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Reviewer's Choice
Never Not Working
Malissa Clark
Harvard Business Review Press
https://hbr.org
9781647825096, $32.00, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Never-Not-Working-Always-Business/dp/1647825091
Synopsis: Many workers believe that to compete with other top talent, they must embrace a culture that rewards long hours
and a constant connection to work. Businesses and society endorse busyness, overwork, and extreme commitment as the
most valued traits in workers. Sometimes that endorsement is explicit, as when Elon Musk told X/Twitter employees to
work "long hours at high intensity" or get fired. More often it is an implicit contract, a buildup of organizational and
cultural norms and the adoption of new technologies that make it easy to tether people to work.
Either way, this workaholic behavior is unhealthy and counterproductive for workers and for organizations. It's time to
fight back. With the publication of "Never Not Working: Why the Always-On Culture Is Bad for Business--and How to
Fix It", Malissa Clark (a preeminent researcher on the culture of overwork) shows you how.
Clark examines overwork and burnout, not just from the individual's perspective but from an organizational perspective
too. She delivers a comprehensive, nuanced definition of workaholism, busting myths along the way -- working long
hours, it turns out, doesn't automatically make you a workaholic. She also helps you assess whether you're falling prey to
the phenomenon and whether you're creating workaholics in your organization.
Clark also shows you how to escape the trap of putting work at the center of everything and thus losing your well-being (or
your company's performance) in the process. Deeply researched and written for everyone from leaders to individual
contributors, "Never Not Working" is an essential guide to identifying workaholism in yourself and others and starting on
the road to recovery.
Critique: An extraordinary, seminal, ground-breaking, iconoclastic study, "Never Not Working: Why the Always-On
Culture Is Bad for Business -- and How to Fix It" is exceptionally well written and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in
organization and presentation. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99), "Never Not Working" must
be considered essential reading for all corporate executives and managers -- as well as a critically important addition to
professional, community, and college/university library Workplace Culture/Business Management collections and
supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Malissa Clark (https://www.malissaclark.com) is an Associate Professor of Industrial and Organizational
Psychology at the University of Georgia, where she leads the Healthy Work Lab. She is one of the world's leading scholars
on workaholism, overwork, burnout, and employee well-being. In addition to serving as an expert consultant to many
organizations on these issues, Clark and her work have been featured in outlets including the New York Times, the BBC,
Time, Glamour, The Atlantic, HuffPost, and others.
The Education Shelf
Integrating Technology into Student Affairs
V. Barbara Bush, Ph.D, editor
Hugo A. Garcia, Ph.D, editor
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
https://www.ccthomas.com
9780398094263, $30.95, PB, 175pp
https://www.amazon.com/Integrating-Technology-American-Practice-Professional/dp/0398094268
Synopsis: Collaborative compiled and co-edited by B. Barbara Bush and Hugo A. Garcia, "Integrating Technology into
Student Affairs" is a valuable resource for graduate students in student affairs preparation programs and anyone working in
the field of student affairs. It provides readers with a comprehensive guide to the integration of technology in student
affairs, drawing on the expertise of leading scholars and practitioners in the field.
The chapters comprising "Integrating Technology into Student Affairs" explore the many ways in which technology can be
used to enhance student engagement, support, and learning outcomes. The topics include the history of technology in
student affairs, digital identity, integrating high-tech with high touch on campus, ethical issues with technology, technology
and risk management, consideration of the need for social media liaisons in student affairs, technology competency and
adaptability, and case study on technology decision-making.
Whether you are a seasoned professional or a new practitioner, you can gain a wealth of insights on how to use theoretical
models to address digital identity, convert traditional campus functions to technological approaches, apply a conceptual
framework for ethical technological practices, enhance campus and community engagement through the development of a
social media liaison, navigate technological competency and adaptability issues on campus as well as to identify legal
issues arising in daily practice and learn risk management skills.
The knowledge, skills, and wisdom provided in "Integrating Technology into Student Affairs" will guide you not only to
incorporate technology into your work but also empower you to leverage technology in innovative ways to better serve the
needs of your students and advance the field of student affairs.
Critique: Expertly organized and presented, "Integrating Technology into Student Affairs" is impressively informative and
essential reading for anyone with an interest in the technological innovations and advances in the field of education in
general, and student affairs in particular. Simply stated, "Integrating Technology into Student Affairs" is unreservedly
recommended for the personal reading lists of school administrators, as well as college/university Education Technology
collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: V. Barbara Bush (University of North Texas) received the 2020 UNT Foundation Faculty Leadership
Award. The UNT Foundation Faculty Leadership Award acknowledges a faculty member who significantly impacts the
academic enterprise through initiatives, leadership, and service
Editorial Note #2: As an educator and academician (Texas Tech University) Hugo Garcia has an informative website at
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=zgw24FAAAAAJ
The Cookbook Shelf
Peinao: A Greek Feast for All
Helena & Vikki Moursellas
Smith Street Books
c/o Rizzoli
https://www.rizzoliusa.com
9781922754592, $35.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pein%C3%A1o-Greek-Recipes-Hungry-Guests/dp/1922754595
Synopsis: Peinao is a contemporary celebration of traditional tried-and-tested Greek food, delivered feast style: cooking for
roommates, brunch with your besties, or making Sunday dinner for the whole family. "Peinao: A Greek Feast for All:
Recipes to Feed Hungry Guests" isn't just another taverna cookbook as co-authors and twin sisters Helena and Vikki
Moursellas share their fun and modern spins on the Greek classics, presented in a beautiful coffee table cookbook
format.
Peinao translates to "I'm hungry" in Greek -- and whether you are cooking for a dinner party, for breakfast with the in-laws,
for a mezze with the neighbors, for your family, or simply for yourself and a loved one, just name the occasion or palette
and there are suitable, mouth-watering dishes to accompany it, with each one deftly presented with love and accompanied
by a great story that will leave readers with warmth in their hearts and their stomachs.
Critique: An impressive compendium of beautifully illustrated and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes showcasing
an authentic Greek cuisine, "Peinao: A Greek Feast for All: Recipes to Feed Hungry Guests" will prove an elegant and
enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, and community library Ethnic Cookbook collections.
Elegant Hungarian Tortes and Homestyle Desserts for American Bakers
Ella Novacs Szabo, author
Sharon Hudgins, editor
University of North Texas Press
www.untpress.unt.edu
9781574419146, $29.95, HC, 248pp
https://www.amazon.com/Elegant-Hungarian-Homestyle-Desserts-American/dp/1574419145
Synopsis: When Ella Szabo fled her homeland during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, she never dreamed that someday
she would become a member of the US Olympic swimming team, an accomplished baker in America, and the author of a
cookbook about Hungarian desserts. But a chance encounter with a fellow Hungarian in Connecticut led to Ella's becoming
the custodian of a collection of heirloom recipes that form the core of "Elegant Hungarian Tortes and Homestyle Desserts
for American Bakers".
More than fifty recipes tell you how to bake Hungarian tortes, cookies, pastries, and cakes, from elegant old-world
pastry-shop classics like Linzer Torte and Esterhazy Torte to easy homestyle desserts, many of them from recipes that have
never been published before. Try your hand at delicate nut-flour tortes made from walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts:
Almond Meringue Torte with Coffee-Cream Filling, Walnut Wedding Torte with Hazelnut Filling, and Chocolate Roulade
with Hazelnut Cream. Enjoy easy-to-make Hungarian Almond Biscotti, Orange Kugelhopf, and Cherry Sponge Cake. And
delight in devouring Walnut-Apricot-Lemon Bars, traditional Hungarian Cheese Biscuits, and Beigli, a festive Hungarian
pastry roll filled with walnuts or poppy seeds, always eaten at Christmas.
Of special note is a complete section on ingredients, equipment, and techniques, as well as several historical and
contemporary photographs. And as a bonus: most of the recipes for nut-flour tortes are naturally gluten-free!
Critique: An ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library Ethnic
Cookbook collections, "Elegant Hungarian Tortes and Homestyle Desserts for American Bakers" is a joy to plan
memorable menus with and is an ideal resource as a 'user friendly' compendium of palate-pleasing, appetite-satisfying,
authentic Hungarian recipes suitable for even the most novice of kitchen cooks.
Slimming Eats Made in the Air Fryer
Siobhan Wightman
Yellow Kite
https://www.yellowkitebooks.co.uk
9781399724661, $28.99, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Slimming-Eats-Made-Air-Fryer/dp/1399724665
Synopsis: An air fryer is a small countertop convection oven designed to simulate deep frying without submerging the food
in oil. A fan circulates hot air at a high speed, producing a crisp layer via browning reactions such as the Maillard
reaction.
"Slimming Eats Made in the Air Fryer" by Siobhan Wightman is packed from cover to cover with more than 80 tasty,
slimming, illustrated recipes -- each of which is brand new and under 600 calories.
Also included in "Slimming Eats Made in the Air Fryer" is an how-to guide to equip you with all you need to start your Air
Fryer journey today - as well as saving you time and money!
Featured recipes include: Warm Bacon, Halloumi, Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad; Thai Green Pork Curry; Chicken
Tacos with Mango Salsa and Lime Crema; Detroit-Style Supreme Pizza; Chipotle Beef Macaroni; Sweet Chilli Salmon
Bites with Sesame Garlic Broccoli; Cauliflower Katsu Curry; and Maple-Glazed Banana Cake -- just to name a few!
Critique: Thoroughly 'kitchen cook' friendly in organization and presentation, "Slimming Eats Made in the Air Fryer" is
ideal for planning palate pleasing, appetite satisfying meals for any dining occasion. Each recipe calls for fuss-free
ingredients and will result in quickly, easily prepared meals utilizing all the culinary advantages of air fry cooking. While a
highly recommended addition to personal, professional, family, and community library cookbook collections, it should be
noted that "Slimming Eats Made in the Air Fryer" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Siobhan Wightman is the creator of popular food blog www.slimmingeats.com -- which is a recipe blog
filled with hundreds of easy, delicious healthy recipes. She started Slimming Eats in 2009 to keep herself accountable on
her own weight-loss journey and to share her recipes along the way. When starting out on her own journey she quickly
realized that recipes available for those wanting to lose weight were uninspiring and too restrictive for something that
should be a lifestyle change. Using predominantly real ingredients and home style cooking means that Slimming Eats
recipes provide a way to enact that lifestyle change in a consistent and maintainable way rather than an unsustainable "fad
diet" which is difficult over a long period of time and ultimately leads to failure.
Taste of Home Bakeshop Classics
Taste of Home
https://www.tasteofhome.com
c/o Trusted Media Brands
https://www.trustedmediabrands.com
9798889770145, $26.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Home-Bakeshop-Classics-After-Dinner/dp/B0C99LDYMY
Synopsis: "Taste of Home Bakeshop Classics" is a beautifully illustrated compendium showcasing 247 recipes for palate
pleasing, appetite satisfying, kitchen cook friendly vintage delights, coffeehouse bites and after-dinner Highlights. In these
pages will be discovered the best recipes and the step-by-step techniques that every home cook will need to treat the coffee
klatsch, fill the cookie jar, bake up golden breads and master holiday-worthy pies -- all with recipes approved by the pros at
the Taste of Home Test Kitchen.
Featured are: 240+ Beloved Sweets (Discover the ultimate round-up of craveable treats, from macarons and smash cakes to
vintage long johns and upside-down cakes); 300 Gorgeous Color Photo. (Full-color photos and helpful step-by step
preparation images throughout) Short & Sweet Icons (Dozens of shortcut dishes made easier with store-bought ingredients
are highlighted with this at-a-glance icon).
Also included is Best Birthday Ever (A bonus chapter is brimming with dozens of sweet sensations for anyone's big day!
Ice cream cakes, birthday cake shooters, and even adorable children's treats; Nostalgic Seasonal Sweets (Create new
memories with your children as you revisit vintage Christmas candies, autumn's best caramel apples in the fall and the
fruity summer classics everyone adores).
Of special note is Cafe Beverages (Pumpkin Spice Latte, Chai Tea and Creamy Irish Coffee are just some of the
coffeehouse specialties you'll find here.
Saving money and dazzling friends has never been easier. Additionally is the inclusion of QR Codes -- Simply scan the
codes to watch the Taste of Home Test Kitchen staff put together some of the country's most popular dishes. These will
allow you bake with confidence as you follow their lead.
And finally is the feature of Nutrition Facts with Every Recipe, providing a complete set of nutrition facts with every
recipe, plus diabetic exchanges where applicable -- because it's important to know what you're serving family and
friends.
Critique: A culinary and meal planning delight to browse through, plan menus with, or just coming up with a memorable
treat for any and all celebratory occasions, "Taste of Home Bakeshop Classics: 247 Vintage Delights, Coffeehouse Bites &
After-Dinner Highlights" is certain to be a welcome and valued addition to personal, professional, and community library
cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Taste of Home Bakeshop Classics" is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $15.99). If you only have room for just one more cookbook, make it "Taste of Home Bakeshop Classics"!
Editorial Note: Taste of Home is the leading multi-platform producer of information on food, cooking, baking and
entertaining, serving home cooks engaging media that capture the joy and comfort received from food made with love.
Taste of Home magazine has a circulation of 1.5 million and publishes top-selling cookbooks and newsstand specials.
Tasteofhome.com is a top destination for engaging audiences with kitchen-tested recipes, how-to techniques, cooking
videos and more. Taste of Home has more than 6.1 million fans on Facebook, 1.9 million followers on Instagram, 2.6
million Pinterest followers and receives more than 28 million unique monthly visitors. For the best recipes from home
cooks, visit tasteofhome.com and follow us on Facebook and Pinterest.
Taste of Home Easy Everyday Vegetarian Cookbook
Taste of Home
https://www.tasteofhome.com
c/o Trusted Media Brands
https://www.trustedmediabrands.com
9781621459804, $19.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Home-Everyday-Vegetarian-Cookbook/dp/1621459802
Synopsis: Whether on a plant-based diet or simply enjoying an occasional Meatless Monday, " you're sure to enjoy and
appreciate the tantalizing dishes that comprise "Taste of Home Easy Everyday Vegetarian Cookbook: 297 fresh, delicious
meat-less recipes for everyday meals Featuring more than 290 family-friendly recipes" -- a follow-up to the popular Taste
of Home edition of "Vegetarian Made Easy".
Laying out everything needed to set a fresh, flavorful, vegetarian meal on the table ranging from mouthwatering Instant Pot
and slow-cooked sensations, to colorful casseroles and other hearty entrees. Of special note is a bonus chapter that includes
Taste of Home's top-rated vegan dishes, and a Meat-Lover callout offers easy recipe additions sure to satisfy the beef and
poultry eaters at your table.
No matter how (or how often) you go meatless, the "Taste of Home Easy Everyday Vegetarian Cookbook" makes it a
culinary certainty to satisfy everyone at the table.
Critique: It's not that often that a cookbook comes along whose cornucopia of 'family cook friendly' vegetarian dishes will
provide the kind of palate-pleasing, appetite-satisfying cuisine that will keep everyone at the table (including the carnivores
amongst us) asking for second helpings! But that is exactly the case with this beautifully illustrated paperback edition of
the "Taste of Home Easy Everyday Vegetarian Cookbook". While highly recommended for personal, family, professional,
and community library Vegetarian Cookbook collections, it should be noted that "Taste of Home Easy Everyday
Vegetarian Cookbook" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Taste of Home is the leading multi-platform producer of information on food, cooking, baking and
entertaining, serving home cooks engaging media that capture the joy and comfort received from food made with love.
Taste of Home magazine has a circulation of 1.5 million and publishes top-selling cookbooks and newsstand specials.
Tasteofhome.com is a top destination for engaging audiences with kitchen-tested recipes, how-to techniques, cooking
videos and more. Taste of Home has more than 6.1 million fans on Facebook, 1.9 million followers on Instagram, 2.6
million Pinterest followers and receives more than 28 million unique monthly visitors. For the best recipes from home
cooks visit www.tasteofhome.com
The Science Shelf
The Trilobite Collector's Guide
Andy Secher, author
Richard Fortey, foreword
Melanie J. Hopkins, foreword
Columbia University Press
https://cup.columbia.edu
9780231213806, $59.95, HC, 427pp
https://www.amazon.com/Trilobite-Collectors-Guide-Andy-Secher/dp/0231213808
Synopsis: Trilobites are extinct marine arthropods that form the class Trilobita. Trilobites form one of the earliest known
groups of arthropods. The first appearance of trilobites in the fossil record defines the base of the Atdabanian stage of the
Early Cambrian period (521 million years ago) and they flourished throughout the lower Paleozoic before slipping into a
long decline, when, during the Devonian, all trilobite orders except the Proetida died out. The last trilobites disappeared in
the mass extinction at the end of the Permian about 251.9 million years ago. Trilobites were among the most successful of
all early animals, existing in oceans for almost 270 million years, with over 22,000 species having been described.
So for more than 250 million years, the primeval oceans of the Paleozoic teemed with trilobites. These hardy invertebrates
evolved into an astonishing array of separate species (more than 25,000 at last count) and much remains unknown about
these once-ubiquitous creatures. Fossil enthusiasts are captivated by trilobites' diversity and adaptability, enthralled by the
possibility of catching a glimpse of a transcendently strange past.
With the publication of "The Trilobite Collector's Guide", Andy Secher (one of the most prolific trilobite collectors in the
world) takes readers on an entertaining and enlightening journey to the distant epoch when these ancient arthropods
swarmed through the seas.
"The Trilobite Collector's Guide" presents a series of "Top Ten" lists covering everything from celebrated Cambrian
localities and world-class fossil shows to invaluable collecting tips and ways to spot a fake trilobite. These brisk and often
witty chapters enumerate trilobites in all their beauty and strangeness, from the most common to the ridiculously rare, the
outrageously old to the last in line.
"The Trilobite Collector's Guide" also showcases more than 350 full-color photographs, mostly of stunning specimens
from Secher's personal collection, that put trilobites' staggering variety and complexity on full display. Engaging and
informative, "The Trilobite Collector's Guide" showcases the world of trilobites as it has never been done before.
Critique: This large format (8.5 x 1.5 x 11.1 inches, 4.35 pounds) hardcover edition from Columbia University Press of
"The Trilobite Collector's Guide" by Andy Secher will be of special and enduring value to readers with an interest in
fossils and invertebrate zoology. Beautifully illustrated throughout, and informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit
with two Forewords (Beetles of the Paleozoic & 10 Reasons to Read this Book), a four page Glossary: Trilobite
Terminology, and a twelve page Index, "The Trilobite Collector's Guide" is especially and unreservedly recommended for
personal, professional, community, and college/university library Fossil collections and supplemental curriculum studies
lists. It should be noted for students, academia, paleontologists, fossil collectors, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that "The Trilobite Collector's Guide" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $47.19).
Editorial Note #1: Andy Secher has been a field associate in paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History for
more than two decades. He curates one of the world's largest private trilobite collections. Secher is also the author of
"Travels with Trilobites: Adventures in the Paleozoic" (Columbia, 2022).
Editorial Note #2: Richard Fortey is the former head of fossil arthropod research at the Natural History Museum,
London.
Editorial Note #3: Melanie J. Hopkins is chair of the Division of Paleontology and curator in charge of fossil invertebrates
at the American Museum of Natural History.
The Health/Medicine Shelf
Well to the Core
Robin Long
Tyndale House Publishers
www.tyndale.com
9781496472625, $27.99, HC, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Well-Core-Realistic-Guilt-Free-Approach/dp/1496472624
Synopsis: With the publication of "Well to the Core: A Realistic, Guilt-Free Approach to Getting Fit and Feeling Good for
a Lifetime", certified Pilates instructor and founder of Lindywell, Robin Long, is on a mission dedicated to helping you
reclaim your health, your fitness, and your body.
With "Well to the Core", the reader will join Robin on a personal journey toward their own holistic health and discover:
Ten core components of an effective and realistic approach to healthy and balanced living; A grace-over-guilt mindset to
release shame and develop helpful habits in every season of life; How breath, nature, rest, and play can improve your
quality of life; Exclusive Pilates workouts, mindfulness exercises, and deliciously crafted recipes to nourish your mind,
body, and soul.
Robin Long's underlying message is that it's possible to break free from constant stress about what you're eating, how
you're exercising, or how much weight you need to lose in order to really start living. This is where true wellness begins --
and Robin Long shows you the way in "Well to the Core".
Critique: Beautifully illustrated with full color images throughout, "Well to the Core: A Realistic, Guilt-Free Approach to
Getting Fit and Feeling Good for a Lifetime" is an ideal DIY manual for achieving and maintaining health and well-being
at any age. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Well to the Core" is especially and unreservedly
recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Health/Fitness Lifestyle collections. It
should be noted that "Well to the Core" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
Editorial Note: Robin Long struggled with body image and her on-and-off relationship with diet and workout programs. It
took a step inside the Pilates studio for Robin to change her entire approach to wellness. Pilates helped Robin connect her
mind and body for the first time. She started working with her body, not against it. Robin's health and mental
transformation motivated her to pursue a comprehensive Pilates certification through Body Arts and Science International
and ultimately perfect her own method of teaching Pilates. Robin is founder and CEO of Lindywell and still loves to create
classes and programs that transform her clients and members from the inside out.
The Biography Shelf
Luck or Miracle: A World War II POW's Survival Story
Reginald Bollich, author
James Bollich, narrator
Modern History Press
https://www.modernhistorypress.com
9781615997787, $34.95, HC, 122pp
https://www.amazon.com/Luck-Miracle-World-Survival-Story/dp/1615997784
Synopsis: With the publication of "Luck or Miracle: A World War II POW's Survival Story", author Reginald Bollich
presents the true story of Jim Bollich, a 102-year-old World War II soldier, who offers a first-person account of courage,
fortitude and the will to survive three years of frost-bitten captivity as a POW in Manchuria, enduring the Bataan Death
March, thirst, starvation, diseases, a 32-day sea voyage (crammed into the hold of a Japanese hell ship) and aerial
bombings.
After liberation, the transport ship to take him home hit a mine and lost power. A violent typhoon ensued and he had to
lash himself to a bulkhead above deck to survive.
Jim survived because he strengthened his mind to confront evil and overcome fear in the face of danger, beatings and pain.
Daily prayer strengthened his will to live.
Critique: An invaluable memoir offering genuine perspective and information about life as a POW in the Pacific Theatre
of World War II, "Luck or Miracle: A World War II POW's Survival Story" is a testament to the resilience of the human
spirit throughout the the Japanese atrocities that were the hallmark of that conflict. "Luck of Miracle" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library World War II History/Biography
collections. It should be noted that "Luck of Miracle" is also readily available in both a paperback edition
(9781615997770, $19.95) and a digital book format (Kindle, $6.95).
Editorial Note #1: Reggie Bollich is a retired physicist, amateur biblical archaeologist, and ordained Catholic deacon. He
worked on NASA's Apollo project, for the oil/gas industry in the USA, Saudi Arabia, France, London, Singapore and the
UAE. He unearthed ancient sites in the Middle East and is president of a non-profit organization that supports Sarnelli
orphanage in Thailand.
Editorial Note #2: James Bollich is a 102-year-old World War II US Army veteran. He survived the Bataan Death March,
numerous diseases, starvation, a thirty-two-day sea voyage crammed into the hold of a Japanese hell-ship, and a
three-and-one-half year frost-bitten sojourn as a POW in a Manchuria prison camp. He went on to earn a degree under the
G.I. Bill and had a successful career as a geologist in Lafayette Louisiana where he lives today.
Dale L. Morgan
Richard L. Saunders
The University of Utah Press
https://uofupress.lib.utah.edu
9781647691202, $95.00, HC, 536pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dale-L-Morgan-Histories-Transition/dp/1647691206
Synopsis: "Dale L. Morgan: Mormon and Western Histories in Transition" by Richard L. Saunders is the first biography
of Dale L. Morgan (December 18, 1914 - March 30, 1971) who was preeminent Western historian of the fur trade, historic
trails, and the Latter Day Saint movement.
This comprehensive biography explores how, despite personal struggles, Morgan committed his life to tracking down
sources and interpreting the past on the strength of documentary evidence. Connecting Morgan's life with some of the
broad cultural changes that shaped his experiences, this biography engages with methodological shifts in the historical
profession, the mid-twentieth-century collision of interpretations within Latter Day Saint history, and the development of a
descriptive, scholarly approach to that history.
Morgan's body of work and commitment to serious scholarship signaled the start of new ways of understanding, studying,
and retelling history, and he motivated a generation of historians from the 1930s to the 1970s to transform their historical
approaches. Sounding board, mentor, and close friend to Nels Anderson, Fawn Brodie, Juanita Brooks, Bernard DeVoto,
Wallace Stegner, and Leonard Arrington, Dale Morgan is the common factor linking this influential generation of
mid-twentieth-century historians of western America.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a 24 page Dale L. Morgan Bibliography, 58 pages of Notes, a 20
page listing of Works Cited, and a 14 page Index, this University of Utah Press edition of academic librarian and
biographer Richard L. Saunders' detailed and documented historical study, "Dale L. Morgan: Mormon and Western
Histories in Transition" is a seminal work of impressively meticulous scholarship and is especially, unreservedly
recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Biography
collections. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
"Dale L. Morgan: Mormon and Western Histories in Transition" is also available in a paperback edition (9781647691219,
$34.95).
Editorial Note: Richard L. Saunders is a librarian at Southern Utah University. He is also the author of Eloquence from a
Silent World: A Descriptive Bibliography of the Published Writings of Dale L. Morgan, and editor of Morgan's writing in
Shoshonean Peoples and the Overland Trails: Frontiers of the Utah Superintendency of Indian Affairs, 1849 - 1869.
A Dangerous Country: An American Elegy
Ron Kovic
Akashic Books
www.akashicbooks.com
9781636141664, $27.95, HC, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Country-American-Elegy/dp/1636141668
Synopsis: When 18 year old Ronald Lawrence Kovic enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1964, he couldn't
foresee that he would return from Vietnam paralyzed and in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
His best-selling 1976 memoir "Born on the Fourth of July" became an antiwar classic and was adapted into an
Oscar-winning film starring Tom Cruise as Kovic. His follow-up, "Hurricane Street", chronicled his advocacy for Vietnam
veterans' rights. "A Dangerous Country: An American Elegy" completes Kovic's Vietnam Trilogy, delving deep into his
long and often agonizing journey home from war and eventual healing, forgiveness, and spiritual redemption.
"A Dangerous Country" opens with Kovic's never-before-revealed Vietnam diary (July 7, 1967 - July 26, 1968). His entries
from this period portray a patriotic young soldier with a strong moral and religious conscience. Kovic then recalls his
political awakening after his return from Vietnam confined to a wheelchair following his horrific injury. He also chronicles
the tremendous guilt he feels over his accidental killing of a fellow Marine while on patrol. This killing psychologically
torments him as much as his severe disability.
After years of social, political, and sexual turmoil (and on the brink of suicide) Kovic experiences a powerful epiphany that
gives him a reason and purpose to live; a renewed faith and strength to carry on. Although his trauma is severe, his third
memoir is ultimately the inspirational story of a survivor finding a way to rise above his depression and despair, forgiving
his enemies and himself, and growing deeply committed to a new life.
Critique: A compelling, emotionally resonating, and thought-provoking read from start to finish, this third and final
memoir by Ron Kovic, and published by Akashic Books, "A Dangerous Country: An American Elegy" is of special and
particular value and appeal to readers with an interest in Vietnam War, social/political anti-war activist, and disability
biographies and memoirs, While especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library
American Biography/Memoir collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "A Dangerous Country" is also
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Ron Kovic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Kovic) served two tours of duty during the Vietnam War.
He was paralyzed from his chest down in combat in 1968 and has been in a wheelchair ever since. Along with Oliver
Stone, Kovic was the co-screenwriter of the 1989 Academy Award - winning film based on Kovic's best-selling memoir
Born on the Fourth of July (starring Tom Cruise as Kovic). Hurricane Street (2016) detailed Kovic's efforts to organize the
American Veterans Movement in 1974, fighting for better treatment of injured and disabled veterans.
A Surgeon and a Maverick
Simon Pearson, author
Fiona Gorman, author
American University in Cairo Press
www.aucpress.com
9781649031969, $29.95, HC, 446pp
https://www.amazon.com/Surgeon-Maverick-Pioneering-Magdi-Yacoub/dp/1649031963
Synopsis: With the publication of "A Surgeon and a Maverick: The Life and Pioneering Work of Magdi Yacoub", co-
authors and veteran journalists Simon Pearson and Fiona Gorman follow the remarkable life of heart surgeon Magdi
Yacoub from his formative years in Egypt, through spectacular success at Cairo University, to his long and distinguished
career in Britain.
Although at times he clashed with the medical establishment in London, Yacoub pioneered great advances in heart surgery.
He was knighted in 1992, and in 2014, he was awarded the highest honor in the gift of the Queen, the Order of Merit.
Written with unprecedented access and drawing on extensive interviews and research, this deftly crafted biography
recounts how Yacoub transformed the treatment of children with congenital heart disease. He performed some of the first
heart transplants in Britain and the first heart-lung transplants in Europe. At London's Harefield Hospital, he created the
greatest heart transplant center in the world. Among his patients are men and women who are still thriving more than
thirty-five years after he gave them new hope.
"A Surgeon and a Maverick: The Life and Pioneering Work of Magdi Yacoub" is also about the advances of medical
science, the development of new medical techniques, and a deeper understanding of how the human body works.
Today, at an age when most people have long since retired, Yacoub is still pushing the boundaries of scientific
understanding and surgical know-how. He is also taking heart surgery to places that until now have had little access to
cardiac treatment, developing centers of excellence across Africa, including in Egypt, where his hospital in Aswan has an
international reputation, and a new center is rising in Cairo.
Yacoub's life is one of triumph and tragedy, success and failure, fierce criticism and high praise -- it is also an enthralling
journey through the worlds of scientific research and medical politics and ethics at the highest levels.
Critique: An inherently fascinating read from start to finish, "A Surgeon and a Maverick: The Life and Pioneering Work of
Magdi Yacoub" is the extraordinary life story of an extraordinary man of medicine and will prove to be of immense value
to readers with an interest in organ transplant surgery. "A Surgeon and a Maverick: The Life and Pioneering Work of
Magdi Yacoub" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university
library Contemporary Biography and Medical History collections. It should be noted that "A Surgeon and a Maverick: The
Life and Pioneering Work of Magdi Yacoub" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note #1: Fiona Gorman worked for The Times newspaper in London for more than thirty years. She has written
on a range of subjects including mental health.
Editorial Note #2: Mary Archer is a British scientist specializing in solar power conversion. In 2012, she was appointed
Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for her services to the National Health Service.
The Art Shelf
Cute Creature Art Class
Naomi Lord
Rock Point
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartoknows.com
9781631069772, $21.99, PB, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Cute-Creature-Art-Class-Monsters/dp/1631069772
Synopsis: With the publication of "Cute Creature Art Class: Learn to Draw over 50 Magical Monsters", popular anime
artist Naomi Lord shares the secrets to drawing enchanting creatures in her signature style. Through easy-to-follow
tutorials, Lord walks you through the techniques she used to create these anime characters, including her personal
suggestions when it comes to using colored pencils, markers, digital programs, and more.
Discover the myths of creatures ranging from druids to dragons, including: Land Walkers (such as Kitsune, Yeti, Cerberus,
Naga); Air Gliders (such as Manticore, Quetzalcoatl, Pegasus, Fairy); Sea Splashers (such as Kraken, Akhlut, Kelpie,
Mermaid); Night Dwellers )such as Cthulhu, Mothman, Wendigo, Medusa) -- and so many more!
Of special note is the bonus section Mythical Combos where the mundane is bred into the mythical. Ever wondered what
the hybrid of a raven and a cat looked like? How about a shark and a dog, or (even cuter) an otter and a fish? Aspiring
artists and illustrators can see Naomi's creativity bloom, and follow in her footsteps/pencil strokes.
On top of the tutorials, novice and experienced artists alike will find inspiration for personalizing your drawings with
different fur textures, hairstyles, facial expressions, fashion, and more!
Critique: Thoroughly 'user friendly' in commentary tone, style, organization and presentation, "Cute Creature Art Class:
Learn to Draw over 50 Magical Monsters" is an ideal and highly recommended addition to personal, professional,
community, and art school library collections. It should be noted for art students and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in pastel, pen/ink, and pencil drawing that "Cute Creature Art Class: Learn to Draw over 50 Magical Monsters" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note: Naomi Lord is a prolific artist with a strong signature style. Her artwork has attracted a large following on
Instagram @naomi_lord and she has made a career of selling her work online and partnering with retailers like Hot Topic.
Naomi's creatures are both adorable and imaginative, and include a range of anime and kawaii characters inspired by
Dungeons and Dragons, popular anime, Game of Thrones, and Greek mythology, as well as witches, goth characters, and
her own creations. (https://www.facebook.com/NaomiLordArt)
Watercolor Textures for Artists
Quarry Books
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartous.com
9780760383407, $24.99, PB, 136pp
https://www.amazon.com/Watercolor-Textures-Artists-Explore-Techniques/dp/0760383405
Synopsis: It was through experimentation and exploration, Ana Victoria Calderon came to embrace a playful approach to
create a wide variety of textures, from organic lines to repeating patterns to spontaneous spatter, unlocking new creative
possibilities and expanding artistic horizons with the publication of "Watercolor Textures for Artists: Explore Simple
Techniques to Create Amazing Works of Art".
"Watercolor Textures for Artists" covers: Texture swatching (Finding simple step-by-step tutorials for applying beautiful
textures to simple shapes); Inspired textures (See how textures in the world around us can serve as inspiration for
watercolor textures); Mindful painting (Creating interesting effects using simple circles, dots, brushstrokes, and lines);
Mystical landscapes and skyscapes (Learning how to combine textures to create relaxing vistas).
Of special note is the chapter on essential supplies gives an overview of everything you need, and templates make it easy to
recreate the images with minimal drawing.
Written for artists of all skill levels, "Watercolor Textures for Artists" reveals how to transform simple painted textures
into stunning and meditative works of watercolor art.
Critique: Exceptionally 'art student' friendly in style, organization and presentation, "Watercolor Textures for Artists" is an
ideal DIY instructional guide for both novice and experienced watercolor illustrators and artists. Also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $11.99), "Watercolor Textures for Artists" is a solidly recommended pick for personal, professional,
community, art class curriculums, and college/university Watercolor Painting instructional reference collections.
Editorial Note: Ana Victoria Calderon is a Mexican - American watercolor artist and teacher with a bachelor's degree in
Information Design and continued studies in Fine Arts. Her licensed artwork can be seen in retail outlets throughout the
United States and Europe on a wide variety of products. Ana teaches in-person workshops and hosts creative retreats in
Tulum, Mexico, as well as summer watercolor retreats throughout Europe. She has taught more than 120,000 students on
Skillshare, where she is a Top Teacher, and she also teaches thousands of Spanish-speaking students on Domestika. See
more of Ana's work on Instagram (@anavictoriana), YouTube (Ana Victoria Calderon), and Facebook (Ana Victoria
Calderon Illustration).
Vibrant Watercolor
Geethu Chandramohan
Walter Foster Publishing
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartous.com
9780760384879, $22.99, PB, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Vibrant-Watercolor-creative-exploration-watercolor/dp/0760384878
Synopsis: With the publication of "Vibrant Watercolor: A creative and colorful exploration into the art of watercolor
painting" Geethu Chandramohan (the artist behind the popular Instagram account @colourfulmystique) introduces
beginning artists to creating vibrant watercolor artwork.
Each individual projects comprising "Vibrant Watercolor" is presented step by step, with Geethu's own beautiful, bright
artwork and photography accompanying each step in an exploration of a variety of subjects in watercolor including:
Landscapes, Sunsets, Mountains, Birds; Water in different forms; Cityscapes -- and so much more!
As you create stunning images in watercolor, you will also discover how to use painting as a tool for mindfulness, guided
by Geethu's own tips for remaining calm and present. Along the way, you will also learn about: Tools and materials,
including the best watercolor paints and papers to work with; Watercolor painting techniques, such as wet-into-wet,
wet-on-dry, and blending; Color theory and color mixing; Plein air painting; Composition; Perspective, and more.
Critique: An ideal textbook for beginners, and holding a great deal of informational value for even the more experienced
watercolorist, complex-sounding subjects are presented simply and encouragingly, making "Vibrant Watercolor: A creative
and colorful exploration into the art of watercolor painting" especially and unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, art class, and college/university library Watercolor Painting instructional reference collections. It
should be noted that "Vibrant Watercolor" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Geethu Chandramohan (https://colourfulmystique.com) is an artist and aerospace engineer based in the
United Kingdom. Originally from Kerala, India, she lives with her husband and their young baby boy and comes from an
artistic background. A self-taught artist, Geethu teaches online classes and paints daily. Visit her online
@colourfulmystique
Watercolor Your Way
Sarah Cray
Quarry Books
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartous.com
9780760384664, $22.95, PB, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Watercolor-Your-Way-Techniques-Palettes/dp/0760384665
Synopsis: Written and illustrated by artist Sarah Cray, co-founder of the art education platform Let's Make Art,
"Watercolor Your Way: Techniques, Palettes, and Projects To Fit Your Skill Level and Creative Goals" is designed to
inform and guide you an aspiring artist at whatever your current skill level might be.
Each of four chapters focuses on different techniques and supplies, building on each other so you can bring your
watercolor art to the next level. Instead of presenting everything about paints, color mixing, and techniques all at once, it's
offered in four small installments, with frequently asked questions, pro tips, and projects geared toward where you are on
your artistic path, so you can get to the fun part of creating with watercolor faster!
For those just starting out, "Watercolor Your Way" focuses on just three fundamental elements: shape, the wet-on-wet
technique, and primary colors. For building confidence and skill, it spotlights creating value and form with watercolor.
With respect to finessing and enhancing, Watercolor Your Way" centers on adding detailed lines and backgrounds, and
adjusting values by hue. And for finding your own style it presents a process of how to develop a style that's uniquely
yours.
With "Watercolor Your Way", you can explore watercolor the way you've always wanted to, with expert instruction on a
wide range of exciting techniques, themes, and color palettes that fit your needs as an artist.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, illustrated, organized and presented, "Watercolor Your Way: Techniques, Palettes,
and Projects To Fit Your Skill Level and Creative Goals" is an exceptional DIY 'how-to' manual for anyone aspiring to
create art using a watercolor medium. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99), "Watercolor Your
Way" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, art school, and college/university library
Watercolor Painting collections.
Editorial Note: Sarah Cray (https://www.sarahcray.com) is a watercolor artist, illustrator, and art instructor. She graduated
magna cum laude from California State University Sacramento in 2015 with an art studio degree with an emphasis in
painting and drawing. She has been creating custom watercolor and acrylic paintings since 2014, and is co-founder of Let's
Make Art, a brick-and-mortar and online retail company committed to making art more accessible for all through
education and affordable art kits. Let's Make Art, a sister brand of Missouri Star Quilt Company, carries art supplies, art
kits, and Let's Make Art branded items. Sarah teaches a variety of watercolor tutorials on the Let's Make Art website and
YouTube channel and is the illustrator of several gift books.
The General Fiction Shelf
The Couple in the Photo
Helen Cooper
G. P. Putnam's Sons
c/o Penguin Group
www.penguin.com
9780593544907, $18.00, PB, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Couple-Photo-Helen-Cooper/dp/0593544900
Synopsis: Lucy and her husband, Adam, have been best friends with another couple, Cora and Scott, for years. The four are
practically family -- they vacation together, co-own a beach cottage, and their children are inseparable. So Lucy is
devastated when, while looking at a colleague's photos of a trip to the Maldives, she spots a picture of Scott, apparently on
vacation with another woman.
Then she learns that the woman in the photo has gone missing. Lucy can't help but fear that Scott was involved. But
searching for answers might uncover secrets about Scott, Cora, and even her own husband that could destroy the
picture-perfect lives they have built together. Or maybe she was never part of the picture at all. Is it possible everyone
knows more than they are letting on? If so, what are the consequences of exposing the truth?
Critique: An impressively original, deftly crafted, riveting, and entertaining read from start to finish, "The Couple in the
Photo" by Helen Cooper will prove to be a welcome and enduringly popular pick for community library suspense thriller
collections and of special appeal to readers with an interest in Women's Friendship/Domestic Life fiction. It should be
noted for personal reading lists that "The Couple in the Photo" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$12.99).
Editorial Note: Helen Cooper (https://www.helencooperwriter.com) is the author of The Other Guest and The Downstairs
Neighbor. She is from Derby and has a MA in Creative Writing and a background in teaching English and Academic
Writing. Her creative writing has been published in Mslexia and Writers' Forum; she was shortlisted in the Bath Short
Story Prize in 2014, and came third in the Leicester Writes Short Story Prize 2018.
High on the Vine
Terri Martin
Modern History Press
https://www.modernhistorypress.com
9781615997862, $34.95, HC, 166pp
https://www.amazon.com/High-Vine-Featuring-Entrepreneurs-Cousins/dp/1615997865
Synopsis: Laced with laughter, the stories comprising "High on the Vine: Featuring Yooper Entrepreneurs, Tami & Evi
Maki" by Terri Martin feature thrice-removed cousins, Tami & Evi Maki, who often contemplate how their lives would be
vastly different, if only they did not bear the burden of marriage to Toivo and Eino.
Always shirking responsibility, the two spousal reprobates tend to work as little as humanly possible and gamble beyond
their means. When Toivo and Eino do win a "pot" they pass along a share of the booty to their wives with an all-expense
paid trip to someplace "exotic." But while this may bring a tropical paradise to mind, it turns out to be a survival
wilderness weekend in the dead of winter in the middle of nowhere.
Tami & Evi punish their husbands with a hostile takeover of the boys' hunting camp. From there they explore many
entrepreneurial adventures, including a "rustic" vacation rental, an Amish-run chicken ranch, and a winery operated by a
group of misogynistic monks who turn out a product known as "Monk Juice."
While the bottom line for Tami and Evi is always murky, the various ventures they pursue are even murkier.
Critique: "High On The Vine" is a collection of humorous stories based on the adventures of Tami and Evi Maki (cousins
thrice removed) that originally made their debut in UP Magazine and now presented to an appreciative readership. While
also available for personal reading lists in a paperback edition (Gnarly Woods Publications, 9781735204321, $17.95) and
in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.95), "High On The Vine" is a fun read from start to finish and will prove an immediate
and enduringly popular pick for community library Contemporary Humor collections.
Editorial Note: Terri's first book, A Family Trait, which is a middle-grade novel, was first published in 1999 by Holiday House in New York and was republished by Modern History Press under the title Voodoo Shack in 2023. A second middle-grade children's book, The Home Wind, came out in 2021 and has been recognized as a UP Notable Book. After writing a monthly column for years for UP Magazine (Porcupine Press Publications), Martin anthologized her humorous stories into books: Church Lady Chronicles: Devilish Encounters (2020), High on the Vine: Featuring Yooper Entrepreneurs Tami & Evi Maki (2022), and her most recent collection, Roadkill Justice (2023). Terri's has a full-length novel, Moose Willow Mystery, which was published in 2022. Terri's books are available in print and eBook on Amazon and Barnes and Noble or through her website TerriLynnMartin.com
Meet the Benedettos
Katie Cotugno
Harper Perennial
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063329003, $24.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Meet-Benedettos-Novel-Katie-Cotugno/dp/006332900X
Synopsis: Every family is complicated, and the Benedettos are no exception. A few years after a reality TV show
skyrocketed them to pop-culture fame, the five twentysomething sisters are living together in their parents' crumbling
McMansion, nearly broke and teetering towards rock-bottom.
Lilly, the sensible second-eldest sister, is all too aware that her family is viewed as a spectacle, but she's focused on
holding herself and her family together, and unlike her siblings she tends not to care what the world thinks.
The Benedettos' fortunes finally appear to be brightening when Charlie Bingley, the dashing star of Captain Fantastic,
moves into their Los Angeles neighborhood with his friend Will Darcy in tow. It isn't long before Charlie falls for the
warm and lovely eldest sister, June.
Lilly has no such luck: the arrogant and judgmental Will Darcy, a man plagued by his own private demons, seems ready to
clash with her at every turn -- yet the two can't seem to stay away from each other.
And while the Benedettos' matriarch sets to work encouraging a potential match between Charlie and June, there are plenty
of others in the community who are determined to steer these eligible young men away from a ridiculous family of reality
show has-beens...
Critique: As a novelist, Katie Cotugno in "Meet the Benedettos" is able to create a big, boisterous and memorable cast of
characters to life in story that blends romance with dysfunctional family life dynamics. Exceptionally well crafted, "Meet
the Benedettos" is a fun read from start to finish and will prove a welcome pick for personal reading lists and community
library collections. It should be noted that "Meet the Benedettos" is also readily available in a paperback edition (Harper
Perennial, 9780063324145, $12.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Katie Cotugno (https://katiecotugno.com) is the author of Birds of California and eight other novels for
young adults. She is also the co-author (with Candace Bushnell) of "Rules for Being a Girl".
The LGBTQ Fiction Shelf
After Camus
Jay Neugeboren
Madville Publishing
www.MadvillePublishing.com
9781956440737, $21.95, PB, 332pp
https://www.amazon.com/After-Camus-Jay-Neugeboren/dp/1956440739
Synopsis: A troubled marriage and and love story "After Camus" by Jay Neugeboren is set against the background of the
AIDS epidemic, and the American wars in Vietnam and Iraq.
It's the story of Saul Davidoff and Tolle Riordan, who meet during a protest against the Vietnam War, marry, live through
the Plague Years of the AIDS epidemic, raise a family -- and burn out.
Camus is a hero to both of them: Tolle, a young dancer and choreographer, has a liaison with him in Paris shortly before
his death; Saul, inspired by Camus's The Plague, becomes an infectious disease (and AIDS) doctor ... and Camus becomes
a ghostly presence central to our story.
Hoping to repair their marriage, Tolle and Saul return to a village in the South of France where they lived when they were
first in love, and where Camus lived when recovering from a siege of tuberculosis. The novel draws a vivid portrait of a
marriage that spans a series of historical events: from the Vietnam war through the AIDS epidemic and Gulf War, to the
Iraq War and the advent of the right wing Le Pen movement in France.
Critique: A powerful novel of enchantments and from start to finish, "After Camus" clearly reveals author Jay Neugeboren
to be at the hight of his abilities as a writer and storyteller. While a fictional meditation on recent American and LGBTQ
history, "After Camus" is also a compelling tale of how various forms of love and friendship do and do not survive in
times of social and political upheaval. Eloquent and original, "After Camus" is one of those novels that will linger in the
mind and memory of the reader long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf. Simply stated,
"After Camus" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library
LGBTQ Romance collections and supplemental "Contemporary American Literature" curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Jay Neugeboren (http://jayneugeboren.com) is the author of 22 books, including five prize-winning novels
(The Stolen Jew, Before My Life Began,1940, Poli: A Mexican Boy in Early Texas, and The American Sun & Wind
Moving Picture Company), two prize-winning books of nonfiction (Imagining Robert, Transforming Madness), and four
collections of award-winning stories.
The Literary Fiction Shelf
Burn Man: Selected Stories
Mark Anthony Jarman
Biblioasis
www.biblioasis.com
9781771965477, $19.95, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Burn-Man-Selected-Stories-ReSet/dp/1771965479
Synopsis: Drawing together the best of his short fiction published over the last four decades, "Burn Man: Selected Stories"
showcases Canadian author Mark Anthony Jarman's sharply observed characters and acrobatic, voice-driven prose in
stories that walk the tightrope between the commonplace and the mystical.
Also featuring an insightful introduction from John Metcalf, "Burn Man: Selected Stories" offers truly revelatory selection
highlights from one of the most spirited and singular contemporary masters of the short story format.
Critique: Showcasing the best of Mark Anthony Jarman's literary works over the past few years, this anthology of his short
stories from Biblioasis is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community and college/university
library Canadian Literary & Short Story Anthology collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Burn
Man: Selected Stories" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Mark Anthony Jarman is a Canadian fiction writer. Jarman's work includes the novel Salvage King, Ya!,
the short story collection Knife Party at the Hotel Europa and the travel book Ireland's Eye. A graduate of the Iowa Writers'
Workshop, Jarman is currently a faculty member of the English department at the University of New Brunswick in
Fredericton. Previously, he has taught at the University of Victoria. Jarman's writing has won the O. Henry Award, the
Gold National Magazine Award in nonfiction, the Jack Hodgins Fiction Prize, and has been a finalist for the Journey Prize.
Jarman has been awarded the Maclean-Hunter Endowment Award twice.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Anthony_Jarman)
The Hollow Beast
Christophe Bernard, author
Lazer Rhendler, translator
Biblioasis
www.biblioasis.com
9781771965552, $20.95, PB, 600pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hollow-Beast-Biblioasis-International-Translation/dp/177196555X
Synopsis: In a 1911 hockey game in Quebec's Gaspe Peninsula, local tough guy Billy Joe Pictou fires the puck into Monti
Bouge's mouth. When Monti collapses with his head across the goal line, Victor Bradley, erstwhile referee and local
mailman, rules that the goal counts.
Monti's ensuing revenge for this injustice sprawls over three generations, one hundred years and dozens of alcohol-soaked
tall tales, from treachery in northern gold-mining camps to the appearance of a legendary beast by turns playful and
ferocious.
Now it's up to Monti's grandson, Francois, to make sense of the vendetta between Monti and Bradley that has shaped the
destiny of their town and everyone who lives there.
Critique: Ably translated into English for an American readership by Lazer Lederhendler, "The Hollow Beast" is a deftly
crafted and original literary masterpiece by author/storyteller Christophe Bernard who uses a definitively sumptuous and
unpredictable language that is laced through and through with slapstick style humor. A master of epic storytelling, "The
Hollow Beast" is an inherently fascinating saga of a read from start to finish. While especially and unreservedly
recommended as a high quality pick for community and college/university library Literary Fiction collections, it should be
noted for personal reading lists that "The Hollow Beast" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.99).
Editorial Note #1: Originally from Carleton-sur-Mer in the Gaspe region of Quebec, Christophe Bernard
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christophe_Bernard) studied literature in Quebec City, Aix-en-Provence and Berlin. A
prolific literary translator, Bernard was a finalist for the 2016 Governor General's Literary Award for English-to-French
Translation.
Editorial Note #2: Lazer Lederhendler is a four-time finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award, and won the award
in 2008 for his translation of Nikolski. His translation of The Immaculate Conception by Gaetan Soucy was shortlisted for
the 2006 Scotiabank Giller Prize and won the French-to-English Translation Prize from the Quebec Writers' Federation.
Lederhendler lives in Montreal, where he teaches English and film at the College international des Marcellines.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazer_Lederhendler)
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
The Bright Spot
Jill Shalvis
Avon Books
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063235762, $30.00, HC, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bright-Spot-Novel-Sunrise-Cove/dp/0063235757
Synopsis: Luna Wright is a lot of things, but sweet and trusting isn't on the list. However, she's a sucker for the underdog
and a hard-luck story. Adopted at birth, with scant knowledge of her biological family, she's created her own inner circle, a
motley crew which includes her bestie Willow, to help her run the struggling but charming Apple Ridge Farm.
With a farm-to-table cafe as well as a menagerie of rescued animals (complete with a baby goat who keeps escaping to the
pantry to eat the secret stash of decidedly not organic potato chips), it's the best home she's ever known. But when the
owner Silas, who they secretly call The Grinch, passes away, Luna discovers the farm is now under control of his
investment manager, the enigmatic Jameson Hayes... and her. And that Silas had many, many secrets.
Now Luna's carefully controlled corner of the world is threatened and she (along with some help from her friends) has to
dig deep to find true strength and the real meaning of love and family.
Critique: A riveting great read from start to finish, "The Bright Spot" by talented novelist Jill Shalvis is as original as it is
fun and especially recommended for the personal reading lists of anyone with an interest in the kind of rom-coms that
Hallmark Channel movies are made. Laced with humor and memorable characters, "The Bright Spot" will prove a welcome
and popular pick for community library Contemporary Romance & Women's Fiction collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that "The Bright Spot" is also available in a paperback edition (9780063235755, $18.99) and in a
digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Jill Shalvis (www.jillshalvis.com) lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. She claims
that any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental!
It Takes a Rake
Anna Bennett
St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250793959, $8.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Takes-Rake-Rogues-Lovers/dp/1250793955
Synopsis: Since she was a girl, Miss Kitty Beckett has been adept at finding trouble: sneaking brandy, running away, and
getting under the skin of the boy who, like her, was an apprentice to an architect. Now Kitty's a talented heiress who can
take a dry building plan and breathe life into it with her pencils and paints. Also? She can spot a rake at a hundred yards -
and she won't be tricked or charmed into marriage. Certainly not by a man who might interfere with her dreams. When
Bellehaven Bay announces its first ever architectural design contest, she vows to win -- with a little help from her
childhood rival.
Leo Lockland, a hardworking architect with a gift for numbers, has returned home after a few years in London, and he has
secrets. The biggest? He's been in love with Kitty since they were both apprentices. She refuses to give her heart to any
man, but Leo's determined to beat the odds - even if it means learning how to be a rake. Fortunately, Kitty's willing to tutor
him in the nuances of fashion, flirtation, and seduction in exchange for his help with the contest. But the whole plan would
fall apart if she knew how he felt, so he'll have to be very convincing.
Leo proves to be a surprisingly quick study in the ballroom, on the beach, and in the bedchamber. Before long, he's
softening Kitty's hard edges with his wicked words and kissing his way past all her defenses. Perhaps she's a bit too skilled
at teaching, because her lessons are threatening to backfire, putting her closely guarded heart in grave danger!
Critique: A fun read from start to finish, and of special and particular interest to dedicated fans of Regency Romance
novels, "It Takes a Rake" is the third title in author Anna Bennett's 'Rogues to Lovers' series. While especially and
unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Historical Romance collections, it should be
noted that "It Takes a Rake" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).
Editorial Note: Anna Bennett (https://annabennettauthor.com) is the award-winning author of the Debutante Diaries and
Wayward Wallflowers series. Her dream of writing romance began during a semester in London, where she fell in love
with the city, its history, and its pubs. Now Anna's living happily-ever-after in Maryland with her family, who try valiantly
not to roll their eyes whenever she quotes Jane Austen.
Calling on the Matchmaker
Jody Hedlund
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764242236, $29.99, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Calling-Matchmaker-Shanahan-Match-Book/dp/B0CP4JBLNS
Synopsis: Haunted by the death of her sister, Finola Shanahan has resolved that she's not worthy of a family of her own and
commits to spending her days caring for immigrants in the slums. Unwilling to consider marriage, Finola has perfected the
ability to sabotage the relationships her parents arrange for her. At wit's end, her father calls upon the local Irish
matchmaker, who pairs her with successful wagonmaker Riley Rafferty. After her usual tricks fail, Finola quickly realizes
she can't outsmart or outwit the dashing, determined, and daring man.
A candidate in the St. Louis mayoral election, Riley is confident a union with the wealthy Shanahan family will help
solidify his chances of winning--and even more assured he and Finola can make a difference together. When a cholera
outbreak begins to take St. Louis by storm, they must navigate a burgeoning attraction and growing danger testing all they
know about love and sacrifice.
Critique: Escape to 1849 St. Louis in author Jody Hedlund's "Calling on the Matchmaker", an original, deftly crafted,
rather daring and intensely romantic tale. Especially recommended to the attention of readers with an interest in Christian
and History Romance novels, as well as community library Historical Romance collections, it should be noted that
"Calling on the Matchmaker is also available from Bethany House Publishers in a paperback edition (9780764241963,
$16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Jody Hedlund (www.JodyHedlund.com) is the author of more than fifty novels and is the winner of
numerous awards. She writes sweet historical romances with plenty of sizzle.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
McKee of Centre Street
Helen Reilly
American Mystery Classics
c/o Penzler Publishers
https://penzlerpublishers.com
c/o W.W. Norton (distribution)
www.wwnorton.com
9781613164983, $25.95, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/McKee-Centre-Street-Helen-Reilly/dp/161316498X
Synopsis: When one of New York's favorite dancers is killed in a crowded high-tone speakeasy, everyone present becomes
a suspect -- and those that may have eluded questioning as well. Now it's up to Inspector McKee of the NYPD to sift
through the witness statements, separate fact from fiction, and put together a picture of the crime as it happened in order to
discover what's missing from the official narrative. And in the process, he'll uncover a story that leads back into the past,
with blackmail and stolen emeralds lurking in the shadows...
As McKee's case comes into focus, a rich and confounding mystery plot is revealed, which will take all of the inspector's
resources to solve. Along the way, the inner workings of the New York City police department in the 1930s is on full
display, including the line-ups, the radio room, the morgue, and the fingerprinting office -- technologies that were at the
cutting edge of this era's fight against crime.
Critique: A speakeasy performer is murdered in this pioneering mystery from the mother of the police procedural. Reissued
for the first time eighty years, "McKee of Centre Street" by Helen Reilly is one of the first police procedurals novels ever
written by a woman. Her realistic descriptions of New York and her insightful view of police work were an instant hit with
fans and its lead character went on to star in over thirty mor crime novels. A literary treasure brought back from obscurity
in a new edition from American Mystery Classics, "McKee of Centre Street" is a fund read from start to finish and a
welcome, unreservedly recommended pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of all dedicated 'whodunnit' mystery buffs that "McKee of Centre Street" is also available in a
paperback edition (9781613164990, $15.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Helen Reilly (April 25, 1891 - January 11, 1962) was a pioneering author of American Golden Age
mysteries and considered to be one of the first women to write in the police procedural subgenre. She wrote over thirty
novels starring Inspector Christopher McKee, of the fictitious Manhattan Homicide Squad. Most of her writing was
published under her own name but she also published several novels under the pseudonym Kieran Abbey. A member of
the Mystery Writers of America, she served as president of the organization in 1953.
The Last Word
Gerri Lewis
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781639106318, $29.99, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Word-Gerri-Lewis/dp/1639106316
Synopsis: Obituary writer Winter Snow is no stranger to grief, and writing obituaries for the citizens of Ridgefield,
Connecticut, is her way of providing comfort to those who have been in her shoes. But funerals and eulogies are meant for
the dead, so when the very much alive Leocadia Arlington requests her own obituary by the end of the week, Winter's
curiosity is piqued. Even more so when she finds Mrs. Arlington dead soon after. Officer Kip Michaels and his relentless
partner Tom Bellini make it clear that Winter is under suspicion for the death.
Drafting an obituary for someone who hadn't died yet certainly looks bad, but Winter knows that it wasn't her, and she
becomes obsessed with trying to figure out the real killer. She dives headfirst into the investigation to give Mrs. Arlington
and herself some peace. When Winter realizes Mrs. Arlington was working on a revealing memoir that has now gone
missing, Winter begins to wonder if the death wasn't exactly random - accident or otherwise.
With the help of her foodie Uncle Richard, her wise octogenarian neighbor Horace, her best friend Scoop, and Diva, the
Great Pyrenees puppy she inherited from Mrs. Arlington, Winter must uncover the killer before the next obituary written is
her own.
Critique: A fun read for cosy mystery fans from start to finish, "The Last Word" is author Gerri Lewis debut launch of her
new A Deadly Deadlines Mystery'. This impressively original and carefully crafted 'whodunnit' mystery features an
amateur female sleuth caught up in the necessity of clearing her name and involving a number of memorable characters
and a dramatic conclusion. While highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be
noted for personal reading lists that "The Last Word" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$14.99).
Editorial Note: Gerri Lewis (https://gerrilewis.com) started her career as a freelance writer and has published over 1,400
features, news stories, obituaries, and columns. Along with writing her novels, she continues to write magazine features for
O68 Magazine. Her cover features appear regularly and her HOW WE MET column was a popular staple of the magazine
for many years. Her accolades include feature-writing awards from the New England Press Association and the Society of
Professional Journalists, among others.
The Lost Dresses of Italy
M. A. McLaughlin
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781639105649, $29.99, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Dresses-Novel-M-McLaughlin/dp/1639105646
Synopsis: Verona, 1947. Textile historian Marianne Baxter comes to post-war Italy with one thing on her mind: three
pristine Victorian dresses, once owned by the famous poet Christina Rossetti. Hidden away in a trunk for nearly a century,
they were recently discovered at the Fondazione Museo Menigatti and Marianne's expertise is needed before they go on
exhibit. Still grieving the loss of her husband, the trip is also a reason for Marianne to start over. But when she arrives, she
discovers an unsupportive but handsome museum owner, a superstitious local community, and a mysterious letter with a
scribbled warning hidden among the dresses.
Verona, 1864. Christina Rossetti returns to her family's homeland in hopes of leaving her unfulfilled personal life and
poetry career in England and beginning a new chapter. After a chance encounter with an old family friend, she finds a gift
her father once gave her: a small ornate box with the three Muses carved into the lid. When she stumbles across a secret
compartment, Christina finds a letter from her father with an urgent and personal request.
The letter, speaking of a pendant and stolen book that must be returned, connects Marianne and Christina - and leaves
them both with more questions than answers. Inspired by the real-life mysteries surrounding poet Christina Rossetti, The
Lost Dresses transports readers to Verona with the enchantment and intrigue of Italian art and fashion.
Critique: A deftly crafted and innately fascination historical mystery set in Verona, Italy, "The Lost Dresses of Italy" by M.
A. McLaughlin showcases her genuine flair for originality and a distinctive storytelling style that makes for a fun read from
cover to cover. Of particular interest to fans of historical fiction with events separated by the better part of a century, "The
Lost Dresses of Italy" is certain to be an immediately welcome and enduringly popular pick for community library
Historical Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Lost Dresses of Italy" is also available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) as well.
Editorial Note: M. A. McLaughlin (https://martyambrose.com) is an award-winning author who completed her M.Phil. at
the University of York (England) and teaches nineteenth-century British literature, composition, and fiction writing at
Florida Southwestern State College. She has also given numerous workshops in the U.S. and abroad on all aspects of
creating/publishing a novel, and is a member of The Byron Society, Historical Novel Society, Florida Writers Association,
and Women's Fiction Writers Association.
A Pie to Die For
Gretchen Rue
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781639106257, $29.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pie-Die-Lucky-Mysteries/dp/1639106251
Synopsis: Este March runs the family-owned Lucky Pie Diner on Split Pine Island in Northern Michigan. The pies at
Lucky Pie aren't just good, they're magical, made from a family recipe that grants certain customers their greatest hopes
and dreams when they eat the pie. The remote island is closed to outsiders over the winter months, but on the last day of
the season, the unpopular new produce vendor, Jeff, turns up dead on his boat, and Split Pine Island's peace goes up in
smoke.
Tom Cunningham, the local sheriff, casts suspicion onto Este, who may have been the last person to see Jeff alive. Not to
mention several people witnessed her getting into an argument with the rude vendor in some of his final hours. Este
decides to clear her name and her diner's reputation by launching her own investigation, which means she must turn
suspicion on her friends and neighbors, because only a local could have murdered the victim.
As Este investigates, she uncovers a deeper web of secrets, finding that many of the locals had reason to either frame her,
or kill the victim. The clock is ticking to figure out the killer, and the clues in the case are flakier than an apple pie. Este
will have to uncover the killer before her future crumbles.
Critique: A classic cozy mystery from Gretchen Rue, "A Pie to Die For" is the first volume of the author's new 'A Lucky
Pie Mystery' series from Crooked Lane Books. Once again we find a young woman compelled to become amateur
detective in her attempt to clear herself from a murder mystery by finding out 'whodunnit'. A fresh and fun read from cover
to cover, "A Pie to Die For" will prove an instantly popular pick for personal reading lists and community library
Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that "A Pie to Die For" is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: Gretchen Rue (https://www.sierradean.com/gretchenrue) is a secondary pen-name from author Sierra Dean.
She is a cozy mystery author, whose works include The Witches' Brew series and now the Lucky Pie series from Crooked
Lane Books as well.
A Killer Romance
Maggie Blackburn
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781639106356, $29.99, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Killer-Romance-Beach-Reads-Mystery/dp/1639106359
Synopsis: When the Beach Reads bookshop hosts a Valentine's Day event, "Romance by the Sea," bookseller Summer
Merriweather has no idea that the guest author is under investigation for her own husband's murder. When that same
author is found dead at the local bed and breakfast, nobody assumes it's natural causes -- because there were plenty of
people who wanted her dead!
As Summer searches for the truth about the author's stranger-than-fiction life, Summer finds suspicious indications of
shady behavior in the author's belongings. But the casual sleuthing is quickly derailed when Summer's friend Glads gets
hauled in for the murder, and they launch a full-blown investigation to clear her name.
As Summer and company pick through the scant clues to solve the case, they may find more treachery and heartbreak than
they bargained for.
Critique: "A Killer Romance" is the third title in author Maggie Blackburn's 'A Beach Reads Mystery' series (following
"Once Upon a Seaside Murder" and "Little Bookshop of Murder") and once again an amateur female sleuth is called upon
to find out 'whodunnit' assisted by her equally amateur friends -- include one who is accused by the authorities of the
crime. A wonderfully original and deftly crafted read from first page to last, "A Killer Romance" is an ideal pick for
community library collections and readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle,
$17.99).
Editorial Note: Maggie Blackburn (https://cozymystery.com/authors/maggie-blackburn) is the author of the Cora Crafts
mysteries and the Cumberland Creek mysteries under another pen name. Her books have been selected as finalists for an
Agatha Award and a Daphne du Maurier Award and as Top 10 Beach Reads by Woman's World. There is a complete
listing of her books online at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19744185.Maggie_Blackburn
Once Upon a Murder
Samantha Larsen
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781639106219, $29.99, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Once-Upon-Murder-Librarian-Mystery/dp/1639106219
Synopsis: 1784 England. Officially hired as the librarian for the Duchess of Beaufort, Miss Tiffany Woodall is through
with masquerades and murders for good. That is, until she stumbles upon the frozen dead body of former footman Mr.
Bernard Coram. The speed with which her peaceful new life is upended is one for the record books: the justice of the peace
immediately declares her the primary suspect in the murder.
As Tiffany hunts for the truth to clear her name, she learns that Bernard got into a fight over a woman at the local pub the
night of his death - but he was also overheard blackmailing Samir. The justice of the peace arrests Samir, and Tiffany
realizes that her life may have more in common with a tragic play than a light-hearted romance.
With her love locked up in jail and her own reputation on the line, Tiffany must attempt to solve the murder before the
book closes on her or Samir's life.
Critique: A fascinating and fun read from cover to cover, "Once Upon A Murder" by novelist Samantha Larsen will be of
very special interest to fans of historical 'whodunnit' mysteries solved by amateur female sleuths. While especially and
unreservedly recommended for community library Historical Fiction and Cozy Mystery collections, it should be noted for
personal reading lists that "Once Upon A Murder" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99).
Editorial Note: Samantha Larsen has degrees from Brigham Young University, the University of Reading (Berkshire,
England), and the University of North Texas. She met her husband in a turkey sandwich line. She spends most of her time
reading, eating popcorn, drinking tea, and chasing her kids. She publishes historical romances under Samantha Hastings.
Learn more at She also publishes historical romances under Samantha Hastings (www.SamanthaHastings.com).
The Poetry Shelf
Change Your Life
Rainer Maria Rilke, poet
Martyn Crucefix, translator
Pushkin Press
www.pushkinpress.com
9781782278580, $19.95, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Change-Your-Pushkin-Press-Classics/dp/1782278583
Synopsis: The German poet Rainer Maria Rilke developed one of the most singular poetic styles of the twentieth century.
Visionary yet always anchored in the real world, his poems give profound expression to fundamental questions of love and
death, of the chaos of the modern world as well as the spiritual consolation of art and nature.
Deftly translated into English by Martyn Crucefix, "Change Your Life" draws from across Rilke's career to offer a
comprehensive view of his most essential poetry, featuring major selections from the great Duino Elegies and Sonnets to
Orpheus alongside less frequently anthologized work.
Critique: An impressive compendium of new translations of 142 poems by Rainer Maria Rilke, "Change Your Life" brings
a new generation of appreciative readers fresh insights and appreciation for how verse can impact upon the perceptions of
human experiences, especially those that, while intensely personal, and also universal. While especially and unreservedly
recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library poetry/literature collections in general,
and Rainer Maria Rilke curriculum studies lists in particular, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject that "Change Your Life" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$15.99).
Editorial Note #1: Rainer Maria Rilke (4 December 1875 - 29 December 1926) is considered one of the greatest
German-language writers to have ever lived. He is best known for his Duino Elegies, Sonnets to Orpheus, and The
Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge.
Editorial Note #2: Martyn Crucefix https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martyn_Crucefix) is a British poet, translator and
reviewer. He is the author of twelve original collections of poetry, most recently Cargo of Limbs (Hercules Editions, 2019;
photographs by Amel Alzakout). He is the recipient of several prizes, including an Eric Gregory award and the
Schlegel-Tieck Translation Prize for his translations of the poems of Peter Huchel. He is also a Royal Literary Fund Fellow
at The British Library.
The Graphic Novel Shelf
Blondie: Against the Odds
Jimmy Palmiotti, et al.
Z2 Comics
https://z2comics.com
9781940878768, $24.99, PB, 120pp
https://www.amazon.com/Blondie-Jimmy-Palmiotti/dp/1940878764
Synopsis: Combining an imaginative take on an oral history of the band, interspersed with artistic interpretations of 10
songs from their catalog, "Blondie Against The Odds", in a graphic novel format, fully captures the friction of New York
City as the band fought their way to prominence, as well as the power and energy contained within the songs that fueled
their rise to legendary status.
Critique: Blondie was an American rock band founded in 1974 in New York City by singer Debbie Harry and guitarist
Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the American new wave scene of the mid-1970s in New York City and was
disbanded in 1982. Absolutely essential reading for the remaining legions of Blondie fans, "Blondie: Against the Odds" is
an inherently fascinating and expertly produced and illustrated, graphic novel based on the band and its members -- and is
unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library Graphic Novel
collections.
Quentin Tarantino: A Graphic Biography
Michele Botton, author
Benardo Santiago Acosta, illustrator
Frances Lincoln
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartoknows.com
9780711290761, $19.99, HC, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Quentin-Tarantino-Graphic-Biography-BioGraphics/dp/0711290768
Synopsis: From the set of 1993's Pulp Fiction, to a bar room meeting with Robert Rodriguez and an inspirational lunch
with Leonardo di Caprio, "Quentin Tarantino: A Graphic Biography" is a unique graphic novel style biography that takes
us across a series of Hollywood-inspired vignettes covering the movie-obsessed life and career of one of modern cinema's
greatest filmmakers -- Quentin Tarantino.
Join the conversation as Tarantino talks John Travolta into starring in Pulp Fiction, find out about the inspiration for his
earliest screenplays and learn about Tarantino's obsessive childhood growing up in California.
Critique: For those looking for insights into Tarantino's influences, inspirations and the development of his signature style
as a filmmaker, "Quentin Tarantino: A Graphic Life" is fascinating, informative, and essential reading for his legions of
fans. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), "Quentin Tarantino: A
Graphic Life" is a solid and recommended pick for community and college/university library American Biography
collections.
Andy Warhol: A Graphic Biography
Michele Botton, author
Marco Maraggi, illustrator
Frances Lincoln
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartoknows.com
9780711290785, $19.99, HC, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Andy-Warhol-Graphic-Biography-BioGraphics/dp/0711290784
Synopsis: In 1962, Andy Warhol displayed 32 canvases of Campbell's soup cans in a New York art gallery. The art world
(and what we consider to be art) would never be the same again.
In this graphic novel format, "Andy Warhol: A Graphic Biography " by author/biographer Michele Botton and
artist/illustrator Marco Maraggi follows the life of Warhol through his upbringing in Pittsburgh, moving to New York City,
finding inspiration and conquering the creative world, in this unique graphic biography.
Readers will discover what made Warhol tick in terms of his delights, his drives and his frustrations. Revealed is his
fascinating lifestyle within the New York scene and the incredible way that he continually evolved as an artist.
For those looking for an entertaining introduction to this giant of modern art, or for existing fans after a fresh visual take,
this graphic biography approach reveals the real Andy Warhol!
Critique: A fun and informative read from start to finish, "Andy Warhol: A Graphic Biography" is a solid and unreservedly
recommended pick for community and college/university library American Biography collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that "Andy Warhol: A Graphic Biography" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.99).
The Music CD Shelf
Oh Mother
Andrea Superstein
andreasuperstein.com
Cellar Music Group
cellarlive.com
$TBA CD / $10.00 digital
https://mooreamasa.bandcamp.com/album/oh-mother
Vancouver vocalist and composer Andrea Superstein presents Oh Mother, an original contemporary jazz album inspired by
her own experiences with motherhood. The physical changes resulting pregnancy, the trauma of childbirth, the difficulty of
balancing work and parental responsibility, and the increased sense of isolation due to responsibility for one's child all
make motherhood difficult. Andrea interviewed nearly 100 mothers in a search to learn more about the common
experiences of motherhood. The songs of Oh Mother range in emotion from mourning, to frustration, to heartfelt love,
reflecting on the conflicting emotions that a parent feels. A grand ensemble of musicians lend their talents for the piano,
bass, drums, flute, trumpet, guitar, violin, harp, voice and much more to various songs. Oh Mother is a unique and
rapturous treasure, and also makes an excellent gift. The tracks are To All the Mothers, Everywhere, All I Need, Lay Your
Head Down, I Carry Your Heart, Mombo, Who Are You Now, The Heart Inside, May You, So In Love, and
Musicbox.
Blue Topaz
Peter Hand
https://www.peterhandmusic.com
Whaling City Sound
www.whalingcitysound.com
$TBA CD / $TBA digital
https://whalingcitysound.com/recordings/peter-hand-blue-topaz
Guitarist and composer Peter Hand presents Blue Topaz, a jazz album that Hand crafted along with the talents of trumpeter
Eddie Allen, saxophonist Don Braden, pianists James Weidman and David Janeway, bassist Harvie S and drummer Steve
Jons. Featuring both original creations, reimagined Jazz classics, and exuberant Latin and Brazilian jazz pieces, Blue
Topaz is a treasure for connoisseurs of the genre and highly recommended. The tracks are Hand-Me-Down Blues, Cash Or
Charge, Bittersweet Morning, Pedro's Samba, One For My Baby (And One More For The Road), Little Sunflower,
Rosalyn, Blue Topaz, Lately, and Curioso.
Conspiracy Deliracy
Andrew Binder
www.andrewbindermusic.com
Privately Published
$20.00 CD / $11.00 digital
https://andrewbinder.bandcamp.com/album/conspiracy-deliracy
Bassist and composer Andrew Binder presents Conspiracy Deliracy, an original album featuring songs with elements of
modern jazz and pop. Additional music artists lend their talent on trumpt, saxophone, flute, trombone, guitar, keyboards,
drums, and bass. Conspiracy Deliracy is a tongue-in-cheek satire of conspiracy theories, criticizing the modern delusional
era of misinformation, which spreads all too quickly whether by word of mouth or social media. Conspiracy Deliracy is an
insightful work with a desperately needed message, and highly recommended. The tracks are Squatch Watch, Stevie Isn't
Blind, Mandela Effect, Rush for Area 51, Moonwalk, Katy is a Lizard, Dark Side of the Mattress Firm, Birds Aren't Real
(Intro), Birds Aren't Real, Avril is Dead, Beyonce is the Illuminati, and Rush for Area 51 - Alternate Take.
Jet Black
Satoko Fuji and the Tokyo Trio
Libra Records
https://librarecords.com
$18.00 CD / $TBA digital
https://librarecords.com/sne/store.html
Available as a CD from Libra Records or digitally on iTunes, Jet Black is a jazz album by Satoko Fuji's Tokyo Trio -
featuring composer and pianist Satoko Fuji, bassist Takashi Sugawa, and drummer Ittetsu Takemura. All songs are Satoko
Fuji's original compositions, rendered into a unique performance showcasing the band's talent for improvisation. Featuring
complex rhythms, free-energy solos, and a zest for experimentation, Jet Black is a treat for jazz connoisseurs and highly
recommended. The tracks are Along the Way, Gentle Slope, Sky Reflection, From Sometime, Take a Step, and Jet
Black.
The Blu-ray Shelf
Tears to Tiara Complete Collection
Sentai Film Works
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com
c/o RLJ Entertainment (distribution)
$79.98 Blu-ray, 3 discs
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com/products/816726026763-tears-to-tiara-complete-collection-blu-ray
Synopsis: For dozens of generations, the legions of the Divine Empire seemed unstoppable, brutally tearing asunder nation
after nation and subjugating their people. Then one of the Empire's power-hungry priests made the mistake of attempting to
resurrect an ancient Demon Lord. Instead of binding Arawn as planned, the Demon Lord chose to rescue the intended
sacrifice - the young high priestess Riannon - and formed an alliance with her potentially legendary brother Arthur and the
Gael Clan. Now the Empire will reap the seeds of destruction they have sowed, as Demon, Human, Elf, and even Dragon
join together in the battle of the complete master collection of TEARS TO TIARA!
Critique: Rated TV-PG (parental guidance recommended for younger children due to violence), Tears to Tiara Complete
Collection is a three-disc Blu-ray set that includes all 26 episodes of the epic fantasy-war anime series. Set in a world
where the Divine Empire has mercilessly conquered and subjugated all nations unfortunate enough to lie within its reach,
Tears to Tiara chronicles a turning point in history - when the Empire's attempt to summon a Demon Lord results in the
Demon Lord choosing to rescue the intended sacrifice and form an alliance with those humans, elves, and dragons who
dare to resist the Empire's relentless conquest. An exquisite interplay of political alliances, vicious battles, and complex
characters, Tears to Tiara is a "must" for fantasy-anime connoisseurs, utterly riveting to the end. Highly recommended!
1080p high definition, 650 minutes on 3 Blu-ray discs, Japanese and English audio with English subtitles.
My Life as Inukai-san's Dog Complete Collection
Sentai Film Works
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com
c/o RLJ Entertainment (distribution)
$59.98 Blu-ray, 1 disc
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com/products/816726023564-my-life-as-inukai-sans-dog-complete-collection-blu-ray
Synopsis: What if you were sitting in the rain and an attractive female classmate took you home for a bath together? It
might be some guys fantasy, but there's one detail that turns it into a nightmare for Pochita... he's been transformed into a
dog! Now he's locked up with a beautiful girl with a scary dog fixation, and he can only bark for help. As he struggles to
unravel what's happened to him, he also learns way too much about Inukai and her friends' private quirks than his
now-canine brain can handle in MY LIFE AS INUKAI-SAN'S DOG!
Critique: Rated TV-MA (for mature viewers only) due to nudity and sexual situations, My Life as Inukai-san's Dog
Complete Collection is the uncensored Blu-ray collecting all 12 episodes plus the 2 OVAs of a sexy anime comedy. In My
Life as Inukai-san's Dog Complete Collection, Pochita has been transformed into a dog; then, a beautiful girl with an eerie
dog fixation takes him in and dotes on him - perhaps a little too much! Trapped in dog form, he gets to see more of her and
her friends in their private (and undressed) moments than his human-brain-trapped-in-a-canine body can take! This
uncensored version truly bares all, in this laugh-out-loud funny and unashamedly raunchy romp. 168 minutes, 1080p high
definition, Japanese audio with English subtitles.
The Christian Studies Shelf
One Sunday at a Time
Mark Hart
Ave Maria Press
www.avemariapress.com
9781646802654, $24.95, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/One-Sunday-Time-Cycle-Preparing/dp/1646802659
Synopsis: With the publication of "One Sunday at a Time (Cycle B): Preparing Your Heart for Weekly Mass", Mark Hart
has created the essential companion to the Sunday readings and an ideal resource for busy Catholics who want to get more
out of Mass.
After almost thirty years in ministry, Hart hears two questions most often: "How do I get more out of Mass?" and "Where
do I start?"
His response? Begin with what you're already doing - going to Mass. You'll understand the Bible better, receive God's
grace, and the liturgy will come to life for you in a whole new way.
The extra features of each Sunday are designed to help you initiate faith-based conversations with your family and friends,
form the habit of scripture study, and carve out time for God every week.
In "One Sunday at a Time" features: Color-coded sections that correspond to the liturgical seasons; Brief summaries of the
Mass readings for Sundays, major feasts, and solemnities in liturgical year Cycle B; Engaging reflections that draw your
attention to a primary theme and common threads among the readings each week; Explanation of key Greek and Hebrew
words in the biblical text; Fun facts and cultural context of the biblical world.
"One Sunday at a Time" also includes prayers and a weekly challenge to help put into practice the message of each week's
readings in your daily life. Wide margins are ideal for notetaking. Readers have identified this book as the perfect
companion to Every Sacred Sunday.
Critique: A beautiful, full-color book that is ideal for individuals, families, RCIA classes, and small groups, "One Sunday
at a Time" is inspired and inspiring as it fulfills its implied promise to its readers that with just ten minutes a week it can
help them experience Sunday Mass more fully and deepen their love of the Word of God. While also readily available for
the personal reading lists of clergy, seminary students, and all members of the Catholic community, "One Sunday at a
Time" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).
Editorial Note: Mark Hart serves as Executive Vice President for Life Teen International. A graduate of the University of
Notre Dame and a twenty-year veteran of youth ministry, Mark Hart is one of the most sought-after speakers serving in the
Catholic Church, today. His latest DVD resources - "Altaration" and "The 99" - are receiving praise across the globe as a
revolutionary and vital work for the young Catholic Church.
The author (or co-author) of over two dozen books, including best-sellers "Blessed are the Bored in Spirit", "Behold the
Mystery", "Ask the Bible Geek", "100 Things Every Catholic Teen Should Know" and "The 99 Handbook". Mark's writing
style is humorous yet deep, accessible to and enjoyed by readers of all ages.
Mark is also a co-host of the wildly popular "The Catholic Guy Show" on Sirius XM 129 and is a Research Fellow for the
St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. Mark's sense of humor and his passion for Scripture - as experienced in his DVD
Bible Study Series, "T3" and "Encounter" - are helping hundreds of thousands of young Catholics, begin to read and study
the Bible in engaging and relevant ways.
Pope Francis as Moral Leader
Thomas Massaro SJ
Paulist Press
www.paulistpress.com
9780809156634, $29.95, PB, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pope-Francis-Moral-Leader-Communicator/dp/0809156636
Synopsis: With the publication of "Pope Francis as Moral Leader: Ethicist, Discerner, Communicator, and Advocate for
Social Justice", Thomas Massaro, SJ deftly describes and analyzes the contribution of Pope Francis makes as an ethicist, a
practitioner of discernment, a skilled communicator, and a strong advocate for social justice on the global stage.
"Pope Francis as Moral Leader" also brilliantly highlights Francis's leadership qualities and the ethical achievements of his
papacy as he appeals to ethical values and proposes teachings and practices that embody mercy and justice for the church
and world.
Critique: As informed and informative as it is inspired and inspiring, "Pope Francis as Moral Leader: Ethicist, Discerner,
Communicator, and Advocate for Social Justice" must be considered essential reading for all members of the Roman
Catholic community including clergy and seminary students. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Pope
Francis as Moral Leader is unreservedly recommended as a key and core addition to personal, community, seminary, and
college/university library Papal Biography/History collections.
Editorial Note: Thomas Massaro, S.J., is Professor of Moral Theology at Fordham University. A Jesuit priest of the
Northeast Province, he served as professor of moral theology at Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge,
Massachusetts, at Boston College, and at Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University, where he also served as
Dean.
Forged: Following Jesus into a New Kind of Family
T. C. Moore
Broadleaf Books
www.broadleafbooks.com
9781506486864, $18.99, PB, 181pp
https://www.amazon.com/Forged-Following-Jesus-into-Family/dp/150648686X
Synopsis: The Jesus Way calls us into community with others to form a new kind of family -- a forged family. In an era
when our relationships with our families of origin are more complicated than ever, with the publication of "Forged:
Following Jesus into a New Kind of Family" pastor T. C. Moore shows us how following the way of Jesus can lead us to
forged families that are authentic and life-giving.
Our forged families are the ones who love us for who we are and show up for us when we're in desperate need. Our forged
families are the ones with whom we've worked through conflict. Our forged families make us who we are, strengthen our
faith, and sustain us through life's many challenges.
"Forged" also weaves together stories from the author's over twenty years of experience with having an urban, multiethnic
ministry all over the US, with principles from Scripture, and his own experience as an ex-gang member turned church
planter and pastor to propose a way of approaching faith in community that rejects hierarchical, bureaucratic structures in
favor of formative, inclusive friendships that last.
Critique: Inspired and inspiring, "Forged: Following Jesus into a New Kind of Family" is a fascinating, informative, and
potentially life changing, life enhancing read from start to finish. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$13.49), "Forged: Following Jesus into a New Kind of Family" is especially and unreservedly recommended for church,
community, seminary, and college/university library Christian Studies/Social Issues, and Christian Spiritual Growth
collections.
Editorial Note: Rev. T. C. Moore (https://tcmoore.net) is a pastor, graffiti artist, writer, and theology nerd. He serves as
lead pastor of Roots, a Moravian community in St. Paul, Minnesota, and works with court-involved youth and young
adults, applying restorative-justice practices. Since Jesus liberated him from gang life as a teenager, he has developed
mentoring programs, planted churches, and served in community-based nonprofits for over two decades. He is a graduate
of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary's Center for Urban Ministerial Education in Boston. He lives in St. Paul with his
wife, Osheta, and their three teenage children.
The Prayers of Saint Sarapion
The Bishop of Thmuis
Maxwell E. Johnson, translator
SVS Press
www.svspress.com
9780881417524, $26.00, PB, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Prayers-Saint-Sarapion-Bishop-Thmuis/dp/0881417521
Synopsis: St Sarapion was a friend of St Anthony the Great and St Athanasius, who first lived as a monk and abbot in the
Egyptian desert before becoming bishop of Thmuis. "The Prayers of Saint Sarapion" is a translation of the Euchologion (or
prayer book) of St Sarapion by Maxwell E. Johnson, and is comprised of thirty prayers for Baptism, the Liturgy, and
several other needs and situations. This edition from SVS Press includes the original Greek along with the translation.
Critique: A part of the outstanding Popular Patristics Series from SVS Press and unreservedly recommended to the
attention of the Catholic and Orthodox Christian communities, it should be noted that "The Prayers of Saint Sarapion" is
also available for the personal reading lists of clergy, seminary students, and non-specialist general readers with an interest
in the subject in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: There is an informative biography hand history of Saint Sarapion online at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serapion_the_Sindonite
The Judaic Studies Shelf
From Time to Time: Journeys in the Jewish Calendar
Rabbi Dalia Marx
CCAR Press
www.ccarpress.org
9780881236132, $32.95, HC, 400pp
https://www.amazon.com/Time-Journeys-Jewish-Calendar/dp/0881236136
Synopsis: Time is fundamental to the human experience, and in Judaism it is even more, because to the Jewish people,
time is sanctified. Understanding the Jewish calendar is thus essential for fully comprehending Judaism.
With the publication of "From Time to Time: Journeys in the Jewish Calendar" from CCAR Press, Rabbi Dalia Marx,
PhD, presents a fascinating exploration of the treasures of the Jewish year. This coffee-table style large format volume
artfully blends traditional and contemporary perspectives on each Hebrew month and its holidays.
Rabbi Marx's insights are paired with striking illustrations; each month also features a diverse selection of poetry, prayers,
and songs and takes a distinctively Israeli, feminist, and progressive approach to the meaning of time within Judaism.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a six page Glossary, a two page Diagram of the
Hebrew Calendar Year, and twelve pages of Sources, Permissions, and Notes, "From Time to Time: Journeys in the Jewish
Calendar" is especially and unreservedly recommended for family, synagogue, community, and college/university library
Judaic Studies collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
students, academia, members of the Jewish community, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject
that "From Time to Time: Journeys in the Jewish Calendar" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Rabbi Dalia Marx (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalia_Marx) is Professor of Liturgy and Midrash at
Hebrew Union College-JIR in Jerusalem. She received her rabbinic ordination at HUC-JIR (Jerusalem and Cincinnati) in
2003 and earned her PhD at the Hebrew University in 2005.
Loaves of Torah: Exploring the Jewish Year through Challah
Rabbi Vanessa M. Harper
CCAR Press
www.ccarpress.org
9780881233797, $31.95, HC, 360pp (Ages 10 and up)
https://www.amazon.com/Loaves-Torah-Exploring-through-Challah/dp/088123379X
Synopsis: Challah is a special bread of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, usually braided and typically eaten on ceremonial
occasions such as Shabbat and major Jewish holidays (other than Passover). Ritually acceptable challah is made of dough
from which a small portion has been set aside as an offering. Challah may also refer to the dough offering. The word is
biblical in origin, meaning "loaf".
Braided and spiral loaves of Challah have long been a delicious centerpiece of the Jewish table, but with a few extra twists,
the beloved Shabbat bread can become a work of art that teaches Torah. With the publication of "Loaves of Torah:
Exploring the Jewish Year through Challah", Rabbi Vanessa M. Harper (creator of the hit Instagram account
@lechlechallah) shapes interpretive challot for each weekly Torah portion and Jewish holiday.
A creative journey through the Jewish year, "Loaves of Torah" pairs gorgeous color photographs with insightful
commentary, in-depth questions for reflection and discussion, as well as beautiful kavanot. Rabbi Harper also includes
blessings, recipes, and tips for creating your own interpretive challot.
A fresh, contemporary commentary on our holiest text, "Loaves of Torah" will inspire you to think outside the braid and
take Torah into your own hands.
Critique: Inherently fascinating, impressively informative, as well as thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and
presentation, "Loaves of Torah: Exploring the Jewish Year through Challah" is especially and unreservedly recommended
for family, community, synagogue, and academic libraries Judaic Studies collections. It should be noted for personal
reading lists that "Loaves of Torah" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Rabbi Vanessa M. Harper (https://www.ccarpress.org/content.asp?tid=622), is passionate about shaping
creative, joyful, and meaningful Jewish learning and living experiences for people of all ages. She currently serves as
Assistant Rabbi at Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley, MA, and Reform Rabbi-in-Residence at Gann Academy. Rabbi
Harper was ordained in 2021 by the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in New York, where she also
received a Master's in Hebrew Literature and numerous awards for academic achievement. In 2017, she created
@lechlechallah - an Instagram-based education project using challah as an artistic medium for interpreting and teaching
Torah and the Jewish calendar -- which evolved into kinetic midrash classes that she taught all over the country.
The Religion/Spirituality Shelf
What Makes You Bloom
Kelvin Miguel Garcia, author
Broadleaf Books
www.broadleafbooks.com
9781506493589, $25.99, HC, 218pp
https://www.amazon.com/What-Makes-You-Bloom-Cultivating/dp/1506493580
Synopsis: So many of us are leaving conservative faith traditions behind, rightly saying goodbye to toxic theology,
religious bigotry, and the harm that derives from mind-sets. But in the process, we often lose our rhythm of gathering,
prayer, and worship. We may even lose our sense of connection to God. And we think it's our fault. But spiritual coach,
speaker, and podcaster Kevin Miguel Garcia is here with a reminder: "We don't need saving because we were never in
danger. We don't need to get found because we've never been lost. Everything we need to connect with the Divine is
already inside us."
"What Makes You Bloom: Cultivating a Practice for Connecting with Your Divine Self" is a guide to creating your new
spiritual practice after your life or faith has fallen apart. When going to church, praying, and reading your Bible just doesn't
cut it or outright disturbs you, "What Makes You Bloom" will show you how to cultivate new, meaningful spiritual
practices (like stillness, presence, breath, and movement) that will help you overcome the pain of your past and root
yourself in the present.
Through stories, insights, and guided meditations, Garcia explains how the goal of every spiritual practice should be about
the attainment of peace -- about finding what truly makes you bloom. Along the way, you will discover that the smallest
changes in your life can bring about the biggest transformations, and that a feeling of bliss is only a few breaths away.
Critique: Inspired and inspiring from beginning to end, "What Makes You Bloom: Cultivating a Practice for Connecting
with Your Divine Self" by Kevin Miguel Gardia is a life changing, life affirming, life enhancing, spiritually restoring, faith
preserving read. Also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99), "What Makes You Bloom" is especially
and unreservedly recommended reading for all members of the Christian community regardless of their denominational
affiliation.
Editorial Note: Kevin Miguel Garcia (www.thekevingarcia.com) is a digital pastor, spiritual recovery coach, mystic
theologian, sought-after speaker, and host of the podcast A Tiny Revolution. Garcia holds a master of practical theology
from Columbia Theological Seminary. They coach clients from around the world through deconstruction, coming-out
processes, and cultivating spiritual practices to promote resilience, solidarity, and self-compassion. Garcia is the author of
Bad Theology Kills and is based in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
Jesus Christ Superstar
Ellis Nassour
Applause Books
c/o Globe Pequot
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
www.rowman.com
9781493068043, $36.95, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Christ-Superstar-Worldwide-Phenomenon/dp/1493068040
Synopsis: In 1969, when Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice decided to write a rock opera about Jesus Christ, they had
little idea they were about to embark on one of the most popular, boundary-pushing, and influential musicals ever.
The show's success was hardly assured at first: unable to secure enough funding, they initially resorted to just releasing its
title song as a single. A full album followed to widespread acclaim, and only then could a full production get underway.
More than fifty years later, Jesus Christ Superstar continues to be beloved in all its forms -- the live show, various cast
albums, and the wildly successful movie.
Few people had the chance to witness the musical's evolution from as many angles as Ellis Nassour, whether collaborating
with Rice and Lloyd Webber at MCA, writing for the New York Times, or assisting with the Broadway and LA
productions. In this expansive, beautifully illustrated book, Nassour draws on a wealth of knowledge, first-hand
experience, and new interviews to give the definitive story of the musical.
Combining an engaging narrative with abundant photographs (many in color and never before published) he follows the
show from its uncertain beginnings, through setbacks and controversies, to Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's ultimate
triumph, serving up an unparalleled look at one of the most important and best-selling musical works of all time.
Critique: Simply stated, "Jesus Christ Superstar: Behind the Scenes of the Worldwide Musical Phenomenon" by Ellis
Nassour is an essential 'must read' selection for the legions of Jesus Christ Superstar fans. While also available for personal
reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $26.49). "Jesus Christ Superstar: Behind the Scenes of the Worldwide
Musical Phenomenon" will prove to be an immediately-in-demand and enduringly popular addition to community and
college/university library Theatre/Cinema collections and Music History/Broadway Musical curriculum studies lists.
Apocalypse Television
David Craig, author
Applause Books
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
www.rowman.com
9781493079179, $36.95, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Apocalypse-Television-After-Helped-Cold/dp/1493079174
Synopsis: On November 20, 1983, a three-hour made-for-TV movie, "The Day After" premiered on ABC. Set in the
heartland of Lawrence, Kansas, the film depicted the events before, during, and after a Soviet nuclear attack with vivid
scenes of the post-apocalyptic hellscape that would follow.
The film was viewed by over 100 million Americans and remains the highest rated TV movie in history. After the
premiere, ABC News aired an episode of Viewpoint, a live special featuring some of the most prominent public
intellectuals of the debating the virtues of the Arms Race and the prospect of a winnable nuclear war. The response to the
film proved more powerful than perhaps any film or television program in the history of media. Aside from its
record-shattering Nielsen ratings, it enjoyed critical acclaim as well as international box office success in theatrical
screenings.
The path to primetime for "The Day After" proved nearly as treacherous as the film's narrative. Battles ensued behind the
scenes at the network, between the network and the filmmakers, with Broadcast Standards and Ad Sales, in the edit room
and on the set, including the "nuke-mares" experienced by the cast.
After the director was pushed aside, he contemplated suicide while also engineering a comeback through the press. But
these skirmishes pale in comparison to the culture wars triggered by the film in the press, alongside a growing Nuclear
Freeze movement, and from a united, pro-nuclear Right. Once efforts to alter the script failed, the White House conducted
a full-throttled propaganda campaign to hijack the film's message.
With the publications of "Apocalypse Television: How The Day After Helped End the Cold War", Professor David Craig
features a dramatic insider's account of the making of and backlash against "The Day After".
No other study has told this story in similar fashion, taking the reader behind-the-scenes of the programming and news
divisions at ABC, Reagan officials in the White House who mounted the propaganda campaign, rogue publicists who
hijacked the film to promote a Nuclear Freeze, the backlash from the conservative movement and Religious Right, the
challenges encountered by film's production team from conception to reception, and the experiences of the citizens of
Lawrence, Kansas, where the film was set and shot, if also, ground zero in America's nuclear heartland.
Critique: An inherently fascinating read from beginning to end, "Apocalypse Television: How The Day After Helped End
the Cold War" is an extraordinary and seminal study that will prove to be of immense value for readers with an interest in
television history/criticism, and the cultural/political impact of movies and the performing arts. Exceptionally well
researched, written, organized and presented, "Apocalypse Television" is unreservedly recommended for community and
college/university library 20th Century Film collections and Cinematic History curriculum studies. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that "Apocalypse Television" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $29.65) as
well.
Editorial Note: David Craig (https://www.davidrcraig.com) is a Clinical Professor at the University of Southern California
in the Annenberg School at the University of Southern California. He is one of the world's leading scholars of the
"emerging creator" industries, marked by social media entrepreneurs and influencers harnessing global platforms. Craig
has been cited in major outlets including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Hollywood Reporter,
Vox, CNN, Bloomberg, and NBC News. Prior to his academic career, he was a multiple Emmy-nominated Hollywood
producer and cable television executive involved in over thirty projects, from feature films to television programs, web
series and stage productions. His television projects garnered critical acclaim and were nominated for over seventy Emmy,
Peabody, and Golden Globe awards.
The Business Shelf
The Risk Management Handbook
David Hillson, editor
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398610668, $201.00, HC, 416pp
https://www.amazon.com/Risk-Management-Handbook-Practical-Dimensions/dp/1398610666
Synopsis: Risk management is dynamic, with new risks continually being identified and risk techniques being adapted to
new challenges. Drawing together leading voices from the major risk management application areas, such as political,
supply chain, cybersecurity, ESG and climate change risk, this edited collection showcases best practice in each discipline
and provides a comprehensive survey of the field as a whole.
Expertly compiled and edited by David Hillson, this newly published second edition of "The Risk Management Handbook:
A Practical Guide to Managing the Multiple Dimensions of Risk) from Kogan Page has been significantly updated
throughout to reflect the latest developments in the industry. It incorporates content on updated and new standards such as
ISO 31000, MOR and ISO 14000. It also offers brand new chapters on ESG risk management, legal risk management,
cyber risk management, climate change risk management and financial risk management.
Whether you are a risk professional wanting to stay abreast of your field, a student seeking a broad and up-to-date
introduction to risk, or a business leader wanting to get to grips with the risks that face your business, "The Risk
Management Handbook" will provide expert guidance.
Critique: Exceptionally well organized and presented, "The Risk Management Handbook: A Practical Guide to Managing
the Multiple Dimensions of Risk" is an ideal MBA curriculum textbook that provides up-to-date information and
perspectives regarding current best practice and cutting-edge insights into new developments within corporate risk
management. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, corporate, and college/university
library Corporate Finance & Risk Management collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists, it should be
noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, corporate executives, business managers, entrepreneurs, and
non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Risk Management Handbook: A Practical Guide to
Managing the Multiple Dimensions of Risk" is also available in a paperback edition (9781398610613, $53.99).
Editorial Note: David Hillson (https://risk-doctor.com) is known globally as The Risk Doctor. Dr. Hillson is recognized as
a ground-breaking thinker and expert practitioner in risk management, and he has made several innovative contributions to
the discipline which have been widely adopted. He writes widely on risk, with thirteen major books, and over 100
professional papers. He has also produced the Risk Doctor Briefing series, written over a period of fifteen years, with 140
focused articles each addressing a specific aspect of the risk challenge, available in multiple languages.
Disruptive Technologies
Paul Armstrong
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398609228, $89.00, HC, 248pp
https://www.amazon.com/Disruptive-Technologies-Practical-Understand-Disruption/dp/1398609226
Synopsis: Now available in an updated and expanded second edition, "Disruptive Technologies: A Framework to
Understand, Evaluate and Respond to Digital Disruption" by Paul Armstrong offers a three-step framework that enables
readers to choose how their business responds to technological upheaval rather than being led by changes forced upon
them. Showing how to understand a new technology, evaluate the challenge it poses, and finally respond to it, readers will
come away secure in the knowledge that they have a workable system with which they can navigate ongoing technological
disruption.
This second edition features new chapters on the Metaverse and Web 3.0, as well as case studies and discussions of
emerging technologies such as NFTs, artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, graphene and 3D/4D
printing.
If companies do not grasp how developing technologies will impact their operations, supply chains, people and products,
they have little hope of weathering the ongoing storm of digital disruption. Disruptive Technologies is your essential guide
to creating a stable response to constant technological upheaval.
Critique: Technological advances impact business success and profitability. Companies (and their executives) who fail to
keep up with these advances are handicapping their shareholders, their employees, as well as their clients and customers. It
is the justifiable contention underscored by "Disruptive Technologies: A Framework to Understand, Evaluate and Respond
to Digital Disruption" that over the next twenty years we will see more and more waves of technological disruption than
we have experienced in the past fifty years in the form of the internet, digital marketing, database vulnerability, etc..
Adaptability and understanding of technological changes are now mission-critical to every business whether it is local,
regional, national, or international. Simply stated, "Disruptive Technologies" should be required reading for all corporate
executives, business managers, entrepreneurs, governmental policy makers.
While earning the highest possible recommendation for personal, professional, community, corporate, and
college/university library Strategic Business Planning collections and supplemental Automation, Robotics, Digital Systems
& Planning curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for MBA students, academia, and digital professionals that
"Disruptive Technologies" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781398609204, $29.99) and in a digital book
format (Kindle, $23.99).
Editorial Note: Currently running his own private emerging technology advisory, TBD Group/FORTH, Paul Armstrong is
an experienced social media and technologies strategist. He started his career with Myspace, Sony and Activision in the
United States before returning to the UK to join Global media agency, Mindshare, to head up their social technologies
team
Open Talent
John Winsor, author
Jin H. Paik, author
Harvard Business Review Press
https://hbr.org
9781647823887, $32.00, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Open-Talent-Leveraging-Workforce-Challenges/dp/1647823889
Synopsis: In the new world of hybrid work and AI, one thing is clear: the war for talent is over -- and talent won.
With sparsely populated offices and people working from wherever they are, and with AI emerging everywhere in business
and dominating headlines, our work lives have undergone a remarkable transformation, seemingly overnight. But the
reality is that for years the ever-growing digital wave has been breaking down organizational boundaries and increasing the
adoption of open innovation, including the use of crowdsourcing platforms as a talent solution. Now the imperative is
clear: adapt to and leverage this new, digitally enabled world of "open talent" -- or get left behind.
"Open Talent: Leveraging the Global Workforce to Solve Your Biggest Challenges" by co-authors John Winsor and Jin H.
Paik is an essential guidebook. John Winsor and Jin Paik, drawing upon their work at the Laboratory for Innovation
Science at Harvard, shows how the massive reset of the pandemic allowed talented workers everywhere to exit their jobs
without leaving the workforce. Now many are freelancing for multiple companies or are starting small businesses,
challenging hiring managers as never before amidst a transformed workforce.
What's more, talent has more power than ever using platforms such as Freelancer.com, Fiverr, and Upwork, setting their
own terms for work: what, where, when, and at what price.
How can companies adapt? The key, "Open Talent" argues, is shifting to a more distributed idea and structure of
collaborative work. The co-authors call this a networked organization, where talent is culled from both inside and outside
the organization and viewed through a single lens -- as a global ecosystem that can be tapped as needed.
With rich stories, keen insights, and an abundance of practical advice, Winsor and Paik provide a new framework and
operating model for transforming your organization into a talent-orchestrating, problem-solving machine.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Open Talent: Leveraging the Global Workforce to Solve
Your Biggest Challenges" is a seminal and ground-breaking work that is an impressively timely and informative
contribution to the growing emergence of AI technologies that are compelling corporate workforce adaptations. An
essential addition to personal, professional, community, corporate, and college/university library Business Systems &
Planning and Motivational Management & Leadership collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists, it
should be noted for MBA students, academia, and business/corporate managers that "Open Talent" is also available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note #1: John Winsor (www.johnwinsor.com) is the founder and chair of Open Assembly, the world's leading
authority on the open talent economy. He is an executive in residence at the Laboratory for Innovation Science at Harvard
and the author or coauthor of multiple books, including Baked In: Creating Products and Businesses That Market
Themselves and Spark: Be More Innovative Through Co-Creation.
Editorial Note #2: Dr. Jin H. Paik (https://lish.harvard.edu/people/jin-h-paik) is a cofounder and managing partner at
Altruistic, an AI consultancy, and a principal visiting research scientist at HBS. Previously he was the Head of Labs at the
Digital, Data, and Design Institute at Harvard and the founding general manager at the Laboratory for Innovation Science
at Harvard. He holds degrees from the University of Michigan, Harvard, and NYU.
HBR at 100
Michael E. Porter, et al.
Harvard Business Review Press
https://hbr.org
9781647823412, $35.00, HC, 496pp
https://www.amazon.com/HBR-100-Essential-Influential-Innovative/dp/1647823412
Synopsis: Launched in 1924, The Harvard Business Review is arguably the foremost destination for smart management
thinking. Now, at its 100th anniversary, "HBR at 100: The Most Influential and Innovative Articles from Harvard Business
Review's First Century" is a commemorative volume that brings together under one cover the most influential ideas since
its inception.
With an informative introduction written by editor in chief Adi Ignatius, "HBR at 100" features business publishing's most
influential voices on innovative topics, including:
Michael E. Porter on competitive strategy
Clayton M. Christensen on disruptive innovation
Tim Brown on design thinking
Linda A. Hill on being a first-time manager
Daniel Goleman on emotional intelligence
Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee on artificial intelligence
Robert Livingston on racial equity at work
Amy C. Edmondson and Mark Mortensen on psychological safety
Robert B. Cialdini on the science of persuasion
W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne on blue ocean strategy
Gary Hamel and C.K. Prahalad on strategic intent
Peter F. Drucker on managing yourself
Whether a longtime reader of Harvard Business Review publications, or you are picking up an HBR volume for the first
time, "HBR at 100" offers all you need to understand the most critical ideas in American business management over the
past century.
Critique: The most definitive management ideas of the century, all in one place, "HBR at 100: The Most Influential and
Innovative Articles from Harvard Business Review's First Century" is an inherently fascinating, informative, reflective
read from start to finish. A compendium of what can be called 'the best of the best' for the last one hundred years of its
existence, "HBR at 100" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, corporate, and
college/university library Business Management, Leadership, Motivation, Systems, and Planning collections and MBA
curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that "HBR at 100" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: The Harvard Business Review Press is a leading global book publisher and a division of the Harvard
Business Review Group. HBR Press publishes for the general, professional, and academic markets on the topics of
leadership, strategy, innovation, and management. Recent bestselling titles include HBR's 10 Must Reads on Managing
Yourself, Playing to Win, A Sense of Urgency, Leading the Life You Want, Conscious Capitalism, The Founder's
Mentality, HBR's 10 Must Reads on Mental Toughness, and The First 90 Days.
The Political Science Shelf
The Darkened Light of Faith
Melvin L. Rogers
Princeton University Press
https://press.princeton.edu
9780691219134, $35.00, HC, 400pp
https://www.amazon.com/Darkened-Light-Faith-Democracy-Political/dp/0691219133
Synopsis: Could the African American political tradition save American democracy? African Americans have had every
reason to reject America's democratic experiment. Yet African American activists, intellectuals, and artists who have
sought to transform the United States into a racially just society have put forward some of the most original and powerful
ideas about how to make America live up to its democratic ideals.
With the publication of "The Darkened Light of Faith: Race, Democracy, and Freedom in African American Political
Thought", Melvin Rogers provides a bold new account of African American political thought through the works and lives
of individuals who built this vital tradition -- a tradition that is urgently needed today.
"The Darkened Light of Faith" reexamines how figures as diverse as David Walker, Frederick Douglass, Anna Julia
Cooper, Ida B. Wells, W.E.B. Du Bois, Billie Holiday, and James Baldwin thought about the politics, people, character,
and culture of a society that so often dominated them.
Sharing a light of faith darkened but not extinguished by the tragic legacy of slavery, these and others resisted the
conclusion that America would always be committed to white supremacy. They believed that democracy is always in the
process of becoming and that they could use it to reimagine society. But they also saw that achieving racial justice wouldn't
absolve us of the darkest features of our shared past, and that democracy must be measured by how skillfully we confront a
history that will forever remain with us.
An ambitious account of the profound ways African Americans have reimagined democracy, "The Darkened Light of
Faith" offers invaluable lessons about how to grapple with racial injustice and make democracy work.
Critique: A seminal and ground-breaking study that is informative enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of
seventy-six pages of Notes and a thirteen page Index, "The Darkened Light of Faith: Race, Democracy, and Freedom in
African American Political Thought" is a key and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional,
community, and college/university library Political Philosophy, History, and Theory collections, and Contemporary
African American Studies curriculum lists. It should be noted for students, academia, political activists, and governmental
policy makers that "The Darkened Light of Faith" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.25) as
well.
Editorial Note: Melvin L. Rogers (https://vivo.brown.edu/display/mrogers4) is Professor of Political Science and Associate
Director of the Center for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Brown University. He is also the author of "The
Undiscovered Dewey: Religion, Morality, and the Ethos of Democracy", as well as co-editor of "African American
Political Thought: A Collected History, and editor of John Dewey's The Public and Its Problems".
The Agriculture Shelf
The Resilient Farm and Homestead: Revised & Expanded
Ben Falk
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
www.chelseagreen.com
9781645021100, $44.95, PB, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Resilient-Farm-Homestead-Revised-Expanded/dp/1645021106
Synopsis: In this newly revised and expanded edition of "The Resilient Farm and Homestead: 20 Years of Permaculture
and Whole Systems Design" permaculture and gardening expert Ben Falk describes how he has transformed a degraded
hillside in the frigid Vermont climate into a thriving, biodiverse Eden that now provides year-round abundance for his
family and community.
Originally published in 2013, this newly updated edition of "The Resilient Farm and Homestead" well serves as a
comprehensive DIY how-to guide for building durable and productive land-based systems through the reciprocal interplay
of humans and the natural world. In the ten years since he first published this seminal work, Falk has deepened his wisdom
in harnessing nature-based solutions for increasingly challenging times, including addressing severe climate disruptions
like drought and flood conditions.
This new and updated edition of "The Resilient Farm and Homestead" covers every strategy Falk and his team have tested
on the Whole Systems Research Farms over the past two decades and includes detailed information on earthworks,
gravity-fed water systems, soil fertility management, growing nutrient-dense food and medicine, fuelwood production,
agroforestry, managed grazing, and so much more.
Complete with full-color photography and detailed design drawings, The Resilient Farm and Homestead, Revised and
Expanded Edition includes new information on: Designing greenhouses and microclimates; Reinvigorating human health
and embodying a vigorous lifestyle; Raising children on a homestead; Creating failure-proof and resilient energy systems;
Focusing on permaculture beekeeping; Cultivating proven cold climate plants; Overcoming analysis paralysis and
mastering the art of knowing where to start and when to take strategic risks -- and much, much more!
In an age that feels defined by disconnection, disease, and decline, "The Resilient Farm and Homestead, Revised and
Expanded Edition" offers a comprehensive roadmap to conquering uncertainty, maximizing efficiency, and creating a
bountiful, manageable landscape that will endure.
Critique: This large format (8 x 1 x 10 inches, 1.25 pounds) paperback edition of "The Resilient Farm and Homestead, 20
Years of Permaculture and Whole Systems Design" will prove to be of immense value for DIY readers with an interest in
sustainable agriculture and organic gardening. While unreservedly recommended as an essential and core addition to
personal, professional, community, and college/university library Agriculture/Horticulture/Gardening collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that "The Resilient Farm and Homestead: Revised & Expanded
Edition) is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $38.99).
Editorial Note: Ben Falk (www.wildabundance.net/bios/ben-falk) developed Whole Systems Design, LLC, as a land-based
response to biological and cultural extinction and the increasing separation between people and elemental things. Life as a
designer, builder, ecologist, tree-tender, and backcountry traveler continually informs Ben's integrative approach to
developing landscapes and buildings. His home landscape and the WSD studio site in Vermont's Mad River Valley serve
as a proving ground for the innovative land developments featured in the projects of Whole Systems Design. Ben has
studied architecture and landscape architecture at the graduate level and holds master of arts in landscape design degree.
He has taught design courses at the University of Vermont and Harvard's Arnold Arboretum as well as on permaculture
design, microclimate design, and design for climate change. He recently served on the board of directors at the
Yestermorrow Design-Build School, where he also teaches from time to time. He is also the author of The Resilient
Homestead: Innovative Permaculture Systems for the Home and Farm.
Flower Farming for Profit
Lennie Larkin
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
www.chelseagreen.com
9781645021766, $45.00, PB, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Flower-Farming-Profit-Complete-Successful/dp/1645021769
Synopsis: When Lennie Larkin set out to become a flower farmer, she found all sorts of resources about growing flowers
but a scarcity of reliable information on how to build a profitable cut flower business. How do you create efficient systems
and adequately value your own time and effort through your pricing? When and how should you consider scaling up your
farm? How can you make doing what you love support you financially?
With the publication of "Flower Farming for Profit: The Complete Guide to Growing a Successful Cut Flower Business",
Larkin answers these questions and a great many more. With instructive lessons and savvy business tips from her own and
other successful farms around the world, she explores: The diverse challenges of both wholesale and retail sales channels,
from florists and farm stands to farmers markets; Streamlining weddings for the farmer-florist, from communications to
floral design; Efficient recordkeeping and bookkeeping; Steps for conducting your own cost-of-production analysis;
Marketing and growth strategies; Business planning, goal setting, and making financial projections; Crop planning based
on local climatic conditions, market demand, and sales projections.
The cut flower industry continues to experience reliable and continuing growth. To successfully do what they love while
expanding the market for sustainably produced flowers, new and experienced farmers alike must deliberately step back
from the field and into the office. "Flower Farming for Profit" is a unique guide to creating the type of numbers-driven
business that will allow individual farms to prosper and local flower economies to thrive.
Critique: Simply stated, "Flower Farming for Profit: The Complete Guide to Growing a Successful Cut Flower Business"
is the Bible for creating and operating a profitable cut flower business, whether it be on a local, regional, national, or even
international basis. Nicely illustrated throughout with full color photography, "Flower Farming for Profit" is as
comprehensive as it is 'user friendly' in organization and presentation. Also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$33.99), "Flower Planning for Profit" is a necessary and core addition to personal, professional, corporate, and
college/university library Agriculture/Horticultural Industry collections.
Editorial Note: Lennie Larkin (www.flowerfarmingforprofit.com) started B-Side Farm in Sonoma County, California, in
2014, and has since moved the farm and settled on two beautiful acres outside of Portland, Oregon. B-Side has grown
flowers for all kinds of retail and wholesale customers over the years and designed for hundreds of weddings. Lennie's true
passion lies not only in tending to her own farm but in helping other farmers thrive in their businesses. She has been an
associate faculty member at Santa Rosa Junior College and served multiple terms on the board of the Association of
Specialty Cut Flower Growers. She teaches a business curriculum that she developed specifically for flower farmers,
provides coaching and business advising, and conducts grant-funded research on cut flower cost of production and
efficiency.
The Gardening Shelf
The Bricks 'n Blooms Guide to a Beautiful & Easy-Care Flower Garden
Stacy Ling
Ten Peaks Press
c/o Harvest House Publishers
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
9780736988483, $26.99, PB, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bricks-Blooms-Beautiful-Easy-Care-Flower/dp/0736988483
Synopsis: As household gardeners, most of us have never met a plant we couldn't kill. That's why maintaining a flourishing
flower garden can seem intimidating and/or time-consuming. Especially when we have hoed, planted, and weeded around
in the dirt with nothing to show for it except a sunburn and a sore back?
That's why "The Bricks 'n Blooms Guide to a Beautiful and Easy-Care Flower Garden" by Stacy Ling offers the ordinary,
non-specialist, ever hopeful, flower loving home gardener everything needed to be known in order to confidently grow
beautiful flowers.
This thoroughly 'user friendly' and beautifully illustrated DIY flower gardening guide covers: Gardening basics to set you
up for success; Great garden design ideas with ready-made plans for you to follow; Easy-care instructions for a wide
variety of flowers and flowering shrubs; Helpful how-tos for container and cut flower gardening. Of special note is the
profusion of graphs, charts, and lists to help you to stay organized and successful in raising your flower garden.
Critique: An absolutely ideal, step-by-step inspiringly illuminated DIY how-to guide will give both the novice as well as
the experienced gardener the knowledge and confidence needed to grow beautiful flowers season after season, year after
year. While especially and specifically recommended for personal, professional, and community library
Gardening/Horticulture collections, it should be noted that "The Bricks 'n Blooms Guide to a Beautiful and Easy-Care
Flower Garden" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.49).
Editorial Note: Stacy Ling (https://stacyling.com) is a master gardener, a blogger, and the creator of the Bricks 'n Blooms
lifestyle brand. Stacy's successful partnerships with other notable brands include Proven Winners, Garden Design, and
Gardeners Supply. She has also been featured in Wine Enthusiast magazine and on an episode of the popular HGTV show
House Hunters. Stacy and her husband, Christopher, live in an 1850s farmhouse with their three daughters.
The Computer Shelf
Javascript Crash Course
Nick Morgan
No Starch Press
www.nostarch.com
9781718502260 $49.99 pbk / $23.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/JavaScript-Crash-Course-Nick-Morgan/dp/1718502265
Synopsis: JavaScript Crash Course is a fun-filled, fast-paced introduction to programming with JavaScript. Dive right in
and you'll be writing code, solving problems, and building working web applications and games in no time. You'll start by
learning fundamental programming concepts, such as variables, arrays, objects, functions, conditionals, loops, classes, and
more. Aided by engaging examples and hands-on exercises, you'll build on this foundation and combine JavaScript with
HTML and CSS to create interactive web applications that you can run right away.
Then you'll put your new skills into play with three substantial projects: a Pong-style game with a virtual opponent, an app
that generates electronic music, and a platform for visualizing data fetched from an API.
Along the way, you'll learn how to:
Update web pages in real time by manipulating the Document Object Model
Trigger functions in response to events like key presses and mouse clicks
Generate graphics and animations with JavaScript and HTML's Canvas element
Visualize data with the D3.js library and scalable vector graphics (SVG)
Make electronic music with Tone.js and the Web Audio API
If you've been thinking about digging into programming, JavaScript Crash Course will get you writing real programs fast.
Why wait any longer? Jump on your magic carpet and ride!
Critique: Javascript Crash Course: A Hands-On, Project-Based Introduction to Programming is a user-friendly guide to
quickly learning Javascript for writing code, solving problems, building web applications, making games, and much more.
Chapters cover Javascript basics, and offer several interactive projects to try one's hand at coding as soon as possible! Ideal
for high school and college students, self-study, and public library collections, Javascript Crash Course is a "must-have"
for anyone who needs to learn Javascript fast for school, business, or just plain fun. Highly recommended! It should be
noted for personal reading lists that Javascript Crash Course is also available in a Kindle edition ($23.99).
The Android Malware Handbook
Qian Han, et al.
No Starch Press
www.nostarch.com
9781718503304, $49.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Android-Malware-Handbook-Detection-Analysis/dp/171850330X
Synopsis: "The Android Malware Handbook: Detection and Analysis by Human and Machine" is a groundbreaking guide
to Android malware. It distills years of research by machine learning experts in academia and members of Meta and
Google's Android Security teams. The result is a comprehensive introduction to detecting common threats facing the
Android eco-system today.
"The Android Malware Handbook" explores the history of Android malware 'in the wild' since the operating system was
first launched and then focuses on static and dynamic approaches to analyzing real malware specimens. Next, it examine
machine learning techniques that can be used to detect malicious apps, the types of classification models that defenders can
implement to achieve these detections, and the various malware features that can be used as input to these models.
In adapting these machine learning strategies to the identification of malware categories like banking trojans, ransomware,
and SMS fraud, you will Dive deep into the source code of real malware; Explore the static, dynamic, and complex
features you can extract from malware for analysis; Master the machine learning algorithms useful for malware detection;
Survey the efficacy of machine learning techniques at detecting common Android malware categories.
Critique: Comprehensive and exceptionally user friendly in organization and presented, "The Android Malware Handbook:
Detection and Analysis by Human and Machine" is an ideal textbook from the team of Android experts Qian Han,
Salvador Mandujano, Sebastian Porst, V.S. Subrahmanian, Sai Deep Tetali, and Yanhai Xiong should be considered
essential reading for anyone with an interest in computer viruses, computer software testing, and computer hacking. While
a core addition to personal, professional, and college/university library Computer Science collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that "The Android Malware Handbook" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $29.99).
Editorial Note #1: Qian Han, is a Research Scientist at Meta since 2021, received his PhD in Computer Science from
Dartmouth College and his Bachelor's in Electronic Engineering from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
Editorial Note #2: Salvador Mandujano, Security Engineering Manager at Google, has led product security engineering,
malware reverse engineering and payments security teams. Before Google, he held senior security research and architecture
positions at Intel and Nvidia. He has a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from Tecnologico de Monterrey, an MSc in Computer
Science from Purdue, an MBA from The University of Texas, and a BSc in Computer Engineering from Universidad
Nacional Autonoma de Mexico.
Editorial Note #3: Sebastian Porst is manager of Google's Android Application Security Research team, which tries to
predict or research novel attacks on Android devices and Android users by malware or through app vulnerabilities. He has
an MSc Masters from Trier University of Applied Sciences, Germany in 2007.
Editorial Note #4: V.S. Subrahmanian is the Walter P. Murphy Professor of Computer Science and Buffet Faculty Fellow
in the Buffet Institute of Global Affairs at Northwestern University. Prof. Subrahmanian is one of the world's foremost
experts at the intersection of AI and security issues. He has written eight books, edited ten, and published over 300 refereed
articles.
Editorial Note #5: Sai Deep Tetali, Principal Engineer and Tech Lead Manager at Meta, works on privacy solutions for
augmented and virtual reality applications. He spent 5 years at Google developing machine learning techniques to detect
Android malware and has a PhD from University of California Los Angeles.
Editorial Note #6: Yanhai Xiong is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and
Engineering at the University of Louisville. She has a PhD from Nanyang Technological University focusing on applying
AI techniques to improve the efficiency of electric vehicle infrastructure and a BS in Engineering from the University of
Science and Technology of China. will guide you through the Android threat landscape and prepare you for the next wave
of malware to come.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
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