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Wisconsin Bookwatch

Volume 20, Number 1 January 2025 Home | WBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice American History Shelf World History Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Parenting Shelf
Business Shelf Photography Shelf Art Shelf
Biography/Memoir Shelf General Fiction Shelf Historical Fiction Shelf
LGBTQ Fiction Shelf Romantic Fiction Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Audiobook Shelf Music CD Shelf
Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf Gardening Shelf
Wine Shelf Railroading Shelf Needlecraft Shelf
Crafts Shelf Music Shelf Travel Shelf
Self-Help Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

Walt's Utopia: Disneyland and American Mythmaking, second edition
Priscilla Hobbs
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476693354, $39.95, PB, 220pp

https://www.amazon.com/Walts-Utopia-Disneyland-American-Mythmaking/dp/1476693358

Synopsis: The "Happiest Place on Earth" opened in 1955 during a trying time in American life -- the Cold War. Disneyland was envisioned as a utopian resort where families could play together and escape the tension of the "real world".

Since its construction, the park has continually been updated to reflect changing American culture. The park's themed features are based on familiar Disney stories and American history and folklore. They also reflect the hopes of a society trying to understand itself in the wake of World War II.

This newly updated and revised second edition of "Walt's Utopia: Disneyland and American Mythmaking", Priscilla Hobbs expands its perspective in response to, among other things, the cultural shifts brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. New chapters endeavor to hold the Disney corporation accountable: not accountability for misdeeds, but its accountability to include everyone -- as American mythmakers and cultural titans.

Critique: Enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of an Appendix (Key Attractions by Land), fourteen pages of Chapter Notes, an eight page Bibliography, and a five page Index, this new second edition of "Walt's Utopia: Disneyland and American Mythmaking" is an impressively informative work of meticulous and detailed scholarship. While unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library American Popular Culture & Theme Park History collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated Walt Disney Theme Park fans that "Walt's Utopia" is also available from McFarland & Company in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.99).

Editorial Note: Priscilla Hobbs is a senior associate dean at Southern New Hampshire University. She actively researches Disney, American popular culture, and utopianism.


The American History Shelf

Hunting the President
Mel Ayton
Regnery History
www.regnery.com
c/o Skyhorse Publishing
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781621572077, $29.99, HC, 304pp

https://www.amazon.com/Hunting-President-Threats-Assassination-Attempts/dp/1621572072

Synopsis: In American history, four U.S. Presidents have been murdered at the hands of an assassin. In each case the assassinations changed the course of American history.

But most historians have overlooked or downplayed the many threats modern presidents have faced, and survived. Author Mel Ayton sets the record straight in his new book "Hunting the President: Threats, Plots and Assassination Attempts From FDR to Obama", telling the sensational story of largely forgotten or never-before revealed malicious attempts to slay America's leaders.

Supported by court records, newspaper archives, government reports, FBI files, and transcripts of interviews from presidential libraries, Hunting the President reveals:

How an armed, would-be assassin stalked President Roosevelt and spent ten days waiting across the street from the White House for his chance to shoot him

How the Secret Service foiled a plot by a Cuban immigrant who told coworkers he was going to shoot LBJ from a window overlooking the president's motorcade route

How a deranged man broke into Reagan's California home and attempted to strangle the former president before he was subdued by Secret Service agents.

In early 1992 a mentally deranged man stalking Bush turned up at the wrong presidential venue for his planned assassination attempt

The relationships presidents held with their protectors and the effect it had on the Secret Service's mission

"Hunting the President" opens the vault of stories about how many of our recent Presidents have come within a hair's breadth of assassination, leaving America's fate in the balance. Most of these stories have remained buried until now. Includes glossy photo signature of historic pictures and documents

Critique: Being president of the United States is a physically dangerous job. Even running for president can get you killed - - note the two attempted assassinations of Donald Trump, one of which came so close as to nick his ear while giving a campaign speech. "Hunting the President: Threats, Plots and Assassination Attempts--From FDR to Obama" by Mel Ayton is fascinating, informative, alarming, and highly recommended for both community and college/university library American History collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Hunting the President" from Regnery History is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781510783102, $17.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note: Mel Ayton (https://www.melayton.com) has a master's degree in history from Durham University and is a former Fulbright Teacher in the United States. He is a former deputy school principal and college lecturer in the UK. Ayton has worked as a historical consultant for the BBC, NBC News, National Geographic Channel and the Discovery Times Channel and appeared in the television documentaries, CIA - Mind Control (NBC, 2006), CIA Secret Experiments (National Geographic Channel, 2009) and Conspiracy Test: The Robert Kennedy Assassination (Discovery Channel, 2008) Ayton was interviewed for the PBS documentary 100 Days That Defined Modern History - The Assassinations of Martin Luther King & Robert F. Kennedy, broadcast in 2024.


The World History Shelf

After Eden: A Short History of the World
John Charles Chasteen
W. W. Norton & Company
www.wwnorton.com
9781324086475, $21.99, PB, 416pp

https://www.amazon.com/After-Eden-Short-History-World/dp/1324086475

Synopsis: With the publication of "After Eden: A Short History of the World", Latin American historian and professor emeritus John Chasteen presents a concise down-to-earth, fast-paced narrative of world history, from the Big Bang to the present, animated by stories of people from all walks of life and enriched by insightful analysis and the author's extensive world travel.

To tackle today's major problems of global inequality and environmental degradation, Professor Chasteen argues that we must first understand our shared past, both the violent and cruel dimensions ("humanity's inhumanity to itself") and the aspirational ones -- the creation of universal religions and ethical systems; the birth of the ideas of individual liberty and freedom; the resistance to the excesses of global capitalism; the civil rights and decolonization movements; and the environmental and social justice movements of today.

For Professor Chasteen, ultimate success hinges on our ability to recognize from our past experiences what is needed for us to live cooperatively and, most critically, the ways we educate our young people.

Critique: Featuring 17 B/W historical illustrations, a two page bibliography of Further Readings, and an eleven page Index, "After Eden: A Short History of the World" (which also available in a digital book format - Kindle, $13.19) is an exceptional and highly recommended pick for the personal reading lists of history students, history buffs, and anyone with an interest in how the past influences the present in ideals about national and international governance/relationships, from antiquity down to the present day. "After Eden: A Short History of the World" form W.W. Norton is an ideal addition to community and college/university library history collections.

Editorial Note: John Charles Chasteen is professor of history emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and author of Born in Blood and Fire, the best-selling history of Latin America. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Charles_Chasteen)


The Cookbook Shelf

Open Sesame
Rachel Belle
Sasquatch Books
www.sasquatchbooks.com
9781632175274, $22.95, PB, 176pp

https://www.amazon.com/Open-Sesame-Savory-Recipes-Tahini/dp/1632175274

Synopsis: Tahini is a Middle-Eastern condiment made from ground sesame seeds.

Like a little black dress, tahini can seamlessly transition from day to night, from savory to sweet.

With the publication of "Open Sesame: 45 Sweet & Savory Recipes for Tahini & All Things Sesame" Rachel Belle shows how tahini can fit into your everyday repertoire with a distinctive culinary style and whimsy

This creamy, nutty ingredient is more than just a cult condiment du jour:

It's an allergy-friendly nut substitute!
Replaces dairy in vegan dishes!
Full of heart-healthy fats, plant-based protein, and chock-full of essential vitamins!
Adds a roasty-toasty, elevated flavor to many desserts!

Sprinkle some sesame sparkle into your life with this compendium of 45 recipes that include;

Everything-Including-the-Bagel Salad
Falafel-Spiced Tahini Deviled Eggs with Crispy Chickpeas
Chocolate Miso Whoopie Pies with Tahini Cream
Ethereally Creamy Israeli-Style Hummus

These and the rest of the forty-five inventive recipes each have a global flair and a sesame twist - plus a robust (and surprising) dessert section to hit that sweet spot to please even the most jaded tahiniphile.

Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with full color, full page photos of finished dishes, "Open Sesame: 45 Sweet & Savory Recipes for Tahini & All Things Sesame" is an extraordinary and very special pick for personal, family, professional, and community library Middle East and Kosher cookbook collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Open Sesame" from Sasquatch Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.59).

Editorial Note: Rachel Belle (www.hellorachelbelle.com) is the creator and host of Your Last Meal podcast, a James Beard Award finalist, and host of The Nosh with Rachel Belle, a food-themed TV show on Seattle's Cascade PBS. She spent twenty years as a broadcast journalist, winning the national Edward R Murrow Award for news radio feature reporting; was named Seattle's Best FM Radio Personality by Seattle Weekly; and did a bunch of food writing for many publications that no longer exist (loved you, Lucky Peach!) Rachel is an enthusiastic home cook and cookbook recipe tester who especially loves cooking in campervans and over campfires.

Adriatico
Paola Bacchia
Smith Street Books
c/o Rizzoli
www.rizzoliusa.com
9781923049529, $35.00, HC, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/Adriatico-Puglia-Trieste-recipes-Adriatic/dp/1923049526

Synopsis: The Italian coast of the Adriatic Sea runs from the tip of the heel of the boot-shaped peninsula at the Ionian Sea to the northern waters of the Gulf of Trieste. Along its length are rugged rocky coastlines, sandy stretches of beach, lagoons and wetlands. Spindly wooden fishing piers, white-washed walls, colorful villages and sea-facing piazze dot the 750-mile coastline, with a history touched by Etruscan, Greek, Roman, Venetian and Austrian populations.

The food of the Adriatic mirrors the memories and traditions of peoples past and present who have lived on its shores, with ingredients reflecting the climate and terrain. With the publication of "Adriatico: Recipes and Stories from Italy's Adriatic Coast", readers and kitchen cooks alike will join Paola on a beautiful culinary themed journey with 80 authentic recipes from the region.

Critique: An inspiring joy to browse through and plan memorable menus with, "Adriatico: Recipes and stories from Italy's Adriatic Coast" showcases a wealth of authentic Italian coastal cuisines with thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes ranging from Whipped Salt Cod with Polenta Grostini, Fettuccine with Radicchio and Pork Sausage, Rissoto with Asparagus and Pancetta, and Shrimps in a Busara Sauce, to Sardine and Potato Bake, Custard Pie with Peaches, Venetian Apple Cake, Spiced Pears Poached in Red Wine, and Venetian S-Shaped Biscuits. This large format (8 x 1.09 x 9.96 inches, 1.25 pounds) hardcover edition of "Adriatico: Recipes and Stories from Italy's Adriatic Coast" is an ideal and recommended addition to personal, professional, family, and community library Ethnic/Italian cookbook collections.

Editorial Note: Paola Bacchia was born to Italian migrant parents and into their food culture. Her award-winning blog, Italy on My Mind (www.italyonmymind.com.au) explores the connection between family memories and food through stories, photos, and recipes. She returns to Italy every year to expand her knowledge of Italian food and traditions. Previously, she has published At Nonna's Table (2024), Istria (2021), Italian Street Food (2021), and Adriatico (2018) with Smith Street Books.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Nursing Our Healer's Heart
Lorre Laws, Ph.D, RN
Iff Book
c/o Collective Ink Books
https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
9781803413785, $23.95, PB, 432pp

https://www.amazon.com/Nursing-Our-Healers-Heart-Recovery/dp/1803413786

Synopsis: The nursing profession is in crisis. Within a decade, the world will have just over half the number of nurses it needs.

The global nursing workforce has experienced mass, complex trauma secondary to healthcare system inadequacies and a global pandemic. Traumatized and burned out nurses are leaving their roles or the profession in unprecedented numbers. Those who remain are stretched to or beyond their capacity.

While system-level strategies aim to address this crisis, none of them consider nurse traumatization and its impact upon patient safety, outcomes, and quality of care. We cannot wait for health systems to prioritize nurse safety. Nurses can and must come together as a global community to heal through avoidable and unavoidable nurse-specific traumatization while partnering with healthcare leaders to usher in a new era of nursing.

With the publication of "Nursing Our Healer's Heart: A Recovery Guide for Nurse Trauma & Burnout", Lorre Laws provides an actionable framework that will guide nurses in healing the traumas and hardships they've endured as individuals and nursing communities.

Grounded in the sciences of unitary caring, integrative nursing, neurophysiology, and transpersonal neurobiology, "Nursing Our Healer's Heart" supports nurses in restoring their
'healers' heart' as they come together to address the deep trauma, burnout, attrition, and presenteeism that are central to the nursing crisis.

Nurses will learn the language of their nervous system and how to navigate it as a foundational practice to support professional wellbeing. Each nurse will discover their unique innate care plan, which will guide their healing and co-healing with other nurses. By embracing the healing and practices offered in this book, nurses will learn how to support their nervous system regulation so they can thrive instead of survive in practice.

Working from their healed scars instead of their open wounds, nurses can effectively lead sustainable organizational change and health care reforms that prioritize nurse safety and professional wellbeing.

Critique: Directly addressing a critically important issue that was vividly reinforced with the global Covid pandemic, "Nursing Our Healer's Heart: A Recovery Guide for Nurse Trauma & Burnout" by Registered Nurse Lorre Laws is exceptionally well written, organized and presented. Appropriate as core textbook for Nursing Administration/Management curriculum reading lists, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "Nursing Our Healer's Heart" from Iff Books is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99) for nursing students, nurses, hospital and college/university library Health/Medicine collections, as well as governmental policy makers and non- specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.


The Parenting Shelf

The Imperfect Parent
Kate Hamilton
Greenleaf Book Group Press
www.greenleafbookgroup.com
9798886452037, $26.99, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Imperfect-Parent-Nonjudgmental-Raising-Children/dp/B0D4LCVZF7

Synopsis: Every parent wants to raise independent, confident children, but unfortunately, there is no one right way to parent that everyone can all learn. Each child is unique, and each mom and dad has their own ideas on parenting, often influenced by the way they were raised.

With the publication of "The Imperfect Parent: A Nonjudgmental Guide to Raising Children in the Modern World", Kate Hamilton shows us how we can celebrate those differences, embracing the individuality of our kids, carrying on the successful practices our parents demonstrated, and learning from their (and our) mistakes.

Herself a mom of two boys, Kate is no stranger to parenting struggles, and she knows well that anyone who thinks they can parent error-free is just kidding themselves. This book is an honest look at her parenting triumphs and failures and what parents everywhere can learn from both.

In "The Imperfect Parent" Kate explains:

How to handle parenting advice from others
How to communicate well with your partner or co-parent
How to help your children discover their identities
How to have conversations with your kids about uncomfortable topics
How to let your children fail

And that just scratches the surface! Recognizing that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to raising kids, "The Imperfect Parent" shows you how to forge a path that works best for your family.

Critique: Informative enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of an Appendix (Questions on Foundational Principles), a two page bibliography of Additional Reading, and a twelve page Index, "The Imperfect Parent: A Nonjudgmental Guide to Raising Children in the Modern World" will prove of particular and special interest to readers concerned with the parenting of infants, toddlers, and school age children (boys in particular). Exceptionally 'real world practical' and impressively 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Imperfect Parent" is especially and unreservedly addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Parenting instructional reference collections. Of special note is that this hardcover edition of Kate Hamilton's "The Imperfect Parent" from the Greenleaf Book Group Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Kate Hamilton (www.kate-hamilton.com) is an unlikely writer because of her dyslexia, yet her life experiences compelled her to write this "The Imperfect Parent". She earned an MBA in international business and is a former corporate executive turned mother and entrepreneur.


The Business Shelf

CEO Potential
Dave Osh
Varlinx, LLC
https://www.varlinx.com
9798991559508, $25.00, HC, 306pp

https://www.amazon.com/CEO-Potential-Transcend-Organization-Lasting/dp/B0DN3PS42W

Synopsis: With the publication of "CEO Potential: Transcend Self, Team, and Organization for Lasting Success in the New Age of AI", Dave Osh offers a transformative, step-by-step guide for leaders facing the unprecedented demands of a rapidly evolving world. As conventional strategies lose relevance, "CEO Potential" provides a clear path to elevating yourself, your team, and your organization to thrive amid AI-driven disruption and escalating challenges.

Redefining potential as a dynamic, ever-expanding capacity, "CEO Potential" introduces you to a revolutionary framework grounded in developmental psychology. Through this Potential Framework, you'll unlock seven progressive levels of potential, enabling you to boost your effectiveness and lead with impact in today's complex landscape.

Drawing from two decades of battlefield experience as a fighter pilot and air force commander with hundreds of combat and reconnaissance missions, followed by leadership roles as CFO, COO, and CEO in multinational companies, and a decade of coaching high-performance teams in high-growth organizations, Dave Osh brings his unmatched expertise to "CEO Potential." With a science-backed framework crafted from real-world, high-stakes environments, he reveals insights and strategies that have never before been shared in this way.

"CEO Potential" shows how to: Expand your leadership potential across seven levels of increasing capacity and capability to meet complex challenges; Pinpoint your current level on the potential growth continuum and identify clear next steps for advancement; Develop a targeted growth plan to continuously elevate your potential, moving through each level with practical, actionable strategies; Inspire your team to grow alongside you, fostering adaptability, creativity, and collaboration to build a resilient culture that excels in challenging environments; Transform your organization with a roadmap that aligns purpose, innovation, and performance, ensuring sustained competitiveness and impact in the AI-driven world.

Critique: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is beginning to be an implacable force for change, requiring everyone in a position of corporate leadership and business management to learn how to adapt to the very rapidly evolving impacts, challenges and opportunities its presents. Exceptionally well written and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "CEO Potential: Transcend Self, Team, and Organization for Lasting Success in the New Age of AI" must be considered essential reading and an unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, corporate, and college/university library Business Management/Leadership collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for MBA students, academia, corporate executives, business managers, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of Dave Osh's "CEO Potential" from Varlinx, LLC is also readily available in a paperback edition (9798991559515, $17.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).

Editorial Note: Dave Osh (https://www.daveosh.com/home) is the former CEO of the multinational company Qnet and the founder/CEO of the tech startup Execuvite. He has led multinational teams across 34 countries, living in Israel, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and now the USA, where he coaches executives at Fortune 500 companies, mid-size firms, and tech startups.

The Entrepreneurial Mindset Advantage
Gary G. Schoeniger
Matt Holt Books
c/o BenBella Books
www.benbellabooks.com
9781637745779, $30.00, HC, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Entrepreneurial-Mindset-Advantage-Unleashes-Potential/dp/163774577X

Synopsis: Countless books have been written about the exploits of iconic entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk. Yet when we look beyond the headlines and the hype to explore the mindset of everyday entrepreneurs, a hidden logic begins to emerge -- one that can empower ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.

"The Entrepreneurial Mindset Advantage: The Hidden Logic That Unleashes Human Potential" is groundbreaking book by author and entrepreneurial mindset expert Gary G. Schoeniger who deftly combines insights gleaned from hundreds of everyday entrepreneurs with cutting-edge research to create a practical how-to guide that not only shows us how to be more innovative and entrepreneurial in our own lives but also how to unlock the untapped entrepreneurial potential in others.

Drawing from real-world stories "The Entrepreneurial Mindset Advantage" shows how to: Recognize how our mindset can hinder or enhance our ability to adapt and thrive in today's rapidly changing world; Demystify the entrepreneurial mindset as a framework for thinking that anyone can embrace; Master a five-step method for identifying, evaluating, and actualizing the opportunities that exist in our everyday lives; Distinguish between entrepreneurial and managerial attitudes, behaviors, and skills and why we need both; Unlock the untapped entrepreneurial potential that lies dormant in our children, our students, our workforce, and our communities.

Ultimately, "The Entrepreneurial Mindset Advantage" shows how a subtle shift in our perspective can make a big difference in our lives. While combination of instructional guide and 'how to' manual will certainly benefit anyone wanting to start their own business. It looks beyond new venture creation to expose the entrepreneurial mindset as a teachable framework for thinking that has become essential for individuals and organizations to adapt and thrive in today's rapidly changing world.

Critique: Nicely organized into two major sections (The Entrepreneurial Person & The Entrepreneurial Process), "The Entrepreneurial Mindset Advantage: The Hidden Logic That Unleashes Human Potential" is informatively augmented for the reader's benefit by the inclusion of a two page listing of Acknowledgements, ten pages of Notes, and an eight page Index. Impressively well written, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Entrepreneurial Mindset Advantage" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, corporate, and college/university library Business Management & Contemporary Entrepreneurship collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists. While also available as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing, 9798228316713, $45.99, CD), "The Entrepreneurial Mindset Advantage" is accessible for MBA students, corporate executives, and aspiring entrepreneurs in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note: Gary G. Schoeniger (https://garyschoeniger.com) is a globally recognized thought leader in entrepreneurial mindset education and professional development. Schoeniger is also a sought after speaker who has presented a variety of keynotes and workshops throughout the US and abroad, including Rio de Janeiro, Moscow, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Athens, London, Bogota, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Sofia, Santiago, Aberdeen, Nicosia, Zagreb, Tbilisi, and Baku.

Business 101 for the Data Professional
Jordan Morrow
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398617087, $92.00, HC, 248pp

https://www.amazon.com/Business-101-Data-Professional-Succeed/dp/1398617083

Synopsis: It is vital for data professionals to understand the business needs and outcomes of the organizations they work for and collaborate effectively with non-technical colleagues. "Business 101 for the Data Professional: What You Need to Know to Succeed in Business" by data literacy expert Jordan Morrow is the definitive guide for data professionals looking to upskill their organizational effectiveness and enhance their career prospects. From business strategy to different business areas such as product, marketing, sales and operations to data monetization and value, "Business 101 for the Data Professional" explains how these contribute to the business, and, crucially, the role that data plays in supporting them.

"Business 101 for the Data Professional" also explores how to navigate key challenges and pitfalls of data in business, such as bias, misuse of data and the balancing of data and technical debt. It shows how to build networking, influencing and relationship building skills and outlines the key principles of strong communication and data storytelling, explaining how these can be used to engage effectively with internal and external stakeholders such as clients. It is supported by examples, summaries of key learnings, and exercises at the end of each chapter to help readers detail their progress and map out their goals.

Critique: An ideal textbook for MBA curriculum studies lists, this hardcover edition of Jordan Morrow's "Business 101 for the Data Professional: What You Need to Know to Succeed in Business" from Kogan Page is an essential and core addition for personal, professional, corporate, and college/university library Business Communication/Decision Making collections. It should be noted for MBA students, academia, corporate executives, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Business 101 for the Data Professional: What You Need to Know to Succeed in Business" is also readily available in paperback (978-1398617063, $28.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $28.99).

Editorial Note: Jordan Morrow is known as the "Godfather of Data Literacy", having helped pioneer the field by building one of the world's first data literacy programs and driving thought leadership. He is the founder and CEO of Bodhi Data and Senior Vice President of Data and AI Transformation for AgileOne, helping to utilize data and AI in the total talent management space. Morrow is a global trailblazer in the world of data literacy and enjoys his time traveling the world speaking and/or helping companies. He served as the Chair of the Advisory Board for The Data Literacy Project, has spoken at numerous conferences around the world, and is an active voice in the data and analytics community. He has also helped companies and organizations around the world, including the United Nations, build and understand data literacy. Morrow is based near Salt Lake City, Utah and is the author of four books: Be Data Literate, Be Data Driven, Be Data Analytical, and Business 101 for the Data Professional all published by Kogan Page. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/20416949.Jordan_Morrow)

Fundamentals of Risk Management, seventh edition
Kate Boothroyd & Clive Thompson
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398618688, $232.00, HC, 472pp

https://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Risk-Management-Understanding-Implementing/dp/1398618683

Synopsis: Effective enterprise risk management allows organizations to maximize opportunities and minimize uncertainty. Aligned with ISO 31000, the COSO ERM Framework and the UK's Orange Book, "Fundamentals of Risk Management: Understanding, Evaluating and Implementing Effective Enterprise Risk Management" by co-authors Kate Boothroyd and Clive Thompson is a comprehensive guide that covers the key principles of risk management and how to deal with the different types of risk that organizations face.

The frameworks of business continuity planning, enterprise risk management and project risk management are also covered alongside an overview of international risk management standards and frameworks, strategy and policy. The text provides a clear introduction to a variety of risk management approaches used in sectors such as insurance, banking, law, health and safety and supply chain management.

Now in its updated and expanded seventh edition, "Fundamentals of Risk Management" deftly guides readers through the steps of risk identification, risk analysis, risk description and risk estimation. This seventh edition includes new chapters covering emerging trends in risk management such as resilience, sustainability and strategic risk. It offers increased international coverage around corporate governance and real-world examples, allowing students to connect theory to practice. Supporting online resources include lecture slides with figures, tables and key points from the book.

Critique: Exceptionally 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Fundamentals of Risk Management: Understanding, Evaluating and Implementing Effective Enterprise Risk Management: 7th Edition" is a critically importent and unreservedly recommended addition to professional, corporate, and college/university library Business Risk Management collections and MBA curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for MBA students, academia, corporate executives, and entrepreneurs that this hardcover edition of "Fundamentals of Risk Management: Understanding, Evaluating and Implementing Effective Enterprise Risk Management: 7th Edition" is also readily available from Kogan Page in paperback (978-1398618657, $65.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $64.99).

Editorial Note #1: Kate Boothroyd is the Director of KB Risk Consulting Limited, a risk management consultancy working with clients across a variety of countries and industries. She joined the Institute of Risk Management in 1992 and is an accredited IRM trainer. She previously served as Director. She was lead developer on the IRM's updated Enterprise Risk Management Certificate. She is also the Lead Examiner on the Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland's Qualifying Programme Risk Management Module. She is based in Huddersfield, UK.

Editorial Note #2: Clive Thompson has over 40 years of global experience in Insurance and Risk Management. He was founding Chair of the Professional Standards and the Interest Group Committees of the Institute of Risk Management (IRM) where he was Deputy Chair until 2020. As Deputy Chair, he initiated the first seminar to focus on Climate Change at the IRM and instigated the IRM's Special Interest Group on Climate Change. He is a Certified Fellow of the IRM and of the Chartered Insurance Institute. He is based in Littlehampton, UK.

Armstrong's Handbook of Strategic Human Resource Management, eighth edition
Michael Armstrong
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398617704, $204.00, HC, 360pp

https://www.amazon.com/Armstrongs-Handbook-Strategic-Resource-Management/dp/1398617709

Synopsis: Now in a fully revised and updated eighth edition, Michael Armstrong's "Armstrong's Handbook of Strategic Human Resource Management: Improve Business Performance Through Strategic People Management" practical guide that contains new chapters on the foundation of strategic HRM, employee wellbeing strategies and HR analytics, as well as real-world examples and updated wider content to reflect the latest research and thinking.

This eighth edition of "Armstrong's Handbook of Strategic Human Resource Management" from Kogan Page includes practical insights and in-depth coverage of HRM strategies in key areas such as employee engagement, talent management and learning and development, as well as strategic HRM approaches in an international context. It's supported by key learning points, key questions and real-life examples from organizations such as Boots, UNICEF and GKN.

"Armstrong's Handbook of Strategic Human Resource Management: 8th Edition" remains an indispensable resource for both professionals and those studying HR qualifications, including undergraduate and masters' degrees and the CIPD's advanced level qualifications. Online resources include PowerPoint slides and comprehensive handbooks for lecturers and students which includes self-assessment questions, case study exercises and literature review.

Critique: An ideal MBA curriculum textbook list, this new eighth hardcover edition of "Armstrong's Handbook of Strategic Human Resource Management: Improve Business Performance Through Strategic People Management" is fully recommended an essential, core addition to professional, corporate, and college/university library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of MBA students, company executives, entrepreneurs, and HR personnel managers that "Armstrong's Handbook of Strategic Human Resource Management: Improve Business Performance Through Strategic People Management: 8th Edition" is also readily available in paperback (9781398617698, $59.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $52.00).

Editorial Note: Michael Armstrong is a Companion and former Chief Examiner of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), a managing partner of E-Reward and an independent management consultant. Prior to this he was an HR director of a publishing company. He is based in London, UK.


The Photography Shelf

Minnesota: A Photographic Journey
Max Foster
Farcountry Press
www.farcountrypress.com
9781560378457, $14.95, PB, 80pp

https://www.amazon.com/Minnesota-Photographic-Journey-Max-Foster/dp/156037845X

Synopsis: A pictorial compendium of Minnesota's people, places, attractions, scenery, and culture showcasing vibrant full-color and informatively captioned photographs by Max Foster, "Minnesota: A Photographic Journey" ranges from Minneapolis to Duluth, from Gooseberry Falls State Park to Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge.

Critique: A beautifully produced, organized and presented visual travel guide that is ideal for both the armchair traveler and the planning on-site visitation itineraries, professional photographer Max Foster's "Minnesota: A Photographic Journey" from Farcountry Press is highly recommended for community library American Travel Guide & Travel Photography collections and personal reading lists.

Editorial Note: Max Foster (www.maxfosterphotography.com) is a professional landscape photographer from Central Minnesota who finds his artistic inspiration in the wilderness. Immersed in the depths of Minnesota's forests, rivers, lakes, and backcountry, Max captures the essence of nature through his lens. He dedicates himself to portraying landscapes in their most captivating light, navigating the changing seasons to reveal their timeless beauty.

North Dakota: A Photographic Journey
Chuck Haney, photographer
Farcountry Press
www.farcountrypress.com
9781560378440, $14.95, PB, 80pp

https://www.amazon.com/North-Dakota-Photographic-Farcountry-Press/dp/1560378441

Synopsis: From Bismarck to Fargo and Theodore Roosevelt National Park to Scandinavian Heritage Park, "North Dakota: A Photographic Journey" is packed from cover to cover with stunningly beautiful photographs that acclaimed landscape photographer Chuck Haney has taken of everything that makes the Roughrider State unique.

Critique: A visual feast of a celebration, "North Dakota: A Photographic Journey" the captioned photographs of Chuck Haney will prove especially treasured by the armchair traveler as the beauty and variety of North Dakota landscapes are revealed. This paperback edition of "North Dakota: A Photographic Journey" from Farcountry Press is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library American State Photography/Travel collections.

Editorial Note: Chuck Haney (www.chuckhaney.com) is a professional freelance photographer and writer based in beautiful Whitefish, Montana. Chuck travels extensively across the American West, Midwest, and Canada in pursuit of the finest and most intriguing images. His provocative use of natural light in his landscape work, along with wildlife, birds, and outdoor sports images, have drawn national acclaim and landed him many prestigious assignments. Chuck also has contributed to numerous calendars and has over 150 magazine covers to his credit. Chuck keeps busy by teaching a series of photography workshops across the country and producing large fine art prints that grace many office walls and home interiors.

Weegee: Society of the Spectacle
Clement Cheroux, author
Isabell Bonnet, contributor
David Campany, contributor
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500029121, $60.00, HC, 208pp

https://www.amazon.com/Weegee-Society-Spectacle-Cl%C3%A9ment-Ch%C3%A9roux/dp/0500029121

Synopsis: Arthur (Usher) Fellig (June 12, 1899 - December 26, 1968), known by his pseudonym Weegee, was a photographer and photojournalist, known for his stark black and white street photography in New York City. There's a mystery to Weegee. This American photographer's career seems to be split in two.

On one side, his sensational photography printed in North American tabloids: corpses of gangsters lying in pools of their own blood; bodies trapped in battered vehicles; kingpins looking sinister behind the bars of prison wagons; dilapidated slums consumed by fire; and other harrowing evidence of the lives of the underprivileged in New York from 1935 to 1945.

On the other, the festive photographs (glamorous parties, performances by entertainers, jubilant crowds, openings, and premieres) not to mention a vast array of portraits of public figures that Weegee delighted in distorting using a rich palette of tricks between 1948 and 1951, a practice he pursued until the end of his life.

How can these diametrically opposed bodies of work coexist? Critics have enjoyed highlighting the opposition between the two periods, praising the former and disparaging the latter. Weegee: The Society of the Spectacle seeks to reconcile the two sides of Weegee by showing that, despite formal differences, the photographer's approach is critically coherent.

In the first part of his career, which coincided with the rise of the tabloid press, Weegee was an active participant in transforming news into spectacle. To show this, he often included spectators or other photographers in the foreground of his images. In the second half of his career, Weegee mocked another sort of entranced crowd: the Hollywood spectacular with its ephemeral glory, adoring crowds, and social scenes.

Some years before the Situationist International, his photography is presented an incisive critique of the Society of the Spectacle.

Critique: This large format (8.2 x 0.9 x 10.4 inches, 2.24 pounds) hardcover edition of "Weegee: Society of the Spectacle" from Thames & Hudson showcases captioned B/W photos revealing the photographer's impressive work as a photojournalist and as an experimenter in photography. Fascinating, unique, and a primer on the art of photography, "Weegee: Society of the Spectacle" by author Clement Cheroux, and with informative contributions by Isabell Bonnet and David Campany is especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Photography collections.

Editorial Note #1: Clement Cheroux is a French photography historian and curator. He was recently named director of the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson in Paris; he was previously chief curator of photography at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Editorial Note #2: Isabelle Bonnet is an independent curator, currently completing a thesis in history/visual culture devoted to the crime scene in contemporary photography.

Editorial Note #3: David Campany (https://davidcampany.com) is a renowned writer and curator with particular expertise in American photography. His many books include William Klein: Yes, The Open Road: Photography and the American Road Trip, and Walker Evans: the Magazine Work. He is curator at large for the International Center of Photography, New York.


The Art Shelf

Facial Expressions for Artists
Oliver Sin
Rockport Publishers
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartoknows.com
9780760382400, $26.99, PB, 160pp

https://www.amazon.com/Facial-Expressions-Artists-Techniques-Capturing/dp/0760382409

Synopsis: An accurate depiction of a subject or character's facial expression is the key to conveying their individuality as well as authentic emotion or mood. Written and illustrated by Oliver Sin, celebrated portrait artist, veteran art instructor, "Facial Expressions for Artists: Techniques for Capturing Emotion and Mood in Portrait and Character Drawings" 1. Shows how the skull and facial musculature translate into the planes of the face. 2 . Covers subtle emotions like anxiety and irritation as well as unrestrained ones like exuberance and despair. 3. Features models of all ages and a variety of facial types and ethnic and racial backgrounds

Whatever your skill level, and whether you're drawing or painting an individual's portrait or developing a character-driven story, "Facial Expressions for Artists" will inspire and inform you on how to successfully portray authentically expressive and distinctive emotions in your drawings.

Critique: A part of the 'For Artists' series of instructional guides for aspiring artists at all skill levels seeking to develop their classical drawing and painting skills in creating realistic and representational art, this large format (8.5 x 0.4 x 11 inches, 1.5 pounds) paperback edition of Oliver Sin's "Facial Expressions for Artists: Techniques for Capturing Emotion and Mood in Portrait and Character Drawings" from Rockport Publishers is a profusely illustrated and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and art school collections. It should be noted for art students that "Facial Expressions for Artists" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Oliver Sin graduated from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration. He began his career as a computer games concept artist, including stints at LucasArts and 3DO, and has been teaching for the Academy's School of 2D Animation and the School of Fine Art since 2001. His award-winning portrait art has been recognized by the Portrait Society of America, and featured on ArtistsNetwork.com, in the journal The Art of the Portrait, and in International Artist and Southwest Art magazines. He is the author of Drawing the Head for Artists. Facebook: facebook.com/oliver.sin.3, Instagram: instagram.com/oliversin

How Painting Happens (and Why it Matters)
Martin Gayford
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500027424, $45.00, HC, 384pp

https://www.amazon.com/How-Painting-Happens-Why-Matters/dp/0500027420

Synopsis: Painting is an almost inconceivably ancient activity that remains vigorously alive in the twenty-first century. Every successful painting creates a new world, which we inhabit for as long as we care to look at it. Paintings can incorporate profound ideas and paradoxes that can be grasped without words. For those who dedicate themselves to it, the art of painting can become an all-consuming, lifelong obsession. It is a subject on which painters themselves are often the most incisive commentators.

Martin Gayford's riveting and richly illustrated history "How Painting Happens (and Why it Matters) deftly brings together numerous artists' voices, past and present. It draws on a trove of conversations conducted over more than three decades with artists including Frank Auerbach, Gillian Ayres, Frank Bowling, Cecily Brown, Peter Doig, Lucian Freud, Katharina Fritsch, David Hockney, Claudette Johnson, R. B. Kitaj, Lee Ufan, Paula Rego, Gerhard Richter, Bridget Riley, Jenny Saville, Frank Stella, Luc Tuymans, Zeng Fanzhi, and many more. Here too is Vincent van Gogh on Rembrandt, John Constable on Titian, Francis Bacon on Velazquez, Lee Krasner on Pollock, and Jean-Michel Basquiat on Picasso.

Also included are the personal reflections of these artists on their chosen medium; how and why they paint; how they came to the practice; the influence of fellow painters; and how they find creative sustenance and inspiration in their art.

"How Painting Happens" spans the centuries to give us a wealth of insights into the endlessly compelling phenomenon of painters and painting.

Critique: Enhanced for the reader's benefit with 176 color illustrations, three pages of Notes on the Text, a three page bibliography of Further Reading, a three page listing of Picture Credits, and a five page Index. Impressively informative and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "How Painting Happens (and Why it Matters)" is ideal as a textbook for Art History curriculums and readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $34.96), this hardcover edition of "How Painting Happens (and Why it Matters)" from Thames & Hudson is a very special and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Art/Painting History collections.

Editorial Note: Martin Gayford (www.martingayford.co.uk) is a writer and art critic. His books include Man with a Blue Scarf: On Sitting for a Portrait by Lucian Freud; Modernists and Mavericks: Bacon, Freud, Hockney and the London Painters; A History of Pictures: From the Cave to the Computer Screen and Spring Cannot Be Cancelled: David Hockney in Normandy, both with David Hockney; Shaping the World: Sculpture from Prehistory to Now, with Antony Gormley; Love Lucian: The Letters of Lucian Freud, 1939 - 1954, with David Dawson; Venice: City of Pictures.


The Biography/Memoir Shelf

This Was Toscanini: The Maestro, My Father, and Me
Samuel Antek, author
Lucy Antek Johnson, author
Brown Books Publishing Group
https://www.brownbooks.com
9781612545202, $35.95, HC, 184pp

https://www.amazon.com/This-Was-Toscanini-Maestro-Father/dp/1612545203

Synopsis: Arturo Toscanini (March 25, 1867 - January 16, 1957) is widely considered to have been the greatest conductor of the modern age and remains a towering figure in the world of classical music. His explosive passions, dynamic music making, and legendary leadership continue to inspire and influence today's musicians while still captivating new generations of enthusiastic fans as well.

"This Was Toscanini: The Maestro, My Father, and Me" is an intimate, firsthand, behind-the-scenes musical portrait of the Maestro, told from the unique perspective of first violinist Samuel Antek, who was fortunate to play under Toscanini's baton for seventeen years in the famed NBC Symphony Orchestra.

In this expanded second edition of "This Was Toscanini: The Maestro, My Father, and Me", Samuel Antek's reflections on playing with the Maestro gain sparkling new facets of insight from his daughter, Lucy Antek Johnson, as she enlightens readers with vivid recollections about her father and his most memorable musical partnership. With a foreword from acclaimed author and music historian Harvey Sachs and featuring Robert Hupka's iconic photographs throughout, this shining new edition will bring back the wonder of Toscanini's powerful style and his singular pursuit to make beautiful music.

Critique: This large format second edition of "This Was Toscanini: The Maestro, My Father, and Me" by co-authors Samuel Anteck and Lucy Antek Johnson, is essential (and nostalgic) reading for the legions of Toscanini fans. Exceptionally well written, fully updated, informative, and an inherently fascinating read from start to finish, this new and expanded edition of "This Was Toscanini" from the Brown Books Publishing Group is an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, and college/university library Music History/Biography collections. It should be noted that this hardcover coffee-table style volume is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

Editorial Note #1: Samuel Antek began his violin studies in Chicago and was then invited to New York to become a pupil and protege of the famous teacher Leopold Auer. He soon won a fellowship to attend the Juilliard Foundation and, following his New York debut at Town Hall, played solo concerts extensively. In 1937, Mr. Antek was selected to become a first violinist for the NBC Symphony, an orchestra specially created by RCA for the legendary conductor Arturo Toscanini. He was a member of the orchestra for all of its seventeen years, from 1937 to 1954. With the support and encouragement of the Maestro and the guidance of conductor Pierre Monteux, Antek was able to launch his own career as a conductor. While continuing to play first violin for NBC, he was appointed musical director and conductor of the New Jersey Symphony in 1947; was named the associate conductor of the Chicago Symphony under Fritz Reiner; and, after inaugurating his distinctive Young People's Concerts series in New Jersey, was soon named the director of all Young People's Concerts of the Philadelphia Orchestra. He was invited to guest conduct many of the nation's major orchestras, including the NBC Symphony, Houston Symphony, and Buffalo Philharmonic, among others. Samuel Antek died suddenly at age forty-nine in January 1958. This Was Toscanini, his unique evaluation of the Maestro, was published posthumously.

Editorial Note #2: Lucy Antek Johnson, Samuel Antek's daughter, was born and raised in New York City. After studying music, fine art, and ballet, she was drawn to the world of television production and spent her entire career in the entertainment industry, working with such producers as Martin Charnin, Harry Belafonte, David Susskind, and Roone Arledge. When she moved to Los Angeles in 1978, she produced movies for television, then joined the ranks of NBC as a network executive. She soon worked her way up to senior vice president of daytime and children's programs for CBS, a position she held for fourteen years. Lucy and her husband, Bill Klein, live in Connecticut, where she has served on the Westport Library's board of trustees and continues to work with the library on special programming projects. She paints, writes, and-every so often-gets up the nerve to sit at the piano and play a favorite Bach or Chopin prelude.

An American Story: Everyone's Invited
Wilmer Valderrama
Harper Select
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9781400336579, $29.99, HC, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/American-Story-Everyones-Invited/dp/1400336570

Synopsis: In this timely memoir, Wilmer Valderrama looks back on his journey from a tiny pueblo in Venezuela to the big city of Los Angeles -- how he discovered his calling as an actor and later as a USO Global Ambassador, found work in Hollywood as an unproven Latino actor, and used his determination and success to build a new life for himself, his family, and many others.

Raised by two hard working parents as they navigated their family through a rapidly changing country and the rise of Venezuela's controversial former leader Hugo Chavez, Valderrama delves into his family's flight from their home and the challenges of emigrating to the United States.

After being cast in a school theatre production, Valderrama knew he had found his calling and began thinking of ways to help support his struggling family. He would attempt the impossible: find work in Hollywood as an unproven Latino actor. Following countless auditions and frequent criticisms of his accent, he created the personality that would eventually land him the role as Fez on That 70s Show.

It catapulted him to stardom.

Over the coming years, he would create the smash show, Yo Mamma, voice the lead character in Disney's Encanto, and eventually join the cast of NCIS. But it was through service to others and his first USO trip where Valderrama found his further calling -- entertaining and encouraging U.S. troops around the world.

The saga of a determined soul, "An American Story: Everyone's Invited" is an exploration of America through the eyes of a young immigrant from Venezuela who had a dream to change the world, a talent for entertaining, and the resolve to build a new life, taking as many as possible with him on the journey.

Critique: Eloquently articulate, impressively informative, inherently fascinating, and a 'must' for the growing legions of Wilmer Valderrama fans, "An American Story: Everyone's Invited" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community and college/university library Contemporary Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "An American Story: Everyone's Invited" from Harper Select is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $1.99, Amazon).

Editorial Note: From his breakout role as 'Fez' on the Emmy-nominated series That '70s Show to playing Nick Torres in the #1 TV drama NCIS on CBS, actor, producer, and activist Wilmer Valderrama has been making audiences laugh, listen and think for over two decades. On the big screen, he lent his voice to the Academy Award-winning Disney animated film Encanto, which became a cultural phenomenon. Behind the camera, in 2006, Wilmer established his production company, WV Entertainment, where he continues to develop and produce projects in the alternative and scripted spaces. Valderrama is active in several philanthropic agencies. He's the co-founder of Harness, a group dedicated to connecting communities through conversation to inspire action, serves on the board of Voto Latino and sits on the National Hispanic Media Coalition's (NHMC) Visionary Alliance which aims to foster opportunities for Latinx talent in the entertainment industry through the Series Scriptwriters program and the Latinx Stream Showcase. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilmer_Valderrama)


The General Fiction Shelf

Life / Insurance
Tara Deal
Regal House Publishing
https://regalhousepublishing.com
9781646034901, $17.95, PB, 166pp

https://www.amazon.com/Life-Insurance-Tara-Deal/dp/1646034902

Synopsis: The narrator of author Tara Deal's spare novella, "Life / Insurance" is a collage artist trying to piece together a life. Her husband is a composer who is unable to talk.

Even so, she keeps asking him questions, trying to figure out what he can remember, what he did, what he wants, what he means. But then she, in turn, is interrogated by the authorities, who want to know what happened here.

Everyone waits for answers. How to compensate for this disaster? What are the chances of survival? Is there solace in converting life into language? What to believe?

In prose that is sometimes suspenseful, sometimes meditative, sometimes provocative, "Life / Insurance" is a portrait of an artist confronting the problems of existence, knowledge, language, and New York City.

Critique: Original, eloquent, thought provoking, emotionally engaging, memorable, "Life / Insurance" is a brilliantly penned and inherently fascinating read from start to finish. Showcasing author Tara Deal's distinctive storytelling style that raises her novella to an impressive level of literary elegance, "Life / Insurance" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Life / Insurance" from Regal House Publishing is also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Tara Deal (www.taradeal.com) is the author of the award-winning novellas That Night Alive (Miami University Press) and Palms Are Not Trees After All (Texas Review Press).


The Historical Fiction Shelf

This Bright Dust
Nina Berkhout
Goose Lane Editions
www.gooselane.com
9781773104164, $25.00, PB, 243pp

https://www.amazon.com/This-Bright-Dust-Nina-Berkhout/dp/1773104160

Synopsis: In 1939, as the Great Depression winds down and war in Europe looms, the small Prairie community of Grayley is all but abandoned. Abel Dodds paces his family's plot, searching for gold his late father buried in an undisclosed location. When his neighbour Jake Wishart drops by to tell Abel he's leaving town and to ask if Abel can keep an eye on his sister, Una, and her son and grandfather, Abel reluctantly agrees.

Abel and the Wisharts prepare for the growing season -- their last chance to make a living on their debt-burdened farms. When they hear the news of a visit from the king and queen to rally troops, tensions rise. With little food on their tables and a land turned to dust, the unfailingly optimistic Una is convinced that the royal tour will change their lives for the better. But Abel wants a reckoning.

Critique: Deftly crafted and with a a lyrical prose that raises her novel, "This Bright Dust", to an impressive level of literary excellent, author Nina Berkhout has created an emotionally engaging story of "hope and disillusionment, of disaster and the cultivation of joy, of the relationship between people and the land they inhabit". A fascinating, entertaining, truly memorable, "This Bright Dust" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library Literary Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Nina Berkhout is the author of three previous novels, most recently Why Birds Sing, The Mosaic, and The Gallery of Lost Species. Berkhout is also the author of five poetry collections, including Elseworlds, which won the Archibald Lampman Award. Her poems have been featured in publications across Canada including the Best Canadian Poetry anthology. Originally from Albert. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/288793.Nina_Berkhout)

Hold Strong
Robert Dugoni, Jeff Langholz & Chris Crabtree
www.robertdugonibooks.com
Lake Union Publishing
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662516313, $28.99, HC, 555pp

https://www.amazon.com/Hold-Strong-Novel-Robert-Dugoni/dp/1662516312

Synopsis: Sam Carlson is a projectionist in small-town Minnesota, where fantasies unspool in glorious black and white for him and for his sweetheart, college-bound math whiz Sarah Haber.

When the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, Sam is sent to the Philippines and captured as a POW. Brutalized but unbroken by the Bataan Death March and POW camps, Sam is one of eighteen hundred starved and weakened prisoners herded into the cargo hold of a barbaric hell ship called the Arisan Maru -- his survival is doubtful.

Determined to use her math skills on the home front, Sarah is recruited to Washington, DC, into the covert field of code breaking. When Sarah intercepts a message about a Japanese convoy, the US Navy's mission is clear: sink the Arisan Maru and send it to the bottom of the South China Sea. Now, the lives of the two young lovers are about to inadvertently collide in one of the most shocking acts of World War II.

Critique: Although a work of fiction by acclaimed novelist Robert Dugoni (and with the contributions of co-authors Jeff Langholz and Chris Crabtree) "Hold Strong" is drawn from a true historical events that took place in the Pacific Theatre of World War II. As a gifted storyteller, Dugoni and his collaborators use an original and historical fiction approach to deftly present a riveting tale of 'faith, courage, survival, and coming home against insurmountable odds'. A saga of a novel, "Hold Strong" will prove of particular interest to fans of World War II historical fiction. While also available in paperback (9781662516306, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99), this hardcover edition of "Hold Strong" from Lake Union Publishing is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library WWII themed historical fiction collections.

Editorial Note #1: Robert Dugoni (www.robertdugonibooks.com) is the author of the Tracy Crosswhite series; the Charles Jenkins series; the David Sloane series; several standalone novels, including A Killing on the Hill, The World Played Chess, and The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell; and coauthor of the nonfiction expose The Cyanide Canary, a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. Dugoni is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Book Award for fiction, a multi-time winner of the Friends of Mystery Spotted Owl Award for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest, and a finalist for many other awards. His books are sold in more than twenty-five countries, have been translated into more than thirty languages, and have reached millions of readers worldwide.

Editorial Note #2: Jeff Langholz, PhD, is an award-winning teacher, researcher, entrepreneur, and writer whose work has appeared in more than 250 media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, National Geographic, and the Economist.

Editorial Note #3: Chris Crabtree teaches middle and high school English language arts and literature at Costa Rica International Academy in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Chris and his wife, Vera, live in a rustic, rural town on the outskirts of Santa Cruz, Costa Rica.


The LGBTQ Fiction Shelf

The Spring Before Obergefell
Ben Grossberg
University of Nebraska Press
www.nebraskapress.unl.edu
9781496240347, $21.95, PB, 254pp

https://www.amazon.com/Spring-before-Obergefell-Novel-McPherson/dp/1496240340

Synopsis: It's not easy for anyone to find love, let alone a middle-aged gay man in small-town America. Mike Breck works multiple part-time jobs and bickers constantly with his father, an angry conservative who moved in after Mike's mother died.

When he's not working or avoiding his father, Mike burns time on hookup apps, not looking for anything more. Then he meets a local guy, Dave, just as lonely as he is, and starts to think that maybe he doesn't have to be alone.

Mike falls hard, and in a moment of intimacy, his pent-up hopes for a relationship rush out, leading him to look more honestly at himself and his future.

Winner of the James Alan McPherson Prize for the Novel, Ben Grossberg's novel, "The Spring Before Obergefell" is about real guys who have real problems, yet still manage to find connection. Funny, serious, meditative, and hopeful, The Spring Before Obergefell is a romance -- but not a fairytale.

Critique: Eloquent, memorable, deftly crafted, thought-provoking, with the publication of "The Spring Before Obergefell" author Ben Grossberg has raised his LGBTQ novel to an impressive and award-winning level of literary excellence. While also available for personal reading ists in in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99), this paperback edition of "The Spring Before Obergefell" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library LGBTQ & Contemporary American Literary Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Ben Grossberg is the author of four books of poetry, My Husband Would, Space Traveler, Underwater Lengths in a Single Breath, and Sweet Core Orchard, winner of the Lambda Literary Award. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_S._Grossberg)

The First Love Myth
Casey Dembowski
Red Adept Publishing
https://redadeptpublishing.com
9781958231562, $13.99, PB, 280pp

https://www.amazon.com/First-Love-Myth-Casey-Dembowski/dp/1958231568

Synopsis: Liz Madden has a storybook romance -- high school sweethearts, second chances, and a happily-ever-after. But when she finds out that her husband cheated on her, she is forced to make the hard decision and walk away. Unable to reveal the betrayal to those closest to her, Liz instead takes refuge with her father and half-sister, Zoey.

Zoey is nursing her own broken heart after a devastating end to her first love. But true to Reid-sister heritage, she's courting disaster with a no-strings-attached affair with her ex.

Liz's marital discord also brings their older sister, Cecilia, back to town. But Cecilia has complicated relationship issues of her own. She's never forgiven their father for the affair he had seventeen years ago, and she's also never accepted Zoey as part of the family.

As their respective heartbreaks draw Liz and Zoey closer together, Liz finds she is getting tired of walking the line between her two sisters.

The Reid sisters are each in over their heads. To make it through the summer, they'll have to heal the fractures between them. Sometimes, forgiveness isn't always a straight line, and letting go is the only way forward.

Critique: Original, emotionally engaging, deftly crafted with many and unexpected plot twist and turn, "The First Love Myth" by author Casey Dembowski will be of particular interest to fans of LGBTQ family life. With her distinctive, effective, and narrative driven storytelling style, Casey Dembowski has raised "The First Love Myth" to an impressive level of literary excellence. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "The First Love Myth" from Red Adept Publishing is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).

Editorial Note: Casey Dembowski (https://caseydembowski.com) loves to write stories that focus on the intricacies of relationships -- whether romantic, familial, or platonic. Her novels focus on the inner workings of women and how everything in their lives leads them to exactly where they are, whether they like it or not. She has an MFA in Fiction from Adelphi University.


The Romantic Fiction Shelf

Beautiful Broken Love
Shanora Williams
https://www.shanorawilliams.com
Montlake
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662518881, $16.99, PB, 384pp

https://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Broken-Love-Shanora-Williams/dp/1662518889

Synopsis: It's been months since her dreams of forever were brutally shattered. Seven long months since her husband and soulmate, Lew, died in her arms, leaving her to carry on. Alone. And Davina Klein-Roberts still isn't sure how to move forward.

To escape her anguish, Davina throws everything into work, pushing Golden Oil Co., her self-built skin care line, to become a viral success. Now she's poised to clinch a major endorsement deal too. But it's bittersweet without Lew by her side.

A meeting with Deke Bishop, the hot NBA star she's courting for her brand, leaves Davina flustered. With his dimpled smile and warm handshake, Deke's a natural pitchman. And he's clearly interested -- and just in her lotions!

Davina soon discovers that Deke's more than just another player and carries his own pain. But as her feelings for him grow, so does her guilt. Will the pain of a future already lost keep her from embracing hope for a new one?

Critique: A fun and memorable read that is especially and unreservedly recommended for fans of contemporary romance novels that are exceptionally well written, authentically original, and the stuff of which Hallmark Channel movies are made, "Beautiful Broken Love" by novelist Shanora Williams is an ideal pick for personal reading lists and community library Romance Fiction collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Beautiful Broken Love" from Montlake is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).

Editorial Note: Shanora Williams (www.shanorawilliams.com) is the author of over thirty romance novels and diverse thrillers.

I'll Be Gone for Christmas
Georgia K. Boone
Avon Books
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
Blackstone Publishing
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9780063244023, $18.99, PB, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Ill-Be-Gone-Christmas-Novel/dp/0063244020

Synopsis: Bee Tyler needs a break. In the bustling San Francisco tech community, no one ever seems to stand still -- especially her perfect sister and business partner, Beth. So when her best friend suggests a getaway on the wildly popular house-swap app, Vacate, Bee decides a countryside retreat might be exactly what she needs.

Clover Mills has had a year. Between losing her mother and making the complicated decision to leave her fiance, sticking around the idyllic Christmas obsessed town of Salem, Ohio, just doesn't feel right. So when she hears about Vacate, she jumps at the chance to spend the holidays in the unfamiliar city of San Francisco.

Soon enough, Bee is living in Clover's cozy Salem cottage, and Clover is living in Bee's sleek San Francisco apartment. As Clover can't seem to stop running into Bee's frustratingly gorgeous sister, Beth, and Bee finds herself spending more and more time with Clover's ultra charming ex-fiance, Knox, the two women realize that this Christmas they may find just what they were looking for and more...

Critique: "I'll Be Gone For Christmas" by Georgia K. Boone is the stuff from which Hallmark Christmas movies are made! A fun read from start to finish, as an novelist, Georgia Boone demonstrates an impressively entertaining storytelling style - - making "I'll Be Gone For Christmas" an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community library Contemporary Romance and LGBTQ fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "I'll Be Gone For Christmas" is also available from Avon Books in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing, 9798874805180, $45.95, CD).

Editorial Note: Georgia K. Boone is a writer, a poet, and the daughter of storytellers. Sometimes, she writes songs she may one day share. Once, in a Brooklyn community center, she read James Baldwin's quote "You can't tell the children there's no hope," and she carries those words from the city to the desert and beyond. She currently lives on the West Coast with her family.

Christmas Catch
Toni Shiloh
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764244728, $39.43, HC, 208pp

https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Catch-Toni-Shiloh/dp/0764244728

Synopsis: Benched with a career-ending injury, NFL wide receiver Jahleel Walker is forced to return to his hometown of Peachwood Bay, Georgia, during the holidays to heal, despite his rocky relationship with his father. Nothing shocks him more than running into Lucille "Bebe" Gordon.

Bebe Gordon came home to Peachwood Bay three years ago with a divorce certificate and her daughter. When Jahleel returns (for the first time in eight years) all the memories of the past come rushing back. The connection between them is still strong, but Jahleel has no plans to stay in Peachwood Bay, and Bebe won't risk him leaving her again.

As their hometown's Christmas festivities bring them together, Jahleel must decide if he's only home for the holidays or if the Christmas spirit that brought them together will last all through the year.

Critique: "The Christmas Catch" by novelist Toni Shiloh is the stuff of which Hallmark Channel Christmas themed romance movies are made! While the road to love is beset with unexpected twists and turns, a happy ending is assured. A fun read from start to finish, "The Christmas Catch" is a very special and recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary Romance collections. It should be noted for all Christian & Holiday Romance fans and enthusiasts that this hardcover edition of "The Christmas Catch" is also readily available from Bethany House Publishers in a paperback edition (9780764244698, $8.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.54).

Editorial Note: Toni Shiloh (www.ToniShiloh.com) is a wife, a mom, and an award-winning Christian contemporary romance author. Her novel In Search of a Prince won the first ever Christy Amplify Award. It has also been praised by Oprah Daily, POPSUGAR, Library Journal, and Booklist, and is a Parable bestseller. A Run at Love was included in Booklist's Top 10 Romance Fiction of 2024. Her books have won the Selah Award and have been finalists for the Carol Award and the HOLT Medallion. As a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), Toni loves connecting with readers and authors alike via social media.

Across the Ages
Gabrielle Meyer
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764244209, $17.99, PB, 384pp

https://www.amazon.com/Across-Ages-Inspirational-Historical-Time-Travel/dp/0764244205

Synopsis: Caroline holds a deep secret. Living in 1727 and 1927 simultaneously, each night she goes to sleep in one life and wakes up in the other. In search of answers to her unique existence, Caroline stumbles upon a letter from her mother hinting at her own experiences as a time-crosser, sending Caroline on a daring quest to uncover the truth. In 1727, Caroline disguises herself as a cabin boy and joins a ship sailing for the Bahamas, her mother's last known location, where she crosses paths with a ruthless but handsome pirate and is caught in a web of secrets, deception, and unexpected alliances.

In 1927 St. Paul, Minnesota, Caroline grapples with her other life as the daughter of a renowned preacher. Her two older brothers have fallen prey to the corruption rampant during Prohibition, and Caroline struggles to keep their involvement hidden to save her father's career. As her search for answers about her time-crossing leads her to the dangerous yet exciting world of speakeasies, Caroline enlists the help of a childhood friend who is now a police officer. But with her family's future at risk and their loyalties tested, Caroline faces a life-altering decision that could reshape her destiny.

Critique: A unique time-travel element to a deftly crafted blending of romance and adventure, "Across the Ages" by author Gabrielle Meyer is a simply fascinating and compelling read from first page to last. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library collections, it should be noted for historical romance and science fiction fans that this paperback edition of "Across the Ages" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.59).

Editorial Note: Gabrielle Meyer (www.GabrielleMeyer.com) is a Christy Award winner who has worked for state and local historical societies and loves writing fiction inspired by real people, places, and events.

Cloaked in Beauty
Karen Witemeyer
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764244070, $29.99, HC, 384pp

https://www.amazon.com/Cloaked-Beauty-Texas-Ever-After/dp/0764244078

Synopsis: Letty Hood has spent the last fifteen years of her life hidden away with her grandmother in the backwoods of east Texas to escape the deadly schemes of an uncle who wants her dead. Now, with her twenty-first birthday on the horizon, she is forced to accept the escort of a stranger and return to Houston in secret so she can claim a birthright that will make her one of the wealthiest women in Texas.

If she lives long enough to inherit.

Pinkerton agent Philip Carmichael has one duty: get the Radcliffe heiress home alive. Expecting a spoiled girl, Philip is surprised to encounter a woman of rare strength with a kind soul and keen wit. As they journey together, Letty's resilience wins his admiration, breaking through his hardened cynicism. Yet the threat to her survival grows more menacing with every mile, and Philip fears that keeping Letty out of harm's way may be just as impossible as keeping her out of his heart.

Critique: Deftly blending romance with suspense, danger and adventure, with the publication of "Cloaked in Beauty" author Karen Witemeyer has created a simply riveting read from start to finish. Impressively original, especially entertaining, thoroughly reader engaging from beginning to end, "Cloaked in Beauty" is unreservedly recommended for community library Christian Romance collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Cloaked in Beauty" from Bethany House Publishers is also available in paperback (9780764240430, $11.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.39).

Editorial Note: Karen Witemeyer (www.KarenWitemeyer.com) offers her readers warmhearted historical romances with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes.

The Seaside Homecoming
Julie Klassen
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764244018, $29.99, HC, 400pp

https://www.amazon.com/Seaside-Homecoming-Historical-Sisterhood-Devonshire/dp/0764244019

Synopsis: Disgraced eldest sister Claire Summers has been living in exile as companion to a stern great-aunt in Scotland. About to lose her place and longing to be reconciled with her estranged family, Claire sees an advertisement from someone looking for a "respectable female partner" in a Sidmouth boarding house. Is it a sign? She answers the ad, hoping she has not made another reckless mistake.

When she meets the handsome, secretive proprietor, she wonders what he's hiding and if he's any more trustworthy than the nobleman who betrayed her years ago. Claire is drawn to him even though she fears he will reject her when he discovers her genteel fa‡ade hides a less than respectable past.

Meanwhile, the Summers family learns their great-aunt has died and Claire has disappeared without a word. The sisters rally together to find their lost sibling, but will their unexpected reunion heal old wounds and rekindle their bonds... or deepen the divide?

Critique: A deftly crafted, emotionally engaging, entertaining read from start to finish, "The Seaside Homecoming" by author Julie Klassen is an original and recommended novel of 'romance, second chances, and the enduring strength of sisterhood in the face of adversity". While a very special addition to community library Regency Romance collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated Christian historical romance fans that "The Seaside Homecoming" is also readily available from Bethany House Publishers in a paperback edition (9780764241017, $11.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Julie Klassen (www.JulieKlassen.com) is a three-time recipient of the Christy Award for Historical Romance. The Secret of Pembrooke Park was honored with the Minnesota Book Award for Genre Fiction. Julie has also won the Midwest Book Award and Christian Retailing's Best Award and has been a finalist in the RITA and Carol Awards. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Julie worked in publishing for 16 years and now writes full-time.

The Lodge
Kayla Olson
Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com
9781668033197, $17.99, PB, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Novel-Kayla-Olson/dp/1668033194

Synopsis: Alix Morgan just got her big break as the ghostwriter of a memoir by Sebastian Green, a former member of the boy band True North. And when he offers her a penthouse at a luxurious resort in Vermont, she jumps at the chance to work far away from her noisy, cramped apartment.

Her career as an entertainment journalist has been building toward this dream job -- after all, she used to cover True North and was one of the last people to interview former front man Jett Beckett before he disappeared. As she combs through her client's voice memos, the specter of the missing lead singer remains, and fans are desperate to know the full story.

But Alix also has time for some fun at this glamorous resort, where she begins ski lessons with a handsome instructor named Tyler. As Alix and Tyler fall in love on the slopes, Alix's work takes a complicated turn - and the mystery of True North's downfall may be hers to solve.

Critique: The stuff of which the Hallmark Channel movies are made, "The Lodge" by Kayla Olson is a fun read and especially recommended to readers who appreciated the author's originality and distinctive storytelling style in fashioning a novel of romantic comedy with a bit of mystery solving -- all leading to an emotionally engaging and happy ending. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library collections, it should be noted that "The Lodge" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), as well as a Library Binding edition (Thorndike Press Large Print, 9781420520521, $36.99).

Editorial Note: Kayla Olson (www.KaylaOlson.com) is the author of two books for young adults and The Reunion. She can be followed on Instrgfram/TikTok @AuthorKaylaOlson


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

A Hush at Midnight
Marlene M. Bell
Ewephoric
9798986340968, $15.95, PB, 368pp

https://www.amazon.com/Hush-Midnight-Secrets-Scandals-Recipe/dp/B0DG8K4CQD

Synopsis: Once celebrated for her show-stopping pastries and irresistible desserts, former celebrity chef Laura Harris is now making headlines for a far darker reason. She has been accused of murder.

How could this petite chef have brutally smothered the beloved small-town matriarch and World War II ferry pilot veteran, Hattie Stenburg? Hattie wasn't just a pillar of the community; she was Laura's confidant and mentor. The shocking twist? Hattie's will contained recent changes, bypassing next-of kin and leaving her entire fortune and historic estate to Laura.

As Laura scrambles to clear her name, she uncovers sinister secrets lurking beneath the town's idyllic surface. The real murderer is always one step ahead, leaving taunting clues and threatening Laura to leave Texas - or face deadly consequences. With time not a luxury, Laura must untangle the web of deceit before the killer makes her the next victim.

Critique: An original and fun read from start to finish, "A Hush At Midnight" by Marlene M. Bell has all the makings of an outstanding cozy mystery -- an amateur female sleuth accused of murder who must clear her name and save her life from an unknown killer. Featuring many an unexpected plot twist and turn, author and storyteller Marlene Bell has raised her 'whodunnit' novel to an impressive level of literary elegance. While an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of the legions of cozy mystery fans that this paperback edition of "A Hush At Midnight" from Ewephoric is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $1.99, Amazon).

Editorial Note: Marlene M. Bell (www.marlenembell.com) is the author of the Annalisse series and boasts numerous Best Mystery honors for all installments including the newest IP Best Regional Australia/New Zealand, and Global Gold Award for the fourth cozy mystery from down under. Her children's picture book, Mia and Nattie: One Great Team is a Mom's Choice Gold Award winner, and Eric Hoffer Award Grand Prize Short List winner.

The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie's Biscuits
Wanda E. Brunstetter & Martha Bolton, authors
Barbour Publishing
www.barbourbooks.com
9798891510111, $16.99, PB, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Fall-Miss-Fannies-Biscuits/dp/B0CYD821C4

Synopsis: Mysteries have a way of following Fannie Miller, so when she makes it into the finals of the Tuscarawas County Baking Contest and contestants start disappearing, she calls on her old friend Foster Bates, a retired cop and part-time private investigator.

Could it be that other finalists (like the couple on verge of divorce who need the prize money. . .or the three Beiler sisters, always in a huddle whispering) are somehow responsible for these disappearances, thinning out the competition?

One thing is certain -- Foster and Fannie will stay on the case until the end, and everyone involved will learn something important about baking contests, mystery solving, and life.

Critique: A deftly crafted and original cozy mystery set in Amish countryj, "The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie's Biscuits" by the team of author/storytellers Wanda E. Brunstetter and Martha Bolton have created a fun read for all dedicated 'whodunnit' cozy mystery fans and set in Ohio's Amish country. Certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of all mystery buffs that this paperback edition of "The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie's Biscuits" from Barbour Publishing is available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) as well.

Editorial Note #1: Wanda E. Brunstetter (https://wandabrunstetter.com) is one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre. She has written more than 100 books translated in four languages.

Editorial Note #2: Martha Bolton (www.marthabolton.com/home) is the author of over eighty books of inspiration and humor and was Bob Hope's first female staff writer. Martha has received nominations for an Emmy, a WGA Writing Award, and a Dove Award. Along with composer Wally Nason, she has written ten musicals for Blue Gate Musicals, including Josiah for President, the Musical, The Confession Musical, based on Beverly Lewis' popular Amish trilogy, and Half-Stitched, the Musical, based on Wanda Brunstetter's book of the same title, and others.

Murder Happens
Jim Courter
Histria Books
www.histriabooks.com
9781592114795, $19.99, PB, 200pp

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Happens-James-Courter/dp/1592114792

Synopsis: Solving murders isn't part of Devin Cleary's job description. As a security guard at Lincoln Court, a small boutique shopping mall in Urbana, Illinois, he has busted shoplifters, prevented the homeless from making the mall their home, and even rousted a few bathroom dope-smokers.

But when the mall becomes the site of multiple murders, Cleary finds himself caught up in a web of intrigue that may involve a contractor's ambitions for redeveloping Lincoln Court into a megamall. He is positioned to sniff out clues that the police miss.

By the world's standards, Devin Cleary is a loser. He's a college dropout. His lawyer wife left him for a colleague in her law firm. He has spent the last fifteen years in a minimum-wage, dead-end job that barely keeps him afloat. With no college degree, virtually no marketable skills, and the mall on the brink of closing for lack of business, Cleary wonders if he faces a future of sleeping outdoors in cardboard boxes and rummaging in dumpsters for meals.

The only hope for Lincoln Court's survival lies with that contractor's plans, which the owners of the mall oppose, and on support for them, if elected, of a candidate for governor who sets up campaign headquarters there -- until those murders cast a pall over that hope.

As he tries to solve them, Cleary finds himself increasingly at risk. He survives encounters with a mobster and his former mother-in-law, a knockout punch, frenzied Black Friday bargain hunters, a shooting spree, painful self-discovery, and, after unraveling a tangled skein of means, motive, and opportunity, a face-to-face encounter with the murderer.

More than just another 'whodunnit' mystery, "Murder Happens" is about a man out to prove, if only to himself, that his life has value in ways that the prevailing standards of the world don't take into account.

Critique: Skillfully crafted, impressively original, and a simply fun read from start to finish for dedicated mystery fans, "Murder Happens" is a suspense thriller of a mystery impressively elevated by author Jim Courter to an impressive level of literary excellence. While also available from Histria Books in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), "Murder Happens" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections.

Editorial Note: Jim Courter is a writer and emeritus writing instructor at Western Illinois University. His short stories have appeared in the United States, Canada, and England. He won an Illinois Arts Council award for short fiction. His essays have appeared in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Smithsonian, and on the op-ed pages of the Chicago Tribune and The Wall Street Journal. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15958181.Jim_Courter)

A Death in Diamonds
S. J. Bennett
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9798892420907, $29.99, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Diamonds-SJ-Bennett/dp/B0D374QCVZ

Synopsis: 1957, England. The young Queen Elizabeth II is finding her way in a postwar Europe, trying to repair friendships with foreign governments. Advised by her father's old courtiers, the Queen suspects that they may not have her best interests at heart. One of them is trying to sabotage her public appearances: that much she is sure of.

When two bodies turn up in Chelsea, the Queen finds herself unwillingly used as the alibi for somebody very close to her. With the reputation of the monarchy at stake, Elizabeth knows she can't face these challenges alone. She needs support from someone she can trust. Therefore, she enlists the help of an ex-code breaker, Joan McGraw, to uncover the truth.

But as Elizabeth and Joan are uncovering secrets from the past, the clock is ticking, and they are in more danger than they know.

Critique: An impressively original and deftly crafted 'whodunnit' cozy mystery (where the amateur female sleuth is Queen Elizabeth herself!) "A Death in Diamonds" is the fourth volume in novelist S.J. Bernnett's fabulous 'Her Majesty The Queen Investigates" series. A fun read for any and all dedicated mystery buffs, this hardcover edition of "A Death in Diamonds" from Crooked Lane Books is also available in for personal reading lists in a paperback (9781838776251, $19.99), in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and is a solid pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections.

Editorial Note: S. J. Bennett (www.sjbennettbooks.com) was born in Yorkshire, England, and lives in London. An army child, she grew up traveling around the world. Her first novel was published when she was forty-two, after a varied career and lots of procrastination. She is the award-winning author of several books for children and teaches and podcasts about writing.

Haunting and Homicide
Ava Burke
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
Blackstone Publishing
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9781639109289, $29.99, HC, 272pp

https://www.amazon.com/Haunting-Homicide-Ava-Burke/dp/1639109285

Synopsis: Tallulah "Lou" Thatcher has a gift: she can see dead people. But in New Orleans, Louisiana, this is not a drawback. On the contrary, her ability to see ghosts helps her host viral ghost tours through the historic Garden District.

When rival tour guide Adam Brandt (who had accused her of faking her encounters to undercut his business) is found murdered, Lou is the only one who can see him . . . his ghost, that is.

It's no secret Adam and Lou were feuding and with the absence of a suspect, she's the only one with a clear motive. After detective Dylan Finch, Lou's longtime crush, reveals the murder weapon was a ceremonial dagger from Lou's shop, she's officially declared the prime suspect. Determined to prove her innocence, Lou starts investigating right away.

Weaving her way through Adam's business partnerships, friendships, and kinships, Lou must uncover who wished to see him dead before the killer tries to silence her forever.

Critique: Deftly blending a ghost story within the context of a cozy mystery format (amateur female sleuth having to solve a 'whodunnit' murder mystery), author Ava Burke's "Haunting and Homicide" is a uniquely original suspense thriller of a read from beginning to end and unreservedly recommended for community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Haunting and Homicide" from Crooked Lane Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99). Librarians should note that "Haunting and Homicide" is also accessible as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing, 9798228313729, $39.99, CD).

Editorial Note: Ava Burke lives in Northwest Arkansas with her family and a menagerie of animals. When she's not writing, she's usually reading, but she also enjoys hiking, kayaking, and horseback riding. (https://nextnewbooks.com/authors/ava-burke)

The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime
Vicki Delany
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781639109265, $29.99, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Incident-Nighttime-Sherlock-Bookshop-Mystery/dp/1639109269

Synopsis: Gemma Doyle and her friends have packed their bags and headed to London for her sister Pippa's wedding. Waiting for her in the hotel lobby is none other than Gemma's ex-husband, Paul Erikson. Paul has a rare book he wants her to see (calling it "the real deal") so Gemma agrees to meet him at their old shop, Trafalgar Fine Books, the following day. But when Gemma arrives, accompanied by Grant, a rare book dealer, they find Paul dead in his office.

Paul had been down on his luck, but Gemma never expected this. Had he borrowed money from people he shouldn't have? And where is the valuable book he was so anxious for Gemma to see? It's nowhere to be found in the shop. Because of their previous relationship, Gemma feels she owes something to Paul and vows to find his killer.

As Gemma and her best friend Jayne Wilson follow Paul's trail of friends, enemies, clients, and ex-lovers through London to Yorkshire, she realizes the puzzle of Paul's last days is more twisted than she originally thought.

This mystery is anything but elementary, and Gemma and Jayne have to use all their wit to get to the bottom of it before their time in London (or in life) is over.

Critique: An original and fun read from cover to cover, "The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime" is the tenth title in author Vicki Delany's 'A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery' series and prized pick for a cozy mystery fan's 'must read' list. Blending a Sherlock Holmes style story with the cozy mystery genre, "The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly welcome addition to personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime" from Crooked Lane Books is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note: Vicki Delany (http://vickidelany.com) is the Canadian author of more than thirty novels/novellas in several of mystery's subgenres. Born in Manitoba and raised in Ontario, she is the former president of the Crime Writers of Canada, a member of Capital Crime Writers, and a member of Sisters in Crime.

Schooled in Murder
Victoria Gilbert
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781639109234, $29.99, HC, 272pp

https://www.amazon.com/Schooled-Murder-Victoria-Gilbert/dp/1639109234

Synopsis: Jennifer "Jen" Dalton is an author and educator at Clarion University in Virginia. She loves her job, but some of her petty coworkers look down on her for writing genre fiction. As members of the English department, they wish to encourage students to pursue higher literary aspirations. When a humiliating confrontation between an uppity professor and one of Jen's students, Mia, escalates, no one thinks much of it.

Until his dead body is found along with evidence incriminating Mia.

Jen knows Mia couldn't have killed him, but Mia's suspicious disappearance might as well be a proclamation of guilt. With the sleuthing skills Jen has acquired writing murder mysteries, she's determined to solve the case and clear Mia's name.

Along with the help of her fellow sleuthers (Christine Kubiak, a cafeteria manager; Zachary Flynn, the charming but annoying campus psychologist; and Brianna Rowley, a librarian) Jen must catch the real killer before there's another murder on the books.

Critique: A cosy mystery fan's delight from start to finish, "Schooled in Murder" by novelist Victoria Gilbert features a reluctant amateur female sleuth compelled by friendship and self-preservation to solve a lethal 'whodunnit' murder mystery against all odds. Also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99), this hardcover edition of "Schooled in Murder" is a riveting read and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections.

Editorial Note: Victoria Gilbert (https://victoriagilbertmysteries.com) Raised in a historic small town at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Victoria turned her early obsession with books into a dual career as an author and librarian. Now retired after over thirty years in the library field, she's worked as a reference librarian, research librarian, and university library director. Victoria writes the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series, the Booklover's B&B Mystery series, and the Hunter and Clewe traditional mystery series for Crooked Lane Books. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers,

Beneath the Poet's House
Christa Carmen
www.christacarmen.com
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662513275, $16.99, PB, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Beneath-Poets-House-Christa-Carmen/dp/1662513275

Synopsis: Unmoored by her husband's death and suffering from writer's block, novelist Saoirse White moves to Providence, and into the historic home of Sarah Helen Whitman, the nineteenth-century poet and spiritualist once courted by Edgar Allan Poe. Saoirse is certain she will find inspiration in the quiet rooms, as well as in the tucked-away rose garden and forgotten cemetery at the back of the property.

Saoirse is immediately welcomed by an effusive trio of transcendentalists obsessed with Whitman, the house, and Whitman's mystic beliefs. Saoirse, emerging from grief and loneliness, welcomes the idea of new friends taking her mind off the past -- even as they hope to summon it. When she meets Emmit Powell, a charismatic and charming prize-winning author, Saoirse thinks she's finally turned a corner.

Emboldened by new romance, Saoirse begins to write again and, through her writing, rediscover herself. But as old fears return, she finds that nothing about her new life is what it seems -- and a secret she's tried so hard to bury may not be the only thing that comes back to haunt her.

Critique: A skillfully crafted and impressively original suspense thriller of a read from start to finish, "Beneath The Poet's House" by Christa Carmen is raised to an impressive level of literary excellence by that author's distinctively effective, reader engaging, narrative driven storytelling style. While available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99), this paperback edition of "Benath The Poet's House" from Thomas & Mercer is unreservedly recommended addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections.

Editorial Note: Christa Carmen (www.christacarmen.com) is the author of The Daughters of Block Island, winner of the Bram Stoker Award and a Shirley Jackson Award nominee, the Indie Horror Book Award-winning Something Borrowed, Something Blood-Soaked, and the Bram Stoker Award-nominated "Through the Looking Glass and Straight into Hell" (Orphans of Bliss, Wicked Run Press). She has a BA from the University of Pennsylvania, an MA from Boston College, and an MFA from the University of Southern Maine.

The Killing Plains
Sherry Rankin
https://www.sherryrankinauthor.com
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662521157, $16.99, PB, 368pp

https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Plains-Sherry-Rankin/dp/1662521154

Synopsis: Two victims. Twenty years apart. One elusive killer. In Crescent Bluff, West Texas. Everybody knows everybody. And everybody has a secret.

When a boy is found dead with the skin of a hare's head in his hand, everyone knows who killed him -- Willis Newland -- who has just been released from prison after serving twenty years for an identical murder.

But what if everyone's wrong?

Detective Colly Newland reluctantly agrees to investigate a case that seems to involve the whole town, including her dead husband's extended family. But the deeper she digs, the more secrets she unearths. And as threats against her escalate, Colly realizes someone is willing to kill to keep theirs...

Critique: All the more impressive when considering that "The Killing Plains" is author Sherry Rankin's debut as a novelist, An original suspense thriller of a murder mystery with unexpected plot twists. "The Killing Plains" is an inherently fascinating and compulsive page turner of a read from start to finish. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that this paperback edition of "The Killing Plains" from Thomas & Mercer is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).

Editorial Note: Sherry Rankin grew up in New Jersey and has taught creative writing and literature in West Texas since 1997. After winning the Crime Writers' Association's Debut Dagger Award and being shortlisted for the Daniel Goldsmith First Novel Prize in 2017 (for an as-yet-unpublished novel), she went on to be shortlisted in the Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition in 2019. (https://www.theplotagency.com/sherryrankin)


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Orbital
Samantha Harvey
Grove Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802163622, $17.00 PB, $8.67 Kindle, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/Orbital-Samantha-Harvey/dp/0802163629

Synopsis: Originally published by the Atlantic Monthly Press in December, 2023, "Orbital by Samantha Harvey is slender novel of epic power and the winner of the Booker Prize 2024 that is now available in a paperback edition and a Kindle digital book format.

"Orbital" deftly snapshots one day in the lives of six women and men traveling through space. Selected for one of the last space station missions of its kind before the program is dismantled, these astronauts and cosmonauts (selected from America, Russia, Italy, Britain, and Japan) have left their lives behind to travel at a speed of over seventeen thousand miles an hour as the earth reels below.

We glimpse moments of their earthly lives through brief communications with family, their photos and talismans; we watch them whip up dehydrated meals, float in gravity-free sleep, and exercise in regimented routines to prevent atrophying muscles; we witness them form bonds that will stand between them and utter solitude.

Most of all, we are with them as they behold and record their silent blue planet. Their experiences of sixteen sunrises and sunsets and the bright, blinking constellations of the galaxy are at once breathtakingly awesome and surprisingly intimate.

Profound, contemplative, eloquent, "Orbital" is a moving elegy to our environment and planet.

Critique: Raising science fiction to an impressive level of literary excellent, "Orbital" by Samantha Harvey is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library Science Fiction & Literary Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Living in Bath, UK, and teaching creative writing at Bath Spa University. Samantha Harvey (www.samanthaharvey.co.uk) is the author of five novels: "Orbital", "The Western Wind", "Dear Thief", "All Is Song", and "The Wilderness", plus one work of nonfiction, "The Shapeless Unease". Orbital was the winner of the Booker Prize 2024, and her other work has been shortlisted for the Women's Prize, the Guardian First Book Award, the James Tait Black Prize, and the Walter Scott Prize. The Wilderness was awarded the Betty Trask Prize.

Visions of Darkness
A.L. Jackson
https://www.aljacksonauthor.com
Montlake
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662524943, $16.99, PB, 380pp

https://www.amazon.com/Visions-Darkness-L-Jackson/dp/1662524943

Synopsis: Aria Rialta is a girl of two realities. One she was born to. The other she was chosen for. Both are a threat.

Every night when Aria falls asleep, she enters the nightmare world of Faydor to fight a war. It's her calling to help destroy the Kruen, who feed sin and chaos to our everyday world of vulnerable humans. It would be a lonely realm in which to do battle if not for Pax, Aria's dangerously irresistible soulmate whose mere touch can kill. It's also a realm that's getting harder to escape.

Aria's hallucinations are seeping into her waking world. And the Kruen are coming for her. To help Aria, Pax must do what no one in Faydor has dared to do before -- join his soulmate in the light of day. Giving in to their forbidden attraction could be the death of them, but they might not be able to stop themselves as they embark on a cross-country journey to fight the evils hunting them.

As their desire grows, so do Aria's untapped powers, and a menacing new force far darker than the Kruen.

Critique: Deftly blending romance and fantasy with action and adventure, "Visions of Darkness" by A.L. Jackson is an impressively original and fun read from start to finish. with its memorable characters and unexpected plot twists, "Visions of Darkness" is especially recommended as a popular pick for community library Fantasy Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated fantasy fans that this paperback edition for "Visions of Darkness" from Montlake is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).

Editorial Note: A.L. Jackson (www.aljacksonauthor.com) is the author of Give Me a Reason and numerous series, including Regret, Closer to You, Bleeding Stars, Fight for Me, Confessions of the Heart, Falling Stars, Redemption Hills, and Time River.


The Audiobook Shelf

Traitor
Roberta Kray, author
Annie Aldington, narrator
Isis
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781399152662, $126.95, Library CD Format, 11 CDs, (12 Hours 14 Minutes)

https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/9781399152662

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/traitor-roberta-kray/1146024524

Synopsis: After her murderous ex-boyfriend who she turned in to the police was released from prison, Jem Byrne fled to London, desperate to hide herself. Now she spends every day waiting for him to catch up with her. But The Mansfield estate is far from a safe place to hide.

When Private Investigator Harry Lind meets Jem, he can tell she's hiding something big and he's desperate to find out what. But his talents have already been enlisted by another: an aging mother hoping to discover the truth about her daughter's disappearance.

Then there's also the two kids from The Mansfield pestering him to find their missing dad. Could Jem be the key to cracking both cases?

And then there is Philip, The Mansfield Estate's newest resident. He's lurking in the shadows, watching it all unfold. Or is he doing more than just watching?

Critique: Converted into a true 'theatre of the mind' experience by the narrative storytelling talents of Annie Aldington, this complete and unabridged Isis audio book edition of "Traitor" by Roberta Kray is a true suspense thriller from start to finish and unreservedly recommended for community and public library Mystery/Suspense audio book collections.

Editorial Note #1: Roberta Kray is a British author of fiction and nonfiction, mainly crime drama novels. She was born in Southport in 1959. Kray has worked in media research and publishing for fifteen years in London. She decided to stop working full time and write once her husband passed away. (https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/roberta-kray)

Editorial Note #2: Annie Aldington (https://www.anniealdington.co.uk) is an experienced actor and successful voice artist. She won the RNA Narrator Of The Year Award for 2021.


The Music CD Shelf

Time & Place
Joel Jeschke
joeljeschkedrums.com
Edmonton Arts Council
$20.00 CAD CD / $10.00 CAD digital

https://joeljeschke.bandcamp.com/album/time-place

Joel Jeschke showcases his drumming and bandleading talent in Time & Place, an album of instrumental jazz songs that he personally created. Performed by Joel Jeschke on drums, Holly Sangster on saxophone, Brett Hansen on guitar, Brendan McGrath on piano, and Aretha Tillotson on bass, Time & Place explores asymmetrical time signatures, rhythm punctuated by moments of dissonance, and adventurous contrasts in the emotional mood shifts between compositions. Time & Place is an exceptional debut album and a choice pick for connoisseurs of instrumental jazz, highly recommended! The tracks are Introduction, Koskela, Nuuksio, The Number Twelve, Aviary, Mammoth, Experimentations, Song For When It Rains, and The Unknown.

Trio
Kalya Ramu
www.kalyaramu.ca
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $8.91 MP3

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DK6FVBLT

https://kalyaramu.bandcamp.com/album/trio

Canadian jazz vocalist Kalya Ramu, guitarist Julien Bradley-Combs, and upright bass player Duncan Hopkins present Trio, a smoothly mellifluous album of iconic songs by a variety of creators. Masterfully performed and recorded, immersive, and beautiful, Trio is a choice pick for especially vocal jazz connoisseurs and highly recommended. The tracks are I'm In the Mood for Love (McHugh/Fields), Hayalda Hachi Yafa Bagan (Rechter/Geffen), If I Could Be with You (Johnson/Creamer), Caravan (Tizoi/Ellington/Mills), When The Moon Is High (Kalya Ramu), As Long as I Live (Arlen/Koehler), Out Of Nowhere (Green/Heyman), We'll Be Together Again (Fischer/Laine), and You Go to My Head (Coots/Gillespie).

For the Olives
Trendafilka
www.trendafilka.com
Privately Published
$15.00 CD / $12.00 digital / $25.00 vinyl

https://trendafilka.bandcamp.com/album/for-the-olives

New Orleans-based, eleven-piece vocal ensemble Trendafilka presents For the Olives, performances of traditional folk songs from Eastern Europe. The selected songs come from a rich heritage of polyphonic singing, and Trendafilka delivers a multilayered, world-class performance. For the Olives is highly recommended for both personal and public library international music collections, and also makes an excellent gift for vocal connoisseurs. The tracks are Chichovite Konye; Zamruknala Moma Yana; Oi Na Dubovi; Mori Aida, Aida; Joniniu Sutartine; Oi Na Ivana Na Kupala; Zaspalo E Chelbiche; Nekuo Dzeguzite; Mome Stoje; Po Moryu; Kaliora Na Houn I Elyes; and Zvezda Vechernitsa.

Particules Sonores
Alain Bedard Auguste Quartet
alainbedardauguste.com
Effendi Records
www.effendirecords.com
$TBA CD / $8.99 MP3

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DGLC19JK

The Alain Bedard Auguste Quartet is a Canadian jazz ensemble consisting of Mario Allard on soprano, tenor, alto, and bari sax; Marie Fatima Rudolf on piano; Alain Bedard on bass; and Michel Lambert on drums. Their seventh album is Particules Sonores, a collection of original, instrumental songs composed by quartet members. Each song has a different theme, reflection, or musical story, enticing the listener into a memorable journey of the senses. Highly recommended! The tracks are Compte-Rendu III, Profumo Chaneleone, Terrain Neutre, A Goose Story, Bamboozled, Il Cappello de mia Sorella, Celestes, Mel & Less, Rescape des Temps, and Bis du Gras Mollet.

Breath of Fresh Air
Diane Roblin & Life Force
www.dianeroblin.com
Produced by George Koller
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $12.00 CAD digital

https://dianeroblin.bandcamp.com/album/breath-of-fresh-air

Breath of Fresh Air is a jazz album of original compositions by Diane Roblin (with horn arrangements on tracks 2 and 5 by Bruce Cassidy). The complex and dynamic songs are performed by a multitalented six-person ensemble: Diane Roblin on piano, rhodes, and keyboards; Kevin Turcotte on trumpet and flugelhorn; John Johnson on soprano and alto sax; Jeff LaRochelle on tenor sax and bass clarinet; George Koller on acoustic and electric bass; and Tim Shia on drums. Their masterful collaboration has created an extraordinary, multifaceted musical journey that sparks the imagination and uplifts the spirit. Highly recommended! The tracks are Ladyfinger, Breath of Fresh Air, Now, Drifting Into Dreamland, Renewed on Thanksgiving Day, and Cadenza.

Undrilling the Hole
Spinifex
TryTone Records
15.00 Euro CD / 9.00 Euro digital

https://spinifex.bandcamp.com/album/undrilling-the-hole-2

Undrilling the Hole is an album of seven original compositions by Tobias Klein. The songs are performed by the ensemble Spinifix: Tobias Klein on alto saxophone, Bart Maris on trumpet, John Dikeman on saxophone, Jasper Stadhouders on guitar, Goncalo Almeida on bass, and Philipp Moser on drums. An avant-garde work blending elements of jazz and punk rock, Undrilling the Hole is a wild, exciting plunge into the heady freedom of unfettered rhythms and creative stylings. Undrilling the Hole is choice pick for connoisseurs of cutting edge music artistry, highly recommended. The tracks are Embrace the Contradictions, Undrilling the Hole, Tatiana, Explode the Paradox, Admire the Ambiguities, Boiling Up Beautifully, and The Big Brother.

Eyes on the Horizon
Joe Fonda Quartet
With Wadada Leo Smith, Satoko Fujii, and Tiziano Tononi
www.joefonda.com
Long Song Records
13.90 Euro CD / 8.00 Euro digital

https://joefondaquarte.bandcamp.com/album/eyes-on-the-horizon

Bassist and composer Joe Fonda has collaborated with Satoko Fujii, Tiziano Tononi, and his teacher Wadada Leo Smith to create Eyes on the Horizon, a masterful performance of original compositions created in tribute to Smith. Individual tracks reflect upon time spent learning, practicing, and performing music as art itself! Inspired and inspiring, Eyes on the Horizon is vibrant, brilliantly crafted work and a timeless expression of gratitude from student to instructor, highly recommended. The tracks are Inspiration opus #1 (for Wadada Leo Smith), My song opus #2, We need members opus #4 (for Wadada Leo Smith), Like no other (for Bobby Naughton), Listen to Dr. Cornel West, Bright light opus #5 (for Wadada Leo Smith), and Eyes on the horizon opus #3 (for Wadada Leo Smith).

Christmastime in Rio
Romero Lubambo and Pamela Driggs
Sunnyside Communications, Inc.
$12.98 CD / $9.00 digital

https://romerolubambo.bandcamp.com/album/christmastime-in-rio

Christmastime in Rio is a holiday album with a Brazilian beat! The talented duo of Romero Lubambo on guitar and percussion and vocalist Pamela Driggs, supported by Peter Martin on piano, Victor Goncalves on accordion, Joe Locke on vibraphone, Itaiguara Brandao on bass, and Rafael Barata on drums, bring wintertime classics to life with a distinctly Brazilian twist to their exuberant performance! All arrangements are Romero Lubambo's masterful handiwork. Christmastime in Rio is a treasure for the holiday season or any season, and also makes an excellent gift! The tracks are Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane), I'll Be Home for Christmas (Walter Kent and Kim Gannon), Holiday of Love (Bill Driggs), Christmas Love Song (Johnny Mandel, Alan and Marilyn Bergman), Silent Night (Franz Gruber and Joseph Mohr), Presente de Natal (Nelcy Noronha), Winter Reverie (Romero Lubambo and Pamela Driggs), The Christmas Song (Mel Torme and Robert Wells), Santa Claus is Coming to Town (Haven Gillespie and J. Fred Coots), White Christmas (Irving Berlin), Jingle Bells (James Lord Pierpont), and Toyland (Victor Herbert and Glen MacDonough).


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

Altered States of Consciousness in the Movies
John C. Stephens
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476695044, $49.95, PB, 212pp

https://www.amazon.com/Altered-States-Consciousness-Movies-Brainwashing/dp/1476695040

Synopsis: Altered states of consciousness (ASCs) include dreams, hypnosis, spirit possession and brainwashing. These phenomena have long captivated contemporary culture. In the 20th century, Hollywood integrated ASCs into an array of films, reflecting society's fascination with the subject. After early cinematic portrayals laid the groundwork, the depiction of ASCs on the silver screen surged with the advent of special effects in the 1960s and are abundant in the present day.

With the publication of "Altered States of Consciousness in the Movies: Portrayals of Hypnosis, Brainwashing, Spirit Possession, Dreams and Visions Since the 1940s", Professor John C. Stephens traces the rise and proliferation of ASCs within American cinema, focusing on major studio releases from the 1940s onward.

By examining various aspects of altered consciousness, from weaponized hypnosis to spiritual encounters, the text sheds light on the cultural reception of these films, recent research on ASCs and discrepancies between scientific knowledge and cinematic representation.

Critique: A simply fascinating study, "Altered States of Consciousness in the Movies: Portrayals of Hypnosis, Brainwashing, Spirit Possession, Dreams and Visions Since the 1940s" will prove of immense appeal to readers with an interest in how Hollywood and its movie makers has included the paranormal in their cinematic projects. Along with occasional B/W photos, "Altered States of Consciousness in the Movies" includes four pages of Chapter Notes, a four page Bibliography, and three page Index. A seminal and exceptionally well presented study, "Altered States of Consciousness in the Movies" is a unique and recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Cinematic History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for film students, critics, and fans that "Altered States of Consciousness in the Movies" this paperback edition of "Altered States of Consciousness in the Movies" from McFarland & Company is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $29.99).

Editorial Note: John C. Stephens is an adjunct professor of religion at San Joaquin Delta Community College, USA, and received his PhD in the field of religious studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is a specialist in the history of religions, and his work focuses on the ancient religious traditions of the West. His previous books include The Dreams and Visions of Aelius Aristides: A Case-Study in the History of Religions; Ancient Mediterranean Religions: Myth, Ritual and Religious Experience; Journeys to the Underworld and Heavenly Realm in Ancient and Medieval Literature; and The World of the Axial Sages: The Age of Awakening.

Phyllis Coates: Not Just Lois Lane
Bill Cassara
BearManor Media
www.bearmanormedia.com
9798887715452. $42.00, HC, 278pp

https://www.amazon.com/Phyllis-Coates-Just-Lois-Lane/dp/B0DCD1NZ34

Synopsis: Phyllis Coates (January 15, 1927 - October 11, 2023) was a Texas beauty with grace and a drive to succeed. Her introduction to show business was at seven years old when she impersonated Shirley Temple on stage. As an adult, she had to change her original name (Gypsie Ann Stell) to break into the movies at the end of the studio system.

Despite over 140 film and television credits, she is best remembered for her characterization as "Lois Lane" in the first season of the Adventures of Superman -- the iconic program that burst through television and into family living rooms with action, justice, and surrealism.

She is also synonymous with early television in programs such as: The Cisco Kid, The Lone Ranger, Abbott and Costello Show, Topper, Death Valley Days, Lassie, Leave It to Beaver, Gunsmoke, The Untouchables, Rawhide, and Perry Mason.

Additionally, Phyllis appeared in cult classic films: Superman and the Mole Men, I was a Teenage Frankenstein, Blues Busters, dozens of westerns, and the Behind the Eight Ball short film series.

"Phyllis Coates: Not Just Lois Lane" by biographer Bill Cassara divulges her friendship with George Reeves and her own hardships in life that would require a superwoman to get through. Feisty Phyllis stands as a true role-model and pioneer in her field, but she wasn't all peaches and screams.

Critique: Nicely enhanced for the reader's benefit with numerous B/W historical photos, an Appendix (Letter to Author from Bart Williams), and a six page Index, "Phyllis Coates: Not Just Lois Lane" is a fascinating, informative, nostalgic study of a an actress who enjoyed a successful and hard earned career in both film and television. An extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for community and college/university library Theatre/Cinema/Television History/Biography collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, cinema/television historians, and the legions of Phyllis Coates fans that her outstanding biography is available from BearManor Press in a paperback edition (9798887715445, $30.00).

Analyzing the Marvel Universe
Douglas Brode, editor
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476690667, $49.95, PB, 245pp

https://www.amazon.com/Analyzing-Marvel-Universe-Critical-Adaptations/dp/1476690669

Synopsis: Originally a comic book publisher, Marvel, like other media "universes," is a collection of highly profitable and audience-satisfying products that exist not only as individual items of popular culture but coalesce to form a unique and all-encompassing identity.

Within media studies, elements of popular culture once dismissed as low-brow entertainment are now studied with the seriousness that has always been afforded classics like Shakespeare's plays and ancient myth. Indeed, DC and Marvel might be thought of as competing myth systems.

Compiled and edited by Douglas Brode, "Analyzing the Marvel Universe: Critical Essays on the Comics and Film Adaptations" is a collection of an Introduction and 18 diverse essays covering all aspects of the Marvel Universe, from in-print graphic novels to film and television variations.

The contributors present in-depth, original and inclusive interpretations of numerous individual elements of Marvel, including analysis of key characters, themes and aesthetic elements. They also offer a vision of the essential "meaning" of Marvel, including aspects that set it apart from the DC Universe and other media.

Individual readings apply feminist, ethnic, and queer theory, among others, and deal with the lesser known aspects of Marvel's offerings in order to provide the definitive collection on this subject.

Beginning with an introduction by the editor that provides a complete overview of the Marvel canon, "Analyzing the Marvel Universe: Critical Essays on the Comics and Film Adaptations" offers the broadest and most in-depth collection on the subject to date.

Critique: An informative, insightful, thoughtful, and thought provoking read from cover to cover, and a 'must' for the legions of Marvel Universe fans, along with being unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Cinematic History & Popular Culture collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Analyzing the Marvel Universe: Critical Essays on the Comics and Film Adaptations" from McFarland & Company is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, 29.99).

Editorial Note: Douglas Brode is a novelist, screenwriter, playwright, film historian, and award winning journalist. He teaches courses on various popular culture subjects at the Newhouse School of Public Communications, Department of Radio, TV and Film, at Syracuse University. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/113950.Douglas_Brode)

Saturday Night
Doug Hill & Jeff Weingrad
Histria A&E
c/o Histria Books
www.histriabooks.com
9781592115303, $32.99, HC, 500pp

https://www.amazon.com/Saturday-Night-Backstage-History-Live/dp/1592115306

Synopsis: Co-authored by seasoned television journalists Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad, "Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live" readers will discover the intimate and original history of the enduringly popular and long running 'Saturday Night Live' television show.

From its rebellious beginnings as an outlaw comedy program produced by an unruly band of renegades to becoming a TV institution, "Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live" captures it all. Readers will learn how SNL created stars like John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman, Garrett Morris, Joe Piscopo, and Eddie Murphy.

This groundbreaking study reveals what really happened behind the scenes during the first ten years of Saturday Night Live. From battles with NBC to internal conflicts within the cast and crew, "Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live" reveals love affairs, betrayals, rivalries, drug problems, overnight successes, and bitter failures -- all intertwined with the creation of some of the most original and outrageous comedy ever.

The 50th Anniversary reissue of "Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live" features nearly fifty photographs of the cast, crew, and sketches, providing a visual journey through the show's early years.

Critique: An absolute 'must' for the legions of SNL fans, and in an updated edition to celebrate Saturday Night Live's enduring pop culture television legacy, "Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live" is a unique and especially recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library television history/comedy collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live" from Histria A&E is also available in paperback (9781592115365, $21.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).

Editorial Note: Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad are experienced and professional television journalists who have contributed to The Associated Press, The New York Times, New York Daily News, New York Post, TV Guide, Broadcasting/Cablecasting, and Advertising Age.

Alfalfa: The Rascal You Knew, the Character You Never Knew
James Tehrani
BearManor Media
www.bearmanormedia.com
9798887716077, $46.00, HC, 422pp

https://www.amazon.com/Alfalfa-Rascal-Knew-Character-Never/dp/B0DM49M9LT

Synopsis: The country was mired in the throes of the Great Depression, and thousands of parents headed to Hollywood thinking their kid was one-in-a-million. Hoping that a better life would be possible if they could just get their son or daughter to join a gang. Not just any gang -- Hal Roach's 'Our Gang', arguably the most-famous child based comedy film series of the day, perhaps of all time.

While thousands tried out, few were Gang material. Carl Switzer was picked to be a Rascal called Alfalfa.

Like his contemporaries, Spanky, Buckwheat, Porky, Butch, The Woim, Waldo, and others, Carl's on-screen nickname, Alfalfa, has become part of pop-culture lexicon for nearly a century. As has his famous cowlick and on-screen courtship of his gal pal, Darla.

After the Our Gang comedies, Carl's career was suddenly over. He disappeared. At least that's what many would have you believe. The truth is he had a more-successful film and TV career than most of the other kids in the series even before Our Gang's rebirth as The Little Rascals in the 1950s. He even had a role in one of the most popular films of all time, It's a Wonderful Life.

But it wasn't always a wonderful life for the kid from Paris.

For the first time, in the pages of "Alfalfa - The Rascal You Knew, the Character You Never Knew" Carl Switzer's true story comes to life through extensive research and interviews conducted with people who knew him personally. With never-before-revealed information about his life and his untimely demise, this is the biography of Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer that generations of Little Rascals fans have been waiting for. This is the tale of the rascal you knew and the character you never knew.

Critique: Simply stated, "Alfalfa - The Rascal You Knew, the Character You Never Knew" by journalist and biographer James Tehrani is the first in-depth, comprehensive, and documented examination of the life and the untimely death of Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer who became globally famous as a child actor in Hal Roach's "Our Gang/Little Rascals" movie series. Unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college/university library Cinematic History/Biography collections and supplemental 20th Century Popular Culture curriculum studies reading lists, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "Alfalfa - The Rascal You Knew, the Character You Never Knew" from BearManor Media is also available in paperback (9798887716060, $36.00).

Editorial Note: James Tehrani has won multiple awards for editorial excellence, including several Headline Writer of the Year for Non-Newspapers awards from the American Copy Editors Society. He also oversaw Workforce magazine's 90th anniversary content, which was recognized as a finalist for a prestigious Neal award. After graduating from the University of Missouri, James started his own magazine called Classic Comedian, which took a serious look at the world of comedy. He has also edited two award-winning novels, "Autobiography of a Werewolf Hunter" and "Heart of Scars".

H.M. Wynant - You Must Believe!
Steven Peros
BearManor Media
www.bearmanormedia.com
9798887715759, $38.00, HC, 22pp

https://www.amazon.com/H-M-Wynant-You-Must-Believe/dp/B0DJF6R6SW

Synopsis: Whether you are familiar with H.M. Wynant or not, "H.M. Wynant - You Must Believe!" by Steven Peros is exceptionally reading for anyone who wants to know, experience, and feel what it was like to be barely twenty years old in Manhattan in the late 1940's and early 1950's, performing on Broadway every night, dancing Jerome Robbins' choreography in his very first show, appearing on stage with Laurence Olivier, Phil Silvers, Rex Harrison, and Katharine Hepburn, while running to television studios in the daytime during the dawn of live TV dramas, to work with the likes of Charlton Heston and Boris Karloff.

This biographic history for anyone who wants to know what it was like to be not yet thirty-years-old and recruited to come out to Hollywood in the mid-1950's to not only appear in movies with Clark Gable, Burt Lancaster, Elvis Presley, Charles Bronson, and Rod Steiger, but to have juicy guest roles on quite literally all of the most famous TV dramas and Westerns (and a few of the comedies) on the air from the 1950's through the 1970's (Batman, Mission: Impossible, Gunsmoke, Rawhide, Get Smart!, I Spy, Perry Mason, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Wild Wild West, Hawaii Five-O, Dallas), as well as live TV dramas with George C. Scott, Mickey Rooney, Ricardo Montalban, and Jack Warden.

And of course, starring in a little piece of TV history called The Twilight Zone, a line of dialogue from which the title of this book is derived.

Critique: Illustrated with B/W photos, "H.M. Wynant - You Must Believe!" is an extraordinary, informative, and fun read for cinema, stage, and television history from a true insider's extensive and intensively perspective. This life story of a professional actor who worked with so many of the 'greats' of his era will prove to be a popular and appreciated pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library 20th Century Theatre/Cinema/TV History/Biography collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that this hardcover edition of "H.M. Wynant - You Must Believe!" from BearManor Media is also available in paperback (9798887715742, $28.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).

Editorial Note: Steven Peros (www.stevenperos.com) has written Film and TV scripts for NBC/Universal, AMC, Walden Media, Mandate, and others. His feature directorial debut, "Footprints" (2011), which he wrote, was called "One of the Ten Best Films So Far This Year" by the Chairman of the New York Film Critics Circle, and is available on DVD, VOD, and Download via Amazon.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Tradition and Transition
Andres Spokoiny
Gefen Publishing House
c/o Storch
www.gefenpublishing.com
9789657801437, $20.00, HC, 160pp

https://www.amazon.com/Tradition-Transition-Communities-Empowered-Individual/dp/9657801435

Synopsis: Since the advent of modernity, the human condition has been changing and evolving, a process that has accelerated radically in the 21st century. These transformations are revolutionizing Jewish communities throughout the world and posing momentous questions for individual Jews and Jewish leaders alike.

While Judaism has undergone many changes in its four thousand years of history, there's something particularly perplexing about our times, as the rise of the hyper-empowered individual challenges the foundations of every cultural and religious community.

Drawing on extensive research and decades of professional practice in the Jewish Community, with the publication of "Tradition and Transition. Jewish Communities and the Hyper Empowered Individual", Andres Spokoiny seeks to answer a key question: How can Jewish communities (and Judaism) thrive in our tumultuous age?

While "Tradition and Transition" focuses on Jewish communities, it also offers valuable insights for all those who study Jewish identity, belonging, and community in the 21st century.

Critique: A seminal and ground-breaking study, "Tradition and Transition. Jewish Communities and the Hyper Empowered Individual" is an extraordinarily informative, exceptionally well presented, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, synagogue, community, and college/university library Contemporary Judaism collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, rabbis, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that Andres Spokoiny's "Tradition and Transition" from Gefen Publishing House is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Andres Spokoiny (www.andres-spokoiny.com) is a longtime Jewish communal leader with a history of leading successful organizational transformations. He is the president and CEO of the Jewish Funders Network (JFN), the premier philanthropic organization of the Jewish world. Before that, Andres served as the CEO of Federation CJA in Montreal and, prior to that, he worked for the American Jewish Joint Distribution Community (JDC) in Paris, France. Andres has a multidisciplinary academic background, including business, education, and rabbinical studies in different institutions around the world.

Soviet Jewry Reborn: A Personal Journey
Asher Ostrin
Gefen Publishing House
c/o Storch
www.gefenpublishing.com
9789657801451, $29.95, HC, 298pp

https://www.amazon.com/Soviet-Jewry-Reborn-Asher-Ostrin/dp/9657801451

Synopsis: With the publication of "Soviet Jewry Reborn: A Personal Journey", Asher Ostrin tells the story of the Jewish renaissance that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union and the abolition of Communist-era policies aimed at eradicating Jewish life.

It is comprised of a series of first-hand, real-time accounts of the Ostrin's personal encounters with one of the world's largest concentration of Jews at that time who, out of choice or necessity, remained in what became known as the Former Soviet Union (FSU), while many of their brethren emigrated.

Critique: Informative enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of an informative ten page Prologue (A Personal Journey), an eight page Afterword, a two page Glossary, and a nine page Index, Asher Ostrin's "Soviet Jewry Reborn: A Personal Journey" from the Gefen Publishing House is an inherently fascinating, compelling, and illuminating read from start to finish. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Soviet Jewry Reborn: A Personal Journey" is part memoir, part history. Also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.62), "Soviet Jewry Reborn" is unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library Contemporary Jewish History/Biography/Memoir collections.

Editorial Note: Born and raised in New York, Asher Ostrin's passion for, and commitment to, the Jewish people have been the driving force in his professional life, the centerpiece of which are his more than three decades of service with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC or the Joint).

In 1986, Asher moved to Vienna, Austria to direct JDC's operations aiding tens of thousands of Jewish refugees fleeing Iran, the Soviet Union, and other Eastern Bloc countries. At the same time he began to work in Jewish communities on behalf of the JDC- first in Yugoslavia and later in Hungary amidst the turmoil that would result in the collapse of Communist systems in the region.

With the fall of the Soviet Union, he was tapped to lead JDC's efforts to renew, reclaim and rebuild the Jewish communities of the Former Soviet Union, serving in that role for more than two transformational decades.

Asher went on to lead a variety of efforts to support Jewish communities in need around the globe. Those are as varied as Helsinki and Djerba, Antalya and Bratislava, Mumbai and Caracas, and more. He was the JDC'S interim CEO during the initial period of the Covid pandemic, and oversaw JDC's operations worldwide to address the devastation caused by the pandemic.

Asher and his wife Ruth moved to Jerusalem 1992. They have three children and six grandchildren, all of whom live in Israel and, in contrast to their grandfather, speak unaccented Hebrew.

Chutzpah Girls
Julie Silverstein and Tami Schlossberg Pruwer, authors
Toby Press
c/o Koren Publishers Jerusalem Ltd.
www.korenpub.com
9781592646920, $34.95, HC, 232pp

https://www.amazon.com/Chutzpah-Girls-Julie-Silverstein/dp/1592646921

Synopsis: With the publication of "Chutzpah Girls" by co-authors Julie Silverstein and Tami Schlossberg Pruwer, readers will now be able to embark on an extraordinary journey from antiquity to the present day as presented in the stories of 100 daring Jewish women who triumphed over darkness and went on to create a brighter world.

From Abigail to Zivia, "Chutzpah Girls" come from diverse communities across the globe with powerful stories to awaken Jewish pride, inspire its readers (especially women and girls) to explore their Jewish heritage, and, despite the odds, dream bigger than ever before. Of special note is the includes 100 original, full page portraits by Jewish female artists worldwide.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized, presented, and informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a two page Timeline, a two page Map, a four page Glossary, a two page listing of illustrators, and an attached 'place holding' ribbon, this hardcover edition of "Chutzpah Girls: 100 Tales of Daring Jewish Women" from Toby Press is an especially welcome, inspiring, and unreservedly recommended addition to family, community, and college/university library Women in Judaism History/Biography collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Chutzpah Girls: 100 Tales of Daring Jewish Women" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note #1: Julie Silverstein co-wrote "Chutzpah Girls: 100 Tales of Daring Jewish Women" to honor the daring Jewish men and women in her life, like her grandmother, who, as a girl in Germany, bravely confronted the Nazi police to demand the release of her father from unjust detention. She hopes this book will be a key that un-locks the stories of chutzpah in your family.

Editorial Note #2: Tami Schlossberg Pruwer comes from and married into lineages of strong Jewish women. She co-[wrote "Chutzpah Girls: 100 Tales of Daring Jewish Women" in their honor and to inspire her children with the heroines of their heritage.


The Gardening Shelf

The Secrets of Great Botanists
Matthew Biggs
EK Books
c/o Exisle Publishing
www.exislepublishing.com.au
9781923011038, $24.99, PB, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Great-Botanists-Teach-Gardening/dp/1923011030

Synopsis: Botanists have been the trailblazers in discovering how plants work to benefit our species, collecting many of the plant-species we find in our gardens today from all around the world. This informative and beautiful guide presents the stories and reveals the secrets of 35 of these botanists, plant collectors and gardening pioneers of the past and present.

This includes Joseph Banks, Asa Gray and Marianne North, highlighting the qualities that brought them success. Every botanist included in "The Secrets of Great Botanists: And What They Teach Us About Gardening" was, or is, passionate about their particular specialty. Whether they were searching for plants in wild places, prescribing herbal medicines or forming new structures of plant classification, they were driven by an insatiable desire to learn and discover, so that we, as humans, might benefit from improved crops, medicines or gardens.

Through the vibrancy of botanical photographs and beautifully illustrated period botanical watercolors, "The Secrets of Great Botanists: And What They Teach Us About Gardening" by gardening expert Matthew Biggs aims to teach aspiring gardeners about the observations, ideas, secrets and discoveries of these ground-breaking botanists. Their influence on gardening and the wider world will provide inspiration and practical guidance for budding gardeners of all levels and inspire readers to try these plants and tips at home.

Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with full color photography and museum quality artwork, "The Secrets of Great Botanists: And What They Teach Us About Gardening" is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a two page Bibliography and a four page Index. Informed, informative, exceptionally well written, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Secrets of Great Botanists: And What They Teach Us About Gardening" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Gardening instructional reference collections.

Editorial Note: Matthew Biggs (http://matthewbiggs.com) trained at The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, has presented numerous TV gardening programs and is a regular on UK radio. Author of and contributor to several books and magazines, Matthew is also a highly regarded lecturer. He has traveled widely and is fascinated by global gardening.

Beyond the Root Cellar
Sam Knapp
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
www.chelseagreen.com
9781645022107, $45.00, PB, 272pp

https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Root-Cellar-Vegetables-Off-Season/dp/1645022102

Synopsis: Sam Knapp built Offbeet Farm, a winter storage farm in interior Alaska, from the ground up. For the last four years, his success at Offbeet Farm has been a testament to the many benefits of growing crops for wintertime sales. His methods continually prove that winter storage is an excellent way to diversify a farm's offerings, spread the workload more evenly throughout the year, retain customers and employees during the off-season, and bolster local food systems.

With the publication of "Beyond the Root Cellar: The Market Gardener's Guide to Growing and Storing Vegetables for Off-Season Sales and Food Security", Sam Knapp provides a compendium of insights, advice, and instruction that draws directly from his experience -- and that of many other storage farmers Sam has met along the way. As Sam says, this is the book he wishes he had when he embarked on his own winter storage business, and that he hopes it will pave the way for growers both new and established who are interested in storage farming.

"Beyond the Root Cellar" offers tips and tools for:

Selecting crops and varieties that are best for storage
Navigating the ins and outs of storage farm financials and planning
Harvesting, processing, and moving crops into storage
Designing, creating, and managing temperature- and humidity-controlled storage areas

Also included are profiles of nine different storage farms, a crop compendium with in-depth information about eighteen storage crops, and full-color photography throughout that depicts a range of storage facilities, methods, and crops.

Critique: This large format (8 x 1 x 10 inches, 1.65 pounds) paperback edition of "Beyond the Root Cellar: The Market Gardener's Guide to Growing and Storing Vegetables for Off-Season Sales and Food Security" from Chelsea Green Publishing is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $39.76). Nicely illustrated throughout, impressively 'reader/user' friendly in organization and presentation, "Beyond the Root Cellar" is an invaluable and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Gardening/Agriculture collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Sam Knapp grew up in the woods near the shores of Lake Superior with little exposure to farm life. After earning degrees in physics and chemistry and starting down the career path of engineering, Sam caught the farming bug while working on a research farm in Sweden. He worked on vegetable farms in Sweden, Alaska, Michigan, and Wisconsin before starting his own Root Cellar Farm in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to earn extra income while completing a master's degree in plant ecology. In 2020, Sam moved outside of Fairbanks, Alaska, where he built Offbeet Farm from scratch in a patch of boreal forest. Offbeet Farm provides vegetables to the Fairbanks community during the long, dark Alaskan winters through a winter-only community supported agriculture (CSA) program and sales to local groceries. Owing to his scientific background, he is a self-professed nerd when it comes to energy-efficiency, farm tools, and spreadsheets.


The Wine Shelf

Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book 2025
Margaret Rand, general editor
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781784729592, $17.99, HC, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Hugh-Johnsons-Pocket-Wine-Book/dp/1784729590

Synopsis: The annual "Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book" is the essential reference book for everyone who buys wine whether it is in shops, restaurants, or on the internet. Now in its 48th year of publication and under the general editorship of wine expert Margaret Rand, this edition of "Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book 2025" by Mitchell Beazley has no rival as the comprehensive, up-to-the-minute annual guide.

Providing clear succinct facts and commentary on the wines, growers and wine regions of the whole world, this informative guide also reveals which vintages to buy, which to drink and which to cellar, which growers to look for and why. As did its predecessors, "Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine 2025" provides clear information on grape varieties, local specialities and how to match food with wines that will bring out the best in both.

This latest 2025 edition of "Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine" includes a color supplement on Pinot Noir, the world's most highly prized grape, discussing everything from variety and food pairings to Pinot Noir sparkling wines and how climate change has affected the production of this grape.

Critique: This highly portable and slender (4.1 x 0.9 x 7.6 inches, 12 ounces) hardcover edition of "Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book 2025" is organized by a wine's country of origin and is throughly 'reader friendly' and comprehensive in descriptions and commentaries. Ideal for both the professional wine connoisseur and the non-profession wine enthusiast, "Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book 2025" is an unreservedly recommended addition to community and college/university library collections. It should be noted for personal use and reference that "Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book 2025" is also available from Mitchell Beazley in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).

Editorial Note: Margaret Rand has been general editor of Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book for some 15 years and now, with Hugh's retirement, has taken over the hot seat. The book's mix of personal insight and informed recommendations have made it the world's best-selling annual wine book. Rand's curiosity about wine started several decades ago and led her to a career of writing about wine and editing wine magazines, with the occasional foray into whisky. Her books include Grapes & Wines and 101 Wines to Try Before You Die; she also writes regularly for The World of Fine Wine, timatkin.com and winesearcher.com


The Railroading Shelf

Michigan Railway Company
Norman L. Krentel
Michigan State University Press
http://msupress.org
9781611864984, $69.95, HC, 400pp

https://msupress.org/9781611864984/michigan-railway-company

Synopsis: With the publication of "Michigan Railway Company: The Northern and Southern Divisions", Norman L. Krentel provides the first comprehensive history of the Michigan United Railway Company, tracing the rise and fall of Michigan's most significant electric railway.

This illustrated and informative history covers the company's founding in local rail-based public transportation systems in Lansing, Jackson, Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, and Owosso-Corunna and ends with its eventual demise, abandoned prior to the stock market crash of 1929. Krentel then follows the fragments of lines in lower Michigan, which came together to form the MUR. He also examines the interurban lines, which were broken down into five divisions, each with a separate superintendent.

These divisions were Northern and Southern, which had formerly been Michigan United Railways; Northwestern, which had been Grand Rapids, Holland, and Chicago Railway; Western; and Northeastern.

"Michigan Railway Company: The Northern and Southern Divisions" also explores how electric railway history is intertwined with the state of Michigan. The interurban electric rail system supported automobile manufacturing, allowing for the shipment of parts supplies, and finished automobiles through Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. Major auto plants like REO and Oldsmobile had rail sidetracks served by Michigan Railway's interurban freight trains. Electric railway history is thus an essential, previously overlooked factor in Michigan's industrial development.

Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a Preface and an Introduction, a 32 page Appendix (Geographical Index of States), a two page listing of Abbreviations, twenty-two pages of Notes, a fourteen page Bibliography, and a seven page Index, this large format (8.5 x 0.8 x 11 inches, 1 pound) hardcover edition of Norman L. Krental's "Michigan Railway Company: The Northern and Southern Divisions" from Michigan State University Press is a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Railroading History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Norman L. Krentel is past president of the Illinois Railway Museum. He is a volunteer organizer for the Michigan Railroad History Conference and a member of the Central Electric Railfans' Association, the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society, the Pere Marquette Historical Society, and the Illinois Traction Historical Society. He has written rail history articles for the Illinois Railway Museum's Rail and Wire and for the First and Fastest.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Quarry Books
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartous.com

Quarry Books is a premier publisher of needlecraft instructional guides for quilting, crocheting, and sewing. Their outstanding series by Melissa Leapman, 'Essential Crocheting' offers two new titles.

https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Crochet-Starter-Stitches-Companion/dp/0760392323

"Essential Crochet Starter Stitches" (9780760392324, $16.99 PB, $9.99 Kindle, 144pp)

In a small, easy-to-tote format, "Essential Crochet Starter Stitches: Portable Stitch Companion: Solids, Shells & Fans, Openwork & Lace, and Simple Edgings" is a concise stitch dictionary featuring 100 stitch patterns for solids, shells and fans, openwork and lace, and simple edgings.

This rich library of crochet stitch designs covers a wide range of patterns, from a thicket pattern to summertime shells to clover lace. Each stitch pattern includes a photo of a finished swatch and both easy-to-read instructions and a stitch diagram using international symbols. Choose the format that makes you and your crochet hook happy. Most of the patterns are original and are accessible to most skill levels. If you've mastered looping yarn over your hook to create a simple chain, you already possess all the skills you need to create an infinite number of stitch patterns.

With information on how to read the patterns, shaping pieces, and designing from scratch, the stunning stitch patterns in "Essential Crochet Starter Stitches" will aptly serve as a launching pad for your own fun experimentation and for creating unique designs for gorgeous hats, scarves, gloves, sweaters, vests, and more!

https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Crochet-Next-Level-Stitches-Companion/dp/076039234X

"Essential Crochet Next-Level Stitches" (9780760392348, $16.99 PB, $9.99 Kindle, 144pp)

In a small, easy-to-tote format, "Essential Crochet Next-Level Stitches: Portable Stitch Companion: Textures, Colorwork, and Fancy Edgings" is a concise stitch dictionary featuring 100 stitch patterns for textures, colorwork, and fancy edgings.

This rich library of crochet stitch designs covers a wide range of patterns, from a braided cable to a reversible brocade to a delicate edging. Each stitch pattern includes a photo of a finished swatch and both easy-to-read instructions and a stitch diagram using international symbols. Choose the format that makes you and your crochet hook happy. Most of the patterns are original and accessible to most skill levels. If you've mastered looping yarn over your hook to create a simple chain, you already possess all the skills you need to create an infinite number of stitch patterns.

With information on how to read the patterns, shaping pieces, and designing from scratch, the stunning stitch patterns in "Essential Crochet Next-Level Stitches" will serve as a launching pad for your own fun experimentation when creating unique designs for gorgeous hats, scarves, gloves, sweaters, vests, and more!

Critique: In a fully user friendly and available in Essential Crochet paperback pocket guide paperback (6.3 x 0.4 x 8.1 inches, 11.2 ounces) edition and a compact book format, both "Starter Stitches" and "Next Level Stitches" are highly recommended picks for personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft/Crochet instructional guide collections.

Editorial Note: With over 1,450 designs in print, Melissa Leapman (visit melissaleapman.com) is one of the most widely published American knit and crochet designers working today. She's worked with leading ready-to-wear design houses and is the author of several best-selling knit and crochet books, including Melissa Leapman's Indispensable Stitch Collection for Crocheters, The Knit Stitch Pattern Handbook, Mastering Color Knitting, 6000+ Pullover Possibilities, Knitting Modular Shawls, InstaKnits, and InstaKnits for Baby. She can also be followed on Instagram @melissa.leapman


The Crafts Shelf

The New Art of Paper Flowers
Quynh Nguyen
Blue Star Press
https://bluestarpress.com
9781958803783, $27.95, HC, 272pp

https://www.amazon.com/New-Art-Paper-Flowers-Complete/dp/1958803782

Synopsis: Delve into the enchanting art of lifelike floral design with "The New Art of Paper Flowers: The Complete Guide to Crafting Gorgeous Crepe Paper Flowers" by Quynh Nguyen. Whether you're a novice looking to discover a gratifying new hobby or a seasoned crafter seeking inspiration, this all-inclusive handbook will equip you to cultivate lush, long-lasting blooms using colorful crepe paper.

"The New Art of Paper Flowers" features: More than 30 detailed flower tutorials with step-by-step instructions and photos: roses, dahlias, peonies, and more; A complete materials and tools list; Unique ways to use your floral creations, from bouquets and home decor to wearable flowers and sculptural art; Guidance for flower artists of any skill level that ranges from beginner-friendly techniques to tips that take your craft to the next level.

Aspiring paper flower makers will journey through every stage of the artistic process -- from choosing materials to mastering the intricate techniques that breathe life into your arrangements. With Nguyen's detailed guidance and striking photography, let your creativity flourish as you bring more handmade beauty into your life and home.

Critique: This large format (7.96 x 0.85 x 9.56 inches, 2.31 pounds) hardcover edition of Quynh Nguyen's "The New Art of Paper Flowers: The Complete Guide to Crafting Gorgeous Crepe Paper Flowers" from Blue Star Press is beautifully and instructively illustrated throughout with full color photography. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization, style, and presentation, "The New Art of Paper Flowers" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Paper Art/Crafts instructional reference collections. It should be noted that "The New Art of Paper Flowers" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Quynh D. Nguyen is the paper artist behind Pink and Posey's stunning fine art installations. Drawing on her extensive experience and educational background in marketing and finance, her goal is to empower others wherever they may be on their creative journey. She shares her knowledge about entrepreneurship and paper flower artistry through speaking engagements, workshops, online classes, and co-hosting Paper Talk Podcast. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets. (www.PinkandPosey.com)


The Music Shelf

Superstar Guitars
Eleanor Jane
Welbeck Publishing Group
https://www.headline.co.uk
9781035421787, $59.95, HC, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/Superstar-Guitars-Eleanor-Jane/dp/103542178X

Synopsis: Featuring an informative Foreword by James Dean Bradfield, Manic Street Preachers, "Superstar Guitars" by Eleanor James is an illustrated compendium that showcases many of the most famous six-strings in the history of music, in exquisite photographic detail.

Photographer Eleanor Jane has travelled the world, documenting the legendary guitars used to create some of the greatest music ever heard. Included are Jimi Hendrix's Woodstock Stratocaster. The guitar on which Bob Dylan 'went electric'. The Fender Mustang Kurt Cobain played in the 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' video. Explore some of the most iconic guitars in music, up close and personal. Housed in a stunning package, detailed photography explores every inch of these iconic instruments, accompanied by fascinating insights, telling the stories of the guitars that changed the world.

The guitars showcased include: Jimi Hendrix's Woodstock Stratocaster Kurt Cobain's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' Mustang John Frusciante's Fender Stratocaster Dave Grohl's Gibson Trini Lopez Noel Gallagher's Epiphone Riviera Eric Clapton's MTV Unplugged Martin Jeff Buckley's Fender Telecaster Brian May's Red Special Tom Morello's Arm The Homeless Phoebe Bridgers' Danelectro Baritone Jack White's Airline Prince's Yellow Cloud Thurston Moore's Fender Jazzmaster David Gilmour's Black Strat Steve Vai's Ibanez JEM Matt Bellamy's Mansion DeLorean And so many more!

Critique: This large format (10 x 1.1 x 12.9 inches, 4.3 pounds) hardcover edition of Eleanor James' "Superstar Guitars" from Welbeck provides the reader with succinct commentaries on each featured musician while also providing a simply fascinating informative, and impressive tour of these major guitarists and their instruments. A unique pleasure to simply browse through one beautifully illustrated page at a time, "Superstar Guitars", a coffee-table style volume, is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Music History/Biography collections. It should be noted that "Superstar Guitars" is also readily available for rock music fans in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.99).

Editorial Note: Eleanor Jane (https://eleanorjane.co.uk) is a writer and photographer in the music industry. She specializes in photographing artist portraits and high-end vintage and culturally significant guitars. Her work has been published in various books and magazines all over the world and she is particularly known for her detailed and atmospheric photographs of iconic guitars, shot in such a way as to evoke the spirit of the instrument.


The Travel Shelf

The Antipodean Express
Gregory Hill
Exisle Publishing
www.exislepublishing.com.au
9781921497155, $39.99, PB, 296pp

https://www.amazon.com/Antipodean-Express-journey-train-Zealand/dp/1921497157

Synopsis: The journey of The Antipodean Express takes in 89 days of travel, on 33 trains, through 19 countries. It begins in New Zealand's North Island, weaves past the volcanoes of Java, through East Asia and on into Europe. From hilarious miscommunications in China to cultural immersion at the Bolshoi Ballet, there are stop-offs with half a worlds worth of impressions, people, history, food, music and culture.

With the publication of "The Antipodean Express: A journey by train from New Zealand to Spain", Gregory Hill describes most of the great trains of the Eurasian hemisphere, from New Zealand's Northern Explorer to the Eurostar, and everything in between.

The culmination of these iconic railroading adventure is a day spent in the obscure Spanish village of Alaejos, locating the exact antipode of the authors living room. The perfect end to a vast expeditionary experience.

Critique: "The Antipodean Express: A journey by train from New Zealand to Spain" Gregory Hill accurately details a truly epic railroad journey from New Zealand to Spain. As a celebration of rail travel "The Antipodean Express" is a fun, informative, and inspiring read from start to finish. Ideal reading for the armchair traveler, and an unreservedly recommended pick for personal, community, and college/university library Travel Guide & Railroading History collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Antipodean Express" is also readily available from Exisle Publishing in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Gregory Hill, born in Auckland, diverted from his country's obsession with sport to pursue a passion for the French horn, which eventually led to his career in the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Despite living in a country with a basic passenger train service, he nurtured a fascination for long-distance train travel, which he finally indulged in after his retirement. In the year between ending his career and the world coming to a standstill, Gregory undertook an epic journey by rail from New Zealand to Spain.


The Self-Help Shelf

The Happiness Formula
Alphonsus Obayuwana
Health Communications, Inc.
https://hcibooks.com
9780757325083, $15.95, PB, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Formula-Scientific-Groundbreaking-Fulfillment/dp/0757325084

Synopsis: In 1979, Dr. Alphonsus Obayuwana was awarded a national research grant and Smith-Kline Medical Perspective Fellowship to develop an instrument for measuring human hope, with the purpose of detecting hopelessness early enough in troubled human individuals so assistance could be offered in time to prevent suicide.

The Hope Index Scale (HIS) that resulted from this grant became very popular with Fortune 500 companies and other institutions both in the US and in other countries. This led to the foundation of decades of research that ultimately resulted in this cutting-edge book, "The Happiness Formula: Using Science to Understand Personal Satisfaction, Human Hope, and Subjective Well-Being".

Unlike other books about happiness, which are too often filled with dos and don'ts, wishful thinking, and empty aphorisms, "The Happiness Formula" breaks new ground by introducing a universal unit of measure called the "Personal Happiness Index" or PHI. This makes it possible (for the first time ever) to calculate and assign numerical happiness scores to human individuals by plugging their unique hopes, hungers, assets, and aspirations into an equation.

Despite its title, "The Happiness Formula" is much more than a mathematical equation for measuring happiness. It is a book about life; the relationship between human hope and happiness; how to find, measure and boost them; and, most interestingly, how to confirm the happiest country in the world and even help identify the happiest living human, or HLH. It challenges the World Happiness Report of 2023, debunks three major happiness myths, and then introduces the Triple-H Equation -- the simple but profound formula about what makes life worth living. This is a book for happiness seekers and happiness advocates everywhere.

Critique: Exceptional, inspiring, informative, insightful, and impressive 'reader friendly' in style, organization and presentation, "The Happiness Formula: A Scientific, Groundbreaking Approach to Happiness and Personal Fulfillment" is a unique and 'real world practical' combination of investigative scholarship and a 'how to' manual for obtaining/reinforcing good emotional and mental health. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (HighBridge Audio, 9798874760267, $39.99, CD), "The Happiness Formula" from Health Communications is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections.

Editorial Note: Alphonsus Obayuwana, MD, PhD, CPC, is a physician-scientist, a happiness coach, and the founder and CEO of Triple-H Project LLC -- an entity that trains and certifies happiness coaches. He is also a Literary Titan Gold Award-winning author who has published several peer-reviewed articles in the national medical journals about human hope and happiness, including The Hope Index Scale that became widely used at the Coca-Cola company, General Motors, Veterans Administration, and many academic institutions inside and outside the United States. Additionally, he is the author of The Five Sources of Human Hope and How to Live a Life of Hope. (www.triplehproject.com)

Breaking the Patterns That Break You
Tori Hope Petersen, author
Thomas Nelson Publishers
www.thomasnelson.com
9781400250042, $19.99, PB, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Patterns-That-Break-You/dp/1400250048

Synopsis: At some point everyone finds themselves wondering, Why do I keep falling into the same patterns that leave me feeling broken? Will I ever move past the pain and experience healing? Is there something wrong with me?

While Tori Hope Petersen is most known for authentically sharing her childhood journey in and out of the foster care system, in her new book, "Breaking the Patterns That Break You: Healing from the Pain of Your Past and Finding Real Hope That Lasts" she vulnerably shares the profound ways she finally found relief and healing from the pain of her past. As she marries vulnerable storytelling, therapeutic insights, and biblical teaching, Tori will make you feel as though she's sitting across from you, holding your hands, and inviting you into a journey that changed her life and can change yours.

Also in "Breaking the Patterns That Break You", Tori gently shows you why it's important to recognize the destructive personal, relational, and generational patterns in your life so you can finally find freedom. By weaving together topics many do not dare touch on, but so many struggle with, Tori compassionately helps you:

Identify and disempower destructive cycles,
Dismantle codependent tendencies in order to gain and maintain healthy relationships,
Feel less alone in your inevitable human brokenness, and
Rebuild a truer perspective of self.

Tori gives you hope that you can get unstuck while finding healing that sticks. If you are willing to do the hard work, it's possible to break the patterns that have broken us and see yourself for who you truly are -- good, safe, and loved.

Critique: Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, substance, organization, presentation, and application, "Breaking the Patterns That Break You: Healing from the Pain of Your Past and Finding Real Hope That Lasts" by Tori Hope Peterson is inspirationally motivating, behaviorally insightful, and 'real world practical' in effecting positive changes in our behaviors, perceptions, and attitudes in dealing with the sometimes harsh realities of our daily lives and circumstances. Presented from a Christian perspective and universal in relevance, "Breaking the Patterns That Break You" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library Self-Help/Self- Improvement collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Breaking the Patterns That Break You" from Nelson Books is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Tori Hope Petersen (www.torihopepetersen.com) is an author, speaker, Bible teacher, and lover of people. Since coming to faith, she has shared her testimony and life as authentically as she can to help and offer hope to others. Tori is known for her fierce advocacy work for foster care, adoption, and vulnerable children.

Okay, Now What?
Kate Gladdin
www.kategladdin.com
Alcove Press
www.alcovepress.com
9781639109128, $31.99, HC, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/Okay-Now-What-Resilient-Tough/dp/1639109129

Synopsis: Kate Gladdin was twenty years old, she woke up in the middle of the night to find out her older sister had died in a tragic road accident. Suddenly, everything she knew about her life, her future, and her family shattered in a heartbeat.

Just like Gladdin, we all face loss in different ways. Because adversity is a part of life. There's no getting around it, only through it, and the most vital tool we need to overcome the unexpected is resilience.

It was this realization that led Gladdin to become a resilience expert, life coach, and motivational speaker. Through her own proven three-step strategy using the three Rs - to recognize, reflect, and redirect - she now has the skills to use anytime she feels helpless and wants to take back control over any circumstance she faces.

It's this incredible method that Gladdin teaches in "Okay, Now What?" She shows readers how to: Recognize what's really causing them to struggle the most; Reflect on the impact of that struggle; Finally (the most important step) how to redirect toward finding the resilience they need to grow through what they go through and create good from even the worst moments in life.

Resilience isn't a fixed trait that you are born with, like your eye color or the shape of your toes. Resilience is a skill that any of us can grow and develop with practice, and in "Okay, Now What?: How to Be Resilient When Life Gets Tough" shows exactly how to do so.

Critique: Part memoir, part self-help manual, part motivational instruction guide, "Okay, Now What?: How to Be Resilient When Life Gets Tough" by motivational speaker Kate Gladdin is exceptionally 'reader/user' friendly and unreservedly recommended reading for anyone seeking personal transformation in their life. While also readily available from Alcove Press for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Tantor Audio, 9798228302051, $39.99, CD), "Okay, Now What?: How to Be Resilient When Life Gets Tough" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Motivational Self-Help collections and supplemental Behavior Sciences curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Kate Gladdin (www.kategladdin.com) is an international speaker, certified life coach, resilience specialist, podcast host, and author of Mini Habits for Teens, The Teen's Guide to Social Skills, and The Social Skills Workbook for Teens. Through her keynote talks, online coaching, and podcast show, Okay, Now What?, Kate has helped more than 250,000 students and young adults build the social and emotional skills they need to become more resilient so they can better handle the unexpected in life.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Pagan Portals - Cerridwen: Keeper of the Cauldron
Danu Forest
Moon Books
Collective Ink Books
https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
9781789041880, $12.95, PB, 128pp

https://www.amazon.com/Pagan-Portals-Cerridwen-Keeper-Cauldron/dp/1789041880

Synopsis: Cerridwen was an enchantress in Welsh medieval legend. She was the mother of a hideous son, Mordfran, and a beautiful daughter, Creirwy. Her husband was Tegid Foel and they lived near Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid) in north Wales. Medieval Welsh poetry refers to her as possessing the cauldron of poetic inspiration (Awen) and the Tale of Taliesin recounts her swallowing her servant Gwion Bach who is then reborn through her as the poet Taliesin. Ceridwen is regarded by many modern pagans as the Celtic goddess of rebirth, transformation, and inspiration. (Wikipedia)

With the publication of "Cerridwen: Keeper of the Cauldron" Celtic scholar Danu Forest hearken's back to the call of Cerridwen, mistress of initiation and keeper of the cauldron of inspiration. Students of Celtic mythology and folklore will follow the footsteps of the bards and dive into her mysterious depths in search of the radiant brow of inner vision. Drink of her Awen, her divine brew, and sit with Taliesin, keeper of the bright knowledge of spirit.

Cerridwen has been honoured by the Welsh bards for centuries and is known most famously as the mother and initiator of the bardic poet and divine child Taliesin, whose works are the greatest treasures of Welsh medieval literature, unlocking a spiritual tradition whose roots go far back to Britain's most ancient past.

Critique: Part of the simply outstanding 'Pagan Portal' series from Moon Books, "Cerridwen: Keeper of the Cauldron" by Danu Forest is an absolutely fascinating read that includes two Appendices ('A Cerridwen Herbal' and 'Pronunciation Guide'), and a two page Bibliography. While an extraordinarily informative and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Celtic Mythology/Folklore collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this paperback edition of "Cerridwen: Keeper of the Cauldron" from Moon Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).

Editorial Note: Danu Forest (www.danuforest.co.uk) is a traditional Celtic wisewoman, of half British and half Irish heritage. She is also a writer, teacher and Celtic Scholar with an MA in Celtic studies. Her thesis was on Celtic folk magic practitioners and the fairy faith. Danu lives in a cottage near Glastonbury Tor in the midst of the Avalon lakes, in the South West of England. Exploring the Celtic mysteries for over 30 years, and noted for her quality research, practical experience, as well as her deep visionary love of the land, Danu writes for numerous national and international magazines and is the author of several books. She is a respected magical teacher, healer and seer offering readings and consultations, workshops and ceremonies, as well as online courses.

Ghosted!
Brian Lythe, James Houran, and Neil Dagnall
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476685779, $29.95, PB, 268pp

https://www.amazon.com/Ghosted-Exploring-Haunting-Paranormal-Encounters/dp/1476685770

Synopsis: Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding.

Reports of paranormal experiences vary tremendously, but are often associated with ghosts, haunted houses, and otherwise eerie circumstances. There exist both classic and modern texts on ghosts and haunted or possessed people, places and spaces; many discuss traditional ideas regarding such phenomena or utilize now-outdated research in highly academic and technical ways.

Co-authored by Brian Lythe, James Houran, and Neil Dagnall, "Ghosted!: Exploring the Haunting Reality of Paranormal Encounters" offers a very different approach in reviews provided by a leading-edge research program devoted to who has ghostly experiences and why.

With new insights both global in scale and multidisciplinary in scope, "Ghosted" is collaboration by five researchers in uncovering and presenting consistent evidence that anomalous experiences represent a very real "Haunted People Syndrome" (a term describing anomalous experiences that manifest recurrently to the same percipients and are interpreted as "ghostly") with implications for future research across academia.

The participation of new citizen scientists (the field investigators and researchers among us) is invited in furthering the exploration of paranormal mysteries.

Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of photos and figures illustrating concepts and models, a Foreword by Chris French, an Afterword by Loyd Auerbach, a 10 page Glossary, and a nine page Index, "Ghosted!: Exploring the Haunting Reality of Paranormal Encounters" is an inherently fascinating and iconoclastic read from start to finish. While available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99), this paperback edition of "Ghosted!" from McFarland & Company is a welcome and recommended pick for community and college/university library Parapsychology/Metaphysical Studies collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note #1: Brian Laythe, Ph.D., is the owner of Iudicium psychological consultancy, and the director of the Institute for the Study of Religious and Anomalous Experience (I.S.R.A.E.).

Editorial Note #2: James Houran is a former faculty member of the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine (Dept. of Psychiatry) and is currently President of 2020Skills.com (TM) at HVS International--an online assessment business for human resource screening and selection.

Editorial Note #3: Neil Dagnall, Ph.D., is a reader (associate professor) in the department of psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University (UK). He has been involved with the teaching and researching of the anomalous for over 20 years and is a strong advocate of public engagement and education in science.

Angelic Vibrations Oracle
Josephine Wall
Findhorn Press
www.findhornpress.com
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
www.innertraditions.com
9798888501399, $19.99, Card Deck, 128pp

https://www.amazon.com/Angelic-Vibrations-Oracle-50-Card-Guidebook/dp/B0CSBT2WCP

Synopsis: Angels surround us always, offering signs of hope and comfort as well as messages of guidance and protection. Offering a hands-on tool to connect with the healing frequencies and loving guidance of angels, "Angelic Vibrations Oracle" is a metaphysical collection that includes 50 full-color cards featuring intricate angel images by renowned surrealist artist Josephine Wall.

An accompanying guidebook describes the wise and supportive message of each angel as well as how to use the cards for daily guidance or for insight into a specific issue

Embedded with heart-opening frequencies, the evocative portraits in this beautiful 50-card oracle deck have us connect intuitively with their celestial wisdom, support, and healing vibrations. Each of these angelic messengers brings a wise and loving message, reminding us that we are never alone and that divine guidance is always available.

The accompanying guidebook also explains how to use the cards for daily guidance or for insight on a specific issue. Whether you are looking for answers, healing, or spiritual transformation, this deck will empower you with angelic support, leading to more stability, harmony, and peace in your lives.

Critique: The gorgeous, magnificent artwork illustrating each card in Josephine Wall's "Angelic Vibrations Oracle: A 50-Card Deck and Guidebook" is an inspirational and ideal for Angel and Spirit Guide channeling and divination -- making this New Age Mysticism themed card deck unreservedly recommended addition to personal and professional Divination & Oracle card collections.

Editorial Note: Josephine Wall (https://josephinewall.co.uk) is a renowned surrealist painter, potter, sculptor, and artist who is particularly known for her intricate fantasy motifs. She lives in the south of England.


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