kitty's willing to tutor him
in the nuances of fashion, flirtation, and seduction in exchange for his help with the contest. But the whole plan would fall
apart if she knew how he felt, so he'll have to be very convincing.
Leo proves to be a surprisingly quick study in the ballroom, on the beach, and in the bedchamber. Before long, he's
softening Kitty's hard edges with his wicked words and kissing his way past all her defenses. Perhaps she's a bit too skilled
at teaching, because her lessons are threatening to backfire, putting her closely guarded heart in grave danger!
Critique: Simply stated, as a novelist, author Anna Bennett is a master of the Regency Romance genre. "It Takes a Rake" is
an original, carefully crafted, and fun read from start to finish. Memorable characters, emotional ups and downs, a dramatic
conclusion, "It Takes a Rake" has every thing a dedicated fan of Regency Romance could want. While highly recommended
for community library Historical Romance collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "It Takes a Rake" is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).
Editorial Note: Anna Bennett is the award-winning author of the Debutante Diaries and Wayward Wallflowers series. Her
dream of writing romance began during a semester in London, where she fell in love with the city, its history, and its pubs.
Now Anna's living happily-ever-after in Maryland with her family, who try valiantly not to roll their eyes whenever she
quotes Jane Austen. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15094106.Anna_Bennett)
A Season of Harvest
Lauraine Snelling
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764235795, $29.99, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Season-Harvest-Christian-Historical-Nebraska/dp/0764235796
Synopsis: Larkspur Nielsen is determined to keep her family homestead running and to fulfill their dream of starting a seed
catalog, with or without her siblings' help. With Isaac McTavish back in town, Lark finds herself at odds with her own heart
and her determination to shoulder the burden of carrying her responsibilities alone. But Isaac is set on convincing her that
he's here to stay and she doesn't have to carry everything by herself.
As a new romance blossoms between Lilac and an old schoolmate and the other Nielsen sisters are busy caring for their
families, Lark bears more and more responsibility on the farm. When a long-feared threat returns and Lark approaches the
breaking point, the life she has always dreamed of is in danger of disappearing forever.
Critique: A Christian historical romance and family saga set in Late 1860's Nebraska, "A Season of Harvest" is especially
recommended to the attention of readers with an interest in a fun read from start to finish. Author Lauraine Snelling is a
master of the genre and this, here latest novel, is certain to be an immediate and enduringly welcome addition to community
library Romance Fiction collections, It should be noted for the personal reading lists of the legions of Lauraine Snelling fans
that "A Season of Harvest" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9780764235788, $17.99) and in a digital book
format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Lauraine Snelling (www.LauraineSnelling.com) is the award-winning author of nearly one hundred books of
fiction and nonfiction, for adults and young adults. Her books have sold more than five million copies.
The Quilt Room Secret
Lisa Jones Baker
Barbour Publishing
www.barbourbooks.com
9781636097756, $14.99, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Quilt-Room-Secret-Heart-Amish/dp/1636097758
Synopsis: As they took turns pushing each other on the swing that hung from a large tree, the mature (for a five-year-old)
Jacob Lantz asked Trini Sutter to marry him. The nine-year-old thoughtfully responded that she'd consider his proposal
when they were older.
Nearly two decades later, the Amish farmer returns to the beautiful countryside of Arthur, Illinois, to take the independent
owner of The Quilt Room up on her promise. Quiet, handsome Jacob is truly in love with the spirited list maker, and Trini
finds herself falling in love with Jacob, but the youngest of eleven has big plans of her own.
Jacob's long-held aspirations are put to the test when he learns that Trini has been holding a secret. He prays for a
turnaround of events; however, when Trini moves away from her tight-knit community, he begins to realize that his dream
of them being Mr. and Mrs. most likely won't happen.
Will Trini forfeit her own well-laid plan for the man of her dreams?
Critique: Amish romance novels are especially known as fun reads and written from a decidedly Christian perspective. A
part of the 'Heart of the Amish' series from Barbour Publishing, "The Quilt Room Secret" by Lisa Jones Baker is a
memorable and entertaining read from start to finish. Highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library
Romance Fiction collections, it should be noted that "The Quilt Room Secret" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $14.24).
Editorial Note: Lisa Jones Baker (www.lisajonesbaker.com) has a B.A. in French Education, and is a former school teacher
who loves gardening, cooking, reading, positive thinkers, and every dog I meet.
Editorial Note #2: The 'Heart of the Amish Series' also includes The Flower Quilter by Mindy Steele, Ruth's Ginger Snap
Surprise by Anne Blackburne, Courting the Amish Bishop by Mindy Steele, and Mary's Calico Hope by Anne
Blackburne.
The Western Fiction Shelf
Last Train to Gun Ridge
Cole Shelton
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850352, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 213pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/uk/search/Last%20Train%20to%20Gun%20Ridge
Synopsis: It was the riskiest job Shane Preston and Jonah Jones had ever taken on. The Texas Rangers wanted them to ride
into a lawless town called Sombrero and kidnap Lobo Dawson, a prominent member of Sam Hashknife's notorious outlaw
gang.
If they could fetch him back to Ranger headquarters, it was hoped that he'd reveal the location of Hashknife's hideout in
return for his own freedom. But Lobo Dawson proved to be a tough prisoner to hold, especially when they joined a band of
mismatched passengers aboard the last train to Gun Ridge, and the final leg of their journey back to safety.
As the old loco hauled them across the pitiless Llano Estacado, Shane and Jonah found themselves faced with all kinds of
treachery... and to save a young newlywed from life as an outlaw's woman (and to get even with the sadist who'd dared to
whip Shane's horse Snowfire), the two gunmen crossed the blazing desert on foot to take part in an explosive
showdown.
Critique: Originally published as a Black Horse Western (2020), "Last Train to Gun Ridge" by Cole Shelton is now newly
available in a large print paperback edition from Linford Western Library. As an author of action/adventure westerns, "Cole
Shelton is one of the very best and his "Last Train to Gun Ridge" is a fun and fascinating read from first page to last. This
new edition of "Last Train to Gun Ridge" is a highly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library
collections.
Editorial Note: Roger Norris-Green, writing under the pseudonym of Cole Shelton, was born in Brighton, UK, emigrated
with his parents to Australia when he was a schoolboy. Since leaving school, he has written 137 published westerns under 6
pen names plus 2 under his own name. Some of his westerns have received 'Best Western of the Month' awards. Roger lives
with his wife Elaine in Moonta Bay, South Australia. Although retired, he is still writing. "Last Chance Saloon" (written
specially for Black Horse Westerns), is his 140th western.
Deception Point
Alex Frew
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850598, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 243pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/uk/search/Deception%20Point
Synopsis: When the going gets tough the men who are being hunted turn into the hunters.
A young man is suspected of a crime that he denies, but he has a secret that can't be revealed. He has nothing to do with
those who want to kill, but young Wheeler has a secret that will turn not just his world upside down if it is revealed but that
of other people.
One of them is Betsy, young daughter of the Brand household, keeping a simple guest house catering for cowboys and
travelers in the territory of Wyoming.
Will James, the hard man of the district who has been away making his fortune, returns to find that his younger brother has
been killed under mysterious circumstances -- and he is prepared to kill anyone who has harmed the last remaining member
of his family.
When Wheeler is accused of a terrible crime, Will can help. However, when a person goes on the run, hard questions are
asked about the man who helps the fugitive. Deception piles on deception in a story where no one can really be trusted -- not
even the hero.
Critique: Alex Frew is a gifted novelist and this large print paperback edition of his western novel, "Deception Point" is a
great read that will have a particular attraction for fans of deftly crafted western novels. With a thoroughly 'reader friendly'
and a distinctive narrative driven storytelling style, "Deception Point" is an ideal pick for both community library Western
Fiction collections and the personal reading lists of western action/adventure enthusiasts.
Editorial Note: Aelx Frew is a descendant of the Canadian branch of the Blackfoot Sioux. He has had eight Black Horse
Westerns published. An avid fan of cowboy films and fiction, Alex also writes short stories, screenplays and comedy
sketches. He lives in Scotland.
Stage to Nowhere
E. Jefferson Clay
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850505, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 235pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/uk/search/Stage%20to%20Nowhere
Synopsis: The sheriff of Tumbleweed took an instant dislike to Duke Benedict and Hank Brazos, so he gave them one-way
tickets to Flintlock. Once the stagecoach left town, it became a target.
Among the other passengers was a federal marshal delivering his prisoner, Jack Savage, to Flintlock for trial. Savage's gang
had other ideas -- like stopping the stage and rescuing him.
But they reckoned without Benedict and Brazos.
The stranded passengers took refuge in a deserted town, and found themselves up against hot lead -- and stone-cold ghosts
from the past!
Critique: The fourth novels in the Benedict & Brazos series by western novelist E. Jefferson Clay, "Stage to Nowhere" has
humor, gunplay, reluctant heroes, and grimly lethal bad guys. Another fun read from start to finish, "Stage to Nowhere" is a
'must' for fans of action/adventure western novels and a prime pick for both personal reading lists and community library
collections.
Editorial Note: There is a comprehensive listing of books by E. Jefferson Clay online at
https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/19422823.E_Jefferson_Clay
The Sitka Killings
Paul Bedford
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850529, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 228pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sitka-killings-paul-bedford/1137480143
Synopsis: It's 1867. The USA has just purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire, and sent Colonel Jefferson Davis and
part of the 9th Infantry to take possession of the 'last frontier'.
Replacing the 'Russkies' would prove to be the easy part though; governing the new territory something else entirely,
because the soldiers are barely off the steamship before two officers are brutally slain in Sitka's cathedral.
Jake Pierce is an embittered army scout, assigned to 'handle' any troublesome Indians that might be encountered. The
problem is, for a man filled with hate, the only good Indian is a dead one!
And that could lead him and his new partner, Cleetus Payne, into more trouble than even he can handle. Especially as they
are tasked with tracking the two assassins into mainland Alaska. With the reason for the killings unclear, this proves to be
only the start of something very nasty indeed!
Critique: A compelling page turner of a read from start to finish, "The Sitka Killings" by Paul Beford was original
publishing in 2021 as a Black Horse Western and has now been released in a large print paperback addition as part of the
Linford Western Library series. This newly published edition of "The Sitka Killings" is highly recommended as a prize
addition to the personal reading lists of western fans and a welcome pick for community library Western Fiction
collections.
Editorial Note: Paul Bedford lives in England. With a strong interest in the history of the American frontier, he tries to make
his westerns as factually accurate and realistic as possible.
Six-Gun Avengers
Frank Callan
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850536, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 211pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/six-gun-avengers-frank-callan/1137480144
Synopsis: 1866. In Randal, Grayson County, Montana, the court is in session. Most of the leading citizens are gathered in
the courthouse, as it's the day Bill Serlich is being tried for the murder of his wife, Sarah, and her lover, Dan Beech.
Then a stranger checks in to stay a few days. He's smart, looks wealthy, reckons to be a preacher, and talks like a gentleman.
For some, however, the stranger has all the hallmarks of a hired killer. Some report that the man is a ruthless criminal with a
violent past.
Bill's father-in-law, Declan Rorke, owns most of the town and has paid big money to ensure a guilty verdict, but if the
rumors about the stranger are true then he could be here to change all that: there's a score to settle.
Everything happening in Randal points to big trouble, and the stranger is there for his last vengeance, and he doesn't work
alone. Someone else is heading to town...
Critique: An impressively crafted and original suspense thriller of a novel that is set in the Old West, from first page to last,
author Frank Callan's "Six-Gun Avengers" is a riveting and truly memorable read that will hold a particular attraction for
fans of the genre. Simply stated, this large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library series is particularly
and unreservedly recommended, both for the personal reading lists of dedicated western fans and community library
Western Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Born and raised in Yorkshire, Stephen Wade aka Frank Callan has held a long fascination with the West. He
has written five Black Horse Westerns.
Return Of The Buffalo Hunter
Ralph Hayes
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850550, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 233pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/return-of-the-buffalo-hunter-ralph-hayes/1137640884
Synopsis: Fur trapper O'Brien just wants a quiet life without looking for trouble. But after two outlaws invade his home and
threaten his wife Sarah, he's tangled up with Wade Guthrie's deadly gang -- whether he likes it or not.
In the wake of a bloody robbery at a Wells Fargo depot, Sheriff Purvis requests his help in running Guthrie and his
murderous thugs to ground. O'Brien must assume the role of a lawman, and carry iron against this man without a
conscience.
Critique: A perfectly crafted novel of the Old West featuring dastardly bad guys and a hero who knows just how to bring
them -- with guile and a fast gun, "Return of the Buffalo Hunter" by western novelist Ralph Hayes (author of nine Black
Horse Westerns) is a ripping great read from first page to last. This large print paperback edition from the Linford Western
Library series is a welcome and recommended addition to personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction
collections.
Chronicle Of A Bounty Hunter
Dave Hooker
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850543, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 225pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chronicle-of-a-bounty-hunter-dave-hooker/1137480145
Synopsis: Settlers are travelling west by wagon train, beginning a new life on the wild prairie. It is a land for adventurers --
exhilarating, yet brutal and lawless.
Jack Hoffmann is a bounty hunter. Survival has made him a legend, this tall, dark loner whose eyes alone can hold a man in
fear. Before the law can reach cow-town, homestead or hovel, he is there, dispensing instant justice from Peacemaker and
scattergun among the most degenerate humans imaginable.
Critique: Novelist Dave Hooker is a master of the hard-bitten, gun slinging, Old West. "Chronicle of a Bounty Hunter" is a
thrilling read from start to finish and will prove of particular interest to all dedicated fans of blazing westerns and deftly
crafted action/adventure stories.
Editorial Note: Dave Hooker is also the author of "Bad Men Die Hard" and "Gunman's Contract".
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Driven To Murder
Debbie Young
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781804831472, $42.00, PB, Large Print, 306pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/driven-to-murder-debbie-young/1144284652
Synopsis: Change is coming to Wendlebury Barrow -- and not everyone is happy about it.
When the local bus company announces it will be stopping its route through their quaint Cotswold village, the people of
Wendlebury Barrow are up in arms. Not least Sophie Sayers, whose driving lessons with her boyfriend Hector get off to a
bumpy start.
But the locals' peaceful protests against the decision turn deadly when a body is discovered on the Number 27. No one can
work out how Janice Boggins met her demise, let alone how the driver didn't notice. While the police wait for the
postmortem results, Sophie immediately suspects foul play, and launches her own investigation.
Can she solve the murder before another passenger is hurt?
Critique: Another simply outstanding Sophie Sayers cozy mystery by novelist Debbie Young, "Driven to Murder" is a fun
read from start to finish for fans of deftly crafted 'whodunnit' murder mysteries featuring an amateur female sleuth and more
unexpected plot twists and turns than a Coney Island roller coaster. This large print paperback edition of "Driven to Murder"
from Boldwood Books is strongly and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library
Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: Debbie Young (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debbie_Young) is a British writer of cozy mystery novels, UK
ambassador for ALLi the (Alliance of Independent Authors), and founder in 2015 of the now annual Hawkesbury Upton
Literary Festival. Her debut novel, "Best Murder in Show", was published in 2017 as the first part in a series of seven novels
that spans the course of a village year.
Murder At Merewood Hospital
Michelle Salter
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781837510795, $42.00, PB, Large Print, 402pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-at-merewood-hospital-michelle-salter/1144228957
Synopsis: The patients who survived the Great War now have to face a new danger.
In 1916, Sister Helen Hopgood was sent with a team of nurses to care for wounded soldiers at Merewood Farm, a temporary
military hospital in Hampshire. Now the war is over, only five patients remain -- and she is the only nurse. The last ward
must close, and Helen is doing all she can to find new homes for the injured servicemen.
Joseph Wintringham has to sell the farm to keep Merewood Manor. But since the murder of Nurse Taplin, locals believe the
place is cursed -- perhaps by the doomed nurse or by the patients who perished from their war wounds.
Is the hospital haunted? Or is someone very real behind the unnatural deaths that begin on Midsummer's Night 1919? Can
Helen discover the truth before it's too late...?
Critique: An impressively original, deftly crafted, and gripping murder mystery from start to finish, this large print
paperback edition from Boldwood Books Ltd. of novelist Michaelle Salter's "Murder At Merewood Hospital" will prove an
immediate and enduringly popular addition to personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense
collections.
Critique: Michaelle Salter (https://www.michellesalter.com) is an historical crime fiction writer based in Hampshire, United
Kingdom. Many of her novels are set in the area where she lives and are inspired by real-life events in 1920s Britain. She
brings a love of social history to her novels, which reflect how issues of 100 years ago are not so different from the
challenges we face today. Michelle is a member of The Society of Authors and The Crime Writers' Association.
Tom Clancy's The Division: Hunted
Thomas Parrott
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
9781839082740, $16.95, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Tom-Clancys-Division-Operation-Crossroads/dp/1839082747
Synopsis: Division agent Maira Kanhai is alive. Maira Kanhai has gone rogue. When Brenda Wells learns that her old
recruit's (and close friend's) watch has turned red, she refuses to believe it. Yet the agents sent to track Maira down have
irrefutable evidence saying otherwise.
With the threads holding the Division together fraying under heavy assault, Brenda desperately assembles a specialized
Division cell and heads out to learn the truth. In the blistering heat of the American Southwest, they face grave danger at
every turn. There they learn that other deadly parties are stalking Maira too, hoping to use her to destroy the Division once
and for all.
Critique: A riveting read from start to finish, "Tom Clancy's The Division: Hunted" by Thomas Parrott is an Operation
Crossroads novel and of particular interest to fans of military and technothriller stories that are action/adventure packed
from cover to cover. While also avalable in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95), "Tom Clancy's The Division: Hunted" is
especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library collections.
Editorial Note: Thomas Parrott has written Isha's Lament, The Test of Faith, and Loyal to the End, all for the Warhammer
40,000 setting, as well as short fiction for Arkham Horror and KeyForge anthologies.
(www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Thomas-Parrott/170692120)
Fur Love or Money
Sofie Ryan
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin/Random House
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9780593550243, $9.99, PB, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Money-Second-Chance-Mystery/dp/0593550242
Synopsis: Sarah Grayson is taking a break from her bustling secondhand shop in small-town Maine to spend time with a
friend and her dog. But their purr-fect visit comes to an end when the dog leads them to a storm cellar on a nearby property,
where they discover a dead body.
The deceased turns out to be a sticky-fingered financial adviser who swindled millions from investors and who has been
presumed dead for almost three years. Unfortunately, suspicion falls on the owner of the property where the body was found
-- and that owner is a good friend of Charlotte's Angels', the senior citizen sleuths who work out of Sarah's shop.
It's all paws on deck, as the Angels are determined to clear his good name. But with a tight-lipped widow, a possibly shifty
sister, and a slew of unhappy investors in the mix, the list of murder suspects seems endless. Sarah, Elvis, and the Angels
have a lot of webs to untangle before they can catch the culprit.
Critique: Simply stated, "Fur Love or Money" (a pare of author Sofie Ryan's 'Second Chance Cat Mystery series) is Animal
Cozy Mystery writing at its best. This time it is seniors who must once again become amateur murder mystery solvers. With
more unexpected plot twists and turns than an Oklahoma tornado, "Fur Love or Money" is a terrific read from cover to
cover. While highly recommended for personal and community library Cozy Mystery collections, it should be noted that
"Fur Love or Money" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Sofie Ryan (https://sofiekelly.com) is a writer and mixed-media artist who loves to repurpose things in her
life and in her art. She is the author of Scaredy Cat, Totally Pawstruck, and Undercover Kitty in her Second Chance Cat
Mysteries series. She also writes the Magical Cats Mysteries under the name Sofie Kelly.
Murder in Masquerade
Mary Winters
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin/Random House
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9780593548783, $18.00, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Masquerade-Lady-Letters-Mystery/dp/0593548787
Synopsis: Victorian Countess Amelia Amesbury's secret hobby, writing an advice column for a London penny paper, has
gotten her into hot water before. After all, Amelia will do whatever it takes to help a reader in need.
But now, handsome marquis Simon Bainbridge desperately requires her assistance. His beloved younger sister, Marielle, has
written Amelia's Lady Agony column seeking advice on her plans to elope with a man her family does not approve of.
Determined to save his sister from a scoundrel and the family from scandal, Simon asks Amelia to dissuade Marielle from
the ill-advised gambit.
But when the scoundrel makes an untimely exit after a performance of Verdi's Rigoletto, Amelia realizes there's much more
at stake than saving a young woman's reputation from ruin. It's going to take more than her letter-writing skills to help the
dashing marquis, mend the familial bond, and find the murderer. Luckily, solving problems is her specialty!
Critique: A cozy mystery set in Victorian England, "Murder in Masquerade" is the latest addition to novelist Mary Winters
'A Lady of Letters' mystery series. Impressively original, exceptionally well written, and a simply fun read from first page to
last, "Murder in Masquerade" will prove an extraordinary and enduringly appreciated addition to personal and community
library Cozy Mystery collections. It should be noted that "Murder in Masquerade" is also readily available for cozy mystery
fans in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Mary Winters (https://marywintersauthor.com) is the author of a number of cozy mystery series
(https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22862888.Mary_Winters).
Fatal First Edition
Jenn McKinlay
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin/Random House
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9780593639337, $28.00, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Fatal-First-Library-Lovers-Mystery/dp/0593639332
Synopsis: Briar Creek Library director Lindsey Norris and her husband, Sully, are at a popular library conference in Chicago
to hear book restoration specialist Brooklyn Wainwright give a keynote address. After the lecture, Lindsey looks under her
seat and finds a tote bag containing a first edition of Patricia Highsmith's Strangers on a Train, inscribed to Alfred
Hitchcock. Brooklyn determines the novel is one of a kind and quite valuable, so Lindsey and Sully return the book to the
conference director, not wanting to stir up any trouble.
But just hours after the pair boards the train back to Connecticut, rumors that the Highsmith novel has gone missing buzz
amongst the passengers, and they soon find the conference director murdered in his private compartment. And worse -- the
murderer planted the book in Lindsey and Sully's room next door, making them prime suspects! Now, they must uncover the
murderer and bring them to the end of their line, before they find themselves booked for a crime they didn't commit.
Critique: "Fatal First Edition" by Jenn McKinlay is a fun and riveting read from cover to cover and will have a very special
appeal for bibliophiles and cozy mystery fans. Original, deftly crafted, and a compulsive page turner of a read, a husband
and wife must turn amateur sleuths if they are to exonerate themselves from an unexpected murder accusation by
uncovering 'whodunnit'. "Fatal First Edition" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and is unreservedly
recommended for personal and community library Cozy Mystery collections.
Editorial Note: Jenn McKinlay (https://www.jennmckinlay.com) author of several mystery and romance series. Her work
has been translated into multiple languages in countries all over the world.
Murder in the Tea Leaves
Laura Childs
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin/Random House
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9780593200988, $20.00, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Tea-Leaves-Shop-Mystery/dp/0593200985
Synopsis: When Theodosia Browning reads the tea leaves on the set of the movie, Dark Fortunes, things go from spooky to
worse. Lights are dimmed, the camera rolls, and red hot sparks fly as the film's director is murdered in a tricky electrical
accident.
Or was it an accident? Though the cast and crew are stunned beyond belief, nobody admits to seeing a thing. And when
Theodosia's friend, Delaine, becomes the prime suspect, Theodosia begins her own shadow investigation. But who among
this Hollywood cast and crew had murder on their mind? The screenwriter is a self-centered pot head, the leading actress is
trying to wiggle out of her contract, the brand new director seems indifferent, and nobody trusts the slippery-when-dry
Hollywood agent.
Between hosting a Breakfast at Tiffany's Tea, a Poetry Tea, and trying to launch her own chocolate line, Theodosia doggedly
hunts down clues and explores the seemingly haunted Brittlebank Manor where the murder took place. And just when she's
ready to pounce, a Charleston Film Board member is also murdered, throwing everything into total disarray. But this clever
killer will go to any lengths to hide his misdeeds as Theodosia soon finds out when she and her tea sommelier, Drayton, get
caught up in a dangerous stakeout.
Critique: An amateur female sleuth who must come to the rescue of a friend who is the 'innocent accused' and determine
'whodunnit' with respect to a puzzling murder, "Murder in the Tea Leaves" by novelist Laura Childs has all the elements of a
classic cozy mystery. Of special note is the inclusion of delicious recipes and tea time tips! A fun read from start to finish,
"Murder in the Tea Leaves" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense
collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated cozy mystery fans that "Murder in the Tea
Leaves" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Laura Childs (https://cozy-mystery.com/Laura-Childs.html) is the author of the Tea Shop Mysteries series,
the Scrapbook Mysteries series, and the Cackleberry Club Mysteries series.
Hero: A Novel
Thomas Perry
The Mysterious Press
www.mysteriouspress.com
c/o Penzler Publishers
https://penzlerpublishers.com
9781613164778, $27.95, HC, 274pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hero-Novel-Thomas-Perry/dp/1613164777
Synopsis: Justine Poole provides security for wealthy and high-profile Hollywood stars, but that all changes when a job puts
her in the limelight. When she prevents a brazen robbery at the Beverly Hills home of two of her clients (and killing two of
the five armed robbers in the process) she is initially lauded in the media as a local hero. But the spotlight soon puts her in
the crosshairs of the crime kingpin behind the burglaries.
Unable to stand the embarrassment of his lackeys having been defeated by a lone woman, Mr. Conger puts in a call to the
one man who can make his problems disappear. Known for his swiftness and subtlety, Leo Sealy will kill anyone for a price.
All he needs is a name and a face, and a starting point to pick up his victim's trail. Luckily for him, the local news is as eager
as he is for any information about the heroic bodyguard -- and quick to broadcast their findings, regardless of what it might
mean for her safety. But Sealy isn't prepared for just how quick and resourceful Justine can be.
So begins a cat and mouse game that only novelist Thomas Perry could devise, and featuring two characters who know more
about deadly pursuit than anyone else in the business. As the hardened killer stalks her, Justine learns that the fickle media
landscape can turn its celebration into condemnation at a moment's notice, and soon finds that public opinion can be every
bit as fatal as organized crime.
Critique: A 'must' for fans of organized crime novels featuring an elite professional assassin coming up against a compelling
female protagonist that can hold her own against anyone trying to kill her, "Hero" is an original, simply riveting, and a fun
read from start to finish. Unreservedly recommended for community library Suspense/Thriller collections, it should be noted
for personal reading lists that "Hero" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Thomas Perry (https://www.thomasperryauthor.com) is the author of over twenty novels, including Murder
Book, the critically acclaimed Jane Whitefield series, The Old Man, and The Butcher's Boy, which won the Edgar
Award.
The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels
Janice Hallett
Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com
9781668023396, $28.99, HC, 432pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mysterious-Case-Alperton-Angels-Novel/dp/1668023393
Synopsis: Everyone knows the story of the Alperton Angels: the cult who brainwashed a teenage girl into believing her baby
was the anti-Christ. When the girl came to her senses and called the police, the Angels committed suicide and mother and
baby disappeared.
Now, true crime author Amanda Bailey is looking to revive her career by writing a book on the case. The Alperton baby has
turned eighteen; finding them will be the scoop of the year. But rival author Oliver Menzies is just as smart, better
connected, and also on the young man's trail.
As Amanda and Oliver are forced to collaborate, they realize that the truth about the Angels is much darker and stranger
than they'd ever imagined, and in pursuit of the story they risk becoming part of it.
Critique: A masterpiece of dark mystery suspense thriller storytelling by author Janice Hallett, "The Mysterious Case of the
Alperton Angels" is the stuff of which 'watch with the lights on' movies. A compulsively compelling read from start to
finish, "The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels" is one of those novels that will linger in the mind and memory long
after it has been finished and set back upon the shelf. While unreservedly recommended for community library
Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated murder mystery fans that "The
Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and in a paperback
edition (9781668023402, $19.99 - August 2024).
Editorial Note: Janice Hallett (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janice_Hallett) is a former magazine editor, award-winning
journalist, and government communications writer. She wrote articles and speeches for, among others, the Cabinet Office,
Home Office, and Department for International Development. A playwright and screenwriter, she penned the feminist
Shakespearean stage comedy NetherBard and cowrote the feature film Retreat. She lives in London and is the author of The
Examiner, The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels, The Appeal, The Christmas Appeal, and The Twyford Code.
Death Comes Too Late
Charles Ardai
Hard Case Crime
http://www.hardcasecrime.com
9781803366265, $18.99, PB, 400pp
https://www.amazon.com/Death-Comes-Late-Charles-Ardai/dp/1803366265
Synopsis: Since debuting 20 years ago, Hard Case Crime has won acclaim for publishing the best in hardboiled crime fiction
-- not least of all are the stories by founding editor Charles Ardai, which have won the Edgar, Shamus and Ellery Queen
Awards, been selected for 'Best of the Year' anthologies, and earned praise from everyone from the Washington Post and
Chicago Tribune to Megan Abbott and Stephen King.
"Death Comes Too Late" is a celebratory compendium of arguably the best of Ardi's hard case crime short stories --
including his Edgar-winning "The Home Front," about death and repentance during World War II; the Shamus Award
finalist "Nobody Wins," about a brutal gangland enforcer searching for the woman he loves; and year's-best selections such
as "A Bar Called Charley's," about a traveling salesman's most grueling night on the road.
From Brazil at Carnival to Times Square at midnight, from Tijuana, Mexico to history's first gunshot in 11th-century China,
the stories comprising "Death Comes Too Late" will take you to some of the most dangerous places in the world -- and to
the darkest corners of the human heart.
Critique: An absolute must for the legions of hard boiled crime fans and showcasing the short stories of one of the best
writers in the genre today, "Death Comes Too Late" by Charles Ardai is an especially and unreservedly recommended
addition to personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that "Death
Comes Too Late" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Charles Ardai (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Ardai) is the founder and editor of Hard Case Crime
and the Edgar Award-winning author of the acclaimed novels "Little Girl Lost" and "Songs of Innocence".
Nobody's Angel
Jack Clark
Hard Case Crime
http://www.hardcasecrime.com
9781803367477, $15.95, PB, 244pp
https://www.amazon.com/Nobodys-Angel-Jack-Clark/dp/1803367474
Synopsis: Eddie Miles is one of a dying breed: a Windy City hack who knows every street and back alley of his beloved city
and takes its recent descent into violence personally. But what can one driver do about a killer targeting streetwalkers or
another terrorizing cabbies? Precious little -- until the night he witnesses one of them in action!
Critique: With the publication of "Nobody's Angel", novelist Jack Clark is a master of the hard boiled detective mystery
genre wether the P.I. is a professional or an amateur. Gritty, violent, memorable, a fun read from start to finish, and this
paperback edition from Hard Case Crime features classic 1950's style cover art. While also available for personal reading
lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), "Nobody's Angel" will prove a popular pick for community library
Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: Jack Clark (www.bookseriesinorder.com/jack-clark) was nominated for the Shamus Award for his novel
starring private eye Nick Acropolis, Westerfield's Chain. Nobody's Angel, the author's first novel, was originally
self-published in an edition of only 500 copies that the author sold for five dollars apiece to passengers in the Chicago taxi
he drove for a living.
The Unquiet Bones
Loreth Anne White
Montlake
Amazon Publishing
9781662518003, $28.99, HC, 351pp
https://www.amazon.com/Unquiet-Bones-Loreth-Anne-White/dp/1662518005
Synopsis: When human bones are found beneath an old chapel in the woods, evidence suggests the remains could be linked
to the decades-old case of missing teen Annalise Jansen.
Homicide detective Jane Munro (pregnant and acutely attuned to the preciousness of life) hopes the grim discovery will
finally bring closure to the girl's family. But for a group of Annalise's old friends, once dubbed the Shoreview Six by the
media, it threatens to expose a terrible pledge made on an autumn night forty-seven years ago.
The friends are now highly respected, affluent members of their communities, and none of them ever expected the dark
chapter in their past to resurface. But as Jane and forensic anthropologist Dr. Ella Quinn peel back the layers of secrets, the
group begins to fracture. Will one cave? Will they turn on each other?
The investigation takes a sharp turn when Jane discovers a second body -- that of the boy long blamed for Annalise's
disappearance. As the bones tell their story, the group learns just how far each will go to guard their own truth.
Critique: A deftly crafted and simply riveting read from fist page to last, "The Unquiet Bones" by Loreth Anne White will
prove of particular interest to fans of psychological suspense murder mysteries with memorable characters and more
unexpected twists and turns than an Oklahoma tornado. "The Unquiet Bones" is an especially and unreservedly
recommended pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that
"The Unquiet Bones" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781542038577, $16.99) and in a digital book format
($5.99).
Editorial Note: Loreth Anne White (www.lorethannewhite.com) is the author of The Maid's Diary, The Patient's Secret,
Beneath Devil's Bridge, In the Deep, In the Dark, The Dark Bones, and A Dark Lure. With more than three million books
sold around the world and translations in over twenty languages, she is an ITW Thriller Awards nominee, a three-time RITA
finalist, an overall Daphne du Maurier Award winner, an Arthur Ellis Award finalist, and the winner of multiple other
industry awards.
Forgotten Sisters: A Novel
Cynthia Pelayo
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662513916, $16.99, PB, 303pp
https://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Sisters-Novel-Cynthia-Pelayo/dp/1662513917
Synopsis: Sisters Anna and Jennie live in a historic bungalow on the Chicago River. They are tethered to a disquieting past,
and with nowhere else to go, nothing can part them from their family home. Not the maddening creaks and disembodied
voices that rattle the old walls. Not the inexplicable drownings in the area, or the increasing number of bodies that float by
Anna's window.
To stave off loneliness, Anna has a podcast, spinning ghostly tales of Chicago's tragic history. But when Anna captures the
attention of an ardent male listener, she awakens to the possibilities of a world outside.
As their relationship grows, so do Jennie's fears. More and more people are going missing in the river. And then two
detectives come calling.
They're looking for a link between the mysteries of the river and what's housed on the bank. Even Anna and Jennie don't
understand how dreadful it is (and still can be) when the truth about their unsettled lives begins to surface.
Critique: Of special appeal to readers with an interest in deftly crafted gothic fiction, psychological suspense thrillers,
"Forgotten Sisters" by novelist Cynthia Pelayo is a compelling, fascinating, and engaging read from start to finish. A
welcome and highly recommended pick for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Forgotten Sisters" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).
Editorial Note: Cynthia Pelayo (www.cinapelayo.com) is a Bram Stoker Award - winning author. Her novels include
Children of Chicago and The Shoemaker's Magician. In addition to writing genre-blending novels that incorporate elements
of fairy tales, mystery, detective, crime, and horror, Pelayo has written numerous short stories and the poetry collection
Crime Scene. The recipient of the 2021 International Latino Book Award, she holds a master of fine arts in writing from the
School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
So You Wanna Run a Country?
Kevin Holohan
Akashic Books
www.akashicbooks.com
9781636141602, $27.95, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/So-You-Wanna-Run-Country/dp/1636141609
Synopsis: "So You Wanna Run a Country?" by Kevin Holohan is a satirical cyberpunk romp that pits fascist feudalism
against rampant reality television corruption, with the future of humanity at stake "So You Wanna Run a Country?" is a
brilliant parable about the perils of authoritarianism, nationalism, and device-dependent group-think.
After almost a century of being shut off from the rest of the world in self-imposed isolation, the small neo-medieval state of
Inner Azhuur suddenly volunteers to host the next season of the global streaming sensation So You Wanna Run a Country?
The producers must now assemble the next crew of unqualified misfits whose ineptitude as they attempt to run the country
will entertain billions across the globe.
From Newer York, where homelessness has been eliminated by rebranding it as a Thoroughfarian lifestyle choice, come
Mooney and Wendy who meet while sleeping in discarded pipes on a vacant lot -- one seemingly directed by Captain Dude,
a statue attached to a skateboard, and one on the run after deliberately crashing a large chunk of the speculative
economy.
Cast as Regent of Inner Azhuur and Consort to the Regent, they are joined by Skid, a Dubliner kicked out of his fledgling
band and eager to escape a stultifying job as a tourist ambiance fake street menace in Glasgow.
Arriving in Inner Azhuur, these three encounter a world of antiquated and indecipherable customs, all meant to glorify the
vanished ruler, General D'Izmaie, and return Inner Azhuur to some perceived former glory. As the reality show unfolds, our
misfits are enmeshed in a mad power grab of overweening global ambition and find themselves in a struggle against the
all-too-real, ruthless and sinister power brokers of Inner Azhuur. Holohan's mischievous literary voice is sure to please fans
of cyberpunk greats like Philip K. Dick and William Gibson.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, iconoclastic, thought-provoking, entertaining, and very definitely a novel for our times,
"So You Wanna Run a Country?" will have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in cyberpunk/post-apocalyptic
science fiction. While unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Science Fiction collections,
it should be noted for personal reading lists that "So You Wanna Run a Country?" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Kevin Holohan's debut novel was "The Brothers' Lot". A native of Dublin, Kevin now lives in Brooklyn
with his wife and son. Holohan has performed the works of Beckett, Joyce, and others at the Irish Arts Center, An Beal
Bocht Cafe, and Dixon Place. His stories and essays have appeared in the Sunday Tribune, Whispers and Shouts, the Irish
Echo.
Not Your Crush's Cauldron
April Asher
Griffin
c/o St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250808035, $18.00, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Your-Crushs-Cauldron-Supernatural-Singles/dp/1250808030
Synopsis: Olive Maxwell much prefers teaching about the Supernatural world to taking part in it and leaves the magical
shenanigans to her two sisters. After assigning her college students a project designed to nudge them outside their comfort
zones, Olive realizes she's never once stepped a toe out of her own -- and it's about time that changed.
Her first trip into the unknown? Moving in with her longtime crush and friend -- tattooed, motorcycle-riding, and pleasantly
pierced Baxter Donovan.
Bax Donovan, Guardian Angel not-so-extraordinaire, has acquired so many black marks on his record it looks like a
Scantron test. He's been given one last chance to keep his Guardian wings -- a high-profile Assignment he knows all too
well.
Olive is usually as low-risk as it gets. Hell, she wrote the safety manual. But something landed her on the Guardian Angel
Affairs radar, and he guesses it has something to do with the heart-pounding stunts she's determined to check off her Dare I
Docket list.
Keeping Olive out of trouble is about to be his toughest Assignment. He's at real risk of shattering the only Guardian Angel
code of conduct rule he's yet to break: Don't fall in love with your Assignment. And he isn't so sure that's a bad thing.
If love doesn't play by the rules, why should they?
Critique: A brilliant, deftly crafted, and fun read from start to finish, "Not Your Crush's Cauldron" is the third title in author
April Asher's 'Supernatural Singles' series. The first two are "Not The Witch You Wed" and "Not Your Ex's Hexes". As a
novelist, Asher has a genuine flair for mixing humor with her distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style that is
garnering her legions of fans having particular interest mixing romance and the supernatural, adventure with humor. While
enthusiastically recommended, especially for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that
"Not Your Crush's Cauldron" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: April Asher pens laugh-out-loud romantic comedies with a paranormal twist, but when she's not putting her
characters into embarrassing situations with supernatural entities, she also writes high-octane romantic suspense under the
pseudonym of April Hunt, her thrill-seeking alter ego who has written the Alpha Ops and Alpha Security series.
No Shelter But The Stars
Virginia Black
Bywater Books
www.bywaterbooks.com
9781612942797, $20.95, PB, 305pp
https://www.amazon.com/Shelter-But-Stars-Virginia-Black/dp/1612942792
Synopsis: Kyran Loyal is the last heir to the lost throne of a forgotten planet, the figurehead of a nomadic people fleeing the
galactic tyranny of a brutal regime. Davia Sifane is the unrecognized daughter of an imperial despot. When happenstance
pits them against each other in battle, neither expects the outcome: they are the only two people to survive. Marooned on a
barren moon, their only hope of survival is to rely on each other, but what they learn will either kill them or change the
galaxy forever.
Critique: Space opera at its entertaining best, "No Shelter But The Stars" by Virginia Black is a fun read from start to finish.
Original, deftly crafted and compelling, "No Shelter But The Stars" is especially and unreservedly recommended for
community library Science Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated science fiction
fans that "No Shelter But The Stars" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.49).
Editorial Note: Virginia Black (www.virginiablackwrites.com) is the author of the short stories "Season Finale" and "Love
Undaunted" in the Sapphire Books 'Fandom to Fantasy' series, "Constant" in the Golden Crown Literary Society Writing
Academy anthology 'Writing Freedom, and "Reclamation" in the Bold Strokes Books anthology "In Our Words: Queer
Stories from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Writers". Her first novel (introducing war witch Joan Matthews) was
"Consecrated Ground" (Bywater Books 2023).
Shores of a New Horizon
N. Darusha Wehm
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
Tantor Media
https://tantor.com
9781839082757, $16.95, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Shores-New-Horizon-Terraforming-Novel/dp/1839082755
Synopsis: On Mars, terraforming breakthroughs leave citizens dreaming of a transformed planet. However, when a
contaminated ice asteroid puts water supplies in peril, the dream quickly shatters.
Professor Zambrotta "Zammi" Kaspar is tasked to investigate a fatal crash on a remote ice asteroid, but he never expects to
discover his missing sister there as an indentured worker for the Mining Guild. As the siblings reconnect and dig deeper into
the mystery of the contaminated water, they both discover a personal legacy of secrets and loss over competing visions for
the future of humanity.
Can they unite to reveal the truth behind the water contamination before their dream of a terraformed Mars evaporates into
the newly formed atmosphere?
Critique: A part of novelist M. Darusha Whem's 'Terraforming Mars' series, "Shore of a New Horizon" is a fun read from
start to finish. Original, deftly crafted, memorable, "Shore of a New Horizon" is especially recommended for the personal
reading lists of dedicated science fiction fans, and will prove to be an enduringly popular pick for community library
Science Fiction collections. It should be noted that "Shore of a New Horizon" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $9.95) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Tantor Audio, 9798212939270, $41.99, CD).
Editorial Note: M. Darusha Whem (https://darusha.ca/home) is the Nebula Award-nominated and Sir Julius Vogel
Award-winning author of the interactive fiction game The Martian Job, as well as the science fiction novels Beautiful Red,
Children of Arkadia, The Voyage of the White Cloud, and the Andersson Dexter cyberpunk detective series. Their
mainstream books include the Devi Jones' Locker YA series and the humorous coming-of-age novel The Home for
Wayward Parrots. Darusha's short fiction and poetry have appeared in many venues, including Terraform and Nature.
Space Holes
B. R. Louis
CamCat Books
www.camcatpublishing.com
9780744308129, $27.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Space-Holes-First-Transmission-1/dp/0744308127
Synopsis: Marcus Aimond, untrained tag-along aboard humanity's first intergalactic exploratory commerce vessel, has a
singular mission: sell off-brand misprinted merchandise.
When the rookie and his crew encounter the Nerelkor, a frog-like civilization, he is thrust head-first into an alien civil war.
The opposing factions, Rejault and Dinasc, are stuck in an ill-fated feud driven by deep-rooted ineptitude. To avoid the
planet's total annihilation and establish a local sales office, Aimond and the crew must survive arena combat, reshape the
very structure of the planet, establish world peace, and stay alive -- for the sake of positive branding, of course.
Saving an alien planet is nothing compared to meeting your sales quota!
Critique: The first volume of novelist B. R. Louis's new 'First Transmissions' science fiction series, "Space Holes"
showcases the author's genuine flair for original and the blending humor with memorable characters and more plot twists
and turns than an Kansas tornado or a Coney Island roller coaster. A fun read from start to finish (and certain to leave the
reader looking eagerly toward the next volume in this unusual and entertaining series), "Space Holes" is a particularly
recommended pick for community library Science Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
dedicated science fiction fans and librarians that "Space Holes" is also readily available in a large print paperback edition
(9780744308181, $28.99, 482pp) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: B. R. Louis (https://brlouisauthor.com) is a pediatric critical care nurse, outdoor enthusiast, and tech nerd
with a love for storytelling, writing, and making people laugh. Travels around the world have introduced him to different
cultures and unique forms of storytelling. Through all of the exploration and time spent in countless discussions, he's found
the one innate thing that ties all people together is our ability and desire to share laughter.
House of Open Wounds
Adrian Tchaikovsky
Head of Zeus
https://headofzeus.com/home
9781035901388, $27.99, HC, 608pp
https://www.amazon.com/House-Open-Wounds-Tyrant-Philosophers/dp/1035901382
Synopsis: City-by-city, kingdom-by-kingdom, the Palleseen have sworn to bring Perfection and Correctness to an imperfect
world. As their legions scour the world of superstition with the bright flame of reason, so they deliver a mountain of ragged,
holed and scorched flesh to the field hospital tents just behind the frontline.
Which is where Yasnic, one-time priest, healer and rebel, finds himself. Reprieved from the gallows and sent to war
clutching a box of orphan Gods, he has been sequestered to a particularity unorthodox medical unit.
Led by 'the Butcher', an ogre of a man who's a dab hand with a bone-saw and an alchemical tincture, the unit's motley crew
of conscripts, healers and orderlies are no strangers to the horrors of war. Their's is an unspeakable trade: elbow-deep in
gore they have a first-hand view of the suffering caused by flesh-rending monsters, arcane magical weaponry and embittered
enemy soldiers.
Entrusted (for now) with saving lives deemed otherwise un-saveable, the field hospital's crew face a precarious existence.
Their work with unapproved magic, necromancy, demonology and Yansic's thoroughly illicit Gods could lead to the unit
being disbanded, arrested or worse.
Beset by enemies within and without, the last thing anyone needs is a miracle!
Critique: A saga style action/adventure novel of dark fantasy, "House of Open Wounds" by Adrian Tchaikovsky is an
original and compelling read from start to finish. The author's genuine flair for the kind of imaginative, complex, distinctive,
and narrative driven storytelling style will keep the reader's rapt and compulsive page turning interest from cover to cover.
While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Fantasy collections, it should be noted for the
personal reading lists of dedicated epic fantasy fans that "House of Open Wounds" is also readily available in a paperback
edition (9781035901371, $22.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Adrian Tchaikovsky's critically-acclaimed Elder Race was short listed for a Hugo Award, and for the
inaugural Ursula K. Le Guin prize and he is the recipient of the 2023 Hugo Award for Best Series. Other notable works
include The Expert System's Brother and Made Things. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_Tchaikovsky)
A Blanket of Steel
Timothy S. Johnston
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
www.fitzhenry.ca
9781554556281, $21.95
https://www.amazon.com/Blanket-Steel-Timothy-S-Johnston/dp/1554556287
Young adult and dedicated adult sci-fi fans who found the previous Oceana futuristic setting alluring in Timothy S.
Johnston's past writings will want to make A Blanket of Steel a priority selection.
A timeline recap of events from 2020 (when little is being done to address climate change) to the setting of this story in
2131, where the mayor of the underwater city, Trieste Truman McClusky ("Mac"), faces an assassin and revenge, provides
newcomers with a relatively seamless introduction despite the wealth of political and social action contained in previous
books. This allows for a review of major characters in a way that also marks the important changes many of them confront
in this story.
The political confrontation in the name of freedom embraces the new possibilities of a submarine that can reach
unprecedented depths, bringing terror and murder campaigns on and below the high seas.
As in his previous books, Johnston presents vivid confrontations between characters, political powerhouses, and a world
transformed by climate change. The dual focus on thriller elements and sci-fi settings lends to an action-packed story that
most cli-fi does not embrace in a vivid story of confrontation and survival tactics that is hard to put down.
The characters are clear about their motivations and efforts to either exact revenge or survive its attempts: "Ventinov
understood there was a reason why he was doing things differently this time. He had plotted a revenge for the Mayor,
instead of diving in headlong and hoping for an easy kill."
As traps are laid, interceptions and counterpoints planned, and subterfuge revealed, all ages are provided with a thoroughly
engrossing tale that feels realistic for its underlying probe of psychological motivations and responses and shifting political
climates.
A Blanket of Steel is especially highly recommended for readers who enjoy futuristic stories set in cli-fi environments
where nautical and political issues are compellingly presented. Libraries that seek cli-fi collection additions that both stand
nicely alone and compliment other books in series will find A Blanket of Steel outstanding.
Weird World War: China
Sean Patrick Hazlett, Editor
Baen Books
www.baen.com
9781982193140, $18.00
https://www.amazon.com/Weird-World-War-China-3/dp/198219314X
Weird World War: China is a compendium of short stories by Baen authors including Larry Correia, David Drake, D.J.
Butler and several others focusing on futuristic war scenarios that eschew the usual sci-fi military fiction plots with the
added value of weird horrors which emerge from conflicts with China . This gives each story not only a unique approach,
but lends the collection as a whole an attraction to weird and horror fiction readers who will find these combinations of
fantasy, sci-fi and horror to be absolutely compelling and satisfyingly original.
From the terror in the sludge in the South China Sea which affects a military engagement to the 'swamp ambience' in Julian
Michael Carver's 'Project Blackworm', each tale features a different form of eldritch horror that comes to life in a
satisfyingly unexpected way, making the entire collection highly recommended not just for military sci-fi buffs, but those
who appreciate weird futuristic confrontation scenarios.
The Poetry Shelf
Yaguarete White: Poems
Diego Baez
University of Arizona Press
www.uapress.arizona.edu
9780816552191, $17.95, PB, 112pp
https://www.amazon.com/Yaguaret%C3%A9-White-Poems-Camino-del/dp/0816552193
Synopsis: With the publication of "Yaguarete White: Poems", (poet Diego Baez's debut collection from the University of
Arizona Press), Yaguarete White, English, Spanish, and Guarani encounter each other through the elusive yet potent figure
of the jaguar.
The son of a Paraguayan father and a mother from Pennsylvania, Baez grew up in central Illinois as one of the only brown
kids on the block -- but that didn't keep him from feeling like a gringo on family visits to Paraguay. Exploring this
contradiction as it weaves through experiences of language, self, and place, Baez revels in showing up the absurdities of
empire and chafes at the limits of patrimony, but he always reserves his most trenchant irony for the gaze he turns on
himself.
Notably, this raucous collection also wrestles with Guarani, a state-recognized Indigenous language widely spoken in
Paraguay. Guarani both structures and punctures this collection of verse, surfacing in a sequence of jokes that double as
poems, and introducing but leaving unresolved ambient questions about local histories of militarism, masculine bravado,
and the outlook of the campos. Cutting across borders of every kind, Baez's poems attempt to reconcile the incomplete,
contradictory, and inconsistent experiences of a speaking self that resides between languages, nations, and generations.
"Yaguarete White: Poems" is a lyrical exploration of Paraguayan American identity and what it means to see through a
colored whiteness in all of its tangled contradictions.
Critique: This trade paperback (7 x 0.5 x 9 inches, 8 ounces) edition of "Yaguarete White: Poems" is as remarkable as it is
memorable. Lines of freeform verse are laid out in visually interesting patterns that fit the cadence and rhythm of the word
crafted imagery. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library
Contemporary Poetry collections, it should be noted that "Yaguarete White: Poems" is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $17.05) as well.
Editorial Note: Diego Baez (https://www.diegobaez.com) is a writer, educator, and abolitionist. He is a finalist for The
Georgia Poetry Prize and a semi-finalist for the Berkshire Prize for Poetry. A recipient of fellowships from CantoMundo,
the Surge Institute, the Poetry Foundation Incubator for Community-Engaged Poets, and DreamYard's Rad(ical) Poetry
Consortium, Diego has served on the boards of the National Book Critics Circle, the International David Foster Wallace
Society, and Families Together Cooperative Nursery School. His poems have previously appeared or are forthcoming in
Freeman's, Poetry Northwest, and Latino Poetry: A New Anthology. Diego lives in Chicago and teaches poetry, English
composition, and first-year seminars at the City Colleges, where he is an Assistant Professor of Multidisciplinary
Studies.
The Graphic Novel Shelf
Degas & Cassatt: A Solitary Dance
Salva Rubio, author
EFA Technology Group - artist/colorist
Edward Gauvin - translator
NBM Publishing
www.nbmpub.com
9781681123240, $24.99, HC, 95pp
https://www.amazon.com/Degas-Cassatt-Solitary-Salva-Rubio/dp/168112324X
Synopsis: One of the founders of the Impressionist movement while also one of its most ruthless critics, too bohemian for
the bourgeois and too bourgeois for the artists, Edgar Degas was a man of paradoxes.
He was a loner who only loved one woman without ever courting her. That was the American painter Mary Cassatt. It is
there unique relationship whom we follow closely with the publication of "Degas & Cassatt: A Solitary Dance" by
author/storyteller Salva Rubio and artist/colorist EFA.
And it is in the company of Mary Cassatt in the twilight of Edgar Degas's life, that Efa and Rubio open the pages of Degas's
notebooks to try to unravel the mystery of this genius steeped in contradictions.
Critique: Ably translated into English for an American readership by Edward Gauvin, "Degas & Cassatt: A Solitary Dance"
this large format (9 x 0.5 x 11.75 inches) hardcover graphic novel edition from NBM Publishing is an inherently fascinating
read from start to finish. Engaging and memorable, "Degas & Cassatt: A Solitary Dance" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $11.49) and an ideal and unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists, as well as community,
college, and university library collections.
Editorial Note #1: Salva Rubio is a graphic novel author and screenwriter.He is an associate member of the WGA (Writer's
Guild of America, West) and he is a member of the Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematograficas de Espana.
Editorial Note #2: EFR Technology Group www.efrtechgroup.com) provides support for computers and network
devices.
Editorial Note #3: Edward Gauvin (https://reedsy.com/edward-gauvin) for the past two decades is a full-time freelance
translator focusing on comics, literature, and speculative genres, He has been published in the New York Times, Harper's,
the Guardian, the Paris Review, and McSweeney's.
The Audiobook Shelf
The House at the End of the World
Dean Koontz, author
Natalia Nadus, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781799789840, $29.99, MP3-CD (10 Hours 22 Minutes)
https://audiobookstore.com/audiobooks/the-house-at-the-end-of-the-world.aspx
Synopsis: In retreat from a devastating loss and crushing injustice, Katie lives alone in a fortresslike stone house on Jacob's
Ladder island. Once a rising star in the art world, she finds refuge in her painting.
The neighboring island of Ringrock houses a secret: a government research facility. And now two agents have arrived on
Jacob's Ladder in search of someone (or something) they refuse to identify. Although an air of menace hangs over these
men, an infinitely greater threat has arrived, one so strange even the island animals are in a state of high alarm.
Katie soon finds herself in an epic and terrifying battle with a mysterious enemy. But Katie's not alone after all: a brave
young girl appears out of the violent squall. As Katie and her companion struggle across a dark and eerie landscape, against
them is an omnipresent terror that could bring about the end of the world.
Critique: "The House at the End of the World" is author Dean Koontz at his very best and this complete and unabridged
MP3-CD format audio book from Brilliance Audio is deftly narrated from start to finish by the vocal acting talents of
Natalie Naudus. Of particular and special interest to fans of dystopian novels, science fiction, and suspense thrillers, "The
House at the End of the World" is unreservedly recommended for the legions of Dean Kontz fans and community library
Science Fiction & Fantasy audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: Dean Koontz (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Koontz) is the author of many bestsellers. His novels
are billed as suspense thrillers, but frequently incorporate elements of horror, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and
satire.
Editorial Note #2: Natalie Naudus (https://www.natalienaudus.com) is an Audie and Earphones award winning audiobook
narrator of over 400 titles. She relishes the emotional journey through each book, finding a unique and honest voice for each
character, doing her utmost to honor the words of the author.
One Brilliant Flame
Joy Castro, author
Krysta Gonzales, et al., narrators
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781799790747, $19.99, MP3-CD, (9 Hours 44 Minutes)
https://audiobookstore.com/audiobooks/one-brilliant-flame.aspx
Synopsis: Key West, 1886. The booming cigar industry makes it the most prosperous city in Florida. As a rebel base for the
anti-colonial insurgency in Cuba, it's also a tinderbox for six young friends with ambitious dreams.
They all brim with secrets: Zenaida, the daughter of an assassinated Havana journalist; power-hungry Sofia, who plots a fast
track to success; Chaveta, Zenaida's loyal comrade in arms who fearlessly flouts tradition; Feliciano, a charismatic Spanish
anarchist; Libano, the cafetero, silent and watchful; and Maceo, a daring guerrilla soldier who fights a brutal undertow. As
lives intertwine, revolution smolders, and passions ignite, the bustling coral island is set to explode.
Against the backdrop of the Great Fire of Key West, "One Brilliant Flame" explores the luminous fates of consuming
passion and encroaching peril in the face of insurrection, sacrifice, and inextinguishable hope.
Critique: This complete and unabridged MP3-CD edition of "One Brillian Flame" by novelist Joy Castro is artfully
performed by a team of talented narrators: Krista Gonzales, Tania Possick, Franie Corzo, Gary Tiedemann, Jonathan
Villanueva, and Andre Santana. With impressive production values, this impressively performed audio book from Brilliance
Audio will have a very special appeal to listeners with an interest in historical Carribbean/Hispanic American literature
audio book collections.
Editorial Note: Joy Castro (https://www.joycastro.com) is the author of the memoir 'The Truth Book,' two literary thrillers
set in post-Katrina New Orleans: 'Hell or High Water' and 'Nearer Home,' the essay collection 'Island of Bones,' and the
short fiction collection 'How Winter Began'. She is a former Writer in Residence at Vanderbilt University and the Willa
Cather Professor of English and Ethnic Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she teaches creative writing,
literature, and Latinx studies.
Through A Darkening Glass
R. S. Maxwell, author
Eidilh Beaton, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781713668763, $14.99, MP3-CD (12 Hours 10 Minutes)
https://audiobookstore.com/audiobooks/through-a-darkening-glass.aspx
Synopsis: England, 1940. Literature student Ruth Gladstone evacuates Cambridge University for Martynsborough, a tiny
English village with a shadowy history. For Ruth, retreating to a forgotten corner of the country is more than a safety
maneuver; it's an opportunity to end an undesirable engagement and begin writing her first novel.
But upon her arrival, Ruth learns of a ghostly wraith haunting the villagers after decades of silence. Although Ruth is
enthralled by the legend, the locals are less charmed by the wraith's return. They blame the evacuees (and among them,
Ruth) for stirring up restless spirits.
Undeterred, Ruth joins forces with Malcolm, an injured soldier, to unravel the mystery of the wraith. As Ruth and Malcolm
draw closer to the truth, they'll unearth long-buried secrets that could threaten them both -- even as they craft a forbidden
love story of their own.
Critique: A deftly crafted novel "Through A Darkening Glass" by R. S. Maxwell is World War II era themed literary fiction
at its best. Now brought to vivid life by the narrative talents of Eilidh Beaton this complete, unabridged, and fascinating
story from Brilliance Audio is especially and unreservedly recommended as a welcome and enduringly appreciated pick for
personal listening lists and community library Literary Fiction audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: Having earned an Arts degree from York University many moons ago, R.S. Maxwell continues to read
and study voraciously across multiple subjects that include cookery, gardening, English literature, music, art and art history.
Maxwell currently resides in Canada.
Editorial Note #2: Eilidh Beaton (https://www.eilidh-voice.co.uk) is a fully trained actor who chose to specialise in voice so
that she could make the most of being a vocal chameleon but always with truth at each character's core. Every story, be it
novel, advert or corporate tale, needs authenticity, and this is a quality she brings to each project.
Legacy of Temptation
Larsissa Ione, author
Alex Knox, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781501242083, $19.99, MP3-CD (14 Hours 54 Minutes)
https://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Temptation-Demonica-Birthright-Novel/dp/1501242083
Synopsis: Eva Tennant, like everyone at The Aegis, hates demons. But she loves her job as Deputy Spokesperson for the
global demon-slaying organization, and she's excited to be in the running for Chief Spokesperson. All she has to do is not
screw up the two-week exchange program with The Aegis's rival agency, the Demon Activity Response Team. But things go
horribly wrong when a murder turns her into a fugitive from justice and puts a demonic target on her back.
Logan, son of the Horseman of the Apocalypse known as Death, has dedicated his life to fighting demons alongside his
colleagues at DART. He loves fighting, females, and his pet hellhound, Cujo. What he doesn't love is The Aegis, whose
leadership attempted to slaughter him at birth. Understandably, he balks when he's ordered to protect an Aegis Guardian
responsible for the deaths of his friends. Really, he'd rather feed her to Cujo.
But when an old enemy rises from the ashes, Eva and Logan find themselves giving into temptation even as they sacrifice
the things (and people) they love the most.
Critique: Another unique and original fantasy in author Larissa Ione's superbly crafted 'Demonica Birthright' series, "Legacy
of Temptation" is brilliantly narrated by the vocal storytelling talents of Alex Knox who brings the listener a true 'theatre of
the mind' experience with this complete and unabridged audio book edition from Brilliance Audio. A 'must' for all dedicated
action/adventure fantasy fans, "Legacy of Temptation" is unreservedly recommended for personal and community library
fantasy fiction audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: Larissa Ione (www.larissaione.com) traded in a career in meteorology to pursue her passion of writing.
She has since published dozens of books, hit several bestseller lists, including the New York Times and USA Today, and
has been nominated for a RITA award.
Editorial Note #2: Alex Knox (https://www.alexknox.net) is a full-time voice actor and audio book narrator who records
from his home studio.
The Library CD Shelf
Kinishba
Deborah Martin and Erik Wollo
Spotted Peccary Music
www.SpottedPeccary.com
$16.00 CD / $10.00 digital
https://ambientelectronic.bandcamp.com/album/kinishba
Deborah Martin and Erik Wollo present Kinishiba, a music CD created through years of study, on-site research, and
recordings with Apache tribal members including Edgar Perry. Kinishiba (named for an abandoned pueblo on the White
Mountain Apache Reservation) pays homage to American Indian traditions. The songs balance the electronic ambient sound
that is Martin and Wollo's specialty with traditional tribal instrumentation throughout, in compositions inspired by and
respectful to remembrance ceremonies of the Apache people. Kinishba is highly recommended for both personal and public
library collections. The tracks are Burial Ground, Creation Story, Kinishba, Voices of Nature, Fort Apache Meadowlarks,
Heart of the Warrior, Prayer Song, Natures Paths, Mountain Spirit, and Life Spiral.
You Remind Me
Greg Murphy
Whaling City Sound
https://whalingcitysound.com
$18.99 CD
https://whalingcitysound.com/recordings/greg-murphy-you-remind-me
Pianist and composer Greg Murphy presents You Remind Me, an album about the beauty and immeasurably precious
quality that is love. Dedicated to Murphy's late wife Nancy, You Remind Me is extraordinarily moving, timeless, passionate,
and memorable. You Remind Me is a welcome addition to both personal and public library music collections, and also
makes an excellent romantic gift. The tracks are After Dark, The Cure, Nights Over Egypt, You Remind Me, Nancy (with
the Laughing Face), Shrimp Fried Rice, Mr. Day, Mornin', Takeoff, Simone, Night Flight, and A Night to Remember.
A Canadian Songbook
Ernesto Cervini's Turboprop
ernestocervini.com
TPR Records
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQRXZ1QK
JUNO award-nominated Toronto drummer and composer Ernesto Cervini presents A Canadian Songbook, a showcase of
contemporary jazz music composed by Canadians. The songs are performed by the talented and long-running musical sextet
Ernesto Cervini's Turboprop: Tara Davidson on alto saxophone, Joel Frahm on tenor saxophone, William Carn on
trombone, Adrean Farrugia on piano, Dan Loomis on bass, and Ernesto Cervini on drums. A Canadian Songbook showcases
both original songs and arrangements of pop/rock numbers, and is a transcendent listening experience highlighted by the
improvisational flourishes that make jazz an artform with a boundless sense of adventure. Highly recommended! The tracks
are Skeletons (James Hill), When I Fall (Ed Robertson & Steven Page), If, Then (Ernesto Cervini), Stuck Inside (Ernesto
Cervini), Clumsy (Raine Maida & Arnold Lanni), Aureole (Allison Au), and The Inertia of Complacency (William
Carn).
Dissolve
Richard Nelson and the Makrokosmos Orchestra
richardnelsonmusic.com
Adhyaropa Records
adhyaroparecords.com
$20.00 CD / $10.00 digital
https://richardnelsonmusic.bandcamp.com/album/dissolve
Composer and guitarist Richard Nelson works with the 15-piece Makrokosmos Orchestra to present Dissolve, an original
album consisting of three multifaceted, instrumental compositions blending of elements of jazz and classical music.
Beautiful, inspirational, and mind-expanding, Dissolve is a treasure of rich orchestral sound woven into a transcendent
listening experience. Dissolve is highly recommended for both personal and public library orchestral music collections. The
tracks are Dissolve (15:16), Float (11:38), and Cohere (12:24).
Sones de Mariachi
Mariachi Los Camperos
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
https://folkways.si.edu
SFW40586, $16.98 CD, $9.99 Digital Download
https://folkways.si.edu/mariachi-los-camperos/sones-de-mariachi
Synopsis: With its driving energy and spirited flair, the son has held the essence of mariachi music for more than 150 years.
Even today, the modern mariachi dips into the son repertoire to punctuate its performances, evoking boisterous yells and
percussive zapateados from its listeners.
In "Sones de Mariachi", multi-Grammy-winning Mariachi Los Camperos makes its mark on the son legacy, powered by the
group's lauded signature sound and leader Jesus "Chuy" Guzman's uplifting arrangements. This meticulously curated mix of
popular and lesser-known sones rooted in the western Mexican heartland of mariachi tradition is played with the typical
virtuosity, superb vocals, and rhythmic precision of one of the world's greatest mariachis.
Critique: "Sones de Mariachi" from Smithsonian Folk Way Recordings features the Guitarron, Trumpet, Vihuela, and
Violin. The lyrics are in Spanish. Comprised of 16 mariachi compositions, this CD edition of "Sones de Mariachi" is a
flawlessly produced and unreservedly recommend addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university
library Latin Music collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. Folkways is
dedicated to supporting cultural diversity and increased understanding among peoples through the documentation,
preservation, and dissemination of sound. Folkways believes that musical and cultural diversity contributes to the vitality
and quality of life throughout the world. Through the dissemination of audio recordings and educational materials
Smithsonian Folkways seeks to strengthen people's engagement with their own cultural heritage and to enhance their
awareness and appreciation of the cultural heritage of others. Smithsonian Folkways is part of the Smithsonian Center for
Folklife and Cultural Heritage.
The Way In
Mike Downes
mikedownes.com
Privately Published
$12.00 CD / $7.00 digital
https://mikedownes.bandcamp.com/album/the-way-in
The Way In is a contemporary jazz album of original, instrumental music composed by Mike Downes (plus one track by
Ted Quinlan), featuring a drummerless trio (Mike Downes on bass, Ted Quinlan on electric and acoustic guitars, Robi Botos
on piano and keyboards) plus guest percussion artists for certain tracks (Joaquin Nunez Hidalgo on cajon and percussion,
and Davide Di Renzo on percussion). The Way In is a rich, fluid, meditative soundscape that encourages creative thought
and soulful contemplation. Highly recommended, especially for connoisseurs of modern jazz. The tracks are Gratitude, The
Way In, Monumental, Banff Nights, Before the Unknown, Disbelief, Call of the Sea, Crimson, Whisper, Portals, Sirilessly,
and Beautiful Lie (by Ted Quinlan).
Lift
Last Ark Out
https://www.lastarkout.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $6.93 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMR49S4V
Lift is a jazz fusion album created through a collaboration between a multitude of music artists on guitar, keyboards, bass,
drums, and more - each track features contributions from one or more additional guest artists with different instruments. The
original, instrumental jazz songs have elements of groove, rock, and funk. Lift has a keenly modern or even futuristic feel to
its adventurous melodies, and is highly recommended especially for jazz connoisseurs. The tracks are Brackish, Dyab, Late
to the Game, Libra, Scorpio, Song Needs Title, and It's That Dream Again.
Bird's Eye
David Leon, DoYeon Kim, and Lesley Mok
davidleonsmusic.com
Pyroclastic Records
pyroclasticrecords.com
$18.00 CD / $12.00 digital
https://davidleon.bandcamp.com/album/birds-eye
Saxophonist and composer David Leon, gayagum player DoYeon Kim, and drummer/percussionist Lesley Mok present
Bird's Eye, an original album that fuses Afro-Cuban rhythms and Korean traditional music into a vibrant, extraordinary, and
captivating soundscape. Bird's Eye is a treasure for connoisseurs of world music and original artistry, highly recommended.
The tracks are You wont' find it by yourself; Ay-ya; Nothing Urgent, Just Unfortunate; to speak in flowers; A Night For
Counting Stars; Secret Footshake; Expressive Jargon I & III; Infatuation Station; Secret Handshake; and Palmetto.
Muagsician
Kristen R. Bromley
www.kristenbromley.com
Privately Published
$16.99 CD / $TBA digital
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CTBMPRBZ
https://music.apple.com/us/album/muagsician/1719152508
Muagsician is a 2-disc, 25-track solo jazz guitar album by Kristen R. Bromley, who also sings on eight tracks. A mix of
original songs, covers of beloved jazz classics, and arrangements of traditional folk tunes or hymns, Muagsician is an
eclectic selection and a rapturous listening experience. Muagsician is a treasure for connoisseurs of jazz guitar, and also
makes an excellent gift. Highly recommended!
Falling Feels Like Flying
John Korbel
JohnKorbel.com
Privately Published
$15.00 CD
https://johnkorbel.com/product/973348
Falling Feels Like Flying is a jazz album of original compositions by John Korbel, featuring the performance artistry of
Mark Falchook on keyboards, Steve Luciano on guitars, Ezra Henry on drums, Marco Bojorquez on bass, Alain Bradette on
tenor and soprano sax, Sam Zambito on trumpet, Derrick Harris on trombone, Chris West on sax and woodwinds, Kyle
Schroeder on sax and flutes, and Carmen Harrell and Sam Reckart performing background vocals. The result is a jazz-pop
that echoes in the mind and the heart of the listener. Falling Feels Like Flying is a choice pick for connoisseurs of original
jazz, highly recommended. The tracks are Wheels Up, Lizard Of Oz, New York All To Ourselves, The One Without Wings,
Take A Ride With The Top Down, Sing, Natural Selection, Sweet Burning, Falling Feels Like Flying, First Christmas
Loving You, and Wheels Up (Extended Version).
Exetastes
AurallaurA
www.aurallaura.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $7.00 digital
https://aurallaura.bandcamp.com/album/exetastes
Exetastes is an album featuring vocals and compositions by Laura Chu Wiens, also known as AurallaurA, with guest
contributions from other music artists. All songs are composed by AurallauraA except for The Last Nostalgic Wait (by
Miles Belknap) and Zapjevala Sojka Ptica (a traditional Balkan song). A weaving of jazz, blues, Latin, funk, waltz, and
traditional folk music into a multidimensional soundscape, Exetastes is captivating, inspirational, and highly recommended.
The tracks are But, You Know; Shelter Storm; Icarus; Second Summer; Mind the Gap; City Sister, Homestead Heart; The
Last Nostalgic Wait; Zapjevala Sojka Ptica; Press the World; December Song; and Yuan Fen.
Dragonfly
Dave Eggar
Domo Music Group
www.domomusicgroup.com
$TBA CD / $8.99 digital
https://daveeggar.bandcamp.com/album/dragonfly
Cellist and string arranger Dave Eggar presents Dragonfly, co-written by drummer, percussionist, and songwriter Chuck
Palmer. Dragonfly is an album steeped in the ideas of metamorphosis, self-realization, and the quest for clarity of vision.
The original, flowing music inspires reflective thought and openness to new ideas. Dragonfly is an immersive,
mind-expanding listening experience, highly recommended. The tracks are Prelude, The Darkness (for Andrew), Embark,
Encircled, Dragonfly (for Gomeo), Soliloquy, Shards Of Light, Sorrows Return (for Ronnie), Memories Of NY (featuring
Bristol Lightning), Lullaby Of Kingston, Coral, Road Trip (featuring Bristol Lightning), and Onwards.
Unwritten
Kaze
www.satokofujii.com
Libra Records
12 Euro CD / 5 Euro digital
https://circum-disc.bandcamp.com/album/unwritten
Unwritten lives up to its title as the first completely improvised album in the thirteen-year history of the quartet Kaze
(composer-pianist Satoko Fuji, trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, trumpeter Christian Purvost, and drummer Peter Orins). An
extraordinary work of multifaceted instrumental pieces that explore how musical improvisation can surprise, delight, and
stimulate creative thought, Unwritten is a choice pick for connoisseurs of free-spirited music and highly recommended. The
tracks are Thirteen Years (36:51), We Waited (17:26) and Evolving (8:30).
The Library DVD Shelf
Imagining the Indian
Directed by Aviva Kempner
First Run Features
www.firstrunfeatures.com
www.imaginingtheindianfilm.org
$19.99 DVD
https://www.amazon.com/Imaginging-Indian-Against-American-Mascoting/dp/B0CS664SCQ
Synopsis: Directed by Aviva Kempner (The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg) and Cheyenne filmmaker Ben West,
Imagining the Indian is a comprehensive look at the movement to eradicate the words, images, and gestures that many
Native Americans and their allies find harmful, demeaning, and offensive. The film examines mascoting issues through
archival footage and interviews with those involved in the fight.
Critique: Imagining the Indian is a documentary on DVD (also available on AppleTV and Amazon Prime Video) about the
fight to end the use of Native Americans as commercial icons and mascots, especially sports team mascots in the United
States. Native American activists, athletes, and community organizers explain why mascoting harms not only Native
Americans (by perpetuating stereotypes and demeaning treatment) but also society at large (by normalizing racism).
Imagining the Indian briefly discusses the horrors and outright massacres that American colonization inflicted upon Native
Americans, although the preponderance of the documentary is about modern history and present day struggles. Some major
American sports teams have changed their mascots from Native American images to animals, but a great deal of mascoting
remains, especially for junior high and high school sports teams - change for the better can be as simple as raising enough
money for a public school to buy new uniforms! Imagining the Indian presents a candid, straightforward, passionate, and
logical case for the end of mascoting, and is highly recommended especially for public school and library DVD collections.
95 min., optional English subtitles.
The Blu-ray Shelf
I've Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills Complete Collection
Sentai Film Works
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com
c/o RLJ Entertainment (distribution)
$69.98
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com/products/816726021164-ive-somehow-gotten-stronger-when-i-improved-my-farm-relate
d-skills-complete-collection-blu-ray
Synopsis: Farmer Al thought he was a typical farmer. Then he came across a group of adventurers fighting a dragon and
somehow killed the monster with a carrot. Okay, that was implausible, but then he also rescued a princess. Maybe he's a less
typical farmer, he thought? One thing is sure: Even though all he really wants is to farm, fate and the kingdom won't let him
plow in peace. Now he has to deal with ghosts, evil gods, and even more dragons as he works in quests between the chores
in, I've Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills!
Critique: I've Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills Complete Collection is a 2-disc Blu-ray
set with all 12 episodes of a fantasy-comedy-drama anime about Al, whose everyday farming skills seem to have augmented
his combat power, as surely as if he had leveled up in role-playing game! All he wants to do is typical farming, yet somehow
he ends up confronting ghosts, evil gods, cruel dragons, and more! It's not all bad, since he often befriends or grows close to
the damsels he rescues. Fate forces Al to work quests in between his farm chores, but can he ever truly establish a peaceful
life? I've Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills is a show with warmth and heart, although
the threat of violence or worse from monsters like orcs earns the series a TV PG rating (parental guidance suggested for
younger children). Special features include clean opening and closing animations. 300 min., Japanese and English audio,
English subtitles.
Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible Complete Collection
Sentai Film Works
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com
c/o RLJ Entertainment (distribution)
$59.98
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com/products/816726023861-kubo-wont-let-me-be-invisible-complete-collection-blu-ray
Synopsis: Some people stand out in a crowd, but Junta Shiraishi can't get noticed even when he's standing in front of his
teachers for attendance! He's invisible to his classmates as well, who consider him to be almost as mythical as Bigfoot.
However, there is one glaring exception: Nagisa Kubo, who sits next to him in class. Not only can she see him, but it's like
she also has Shiraishi -dar! And she's fixated on getting him to do things that might get other people's attention! Why?
Shiraishi has no idea. But for some reason he keeps letting her have her way, even when the results could be totally
mortifying in KUBO WON'T LET ME BE INVISIBLE!
Critique: Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible Complete Collection is a 2-disc Blu-ray set with all 12 episodes of a lighthearted
comedy-drama anime about Junta Shiraishi, a boy so ordinary he may as well be invisible - and Nagisa Kubo, who sits next
to him in class and has dedicated herself to making him get people's attention? Why won't she let him be invisible? Is she
trying to utterly mortify him, or could she have another motive? Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible is delightful, charming,
laugh-out-loud funny at times, and highly recommended. Special features include Japanese promo video, and clean opening
and closing animations. Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible is rated TV-14. 300 min., Japanese audio with English
subtitles.
Akiba Maid War Complete Collection
Sentai Film Works
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com
c/o RLJ Entertainment (distribution)
$69.98
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com/products/816726020662-akiba-maid-war-complete-collection-blu-ray
Synopsis: In an alternate past, the otaku paradise of Akihabara was an unsavory hive of scum and villainy. One thing,
however, is sort of the same: Maid Cafes! Except maids are the enforcers and assassins for corporate corruption... which is
unfortunate for new maid Nagomi, who was too blinded by the cutesy uniforms and clever waitressing tricks to understand
the darker reality of the maid business until she'd already joined the seemingly sweet Oinky Doink Cafe with Ranko
Mannen. Now that's not ketchup on table 5 as the carnage erupts in AKIBA MAID WAR!
Critique: Akiba Maid War Complete Collection is a 2-disc Blu-ray set with all 12 episodes of a violent dark comedy anime,
set in an alternate past where the maid cafes of Akihabara, Japan operate like bloodthirsty organized crime cartels! New
maid Nagomi only wants to dress up cute and serve customers, but from her first day on the job she discovers that her life is
at risk amid the gruesome carnage of a gang war between competing cafes! A deadly balance of humor, merciless battles,
and criminal intrigue featuring remorseless killer enforcers-in-maid-uniforms, Akiba Maid War is riveting to the very end.
Akiba Maid War Collection is rated TV-MA (recommended for mature viewers) due to graphic violence. Special features
include Japanese promos, web previews, and clean opening and closing sequences. 300 min., English and Japanese audio,
English subtitles.
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
Stage Rigging Handbook, Fourth Edition
Joy O. Glerum, author
Shane Kelly, author
Southern Illinois University Press
www.siupress.com
9780809339266, $49.00, PB, 436pp
https://www.amazon.com/Stage-Rigging-Handbook-Fourth-Glerum/dp/0809339269
Synopsis: First published in 1987 and then revised in 1997 and again in 2007, this new fourth edition of "Stage Rigging
Handbook" by co-authors Jay O. Glerum and Shane Kelly remains the primary textbook that covers the design, operation,
and maintenance of stage rigging equipment.
Though often unnoticed, these systems are critical in both easing the workload of stage technicians and creating storytelling
magic for the audience. This newly updated and expanded fourth edition from Southern Illinois University Press offers a
landmark text that deftly imparts the foundations for understanding and implementing rigging systems, such that upon
completion of "Stage Rigging Handbook", the reader is ready to begin hands-on training and practice.
Organized into four sections, this new edition of "Stage Rigging Handbook" is a complete and comprehensive handbook
combines research and practical experience to guide riggers through their work. It begins by explaining the construction and
care of basic lifting media. Part two analyzes types of rigging systems; then the handbook details the forces that impact
rigging, from Newtonian physics to calculating expansive modern systems. Finally, it presents day-to-day best safety
practices, including brand new sections on risk assessment and fall protection.
This reorganized and greatly expanded fourth edition of "Stage Rigging Handbook" features industry standard text updates
for much of the information in the previous editions with the addition of new chapters on truss (the framework that supports
lighting, screens, and other accessories), motorized chain hoists, hardware, and job safety, including fall protection
systems.
Award-winning production manager Shane Kelly preserves Glerum's voice while bringing fresh information to a new
generation of riggers, supplementing the text with updated versions of earlier photographs and drawings as well as an
additional one hundred illustrations. The handbook facilitates the development of a rigging practice rooted in safety,
precision, and professionalism.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a four page Glossary, a four page Selected Bibliography,
and a nine page Index, this large format (.5 x 1.2 x 11 inches, 2.65 pounds) paperback edition of "Stage Rigging Handbook:
4th Edition) is an essential, up-to-date, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and
college/university library theatre stagecraft and performing arts instructional reference collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #2: Jay O. Glarum (August 16, 1939 - June 26, 2014) was an American theatre consultant and author, who
was widely recognized in the technical theatre circles as the author of the Stage Rigging Handbook, referred to by many
stagehands as the bible of the industry. Published by Southern Illinois University Press and continually in print since 1987,
the book has been revised each decade to stay current with the rapidly changing field of technical theatre.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_O._Glerum)
Editorial Note #2: Shane Kelly is professor and head of the theatre technology program at The Theatre School at DePaul
University and is an Entertainment Technician Certification Program (ETCP) certified rigger and OSHA Authorized
General Industry outreach trainer. His company, Shane Kelly Rigging, conducts rigging inspections, system and safety
consultations, and rigging and safety training. Shane has worked as production manager for the Chicago Symphony
Orchestra, the Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Society, and the DePaul School of Music Opera. He cofounded
and served as executive director of Cloudgate Theatre and has worked as a technical director, carpenter, rigger, craftsperson,
and sound and lighting designer at theaters all over the country and internationally.
How Broadway Works
Sharon Grace Powers
Applause Books
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
www.rowman.com
9781493059942, $22.95, PB, 284pp
https://www.amazon.com/How-Broadway-Works-People-Curtain/dp/1493059947
Synopsis: With the publication of "How Broadway Works", singer and actor Sharon Grace Powers celebrates the unsung,
out-of-sight people on Broadway who bring a production to the stage and shows young people interested in theater that there
are myriad of performance art relating vocations other than acting.
What an audience sees is what is presented on stage: the actors, lights, orchestra, musicians, and sometimes stagehands.
What they don't see is backstage, where many theater professionals collaborate to bring the production to an audience. The
most visible career in a production is acting, but not everyone can act or even wishes to be in the spotlight, but still yearns to
be part of the theater world. There are several jobs in the theater community where their talents may fit.
An experienced theater professional, Sharon Grace Powers highlights the positions behind the curtain that work together to
put on a show. She also focuses on an area of theater production on Broadway, including what the job is, what the job
requirements are, what an artist's process is, and how that specific job is integrated into the fabric of a show's
production.
Critique: Exceptionally informative, impressively comprehensive, deftly written, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in
organization and publication, "How Broadway Works" is essential reading for anyone who aspires to a career in the
performing arts in a supporting production crew capacity. While also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital
book format (Kindle, $16.49), "How Broadway Works" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, theatre department, college/university library Performing Arts collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Sharon Grace Powers (https://www.sharongracepowers.com) is a singer and actress who has appeared on
Broadway, in regional theater, and in cabaret and choral work in New York City.
The Greatest Westerns Ever Made and the People Who Made Them
Henry C. Parke
The Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
9781493074396, $24.95, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Westerns-Ever-Made/dp/1493074393
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Greatest Westerns Ever Made and the People Who Made Them", Henry C. Parke
provides an eclectic review of the Western film and television genre, from John Ford's classic, black and white films, to
Deadwood and indie darlings.
A professional screenwriter, Henry Parke presents a nuanced look at Hollywood's dramatization of historic events, the
common themes and archetypes of Western movies, and the characters we love (and sometimes love to hate).
"The Greatest Westerns Ever Made and the People Who Made Them" also features essays and interviews with influential
Western filmmakers, character actors, the women of Western films (in front of and behind the cameras), and the Native
American perspective on Western films and Hollywood's portrayal of Native American people.
Critique: Drawing from the resources of True West Magazine and elsewhere, film historian and screenwriter Henry C. Parke
has created a unique study focusing on the genre of western movies and reveals the importance and relationships of the
various production elements, human and technological) that made them iconic with respect to American popular culture. A
fascinating and informative read fro start to finish, "The Greatest Westerns Ever Made and the People Who Made Them" is
especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Cinematic
History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for film students, academia, and
non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Greatest Westerns Ever Made and the People Who
Made Them" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99) as well.
Editorial Note #1: Brooklyn-born, L.A.-based screenwriter and wanna-be cowboy Henry C. Parke graduated from New
York University's School of Film and Television. He has been Film & TV Editor for True West since 2015, has written
Henry's Western Round-up, the on-line report on Western film production, since 2010, and writes twice-monthly articles for
the INSP Channel's blog. His screenwriting credits include Speedtrap (1977) and Double Cross (1994). He's the first writer
welcomed into The Western Writers of America for his work in electronic media. Henry has done audio commentary on
about twenty Western Blu-rays and was interviewed in the Turner Classic Movies documentary short TCM Movie Fanatics:
Westerns.
Editorial Note #2: True West Magazine has been bringing the history of the American frontier to readers since 1953. For
over 65 years True West has been telling the stories of the American West. Whether it's Wyatt Earp and the cowboys behind
the OK Corral or Wild Bill Hickok's final "dead-man's" hand, True West brings the unvarnished truth of the American West
to readers around the world.
One Good Film Deserves Another
Michael B. Druxman
BearManor Media
www.bearmanormedia.com
9798887711324, $42.00, HC, 184pp
https://www.amazon.com/One-Good-Film-Deserves-Another/dp/B0CTK7WH3P
Synopsis: "One Good Film Deserves Another: A Pictorial Survey of the Film Sequels", a follow-up to author Michael B.
Druxman's "Make It Again, Sam" (about movie remakes), and in a newly revised edition by BearManor Media is now back
in print after many years.
This complementary volume deals with film sequels scanning five decades: Boys Town, Topper, Brother Rat, The Little
Foxes, Here Comes Mr. Jordan, Mrs. Miniver, The Jolson Story, The Paleface, Broken Arrow, Cheaper by the Dozen, King
Solomon's Mines, The Robe, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Peyton Place, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, The Curse of
Frankenstein, Room at the Top, The Carpetbaggers, Harper, Hawaii, Planet of the Apes, Funny Girl, The Three Musketeers,
The French Connection, and The Godfather.
Individuals involved with some of the productions are interviewed, such as Cary Grant, Walter Pidgeon, William Alland,
Jimmy Sangster, Richard Carlson, Jane Bryan, Stirling Silliphant, Delmer Daves, Jose Ferrer, John Sturges, Edward
Dmytryk, Robert Rosen, George Sherman, Sidney Skolsky, etc., and a long compendium, a listing of pictures and their
sequels, concludes the volume.
Critique: A 'must' for all dedicated film buffs and cinema historians, this large format (8.25 x 0.61 x 11 inches, 1.59 pounds)
hardcover edition of "One Good Film Deserves Another: A Pictorial Survey of the Film Sequels: Revised Edition" is
profusely illustrated throughout with B/W images accompanying fascinating, informative, and thought-provoking
descriptive commentaries of the selected films. An impressive nd unreservedly recommended addition to personal,
professional, community, and college/education Cinematic History/Criticism collections and supplemental curriculum
studies lists, it should be noted for film buffs, film students, and academia, that "One Good Film Deserves Another" is also
readily available in a paperback edition (9798887711317, $27.00).
Editorial Note: Michael B. Druxman is a screenwriter, active primarily in the 1990s. His scripts for B-movie producer Roger
Corman include Cheyenne Warrior (1994) with Kelly Preston, Dillinger and Capone (1995) starring Martin Sheen and F.
Murray Abraham and The Doorway (2000) with Roy Scheider, which he also directed. His memoirs, My Forty-Five Years
in Hollywood and How I Escaped Alive, were published in August 2010, by Bear Manor Media.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_B._Druxman)
Judy Canova: Singin' in the Corn!
Ben Ohmart
BearManor Media
www.bearmanormedia.com
9781593933166, $19.95, PB, 234pp
https://www.amazon.com/Judy-Canova-Singin-Ben-Ohmart/dp/1593933169
Synopsis: Judy Canova (November 20, 1913 - August 5, 1983), was an American comedienne, actress, singer and radio
personality who appeared on Broadway and in films. She hosted her own self-titled network radio program, a popular series
broadcast from 1943 to 1955.
"Judy Canova: Singin' in the Corn!" by Ben Ohmart is the first biography of a true American sweetheart and comedienne
Judy Canova! Packed from cover to cover with family interviews and rare, unpublished photos, "Judy Canova: Singin' in the
Corn!" rescue a true female pioneer comedian from an undeserved obscurity -- music/stage/film/radio star, Judy
Canova!
Critique: BearManor Media is a premier publisher of biographies and studies of entertainment figures who performed in any
or all of the major medias ranging from musical, burlesque, and stage play theaters, to radio broadcasts, movies, and
television programming. One of their newest (and best) illustrated biographies showcases the 20th Century entertainment
career of the one and only Judy Canova! While especially and unreservedly recommended for community and
college/university library American Actor/Entertainer Biography collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists
that "Singin' in the Corn" by Ben Ohmart is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95) and as a complete and
unabridged audiobook (9781504670227, $19.95, MP3-CD).
Editorial Note: Ben Ohmart has written books on voice actors Paul Frees and Walter Tetley, as well as biographies of Don
Ameche, the Bickersons, Disney composer Buddy Baker, playwright Tim Kelly, and others. He runs BearManor Media, a
small publishing company specializing in books on old radio and old film actors. There is a comprehensive listing of his
books online at https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/116144.Ben_Ohmart
Touring with Legends
Dennis Blair
BearManor Media
www.bearmanormedia.com
9781629336725, $24.00, PB, 250pp
https://www.amazon.com/Touring-Legends-comics-opening-Dangerfield/dp/1629336726
Synopsis: When he was in his mid-twenties, singer/songwriter/guitar player Dennis Blair parlayed a dreary, dead-end rut
performing for inattentive bar patrons into a standup comedy career.
He took his newly-developed song parodies and comic banter to a late-night audition at Dangerfield's in New York City,
hooked up with Rodney Dangerfield, and for the ensuing years became both a headliner in his own right as well as the
opening act for such luminaries as Rodney, Joan Rivers, Garry Shandling, Norm MacDonald, Tom Jones, the Beach Boys,
Gloria Estefan, the Four Tops, and many more, including an 18-year stint with the late, great George Carlin which lasted
until his death in 2008.
"Touring with Legends: A comic's tale of opening for Rodney Dangerfield, Joan Rivers, George Carlin, Tom Jones and
many more..." by Dennis Blair recounts in detail many of the not-seen-by-the-public "backstage" stories; the funny, the
triumphant, the tragic, the weird, the close encounters, the nightmare gigs, the friendships forged, the good times and the
bad times that Dennis experienced as a co-worker and a friend to many of the biggest names in show business during those
years.
It is also a testament to how you can never really plan how things will turn out.
Critique: A very special 'insider's biography that will hold particular and special value for readers with an interest in the
history and experience of being a professional stand-up comedian and opening act for some of the truly legendary
comedians and musicians, "Touring with Legends: A comic's tale of opening for Rodney Dangerfield, Joan Rivers, George
Carlin, Tom Jones and many more..." was originally published in hardcover by BearManor Media (2021). Now released in a
trade paperback edition, it continues to be a singularly unique and highly recommended picks for personal, professional,
community, and college/university library 'showbusiness' biography/memoir collections.
The Music Shelf
Bass Notes: Jazz in American Culture
Chuck Israels
Backbeat Books
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
9781493074846, $37.95, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bass-Notes-American-Culture-Personal/dp/1493074849
Synopsis: From his upbringing as a "red-diaper baby" among some of the leading lights of American music and Left
politics, to his legendary work as bassist for the Bill Evans trio, to his collaborations with such figures as Charles Mingus
and Billie Holiday, Chuck Israels has witnessed over a half-century of change and innovation in American jazz music.
With the publication of "Bass Notes: Jazz in American Culture: A Personal View " he offers up both an engaging memoir
and a meditation on the history of jazz music and its prospects for the future.
In addition to fascinating stories from his work with musicians like John Coltrane, Joan Baez, and Herbie Hancock, he gives
an inside view into the mysterious alchemy that happens when skilled jazz improvisers get together. As he explains, the
combination of disciplined collaboration and individual freedom is not just exhilarating for musicians, but an inspiring
reflection of, and model for, democracy and the potential for true racial equality.
Israels recounts his decision to leave Bill Evans's trio to deepen his musical education and develop as a composer -- and his
choice to not rejoin the trio in Evans's last years.
Citing such developments as the dominance of conservatory training and ill-advised crossover attempts with classical and
pop, he also gives an impassioned but unsentimental account of how jazz lost its primacy in the pantheon of American
music, even though it is America's most distinctive contribution to world music.
He also explores the obstacles that today's best young jazz musicians face following the giants of earlier generations and the
dwindling opportunities to make a living as a musician. But despite it all, Israels argues that jazz's enduring and rich legacy
will not be lost and shows how it can be not just sustained but broadened in the years to come.
Critique: Absolutely essential reading for all jazz musicians and fans, "Bass Notes: Jazz in American Culture: A Personal
View" by Chuck Israels is a seminal work offering a true 'insider's
perspective on the business and cultural aspects of jazz music as it has evolved over the past several decades. While
especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Music
History/Criticism collections and supplemental Jazz History curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students,
academia, jazz musicians and fans that "Bass Notes: Jazz in American Culture: A Personal View" is also readily available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $27.49).
Editorial Note: Chuck Israels (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Israels) is a composer, arranger, and bassist who has
worked with Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, Coleman Hawkins, Stan Getz, Herbie Hancock, J. J. Johnson, John Coltrane,
Gerry Mulligan, Nina Simone, the Kronos Quartet, and many others. He is best known for his work with the Bill Evans Trio
from 1961 through 1966 and his pioneering accomplishments in jazz repertory as director of the National Jazz Ensemble
from 1973 to 1981.
Deep Inside the Blues: Photographs and Interviews
Margo Cooper, author
University Press of Mississippi
www.upress.state.ms.us
9781496847416, $45.00, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Inside-Blues-Photographs-Interviews/dp/1496847415
Synopsis: "Deep Inside the Blues: Photographs and Interviews" collects thirty-four of Margo Cooper's interviews with blues
artists and is illustrated with over 160 of her photographs, many published here for the first time.
For thirty years, Cooper has been documenting the lives of blues musicians, their families and homes, neighborhoods,
festivals, and gigs. Her photographic work combines iconic late-career images of many legendary figures including Bo
Diddley, Honeyboy Edwards, B. B. King, Pinetop Perkins, and Hubert Sumlin with youthful shots of Cedric Burnside,
Shemekia Copeland, and Sharde Thomas, themselves now in their thirties and forties.
During this time, the Burnside and Turner families and other Mississippi artists such as T-Model Ford, James "Super
Chikan" Johnson, and L. C. Ulmer entered the national and international spotlight, ensuring the powerful connection
between authentic Delta, Hill Country, and Piney Woods blues musicians and their audience continues.
In 1993, Cooper began photographing in the clubs around New England, then in Chicago, and before long in Mississippi
and Helena, Arkansas. On her very first trips to Mississippi in 1997 and 1998, Cooper had the good fortune to photograph
Sam Carr, Frank Frost, Bobby Rush, and Otha Turner, among others. "The blues come out of the field," Ulmer told Cooper.
Seeing those fields, as well as the old juke joints, country churches, and people's homes, inspired her. She began recording
interviews with the musicians, sometimes over a period of years, listening and asking questions as their narratives
unfolded.
Many of the key blues players of the period have already passed, making their stories and Cooper's photographs of them all
the more poignant and valuable.
Critique: This large format (11.27 x 1.13 x 10.28 inches, 5.1 pounds) hardcover edition of "Deep Inside the Blues:
Photographs and Interviews" by author/photographer Margo Cooper is part of the University of Mississippi Press 'American
Made Music Series' and will prove of immense interest to students and fans of the southern music genre called The Blues --
and the musicians that created it. Informative enhanced for the reader's benefit, "Deep Inside the Blues: Photographs and
Interviews" includes a Foreword by William Ferris, a two page listing of Acknowledgments, twenty-four pages of Notes,
and a twelve page Index.
A compendium of original B/W photos of performers supported by their informative and succinct biographies, "Deep Inside
the Blues: Photographs and Interviews" is a very special and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional,
community, and college/university library American Music History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It
should be noted that "Deep Inside the Blues: Photographs and Interviews" is also available for students, academia, music
historians, dedicated Blues fans, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Deep Inside the
Blues: Photographs and Interviews" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note #1: Margo Cooper (http://www.margocooper.com) is a photographer and oral historian working in the classic
documentary tradition. She is a longtime contributing writer and photographer for Living Blues magazine. Her work has
also appeared in the New York Times Lens blog.
Editorial Note #2: William R. Ferris is the Joel R. Williamson Eminent Professor of History Emeritus at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the senior associate director emeritus of its Center for the Study of the American South.
The former chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities (1997-2001), Ferris has written or edited ten books,
created fifteen documentary films, and his most recent work Voices of Mississippi won two Grammy Awards for Best Liner
Notes and for Best Historical Album in 2019.
Rock Music, Authority and Western Culture, 1964-1980
James A. Cosby
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476693699, $39.95, PB, 296pp
https://www.amazon.com/Music-Authority-Western-Culture-1964-1980/dp/1476693692
Synopsis: The history of rock and roll music can be seen in a long arc of Western civilization's struggle for both greater
individual expression and societal stability. In the 1960s, the West's relationship with authority ruptured, in part due to the
rock revolution. The lessons and implications of this era have yet to be fully grasped.
With the publication of "Rock Music, Authority and Western Culture, 1964-1980", James A. Cosby examines the key
artists, music, and events of the classic rock era (defined here as 1964 to 1980) through a virtual psychoanalysis of the West.
Over these years, important truths unfold in the stories of British Invaders, hippies, proto-punks, and more, as well as topics
to include drugs, primal scream therapy, the occult, spirituality, and disco and its detractors, to name just a few.
Through a narrative that is equal parts entertaining, scholarly, and even spiritual, readers will gain a greater appreciation for
rock music, better understand the confusing world we live in today, and see how greater individuality and social stability
may be better reconciled moving forward.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of thirty-six pages of Chapter Notes, an eight
page Bibliography, and a seven page Index, "Rock Music, Authority and Western Culture, 1964-1980" is a seminal and
ground-breaking study that will prove to be of immense value for readers with an interest in the history and
cultural/social/political impact of rock music in American and around the world. Recommended for personal, professional,
community, and college/university collections, "Rock Music, Authority and Western Culture, 1964-1980" is especially
commended for supplemental Popular Culture/Social Science curriculum studies lists. Of special note is that "Rock Music,
Authority and Western Culture, 1964-1980" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.49) for students,
academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.
Editorial Note: James A. Cosby (www.popmatters.com/author/james_a_cosby) is an attorney and a regular contributor on
pop culture matters for PopMatters.com and other outlets.
The Art Shelf
Drawing on Blue: European Drawings on Blue Paper, 1400s - 1700s
Edina Adam, author
Michelle Sullivan, author
Getty Publications
www.getty.edu/publications
9781606068670, $35.00, PB, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Blue-European-Drawings-1400s-1700s/dp/1606068679
Synopsis: Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Edina Adam and Michelle Sullian, "Drawing on Blue: European
Drawings on Blue Paper, 1400s - 1700s" reveals the rich history of art and blue paper, ranging from the late fifteenth to the
mid-eighteenth centuries, and illuminates themes of transcultural interchange, international trade, and global reach.
Through the examination of significant works, "Drawing on Blue: European Drawings on Blue Paper, 1400s - 1700s"
investigates considerations of supply, use, economics, and innovative creative practice. How did the materials necessary for
the production of blue paper reach artistic centers? How were these materials produced and used in various regions? Why
did they appeal to artists, and how did they impact artistic practice and come to be associated with regional artistic
identities? How did commercial, political, and cultural relations, and the mobility of artists, enable the dispersion of these
materials and related techniques?
Bringing together the work of the world's leading specialists, "Drawing on Blue: European Drawings on Blue Paper, 1400s -
1700s" is striking publication that is destined to become essential reading on the history, materials, and techniques of
drawings executed for a three century span on blue paper.
Critique: Profusely and beautifully illustrated throughout, this large format 8 x 0.6 x 10 inches, 1.5 pounds) trade paperback
edition of "Drawing on Blue: European Drawings on Blue Paper, 1400s - 1700s" is comprised of eight erudite and insightful
articles, a bibliography, and an index. A work of impressive and informative scholarship, "Drawing on Blue: European
Drawings on Blue Paper, 1400s - 1700s" is an extraordinary and fully recommended addition to personal, professional,
community, art school, and college/university library Art History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It
should be noted for art history students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"Drawing on Blue: European Drawings on Blue Paper, 1400s - 1700s" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $33.25).
Manga Now!
Keeth Sparrow
Search Press Ltd.
https://www.searchpress.com
9781800920514, $19.95, PB, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Manga-Now-action-figures-graphic/dp/1800920512
Synopsis: Expressly designed for aspiring (and practicing) manga artists wanting to add more power, speed and drama to
their drawings "Manga Now!: How to draw action figures for graphic novels" by Keith Sparrow is an action-packed DIY
guide to drawing action manga and contains all the basics followed by 17 action-packed step-by-step pin-ups for the
aspiring graphic novelist.
Written and illustrated by manga artist Keith Sparrow, "Manga Now!: How to draw action figures for graphic novels" is
comprehensive and inspiring guide that starts with an introduction to manga basics, the continues by showing you how to
create the ideal workspace, how to overcome fear of a blank page, and how to draw all the elements you will need, from
hands and eyes to perspective and light and shade.. It guides you step by step through 17 exciting, action-packed pin-ups -
allowing you to explore a range of poses, characters and perspectives.
Follow the step by steps and the basic techniques to build up your confidence and before you know it you'll be creating your
own action drawings and characters!
Critique: This large format (8.56 x 0.53 x 11 inches, 1.44 pounds) paperback edition of Keith Sparrow's "Manga Now!:
How to draw action figures for graphic novels" from Search Press is an ideal, comprehensive, and thoroughly 'user friendly'
DIY instructional reference guide and 'how to' manual that is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, art school, and college/university library Art/Illustration Instruction collections and curriculum
studies lists. It should be noted that "Manga Now!: How to draw action figures for graphic novels" is also readily available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.95).
Editorial Note: Keith Sparrow is an artist, writer and performer living in the UK. He runs regular manga drawing clubs and
workshops across Cornwall and Devon, and has written and illustrated several books on the art of manga. Keith is a
passionate believer in the art of visual storytelling and through his workshops seeks to inspire young artists to express
themselves and their ideas through the art of manga. He can be followed on Instagram: @sparrowmanga and Facebook:
Ato-gami (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/965629.Keith_Sparrow)
Step-by-Step Manga
Gecko Keck
Search Press Ltd.
https://www.searchpress.com
9781800921733, $19.95, PB, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Step-Step-Manga-Gecko-Keck/dp/180092173X
Synopsis: With the publication of "Step-by-Step Manga" by Gecko Keck, aspiring manga artists can learn all the tricks they
need to make their manga characters come alive!
An ideal DIY introductory course for anyone who wants to learn how to draw in the popular manga style, "Step-by-Step
Manga" by manga artist and illustrator Gecko Keck guides the reader through clear, step-by-step instructions on how to
draw manga, from representing hands and faces, depicting movement and proportion as well as how to portray different
clothing and poses for male and female figures.
Of special note is the guidance on depicting shojos, chibis and shonen which are also included in "Step-by-Step
Manga".
Critique: Thoroughly 'user friendly' in instruction, organization and presentation, "Step-by-Step Manga" will prove an
immensely popular pick for personal, professional, community, art school, and college/university library Manga Art
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists -- as well as ideal for personal DIY 'how-to' studies for art students and
aspiring manga artists.
Editorial Note: Gecko Keck (real name: Gerhard Worner) was born November 1967 in Stuttgart, Germany. He is a German
artist, designer and author. Among other things, he was involved in the toy development of the FERRERO Kinder Surprise
eggs.
The Ultimate Guide to Manga Fashion
Rabimaru
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805317532, $18.99, PB, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Manga-Fashion-Clothing/dp/4805317531
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Ultimate Guide to Manga Fashion: Learn to Draw Realistic Clothing--from
Streetwear to High Fashion", manga artist and illustrated Rabimaru shows how to create realistic-looking outfits and
one-of-a-kind looks for manga and anime characters, as well as designing amazing creations for any cosplay event.
Rabimaru is also Japan's leading fashion illustrator and with "The Ultimate Guide to Manga Fashion" shows how to develop
a distinctively unique manga fashion vocabulary!
A comprehensive fashion sourcebook, aspiring artists will learn to create an array of stunning outfits including stylish
separates and original ensembles. Rabimaru then shows how to add realistic details, folds, creases, contours and shadows
that will make manga and anime characters truly come alive!
From casual classics to high fashion, "The Ultimate Guide to Manga Fashion" features: Streetwear and basics from T-shirts
and hoodies to the frilliest of skirts; Business and formalwear for polished professionals and fashionistas; School uniforms
and sailor suits for casual cosplay inspiration; Sneakers, shoes and accessories to complete each look.
Critique: With more than 1000 illustrations, "The Ultimate Guide to Manga Fashion: Learn to Draw Realistic Clothing --
from Streetwear to High Fashion" is the ideal DIY guide to developing an individually distinctive signature style or
designing an eye-catching costume for a cosplay event. While a very highly recommended pick for personal, professional,
community, art school, and college/university Pop Culture Art instructional reference collections, it should be noted that
"The Ultimate Guide to Manga Fashion: Learn to Draw Realistic Clothing -- from Streetwear to High Fashion" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.49).
Editorial Note: Rabimaru is a fashion-focused illustrator who is known for her popular Twitter tips, which have received
over 50,000 retweets. She also demonstrates clothing-drawing methods and techniques that beginners can easily learn on
pixiv FANBOX or check her out at pixivID: 1525713 and on Twitter @rabimaru_t
The Mythology Shelf
Encyclopedia of the Holy Grail
Jeffrey John Dixon
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476687940, $29.95, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Holy-Grail-Jeffrey-Dixon/dp/1476687943
Synopsis: In the twelfth century, a French poet wrote a verse romance about a young knight who witnesses a mysterious
procession centered on a radiant vessel called a "grail". Left unfinished, the poem inspired other writers of prose and verse,
until the story was completely rewritten into the Arthurian romances, in which the vessel becomes a relic of the Last Supper,
the Holy Grail.
For hundreds of years, the Grail story has haunted the western imagination. But the original medieval texts are full of
inconsistencies, as different writers attempted to complete the story in various ways. "Encyclopedia of the Holy Grail" by
Jeffrey John Dixon is an encyclopedic informational resource that illuminates a path through the Perilous Forest of literature
and legend.
The entries comprising "Encyclopedia of the Holy Grail" summarize the stories of the principal characters, sacred objects
and places associated with the Grail. An Afterword shows how mysteries of the grail continue to enchant the scholars and
creative writers who have transformed the medieval legend into modern mythology.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of an informative Introduction (The Absent Path), an
Afterword (Higher Mysteries: Grail Initiation as Twentieth Century Mythology), three Appendices (The Grail Chronology;
The Medieval Grail Literature; The Company of the Grail: Some Twentieth Century Writers), a six page Bibliography, and a
two page Index. Of special interest and value to students, academicians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest
in European Mythology in general, Arthurian Folklore in particular, "Encyclopedia of the Holy Grail" is unreservedly
recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library collections. It should be noted that
"Encyclopedia of the Holy Grail" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) as well.
Editorial Note: After studying English literature at Sussex University, Jeffrey John Dixon traveled widely and now lives and
writes in the United Kingdom,
The Egyptology Shelf
Dendera, Temple of Time
Jose Maria Barrera
Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
www.innertraditions.com
9781644118344, $60.00, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dendera-Temple-Time-Celestial-Ancient/dp/1644118343
Synopsis: Egypt is famous for its pyramids, the Sphinx, the temples at Luxor, and the Valley of the Kings, but 40 miles
north of Luxor lies the best-preserved temple complex in all of Egypt: The Temple of Dendera, known for the famous
"Zodiac of Dendera" now housed in the Louvre Museum. Within the portico leading into the Hathor temple at Dendera is a
little-known outstanding achievement of humanity: an extensive colored bas-relief (larger than the ceiling of the Sistine
Chapel) meticulously encoded with the sophisticated astronomical knowledge of ancient Egypt.
Drawing on more than 5,000 high-resolution photographs he has taken at the Temple of Dendera, photographer and
computer scientist Jose Maria Barrera, "Dendera, Temple of Time: The Celestial Wisdom of Ancient Egypt" presents a
complete full-color photographic reconstruction of the ceiling of the pronaos at Dendera and reveals in detail how each
panel represents celestial cycles of time from the Precession of the Equinoxes to the annual cycles of life found along the
Nile.
Barrera also explains the meaning of the layout of the ceiling as it relates to the present, the past, eternity, the hours of the
day, the phases of the moon, the constellations used in ancient Egyptian astronomy, and the Great Solar Year.
Barrera also provides detailed analysis of each panel, including close-up photos, and explains each panel's astronomical and
spiritual significance from the ancient Egyptian perspective as well as examining the myths, gods, and goddesses
depicted.
Also included is an appendix exploring the meaning and symbology of ancient Egyptian iconography.
Allowing the reader to experience the vivid details of this ancient work of art and science, this photographic exploration also
recreates the sense of spiritual awe and power the Temple of Dendera radiates to its visitors, whether today or millennia
ago.
Critique: This magnificent, large format (12 x 0.8 x 9 inches, 2.88 pounds), hardcover edition of "Dendera, Temple of Time:
The Celestial Wisdom of Ancient Egypt" is an impressive study that will prove of special value for readers with an interest
in Ancient Egyptian history, art, astrology, astronomy, and metaphysics. A volume to be savored page by page, "Dendera,
Temple of Time: The Celestial Wisdom of Ancient Egypt" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, and college/university supplemental Egyptology curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for
students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Dendera, Temple of Time: The
Celestial Wisdom of Ancient Egypt" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $40.99).
Editorial Note: Jose Maria Barrera is a software engineer and application architect, specializing in data representation and
languages, who has been fascinated by alchemy and Egyptian culture for more than 20 years. An avid photographer, his
work has been exhibited in galleries in Chicago and New York City and sold at Sotheby's Auctions. Born in Colombia, he
holds a master's degree in computer science.
The Native American Studies Shelf
Sharing Our Knowledge
Sergei Kan, editor
University of Nebraska Press
www.nebraskapress.unl.edu
9780803240568, $65.00, HC, 544pp
https://www.amazon.com/Sharing-Our-Knowledge-Tlingit-Neighbors/dp/0803240562
Synopsis: "Sharing Our Knowledge: The Tlingit and Their Coastal Neighbors" brings together Native elders, tradition
bearers, educators, cultural activists, anthropologists, linguists, historians, and museum professionals to explore the culture,
history, and language of the Tlingit people of southeast Alaska and their coastal neighbors. These interdisciplinary,
collaborative essays present Tlingit culture, as well as the culture of their coastal neighbors, not as an object of study but
rather as a living heritage that continues to inspire and guide the lives of communities and individuals throughout southeast
Alaska and northwest British Columbia.
"Sharing Our Knowledge: The Tlingit and Their Coastal Neighbors" focuses on the preservation and dissemination of
Tlingit language, traditional cultural knowledge, and history from an activist Tlingit perspective. It also highlights a variety
of collaborations between Native groups and individuals and non-Native researchers, emphasizing a long history of
respectful, cooperative, and productive working relations aimed at recording and transmitting cultural knowledge for tribal
use and promoting Native agency in preserving heritage.
By focusing on these collaborations, the contributors demonstrate how such alliances have benefitted the Tlingits and
neighboring groups in preserving and protecting their heritage while advancing scholarship at the same time.
Critique: A seminal and ground-breaking work of collective scholarship, the twenty-four articles comprising "Sharing Our
Knowledge: The Tlingit and Their Coastal Neighbors" are informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the addition
of illustrations, an Appendix (An Outline of the Traditional Tlingit Social and Ceremonial System), a complete listing of the
contributors and their credentials, and a three page Index. A welcome and unreservedly recommended addition to personal,
professional, community, and college/university Native American Studies collections and supplemental Indigenous
Anthropology curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that "Sharing Our Knowledge: The Tlingit and Their Coastal Neighbors" is also available in a
paperback edition ($45.00).
Editorial Note #1: Sergei Kan is a professor of anthropology at Dartmouth College. He is the editor and author of several
books, including Russian American Photographer in Tlingit Country: Vincent Soboleff in Alaska; Memory Eternal: Tlingit
Culture and Russian Orthodox Christianity through Two Centuries; and Symbolic Immortality: Tlingit Potlatch of the
Nineteenth Century. Kan visits southeastern Alaska regularly and has been actively involved in organizing periodic Tlingit
clan conferences.
Editorial Note #2: Steve Henrikson is a curator of collections at the Alaska State Museum and is an adjunct instructor at the
University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau. He specializes in Tlingit material culture and art. Henrikson has lived in Alaska,
for many years.
The Business Shelf
Winning with Data Science
Howard Steven Friedman, author
Akshay Swaminathan, author
Columbia Business School Publishing
c/o Columbia University Press
https://cup.columbia.edu
9780231206860, $27.95, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Winning-Data-Science-Handbook-Business/dp/0231206860
Synopsis: Whether you are a newly minted MBA graduate or a seasoned project manager at a Fortune 500 company, data
science will play a major role in your career. Knowing how to communicate effectively with data scientists in order to
obtain maximum value from their expertise is essential.
Co-authored by Howard Steven Friedman and Akshay Swaminathan,"Winning with Data Science: A Handbook for
Business Leaders " is a compelling and comprehensive guide to data science, emphasizing its real-world business
applications and focusing on how to collaborate productively with data science teams.
Taking an engaging narrative approach, "Winning with Data Science" covers the fundamental concepts without getting
bogged down in complex equations or programming languages. It also provides clear explanations of key terms, tools, and
techniques, that are illustrated through practical examples.
"Winning with Data Science" walks readers through each step of managing a data science project, from understanding the
different roles on a data science team to identifying the right software. It equips readers with critical questions to ask data
analysts, statisticians, data scientists, and other technical experts to avoid wasting time and money.
Critique: Impressively informative, exceptionally well written, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in both organization and
presentation, "Winning with Data Science: A Handbook for Business Leaders" is essential reading for anyone who works
with data science teams or is interested in the practical side of the subject. While especially and unreservedly recommended
for personal, professional, academic, corporate, and college/university library Business Management, Decision Making, and
Data Mining instructional reference collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for
students, academia, corporate executives and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Winning
with Data Science: A Handbook for Business Leaders" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note #1: Howard Steven Friedman, an adjunct professor at Columbia University, is a data scientist with decades of
experience leading analytics projects in the private and public sectors. His previous books, including Ultimate Price (2020)
and Measure of a Nation (2012), have been translated into many languages and featured on national media.
Editorial Note #2: Akshay Swaminathan is a data scientist who works on strengthening health systems. He has more than
forty peer-reviewed publications, and his work has been featured in the New York Times and STAT. Previously at Flatiron
Health, he currently leads the data science team at Cerebral and is a Knight-Hennessy scholar at Stanford University School
of Medicine.
The 12-Week MBA
Bjorn Billhardt, author
Nathan Kracklauer, author
Hachette Go
c/o Hachette Book Group
www.hachettebookgroup.com
9780306832369, $30.00, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/12-Week-MBA-Learn-Skills-Business/dp/0306832364
Synopsis: Getting an MBA takes a lot of time and serious money, making it inaccessible to many people who want to take
charge in the business world.
With the publication of "The 12-Week MBA: Learn the Skills You Need to Lead in Business Today", co-authors Bjorn
Billhardt and Nathan Kracklauer offers an alternative way to learn business essentials by focusing on the skills and
knowledge required to succeed as both a manager and a business leader.
The unique premise of "The 12-Week MBA" is that business leaders in any industry, any function, and at any level need the
same core knowledge, skills, and attitudes to effectively manage and lead. That core consists of working through and with
other people to create value while using financial concepts and metrics to maximize the value created for all company
stakeholders.
The timeless essence of managing numbers and leading people can be learned in less time and at a lower cost than in a
traditional two-year MBA, where much of the curriculum may become obsolete by the time students graduate.
Co-authors Bjorn Billhardt and Nathan Kracklauer are senior executives at Abilitie, a global leadership development
company that has served over 100,000 learners in fifty countries. Abilitie's clients include some of the world's most
recognizable brands such as Coca-Cola, The New York Times, and Dell. Now the key lessons from Abilitie's 12- Week
MBA curriculum are available in an accessible format and an engaging guide.
Critique: Providing an ideal and DIY approach, "The 12-Week MBA: Learn the Skills You Need to Lead in Business
Today" is impressively comprehensive, exceptionally informative, and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and
presentation. "The 12-Week MBA" offers a seasoned wealth of practical tips for managers and aspiring business leaders that
are firmly based on the corporate in-service training workshops by Abilitie, -- a business leadership program taught to
professionals at global Fortune 500 companies. While unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community,
corporate, and college/university library business management, leadership, motivation, and education theory collections and
supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that "The 12-Week MBA" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $15.99).
Editorial Note #1: Bjorn Billhardt is CEO and founder of Abilitie, a global leadership development company. Prior to
launching Abilitie, Bjorn co-founded Enspire Learning, an early pioneer of e-learning programs and business simulations, in
2001. Bjorn holds a BA from the University of Texas and an MBA from Harvard Business School. A native of Hamburg,
Germany, he came to the US as an exchange student in high school and now lives in Texas.
Editorial Note #2: Nathan Kracklauer leads Abilitie's research and development efforts as Chief Research Officer. Nathan
has facilitated leadership seminars at leading companies and at executive education programs at IMD Business School.
Nathan holds a BA and a BS from the University of Texas and an MA from the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat in
Munich. Born in Falls Church, Virginia, Nathan now lives in Germany.
The Computer Shelf
Arduino for Arduinians
John Boxall
No Starch Press
www.nostarch.com
9781718502789, $39.99, PB, 488pp
https://www.amazon.com/Arduino-Arduinians-John-Boxall/dp/1718502788
Synopsis: Arduino is an Italian open-source hardware and software company, project, and user community that designs and
manufactures single-board microcontrollers and microcontroller kits for building digital devices. Its hardware products are
licensed under a CC BY-SA license, while the software is licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL)
or the GNU General Public License (GPL), permitting the manufacture of Arduino boards and software distribution by
anyone. Arduino boards are available commercially from the official website or through authorized distributors.
(Wikipedia)
For Arduino programmers who've mastered the basics, "Arduino for Arduinians: 70 Projects for the Experienced
Programmer" by John Boxall is the next step toward becoming an expert Arduinian. You wil be able tol build 70 complex
and practical projects with this versatile microcontroller platform and gain advanced skills to design reliable, professional,
user-friendly creations.
You will also be able to remote-control your Arduino via Bluetooth and instant messaging, improve the accuracy of clock
projects with internet time servers, and automatically turn your Arduino off when it completes a task. You will also be able
to safely control AC mains power and higher currents and conserve battery with low-power and sleep modes. Additionally,
you will also learn to use Charlieplexing to control LED matrix displays, keep your Arduino running with a watchdog timer,
communicate over longer wired distances with the RS232 and RS485 buses, and much more.
Along the way, you'll build fun and useful devices like:
A camera-enabled circuit to stream videos
An MP3 player to listen to audio of your choice
A CAN bus circuit to gather speed and engine data from your car
A web server to display data captured with an ESP32 board
A PS/2 keyboard to improve your user interfaces and easily enter and display data
Guided by Arduino master John Boxall, you will harness dozens of sensors, motors, displays, and techniques to bring your
own expert inventions to life.
Critique: There is a basic requirement in that the "Arduino for Arduinians: 70 Projects for the Experienced Programmer"
requires the reader to have mastered Arduino Uno and other Arduino-compatible microcontrollers and USBasp
programmers. Some projects may require other inexpensive parts. Comprehensive, exceptionally well written, and
thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Arduino for Arduinians: 70 Projects for the Experienced
Programmer" is a significant and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Computer Science & Software collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be
noted that "Arduino for Arduinians: 70 Projects for the Experienced Programmer" is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $23.99).
Editorial Note: John Boxall, is the author of "Arduino Workshop" (No Starch Press), and has been an electronics enthusiast
for over 30 years, spending much of that time in the electronics retail, wholesale, and consulting fields. He also spent
several years writing Arduino tutorials, projects, and reviews of kits and accessories at www.tronixstuff.com
The Archaeology Shelf
New Deal Archaeology in the West
Kelly J. Pool, editor
Mark L. Howe, editor
The University of Utah Press
www.uofupress.com
9781647691301, $65.00, HC, 392pp
https://www.amazon.com/Deal-Archaeology-West-Kelly-Pool/dp/1647691303
Synopsis: From 1933 to 1944, a wide range of archaeological and cultural heritage projects were funded across this country
as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs. The results of work east of the Mississippi River are amply
documented in other publications. However, little has been reported or synthesized regarding western archaeological work,
its role in economic recovery, or its impact on the direction and knowledge of the discipline. Collaboratively compiled and
co-edited by the team of Kelly J. Pool and Mark L. Howe, "New Deal Archaeology in the West" shares previously untold
stories of New Deal archaeology from across the American West and explores insights into the past revealed by these
projects.
Descriptions of New Deal projects and their contributions to our understanding of the past, as well as the stories of those
involved (archaeologists, avocationalists, and others) are deftly woven together across the chapters comprising "New Deal
Archaeology in the West".
Also documented are lost or scattered artifacts, records, and ancestors' remains; incomplete analyses; unpublished reports;
inconsistent application of scientific methodology; and the loss of Native sacred sites and traditional lands and
lifeways.
The contributors also highlight characteristics that distinguished the American West from the East during the Depression
and affected the nature of New Deal projects, including the extent of federal land available in the West, the reliance of
sparsely populated areas upon tourism, the presence of large resident Native populations with deep histories, and the
wide-ranging degree of existing archaeology infrastructure in each state.
"New Deal Archaeology in the West" demonstrates that despite regional differences, New Deal-funded archaeological and
cultural heritage projects created a legacy of knowledge and practice across the nation.
Critique: A seminal and ground-breaking work of meticulous collective scholarship, "New Deal Archaeology in the West"
is comprised of 12 erudite articles and is additionally enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of Figures and
Tables, sixty-eight pages of References, a two page listing of the contributors and their credentials, and a seventeen page
Index. "New Deal Archaeology in the West" is especially and unreservedly recommended as a core addition to personal,
professional, community, and college/university library American Archaeological History collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Kelly J. Pool is an archaeologist and principal investigator at Metcalf Archaeological Consultants, Inc. in
Eagle, CO.
Editorial Note #2: Mark L. Howe is the cultural resources specialist at the United States Section, International Boundary and
Water Commission (USIBWC), in El Paso, TX.
The Photography Shelf
Burlesque
Jane Briggeman
BearManor Media
www.bearmanormedia.com
9798887713991, $35.00, PB, 262pp
https://www.amazon.com/Burlesque-Photograph-Collection-Legendary-Richards/dp/B0CVLSGFN3
Synopsis: In 2021, after the death of talking woman and dancer Lorraine Lee, Jane Briggeman received the photograph
collection of Lee's late husband, comic Dick Richards. Dick began working in burlesque in the late 1930s. The couple often
worked together for Harold Minsky; they had been married for 35 years when Dick died. For nearly 30 years Lorraine
moved these photographs around with her after his death. They meant a great deal to her. "Burlesque: The Photograph
Collection of Legendary Comic Dick Richards" is a unique and very special memorial tribute to the age of Burlesque in a
compendium of 287 photographs.
Critique: Each individual B/W photo is captioned with the name of the performer. The informative commentary is
condensed into a nine page introduction (Burlesque: A Photographic Collection), with the photos segregated by gender --
150 pages of the female performers, 56 pages of male performers. A treasury of nostalgia and a 'must' for dedicated
Burlesque fans and historians, this large format (7 x 0.6 x 10 inche, 1.01 pounds) paperback edition of "Burlesque: The
Photograph Collection of Legendary Comic Dick Richards" is a 'once in a lifetime' pick for personal, professional,
community, and college/university library Burlesque Theatre collections and supplemental American Theatrical History
curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Author and Burleque historian Jane Briggeman has a complete listing of her books online at
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/447163.Jane_Briggeman
The Travel Shelf
Arctic Traverse
Michael Engelhard
Mountaineers Books
www.mountaineersbooks.org
9781680516784, $21.95 pbk / $16.49 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Arctic-Traverse-Thousand-Mile-Summer-Trekking/dp/1680516787
Synopsis: A lyrical memoir that interweaves wilderness, homeland, cultural connections, historical figures, humor, and
gritty experiences across northern Alaska, "Arctic Traverse: A Thousand-Mile Summer of Trekking the Brooks Range"
takes its readers along on a once-in-a-lifetime journey.
From the award-winning author Michael Engelhard, "Arctic Traverse: A Thousand-Mile Summer of Trekking the Brooks
Range", is an intimate exploration of Alaska's northernmost mountain range with observations on Indigenous cultures,
conservation, and intense cross-country travel, all shaped by respect for the land.
Readers will follow author and outdoors enthusiast Engelhard through tussock-studded tundra for a remarkable tale of bear
encounters and white-knuckled river moments, as well as poetic reflections on a vast, untamed landscape.
A trained anthropologist, Engelhard evokes classic writers like Edward Abbey, Barry Lopez, and Ellen Meloy with
profound dives into human and natural history and vivid meditations on Alaskan wildlife, flora, and geology. When he
embarked on this thru-hike, fewer people had completed it solo in a single push than had dived to the floor of the Mariana
Trench, the deepest part of Earth's oceans.
Much more than simply a captivating account of a human-powered solo thru-hike and float (which is very much is!), "Arctic
Traverse" goes on to illuminates the spirit of Alaska, drawing on encounters with Indigenous elders, guided clients,
scientists, and others as well as on Engelhard's long-held dream and his experiences of the land itself.
Critique: This compact paperback edition of "Arctic Traverse: A Thousand-Mile Summer of Trekking the Brooks Range"
from Mountaineers Books is an inherently fascinating and informative read from start to finish. Especially and specifically
recommended for community and college/university library Travel/Travelogue collections, it should be noted for the
personal reading lists of those interested in mountain climbing, winter sports, and Arctic Polar exploration that "Arctic
Traverse: A Thousand-Mile Summer of Trekking the Brooks Range" is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $16.94).
Editorial Note: A cultural anthropologist and an outdoor instructor for twenty-five years, Michael Engelhard
(https://michaelengelhard.com) specialized in land use, subsistence, and symbolic aspects of landscapes. He has edited four
anthologies and is the recipient of several literary awards, including a Rasmuson Individual Artist Award and three Alaska
Press Club Awards. His writing has been featured in Outside, Audubon, and National Parks. Engelhard is the author of
several books, including Ice Bear, Where the Rain Children Sleep, and the forthcoming essay collections No Walk in the
Park and What the River Knows.
The Gardening Shelf
Outside In: A Year of Growing and Displaying
Sean A. Pritchard
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Books
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781784728854, $39.99, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Outside-growing-displaying-Sean-Pritchard/dp/1784728853
Synopsis: With the publication of "Outside In: A Year of Growing and Displaying", garden designer Sean Pritchard shows
aspiring and novice gardeners how to plan a garden so that every month of the year there's something to bring indoors and
display in an engaging way and divided by season with additional chapters on vessels, scent, color, texture and how to plan
for the gardening year.
From the cheery joy of early spring daffodils to the velvety richness of late-summer dahlias, the deep glow of golden autumn
leaves to the optimism of late-winter catkins, Sean explains, step-by-step, how to grow, harvest, and arrange an abundance
of nature's treasure -- whatever size your gardening plot or your level of previous horticultural experience.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated in full color throughout, this large format (7.9 x 0.81 x 9.6 inches, 2.53
pounds) hardcover edition from Mitchell Beazley of "Outside In: A Year of Growing and Displaying" is extraordinarily
comprehensive and throughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation. Essential reading for the beginning gardener
and flower arranger, "Outside In: A Year of Growing and Displaying" has a great deal of value for even the more
experienced horticultural or home gardener. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99), "Outside In: A
Year of Growing and Displaying" is a very special and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional,
community, and college/university library Contemporary Gardening & Flower Arranging instructional reference
collections.
The Needlecraft Shelf
Tunisian Crochet - The Japanese Way
Nihon Voeue
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9780804857055, $19.99, HC, 96pp
https://www.amazon.com/Tunisian-Crochet-Japanese-Knitting-Japanese-style/dp/0804857059
Synopsis: Tunisian crochet is the knitwork style that combines the cast-on method of knitting with the hook method of
crochet, resulting in fabrics that look woven as well as knitted. "Tunisian Crochet - The Japanese Way: Combine the Best of
Knitting and Crochet Using Clear Japanese-style Charts & Symbols" gives knitting and crochet enthusiasts a chance to
create beautiful patterns and textures using the clear chart-and-symbol method of visual notation pioneered in Japan and
now popular worldwide.
Featured are step-by-step illustrations for 13 classic stitches are provided, along with the 20 stylish projects that include:
Wave Stitch (used to create an intricate multi-colored shrug; Seed Stitch (perfect fun bags of all sizes, from a fabulous
drawstring bucket bag (with a scallop stitch) to a beautifully patterned pencil case); Cube Stitch (you will enjoy using this to
make a colorful vest and splashy tippet; Domino Stitch (a versatile stitch that can be used to create an elegant beret) -- and
and a great many more!
Each individual project comes with complete instructions and schematics. A dedicated section at the end shows you in detail
how to execute each stitch, providing visual references to help you perfect your skills.
Critique: This large format hardcover edition of "Tunisian Crochet - The Japanese Way: Combine the Best of Knitting and
Crochet Using Clear Japanese-style Charts & Symbols" from Tuttle Publishing is an ideal addition to the needlecraft
instructional reference collections of "technique collectors" and crochet needlecrafters looking for new angles and new
challenges for their projects. Profusely illustrated and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, and also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99) "Tunisian Crochet - The Japanese Way" is a very special and
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft. Folkcraft, and Fiber Arts
collections.
Pocket Amigurumi Monsters
Sabrina Somers
Search Press Ltd.
https://www.searchpress.com
9781800922495, $19.95, PB, 112pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Amigurumi-Monsters-creatures-crochet/dp/1800922493
Synopsis: Amigurumi is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small, stuffed yarn creatures. Amigurumi vary in size and
there are no restrictions about size or look. While the art of amigurumi has been known in Japan for several decades, the
craft first started appealing to the masses in other countries, especially in the West, in 2003. By 2006, amigurumi were
reported to be some of the most popular items on Etsy, an online craft marketplace, where they typically sold for $10 to
$100. (Wikipedia)
These loveable little amigurumi monsters are so cute and quick to crochet, needlecrafters will want to make them all that are
featured in "Pocket Amigurumi Monsters: 20 cute creatures to crochet and collect". At 4in high, these manga-inspired
plushie creatures are perfect little companions that can peek out of your pocket.
Using just one size hook, crochet your partner or a whole team of beasts with unique powers, from a sprout-like sidekick
and spiky wolf guardian, to a springy mouse and a fiery cat! Suitable for crocheters of all abilities, these tiny collectibles
make awesome gifts and mini makes for any age.
"Pocket Amigurumi Monsters" features 20 mini monsters to crochet and collect. Only one size crochet hook needed. Easy to
follow, step-by-step instructions with templates in a handy-sized book are provided.
Critique: An ideal DIY instruction guide and 'how-to' manual featuring 20 loveable little amigurumi monsters to crochet and
collect, and which range from sprout-like sidekicks and spiky wolf companions, to leaf foxes and fiery cats, templates
included are included in "Pocket Amigurumi Monsters" by Sabrina Somers is a unique and very special pick for personal,
professional, community library Needlecraft instructional reference collections. It should be noted that "Pocket Amigurumi
Monsters" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.05).
Editorial Note: Sabrina Smers first discovered amigurumi in 2014. After using a variety of different books and online
videos, Sabrina taught herself how to crochet in two weeks. She now designs her own patterns and sells them on her
website, Sabrina's Crochet, Etsy, Revelry and Love Knitting. She is the author of Pocket Amigurumi and Pokemon Crochet.
She lives with her son and two cats in Amsterdam, Netherlands. For patterns and more information about the author, visit
her website: www.sabrinasomers.com
The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Chinese Furniture: A Guide for Collectors
Karen Mazurkewich
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9780804857567, $24.99, PB, 244pp
https://www.tuttlepublishing.com/china/chinese-furniture-9780804857567
Synopsis: The international market for antique Chinese furniture is booming, and masterpieces from the Ming and Qing
dynasties are now selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars. "Chinese Furniture: A Guide for Collectors" is a survey of
these collectibles, ranging from the very best museum-quality hardwood pieces, to standard softwood specimens still
available at reasonable prices on the international market.
Chinese carpenters from this era were artisans. They elevated furniture from the functional to the realm of the philosophical.
By artfully aligning wood grain patterns, experimenting with spatial dimensions, and innovating new forms of joinery,
simple tables and chairs came to represent something higher -- the harmony and union of man and nature.
Lavishly illustrated with over 300 color photographs, historical prints and detailed drawings, "Chinese Furniture: A Guide
for Collectors" by Karen Mazurkewich presents an overview of: Carving Styles; Wood Types; Regional Variations; Class
Distinctions; Restoration Techniques --
and so much more!
With its detailed historical overview and regional coverage, "Chinese Furniture: A Guide for Collectors" highlights the great
diversity of antique Chinese furniture and serves as an indispensable guide to collectors, new and old.
Critique: This large format paperback edition of Karen Muzurkewich's "Chinese Furniture: A Guide for Collectors" is
beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout in full color. The commentary is instructive and the book itself is a pleasure
for collectors, dealers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject to to simply browse through.
"Chinese Furniture: A Guide for Collectors" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional,
community, and college/university library Antiques/Collectibles collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Karen Mazurkewich is an Asian Wall Street Journal reporter who has covered Asian culture and the retail
scene for three years from her base in Hong Kong. Mazurkewich has investigated art forgery, interviewed countless
collectors, grilled innovative businessmen, and queried tradesmen -- all in a quest to better understand the business and
culture of fine furniture collecting in Asia.
The Sports Shelf
Climbing Self-Rescue
Ian Nicholson
Mountaineers Books
www.mountaineersbooks.org
9781680516203, $24.95, PB, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Climbing-Self-Rescue-Essential-Technical-Improvised/dp/1680516205
Synopsis: The world of climbing self-rescue is ever-changing, but the constant is that self-rescuing techniques need to be
something that climbers can use in the real world with the gear they already have with them.
With the publication of "Climbing Self-Rescue: Essential Skills, Technical Tips & Improvised Solutions", elite climber Ian
Nicholson offers technical systems that follow patterns that are easy to remember and that can be applied to solve a wide
range of problems. This lavishly illustrated guide teaches the skills a climbing team needs to execute a successful technical
rescue on its own.
Of immense value for climbers with experience on multipitch routes, "Climbing Self-Rescue" also addresses key skills
including escaping the belay, lowering a climber, dealing with a stuck rope, improvising ascenders and using aid-climbing
techniques in rescues, rescuing an injured leader, and so much more!
Critique: Comprehensive and practical, thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, and an important,
fundamental and essential addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Rock
Climbing/Mountain Climbing instructional guide and 'how-to' manual collections, "Climbing Self-Rescue: Essential Skills,
Technical Tips & Improvised Solutions" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.95).
Editorial Note: Ian Nicholson is an IFMGA/UIAGM mountain guide and has been guiding around the world for nearly 20
years. He is particularly passionate about self-rescue and has earned two Denali Pro Pin Awards for helping to save other
climbers. Ian works on the National Instructor Team for both the AMGA and AIARE and is the author of SUPERTOPO:
Washington Pass Climbing. (https://mountainmadness.com/about/people/ian-nicholson)
The Christian Studies Shelf
A Table in the Wilderness: A Study on God's Goodness
Lina Abujamra
Esther Press
https://www.estherpress.com
c/o Cook Communications
www.davidccook.org
9780830784233, $19.99, PB, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Table-Wilderness-Goodness-Mapping-Footsteps/dp/0830784233
Synopsis: Stories of God's tables of blessing are woven throughout Scripture. In addition to an introduction about why God
chooses to feed us in order to teach us about His goodness, with the publication of "A Table in the Wilderness", Lina
Abujamra offers in-depth Bible study on five tables that God offers as physical and spiritual reminders of His love, mercy,
and overflowing kindness:
Salvation (Passover) - when you need to be rescued
Unexpected belonging (King David's table) - when you deserve to be punished
Overflowing satisfaction (the wedding at Cana) - when you feel empty
Remembrance (the Lord's Supper) - when you're likely to forget
Eternal celebration (the marriage supper of the Lamb) - when life is hard
This substantive, applicable, and richly spiritual study includes a QR code for quick access to streaming videos, spiritual
exercises for contemplation and prayer, a self-reflection tool, and a leader's guide for small group study.
The underlying message throught "A Table in the Wilderness" is that even in the most unexpected places (our weaknesses,
our sins, our doubts) God loves to invite us into His presence. You are invited! Come to the table.
Critique: Inspired and inspiring, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "A Table in the Wilderness: A Study on God's
Goodness" is part of the Mapping the Footsteps of God series from Esther Press and unreservedly recommended reading for
all members of the Christian community regardless of denominational affiliations. It should be noted for the personal
reading lists of clergy, seminary students, and all devote Christians that "A Table in the Wilderness" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Lina AbuJamra (www.LivingWithPower.org) is a pediatric ER doctor, now practicing telemedicine, and the
founder of Living with Power Ministries. A popular Bible teacher, podcaster, and conference speaker, Lina is the author of
several books, including Through the Desert and Don't Tell Anyone You're Reading This.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Astrolations!
Jill Carr
O Books
c/o Collective Ink Books
https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
9781803414201, $34.95, PB, 736pp
https://www.amazon.com/Astrolations-Unique-Astrological-Guide-Relationships/dp/1803414200
Synopsis: Astrolations: The astrological elements that provide an in-depth insight into your astrological character.
The four main elements in the Western Zodiac are Fire, Earth, Air, and Water. Each element governs three signs: Fire
governs Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. Earth governs Taurus,Virgo, and Capricorn. Air governs Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius.
Water governs Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. If your Sun sign is different to your Zodiac sign, then you will have more
elements influencing you. For example, a Capricorn with Sun in Sagittarius is influenced by both Earth and Fire.
There are five main elements in the Chinese Zodiac, and these are Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and
Earth. You will see that there is no Air element in Chinese astrology. This is represented by Metal, which shares many of the
attributes of Air. The Wood element is important as a stabilizing influence in Chinese astrology, and you will see that it is in
the middle of all the five elements for this reason.
"Astrolations!: A Unique Astrological Guide for You and All Your Relationships" is a fascinating and informative DIY
guide for understanding relationships with friends, family, and colleagues, involving a unique blend of Western and Chinese
astrology. "Astrolations!" covers the astrological attributes of your child and other children in your life, and enabling the
discoveryu of how the elements influence astrological make-up and further an understanding of ourselves and those we
encounter throughout life. The purpose and intent of "Astrolations! is to guide the reader in achieving a fuller
self-knowledge, as well as a rounded understanding of the people in his or her life.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of an explanation of the sections comprising
"Astrolations!: A Unique Astrological Guide for You and All Your Relationships" and how to use astrolations; an
introduction to the author and her credentials, a one page listing of Notes to Readers, and a one page listing of Reference
Sources. A complete and exhaustive course of instruction under one cover, "Astrolations!: A Unique Astrological Guide for
You and All Your Relationships" is exceptionally thorough and unreservedly recommended for students and practitioners of
Astrology and Metaphysics. A core addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library collections,
it should be noted that "Astrolations!: A Unique Astrological Guide for You and All Your Relationships" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.49).
Editorial Note: Jill Carr (https://astrolations.co.uk) started studying astrology seriously, after buying "The Modern Text
Book of Astrology" by Margaret Hone in a city bookshop. Since then, she has studied and worked in various locations with
the UK, continuing to refine her research into all things astrological. She discovered Chinese Astrology in the 1980's, which
she finds endlessly fascinating. Jill has degrees in Surface Pattern Design, Business Studies, and Philosophy. Her other
interests include yoga, singing, walking, and painting.
Pagan Portals - The Irish Pagan Book of Rites
John Michael McLoughlin
Moon Books
c/o Collective Ink Books
https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
9781803414768, $12.95, PB, 168pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pagan-Portals-Rituals-Prayers-Festivals/dp/1803414766
Synopsis: With the publication of "Pagan Portals - The Irish Pagan Book of Rites: Rituals and Prayers for Daily Life and
Festivals", John Michael McLoughlin reveals all the essential rites in an easy-to-follow format. "Pagan Portals" is presented
in both the English and the Irish (Gaeilge) languages for those wishing to make their offerings in the beautiful indigenous
Irish tongue.
"Pagan Portals" is a compendium of rites for regular use, blessings for water and the home, celebrations for the main Irish
festivals, as well as in-depth explanations for the meaning, purpose, and lore behind each devotion.
Critique: Of immense interest to students and aspiring practitioners of pagan rites, rituals, and celebrations, "Pagan Portals -
The Irish Pagan Book of Rites: Rituals and Prayers for Daily Life and Festivals" is exceptionally well written, usefully
organized, and thoroughly 'user friendly' in presentation. A welcome and valued pick for personal, professional, community,
and college/university library Paganism/Metaphysical collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be
noted that "Pagan Portals" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).
Pagan Portals - Hoodoo: Folk Magic
Rachel Patterson
Moon Books
c/o Collective Ink Books
https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
9781782790204, $12.95, PB, 101pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pagan-Portals-Hoodoo-Folk-Magic/dp/1782790209
Synopsis: With the publication of "Pagan Portals - Hoodoo", author Rachel Patterson provides the reader with an
introduction to this magical art, detailing what Hoodoo is and how to work with it as well as offering recipes and other
ideas. Patterson details her personal experiences with Hoodoo, deities, beliefs and the magical practices along with
information on various Hoodoo crafts -- including bottle spells, foot track magic, crossroads magic, powders, spiritual
washes and much more.
Critique: A fascinating, informative, and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Magick & Metaphysical Studies collections, it should be noted for students and practitioners of
hoodoo magic that "Pagan Portals - Hoodoo" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.49).
Editorial Note: Rachel Patterson (www.rachelpatterson.co.uk) is High Priestess of the Kitchen Witch Coven, Team
Leadership member of the Kitchen Witch School of Natural Witchcraft, Green/Kitchen Witch with an added dash of
hedgewitch and folk magic.
Pagan Portals - Hedge Witchcraft
Harmonia Saille
Moon Books
c/o Collective Ink Books
https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
9781780993331, $12.95, PB, 87pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pagan-Portals-Witchcraft-Harmonia-Saille/dp/1780993331
Synopsis: As Aristotle said, 'For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.' Learning by
experiencing is about trusting your instincts and connecting with your inner spirit.
There is no dogma attached to hedge witchcraft. There are no tenets to follow. The path of a hedge witch is very much an
individual one, and it is a solitary practice.
Critique: With the publication of "Pagan Portals - Hedge Witchcraft", Harmonia Saille provides an fascinating and
informative introduction to hedge witchcraft and is part of the 'Pagan Portal' series from Pagan Portals that also includes her
books "Hedge Riding", and "Hedge Magic". Highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Metaphysical Studies collections, it should be noted that "Pagan Portals - Hedge Witchcraft" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.49).
Editorial Note: Harmonia Saille is a practicing Hedge Witch and a pagan for more than two decades now. Her pathway
includes nature, trees, Celtic and Norse mythology, the Elder Futhark runes, scrying (and other forms of divination), and
nature spirits. She also practices magic (folk and shamanic). She studied at the Irish Centre for Shamanic Studies. Hedge
riding is a regular part of her practice. Harmonia holds workshops on hedge witchery, the runes, and other subjects both
locally and at international spiritual events. Harmonia's articles have appeared in various spiritual magazines. She was a
co-founder of Irish Pagan magazine Brigid's Fire.
(https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/authors/harmonia-saille)
Pagan Portals - The First Sisters: Lilith and Eve
Lady Haight-Ashton
Moon Books
c/o Collective Ink Books
https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
9781789040791, $12.95, PB, 114pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pagan-Portals-First-Sisters-Lilith/dp/1789040795
Synopsis: It was said in the beginning, in a garden called Eden, that woman was created at the same time as man, and not
from his rib. Lilith, the first female, created equal to stand as a partner. But she proved to be a person so troublesome that
she vanishes from her rightful place in civilization's mythological legends to be replaced by Eve as the first wife of Adam.
With her younger sister Eve's story heralding the future of all womankind, Lilith and her story stands alone as a testament to
the Sacred Feminine and man's fear of the mysteries that lie within her.
Critique: A part of the Pagan Portal series from Moon Books, "The First Sisters: Lilith and Eve" is a gateway to a
provocative awakening and is a simply fascinating and iconoclastic read from start to finish. Of special value to readers with
an interest in paganism, magic, New Age goddess worship and mythology, and also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $5.99), "The First Sisters: Lilith and Eve" is a unique and recommended pick for personal, professional,
community, and college/university library Metaphysical Studies collections and supplemental curriculum lists.
Editorial Note: Lady Haight-Ashton (https://ladyhaight-ashton.com) is a Third Degree Gardnerian High Priestess, a Third
Degree Cabot Witch within the Cabot Hermetic Temple and a Priestess of Selket within the Fellowship of Isis, where she
was also honored with an Adepthood in Sacred Healing Dance. She is the High Priestess of Sacred Moon Coven and the
Iseum of the Graceful Goddess, member of the Crossroads Lyceum and an elder within the Temple of Nine Wells in Salem,
MA. She regularly publishes magazine articles Sacred Dance, The Goddess and Witchcraft.
The Handbook of Urban Druidry
Brendan Howlin
Moon Books
c/o Collective Ink Books
https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
9781782793762, $11.95, PB, 85pp
https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Urban-Druidry-Modern-All/dp/1782793763
Synopsis: A druid was a member of the high-ranking priestly class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders
as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written
accounts. While they were reported to have been literate, they are believed to have been prevented by doctrine from
recording their knowledge in written form. Their beliefs and practices are attested in some detail by their contemporaries
from other cultures, such as the Romans and the Greeks and had disappeared from the written record by the 2nd century.
(Wikipedia)
Reemerging in the late 19th Century and down to the present day, Druidry is continuing to exciting much interest but has an
image that is not usually associated with urban life. With the publication of "The Handbook of Urban Druidry: Modern
Druidry for All, author and practicing Druid Brendan Howlin presents Druidry to the non-specialist general reader in an
easy-to-understand way, making the concepts open to everyone.
Critique: With a great deal of information packed into a slender 85 page compendium, "The Handbook of Urban Druidry:
Modern Druidry for All" must be considered essential reading for anyone with an interest in, or curiosity about, the practice
of Druidry in the present day -- especially for those who wish to explore Druidry in an urban setting. Impressively well
written, organized and presented, "The Handbook of Urban Druidry: Modern Druidry for All" is an ideal addition to
personal, professional, community, and college/university library Druidry collections and supplemental Metaphysical
Studies curriculums. It should be noted that "The Handbook of Urban Druidry: Modern Druidry for All" is also available in
a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: Brendan Howlin is a Druid grade member of the order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD). He has been
Senior International Tutor for Bards and Ovates for 13 years, and Science Correspondent for Touchstone, the journal of
OBOD for 13 years. He is also co-founder of Surrey Druid Grove. He lives in the UK.
Southern Cunning
Aaron Oberon
Moon Books
c/o Collective Ink Books
https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
9781789041965, $14.95, PB, 152pp
https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Cunning-Folkloric-Witchcraft-American/dp/1789041961
Synopsis: With the publication of "Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft In The American South", Aaron Oberon takes
his reader on a journey through the folklore of the American South and provides a look at the power these stories hold for
modern witches.
Through the lens of folklore, animism, and bioregionalism "Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft In The American
South" shows how to bring rituals in folklore into the modern day and presents a uniquely American approach to witchcraft
born out of the land and practical application.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft In The American
South" is the ideal introduction to folkloric witchcraft/wiccan practices, rituals, applications and usage as practiced over the
last 300 years in the American South. An extraordinary and seminal study, "Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft In The
American South" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99) and is a highly recommended contribution to
personal, professional, community, and college/university library paganism, witchcraft, and magic collections.
Editorial Note: Aaron Oberon is a Southern folk witch with a passion for bringing witchcraft to people from different roots.
Aaron writes about queer magic, bioregionalism, and witchcraft that gets down in the dirt. It is deeply important to Aaron
that he helps to make witchcraft and magic more accessible to those from underprivileged areas. His goal in writing is to
demonstrate that there is power in the stories of families and local land.
The Criminology Shelf
Midwest Vice
Gavin Schmitt
Exposit Books
c/o McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476690889, $19.99, PB, 198pp
https://www.amazon.com/Midwest-Vice-Midcentury-Trafficking-Murder/dp/147669088X
Synopsis: With the publication of "Midwest Vice: A Chain of Midcentury Sex Trafficking and Murder", historian Gavin
Schmitt delves into four interconnected murders, each of them unsolved, in which the common denominator is the
underground world of sex trafficking.
Using police and FBI records never before made public, underworld links are made between numerous vice centers in the
Midwest. What does a small mining town in upper Michigan have to do with organized crime in Peoria, Illinois? More than
you might think!
"Midwest Vice: A Chain of Midcentury Sex Trafficking and Murder" introduces the reader to corrupt night club owners,
dancers who moonlight as callgirls, interstate burglary rings, Milwaukee Mafia members, bank robbers and more. All part of
one giant web, they come together in a story that has remained largely untold -- until now.
Critique: A simply fascinating and informative read from start to finish, "Midwest Vice: A Chain of Midcentury Sex
Trafficking and Murder" is a compendium of crime and criminals native to the American Midwest, Of particular note is the
"Midwest Vice: A Chain of Midcentury Sex Trafficking and Murder" addendum 'Where Did They Go?". For readers with
an interest in true crime stories and to academicians focused on crime/law enforcement studies, "Midwest Vice: A Chain of
Midcentury Sex Trafficking and Murder" is solidly recommended for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library True Crime collections and supplemental curriculum Criminology studies lists.
Editorial Note: Gavin Schmitt (www.goodreads.com/author/show/6482180.Gavin_Schmitt) is a local historian working in
northeast Wisconsin. He has previously written on Milwaukee organized crime, the Menominee tribe, as well as various
film topics for Horrorhound magazine.
The Waltham Murders
Susan Zalkind
https://zalkind.info
Little A
www.apub.com
9781503903715, $28.99, HC, 366pp
https://www.amazon.com/Waltham-Murders-Unsolved-Homicide-National/dp/1503903710
Synopsis: In September 2011, Erik Weissman and two friends were murdered in a brutal triple homicide in Waltham,
Massachusetts. The case went unsolved for months and then years, with no discernible leads. Erik's friend Susan Zalkind, an
investigative journalist, needed closure and knew that finding it would be up to her. As Susan began digging, and as the
Boston Marathon bombing exposed startling new leads, the case led her down a tangled and sometimes dangerous path to
the truth.
With every person Susan interviewed came a new thread. She followed each one through a web of conspiracy theories,
corruption, and crime until she eventually arrived at a decade-defining act of domestic terrorism.
A true-crime memoir and the culmination of more than ten years of reporting, "The Waltham Murders: One Woman's
Pursuit to Expose the Truth Behind a Murder and a National Tragedy" is an in-depth probe into a dark American
underworld by Susan Clare Zalkind, a journalist coming to grips with both personal grief and the collective anguish of a
nation in her tireless pursuit of the truth.
Critique: A riveting read from start to finish, "The Waltham Murders: One Woman's Pursuit to Expose the Truth Behind a
Murder and a National Tragedy" by Susan Clare Zalkind must be considered a high priority pick for community and
college/university library True Crime collections and supplemental Criminology curriculum studies lists. Extraordinary,
exceptional, memorable, and of special appeal to readers with an interest in the subject of organized crime and cold case law
enforcement, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Waltham Murders: One Woman's Pursuit to Expose the
Truth Behind a Murder and a National Tragedy" is also available in a paperback edition (9781503903708, $16.99) and in a
digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Susan Claire Zalkind (https://zalkind.info) is an investigative journalist based in the Boston area. Her work
has appeared in This American Life, the Guardian, CityLab, VICE, the Daily Beast, The Irish Times, and Boston magazine.
She also wrote and produced the 2022 Hulu docuseries The Murders Before the Marathon.
The Holocaust Studies Shelf
Mistress of Life and Death
Susan J. Eischeid
Citadel Press
c/o Kensington Publishing Corp.
www.kensingtonbooks.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9780806542850, $28.00, HC, 464pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mistress-Life-Death-Overseer-Auschwitz-B/dp/0806542853
Synopsis: By the time of her execution at thirty-six, Maria Mandl (10 January 1912 - 24 January 1948) had achieved the
highest rank possible for a woman in the Third Reich. As Head Overseer of the women's camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau, she
was personally responsible for the murders of thousands, and for the torture and suffering of countless more.
In this riveting new biography, Susan J. Eischeid explores how Maria Mandl, regarded locally as "a nice girl from a good
family", came to embody the very worst of humanity. Born in 1912 in the scenic Austrian village of Munzkirchen, Maria
enjoyed a happy childhood with loving parents - who later watched in anguish as their grown daughter rose through the Nazi
system.
Mandl's life mirrors the period in which she lived: turbulent, violent, and suffused with paradoxes. At Auschwitz-Birkenau,
she founded the notable women's orchestra and "adopted" several children from the transports -- only to lead them to the gas
chambers when her interest waned. After the war, Maria was arrested for crimes against humanity. Following a public trial
attended by the international press, she was hanged in 1948.
For two decades, Professor Eischeid has excavated the details of Mandl's life story, drawing on archival testimonies,
speaking to dozens of witnesses, and spending time with Mandl's community of friends and neighbors who shared their
memories as well as those handed down in their families. The result is a chilling and complex exploration of how easily an
ordinary citizen chose the path of evil in a climate of hate and fear.
Critique: To most Americans, World War II and the Holocaust have become ancient history as the members of that
generation have mostly passed from among us. But the clarion cry of "Never Again" is still as vital a summons to action as
it was more than 80 years ago. That's why it is so highly valued that books are still being written about the genocidal
slaughter of millions of Jews. Because the past continues to be prelude to the present, and the present predictive of the
future.
With the publication of "Mistress of Life and Death: The Dark Journey of Maria Mandl, Head Overseer of the Women's
Camp at Auschwitz- Birkenau", Professor Susan J. Eischeid brings back from obscurity and prime example of the horrific
evil that the Holocaust represents and which continues to break out in the form of anti-semitic acts of prejudice,
discrimination, and violence here in America and around the world. Exceptionally well researched, written, organized and
presented, "Mistress of Life and Death" in unreservedly recommended as an important and timely addition to personal,
professional, community, and college/university library World War II history collections and supplemental Holocaust
curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "Mistress of Life and Death" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99) and as a
complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798874694043, $46.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Susan J. Eischeid (www.SusanEischeid.com) is a performer and teacher specializing in the music of the
Holocaust. Professor of Oboe at Valdosta State University, she was drawn to the Maria Mandl story through her
involvement with members of the women's orchestra at Auschwitz-Birkenau. In the course of twenty years devoted to her
subject, she has been privileged to interview many survivors of the Holocaust, as well as dozens of persons with ties to
Mandl including family members and perpetrators. Eischeid has also presented multiple recitals and lectures about music
and musicians of the Holocaust period across the United States and in Europe.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
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