 |
Book
Reviews,
Book Lover Resources, Advice for Writers and Publishers |
| Home / Wisconsin Bookwatch |
Wisconsin Bookwatch
Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
The View from Hadrian's Wall
Mark Clegg & David Wilmot
Toplight Books
c/o McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476685069, $19.99, PB, 205pp
https://www.amazon.com/View-Hadrians-Wall-Friends-Frontier/dp/1476685061
Synopsis: Built almost 2,000 years ago by the Roman occupiers of Britain, Hadrian's Wall is one of the most famous and
identifiable World Heritage Sites. When two old friends, one, Mark Clegg, American and one, David Wilmot, British, are
reunited for the purpose of trekking the length of the Wall, all while reminiscing about the past while sharing apprehension
about the future.
"The View from Hadrian's Wall: Two Friends Hike Along the Ancient Roman Frontier" is a co-authored memoir of Mark
Clegg and David Wilmot's coast-to-coast voyage examining Roman history, drawing parallels between the fall of the
Roman Empire and the recent political developments and uncertainties in the United Kingdom and the United States. The
authors also share their often humorous encounters with locals they met along the way while hiking in incessant rain.
Critique: Blending Roman history with personal accounts of exploring Hadrian's Wall, along with an apt and fascinating
take on contemporary political parallels between the US and the UK with those of Ancient Rome and Britannia, "The View
from Hadrian's Wall: Two Friends Hike Along the Ancient Roman Frontier" is an engaging, thoughtful, and thought-
provoking read from start to finish. While especially and unreservedly recommended as a unique contribution to Roman
History and British Travelogue collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "The
View from Hadrian's Wall: Two Friends Hike Along the Ancient Roman Frontier" from Toplight Books is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).
Editorial Note #1: Mark Clegg works in financial services and is co-owner of Raison de Retro, a vintage books and antiques
business. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
Editorial Note #2: David Wilmot is a partner in a European fund management company. He lives in London and
Cornwall.
American Mother: A Life Reclaimed
Colum McCann & Diane Foley
Bloomsbury Publishing
www.bloomsbury.com
9781639735679, $17.99, PB, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/American-Mother-Reclaimed-Colum-McCann/dp/1639735674
Synopsis: In late 2021, Diane Foley sat at a table across from Alexanda Kotey, a member of the ISIS group known as "the
Beatles," who pled guilty to the kidnapping, torture, and murder of her son James Foley seven years before. She asked the
legendary writer Colum McCann to be there. The results of that meeting and the story behind it is that subject of "American
Mother: A Life Reclaimed".
Critique: A unique, deftly written, and simply fascinating read from start to finish, "American Mother: A Life Reclaimed"
co-authored by Colum McCann and Diane Foley will hold a very special appeal for readers with an interest in stories of
politically motivated murder, its aftermath and impact on others -- especially family members of the victims. A compelling
blend of biography and memoir, "American Mother: A Life Reclaimed" is sensitive, insightful, emotionally compelling, and
memorable making this paperback edition of "American Mother: A Life Reclaimed" from Bloomsbury Publishing especially
and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists as well as community and college/university library Contemporary
American Biography collections and supplemental Political Terrorism curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Colum McCann is the author of seven novels, three collections of stories, and two works of nonfiction.
Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, he has been the recipient of many awards, including the National Book Award, the
International Dublin Literary Prize, a Chevalier des Arts et Lettres, the 2010 Best Foreign Novel Award in China, and an
Oscar nomination. He has been published in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Paris Review, The Guardian, and
Granta, among others, and is a member of both the Irish arts academy and the American Academy of Arts. His work has
been translated into over 40 languages.
Editorial Note #2: Diane M. Foley co-founded the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation in the weeks after her son, a
journalist, was beheaded by members of ISIS in the Syrian Desert in 2014. Inspired by the life, work, and moral courage of
her son, Diane has worked with Congress and every presidential administration since, catalyzing action, research, and policy
to win freedom for all US Nationals wrongfully detained or held hostage abroad.
The Education Shelf
What Are We Teaching?
Richard Bustin
Crown House Publishing
www.crownhousepublishing.com
9781785837180, $22.95, PB, 180pp
https://www.amazon.com/What-Are-Teaching-Richard-Bustin/dp/1785837184
Synopsis: With the publication of "What Are We Teaching?", Professor Richard Bustin discusses the importance of having a
subject-based curriculum in schools and explores the responsibility that teachers, through their subject specialisms, have to
help ensure this is achieved.
"What Are We Teaching?" moves ideas beyond the traditional vs progressive debates that have dominated education
discourse. Teachers are burdened by the overarching emphasis on exam performance at the expense of the broader benefits
of teaching their subject, expressed here as capabilities.
Professor Bustin suggests that subjects are key to enabling young people to develop the powerful knowledge needed to
flourish in a complex modern world. He introduces the key theories on which his book is based, including different ways of
making sense of knowledge, skills and values in the curriculum, powerful knowledge and educational capabilities.
"What Are We Teaching?" is research-based, using voices of real teachers who engaged with the question 'what makes your
subject a powerful knowledge for young people', and it is their testimonies that provide a provocation for each chapter in
section two which focus on different subject areas.
Finally, Professor Bustin offers advice on building a powerful knowledge, capabilities curriculum in schools.
Critique: A seminal and ground breaking study, "What Are We Teaching?" must be considered to be essential reading for
teachers, senior and subject leaders, curriculum coordinators, school district administrators and policy makers. It should be
noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "What Are We Teaching?" from Crown House Publishing is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.77).
Editorial Note: Dr Richard Bustin (www.lancingcollege.co.uk/dr-richard-bustin) teaches Geography and leads the
department at Lancing College, where he is responsible for staff development and teacher training. Richard's research on
curriculum has resulted in multiple publications, invitations to speak at education conferences and work with trainee
teachers around the world.
The Cookbook Shelf
Mississippi Current Cookbook
Regina Charboneau, author
Ben Fink, photographer
The Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
9781493086498, $29.95, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mississippi-Current-Cookbook-Culinary-Americas/dp/1493086499
Synopsis: Originally published in May 2014, and now available in a large paperback format, "Mississippi Current
Cookbook: A Culinary Journey Down America's Greatest River" enables family chefs and kitchen cooks to discover the
diverse food and culinary traditions from the ten states that border America's most important river (and the heart of
American cuisine) with 200 contemporary recipes for 30 meals and celebrations, -- as well as illustrated more than 150
stunning photographs.
Starting at the river's source in Minnesota, renowned chef/restaurateur Regina Charboneau introduces readers to a Native
American wild rice harvest dinner, a Scandinavian summer's end crayfish party, and a Hmong Southeast Asian New Year's
Eve buffet. Next this culinary compendium moves to the river's middle region, from Hannibal to New Madrid, featuring a
dinner to honor the man most associated with the Mississippi -- Mark Twain.
Recipes are supplied for imaginative menus for such occasions as a St. Louis Italian spread featuring the city's famous
toasted ravioli, a farmer's market lunch, and an Arkansas farm supper influenced by the vast farmlands on both sides of the
Mississippi. The lower region, from Beale Street to the Bayous of the Gulf of Mexico, gives an insight into the author's river
roots in Natchez. Included are biscuits, shrimp, smoked tomatoes over creamy grits, a New Orleans-style Reveillon dinner,
and a blessing of the fleet dinner inspired by the Vietnamese fisherman who shrimp at the mouth of the river.
Scattered throughout are intriguing sidebars on such topics as how the paddlewheel steamboat came to ply the waters of the
Mississippi, the traditional canoe method of harvesting Minnesota wild rice, and the 3,000 mile River Road lining the
waterway.
Throughout the "Mississippi Current Cookbook" are stunning photographs of local scenery, dishes, and ingredients taken by
renowned photographer Ben Fink on the magnificent American Queen riverboat and at farms, historic homes, and towns
along the length of the river.
Critique: An inspiring pleasure to browse through, as well as planning memorable menus and dining experiences with, the
new paperback edition of "Mississippi Current Cookbook: A Culinary Journey Down America's Greatest River" is a
welcome source of palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, body nourishing, DIY recipes drawn from Mississippi River
communities and their culinary traditions. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $38.00), "Mississippi
Current Cookbook: A Culinary Journey Down America's Greatest River" is a prized and unreservedly recommended pick
for personal, professional, and community library American Cuisine Cookbook Collections.
Editorial Note #1: Regina Charboneau (www.ReginasKitchen.com) has launched numerous top restaurants, including Kings
Tavern in Natchez, Mississippi, and Regina's at the Regis and Biscuits & Blues in San Francisco. She is the Culinary
Director of the American Queen, a luxury paddlewheel boat that travels the Mississippi, and was a long-time Southern
foodways columnist for The Atlantic. She hosts visitors at Twin Oaks Bed and Breakfast, her antebellum home in
Natchez.
Editorial Note #2: Ben Fink (https://benfinkphoto.com/life-style) ably demonstrates photography as an art form.
Vietnamese Food and Food Culture
Paul B. Kennedy
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9780804857413, $25.00, HC, 176pp
https://www.amazon.com/Vietnamese-Food-Culture-Life-changing-Ingredients/dp/0804857415
Synopsis: In 2018 veteran restaurateur, author, foodie and all-around travel junkie Paul Kennedy embarked on a
life-changing journey to Vietnam. His main goal was to explore the nation's rich cuisine and food culture, which had always
fascinated him from afar, but which he could never quite understand fully.
Subtitled 'A Life-Changing Journey through the Street Foods, Regional Cooking Styles and Local Ingredients of Vietnam',
Paul Kennedy's "Vietnamese Food and Food Culture" is the result of five years spent traveling the length and breadth of the
country, experiencing Vietnamese food up-close as no other food writer has before.
Through 60 recipes, 100 photographs and cultural notes, Kennedy shares his experiences with you and includes:
Engaging stories about tantalizing local foods and drinks - such as the unparalleled Nam Dinh City bahn mi and fresh bia
hoi beer, as well as palate-challenging local delicacies like bitter melon and the foul-smelling durian.
Intriguing myths, rituals and beliefs - such as the legendary sword-snatching golden turtle of Hoan Kiem Lake and the
outlawed "Coconut Religion"
Information on Vietnamese herbs, condiments and ingredients - from fish sauce to rice paper wrappers to fresh basil, green
onions and sawtooth coriander
Recipes for classic street food dishes like Rice Paper Pizza, Banh Mi Sandwiches and Steamed Coconut Rice Cakes with
Toasted Shrimp Flakes
Iconic restaurant and homestyle dishes like Spicy Lemongrass Chicken, Crispy Pan-Fried Trout and Baby Basket Clam
Rice
Unusual drinks and desserts like Egg Coffee, Mango Margaritas, Coconut Cream Martinis, Tofu Pudding and Vietnamese
Layer Cake
Plus many other unique flavors, recipes, food discoveries and dozens of cultural observations from the author while living in
Vietnam
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated in full color throughout, browsing through this large format hardcover edition
of "Vietnamese Food and Food Culture: A Life-Changing Journey through the Street Foods, Regional Cooking Styles and
Local Ingredients of Vietnam" is the next best thing to an on-site culinary excursion of Vietnamese restaurants and street
vendors. Inspiring for American family cooks to plan memorable and authentic Vietnamese themed meals with,
"Vietnamese Food and Food Culture" will prove a unique and valued addition to personal, professional, and community
library Ethnic Cookbook collections.
Editorial Note: Paul B. Kennedy has worked in the restaurant industry for 30 years - bringing delicious meals and
welcoming environments together to create fond memories. Paul studied hotel management and received a degree in
culinary arts from Johnson & Wales University. He then moved to New York where he established himself in the restaurant
world while honing a passion for writing and photography. In 2018, with only a backpack and a sense of adventure, Paul
headed off to Vietnam. He has traveled extensively around the country ever since, documenting Vietnamese food culture
and capturing its flavors. In addition to writing, cooking and traveling, Paul is passionate about teaching and volunteers his
time to help others learn and grow. This is his first cookbook.
Secret Sauces
Vanessa Seder
Kyle Books
Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781804192900, $19.99, HC, 176pp
https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Sauces-Flavorful-Recipe-Pairings/dp/1804192902
Synopsis: A great sauce has the ability to transform even the humblest ingredients, to elevate the everyday to the sublime.
But a great sauce does not have to be complicated. Gone are the days when sauce meant mainly a concoction based on
butter, flour, and reduced stock. Now with the publication of "Secret Sauces: Over 65 Fresh & Flavorful Sauces with Recipe
Pairings" by Vanessa Seder you can celebrate a new generation of sauces that are simple to whip up and rely on fresh and
healthy ingredients such as nuts, yogurt, and vegetables.
"Secret Sauces" provides you an arsenal of "mother" sauces that fit today's kitchen and are infinitely adaptable. Each one can
be made in advance and then customized to enliven different meals throughout the week. With every sauce comes a recipe
for a full finished dish that's an ideal showcase, followed by many ideas for other uses. Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges come
alive drizzled with Bengali Spiced Yogurt. Seared Red Snapper rises to a new level with Grilled Pineapple and Chipotle
Salsa. Coconut Lemongrass Cream finishes off Fruit Kebabs.
Aimed at the home cook, "Secret Sauces" removes the intimidation of traditional sauces and makes sauces approachable for
everyone. Inspired by cuisines from around the world, these sauces bring a new level of excitement to any meal. Plus, they
deliver maximum flavor with a minimum of effort.
Critique: Nicely illustrated in color throughout, "Secret Sauces: Over 65 Fresh & Flavorful Sauces with Recipe Pairings" is
a unique and extraordinary culinary collection that can enhanced and augment a wealth of dishes with truly impressive
sauces. Thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and presentation, this hardcover edition of Vanessa Seder's
"Secret Sauces" from Kyle Books will prove a prized and popular addition to personal, professional, family, and community
library cookbook collections.
Editorial Note: Vanessa Seder (www.vanessaseder.com) has more than a decade of experience developing recipes for
magazines such as Ladies Home Journal, Real Simple, Martha Stewart, Health, and Cooking Light. A graduate of the
Institute of Culinary Education in New York, Vanessa has also worked as a personal chef and as a food stylist. She is a
regular culinary instructor at the Stonewall Kitchen in York, Maine.
Bento Lunch Box
Sara Kiyo Popowa
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Publishing
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781804192948 $22.99
https://www.amazon.com/Bento-Lunchbox-Brilliantly-Balanced-Recipes/dp/1804192945
Synopsis: Many people bring their lunch to work to save money, time and to help control what they are eating (with no
hidden nasties from processed store-bought food), but sometimes it's hard to think of interesting, nutritious things to
make.
Sara has come to the rescue with her vibrant, fun and inspirational approach to lunch boxes. She concentrates on having 5
clear elements: complex carbs, protein, fruit and veg, and sprinkles as well as the 5 colors used in authentic Japanese
cooking: red, white, black, yellow and green. With just a few essential ingredients, you add your extras to create highly
nutritious, vegetarian, colorful boxes of joy.
Sara includes ideas for bento breakfast boxes (Sesame Snap Granola Bento and Mighty Muesli), 15-minute bento (Busy
Days Instant Noodles and Lazy Tamago Bento), Everyday bento (Red Velvet Quinoa Bento, Green Theme Bento and Zen
Bento) and the Fantasy bento (Starry Sky Bento and Fairy Jewel Box Bento).
With tips on how to stock your bento store-cupboard and basic ingredients and recipes to get you going, now is the time for
bento to bounce into your breakfast, lunch box, or even into your dinner parties, filling you with bento power!
Critique: Beautifully illustrated with full-color photography throughout, Bento Lunch Box: Brilliantly Balanced Lunchbox
Recipes is a cookbook and extensively detailed guide to the Japanese culinary art of crafting delicious, visually appealing,
and nutritious boxed lunches. All recipes are vegetarian and dairy-free; many are vegan and gluten-free. There are 15-minute
Bento recipes, designed to be assembled quickly; Fantasy Bento recipes, designed to stimulate the imagination as well as the
palate; and much more. Bento Lunch Box is choice pick for personal and public library cookbook collections, especially
since its recipes have everyday practical use in addition to their visual and culinary flair. Highly recommended!
The 5-Minute Japanese Noodles Cookbook
Etsuko Ichise
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805318843, $16.99, HC, 96pp
https://www.amazon.com/5-Minute-Japanese-Noodles-Cookbook-Ramen/dp/4805318848
Synopsis: Etsuko Ichise is a woman on a mission to spread Japanese homestyle cooking that is delicious and
easy-to-prepare. With the publication of "The 5-Minute Japanese Noodles Cookbook: Ramen, Soba, Udon, Somen and
More!" she shows American family cooks how to make simple, homestyle noodles that are incredibly flavorful and healthy
yet take only minutes to prepare. Her recipes are light, tasty and healthy thanks to the use of fresh seasonal ingredients
purchased at your local supermarket.
And, you will never have to make the same noodles twice! Her mix-and-match ingredients and toppings use chicken, beef,
pork, bacon, tofu, eggs and vegetables -- whatever you have in the fridge. Each recipe has multiple variations and extra
toppings for flavor and complexity - green onions, grated cheese, corn kernels, roasted peanuts, shredded nori, grated ginger,
toasted sesame, bean sprouts or chili oil... to name just a few!
With "The 5-Minute Japanese Noodles Cookbook" you will discover an entire universe of noodle flavors including:
Noodles in a Soy-Based Broth - Like Hot and Sour Noodle Soup with Pork and Mushrooms or Pork, Kimchi and Soy Milk
Udon
Noodles with a Dipping Sauce - Like Ramen with Crab Sticks and Lemon Dipping Sauce or Mixed Soba with Tuna,
Wakame and Ginger
Noodles in a Miso Flavored Soup - Like Sesame Miso Somen Champuruu with Spinach or Simmered Miso Udon with Pork
Belly and Leek
Stir-fried Noodles - Like Yakisoba Stir-fried with Shirasu, Tomato and Egg or Stir-fried Soba with Sausage and Buttered
Corn
Cold Noodles & Noodle Salads - Like Salad-style Hiyashi Chuka with Bacon and Lettuce or Somen with Thinly Sliced
Pork, Umeboshi and Cucumber
This is the ideal culinary guide to creating creamy, slurpy, saucy noodles or to dipping noodles into an umami-rich broth.
Whether piping hot, or chilled and finished with delightful fresh toppings, with this much variety, your every noodle craving
will be fulfilled!
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated with color photos of finished dishes, "The 5-Minute Japanese Noodles
Cookbook: Ramen, Soba, Udon, Somen and More!" is thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and presentation. A
delight to plan memorable and authentic Japanese meal menus with, this hardcover edition of Etsuko Ichise's "The 5-Minute
Japanese Noodles Cookbook" is a welcome and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, family, professional, and
community library Ethnic/Japanese Cuisine cookbook collections.
Editorial Note #1: Etsuko Ichise is an expert Japanese chef who has published and contributed to hundreds of cookbooks.
She also devotes herself to introducing children to the joys of cooking, and supervises the cooking for NHK Educational
TV's Cooking Idol Ai! Mai! Main. Her publications include Bento: Lunches from Scratch, A Catalog of 300 Small Bento
Side Dishes, Salad Lessons and The Book of Somen.
Onigiri Rice & Miso Soup
Megumi Fujii
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805319055, $18.99, HC, 112pp
https://www.amazon.com/Onigiri-Rice-Miso-Soup-Superfoods/dp/4805319054
Synopsis: Onigiri rice and miso soup are Japan's answer to the classic American soup and sandwich combo -- but a whole
lot healthier!
Comprised of 100 amazing and 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes, with the publication of "Onigiri Rice & Miso Soup: The
Perfect Pairing: Delicious Japanese Superfoods for Health" Japanese nutritionist Megumi Fujii combines fresh seasonal
ingredients with traditional Japanese superfoods to create deeply nourishing meals -- the perfect antidote to modern
ultra-processed foods.
"Onigiri Rice & Miso Soup" showcases 48 delicious and easy-to-prepare meals including:
Broccoli and Salmon Onigiri + Miso Soup with Clams and Mushrooms
Onigiri Rice with Nori and Sesame + Mackerel and Kimchee Miso Soup
Hijiki Seaweed Onigiri + Miso Soup with Ground Chicken and Carrots
Bright Green Onigiri + Miso Soup with Tofu and Shiitake Mushrooms
Oyster Onigiri + Pork and Turnip Miso Soup
Plus 43 other incredible combinations!
Illustrated throughout with beautiful photographs of finished dishes, "Onigiri Rice & Miso Soup" showcases the limitless
possibilities of two classic Japanese homestyle dishes. Fujii highlights the nutritional benefits of the ingredients in each
recipe and introduces to all sorts of ways to use healthy Japanese superfoods like seaweed and miso that are now available
everywhere.
Critique: With its recipes for authentic, palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, body nourishing Japanese cuisine, "Onigiri Rice
& Miso Soup - the Perfect Pairing: Delicious Japanese Superfoods for Health" is an inspiring delight to browse through and
ideal to plan memorable dining occasions (formal and informal) with. This hardcover edition of Megumi Fujii's "Onigiri
Rice & Miso Soup" will prove to be an enduringly popular and appreciated pick for personal, professional, family, and
community library Japanese/Ethnic cookbook collections.
Editorial Note: Megumi Fujii is a registered dietician and recipe developer in Japan. A graduate of Kagawa Nutrition
University, she has worked on television cooking programs and as a food coordinator. Her books include Warming Sauces
to Boost Your Immune System, Two-Dish Meals to Stay Healthy After 50, Main Dish Salads, Super Tasty Low-Cal
Appetizers, 200 Essential Homestyle Recipes, and 100 Simple Bentos, all from Shufu to Seikatsu Sha Co.
The Biography/Memoir Shelf
Portrait of a Presidency
R. Barbara Gitenstein
Koehler Books
www.koehlerbooks.com
9798888245866, $26.95, HC, 178pp
https://www.amazon.com/Portrait-Presidency-Patterns-President-College/dp/B0DMSJZJNW
Synopsis: As public opinion began to sour on higher education, Barbara Gitenstein became president of The College of New
Jersey (TCNJ), today one of the most competitive and successful public undergraduate institutions in the Northeast, second
among New Jersey institutions only to Princeton in successful admission of students to graduate programs.
During her nineteen-year tenure as president, she confronted multiple crises, including 9/11, student deaths, controversial
speakers, and political interference. By partnering with other agencies and working to build a team of esteemed colleagues,
she successfully navigated the complex expectations of a higher education leader -- but not without a few missteps along the
way.
Told with a self-deprecating humor and a spirit of gratitude for all angles of her time as president, "Portrait of a Presidency:
Patterns in My Life as President of The College of New Jersey" is a candid account that offers insights on successful
leadership that will resonate, personally and professionally with the reader.
Critique: Continuing her professional and personal life story begun with the publication of "Experience in the Angled Road:
Memoir of an Academic", R. Barbara Gitenstein has now published "Portrait of a Presidency: Patterns in My Life as
President of The College of New Jersey". With a storytelling skill that raises her memoir to an impressive level of literary
elegance, readers with an interest in an insider's account of an administrative academic life today will find this a fascinating,
candid, and insightful read from start to finish. While unreservedly recommended for community and college/university
library Contemporary Jewish & Educator women's biography/memoir collections, it should be noted for personal reading
lists that this hardcover edition of "Portrait of a Presidency" from Koehler Books is also available in paperback
(9798888245842, $17.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note: R. Barbara Gitenstein (https://rbarbaragitenstein.com) is the author of numerous articles on Jewish American
literature and academic administration, the monograph Apocalyptic Messianism and Jewish-American Poetry, several
op-eds for the higher education press, and Experience Is the Angled Road: Memoir of an Academic. Although originally,
she wanted to be a prima donna at the Metropolitan Opera Company, her second-choice career took off after receiving her
bachelor of arts from Duke University and PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After fifteen years as
a full-time professor, she served as provost and executive vice president at Drake University and president of The College of
New Jersey.
The General Fiction Shelf
The Hunted Heir: A Romantic Legal Drama
Jayna Breigh
Kregel Publications
www.kregel.com
9780825448867, $16.99, PB, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hunted-Heir-Novel-Jayna-Breigh/dp/0825448867
Synopsis: After a tragic loss, private investigator Nona Taylor swore off romantic entanglements and distanced herself from
the world. Once a year, on New Year's Eve, she attends church to beg God for forgiveness, haunted by the guilt of driving
her twin sister to her death.
Attorney DeMarcus Johnson is determined to climb the ladder to partnership by winning high-profile cases at his Los
Angeles law firm, harnessing his ADHD hyperfocus to excel. He's everything Nona knows to steer clear of--an
overconfident ex-jock willing to do anything for success.
Their worlds collide when Nona's pastor receives a mysterious letter claiming he's the sole heir to a substantial estate.
Desperate for answers, Nona infiltrates a lavish charity ball, only to be found out by a suspicious stranger -- so she latches
onto DeMarcus and concocts a fib about being his fiancee.
Now bound by a false engagement, the pair reluctantly join forces to discover the truth about the inheritance. But when an
unseen enemy strikes, they realize the stakes are higher than they thought. Can Nona and DeMarcus overcome their
differences to keep the pastor safe, secure DeMarcus's partnership, and preserve a future for themselves?
Critique: A deftly crafted and original novel that will hold a special appeal to fans of romantic legal dramas, "The Hunted
Heir: A Romantic Legal Drama" by author Jayna Breigh is a fun and fascinating read from start to finish. Emotionally
engaging and memorable characters tangled up in unexpected plot twists and perils, "The Hunted Heir" is an unreservedly
recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary Legal Suspense Thriller collections. It
should be noted that this paperback edition of "The Hunted Heir" from Kregel Publications is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Jayna Breigh is an award-winning writer of Romantic Legal Dramas - Suspenseful, Twist-Filled
Mystery/Thrillers with Romance. She practiced "Big City Law" in Los Angeles for over a decade.
(https://teal-smilodon-aly6.squarespace.com/about-avenue)
The Historical Fiction Shelf
Cold Victory
Karl Marlantes
Grove Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802161420, $28.99, HC, 352p
9780802163974, $18.99 PB, $14.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Cold-Victory-Karl-Marlantes/dp/0802163971
Synopsis: Helsinki, 1947. Finland teeters between the Soviet Union and the West. Everyone is being watched. A wrong look
or a wrong word could end in catastrophe. Natalya Bobrova, from Russia, and Louise Koski, from the United States, are
young wives of their country's military attaches. When they meet at an embassy party, their husbands, Arnie and Mikhail,
both world-class skiers, drunkenly challenge each other to a friendly (but secret) cross-country wilderness race.
Louise is delighted, but Natalya is worried. Stalin and Beria's secret police rule with unforgiving brutality. If news of the
race gets out and Mikhail loses, Natalya knows it would mean his death, her imprisonment, and the loss of her two children.
Meanwhile, Louise, who is childless, uses the race as an opportunity to raise money for a local orphanage, naive to the
danger it will bring to Natalya and her family.
Too late to stop Louise's scheme, a horrified Natalya watches as news of the race spreads across the globe as newspapers
and politicians spin it as a symbolic battle: freedom versus communism. Desperate to undo her mistake, Louise must reach
Arnie to tell him to throw the race and save Mikhail -- but how? The two racers are in a world of their own, unreachable in
Finland's arctic wilderness.
Critique: A riveting and original story set in the all to often lethal Cold War era of American vs. Russia, "Cold Victory" is
another masterfully crafted novel from author Karl Marlantes. Friendship, love, ideology, totalitarianism, life and death
hanging on decisions and fate, "Cold Victory" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community library
Historical Action/Adventure Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of
"Cold War" from Grove Press is also available in paperback (
Editorial Note: Karl Marlantes graduated from Yale University and was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, before
serving as a Marine in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Navy Cross, the Bronze Star, two Navy Commendation Medals
for valor, two Purple Hearts, and ten air medals. He is also the author of Matterhorn and What It Is Like to Go to War. He
lives in rural Washington. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Marlantes)
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
Heart of the Glen
Jennifer Deibel
Fleming H. Revell Company
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.revellbooks.com
9780800746711, $29.99, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Glen-Jennifer-Deibel/dp/0800746716
Synopsis: When Saoirse Fagan arrives to start her new job as housemaid at Drumboe Castle, she is dismayed to learn that
the lord of the house passed away a week prior. Already running away from the tragedy that claimed the lives of her own
family members, Saoirse wanders the road with nowhere to go until Aileen McCready offers her a lift and possibly a place
to stay for the night.
Sheep farmer and weaver Owen McCready is known for his intricate and impeccably woven tweed. But when he's injured in
an attack by bandits, his entire livelihood is endangered. A new (and distracting) mouth to feed adds fuel to the fire, and
Owen struggles to keep his family afloat. Though Saoirse is eager to help, even offering to learn the weaving craft, Owen is
hesitant to accept aid from this strange young woman, no matter how inexplicably magnetic he finds her.
But Saoirse is not one to give up easily. It may take extra effort on her part, but she's determined to convince the McCreadys
that they need her -- perhaps as much as she needs them.
Critique: Simply stated, author Jennifer Deibel is a true master of the historical romance genre with "Heart of the Glen"
once again demonstrating her distinctive and memorably effective storytelling style. A fun and emotionally engaging read
from start to finish, "Heart of the Glen" will prove a welcome pick for personal reading lists and community library
Historical Romance collections. It should be noted for the growing legions of Jennifer Deibel fans that this hardcover
edition of "Heart of the Glen" from Revell is also readily available in paperback (9780800744861, $17.99) and in a digital
book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: Jennifer Deibel (www.JenniferDeibel.com) is the author of A Dance in Donegal (winner of the Kipp Award
for Historical Romance), The Lady of Galway Manor, The Maid of Ballymacool, and The Irish Matchmaker. With firsthand
immersive experience abroad, Jennifer writes stories that help redefine home through the lens of culture, history, and family.
A listing of her books is available at: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20391683.Jennifer_Deibel
The Perfect Rom-Com
Melissa Ferguson
Thomas Nelson Publishers
www.thomasnelson.com
9780840716880, $18.99, PB, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Rom-Com-Romance-Novel-Lovers/dp/0840716885
Synopsis: Aspiring author Bryony Page attends her first writers conference bursting with optimism and ready to sell her
manuscript with long-shot dreams of raising awareness for The Bridge, her grandmother's financially struggling
organization where she teaches ESL full-time. But after a disastrous pitch session, she stumbles into correcting another
author's work in a last-ditch attempt to make a good impression with the agent. And she, as it turns out, is spot on.
No one is more surprised than Bryony when the agent offers her the opportunity to be a ghostwriter for Amelia Benedict,
popular rom-com novelist. Bryony agrees on one condition: she'll write books for this vain, demanding woman just as long
as Jack Sterling, literary agent of the legendary Foundry Literary Agency, works to sell her own book too.
What nobody predicted, however, was that Bryony's books would turn Amelia Benedict into the Amelia Benedict,
household name and bestselling author with millions of copies sold around the world.
She's written dozens of smash-hit romance novels. Too bad no one knows it. And just like that, the Foundry Agency can't let
her go. But on a personal note, Jack is realizing he can't either.
Critique: A Rom-Com lover's delight and a fun read from start to finish, "The Perfect Rom-Com" by author Melissa
Ferguson fully lives up to the promise of its subtitle 'A Romance Novel for Book Lovers". Thoroughly laced throughout
with humor, impressively original in concept, and a deftly crafted romantic comedy masterpiece, that is unreservedly
recommended for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary Romance collections, it should be noted that
this paperback edition of "The Perfect Rom-Com" from Thomas Nelson is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note: Melissa Ferguson (https://melissaferguson.com) is the author of How to Plot a Payback, Meet Me in the
Margins, and Famous for a Living. Her heartwarming romantic comedies have been featured in such places as The
Hollywood Reporter, Travel + Leisure, and The New York Post. She is on Instagram and TikTok at @ourfriendlyfarmhouse
and offers a newsletter for her fans.
Change of Heart
Falon Ballard
G. P. Putnam's Sons
c/o Penguin Group
www.penguin.com
9780593712924, $19.00, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Change-Heart-Falon-Ballard/dp/0593712927
Synopsis: Campbell Andrews despises exactly three things in life: incompetence, tardiness, and love stories. Making partner
at her law firm at thirty-four, she has no time for anything or anyone else. And certainly no respect for those who choose
love over work. That is, until she wakes up in Heart Springs -- her own personal hell.
The good news? She's not dead. She's been magically transported to a small town straight out of the Hallmark channel,
complete with a meddling mayor, seasonal festivals, and friendly townsfolk. Cam can't stand it, but in order to make it back
to her real life, she has to fulfill three tasks... foremost among them, experience true love. It seems impossible. But
anything's possible with a change of heart.
Critique: If every there were a romance novel that begs to be a Hallmark Movie Channel movie, it's Falon Ballard's "Change
of Heart". An original, deftly crafted, and thoroughly fun read from start to finish, "Change of Heart" is unreservedly
recommended for community library Contemporary Fantasy Romance collections. It should be noted for personal reading
lists that this paperback edition of "Change of Heart" from G.P. Putnam's Sons is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Falon Ballard is the author of several rom coms and the co-host of the Happy to Meet Cute podcast. When
she's not writing a romance book, reading a romance book, or talking about romance books, you can probably find her at
Disneyland, California.
Dream Girl Drama
Tessa Bailey
Avon Books
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063380776, $30.00, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Girl-Drama-Rom-Com-Unconventional/dp/0063380781
Synopsis: When professional hockey player Sig Gauthier's car breaks down and his phone dies, he treks into a posh private
country club to call a tow truck, where he encounters the alluring Chloe Clifford, the manic pixie dream girl who captivates
him immediately with her sense of adventure and penchant for stealing champagne.
Sparks fly during a moonlight kiss and the enamored pair can't wait to see each other again, but when Sig finally arrives to
meet his dad's new girlfriend over dinner, Chloe is confusingly also there. Turns out the girlfriend is Chloe's mother. Oh,
and they're engaged.
Sig's dream girl is his future stepsister.
Though the pair is now wary of being involved romantically, Chloe, a sheltered harp prodigy, yearns to escape her
controlling mother. Sig promises to teach her the ins and outs of independence in Boston -- but not inside his bedroom.
They both know there can never be more than friendship between a famous hockey player and his high-society, soon-to-be
stepsister. But keeping their relationship platonic grows harder amid the developing family drama, especially knowing they
were meant for so much more...
Critique: Fully living up to its promise of being an unconventional love story, "Dream Girl Drama is a spicy and sports
themed Rom-Com by novelist Tessa Bailey. An original, laced throughout with humor, and a thoroughly fun read from start
to finish, "Dream Girl Drama" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Romance
collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated Rom-Com fans that this hardcover edition of
"Dream Girl Drama" from Avon Books is also readily available in paperback (9780063380783, $18.99) and in a digital
book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Tessa Bailey (https://www.tessabailey.com) can solve all problems except for her own, so in her books she
focuses those efforts on stubborn, fictional blue-collar men and loyal, lovable heroines. Tessa writes with spice, spirit,
swoon and a guaranteed happily ever after.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
The Last Hanging of Angel Martinez
Kate Niles
University of New Mexico Press
www.unmpress.com
9780826367044, $19.95, PB, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hanging-Martinez-Miller-Southwest-Fiction/dp/0826367046
Synopsis: In Taos County, New Mexico, probation officer Nina Montgomery thinks she knows all about Angel Martinez, a
"frequent flyer" in the judicial system for increasingly sadistic treatment of his ex-partner, Liza Monaghan. When Liza is
found dead on her kitchen floor, everyone suspects Angel -- Nina most of all.
When Angel's aunt Loretta, Nina's neighbor and friend, asks her to look into Liza's murder, Nina reaches out to friend and
sheriff's deputy Larry Baca and becomes embroiled in the case. As Nina delves into Angel's and Liza's lives, she is surprised
to learn that Angel is a santero artist on the rise.
A talented but struggling ceramic artist herself, Nina finds her worlds colliding when a Hollywood celebrity wants her art
just as the entanglements of Angel's family history begin to suggest the source of Liza's death. Amid the cultural and natural
beauty of the Northern Rio Grande Valley, Nina finds herself steeped in the drama of a family gone terribly and violently
wrong.
Critique: An original and fun read from start to finish, "The Last Hanging of Angel Martinez" is a very highly recommended
pick for the legions of cozy mystery fans who appreciated a good 'whodunnit' murder mystery that feature a woman sleuth
and more plot twists leading to an ultimate reveal that plays fair with the reader. While especially and unreservedly
recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this
paperback edition of "The Last Hanging of Angel Martinez" from the University of New Mexico Press is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Kate Niles (https://kateniles.com) is also the author of the novels "The Book of John", "The Basket Maker",
and the poetry collection "Geographies of the Heart".
Gravewater Lake
A. M. Strong & Sony Sargent
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662518393, $16.99, PB, 364pp
https://www.amazon.com/Gravewater-Lake-Thriller-M-Strong/dp/1662518390
Synopsis: A woman wakes on the shore of a remote lake in the middle of the night, freezing and afraid. With no memory of
who she is or how she got there, she stumbles frantically toward the lights of a house. The handsome stranger who lives
there is shocked to see a woman on his doorstep and takes her in.
Trapped by a winter storm and cut off from the outside world, she starts to suspect that all is not right with the house on
Gravewater Lake -- or the man, who says his name is Gregg. Because there are whispers in the night, and phantom footsteps
pace the halls. Is Gregg hiding a dark secret, or is she losing her mind?
As she struggles to remember her past and make sense of her present, she soon discovers that people are not always who
they seem, and the truth might be more deadly than she could ever have imagined.
Critique: With the publication of "Gravewater Lake", co-authors A. M. Strong and Sonya Sargent have impressively
collaborated to craft an inherently fascinating story about a woman who can't remember her past, encounters a mysterious
stranger, as her plight grows every more unsettling and potentially hazardous. A deftly crafted novel of increasing
psychological suspense, co-authors Strong and Sargent have raised their simply riveting novel to an impressive level of
literary excellence, making it an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community library Mystery/Suspense
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Gravewater Lake" from Thomas &
Mercer is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).
Editorial Note #1: A.M. Strong (www.amstrongauthor.com) is the co-author of nine novels, most recently The Last Girl Left
and I Will Find Her. A native of the United Kingdom he also writes under the pen name Anthony M. Strong.
Editorial Note #2: Sonya Sargent (www.twistedthrillers.com) is the co-author of nine novels, most recently The Last Girl
Left and I Will Find Her. A native of Vermont, Sonya now splits her time between sunny Florida and the beautiful coast of
Maine.
She Doesn't Have a Clue
Jenny Elder Moke
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
www.minotaurbooks.com
9781250354983, $31.00, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/She-Doesnt-Have-Clue-Novel/dp/1250354986
Synopsis: A high-end wedding on a private island off the coast of Seattle sounds like something out of a magazine. But for
bestselling mystery author Kate Valentine, it's more like a nightmare.
Why Kate agreed to attend her ex-fiance's wedding is its own enigma, but she'll plaster on a fake smile for two nights, with
the aid of free champagne, naturally. And because the groom happens to be her editor, she'll try to finish a draft of her latest
Loretta Starling mystery as a wedding gift.
When the bride is poisoned and Kate stumbles across a dead body, she finds herself in a real-life mystery that eerily echoes
the plot of her latest novel. And the only person who seems willing to help Kate catch the killer is Jake Hawkins, aka: the
Hostralian; aka: Kate's biggest romantic regret.
As the wine flows and the weather threatens to hold every guest hostage, bitter resentments and long-held grudges surface
amongst the colorful crowd. Anyone could be capable of murder, it seems. What would Loretta do? Unfortunately, Kate
doesn't have a clue.
Critique: A beautifully crafted novel blending romance with murder, "She Doesn't Have A Clue" is a cozy mystery fans
delight and a fun read from start to finish. Clearly, novelist Jenny Elder Moke is a master storyteller with a distinctive flair
for fully engaging her readers with memorable characters, unexpected plot twists, and a dramatic finale by way of
conclusion. Simply stated, "She Doesn't Have A Clue" is unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and
community library collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "She Doesn't Have A Clue" from Minotaur
Books is also readily available in paperback (9781250354969, $17.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Jenny Elder Moke (https://jennyeldermoke.com) is the author of award-winning children's and adult
literature. She enjoys fast-paced adventures with plenty of mysteries, surprising turns, and laughs along the way.
Secrets Between the Shelves
Cynthia Hickey, et al.
Barbour Publishing
www.barbourbooks.com
9798891510319, $14.99, PB, 448pp
https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Between-Shelves-Bookshop-Mysteries/dp/B0D3JB661F
Synopsis: Four cozy mysteries enjoyed in books come to life, threatening four businesses.
Amber's new bookshop and tearoom draws rare book collectors, but when one ends up dead in the mystery section, the
shop's future is questionable.
Lilly's pirate themed bookshop fits right into Harbor Inn, Maine, but she never expected to find a young pirate dead on her
shop's floor.
Abby opens Secret Passages Bookshop in a Wyoming mountain town, not realizing her historic building held a real secret
passage and a missing teenager.
When Kelly Stephens opens her shop Artistic Adventures next to Bayside Books and Reading Room, she witnesses a
suspicious death.
Can the store owners and their patrons solve the mysteries before their businesses go under?
Critique: An anthology comprised of four cozy mysteries by Cynthia Hickey, Linda Baten Johnson, Teresa Ives Lilly, and
Marilyn Turk with the theme of bookshop owners having to solve mysteries at some peril to themselves and their
bookshops, "Secrets Between The Shelves" is an extraordinary and fun read from cover to cover. A special and memorable
delight for all cozy mystery fans, this edition of "Secrets Between The Shelves" from Barbour Publishers will prove to be an
extraordinarily popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal
reading lists of all cozy mystery fans that this paperback edition is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.49) as well.
Editorial Note #1: Cynthia Hickey (https://cynthiahickey.com) has taught writing at many conferences and small writing
retreats. She and her husband run the publishing press, Winged Publications, which includes some of the CBA's best
well-known authors.
Editorial Note #2: Marilyn Turk writes historical fiction flavored with suspense and romance. Marilyn also writes devotions
for Daily Guideposts. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers; Faith, Hope and Love; Advanced Writers and
Speakers Association; and Word Weavers International. (https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/marilyn-turk)
Editorial Note #3: Linda Baten Johnson (https://www.lindabatenjohnson.com) currently writes squeaky-clean romance
novellas, cozy mysteries, and books for young readers. She loves incorporating history into her storie Several of her books
have been converted to audio for listening pleasure.
Editorial Note #4: Teresa Ives Lilly (www.teresalilly.wordpress.com ) has authored a variety of Christian and Clean Novels
and Novellas romance and mystery, historical and contemporary. She has written several chapter books and one picture
book. She has also authored over two hundred unit studies for public and private schools.
Sabotage at Cedar Creek
Janice Thompson
Barbour Publishing
www.barbourbooks.com
9798891510265, $9.99, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Sabotage-Cedar-Creek-Truck-Mysteries/dp/B0D3FQKS8Q
Synopsis: It's summertime in Mabank, Texas, and the Hadley family's new antique business is open and running well with
Tilly, the red antique truck, as its mascot. Raelynn Hadley enjoys driving Grandpa's truck around as she seeks out antiques
for her family's store.
Raelynn is excited that her best friend, Tasha, will soon open a new vacation rental to accommodate the area's growing
tourism, but an unexpected act of sabotage threatens to spoil all that Tasha has worked for.
Raelynn immediately gets to work sleuthing out who could be behind the crime. Could it be the bitter neighbor, intent on
spoiling Tasha's plans? Perhaps it's a nearby resort owner, worried about the potential loss of revenue. Maybe it's the former
owner's daughter who was left out of the will and believes the home should be hers. Or maybe it's the squatter who had
taken up residence in the home before renovations.
Raelynn is determined to solve the mystery for her friend in time for opening day.
Critique: A deftly crafted and thoroughly fun read from start to finish, "Sabotage at Cedar Creek" by author Janic Thompson
is the second novel in the 'Little Red Truck' cozy mystery series. Original, entertaining, "Sabotage at Cedar Creek" is a
prime 'whodunnit' from Barbour Press and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary
Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Sabotage at Cedar Creek" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.49).
Editorial Note: Janice Thompson (https://janiceathompson.com) writes romantic comedies, cozy mysteries, nonfiction
devotionals, and musical comedies for the stage. The first title in her "The Little Red Truck Mystery series is "Tracking
Tilley" (Barbour Fiction, 9781636099088, $14.99 PB, $9.99 Kindle, $39.95 Library Binding, 256pp).
Drop Dead Twice
Mark Thomas McGee
BearManor Media
www.bearmanormedia.com
9798887716367, $30.00, HC, 236pp
https://www.amazon.com/Drop-Dead-Twice-Lawson-Mystery/dp/B0DRNV2MT3
Synopsis: They were but a few steps away from the entrance to the hotel when Annie was stopped dead in her tracks by a
blood-curdling scream. It seemed to be coming from somewhere above them, gaining in volume. Before she could look up,
Mike jerked her into the safety of the archway, just ahead of the body that smacked the pavement where she had been
standing, one hundred and eighty pounds of solid stock.
Annie looked at Mike, her expression one of shock and surpirse. She took another look at the corpse. It was only when she
turned to Mike for the second time that she found her voice."Gadzooks!"
And so begins "Drop Dead Twice" by Mark Thomas McGee.
Critique: A Mark Lawson murder mystery, "Drop Dead Twice" by author Mark Thomas McGee is a hardboiled 'whodunnit'
story -- the kind they used to make film noir movies from. A reviting and fun read from start to finish, "Drop Dead Twice"
is a 'must' for all dedicated Mike Hammer/Mickey Spillane fans. While certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular
pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists of readers with an
interest in traditional detective novels that this hardcover edition of "Drop Dead Twice" from BearManor Press is also
readily available in a paperback edition (9798887716350, $20.00).
Editorial Note: Mark Thomas McGee has written several movie history books including Teenage Thunder, You Won't
Believe Your Eyes, biographies of James H. Nicholson, Robert Lippert and Sam Katzman, as well as a number of
direct-to-video movies. A Vietnam veteran, McGee states that he will continue to write Mike Lawson mysteries until he
drops dead. Twice.
The Last Hamilton
Jenn Bregman
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781639109913, $29.99, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Hamilton-Novel-Jenn-Bregman/dp/1639109919
Synopsis: When Elizabeth Walker, the last heir of the Alexander Hamilton line, is tragically killed by a subway train in New
York, foul play is immediately suspected. Elizabeth had been terrified, frantic, and manic during her last days, running
mysterious errands, searching for a strange antique key, and sending cryptic messages to her best friend, Sarah
Brockman.
The morning after Elizabeth's death, a box of tattered documents lands on Sarah's doorstep, confirming her suspicions about
Elizabeth's strange behavior and shocking death. She brings the box to Elizabeth's grieving husband, Ralph. Working
together, they are stunned to discover that Elizabeth was part of a secret society established by Hamilton himself to keep the
United States just and free, its influence woven into every corner of the country's history.
As Sarah and Ralph race through the streets of New York to uncover the truth behind Elizabeth's death, they must stop an
ingenious and sinister plot before someone else catches up to them -- and the secrets of Hamilton's society are lost
forever.
Critique: A swiftly paced, deftly crafted, impressively original, and compelling read from start to finish, "The Last
Hamilton" by Jenn Bregman reveals the author's exceptional storytelling talents in a riveting suspense thriller of novel that
is a truly exceptional and unreservedly recommended pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be
noted that his hardcover edition of "The Last Hamilton" from Crooked Lane Books is available for the personal reading of
cozy mystery fans in paperback (9798892422246, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Jenn Bregman (https://jennbregman.com) is a UCLA Law graduate and former Big Law litigator who
practiced both in Los Angeles and on Wall Street in New York. Author of the critically acclaimed thriller, The TimeKeepers
and published in the UCLA Law Review, she is a closet adventurer, who loves to ski, run marathons, and hike giant
mountains. She lives in Colorado with her family and sweet Havanese dog Babalu.
No Comfort for the Dead
R. P. O'Donnell
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892420563, $29.99, HC, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/No-Comfort-Dead-R-P-ODonnell/dp/B0D3YDWSZP
Synopsis: 1988, West Cork, Ireland. Emma Daly has returned to her home in Castlefreke, a small and peaceful village where
everybody knows everybody. She has taken over the local library and is trying not to think about the scandal she left behind
in the city. But when the richest man in the village is murdered and the main suspect is the mysterious son of a local family,
her charming small-town life is turned upside down.
Emma knows for a fact that there is more to the story, and when the family asks her to investigate, she decides to take
matters into her own hands.
Teaming up with a stubborn widow, an elderly hypochondriac, and her high school sweetheart, it is up to Emma to solve the
mystery before either the police or the murderer can stop her.
Critique: Original, cleverly crafted, and a cozy mystery lover's delight from start to finish, "No Comfort for the Dead" by
author R. P. O'Donnell is a fun read and one that will be an immediately and enduringly popular pick for community library
Mystery/Suspense collections. An historical 'whodunnit' mystery featuring an amateur female sleuth, it should be noted for
the personal reading lists of all dedicated cozy mystery buffs that this hardcover edition of "No Comfort for the Dead" from
Crooked Lane Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: R.P. O'Donnell (https://rp-odonnell.com) was born to an Irish American family on the South Shore of
Boston, Massachusetts. He was short and wore a back brace for two years, so he really had no choice but to love reading and
writing from a young age. After graduating with a degree in English, he moved to a tiny fishing village in West Cork, where
he lives with his family. He works as a marketing content writer and has published articles in the Irish Examiner and Irish
Times. In 2020, he was chosen by Paul McVeigh as the winner of the J.G. Farrell Award at the West Cork Literary Festival.
He is now planning the second and third novels in the Castlefreke series.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Lightfall: Book One of The Everlands
Ed Cocker
St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250287731, $30.00, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Lightfall-Book-One-Everlands-Trilogy/dp/1250287731
Synopsis: For centuries, vampires freely roamed the land until the Grays came out of nowhere, wiping out half the
population in a night. The survivors fled to the last vampire city of First Light, where the rules are simple. If you're poor,
you drink weak blood. If you're nobility, you get the good stuff. And you can never, ever leave.
Palace maid Sam has had enough of these rules, and she's definitely had enough of cleaning the bedpans of the lords who
enforce them. When the son of the city's ruler is murdered and she finds the only clue to his death, she seizes the chance to
blackmail her way into a better class and better blood. She falls in with the Leeches, a group of rebel maids who rein in the
worst of the Lords. Soon she's in league with a sorcerer whose deductive skills make up for his lack of magic, a deadly
werewolf assassin and a countess who knows a city's worth of secrets.
There's just one problem. What began as a murder investigation has uncovered a vast conspiracy by the ruling elite, and now
Sam must find the truth before she becomes another victim. If she can avoid getting murdered, she might just live
forever.
Critique: "Lightfall" by Ed Crocker is an original, pulse-pounding, action-adventure that will hold immense appeal to
readers with an interest in vampire novels and epic fantasy worlds. All the more impressive when considering that it is
Crocker's debut as a novelist, "Lightfall" will have its reader's looking forward to the next two entries in the author's The
Everlands' series. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Science Fiction & Fantasy
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Lightfall" is also readily available
from St. Martin's Press in a digital book format (Kinde, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Ed Crocker (https://www.ed-crocker.com) is a Manchester England based freelance editor whose clients
include Sunday Times bestselling authors and award-winning indie authors. He also writes book reviews and interviews
authors for various SFF & horror publications.
The Poetry Shelf
Lover Girl
Raegan Fordemwalt
Andrews McMeel Publishing
www.andrewsmcmeel.com
9781524895112, $18.00, PB, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Lover-Girl-Raegan-Fordemwalt/dp/1524895113
Synopsis: In her fully illustrated debut collection "Lover Girl", poet Raegan Fordemwalt writes the story of a girl boldly and
devastatingly fond of love. So eager to feel, she proudly walks through Heartbreak, Loneliness, Jealousy, and Acceptance on
the journey to personal growth and self-love.
"Lover Girl" offers fans the collection of original verse that they first fell in love with, as well as a special edition cover and
14 all-new poems and drawings! With candor and vulnerability, Raegan and her Lover Girl continue to give readers a soft
place to land as they fall back in love with themselves and each poem along the way.
Critique: I think I like being a lover girl,
even if there's nobody to love right now,
even if my heart gets broken,
again and again.
Because love is bigger than just lonely me
and Bigger than just heartbreak.
It feels good to love,
even if it hurts, I don't mind.
Simply stated, if you only have time for a single book of poetry, make it "Lover Girl" by Raegan Fordemwalt and published
by Andrews McMeel Publishing. Especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and
college/university library Contemporary American Poetry collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be
noted that this paperback edition of "Lover Girl" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Raegan Fordemwalt (https://raeganspoetry.com) is a poet from Boise, Idaho, whose journey in writing
started as a young teenager. Raegan achieved massive success posting her poetry online via social media platforms
Instagram and TikTok as @raeganspoetry. Through her spoken-word performances and captivating illustrations that delve
into the intricacies of emotions while navigating themes of love, heartbreak, and the enigmatic landscapes of the human
soul, Raegan has garnered widespread acclaim, touching the hearts of millions worldwide.
The Graphic Novel Shelf
This Beautiful, Ridiculous City: A Graphic Memoir
Kay Sohini, author/illustrator
Ten Speed Graphic
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9780593836156, $24.99, HC, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/This-Beautiful-Ridiculous-City-Graphic/dp/0593836154
Synopsis: On her first night in New York City, Kay Sohini sits on the tarmac of JFK Airport making an inventory of
everything she's left behind in India: her family, friends, home, and gaslighting ex-boyfriend. In the wake of that untethering
she realizes two things: she's finally made it to the city of her literary heroes (Kerouac, Plath, Bechdel) and the trauma she's
endured has created gaping holes in her memory.
As Kay begins the work of piecing herself back together she discovers the deep sense of belonging that can only be found on
the streets of New York City. In the process she falls beautifully, ridiculously in love with the bustling landscape, and
realizes that the places we love do not always love us back but can still somehow save us in weird, unexpected ways.
Critique: Deftly blending inspiration and heart-break,"This Beautiful, Ridiculous City: A Memoir" by author/illustrator Kay
Sohini is engagingly enhanced by being presented in a graphic novel style format as presents an intensely personal, yet
universally recognizable relationship between, In Kay's words: trauma and truth, displacement and belonging, and what it
means to forge a life of one's own. A simply fascinating and thought-provoking read from start to finish, this large format
(7.53 x 0.66 x 10.28 inches, 1.55 pounds) hardcover edition of "This Beautiful, Ridiculous City: A Memoir" from Ten
Speed Graphic is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary
Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "This Beautiful, Ridiculous City: A
Memoir" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Kay Sohini (https://www.kaysohini.com) is a South Asian researcher, writer, and graphic novelist based in
New York. She holds a PhD in English from Stony Brook University and her essays and comics have been featured in The
Washington Post, The Nib, and more. Her work focuses on utilizing comics in the scholarly examination of healthcare
justice, environmental humanities, resisting disinformation, and creating an equitable future for all.
The Music CD Shelf
Bill Evans in Norway
Bill Evans, Eddie Gomez, and Marty Morell
Elemental Music
17.95 Euro CD / 11.95 Euro digital
https://elementalmusicrecords.bandcamp.com/album/bill-evans-in-norway-the-kongsberg-concert
Bill Evans (1929-1980) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and trio leader, well-known for using impressionist
harmony, block chords, and other innovative singing techniques that continue to inspire jazz pianists to the modern day. Bill
Evans in Norway: The Kongsberg Concert is a never-before-released, two-CD muisc album of a 1970 trio concert recorded
live at the Kongsberg Jazz Festival, where Bill Evans performed with bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Marty Morell. A
"must-have" for jazz connoisseurs, Bill Evans in Norway is highly recommended for both personal and public library music
collections. The tracks are Come Rain or Come Shine; What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?; 34 Skidoo; Turn Out
the Stars; Autumn Leaves; Quiet Now; So What; Gloria's Step; Emily; Midnight Mood; Who Can I Turn To?; Some Other
Time; and Nardis.
B.B. King in France
Deep Digs
c/o Elemental Music
17.98 Euro CD / 11.95 Euro digital
https://elementalmusicrecords.bandcamp.com/album/b-b-king-in-france-live-at-the-1977-nancy-jazz-pulsations-festival
B.B. King (1925-2015) was a legendary African-American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer, well-
known for his unique style of guitar solos that influenced many other electric guitar blues players. B.B. King in France: Live
at the 1977 Nancy Jazz Pulsations Festival is a previously unreleased album presented by Deep Digs in cooperation with the
B.B. King Estate, Universal Music Enterprises, and INA France. B.B. King in France is a 2 CD music album that showcases
a B.B. King's standout performance with his seven-piece band. Originally recorded at the titular festival in 1977, B.B. King
in France is a treasure of modern jazz history as well as a singularly captivating blues performance. B.B. King in France is a
"must-have" for connoisseurs of the genre and a welcome addition to public library music collections. Highly
recommended! The tracks are Blue Monk/Caldonia; Sweet Little Angel; I Like to Live the Love; It's Just a Matter of Time;
Why I Sing the Blues; I Got Some Outside Help (I Don't Really Need); The Thrill Is Gone; I Need My Baby; Sweet Sixteen;
Blues Instrumental; To Know You Is To Love You; When I'm Wrong; Have Faith; and Outro Blues Instrumental.
The Blu-ray Shelf
Chained Soldier Complete Collection
Sentai Film Works
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com
c/o RLJ Entertainment (distribution)
$69.98 Blu-ray, 2 discs
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com/collections/pre-order/products/816726020273-chained-soldier-season-1-complete-collecti
on-blu-ray
Intended for mature viewers only (rated TV-MA) due to violence and adult themes - notably a "bondage" theme with literal
and erotic connotations - Chained Soldier Complete Collection is a sci-fi anime where the modern-day Earth has been
invaded by terrifying monsters from the Mato dimension. The monsters are immune to conventional weapons; only women
can wield the superpowers capable of driving them back. As a result, gender equality has become a bygone relic, and
women dominate both politics and the military. Yuuki Wakura lives in this besieged world as an ordinary young man
seemingly doomed to a boring life, until he accidentally enters the Mato dimension and gains extraordinary powers - that he
can only wield as the inhuman, chained slave of the dominating Kyouka Uzen! When Kyouka suggests that Yuuki bind
himself permanently to her, he enthusiastically accepts. But his bargain for power comes at the price of becoming a maid
and indentured servant to Kyouka and her all-female military unit, when he's not fighting monsters as her Chained Soldier!
Action-packed, lasciviously sexy, and intensely enthralling, Chained Solider Complete Collection contains all of season
one. 12 episodes on 2 Blu-ray discs, English and Japanese audio, English subtitles, 300 min.
The Folktale/Fairytale Shelf
Tales from the Whispering Woods
Sarah J. H. Powell
Wellfleet Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartoknows.com
9781577154396, $19.99, HC, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Whispering-Woods-Spine-Chilling-Supernatural/dp/1577154398
Synopsis: For students and non-specialist general readers comes an essential guide to the cultural origins behind some of
your favorite urban legends, superstitions, and ghost stories. With the publication of "Tales from the Whispering Woods:
Stories of Fear and Folklore from the Dark Forest", author Sarah J. H. Powell dares her readers to step into the wildwood
and traverse the world's folklore from the comfort of their own homes!
Sarah J H Powell is the spooky thrillseeker behind the podcast The Whispering Woods, and in this remarkable and
compelling volume curates a collection of twenty-one creepy creatures, ghastly ghosts, and paranormal phenomena,
including:
The Wild Hunt: A group of ghostly or supernatural beings in search of souls to chase and steal away, variations are found
throughout European folklore. It is said witnessing a Wild Hunt is an omen of disaster.
El Silbon: A legendary figure in the countries of Colombia and Venezuela and known for his eerie whistle. Why is it that
whistling at night is such a taboo?
The Baubas: An example in a long line of creepy bogeymen intended to scare children into correcting their bad
behavior.
Werewolves: These creatures appear everywhere, from ancient Mesopotomia to Viking-era Scandinavia.
Each individual chapter provides possible explanations for why these creatures, stories, and superstitions came to be. This is
also a compendium of stories about possibly true encounters with the creature or phenomenon in question.
Critique: Hauntingly illustrated throughout, this large format (7.25 x 0.73 x 9.25 inches, 1.25 pounds) hardcover edition of
"Tales from the Whispering Woods: Stories of Fear and Folklore from the Dark Forest" by Sarah J. H. Powell will prove a
fascinating read and compelling read for those with an interest in the supernatural, the metaphysical, the paranormal, and the
unexplained. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99), "Tales from the Whispering Woods" is strongly
commended for personal, professional, community, and college/university Mythology/Folklore collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Sarah J. H. Powell is a co-host of The Whispering Woods podcast, a show that delves into the dark and
mysterious world of folklore, the supernatural, and the unexplained. She has been fascinated by the paranormal since she
was a child, and was given a book by her late grandfather about haunted objects. She would also listen to her mother read,
uncensored, Grimm's fairy tales and lapped up every moment. She hosts the podcast with her son Tobie, who inherited her
love for the spooky and the strange. Together, they share their own experiences and research on various topics, from urban
legends to ancient myths.
The Woodworking Shelf
A Beginner's Guide to Animal Woodcarving
Mio Hashimoto
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805318942, $17.99, PB, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Beginners-Guide-Animal-Woodcarving-Instructions/dp/4805318945
Synopsis: With the publication of "A Beginner's Guide to Animal Woodcarving: Learn to Sculpt Lifelike Figures from a
Japanese Master", impressively talented sculptor Mio Hashimoto reveals the techniques behind her rustic, whimsical and
lifelike animal sculptures. She teaches aspiring woodworkers the entire process of creating an endearing animal sculpture --
from the preliminary sketch and wood selection, to the techniques needed to saw, sculpt and paint it. She even recommends
the tools and materials to buy.
"A Beginner's Guide to Animal Woodcarving" provides 5 detailed tutorials with hundreds of color photos for the following
animal sculptures:
A sweet Kitty with a curlicue tail and soulful eyes
A Baby Penguin with downy feathers
A Dozing Cat with its eyes pinched shut and its paws curled over
A whimsical Bear on a Swing, ready to put on a show
A delightful Donkey with a round belly and stubby legs
Also included are dozens of inspirational photos of wooden animals from Hashimoto's extensive portfolio. Aspiring DIY
wood sculptures will learn the process as they practice with the 5 detailed tutorials, then go on to make their own wooden
animal sculpture.
Critique: An effectively illustrated and thoroughly 'user friendly' compendium of DIY instructions on the fine art of crafting
animal figures from wood, this large format paperback edition of Mio Hashimoto's "A Beginner's Guide to Animal
Woodcarving: Learn to Sculpt Lifelike Figures from a Japanese Master" from Tuttle Publishing is an ideal and highly
recommended pick for personal, professional, and community library woodworking/wood sculpting 'how to'
collections.
Editorial Note: Mio Hashimoto has always had a special affinity for animals. At age 17, she began studying art under
Hiroyuki Nishimura and Shiro Tamura at the Zokei Art Academy in Tokyo, where she learned to carve warm, expressive
creatures. Upon graduation, she began receiving commissions for animal sculptures and held solo exhibitions across Japan.
In 2010, she was commissioned to create sculptures of desert animals during a stay in the UAE. Recently, she has organized
traveling events featuring woodcarving workshops and exhibitions featuring touchable animal sculptures in collaboration
with her sculptor friend, Emiko Honda. Mio lives in Japan, where she continues to create sculptures with her black Shiba
Inu dog, Tsuki-kun, by her side.
The Needlecraft Shelf
Kawaii Crocheted Animals
Marie-Noelle Bayard
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9780804858021, $16.99, PB, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Kawaii-Crocheted-Animals-Adorable-Amigurumi/dp/0804858020
Synopsis: "Kawaii Crocheted Animals: 35 Adorable Amigurumi Critters" by Marie-Noelle Bayard is comprised of basic
patterns, easy-to-follow instructions, detailed diagrams and simple supplies -- making it an essential guide with everything
you need to create 35 different crocheted creatures.
Along with directions for creating these 35 adorable animals, "Kawaii Crocheted Animals" includes:
Essential Crochet Techniques: A step-by-step rundown of basic crocheting techniques with 65 detailed illustrations
Supplies & Materials: All you need to get started are a standard crochet hook and worsted weight yarn!
Basic Building Blocks: Many of the amigurumi animals featured in the book share the same head and body pattern, so the
techniques you learn are carried over from one project to the next!
Critique: With inspiring full color photos of each project, "Kawaii Crocheted Animals: 35 Adorable Amigurumi Critters" is
the ideal DIY instructional guide for making Kawaii style kitties, cute canines, plush penguins, darling dragons, unicorns,
and more -- each of which would be uniquely your own. Whether a novice or an experienced needlecrafter, "Kawaii
Crocheted Animals" will be a highly prized and valued addition to personal, professional, and community library
Needlecraft Instructional Guide/Manual collections.
Editorial Note: Marie-Noelle Bayard is the author of numerous fiber-based craft guides in her native France, including A
Macrame Manual, The Sashiko Guide, The Embroidery Guide and My Course in Sergers.
(https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/715770.Marie_Noelle_Bayard)
The Art Shelf
This Is Doug Hall: A Memoir
Doug Hall
ORO Editions
www.oroeditions.com
9781961856110, $55.00, PB, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/This-Doug-Hall-Memoir/dp/1961856115
Synopsis: Although lavishly and beautifully illustrated, "This Is Doug Hall: A Memoir" is not a book only to be looked at
but one to be thoroughly read and enjoyed. It is a personal and professional account that is at once both intimate and
historical,
Doug Hall writes eloquently about his development as a person and an artist. He situates his story within the broader
conflicts of the latter part of the twentieth century and shows how these often absurd forces influenced a generation of artists
to adopt radical art practices (video, performance, and installation) as a counter to the modernist aesthetics that preceded
them.
From his hilarious and troubling descriptions of the Altamont Free Concert (1969) and his disorienting confrontation in
Berkeley with an LSD-tripping Indian Saddhu to his thoughts about teaching, making art, and the thinking behind some of
his most important projects, Hall's writing is generous and instructive for all those interested in our humanity and how it is
nurtured through the arts.
Critique: This large format (7.3 x 0.8 x 10.5 inches, 2.25 pounds) paperback edition of "This Is Doug Hall: A Memoir" is
the life story of a multi-media artist, deftly blended with an inherently fascinating treatise on conceptual mid to late 20th
Century American art. Profusely illustrated throughout and with an informative text that is thoroughly 'reader friendly' in
organization and presentation, "This Is Doug Hall: A Memoir" is a unique and especially recommended addition to
personal, professional, community, art school, and college/university library American Art History/Biography collections
and supplemental Mixed-Media/Conceptual Art curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Doug Hall (https://doughallgallery.com) became known in the mid-1970s for his innovative works in
performance, video, and media installation, both as an individual artist and as a founding member of the T. R. Uthco
Collective. In 1979 Hall expanded his studio practice to explore radical aesthetic practices with students at the San
Francisco Art Institute where he taught from 1979 to 2008. He lives and works in San Francisco.
How to Draw Squishy Cats and Kittens
Vera Kay
Walter Foster Publishing
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartoknows.com
9780760393468, $19.99, PB, 112pp
https://www.amazon.com/Draw-Squishy-Kittens-Step-Step/dp/076039346X
Synopsis: Vera Kay is a rising young artist/illustrator who goes by @veekachoo online. Her new combination instructional
guide, "How to Draw Squishy Cats and Kittens: A Step-by-Step Guide to Drawing Totally Floofy Felines and Their
Worlds" teaches the aspiring artist/illustrator in expertly drawing cats in all kinds of cute positions and situations, including
sitting, snuggling, sleeping, swatting, and more.
A fun book from start to finish, "How to Draw Squishy Cats and Kittens: A Step-by-Step Guide to Drawing Totally Floofy
Felines and Their Worlds" is divided into chapters focusing on:
Degrees of cat fur floofiness and how to add it
Adding color to line art
Common cat poses
Cats and their kingdoms
A squishy kitty birthday party!
Each chapter comes with a coloring page and is filled with helpful instruction and tips for drawing cats, both digitally and
with traditional drawing tools. Veekachoo's hundreds of thousands of online followers give her lots of positive feedback and
often credit her art with inspiring them to start drawing.
"How to Draw Squishy Cats and Kittens: A Step-by-Step Guide to Drawing Totally Floofy Felines and Their Worlds" is the
first book from this trending artist whose career continues to grow through her social media channels and online
classes.
Critique: Unique, unusual, and thoroughly 'art student friendly' in organization and presentation, "How to Draw Squishy
Cats and Kittens: A Step-by-Step Guide to Drawing Totally Floofy Felines and Their Worlds" will prove an exceptional and
appreciated pick for personal, school, and community library Animal Art Instruction collections.
Editorial Note: Vera Kay has built a large online following that loves her cute, quirky drawings of cats. A young digital
creator, she's originally from Australia and has an undergraduate degree in law but worked as a professional equestrian
before moving to a small village in northern France to pursue art full-time. Cats are her creative inspiration, and her
drawings spark joy in viewers.
Sketchbook Joy
Katie Moody
Leaping Hare Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartoknows.com
9781836000679, $19.99, PB, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Sketchbook-Joy-creativity-sketchbooks-Painting/dp/1836000677
Synopsis: Creativity exists in everyone! And with the publication of "Sketchbook Joy: How to embrace your creativity and
fill your sketchbooks with colour" by sketchbook lover, tutor, artist and illustrator Katie Moody.
Art can be accessible, so much fun and positive for your mental health, mindfulness, and memory. Now you can quickstart
your creative and artistic journey with this exciting combination of instructional guide and 'how to' manual in developing
your art skills every day through your own personal sketchbook.
Even if you are a novice and brand new to making art, "Sketchbook Joy the aspirational prompts featured will encourage
you to unlock your creativity and fill your very own gorgeous sketchbook to cherish.
You will learn how to paint through the accessible medium of fun gouache and explore the expressive joy of mixed media
by drawing in pastels & pencils.
"Sketchbook Joy" covers:
Essential sketchbook supplies and how to use them
Basic painting and drawing techniques
Colour theory
Sketching things around you
Projects that include botanicals, birds, rural landscapes, urban scenes, and painting from your window (or phone)
Ideas and way of filling your sketchbook
Tips for building a creative practice and making time for it - and you
Critique: Inspiring, elegant, motivating, and exceptionally 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Sketchbook Joy:
How to embrace your creativity and fill your sketchbooks with colour" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended pick for
personal, professional, community, art school, and college/university library DIY Art Instruction collections. It should be
noted for art class students, aspiring artists/illustrators, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that
this paperback edition of "Sketchbook Joy" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).
Editorial Note: Katie Moody (https://www.katiemoody.co.uk) is a mixed media artist living on the south coast of England
and is hugely inspired by nature! She teaches and shares her art on YouTube, Patreon and Instagram, encouraging more
people to pick up their sketchbooks, find their creative joy and get painting. She has worked with Derwent, Windsor &
Newton, and the Tate, and has a successful Etsy shop. Katie is an advocate that creativity is for everyone!
The Gardening Shelf
The Essential Book of Succulents
Kentaro Kuroda
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9780804856003, $18.99, HC, 112pp
https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Book-Succulents-Varieties-Beginners/dp/0804856001
Synopsis: "The Essential Book of Succulents: A Guide to the 250 Best Varieties for Beginners" by Japanese horticulturalist
Kentaro Kuroda is the beginning gardener's best friend with the publication of this instructional guide covering the 250
succulent and cacti varieties most commonly found at your local nursery or home improvement center -- and the ones that
are easiest to grow and to keep healthy.
For each variety their detailed care and illustrated instructions, a cultivation calendar, and daily maintenance tips. Also
featured are:
A simple but comprehensive care guide explaining placement and repotting so you can keep your succulents thriving
year-round
Step-by-step instructions providing easy, detailed lessons on pruning, plant division and propagation through stem and leaf
cutting
A guide to container arrangements showcasing beautiful succulent combinations and the creative use of containers, so even
your first effort will look fabulous
An extensive illustrated field guide to help you identify over 250 succulents and cacti, with info on each plant's unique
characteristics and needs
The profusely gorgeous full color photos will inspire you to learn more about these enchanting plants. "The Essential Book
of Succulents" is more than just another how-to guide -- it is the start of a beautiful gardening relationship.
Critique: This large format (7.64 x 0.63 x 10.08 inches, 1.58 pounds) hardcover edition of Kentaro Kuroda's "The Essential
Book of Succulents: A Guide to the 250 Best Varieties for Beginners" from Tuttle Publishing is impressively 'user friendly'
in organization and presentation. Comprehensive and an inspiring/motivating browse from start to finish, "The Essential
Book of Succulents" is an essential and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, and community library
Gardening/Horticultural collections.
Editorial Note: Kentaro Kuroda is a horticulturist and founder of Flora Kuroda Gardening in Saitama Prefecture. He
specializes in imaginative group plantings and nostalgic combinations. His blog has a huge following in his native Japan,
and he is the author of The Succulents Design Book and co-author of Container Succulents (both Tuttle Publishing
titles).
The Music Shelf
Music Business: The Key Concepts, second edition
Richard Strasser
Routledge
https://www.routledge.com
9781032584461, $180.00, HC, 214pp
https://www.amazon.com/Music-Business-Routledge-Key-Guides/dp/1032584467
Synopsis: This newly updated and expanded second edition of "Music Business: The Key Concepts" by Professor Richard
Strasser is a comprehensive guide to the terminology commonly used in the music business today.
This second edition responds to the music industry's increasingly digital and ever-evolving environment, with definitions
from a number of relevant fields, including:
General business
Marketing
E-commerce
Intellectual property law
Economics
Entrepreneurship
In an accessible A-Z format and fully cross-referenced throughout, "Music Business: The Key Concepts" is essential reading
for music business students as well as those interested in the music industry.
Critique: Exceptionally 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, the second edition of "Music Business: The Key
Concepts" by Professor Richard Strasser is a key and foundational recommendation to personal, professional, community,
and college/university library collections. It should be noted for students, academia, entrepreneurs, and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the music business that this hardcover edition of "Music Business: The Key Concepts" is
also readily available in paperback (Kindle, $52.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $50.34).
Editorial Note: Richard Strasser is Associate Professor in the Department of Music and Entertainment Studies at the
University of Colorado Denver. He is the author of numerous books and articles on and about the music industry and is
author of the on-line blog The Analytical Musician (www.theanalyticalmusician.com)
The Christian Studies Shelf
12 Habits for a Sound Mind and Joyful Life
Diane E. Arnold
Chozen Books
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
9780800772840, $39.99, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Habits-Sound-Mind-Joyful-Life/dp/0800772849
Synopsis: More than 70 percent of adults feel they have a mental health problem. Without a clear path to healing, they've
followed the devastating lies and whims of our ever-shifting secular culture -- causing them even more pain.
Offering real hope and a new road map for inner peace, with the publication of "12 Habits for a Sound Mind and Joyful
Life: Your Road Map to Overcome Daily Stresses and Messes", licensed counselor and author Diane Arnold leads you on a
redemptive journey of twelve life-changing truths that help you live an emotionally, mentally, and spiritually healthy life.
Through uplifting teaching and practical exercises, she provides real-world solutions and a spiritual compass to help
you.
By giving "12 Habits for a Sound Mind and Joyful Life" a careful and prayerful reading you will:
discover--and accept--the REAL you
pursue your purpose
silence shame
experience unconditional love and acceptance
find joy, think soundly, and live with courage
The road to wholeness and lasting healing isn't found in culture's constantly changing map. It IS found in the quiet, narrow
path of true peace and transformation.
Critique: Written from a Christian perspective throughout, "12 Habits for a Sound Mind and Joyful Life: Your Road Map to
Overcome Daily Stresses and Messes" offers information, insight, and inspiration -- thoroughly 'reader friendly' in style,
substance, organization, and presentation, "12 Habits for a Sound Mind and Joyful Life: Your Road Map to Overcome Daily
Stresses and Messes" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, seminary, and
college/university library Christian personal growth, spiritual growth, and Mental Health collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of Diane E. Arnold's "12 Habits for a Sound Mind and Joyful Life: Your
Road Map to Overcome Daily Stresses and Messes" from Chozen Books is also readily available in paperback
(9780800772819, $18.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.87).
Editorial Note: Diane Arnold is a licensed family and marriage counselor, as well as a certified EFT and EMDR therapist.
Through her study of relationship attachment, she has spoken and written extensively on overcoming trauma and betrayal
with remarkable results. She serves on the boards of WOFL, Shiloh Company, and National Children's Day Foundation
Diane is also one of the founders of The Grace Center, an international emotional healing center located in South Carolina.
Their materials are an excellent blend of the Word of God and psychotherapy models that she uses in counseling. She brings
her testimony of restoring and standing for their marriage along with the grace and love of the Lord and Word of God to
their TFC marriage weekends. (https://www.charlestonchristiancounseling.com/counselors/diane)
Paul the Storyteller: A Narratological Approach
Christoph Heilig
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
www.eerdmans.com
9780802878953, $49.99, HC, 448pp
https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Storyteller-Narratological-Christoph-Heilig/dp/0802878954
Synopsis: The apostle Paul is often thought of as a crafter of numerous and complex arguments, but some scholars, such as
N. T. Wright and Richard Hays, have shown that narratives are vitally important in his letters. Through careful examination
of the texts, New Testament scholar Christoph Heilig demonstrates that Paul is indeed a talented teller of stories -- not only
explicit narratives but also implicit stories.
After a decade of research and writing, and with the publication of "Paul the Storyteller: A Narratological Approach", Heilig
presents his definitive report on narrative in Paul. While Richard Hays and N. T. Wright have argued that Paul's letters
contain implicit narratives, Heilig stresses that a sound methodology requires beginning with text-linguistic investigation of
explicit narratives.
As Heilig argues, focusing on explicit narratives repeatedly redirects our attention to implicit ("almost") stories. On this
basis, he shows that Hays's "narrative substructures" and Wright's "worldview" narratives can also be fruitfully integrated
into a narratological approach.
Paul is a different kind of storyteller than the gospel writers, for example, but at countless points miniature narratives play a
crucial role for Paul's communicative goals.
Students and scholars of the New Testament will welcome Heilig's expert guidance through a hotly debated area of Pauline
studies.
Critique: An original, seminal, and groundbreaking study, "Paul the Storyteller: A Narratological Approach" is
informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a twelve page Bibliography, a three page listing of
Authors, a six page Index of Subjects, and a five page Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Sources. Informative, insightful,
thoughtful and thought-provoking, Christoph Heilig's "Paul the Storyteller: A Narratological Approach" is an especially and
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, seminary, church, and college/university library
New Testament Criticism/Hermeneutics and Paulinian Studies collections. It should be noted for seminary students, clergy,
and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "Paul the Storyteller: A
Narratological Approach" from the Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company is also readily available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $31.56).
Editorial Note: Christoph Heilig leads a research group at the University of Munich that focuses on the intersection between
literary studies and biblical exegesis. His books include The Apostle and the Empire (2022), Paul's Triumph (2017), and
Hidden Criticism (2015). His previous book on narratives in Paul (Paulus als Erzahler, 2020) received a Manfred
Lautenschlaeger Award for Theological Promise. (https://www.eerdmans.com/author/christoph-heilig)
Wilderness Within
Sr. Josephine Garrett, CSFN
Ave Maria Press
www.avemariapress.com
9781646802975, $13.95, PB, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Wilderness-Within-Guided-Journal-Meditation/dp/1646802977
Synopsis: Have you ever wondered why Jesus went into the wilderness? Some believe it was to reveal his divinity or to
restore humanity's relationship with God.
With the publication of "Wilderness Within: A Guided Lent Journal for Prayer and Meditation", Sr. Josephine Garrett (a
mental health counselor and popular speaker) reflects on the belief that Jesus went into the wilderness to rescue us! That the
Lord does not want us to view the wilderness as something that causes worry, anxiety, or fear.
"What if, instead," Sr. Josephine writes, "we looked at how God has been a faithful provider in the wilderness and trusted
that He will do the same for us in the wilderness journey ahead? What if we joyfully take His hand and journey into the
wilderness, because when Christ enters there, 'this opposite place of the garden becomes the place of reconciliation and
healing'" (Pope Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth)?
In "Wilderness Within", Sr. Josephine will guide you through the forty days of Lent to attend to the wilderness of your heart
as a place to be explored, restored, and sent on mission by Jesus's tender love.
Week of Ash Wednesday: Enter Lent by recognizing your ability to always begin anew in Christ.
Week One: Open your heart to God's love, allowing yourself to reverence your heart as a gift from your Creator.
Week Two: Reflect on the truth that we are created for relationships, and examine the relationships in your life.
Week Three: Take an honest look at your limitations, wounds, and sin guided by a spirit of humility and repentance.
Week Four: Begin to see how God designed your heart to be rescued by him and grow in your capacity to be healed by
him.
Week Five: Leave the wilderness of your heart so that you can go on mission (with a heart restored by Christ's love) to love
your neighbor and be a good steward of the gifts and charisms given to you.
Holy Week: Follow in Jesus's footsteps to the Cross and discover how you can love him well through each stage of the
Passion and Resurrection.
Each day's content includes brief meditations, specially crafted illustrations, thought-provoking reflection questions,
heartfelt prayers curated to uplift your spirit, and ample journaling space for personal revelations and insights. Whether
you're journeying alone or with a group, Wilderness Within is your guide to a beautiful and renewing Lent.
Of special note is the free companion videos featuring Sr. Josephine and a free downloadable leader's guide are available at
www.avemariapress.com.
Critique: Essential reading for all Roman Catholics on the subject of Lent, "Wilderness Within: A Guided Lent Journal for
Prayer and Meditation" is especially and unreservedly recommended reading. It should be noted that this paperback edition
of "Wilderness Within" from Ave Maria Press is also readily available to clergy, seminary students, and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject that "Wilderness Within" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$13.25).
Editorial Note: Sr. Josephine Garrett, CSFN, is a sister of the Holy Family of Nazareth, a licensed counselor, host of the
Hope Stories podcast, and a Catholic speaker and author. Garrett earned a bachelor's degree in political philosophy from the
University of Dallas. Prior to entering religious life, she worked as vice president in the home loans division of Bank of
America. In 2019, she earned a master's degree in clinical mental health counseling from the Chicago School of Professional
Psychology and became a nationally certified counselor licensed in Texas. She also worked as a school counselor in Tyler,
Texas, and is presently serving as a counselor in private practice. Garret is a voice for mental health on various platforms
such as Formed and Hallow. (https://giveninstitute.com/sr-josephine-garrett)
The Buddhist Studies Shelf
Diligence: The Joyful Endeavor of the Buddhist Path
Dzigar Kongtrul, author
Jennifer Shippee, editor
Shambhala Publications, Inc.
www.shambhala.com
9781645472360, $18.95, PB, 216pp
https://www.amazon.com/Diligence-Joyful-Endeavor-Buddhist-Path/dp/1645472361
Synopsis: "Diligence: The Joyful Endeavor of the Buddhist Path" contributes the first commentary on the diligence chapter
from Shantideva's 8th-century classic The Way of the Bodhisattva. While many books have explored his celebrated chapter
on wisdom, diligence has been overlooked. As one of the six paramitas or perfections that are fundamental for following the
bodhisattva path and helping others, diligence can profoundly impact our lives.
Within the pages of "Diligence", Buddhist teacher Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche guides us through the depth and complexity of
Shantideva's teachings with his characteristic buoyant energy and clear, accessible writing. With over three decades of
teaching on the subject, Dzigar Kongtrul illuminates how diligence is the inner quality that inspires us to engage with the
world and, most importantly, with our own mind. It's the inner vigor that sparks enthusiasm despite difficulty, the dynamic
armor that protects against laziness, and the inner strength that aims to meet the world with joy and openheartedness.
Shantideva explains that diligence is the energy that flows through all the paramitas -- it's the wind that keeps us moving
toward the goal of liberation and benefiting others. Within the heart of every bodhisattva is a bursting sense of tenderness,
peace, intelligence, and joy -- which is inherent in the quality of diligence.
In "Diligence", Dzigar Kongtrul explores traditional teachings on diligence, such as the three kinds of laziness, the Four
Immeasurables, the two strengths, rebirth, the nature of emptiness, and dependent origination. Joy is the continuous thread
woven through this time-honored wisdom that will aid us throughout our lives whether in formal practice or our day-to-day
interactions with an ever-changing world. With diligence, we will overcome laziness and succeed in all our meaningful
endeavors.
Critique: As informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Diligence: The Joyful Endeavor of the
Buddhist Path" is a seminal study that is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community,
temple, and college/university library Buddhism Studies collections and supplemental curriculum reading lists.
Exceptionally well written, organized and presented for both experienced Buddhist and non-specialist general readers with
an interest in the subject, it should be noted that this paperback edition of Dzigar Kongtrul's "Diligence: The Joyful
Endeavor of the Buddhist Path" from Shambhala Publications is also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$14.99).
Editorial Note: Dzigar Kongrulk Rinpoche grew up in a monastic environment and received extensive training in all aspects
of Buddhist doctrine. In 1989, he moved to the United States with his family, and in 1990, he began a five-year tenure as a
professor of Buddhist philosophy at Naropa University. He also founded Mangala Shri Bhuti, his own teaching
organization, during this period. He has established a mountain retreat center, Longchen Jigme Samten Ling, in southern
Colorado. When not guiding students in long-term retreats and not in retreat himself, Rinpoche travels widely throughout
the world teaching and furthering his own education. (https://mangalashribhuti.org/dzigar-kongtrul-rinpoche)
Composting Our Karma
Barbara Rhodes, author
Elizabeth S. R. Goldstein, editor
Shambhala Publications, Inc.
www.shambhala.com
9781645472940, $19.95, PB, 184pp
https://www.amazon.com/Composting-Our-Karma-Confusion-Awakening/dp/1645472949
Synopsis: With the publication of "Composting Our Karma: Turning Confusion into Lessons for Awakening Our Innate
Wisdom", Barbara Rhodes (Zen Master Soeng Hyang) offers the core Korean Zen teaching of don't-know mind as an
antidote to the over-thinking, overly stimulating modern world that is the cause of so much suffering. In this collection of
essays, Rhodes shows us that there are ways we can work with, or "compost," whatever we've got in front of us, digest it
into energy that can get us through the rough times, and cultivate a satisfying life.
"Don't-know mind," Korean Zen's foremost teaching, points to our clear enlightened mind before suffering arises based on
concepts and judgments of like and dislike. While simple, it is a lifelong exercise, with immediate benefits that get deeper
with practice. By applying don't-know mind to meditation, everyday existence, and life's challenges, readers will learn to
work with their own mind's reactions to things; trust their intuition; perceive situations clearly; and act with natural courage,
compassion, and enthusiasm.
Rhodes offers fascinating insights from her professional life as a nurse; her commitment to engaged Buddhism; her life
experience as a member of the LGBTQ community; her use of psychedelics on her spiritual path; and more. Readers will
appreciate her down-to-earth wisdom, compassion, enthusiasm, and faith in the power of this practice.
"Composting Our Karma" includes an afterword by Dae Bong Sunim, a guiding teacher at Musangsa Monastery in
Korea.
Critique: Eloquent, informatively insightful, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in style, organization and presentation,
"Composting Our Karma: Turning Confusion into Lessons for Awakening Our Innate Wisdom" is a very special an
unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Zen Buddhism
philosophy collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of Zen
Philosophy and Karmic Buddhism students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in Buddhism, that this
paperback edition of "Composting Our Karma" from "Shambhala Publications is also available in a digital book format
(Kindle, $15.99).
Editorial Note: Zen Mater Soeng Hyang (Barbara Rhodes) is the School Zen Master of the Kwan Um School of Zen and a
retired hospice nurse. One of Zen Master Seung Sahn's first American students, she received dharma transmission from him
in 1992. Rhodes helped found Providence Zen Center and lived there for seventeen years, serving in a number of
administrative capacities. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soenghyang)
The Religion/Spirituality Shelf
From Religion to Reason: My Journey
Carolyn C. Shadle
Independently Published
www.religiontoreason.com
9798304055789, $15.99, HC, 249pp
https://www.amazon.com/Religion-Reason-My-Journey/dp/B0DQV4PHQN
Synopsis: With the publication of "From Religion to Reason: My Journey", Carolyn C. Shadle presents her
thought-provoking memoir which will takes her readers on a journey of self-discovery, belief, and identity. In this narrative,
Carolyn reflects on her personal path from a deeply rooted Fundamentalist Protestant upbringing to her eventual transition
to non-theism.
Following her degree from a major theological seminary and working in her dream job in a large urban church, Carolyn
explores the pivotal moments that led her to question and ultimately reshape her worldview. From the intense theological
schooling that shaped her early career to the challenges of maintaining her Christian values in secular work environments,
"From Religion to Reason: My Journey" provides an honest and unflinching look at the complexities of faith, career, and
personal growth.
Through societal changes, her divorce, and the evolution of her beliefs, Carolyn shares the conscious and unconscious
choices she made in her quest to understand who she truly was. The ending of her career in the church marked a new
beginning. She found embracing the importance of interpersonal communication, work in higher education, and civic
engagement allowed her to discover a more authentic sense of self.
"From Religion to Reason: My Journey" will resonate with anyone navigating their own journey of belief, personal
transformation, or identify. It is a testament to the value of confronting difficult truths, embracing change, and ultimately
finding peace with one's own path.
Critique: Informative, insightful, candid, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "From Religion to Reason: My Journey" is an
extraordinary and emotionally engaging read from start to finish. A deftly crafted and intensely personal life story with
universal resonance and relevance for readers with an interest in Religious Fundamentalism and the role of Critical
Thinking, Rationalism, and Faith, "From Religion to Reason: My Journey" is especially and unreservedly recommended for
personal, professional, community, and college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections. It
should be noted for the personal reading lists of seminary and philosophy students, clergy, academia, and non-specialist
general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "From Religion to Reason: My Journey" is also
available in paperback (9798304026550, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $0.99, Amazon).
Editorial Note: Dr. Carolyn C. Shadle (http://carolynshadle.com) is a retired educator. She was raised as a fundamental
Presbyterian, received her BA from the College of Wooster, studied at the University of Geneva in Switzerland, and
received a Masters in Religious Education from Union Theological Seminary in NYC. After working in the church, she
earned a PhD in Interpersonal Communication from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Her career life involved
university administration and communication training. In retirement, she devoted her time to social action issues and
examined her faith journey.
She's been writing and training in the field of interpersonal communication for more than 30 years, along side her career
higher education. She founded a non-profit corporation known as Interpersonal Communication Services, Inc. through
which she has offered training, coaching, blogging and freelance writing to enable organizations and individuals to enhance
their interpersonal interaction.
The Business Shelf
Responsible Marketing
Lola Bakare
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398611641, $113.00, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Responsible-Marketing-Authentic-Inclusive-Strategy/dp/1398611646
Synopsis: With the publication of "Responsible Marketing: How to Create an Authentic and Inclusive Marketing Strategy",
marketing strategist Lola Bakare takes the reader through a forward-looking approach to inclusive marketing, offering a
compelling blend of case studies, in-depth interviews, social impact marketing principles and inclusive leadership
frameworks.
Bakare demystifies the relationship between today's marketing imperatives and the dynamic global cultural shifts that
current and aspiring marketing leaders need to address. "Responsible Marketing" expands on the power of inclusivity,
corporate responsibility and cultural awareness, helping marketing leaders determine how to make social impact outcomes
an imperative across the entire marketing mix.
"Responsible Marketing" also walks the reader through building a responsible, inclusive marketing strategy that captivates
consumers and delivers long-term growth for a company.
Critique: Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, style, organization and presentation, "Responsible Marketing: How to Create
an Authentic and Inclusive Marketing Strategy" offers a complete and comprehensive course of instruction that will prove
invaluable, 'real world' practical, and particularly applicable to entrepreneurs, business managers, and corporate executives
with an interest and responsibility for e-commerce, web marketing, business diversity and inclusion in an increasingly
volatile economics and corporate competition. Especially important and highly recommended pick for community,
corporate, and college/university library Business Marketing/Management collections and MBA curriculum studies lists, it
should be noted for MBA students, individual entrepreneurs, and company executives in charge of marketing and market
development that "Responsible Marketing: How to Create an Authentic and Inclusive Marketing Strategy" is also available
in a paperback edition (9781398611627, $32.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $31.34).
Editorial Note: based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Lola Bakare is an Anthem award-winning inclusive marketing
strategist, creator of Maximize The Movement , and founder of be/co, a boutique marketing consultancy. She is a 2022
LinkedIn Top Voice in Marketing & Advertising and a regular at industry events including Cannes Lions International
Festival of Creativity. A Techstars Marketing Mentor and "Voices" columnist for Adweek, Bakare is regularly featured in
LinkedIn News, Campaign, Marketing Brew, Digiday, Harvard Business Review and Business Insider.
(https://consciousnessleaders.com/expert/lola-bakare)
Growth Marketing Strategy
Rose Jia
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398618367, $131.00, HC, 280pp
https://www.amazon.com/Growth-Marketing-Strategy-Sustained-Business/dp/1398618365
Synopsis: Growth marketing is no longer just a short-term tactical approach suitable only for start-ups and SMEs looking
for easy wins. Instead, it has become a real source of long-term sustainable growth for any business, and a strategic approach
that can deliver results regardless of economic environment.
With marketers under pressure to consistently deliver growth in rapidly changing landscapes, "Growth Marketing Strategy:
Drive Profits and Sustained Business Growth" by Rose Jia is an invaluable guide that will provide a clear roadmap so that
any marketer can develop a growth marketing strategy that delivers.
Packed from cover to cover with cutting-edge insights drawn from companies like Fujifilm, GoPro, Twitch, Disney,
Amazon Grocery, Tesla and American Express, "Growth Marketing Strategy" gives marketers practical ways to drive their
business forward, moving beyond initial organic growth to a strategy that is both sustainable and resilient to changing
market conditions.
From exploring how to shift the mindset of the team to long-term investment and adaptability, to how your marketing team
should be best structured and resourced within your organization to allow your growth marketing team to thrive, "Growth
Marketing Strategy" takes you from the fundamentals of growth marketing to how to apply it and adapt it to any challenge
your business faces.
Critique: A complete and comprehensive course on the subject of growth marketing strategies for entrepreneurs, business
managers, and corporate executives, "Growth Marketing Strategy: Drive Profits and Sustained Business Growth" is
impressively 'user friendly' in style, organization and presentation. While invaluable as a DIY instructional guide and 'how
to' manual, it should be noted for personal, professional, community, corporate, and college/university library
Industrial/Business Management and Search Engine Optimization collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies
lists that this hardcover edition of Rose Jia's "Growth Marketing Strategy: Drive Profits and Sustained Business Growth"
from Kogan Page is also readily available in paperback (9781398618343, $39.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle,
$37.99).
Editorial Note: Rose Jia (https://www.rosejia.com) is an award-winning marketing and product leader based in New York
City, New York. She leads growth marketing at Amazon after previously working in marketing and product development at
Twitch and American Express, as well as working as an investment banker and in corporate finance at Citi. She has founded
community-based platforms like The Techseries Company and Whiskey Me Up, been a guest speaker at major conferences
such as AdWeek and Marketing Offensive and appeared on podcasts including The CPG Guys and Looking Outside.
The Complete Copywriter
Alan Barker
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398613553, $92.00, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Copywriter-Create-Marketing-Works/dp/139861355X
Synopsis: Writing good copy is no longer just about advertising or selling or direct mail. You need to develop a deep
understanding of your customer base and use your imagination to create and curate content that resonates with them.
As marketing becomes more multi-platformed, more measurable and enabled by digital tools and regenerative-AI,
marketing communications must be increasingly nuanced, responsive and with a distinct human touch.
From paid social to press releases, from landing pages to white papers and from internal communications to engaging with
customers, the sheer range of writing challenges can feel daunting. How can you keep it targeted? How can you keep it
personal? How can you keep it conversational?
With the publication of "The Complete Copywriter: The Definitive Guide to Marketing with Words", Alan Barker (who is
the Managing Director of Kairos Training Limited, a specialist consultancy dedicated to developing creativity and
communication skills) gives you all the tools you will need to create exceptional marketing copy.
This comprehensive DIY instructional guide covers every aspect of the copywriting craft, from creativity and planning, to
revision and execution. You will learn how to exercise your creativity, be refreshingly adaptable with your words, generate
ideas, maintain reader attention, hone your empathy and bring words to life, so that you deliver copy that works every
time.
Critique: Of special note are the chapters on Being a Writer; How Copy Works, Storytelling and the Use of Narrative;
Writing Website Copy, Email Marketing, Producing an Email Newsletter; Writing a Press Release; Writing Articles and
Blog Posts; Survival Skills for Copy Writers; and The Copywriter's Toolkit. A complete and thoroughly 'user friendly'
combination of instructional guide and 'how to' manual, "The Complete Copywriter: The Definitive Guide to Marketing
with Words" is essential reading for aspiring entrepreneurs, advertizing managers, online sellers, and novice copy writers.
While an exceptional pick for personal, professional, community, corporate, and college/university Direct Marketing and
Business Writing Skills collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that this hardcover
edition of "The Complete Copywriter: The Definitive Guide to Marketing with Words" from Kogan Page is also available
for students, copywriters, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject in paperback (9781398613539,
$28.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $28.99).
Editorial Note: Alan Barker is Managing Director of Kairos Training Limited, a specialist consultancy dedicated to
developing creativity and communication skills. A prolific writer, he is the author of Improve your Communication Skills,
How to be Better at Managing People, 30 Minutes to Brainstorm Great Ideas, 30 Minutes Before a Meeting and How to
Manage Meetings (all published by Kogan Page).
The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Ancient Rings: An Illustrated Collector's Guide
T. N. Pollio
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476673851, $49.95, PB, 180pp
https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/ancient-rings
Synopsis: Ancient finger rings made of base metals and low-grade silver alloys are increasingly being unearthed and sold
through a growing assortment of marketplaces worldwide. Reference material on ancient rings has focused mainly on
historic and "high-end" pieces (the precious metals and stones of royalty and the wealthy) while little has been written on the
evaluation of common rings.
With the publication of "Ancient Rings: An Illustrated Collector's Guide", researcher and historian T. N. Pollio has created a
guide describes the composition, structure and imagery of common rings from antiquity -- thus providing merchants,
collectors and researchers with a comprehensive reference on these ancient artifacts that, until now, have gone
unexamined.
Critique: Profusely illustrated throughout with informatively captioned B/W photos, "Ancient Rings: An Illustrated
Collector's Guide" is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a fourteen page Glossary, five
pages of Notes, a three page Bibliography, and a three page Index. A seminal and ground-breaking study that is unique,
fascinating, exceptionally well organized and presented, this large format ( x 0.36 x 10 inches, 11.5 ounces) paperback
edition of T. N. Pollio's "Ancient Rings: An Illustrated Collector's Guide" is unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, and college/university library Antique/Collectible Jewelry Reference collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: T. N. Pollio is a researcher and historian who lives in Connecticut.
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
One with the Force: 18 Universal Truths in Star Wars
Krista Noble
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
www.rowman.com
9781538198711, $36.00, HC, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/One-Force-Universal-Truths-Star/dp/1538198711
Synopsis: You have watched Luke Skywalker destroy the Death Star in A New Hope, seen Yoda merge with the Force in
Return of the Jedi, and heard Rey contact the Jedi of the past in The Rise of Skywalker. But did you know that the Star Wars
films contain a myriad of parallels to religions and philosophies from around the world -- from Christianity to Buddhism,
and from Native American teachings to the Vedic knowledge of ancient India?
With the publication of "One with the Force: 18 Universal Truths in Star Wars", author Krista Noble deftly explores these
many parallels. She discusses the Force, collective consciousness, enlightenment, and immortality, revealing that the Star
Wars films have a universal perspective on life. Readers will learn about the connections between these films and the Vedic
tradition, Buddhism, Taoism, Sikhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Native American/First Nations beliefs.
Readers will also understand that the philosophy of the Jedi doesn't only apply "in a galaxy far, far away"; it is also highly
relevant to everyday living. Like Luke Skywalker, we should all search our feelings to discover the deepest truths of life,
pursue our individual destinies, and strive to reach our full potential as human beings. In these ways, we can embody the
wisdom of the Jedi.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of two Appendices (Different Styles of
Meditation & Scientific Studies), twenty-four pages of Notes, a ten page Bibliography, and a four page Index. Fascinating,
thought-provoking, insightful, memorable, and a fun read from start to finish, "One with the Force: 18 Universal Truths in
Star Wars" by Krista Nobel is a unique and welcome pick for community and college/university library Philosophy,
Religion, and Cinematic History collections and supplemental Contemporary Popular Culture curriculums . A 'must' for the
legions of dedicated Star Wars fans, it should be noted for personal reading list that this hardcover edition of "One with the
Force: 18 Universal Truths in Star Wars" is also available from Rowman & Littlefield Publishers in a digital book format
(Kindle, $34.00).
Editorial Note: Krista Noble (www.kristanoble.com) is an expert on the Consciousness Based Vedic paradigm and received
Maharishi International University's Veda Vyasa Award. She is also a lifetime member of the World Association for Vedic
Studies. Dr. Noble is a professor of Vedic studies at Maharishi International University and at the Holmes Institute. In
addition, she has taught this subject at the University of Philosophical Research. Dr. Noble has published works in the
proceedings of the 2018 international World Association for Vedic Studies conference and the 2022 international Science of
Consciousness conference. Her writings have appeared in national magazines and literary journals, including New Age
Journal, Nature Friend, Grit, Farm & Ranch Living, Countryside, Home Educator's Family Times, The Penwood Review,
WestWard Quarterly, The Storyteller, Ceremony, The Acorn, and Advocate: P.K.A.'s Publication.
The Self-Help Shelf
Get Your Mind Right
Kenneth Wyche
Kenneth Wyche Publishing
https://lifewithken.com
9781737440864, $34.99, HC, 196pp
https://www.amazon.com/Your-Mind-Right-Kenneth-Wyche/dp/1737440865
Synopsis: Kenneth Wyche's message in "Get Your Mind Right" is that you have a distinctively personal lifestyle. That the
good things about you, earth, and your loved ones should not be mired in obscurity and ambiguity because of the ignorance
of yourself or someone else.
Kenneth knows what it's like to be led by nebulous people off a proverbial cliff, towards a bad habit, or worse. That you can
be the you, you actually want to be. You can live uninfluenced by people who could care less if whether or not you have a
roof over your head or a pillow to lay it on. That freedom is for you -- and every human has a need to become
self-actualized.
Self-actualization is the realization of your potential and abilities. You may not be where you want to be in life because
someone planted a bad seed in your mind and told you that you couldn't achieve your dreams or desires. Desires are eternal.
Eternity in this context refers to the divine or cosmic. Your wants don't die, you just may have given up on them. And you
giving up on your desires isn't necessarily all your fault. I want to help you break out of the shame of living in a way that is
inauthentic.
"Get Your Mind Right" advocates the you must live well but more than that, live period. When you are empowered to
generate health and purpose that is what will materialize in your life. Allow yourself to be empowered. Think better, do
better, believe better, be better.
Some of the nouns in your life are literally either demons or the devil himself. Nefarious forces don't want you to have a
revelation. They want you to be a loser like them. That's why certain nouns knock you down or undermine you whenever
you [try to] accomplish something great with yourself. They don't want to see you win. They don't want you to win because
they know you can win, and that type of winning will never happen for them in a validating way.
The good in you and in your life is more bountiful than the bad, but certain nouns may be amplifying the bad in your life and
making it worse. Get your mind right. You only receive what you believe you are worthy of receiving. Believe you are
worthy of receiving joy, happiness, promotions, support, love, care, meaning, and purpose. Get and stay around positivity
and affirm the good in your life. Go against the people, places, and things that don't want you to live. Learn how to have and
proliferate a meaningful life for yourself.
Critique: If you only have time for just one self-help/self-improvement book, make it "Get Your Mind Right" by Kenneth
Wyche. Exceptional, inspiring, insightful, motivating, deftly crafted, and life changing, life enhancing, "Get Your Mind
Right" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library collections. It should be
noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Get Your Mind Right" from Kenneth Wyche Publishing is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $26.99).
Editorial Note: Kenneth Wyche is a creator and entrepreneur. Among his exploits he runs the website www.lifewithken.com
where he inspires people every day to be the best version of themselves. He believes that if you can be true to yourself, then
you can live in a way that is reflective of who you really are. His inspiration comes from him wanting to support other
people. He believes we all have what we need to be something fantastic in us already, and that it just needs to be correctly
cultivated. What may have been or is currently holding you back isn't necessarily your fault from the perspective of who, or
what has been nurturing you and the results thereof. Kenneth utilizes his diverse background and experiences across various
disciplines to inform his worldview and provide as much value as possible to his work and to the people in his life.
The Fix
Ian Morgan Cron
Zondervan
https://www.zondervan.com
9780310368540, $29.99, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Fix-Transformation-Well-Adjusted-Down-Out/dp/0310368545
Synopsis: We all suffer from a sense of spiritual homelessness -- a feeling that we're not fully at home in the world. To cope
with our painful feelings and life traumas, we search for quick "fixes" that eventually become habitual, self-destructive
behaviors that ultimately create more problems than they solve.
As a person in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, Ian Morgan Cron is no stranger to these destructive habits. It
wasn't until he embraced the Twelve Steps that he found true freedom. He knows from personal experience that Twelve
Step recovery is more than just a life-saving strategy for guiding substance users into sobriety. Everybody is addicted to
something to numb the discomfort of living in a messed-up world, he says, but the good news is that if you committedly
"work the steps," you will eventually have a vital spiritual awakening that will give you an entirely new and radically
beautiful orientation toward the life God has for you.
If you long for sustainable healing and joy amid life's messiness, "The Fix: How the Twelve Steps Offer a Surprising Path of
Transformation for the Well-Adjusted, the Down-and-Out, and Everyone In Between" invites you to:
Journey step-by-step through a spiritual curriculum that has helped millions overcome trauma, pain, and brokenness for over
eight decades
Understand how the Twelve Steps can be a transformative tool not only for people with chemical or behavioral addictions
but for anyone who wants to move beyond self-help to a spiritual awakening
Catch yourself in the act of self-sabotaging behaviors and understand how each day is a new opportunity to trade in
self-willed reformation for grace-powered transformation
Critique: The underlying and foundational truth of "The Fix: How the Twelve Steps Offer a Surprising Path of
Transformation for the Well-Adjusted, the Down-and-Out, and Everyone In Between" by Ian Morgan Cron is that anyone,
addicts or non-addicts, can benefit from working the Twelve Steps and find the freedom, joy, and intimacy with God.
Written from a Christian perspective on dealing with addictions, detrimental compulsive behaviors, and personal tragedy
through the 12 Step approach, "The Fix" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional,
community, counseling center, and college/university library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections. It should be noted
that this hardcover edition of "The Fix" from Zondervan is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99). Of special note is the availability of "The Fix Workbook" (HarperChristian
Resources, 9780310173649, $19.99, PB, 160pp).
Editorial Note: Ian Morgan Cron (www.ianmorgancron.com) is an author, a nationally recognized speaker, an Enneagram
teacher, a trained psychotherapist, a songwriter, and an Episcopal priest. His books include the novel Chasing Francis and
the spiritual memoir Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me. Ian draws on an array of disciplines - from psychology to the arts,
Christian spirituality and theology -- to help people enter more deeply into conversation with God and the mystery of their
own lives.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
DEATH: Friend or Enemy?: Views from the Other Side
Ann Merivale
6th Books
c/o Collective Ink Books
https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
9781803416892, $22.95, PB, 424pp
https://www.amazon.com/DEATH-Friend-Enemy-Views-Other/dp/1803416890
Synopsis: Death, as the saying goes, is the great leveller, and though many fear it, others view it as a blessed release. Its
inescapability affects us all in some way.
With the publication of "DEATH: Friend or Enemy?: Views from the Other Side", author Ann Merivale makes use both of
her spiritual reading and of the knowledge she gained from 20-plus years' experience of taking her Deep Memory Process
clients back to deaths in their previous lives, thus giving a broad spectrum of possible post-death scenarios. These she
illustrates with a combination of famous and fictional characters, drawn both from accounts that came from the 'other side'
through her figurative pen and from factual research.
Part of the purpose of "DEATH: Friend or Enemy?: Views from the Other Side" is to dispel all fears of death itself and to
demonstrate that the notion of eternal damnation is mistaken. At the same time, this unique study shows the reader that
whether a lifetime lasts 10 years (as did Annie Darwin's) or 97 (like Bertrand Russell's), it has a clear purpose and value.
The stories' precise truth is, however, immaterial, as you will find them enjoyable, educational, and reassuring.
Critique: Of immense value to readers with an interest in parapsychology, reincarnation, and the inevitable phenomena of
death, "DEATH: Friend or Enemy?: Views from the Other Side" by Ann Merivale is a simply fascinating, thoughtful and
thought-provoking read from start to finish. Erudite, eloquent, well organized and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in
presentation, "DEATH: Friend or Enemy?: Views from the Other Side" is unreservedly recommended for personal,
professional, community, and college/university library Paranormal/Metaphysical collections. It should be noted that this
paperback edition of "DEATH: Friend or Enemy?: Views from the Other Side" from 6th Books is also readily available for
students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Ann Merivale is a Woolger-trained Deep Memory Process therapist. She lives in Worcestershire, UK and,
prior to Covid, was working at the Ripon Natural Health Centre in N. Yorks.
(https://regressionjournal.org/jrt_author/ann-merivale)
The Witch of the Forest's Guide to Folklore Magick
Lindsay Squire
Leaping Hare Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartoknows.com
9780711293878, $19.99, PB, 176pp
https://www.amazon.com/Witch-Forests-Guide-Folklore-Magick/dp/0711293872
Synopsis: The myths, legends, and superstitions of the past offer a window into how common people made sense of their
world. Because they were excluded from the halls of academia and the seats of power, they had no choice but to get on with
day-to-day life, healing, birthing, and persisting as best they could.
Often, it would be the village medicine women who held the handed-down knowledge of those who had gone before, and
generation by generation, they would build on this to develop a profound understanding of the healing and magickal
properties of nature.
It is from this deep well of folkloric knowledge that modern-day witch Lindsay Squire draws from in "The Witch of the
Forest's Guide to Folklore Magick", an inclusive and accessible beginner's guide.
"The Witch of the Forest's Guide to Folklore Magick" covers:
What folklore is, and how it connects to the practice of Witchcraft
The magickal legends and superstitions attached to plants and trees
The folk magick, charms, and spells associated with herbs, both beneficial and baneful
How to use plants in your own Witchcraft practice
The folklore of different historical Witches and natural healers from around the world
...and more!
With rituals, lore, and wisdom from The Witch of the Forest's personal grimoire, readers will find out how connecting with
folklore can empower every modern Witch.
Critique: Impressively well organized and presented, "The Witch of the Forest's Guide to Folklore Magick" is an ideal
introduction to Wiccan basics drawn from folklore traditions, practices, and natural knowledge. This paperback edition of
"The Witch of the Forest's Guide to Folklore Magick" includes a bibliographic listing of Cited Works and Further Readings,
along with a four page Index. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99), this paperback edition of "The
Witch of the Forest's Guide to Folklore Magick" from Leaping Hare Press is especially and unreservedly recommended for
personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library Wiccan & Metaphysical Studies collections.
Editorial Note: Lindsay Squire is a witchcraft practitioner who has been walking her own spiritual path for nearly two
decades. She is also a professional tarot reader and spiritual advisor. Lindsay is also an international bestselling author,
writing about witchcraft, earth spirituality, folk magick & folklore, tarot, astrology, Paganism, spells & rituals as well as
being a mentor to witches of all levels of experience grow in their craft. She lives in her county of Yorkshire, England with
her three mischievous black cats. There is an extensive listing of her books online at
https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/21120414.Lindsay_Squire
Compendium of the Occult
Liz Williams
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500028148, $29.95, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Compendium-Occult-Artifacts-Rituals-Symbolism/dp/0500028141
Synopsis: With the publication of "Compendium of the Occult: Arcane Artifacts, Magic Rituals, and Sacred Symbolism" by
Liz Williams, students and practitioners of the occult and paranormal will delve into the full history of this fascinating, often
secretive belief system from its ancient origins to contemporary practices, gaining insight into the beliefs that underlie the
occult throughout history. In its illustrated pages, readers will explore alchemy and hermeticism, demonology, and medieval
grimoires using symbols, maps, archive photography, and ancient texts.
In seven themed chapters, "Compendium of the Occult: Arcane Artifacts, Magic Rituals, and Sacred Symbolism" deftly
examines the use of talismans and charms, the practice of casting curses, secret societies and sacred sites, divination, rites,
and rituals across the world, starting with an introduction to occult practices.
Critique: Comprehensive and impressively organized, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in style and presentation, as well as
being enhanced for the reader's benefit with 437 illustrations, a two page Glossary, and a four page Index, "Compendium of
the Occult: Arcane Artifacts, Magic Rituals, and Sacred Symbolism" is as fascinating as it is informative and will prove to
be an immediate and enduringly appreciated addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library
Wiccan, Occult, Paranormal, and Metaphysical Studies collections and supplemental curriculum studies resource list.
Editorial Note: Liz Williams (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liz_Williams) is based in Glastonbury, England, where she is
codirector of a witchcraft supply business. She has a PhD from Cambridge in the history and philosophy of science. Her
books include Miracles of Our Own Making: A History of Paganism and Modern Handfasting: A Complete Guide to the
Magic of Pagan Weddings.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
www.midwestbookreview.com
Copyright ©2001
Site design by Williams Writing, Editing &
Design