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Internet Bookwatch

Volume 32, Number 10 October 2022 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Writing/Publishing Shelf Parenting Shelf
Social Issues Shelf Education Shelf Jobs/Careers Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf Cookbook Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf American History Shelf World History Shelf
Civil War Shelf Military Shelf Biography Shelf
Psychology Shelf Library Science Shelf General Fiction Shelf
Romantic Fiction Shelf Western Fiction Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Graphic Novel Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Library CD Shelf Christian Studies Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf
Metaphysical Studies Shelf Native American Studies Shelf Literary Studies Shelf
Agriculture Shelf Theatre/Cinema Shelf Political Science Shelf
Architecture Shelf Business Shelf Sports Shelf
Art Shelf Needlecraft Shelf Wine Shelf
Crafts Shelf Gardening Shelf Self-Help Shelf
Reference Shelf Criminology Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

Plagues and Their Aftermath
Brian Michael Jenkins
http://www.brianmichaeljenkins.com
Melville House
www.mhpbooks.com
9781685890162, $16.99 PB, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/Plagues-Their-Aftermath-Societies-Pandemics/dp/1685890164

Synopsis: With the publication of "Plagues and Their Aftermath: How Societies Recover from Pandemics", Brian Michael Jenkins (one of our leading authorities on national security and an advisor to governments, presidents and CEOs) provides a masterly account of what kind of future the planet might be facing by looking at the world's long history of epidemics and discerning what was common about their aftermath.

From a plague in Athens during the Peloponnesian War in 430 BCE, to another in 540 that wiped out half the population of the Roman empire, down through the Black Death in the Middle Ages and on through the 1918 flu epidemic (which killed between 50 and 100 million people) and this century's deadly SARS and Covid outbreaks, plagues have been a much more relentless fact of life than many realize.

The legacy of epidemics, Jenkins observes, is not only one of lives lost but of devastated economies and social disorder, all of which have severe political repercussions.

Thus, each chapter of "Plagues and Their Aftermath" draws on those historical precursors to focus on one particular aspect of their aftermath: What happens to political systems? What happens in the area of crime and terrorism? Do wars happen? What are the effects on cultures? What was the impact of widespread fear and public hysteria, of increased suspicion and scapegoating, of the spread of rumors and conspiracy theories?

Jenkins' sobering analysis is riveting and thought-provoking reading for general readers and specialists alike, and throws welcome light into what many fear is a dark future.

Critique: Impressively informative, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Plagues and Their Aftermath: How Societies Recover from Pandemics" is a seminal study that is quite timely given today's global pandemics of Covid 19 variants and now Monkey Pox and their impacts on the political systems of essentially every country around the world. Thoughtful, thought-provoking, and a crucially important addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Medical/Political History collections, it should be noted for students, academicians, historians, members of the medical community, governmental policy makers, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Plagues and Their Aftermath: How Societies Recover from Pandemics" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Brian Michael Jenkins is a senior advisor to the president of the RAND Corporation. He served in the U.S. Army's Special Forces in during the war in Vietnam, before joining RAND in 1972. In 1996, President Bill Clinton appointed Jenkins to the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security. Jenkins has also served as adviser to the National Commission on Terrorism. He is a frequent commentator on matters of global security and safety for major media outlets including NBC, PBS, NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and others. He has a website at http://www.brianmichaeljenkins.com

Always Faithful
Major Tom Schueman, author
Zainullah Zaki, author
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9780063260610, $29.99, HC, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Always-Faithful-Afghanistan-Unshakable-Interpreter/dp/0063260611

Synopsis: In August of 2021, just days shy of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, America ended its longest war. The speed of the Afghanistan's fall was so stunning that thousands of Afghan citizens who had helped American forces over the course of two decades (and had been promised visas in return) were suddenly stranded, in extreme, imminent danger.

As the world watched the shocking scenes of desperation at the Kabul airport in the final two weeks of August, Maj. Tom Schueman fought (both behind the scenes and through a social media campaign) to get his friend and former Afghan interpreter, Zak, out of Afghanistan before he and his family were discovered by the Taliban. When Zak and his family finally took off from the airport mere days before the US left the country, the years-long effort to get Zak to America culminated in two simple words on Instagram: "Wheels up."

With the publication of "Always Faithful: A Story of the War in Afghanistan, the Fall of Kabul, and the Unshakable Bond Between a Marine and an Interpreter", Tom and Zak tell the full story of the divergent paths that led them to Afghanistan, the dangerous road they walked together in service to America, and how their commitment to each other ended up saving them both. Brilliantly told in Tom's and Zak's alternating first person voices, "Always Faithful" also tracks the parallel lives of these two men who each spent their childhoods in fear, peril, and poverty, and turned to war in attempt to build a meaningful future. On an inevitable course towards each other, their lives dovetail in Afghanistan's deadly Helmand Valley, where they formed a brotherhood that transcends even the most overwhelming of odds, eventually culminating in Zak's harrowing, eleventh-hour rescue.

The end result is an intensely personal and uniquely ground-level account of Tom and Zak's experience, Always Faithful gives readers a 360-degree view of the war. At once provocative and heart pounding, their stories together form a microcosm of the complicated and lasting effects of America's longest war. Through their eyes and their experiences, they challenge readers to explore the legacy of the war for American and Afghan citizens alike, as we all collectively seek to understand whether twenty years of war was worth the price.

Critique: A unique dual memoir, "Always Faithful: A Story of the War in Afghanistan, the Fall of Kabul, and the Unshakable Bond Between a Marine and an Interpreter" is an inherently fascinating read from cover to cover. A prized and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university library 21st Century American Military Biography & Memoir collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Always Faithful" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798200974931, $41.99, CD).

Editorial Note #1: Major Tom Schueman served in Afghanistan for sixteen months, including the single bloodiest battle of the war in Afghanistan as a platoon commander with the Third Battalion, Fifth Marines in Helmand Province. Schueman redeployed to Afghanistan as a JTAC and advisor to the Afghan National Army while he was a member of First Reconnaissance Battalion. Schueman went on to get his master's in English literature at Georgetown University and teach English literature at the United States Naval Academy. He is currently a student at the Naval War College and remains on active duty. He is also the founder of the nonprofit Patrol Base Abbate.

Editorial Note #2: Zainullah "Zak" Zaki is one of nine children and was raised by a subsistence farmer in eastern Afghanistan. Zak served as an interpreter for the U.S. forces during the war in Afghanistan with the Third Battalion, Fifth Marines in Helmand Province beginning in 2010, and later worked for the U.S. government in Kunar Province from 2012 to 2014. After more than six years battling bureaucracy with Major Tom Schueman as his advocate, Zak successfully immigrated to America with his family in 2021. He is currently awaiting a final ruling on his immigration status and working in construction in San Antonio, Texas.

Conflict Imagery
Kiley Fleming, EdD.
BookPress
www.BookpressPublishing.com
9781947305472, $24.95 HC, $8.95 Kindle, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/Conflict-Imagery-Developing-Reflective-Framework/dp/1947305476

Conflict Imagery: Developing a Reflective Framework is recommended for business, psychology, and economics readers interested in advancing their knowledge of communication in the workplace and at home. It presents a different form of conflict management based on a professional approach that embraces concepts that seem to belay the author's own experience ("Surely an author who has weathered a difficult divorce could be no card-carrying expert on successful conflict resolution."). In fact, it embraces them to build a higher-level approach to the subject: "The best gifts from this season of my life were the realizations that people have a deep capacity for growth, that meaningful change and learning can occur in any situation, and that resilience is a huge part of the human condition."

There's a reason why physical manifestations of emotional connections remain such a draw, whether they be in museums, in creative interpretations of life, or in the workplace and at home: "...tangible objects create imagery for the past." With this in mind, Kiley Fleming proceeds down a path that draws important connections between visualization, imagery, and greater understanding, creating the foundations that support an exploration of all these facets. The challenge lies in how to apply these principles to business and personal interactions. In this endeavor, Fleming shines. As her book explores human nature, connecting this to physical images, readers gain a different perspective on purpose, function, values, and needs in life that apply across the board to working with and better understanding different personality types.

Readers won't expect the discussion to embrace architectural concepts, ratios, or the influence of triggers in imagery development and application. But, Fleming's ability to dance between psychological and life issues while applying the framework of her analysis leads fellow dancers in steps that require some effort, but pay off with the rich rewards of deeper understanding. As Fleming revamps the purposes and goals of others, lacing them into her framework for conflict resolution, clear examples of how this process works are presented from her own life: "In both succession planning and conflict management, the parties know their desired direction. This isn't the issue. The issue is charting a path that creates momentum to achieve results." The result is a study that will reach psychology and self-help readers, but moves neatly beyond these audiences to integrate itself into workplace and daily life functions.

Libraries interested in works that promise bigger-picture thinking and which create a clear framework with proven paths to success will find Conflict Imagery a development guide with the power to reach from lay reader to HR leaders and others from all walks of life.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Immersive Storytelling for Real and Imagined Worlds: A Writer's Guide
Margaret Kerrison
https://www.margaretkerrison.com
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
https://www.dreamscapepublishing.com
9781615933419, $29.95, PB, 264pp

https://www.amazon.com/Immersive-Storytelling-Real-Imagined-Worlds/dp/1615933417

Synopsis: What gets your heart rate going more: reading a story about dinosaurs, or being chased by one? The emerging discipline of immersive storytelling recognizes the power of creative works that put the viewer at the center of the action.

With the publication of "Immersive Storytelling for Real and Imagined Worlds: A Writer's Guide", theme park designer Margaret Kerrison shares tips and tricks for writers on teams tasked with bringing a narrative to life.

How do you take an idea from inspiration to manifestation? How do you move from telling a story to creating a world? "Immersive Storytelling for Real and Imagined Worlds: A Writer's Guide" is a richly illustrated instructional guide and 'how-to' manual -- the first of its kind written specifically for writers and in which Kerrison lays out the craft of immersive storytelling by using case studies to show what works, and highlights the essential role of the writer on a complex creative team.

For aspiring (and experienced) screen writers ready to take the kernel of an idea and turn it into a full-fledged experience, "Immersive Storytelling for Real and Imagined Worlds: A Writer's Guide" presents the ideal blueprint.

Critique: A complete and comprehensive course of real world practical and illustrated instruction under one cover, "Immersive Storytelling for Real and Imagined Worlds: A Writer's Guide" is impressive in its 'user friendly' commentary, organization and presentation. While unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library Screen Writing collections and supplemental curriculum course lists, it should be noted for students, academia, novice/professional screenwriters and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Immersive Storytelling for Real and Imagined Worlds: A Writer's Guide" is also available in a complete and unabridged audio book format (Dreamscape Media, 9781666611236, $22.99, CD).

Editorial Note: Born in Indonesia and raised in Singapore, Margaret Kerrison received her Master of Fine Arts degree in Screenwriting from the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. Her career spans 14 years of experience in television, film, digital media, games, brand storytelling, location-based entertainment, and immersive experiences. She has worked as a Story Lead, Story Consultant, and Writer for multiple projects around the world, including Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, Star Wars: Launch Bay, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, Avengers Campus, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, National Geographic HQ, and the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex's Journey to Mars: Explorers Wanted. She was a Disney Imagineer from 2014-2021. She is currently a Sr. Experiential Creative Lead for Airbnb. She has a dedicated website at https://www.margaretkerrison.com

Horwitz Publications, Pulp Fiction and the Rise of the Australian Paperback
Andrew Nette
Anthem Press
www.anthempress.com
9781839982453, $125.00, HC, 254pp

https://www.amazon.com/Horwitz-Publications-Australian-Paperback-Literature/dp/1839982454

Synopsis: With the publication of "Horwitz Publications, Pulp Fiction and the Rise of the Australian Paperback", author Andrew Nette offers the first book-length study of Sydney-based Horwitz Publications, the largest and most dynamic Australian pulp publisher to emerge after World War II.

Although best known for its cheaply produced, sometimes luridly packaged, softcover books, Horwitz Publications played a far larger role in mainstream Australian publishing than has been so far recognised, particularly in the expansion of the paperback from the late 1950s onwards.

"Horwitz Publications, Pulp Fiction and the Rise of the Australian Paperback" examines the authorship, production, marketing and distribution of Horwitz pulp paperbacks. It also includes ground-breaking material on the conditions of creative labor: the writers, artists and editors involved in the production of Horwitz pulp. This seminal study also explores how Horwitz pulp paperbacks acted as a local conduit for the global modern: the ideas, sensations, fascinations, technologies, and people that came crashing into the Australian consciousness in the 1950s and 1960s.

Critique: Informative enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of an Introduction (Pulp Jungles in Australia and Beyond), numerous Figures, a fourteen page Bibliography, and a seven page Index, "Horwitz Publications, Pulp Fiction and the Rise of the Australian Paperback" by Andrew Nette is highly recommended reading for anyone with an interest in the history of paperback publishing. Offering a wealth of detailed historical information, "Horwitz Publications, Pulp Fiction and the Rise of the Australian Paperback" would well serve as a template or example of similar studies of American paperbacks as that segment of the publishing industry has evolved over time. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $30.49), "Horwitz Publications, Pulp Fiction and the Rise of the Australian Paperback" is unreservedly recommended as a unique addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Publishing History collections.

Editorial Note: A writer of fiction and non-fiction, a researcher, a reviewer and a pulp scholar, Andrew Nette has a dedicated website at https://www.pulpcurry.com/about-pulp-curry


The Parenting Shelf

Spotting Danger Before It Spots Your Teens
Gary Quesenberry
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
www.ymaa.com
9781594398681, $18.95, PB, 182pp

https://www.amazon.com/Spotting-Danger-Before-Spots-TEENS/dp/1594398682

Synopsis: As adults, we like to think we have a good idea of what the world may have in store for our teenagers, but the fact of the matter is there's a vast divide between what we perceive as dangerous and what our teens are actually up against. Teenagers (ages 13 - 19) face unique challenges when it comes to situational awareness.

These challenges are only exacerbated by the constant physical and biological changes teens are subjected to. As young people learn to deal with these changes, they begin to explore the limits of their individuality. Unfortunately, this process often involves rebellious behavior and unnecessary risk-taking. The key to keeping teens safe during this time is to keep them alert and engaged with their environment.

Teenagers have to understand that real personal safety isn't about being scared of what lies around the next corner. It requires confidence that if something bad were about to happen, that they have these skills: Ability to identify the problem early; Competence to develop a plan of action; Power to control their fear; Aptitude to implement that plan.

"Spotting Danger Before It Spots Your Teens: Teaching Situational Awareness To Keep Teenagers Safe" by Gary Quesenberry is specifically designed around the principles of positive communication, trust, and teamwork. It's written specifically to set parents' minds at ease and allow teens to confidently explore their independence, secure in the fact that they can spot dangerous situations before they happen and take the necessary steps to ensure their own well-being.

Critique: Every parent knows that their teenage son or daughter is vulnerable to a wide range of dangers that have only increased and become more complicated with the arrival of social media and the iPhone. But there are very few 'how to' courses on parenting that focus directly on the issue of how to prepare teenagers to recognized and avoid trouble, and deal with trouble if it simply cannot be avoided. "Spotting Danger Before It Spots Your Teens: Teaching Situational Awareness To Keep Teenagers Safe" is the one dependable and 'real world practical' instructional guide and 'how to' manual for parenting teenagers in terms of equipping them to stay safe in an increasingly unsafe world. While also available in a paperback edition (9781594398681, $18.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.02), "Spotting Danger Before It Spots Your Teens" is a positive, parenting friendly, and highly recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library Contemporary Parenting collections and studies lists.

Editorial Note: Gary Quesenberry was born in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, where his parents taught him the value of hard work, patriotism, and commitment to family. His passion for the outdoors and patriotic spirit led him to enlist in the United States Army at the age of seventeen, where he served as an artilleryman during Operation Desert Storm. After the events of 9/11, Gary went to work as a Federal Air Marshal. There, he traveled the world in his country's service and devoted his time to studying the fields of violence and predatory behavior. In October of 2020, Gary retired from federal law enforcement and is now the CEO of Quesenberry Personal Defense Training. There he's developed numerous basic and advanced level training courses focused on mental toughness and defensive tactics. He has an extensive background in domestic and foreign counter-terror training and has worked in both the private and corporate sectors to educate others on the importance of situational awareness and personal safety. He has a dedicated website at www.garyquesenberry.com and can be followed on Instagram and Facebook at @gary.quesenberry

Raising Emotionally Strong Boys
David Thomas, LMSW
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton Road, Ada, MI 49301
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764240713, $28.99, HC, 189pp

https://www.amazon.com/Raising-Emotionally-Strong-David-Thomas/dp/0764240714

Synopsis: About those meltdowns, blowups, and one-word answers from your son. Some say that's just how boys are -- prone to outbursts or sullenness. But what's behind these and other issues? Drawing from twenty-five years of counseling boys and working with parents, with the publication of "Raising Emotionally Strong Boys: Tools Your Son Can Build On for Life", David Thomas sheds light on common emotional struggles, including anger, anxiety, and depression, and shares practical ways you can help your son be: Resourceful (equipped to work through his emotions in constructive ways; Aware )so that he better understands himself, including his strengths and weaknesses); Resilient (having the capacity to cope and feel competent); Empathetic (able to understand the feelings and experiences of others).

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Raising Emotionally Strong Boys: Tools Your Son Can Build On for Life" will also prove helpful also for grandparents, teachers, caregivers, and anyone else who has a boy in their life. A combination instructional guide and 'how to' manual, "Raising Emotionally Strong Boys: Tools Your Son Can Build On for Life" shows how a strong emotional foundation leads to a Christ-like sense of masculinity that will serve him well his whole life.

Editorial Note: David Thomas, LMSW, is the director of family counseling at Daystar Counseling in Nashville, TN, and the coauthor of eight books, including the bestselling Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys and Are My Kids on Track?. He speaks regularly around the country and is a frequent guest on national television and podcasts, including his own called Raising Boys and Girls. He has also been featured in publications like The Washington Post and USA Today. He has a dedicated website at www.raisingboysandgirls.com


The Social Issues Shelf

The Battle of Lincoln Place
Dennis Hathaway
https://ddhathaway.com
Crania Press
9781732476233, $32.99 Hardcover/$18.99 Paper/$4.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Lincoln-Place-Tenants-Hathaway/dp/1732476233

Ideally, The Battle of Lincoln Place: An Epic Fight by Tenants to Save Their Homes should appear in any library collection strong in urban planning, social issues, and urban politics surrounding transformation processes. It captures the experience of many tenants by profiling what happened to Lincoln Place, a large historic apartment complex whose residents fought corporate landlords to maintain their home.

Lincoln Place was constructed by a Black architect whose vision of creating not just an apartment building, but a structure that fostered community, was embedded in his design and represented by its tenants. While readers might anticipate the subject to focus on corporate greed and tenant rights, The Battle of Lincoln Place incorporates, then moves beyond these narrow visions to examine broader subjects of community makeup and support systems. These include legal issues relating to landlord/tenant relationships, definitions of home and the right to occupy and maintain such as part of a community's makeup, and the moral issues involved in remodeling and remaking working-class communities for increased profit at the expense of those who call their rented abode 'home'.

As Hathaway delves into political and social issues alike, he uses case histories of those involved in the struggle for Lincoln Place to bring to life the myriad issues raised in urban planning and development projects. These individual stories and lives power an inspection that delves into everything from rehabilitation efforts to issues of intimidation and bullying. The result is a powerful story that uses the microcosm of the Lincoln Place experience as a blueprint for better understanding the social and political forces at work in community makeup and development.

Ideally, The Battle of Lincoln Place will be chosen for classroom discussion in a range of subjects, from urban planning and architecture courses to those studying social issues and working-class and minority experience.


The Education Shelf

Theory Of College Student Development
Naijian Zhang, author
Phyllis McCluskey-Titus, author
Tony W. Cawthon, author
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
2600 South First Street, Springfield, IL 62704
http://www.ccthomas.com
9780398093860, $53.985, PB, 328pp

https://www.ccthomas.com/details.cfm?P_ISBN13=9780398093860

Synopsis: With the publication of "Theory of College Student Development: Integrations of Knowledge, Skills and Application" by the editorial team of Naijian Zhang, Phyllis McCluskey-Titus, and Tony W. Cawthon, readers are provided with new theoretical knowledge or a reminder of the foundational and evolving theories that professionals can utilize for understanding and making sense of students' behavior.

The primary focus of "Theory Of College Student Development" is on the integration of knowledge, skills, and application of such theories in such a way as to emphasize utility and application. A unique component is its emphasis on professional competence, professional identity, and theoretical application. Unlike previously published case study books designed to reach student development theory, this text utilizes a single case that allows readers to see how a range of theories are applicable to this one case. Theories presented for application include both foundational and evolving theoretical perspectives.

The twelve chapters comprising "Theory Of College Student Development" have been written by both faculty and practitioners. Each coeditor and chapter author brings unique perspectives and lens of viewing theory and application, representing their experiences, talents, and expertise. It also features authors who represent the best of the best, and these authors challenged us to be more innovative as we reimagine the evolution of student development theory.

The editors had two specific audiences in mind: faculty and higher education practitioners. With over two hundred graduate preparation programs in the United States, most offering a student development theory course, this book will help graduate faculty, both new and seasoned, with a mechanism for teaching theory in a fun, relevant, and innovative way.

Critique: Informatively enhanced with the inclusion of a complete listing of the contributors and their credentials, "Theory of College Student Development: Integrations of Knowledge, Skills and Application" is the eighth volume in the outstanding American Series In Student Affairs, Practice and Professional Identity series from Charles C. Thomas Publisher. Especially recommended for college and university library College Education Policy & Practice collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of academia and education policy makers that "Theory of College Student Development: Integrations of Knowledge, Skills and Application" is also readily available in a digital book format (eBook, 9780398093877, $59.95).

The Best 388 Colleges, 2023
Robert Franek, et al.
The Princeton Review
c/o Random House Inc.
www.PrincetonReview.com
9780593450963, $24.99, PB, 880pp

https://www.amazon.com/Best-388-Colleges-2023-Depth/dp/0593450965

Synopsis: Comprised of 388 in-depth school profiles based on candid feedback from 143,000 students, covering academics, administration, campus life, and financial aid, "The Best 388 Colleges, 2023" offers insights on unique college character, social scene, and more. Of special note are the direct quotes from students about their school's professors, campus culture, career services, and more.

Also featured are lists of the top 25 colleges in 50 categories based on students' opinions of academics, campus life, facilities, etc. There are even ratings for every school on Financial Aid, Selectivity, and Quality of Life.

Of special note is the "Inside Word" on competitive applications, test scores, tuition, and average indebtedness, along with comprehensive information on selectivity, freshman profiles, and application deadlines at each school.

Plus there is free access to 2 full-length practice tests online (1 SAT and 1 ACT) to help aspiring college applicants to prep for the important admissions-exams part of their admissions journey.

Critique: The Princeton Review's college rankings started in 1992 with surveys from 30,000 students. Over 30 years and more than a million student surveys later, they stand by their claim that there is no single "best" college, only the best college for a particular student and their families, and that this new and updated edition for 2023 is the ideal reference guide that will help them to find it! Simply stated, every highschool guidance counselor and community library should have a copy of "The Best 388 Colleges, 2023" for the benefit of their students and patrons.

Editorial Note: The experts at The Princeton Review (www.PrincetonReview.com) have been helping students, parents, and educators achieve the best results at every stage of the education process since 1981. The Princeton Review has helped millions succeed on standardized tests, and provides expert advice and instruction to help parents, teachers, students, and schools navigate the complexities of school admission. In addition to classroom courses in over 40 states and 20 countries, The Princeton Review also offers online and school-based courses, one-to-one and small-group tutoring as well as online services in both admission counseling and academic homework help.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

FIRED! Protect Your Rights & FIGHT BACK If You're Terminated, Laid Off, Downsized, Restructured, Forced to Resign or Quit
Steven Mitchell Sack, Attorney-at-Law
Legal Strategies Publications
www.LegalStratPub.com
9798985790610, $34.99 Hardcover/$24.99 Paper/$19.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/FIRED-Protect-Terminated-Downsized-Restructured/dp/B09Y5FKBBB

FIRED! Protect Your Rights & FIGHT BACK If You're Terminated, Laid Off, Downsized, Restructured, Forced to Resign or Quit is the 'bible' of employee rights under fire, and should be part of any business collection, to be consulted in any termination situation.

Steven Mitchell Sack is a nationally renowned workplace attorney who here shares his insights, strategies, legal savvy, and advice to help workers who face the ax, but want to protect and better understand their rights. More than just a review of firing processes, it delves into the underlying politics, legal ramifications, and impact of releasing employees from jobs, supplementing its analysis with forms, examples, letters, and legal documents which reflect the latest in workplace relations.

Sack spent over forty years defending employees who have been fired under all kinds of conditions. This background provides a stellar authority for this book, which is replete not just in theory and legal background, but action and outcomes. Why does a working reader need this book? Because it saves money, time, aggravation, and misunderstandings. In the past, those fired simply acquiesced and left. Today, the legal and business worlds are different. Sack maintains that "...most terminated individuals are questioning those decisions and regularly negotiating better severance packages and post-termination benefits. Statistics from my own law practice bear this out."

All kinds of terminations can be addressed using this book, from age- and gender-influenced firings to the types of negotiations possible to further health insurance and other post-employment benefit packages. Special tips supplement case history examples and reviews of the latest laws, highlighting possible strategies that individuals and groups can take when addressing mass layoffs.

Why consult this book when Sack notes that it doesn't replace legal counsel? Because it outlines many strategies and legal precedents to give readers solid ideas of game plans and approaches before they incur an attorney's fees and time. No working person should be without access to or ownership of FIRED! Quite simply, it's the most important and comprehensive modern legal review of employee rights in the book world today, and should be considered the first step in any proactive legal review, whether the reader has been fired, laid off, or quit.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Dignity for Deeply Forgetful People
Stephen G. Post
The Johns Hopkins University Press
2715 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218
www.press.jhu.edu
9781421442495, $64.95, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Dignity-Deeply-Forgetful-People-Caregivers/dp/1421442493

Synopsis: How do we approach a "deeply forgetful" loved one so as to notice and affirm their continuing self-identity? For three decades, Stephen G. Post has worked around the world encouraging caregivers to become more aware of (and find renewed hope in) surprising expressions of selfhood despite the challenges of cognitive decline.

With the publication of "Dignity for Deeply Forgetful People: How Caregivers Can Meet the Challenges of Alzheimer's Disease", Post offers new perspectives on the worth and dignity of people with Alzheimer's and related disorders despite the negative influence of "hypercognitive" values that place an ethically unacceptable emphasis on human dignity as based on linear rationality and strength of memory. This bias, Post argues, is responsible for the abusive exclusion of this population from our shared humanity. With vignettes and narratives, he argues for a deeper dignity grounded in consciousness, emotional presence, creativity, interdependence, music, and a self that is not "gone" but "differently abled."

"Dignity for Deeply Forgetful People" covers key practical topics such as: Understanding the experience of dementia; Noticing subtle expressions of continuing selfhood, including "paradoxical lucidity"; Perspectives on ethical quandaries from diagnosis to terminal care and everything in between, as gleaned from the voices of caregivers; How to communicate optimally and use language effectively; The value of art, poetry, symbols, personalized music, and nature in revealing self-identity; The value of trained "dementia companion" dogs.

At a time when medical advances to cure these conditions of dementia are still out of reach and the most recent drugs have shown limited effectiveness, Post argues that focusing discussion and resources on the relational dignity of these individuals and the respite needs of their caregivers is vital. Grounding ethics on the equal worth of all conscious human beings, he also provides a cautionary perspective on preemptive assisted suicide based on cases that he has witnessed. He affirms vulnerability and interdependence as the core of the human condition and celebrates caregivers as advocates seeking social and economic justice in an American system where they and their loved ones receive only leftover scraps.

Critique: Enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of an Appendix (A Caregiver Resilience Program), a fourteen page listing of References, and a nine page Index, "Dignity for Deeply Forgetful People: How Caregivers Can Meet the Challenges of Alzheimer's Disease" offers invaluable insights, information, and recommendations for anyone having care responsibilities for someone suffering from dementia. While also available for personal reading lists in a paperback edition (9781421442501, $26.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.49), "Dignity for Deeply Forgetful People: How Caregivers Can Meet the Challenges of Alzheimer's Disease" is an essential and critically important addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Health Policy, Medical Ethics, and Alzheimer's/Dementia collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Stephen G. Post, PhD, is the author of Why Good Things Happen to Good People: How to Live a Longer, Happier, Healthier Life by the Simple Act of Giving (Random House, 2008). The British Medical Journal designated his book, The Moral Challenge of Alzheimer Disease (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1995), a medical classic of the 20th century. Post is among a handful of individuals awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the national Alzheimer's Association. In 2001 he founded the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love, which researches and distributes knowledge on kindness, giving, and spirituality. He is also a Professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine at Stony Brook University, and the founder and director of the Stony Brook Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care and Bioethics. His websites include at StephenGPost.com and UnlimitedLoveInstitute.org

Guidance on PFAS Exposure, Testing, and Clinical Follow-Up
Consensus Study Report
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.nap.edu
9780309482448, $45.00, PB, 300pp

https://www.amazon.com/Guidance-Exposure-Testing-Clinical-Follow-Up/dp/0309482445

Synopsis: In tens of thousands of communities across the United States, drinking water is contaminated with chemicals known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

PFAS are used in a wide range of products, such as non-stick cookware, water and stain repellent fabrics, and fire-fighting foam, because they have properties that repel oil and water, reduce friction, and resist temperature changes. PFAS can leak into the environment where they are made, used, disposed of, or spilled.

PFAS exposure has been linked to a number of adverse health effects including certain cancers, thyroid dysfunction, changes in cholesterol, and small reductions in birth weight.

This combination medical and environmental report recommends that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) update its clinical guidance to advise clinicians to offer PFAS blood testing to patients who are likely to have a history of elevated exposure, such as those with occupational exposures or those who live in areas known to be contaminated.

If testing reveals PFAS levels associated with an increased risk of adverse effects, patients should receive regular screenings and monitoring for these and other health impacts. Guidance on PFAS Exposure, Testing, and Clinical Follow-Up recommends that the CDC, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), and public health departments support clinicians by creating educational materials on PFAS exposure, potential health effects, the limitations of testing, and the benefits and harms of testing.

Critique: A seminal and timely study of an increasingly concerning environmental contaminate, "Guidance on PFAS Exposure, Testing, and Clinical Follow-Up" is an essential and core addition to professional, medical school, hospital, and academic library medical and environmental pollution collections, as well as the personal reading lists of medical students, doctors, academia, environmental activists, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.


The Environmental Studies Shelf

We Are the Middle of Forever
Dahr Jamail, editor
Stan Rushworth, editor
The New Press
120 Wall Street, Floor 31, New York, NY 10005
www.thenewpress.com
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9781620976692, $28.99, HC, 368pp

https://www.amazon.com/We-Are-Middle-Forever-Indigenous/dp/1620976692

Synopsis: Although for a great many people, the human impact on the Earth (with respect to countless species becoming extinct, pandemics claiming millions of lives, and climate crisis causing worldwide social and environmental upheaval) was not apparent until recently, this is not the case for all people or cultures.

For the Indigenous people of the world, radical alteration of the planet, and of life itself, is a story that is many generations long. They have had to adapt, to persevere, and to be courageous and resourceful in the face of genocide and destruction -- and their experience has given them a unique understanding of civilizational devastation.

An innovative work of research and reportage, "We Are the Middle of Forever: Indigenous Voices from Turtle Island on the Changing Earth" places Indigenous voices at the center of conversations about today's environmental crisis. "We Are the Middle of Forever" draws on interviews with people from different North American Indigenous cultures and communities, generations, and geographic regions, who share their knowledge and experience, their questions, their observations, and their dreams of maintaining the best relationship possible to all of life.

A welcome antidote to the despair arising from the climate crisis, "We Are the Middle of Forever" brings to the forefront the perspectives of those who have long been attuned to climate change and will be an indispensable aid to those looking for new and different ideas and responses to the challenges we face.

Critique: "We Are the Middle of Forever: Indigenous Voices from Turtle Island on the Changing Earth" is comprised of twenty articulate, relevant, insightful, thoughtful and thought-provoking contributions by experts in the fields of environmental, economic, and development policy from the perspective of indigenous people. Informed and informative, exceptionally well organized and presented, "We Are the Middle of Forever: Indigenous Voices from Turtle Island on the Changing Earth" is a critically important and unreservedly recommended contribution to personal, professional, community, and academic library Environmental Studies collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, environmental activists, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "We Are the Middle of Forever: Indigenous Voices from Turtle Island on the Changing Earth" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.05) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798212006736, $31.95, CD).

Editorial Note #1: Dahr Jamail is the author of Beyond the Green Zone: Dispatches from an Unembedded Journalist in Occupied Iraq as well as The End of Ice: Bearing Witness and Finding Meaning in the Path of Climate Disruption. He has won the Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism and the Izzy Award. He has a dedicated website at https://www.dahrjamail.net

Editorial Note #2: Stan Rushworth is a teacher of Native American literature and the author of Sam Woods: American Healing, Going to Water: The Journal of Beginning Rain, Diaspora's Children, and (with Dahr Jamail) We Are the Middle of Forever: Indigenous Voices from Turtle Island on the Changing Earth (The New Press). He has a website page at https://mesarefuge.org/people/stan-rushworth


The Cookbook Shelf

How To Cook Everything Fast
Mark Bittman
Harvest
c/o William Morrow & Company
www.harpercollins.com
9780544790315, $40.00, HC, 544pp

https://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Fast-Revised/dp/0544790316

Synopsis: The secret to cooking good meals fast is to cook smart by choosing and preparing ingredients that make the most of your time in the kitchen. In this new and revised edition of "How to Cook Everything Fast", culinary expert Mark Bittman shares hundreds of simple, flavorful dishes with each of them being ready in 30 minutes or less.

But "fast" doesn't mean compromising on quality or resorting to packaged shortcuts; instead, Bittman offers savvy culinary hacks -- broiling rather than baking, using less liquid for a faster boil, and taking advantage of downtime for last-minute prep.

In the spirit of fast and simple cooking, each of the recipes comprising "How to Cook Everything Fast" have been retested and streamlined for this completely revised edition -- which has been expanded and updated to also features dozens of vegan and vegetarian options, as well as stunning all-new photography.

New favorites include Chickpea Hash with Tahini Sauce, Gooey Stovetop Lasagna, Peanut Noodles with Whatever You Have, Caramelized Bananas, and so many more. Variations, tips, quick side dishes, make-ahead components, and kitchen insights abound.

Critique: Expertly compiled of kitchen cook friendly recipes that are palate pleasing and appetite satisfying, "How to Cook Everything Fast" is a truly impressive compendium of innovative, easy-to-follow recipes for every dining occasion -- as well as presenting new strategies for becoming a faster (and-better) cook every time you use this cook book to plan a menu with.

Editorial Note: Mark Bittman (https://markbittman.com) is the author of more than thirty books, including the How to Cook Everything series and VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00 to Lose Weight and Restore Your Health . . . for Good. He was a food columnist, opinion columnist, and the lead magazine food writer at the New York Times, where he started writing in 1984 and remained for more than thirty years. Bittman has written for countless publications and spoken at dozens of universities and conferences; his 2007 TED talk "What's wrong with what we eat?" has almost five million views. Bittman is currently the special advisor on food policy at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, where he teaches and hosts a lecture series. He is also the editor in chief of Heated.

Wanda E. Brunstetter's Amish Friends No Waste Cookbook
Wanda E. Brunstetter
www.wandabrunstetter.com
Barbour Publishing
P.O. Box 719, 1810 Barbour Drive, Uhrichsville, OH 44683
www.barbourbooks.com
9781636093857, $16.99, Spiral Bound, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/Wanda-Brunstetters-Amish-Friends-Cookbook/dp/163609385X

Synopsis: With the publication of "Amish Friends No Waste Cookbook: More Than 270 Recipes Help Stretch a Food Budget", Wanda E. Brunstetter has created a very special family cookbook for when times are hard and costs are on the rise.

In this culinary compendium, Amish and Mennonite cooks offer recipes and advice for saving money, stretching a meal, and eliminating waste in the kitchen. Over 270 recipes are divided into traditional categories from main dishes and sides to desserts and snacks.

Critique: Especially recommended for anyone struggling to feed their family as the current rising inflation is making the cost of everything rises, "Wanda E. Brunstetter's Amish Friends No Waste Cookbook: More Than 270 Recipes Help Stretch a Food Budget" is specifically and effectively designed to help families on a limited food budget to eat well and healthy. Encased in a lay-flat spiral binding and presented in full color, home cooks of all ages will find this recipe collection to be a timely addition to their both personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

Editorial Note: Wanda E. Brunstetter (www.wandabrunstetter.com) is one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre. She has written more than 100 books translated in four languages. Wanda's ancestors were part of the Anabaptist faith, and her novels are based on personal research intended to accurately portray the Amish way of life.

Pipers Farm Sustainable Meat Cookbook
Abby Allen, author
Rachel Lovell, author
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
http://www.kylebooks.com
9781914239274, $39.99, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Pipers-Farm-Sustainable-Meat-Cookbook/dp/191423927X

Synopsis: "Pipers Farm Sustainable Meat Cookbook: Recipes & Wisdom for Considered Carnivores" by the team of Abby Allen and Rachel Lovell is an aria for proper meat. Meat as it was before it got messed with. Before animals became a unit of production in factory farms and ranches, but when they were reared humanely to produce excellent food, and were willingly given an equally excellent life.

"Pipers Farm Sustainable Meat Cookbook: Recipes & Wisdom for Considered Carnivores" explores the connection between nature and farming and the result is a mixture of hands-in-the-earth farm stories and meat-first carcass balanced seasonal recipes. Meat is revered and stretched as far as we can make it go by respecting the animal and using every part, cheek to lard, tendon to tail.

The recipes are not just meat and two veggies, but provides DIY cooking that is devised for the way we live today. Think a modernized version of warming farmhouse food, to suit the weather and our homes. Fast, fresh, surprising dishes for midweek, and slow-cooking or theater pieces shared with friends for weekends and holidays.

Far from countering the vegan spike, "Pipers Farm Sustainable Meat Cookbook: Recipes & Wisdom for Considered Carnivores" is the definition of fair, honest, sustainable food. This is a compendium in which meat is done right.

Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with full page color photography of finished dishes, "Pipers Farm Sustainable Meat Cookbook: Recipes & Wisdom for Considered Carnivores" is deftly organized and presented throughout the calendar year, January through December. Comprised of erudite commentary, palate-pleasing, appetite satisfying, recipes for the creation of memorable meals, "Pipers Farm Sustainable Meat Cookbook: Recipes & Wisdom for Considered Carnivores" is a culinary delight to simply browse through and create menus with. Also featuring a Glossary, 'Notes on Our Chefs', and an Index, "Pipers Farm Sustainable Meat Cookbook: Recipes & Wisdom for Considered Carnivores" is a simply outstanding and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Pipers Farm Sustainable Meat Cookbook: Recipes & Wisdom for Considered Carnivores" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).

Editorial Note: Pipers Farm (https://pipersfarm.com) is a farm in Devon which was founded over 30 years ago as a reaction to the industrialization of meat in the 1970s and 80s. What started out as a farm and a small butchers' shop serving a loyal tribe of regular customers is now a thriving national online delivery service for truly artisan, sustainably produced British meat. The livestock are reared through regenerative farming techniques that work in harmony with nature, and this special place in Devon now counts over 40 like-minded small scale family farms as part of the Pipers Farm community. They are passionate about animal welfare, reducing food waste, rearing grass-fed native breeds and nourishing the land they work on, and ensuring that the rural communities they live and work with are given a sustainable future. It's all about family farms, not factory farms.

The Herbivorous Butcher Cookbook
Aubry & Kale Walch
Chronicle Books
680 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
www.chroniclebooks.com
9781797211954, $29.95, HC, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/Herbivorous-Butcher-Cookbook-Recipes-Plant-Based/dp/1797211951

Synopsis: Think of any go-to American meat-focused cookbook. Now, imagine it vegan. From the Guamanian brother-sister duo (Aubry & Kale Walch) behind the acclaimed and beloved vegan butcher shop, "The Herbivorous Butcher" is a compendium of 75 innovative recipes for plant-based meats and standout vegan dishes. These are butcher shop classics (but so much healthier) such as Pork Chops, Ground Beef, and Chicken Cutlets that taste and chew as good as the real thing -- perfect for vegans as well as anyone who wants to eat less meat.

Even the most novice of kitchen cooks can use these base recipes (or store-bought substitutes) to prepare super-tasty, hearty dishes that are totally vegan and range from Cherry-Glazed Rib Rack, Nashville Hot Popcorn Chicken, and Kale's Very Fine Lasagna, to BLT Couscous Crust Quiche, Nana's Chamorro Sweet Bread, Coconut Chicken Chilakells Soup, Bacon Creamed Coren, and more. Of special note is a chapter devoted to bases, butters, and sauces that will elevate any vegan dishes.

Critique: With its beautiful photography and entertaining stories, "The Herbivorous Butcher Cookbook: 75+ Recipes for Plant-Based Meats and All the Dishes You Can Make with Them" offers a glimpse of the culinary future -- and that future tastes delicious. Vegetarians and non-Vegetarians alike will prize "The Herbivorous Butcher Cookbook" as a core addition to personal, professional, family, and community library Vegetarian, Paleo, and Gluten Free cookbook collections.

Editorial Note: Sister and brother duo Aubry and Kale Walch have spent the last several years perfecting The Herbivorous Butcher's deliciously deceiving meat-free meats. Aubry has spent over a decade creating meat-free alternatives for many of the foods that she grew up with on Guam, a place where each meal consisted of at least two different kinds of meat or seafood.

After years of watching Aubry thrive, Kale Walch followed suit and became vegan. Over the past few years, he has developed a keen sense for the many ingredients and methods that go into making the most flavorful, nutritious, and satisfying meat alternatives. Together they opened The Herbivorous Butcher in 2016 in Minneapolis. They have a dedicated website at https://www.theherbivorousbutcher.com

The White House Family Cookbook
Henry Haller, author
Virginia Aronson, author
The White House Historical Association
PO Box 27624, Washington, DC, 20038
www.whitehousehistory.org
9781950273362, $45.00, HC, 420pp

Synopsis: Originally published in November of 1987, "The White House Family Cookbook" is now released in a new second edition featuring an informative Foreword by Alex Prud'Homme. Illustrated throughout in full color, this massive compendium of First Family recipes for luncheons, entrees, side dishes, desserts, and special events are drawn from and organized by the Johnson Family, the Nixon Family, The Ford Family, The Carter Family, and The Reagan Family.

Critique: Informatively enhanced with the inclusion of three page of Kitchen Notes, a three page bibliographic listing of References, and two pages of Acknowledgments, this magnificent, elegant, and substantial second edition of "The White House Family Cookbook" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, family, and community library cookbook collections.

The Slow Cooker Bible
Pyramid
c/o Octopus Books
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9780753734926, $24.99, HC, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/Slow-Cooker-Bible-Including-Vegetarian/dp/0753734923

Synopsis: With the publication of "The Slow Cooker Bible: Super Simple Feasts for the Whole Family, Including Delicious Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes", even the most novice of family chefs can now get the most out of their slow cooker with this culinary compendium of 150 easy-to-assemble recipes (including vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and lighter options) for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.

From light bites to hearty mains, "The Slow Cooker Bible" has the perfect recipe for every meal. Whether it's setting your slow cooker to wake you up with a hearty breakfast or having a healthy dinner ready for the family when you get home from work, slow cooking makes meal prep easy.

The recipes comprising "The Slow Cooker Bible" are deftly organized into seven major sections: Brilliant Breakfasts; Lighter Meals and Sides; Warming Soups; Hearty Stews and Casseroles; Meat and Fish Dishes; Spicy Flavors; Sweet Treats.

Including a wide range of recipes to suit everyone's taste, this ultimate collection of slow cooker recipes features plant-based vegan and vegetarian meals, gluten-free dishes, lighter options; plus delicious chicken, beef, pork and fish recipes. Of special note is the inclusion of a handy introduction to slow cooking, plus troubleshooting tips and advice will ensure you get the most out of your slow cooker for delicious results every time.

Critique: Next to the microwave, arguably the most resorted to kitchen appliance for today's busy family cooks is the slow cooker. "The Slow Cooker Bible: Super Simple Feasts for the Whole Family, Including Delicious Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes" is a welcome and unreservedly recommended addition to family, personal, and community library cookbook collections -- and a 'must' for utilizing a slow cooker to its maximum meal preparation potential. It should be noted that "The Slow Cooker Bible: Super Simple Feasts for the Whole Family, Including Delicious Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

Editorial Note: Pyramid publishes books on a wide range of popular subjects including cookery, reference, mind body spirit and gift. Beyond its new books, Pyramid is known for its titles drawn from the extensive Octopus archive and its custom publishing expertise.

Give My Swiss Chards to Broadway: The Broadway Lover's Cookbook
Gideon Glick, author
Adam Roberts, author
Justin Robertson, illustrator
The Countryman Press
c/o W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.countrymanpress.com
9781682687185, $25.00, HC, 200pp

https://www.amazon.com/Give-My-Swiss-Chards-Broadway/dp/168268718X

Synopsis: Good food and trivia and authors who sing -- these are a few of our favorite things! With the publication of "Give My Swiss Chards to Broadway: The Broadway Lover's Cookbook", Tony-nominated actor Gideon Glick and food writer Adam Roberts have teamed up to write the ultimate cookbook for theater lovers. This collection of musical-inspired recipes includes dishes like Yolklahoma!, Clafoutis and the Beast, Yam Yankees, Dear Melon Hansen, and more. And while readers are sure to be charmed by the names, the recipes themselves will have them sticking around for the food, glorious food!

Thoughtfully assembled by two veritable Broadway experts, each featured dish comprising "Give My Swiss Chards to Broadway" comes with a brief history of the show that inspired it, a summary of the plot, and "Listening Notes" chock-full of behind-the-scenes trivia. Complete with lively illustrations from celebrated theatrical illustrator Justin "Squigs" Robertson, "Give My Swiss Chards to Broadway" makes every meal feel like a night at the theater.

Critique: With an entertaining proclivities for puns, "Give My Swiss Chards to Broadway: The Broadway Lover's Cookbook" deftly combines show tunes with recipes. The result is a unique, palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, kitchen cook friendly compendium of dishes and contexts for them that will delight food lovers and theatre goers alike. While highly recommended for personal, professional, and community library Contemporary Cookbook Collections, it should be noted for personal and professional lists that "Give My Swiss Chards to Broadway: The Broadway Lover's Cookbook" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

Editorial Note #1: Gideon Glick (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1921376/) is a Tony-nominated actor who has starred in To Kill a Mockingbird, Spring Awakening, and more.

Editorial Note #2: Adam Roberts (https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-roberts-a4ba31249) is a food writer and author of The Amateur Gourmet and Secrets of the Best Chefs.

Taste of Home Fall Baking
Taste of Home, author
https://www.tasteofhome.com
Trusted Media Brand
https://www.trustedmediabrands.com
9781621458289, $19.99, PB, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Home-Fall-Baking-Cookies/dp/1621458288

Synopsis: Showcasing more than 275 recipes of creating impressive cakes, snackable cookies, holiday pies, impressive tarts and all the buttery breads, "Taste of Home Fall Baking" deftly combines easy-to-follow instructions with mouth- watering full color photographs of the finished bake goods. The dozens of kitchen cook friendly how-to photos and step-by-step instructions as well as baking hints and tips from Test Kitchen pros will easily enable even the most novice of bakers to turn out professional quality baked goods.

Of special note are the additional QR codes linked to handy how-to videos and collections of free recipes. There is even a special Bonus Chapter offering savory potpies, bubbling casseroles and other oven-fresh entrees sure to warm the chilliest fall evening.

Critique: Targeting for the Fall/Autumn season, but good eating all year round, "Taste of Home Fall Baking" is a culinary treasure to plan memorable menus with and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition and DIY resource for personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted for personal use, especially when planning menus for Thanksgiving Dinners, Holiday Cooking, and Wine Tasting Events, that "Taste of Home Fall Baking" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).

Editorial Note: There is a complete listing of Taste of Home cookbooks at https://www.amazon.com/Taste-of-Home/e/B00J24QD5G

Taste of Home Boards, Platters & More
Taste of Home, editor
https://www.tasteofhome.com
Trusted Media Brand
https://www.trustedmediabrands.com
9781621458302, $24.99, PB, 208pp

https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Home-Boards-Platters-More/dp/162145830X

Synopsis: "Taste of Home Boards, Platters & More" is comprised of 56 easy-to-assemble boards as well as the recipes that go with them! In addition to striking wine and cheese boards, there are DIY instructions for preparing garden-fresh veggie platters, a taco-night board, pancake and waffle boards, a chocolate tray, a fondue board, a movie-night platter, a snackable Superbowl stadium and so many others. Even the most novice of kitchen cooks will learn the culinary secrets to building their own charcuterie specialties, impress guests with holiday-themed boards and serve up the sort of appetizers and beverages.

Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated with full color photography throughout, "Taste Of Home Boards, Platters & More: 219 Party Perfect Boards, Bites & Beverages For Any Get-Together" will prove to be a prized and popular addition to personal, professional, and community library collection. Of particular appeal to those with an interest in party planning, appetizers, meal garnishings, it should be noted that "Taste Of Home Boards, Platters & More" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).

Editorial Note: There is a complete listing of Taste of Home cookbooks at https://www.amazon.com/Taste-of-Home/e/B00J24QD5G

Latin American Street Food
Sandra A. Gutierrez
University of North Carolina Press
116 South Boundary Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514-3808
https://uncpress.org
9781469608709, $39.95, HC, 368pp

https://www.amazon.com/Latin-American-Street-Food-Argentina/dp/1469608707

Synopsis: From tamales to tacos, food on a stick to ceviches, and empanadas to desserts, with the publication of "Latin American Street Food: The Best Flavors of Markets, Beaches, and Roadside Stands from Mexico to Argentina", Sandra A. Gutierrez takes us on a tasting tour of the most popular and delicious culinary finds of twenty Latin American countries, including Mexico, Cuba, Peru, and Brazil, translating them into 150 easy recipes for the home kitchen. These exciting, delectable, and accessible foods are sure to satisfy everyone.

Sharing fascinating culinary history, fun personal stories, and how-to tips, Gutierrez showcases some of the most recognized and irresistible street foods, such as Mexican Tacos al Pastor, Guatemalan Christmas Tamales, Salvadorian Pupusas, and Cuban Sandwiches. She also presents succulent and unexpected dishes sure to become favorites, such as Costa Rican Tacos Ticos, Brazilian Avocado Ice Cream, and Peruvian Fried Ceviche.

Critique: With compellingly beautiful full color photographs of finished dishes, "Latin American Street Food: The Best Flavors of Markets, Beaches, and Roadside Stands from Mexico to Argentina" is thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and presentation which includes a list of sources for the ingredients of each featured dish. A remarkable and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library Ethnic Cookbook collections, it should be noted that "Latin American Street Food: The Best Flavors of Markets, Beaches, and Roadside Stands from Mexico to Argentina" is also available in a paperback edition (9781469672564, $25.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Sandra A. Gutierrez (https://www.facebook.com/sandralatinista/) is a food writer, culinary instructor, and recipe developer. She is also the author of The New Southern-Latino Table: Recipes That Bring Together the Bold and Beloved Flavors of Latin America and the American South.

Southern Inspired
Jernard A. Wells
BenBella Books
www.benbellabooks.com
9781637741504, $26.95, PB, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Inspired-Delicious-Dishes-American/dp/1637741502

Synopsis: After growing up in Mississippi, Jernard Wells brought the familiar dishes and bold flavors of the South along on his culinary journey to becoming a chef, a restaurateur, and a TV host. With the publication of "Southern Inspired: More Than 100 Delicious Dishes from My American Table to Yours", Jernard continues his journey by retracing the steps of generations of African American cooks whose creations contributed to global kitchen tables since slavery.

Southern food defines American food at large, and Jernard takes it to a whole new level while still honoring its roots. Jernard also brings in flavors from the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia, and Europe, always with his signature Southern flair.

"Southern Inspired" shares 100 recipes that are appropriate for both beginners and the more experienced cooks alike. Here there are dishes for busy weekdays, backyard barbecues, slow-paced dinner parties, indulgent brunches, and holiday feasts with recipes that range from Blackened Catfish with Smoked Gouda Grits; Sweet Tea-Brined Fried Chicken; Creamy Collard Green Dip and Crostini; and Over-the-Top Lime BBQ Shrimp Tacos; to Fried Green Tomatillos; Chicken Cheeseburger Eggrolls; Georgia Peach Hot Chicken Sandwiches; Cranberry Whiskey Glazed Pork Ribs; and Mason Jar Raspberry Chocolate Trifles.

Accompanied by beautiful color photography, Southern Inspired showcases Jernard's American food: fresh, personal recipes packed with traditions and heartwarming family stories from an African American chef's perspective.

Critique: A simple culinary pleasure to browse through and plan memorable menus with, "Southern Inspired: More Than 100 Delicious Dishes from My American Table to Yours" with its palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, kitchen cook friendly recipes is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Southern Inspired: More Than 100 Delicious Dishes from My American Table to Yours" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Jernard A. Wells (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6264141/) is the host of New Soul Kitchen and New Soul Kitchen Remix on CLEO TV and is best known from numerous Food Network shows. Wells is also a contributor on The Best Things I Ever Ate on Cooking Channel and Food Fantasies on Oprah Winfrey Network. He has been featured on/in TODAY, People magazine, The Steve Harvey Morning Show, Rickey Smiley Morning Show, ESSENCE, Daily Blast Live, Hallmark Channel, Lifetime, HLN, and more. This James Beard House Honored Chef is a 2-time Telly Award winner and Taste Award winner. Wells is affectionately called "The Family Chef."

Cast Iron Cooking
Ashley Billey, et al.
Practical Gourmet
c/o Lone Pine Publishing
https://lonepinebooks.com/practical-gourmet
9781990534003, $19.99, Spiral Bound, 160pp

https://www.amazon.com/Cast-Iron-Cooking-New-Original/dp/1990534007

Synopsis: For centuries, cast iron cookware was the most common type of cookware in the world. Long before ovens were invented, heavy 3-legged cast iron cauldrons, utensils, kettles, and all shapes of pots hung over fires inside at hearths or outside over campfires. As other less expensive and lighter forms of cookware became more widely available, cast iron pots and pans dropped in popularity. But today they are making a comeback and retaking their rightful place in kitchens around the globe.

Cast iron is renowned for its ability to retain heat and for its durability. When properly cared for, cast iron cookware can be the kitchen workhorse for generations, turning out mouth-watering steaks, sizzling fajitas, beautifully browned cornbread and so much more. But cooking with cast iron is a little different than cooking with stainless steel or aluminum pots and pans.

With the publication of "Cast Iron Cooking", culinary experts Ashley Billey, Jean Pare, Wendy Pirk, and James Darcy has chosen some of their favorite meals to cook in cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens. They have also provided detailed information on how to properly care for your cast iron cookware. This impressive collection of prized and favorite recipes, along with helpful tips scattered throughout, will become your go-to resource for all things cooked with cast iron.

Critique: Enhanced with full page color photos of finished dishes, "Cast Iron Cooking" is organized into two major sections: Skillet and Dutch Oven. Along with an informative Introduction, a section on How to Roast Coffee and another on 'Outdoor' recipes, and a three page Index, "Cast Iron Cooking" is spiral bound so as to lay out flat on a table or counter. Very highly recommended for personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections, and the newest addition to Canadian publisher 'Company's Coming' series, "Practical Gourmet: Company's Coming: Cast Iron Cooking is an extraordinary cookbook and ideal for planning memorable menus with and will enable even the most novice of cast iron kitchen cooks to expertly prepare meals for any and all dining occasions.

Editorial Note: Started by Jean Pare in 1981, Company's Coming quickly became Canada's largest publisher of cookbooks.

Japanese Home Cooking
Chihiro Masui, author
Hanae Kaede, author
Annabelle Schachmes, photographer
Firefly Books Ltd.
www.fireflybooks.com
9781770856066, $39.95, HC, 280pp
9780228103684, $24.95

https://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Home-Cooking-Chihiro-Masui/dp/1770856064

Synopsis: With the publication of "Japanese Home Cooking", kitchen cooks will appreciated how the techniques and ingredients of Japanese cuisine are explained clearly, thanks in great part to the many step-by-step photos. This compendium of recipes for delicious and authentic Japanese cuisine omits nothing, from cooking rice to dressing a Japanese table.

"Japanese Home Cooking" is the ideal guide for cooks new to Japanese cuisine, as well as those with experience with features that include: The Japanese approach to food; Step-by-step photographs for all recipes that require more than the most basic skills; Final dish presentation; Technique and important detail (such as slicing fish and vegetables in the traditional Japanese manner); Dashi stock base (a symbol of Japanese cooking); Notes on the history of Japanese regional cooking and the influence of foreigners; and the distinctive Japanese table.

"Japanese Home Cooking" has six sections with more than 90 recipes plus variations for everyday dishes and for gourmet cuisine for special occasions. For example: Starters (Cucumber and wakame Sunomono; Prawns with pickled egg and kimi-zu); Bowls and Soups (Red miso soup with clams asa ri; Clear soup dumpling and crab wakame); Vegetables and Tofu (Pumpkin in chicken broth soboro; Seaweed hijiki; Sweet daikon with miso); Fried and Grilled (Teriyaki salmon; Breaded shrimp tonkatsu; Tamago-yaki omelette); Rice and Noodles (Rice with five favors; Asa-zuke of cabbage, cucumber, carrots and Brussels sprouts; Yakisoba fried noodles); Sweets: Soy milk creme caramel; Hortensia cake; Ukishima (floating island).

For hard-to-find ingredients, "Japanese Home Cooking" also includes a resource section and tips on generally available substitutions.

Critique: More than just a simple collection of ethnic recipes, "Japanese Home Cooking" offers a complete and comprehensive instructional course in understanding and preparing palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, kitchen cook friendly authentic Japanese cuisine. While also available in a paperback edition (9780228103684, $24.95), "Japanese Home Cooking" will be an elegant and prized addition to any personal, professional, or community library cookbook collection.

Editorial Note #1: Born in Japan, Chihiro Masui is the author of more than 20 cookbooks published in Japan and France.

Editorial Note #2: Hanae Kaede has worked as a pastry chef in Michelin-starred restaurants. She returned to Japan to obtain a diploma in Japanese cuisine.

Editorial Note #3: Annabelle Schachmes is a food journalist for the French daily newspaper France Soir. As a photographer, she has worked for various culinary publications and chefs' books.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Caribou: Wind Walkers of the Northern Wilderness
Pili Palm-Leis, author
Mark Raycroft, author/photographer
Firefly Books Ltd.
www.fireflybooks.com
9780228103974, $24.95, PB, 160pp

https://www.amazon.com/Caribou-Wind-Walkers-Northern-Wilderness/dp/0228103975

Synopsis: The story of the contemporary caribou begins during the last Ice Age, over two million years ago. This origin is appropriate; the caribou are rugged survivors, forged by icy terrain and windswept snow, enduring some of the coldest and harshest environments on the planet. Illustrated with exquisite photographs by famed wilderness photographer and writer Mark Raycroft, "Caribou: Wind Walkers of the Northern Wilderness" (along with author Pili Palm-Leis) celebrates this fascinating and breathtaking animal.

Calling tundra and boreal forests their home, there are over 2.5 million caribou worldwide with 15 subspecies, the largest of which is the boreal woodland caribou, found in Alaska and the north of Canada. Revered, hunted and domesticated by cultures across the globe for thousands of years, caribou (also known as reindeer) migrate farther than any other land mammal in search of food, with some having been documented traveling 700 kilometers.

With its towering antlers, weather-resistant coat of fur and ability to forage lichen and fungi buried deep beneath the ice and snow, the caribou are an awe-inspiring symbol of perseverance.

Critique: "Caribou: Wind Walkers of the Northern Wilderness" is a truly beautiful and impressively informative volume dedicated to the history and life-cycle of the Caribou -- and is unreservedly recommended for both the personal reading lists of anyone with an interest in the subject, as well as community library Pets/Wild Animal collections.

Editorial Note #1: Pili Palm-Leis is a published author, artist, nature lover and advocate for planet Earth. In her time spent in the presence of caribou, Pili has come to love and appreciate these peaceful animals. She is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Pili-Palm-Leis-Photography-1011617145563549

Editorial Note #2: Mark Raycroft (https://www.markraycroft.com/index) is a professional wildlife photographer and biologist based in Ontario, Canada. He has spent over 25 years photographing, filming and writing about caribou. His work has been featured worldwide in a range of publications including National Geographic, Canadian Geographic, Canadian Wildlife, Outdoor Canada, Field and Stream, Ranger Rick, Outdoor Life, Backpacker and Wild magazines. He also authored the award-winning book "Moose: Crowned Giant of the Northern Wilderness".

Feline Reproduction
Aime K. Johnson, editor
Michelle Anne Kutzler, editor
CABI
www.cabi.org
9781789247084, $80.00, PB, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Feline-Reproduction-Aime-Johnson-PhD/dp/178924708X

Synopsis: Cats are one of the most popular pets in the world, and as homes become smaller, and single-person households become more common, it is predicted that the numbers of house cats being bred and kept will only grow.

With the publication of "Feline Reproduction" compiled and co-edited by Aime K. Johnson and Michelle Anne Kutzler all aspects of reproduction in the queen and the tom are covered. Beginning with basic anatomy and normal reproduction, "Feline Reproduction" goes on to cover practical knowledge about pregnancy, neonatal care, breeding soundness exams, and semen cryopreservation. It also includes an overview of factors, diseases, and abnormal conditions affecting reproduction, such as infertility, causes of abortion and contraception.

Covering both pet patients and nondomestic species, "Feline Reproduction" provides a thorough grounding in feline reproduction for the general veterinary practitioner, veterinary student, animal scientist, and experienced cat breeder.

Critique: Profusely illustrated and offering a listing of all the contributors and their credentials, "Feline Reproduction" is comprise of twenty-eight erudite, expert and informative articles that collectively cover all aspects of the subject. While unreservedly recommended for veterinary clinic, college and university library Feline Studies collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for veterinary students, academia, pet owners, and breeders that "Feline Reproduction" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $68.71).

Editorial Note #1: Dr. Aime Johnson (https://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/faculty/johnson-aime) graduated from North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine in May of 2000. She completed a theriogenology residency at Texas A&M in 2005, and was board certified in the American College of Theriogenologists in August 2007. She joined the faculty at Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine in August 2007. Dr. Johnson's research interests are all aspects of feline reproduction and non-surgical sterilization options for companion animals.

Editorial Note #2: Dr. Michelle Kutzler (https://anrs.oregonstate.edu/users/michelle-kutzler) graduated from Washington State University with a Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. She went to Cornell University to pursue a theriogenology residency under the supervision of Dr. Vicki Meyers-Wallen and Dr. Rob Gilbert. Dr. Kutzler stayed on at Cornell University for a PhD under the tutelage of Dr. Peter Nathanielsz. Her thesis research investigated the effects of dexamethasone on placental vascular blood flow. Since 2002, Dr. Kutzler has been at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. She teaches numerous courses including Companion Animal Production, Mammalian Reproductive Biology, and Hormone Action. She is also on the Scientific Advisory Committee for the Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs and the Chair of Scientific Committee for the 2020 International Symposium on Canine and Feline Reproduction.


The American History Shelf

1876: Year of the Gun
Steve Wiegand
Bancroft Press
PO Box 65360, Baltimore, MD 21209
www.bancroftpress.com
9781610885805, $33.00, HC, 442pp

https://www.amazon.com/1876-Wyatt-Custer-Buffalo-Created/dp/1610885805

Synopsis: With the publication of "1876: Year of the Gun: The Year Bat, Wyatt, Custer, Jesse, and the Two Bills (Buffalo and Wild) Created the Wild West, and Why It's Still With Us", veteran journalist and historian Steve Wiegand takes his readers across the post-Civil War Wild West. Wiegand introduces (or re-introduces) us to lawmen such as Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp and outlaws such as the Younger Brothers and the James Brothers, as well as larger-than-life figures such as Buffalo Bill and George Custer.

Wiegand details the stories of these real-life legends, the aftermath and legacies they left behind, and the innumerable myths frequently attributed to them. Juxtaposing their real lives with the often-outlandish accounts of their exploits, "1876: Year of the Gun" swings from lighthearted humor to cliff-hanger suspense. It also portrays how the Wild West's initial, tantalizing promise of fame and glamour often disintegrated.

But "1876: Year of the Gun" also offers readers a unique element noticeably absent from most Wild West books: historical context.

Wiegand expands his contemporary spotlight on America's 100th birthday year to encompass what was going on in the rest of the country. On the very same day George Armstrong Custer was dying on a parched hill in southeastern Montana and immortalizing himself as both hero and villain, Alexander Graham Bell was at America's first World's Fair in Philadelphia, demonstrating his new invention he called the telephone. At the same time Wyatt Earp was moseying into Dodge City to join the town's police force, Albert Goodwill Spalding was on a pitcher's mound in Chicago, establishing baseball as the national pastime and creating a sporting goods empire. And even as the James Boys and Younger Brothers were robbing banks, Democrats and Republicans were conspiring to steal the White House from the American voter.

"1876: Year of the Gun" brings them all together in one place.

Fueled by the author's childhood interest in cowboys, train and bank robberies, and high noon shootouts, and their portrayal in iconic TV shows, "1876: Year of the Gun" is a delightful homage to famous Wild West figures who, with media help, helped shape the American character.

Critique: A fun and informative read from cover to cover, "1876: Year of the Gun: The Year Bat, Wyatt, Custer, Jesse, and the Two Bills (Buffalo and Wild) Created the Wild West, and Why It's Still With Us" takes an extraordinary approach to American history that will be particularly appreciated by readers with an interest in the histories and stories that were to define American in myth, legend, and reality. While unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library 19th Century American History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "1876: Year of the Gun" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).

Editorial Note: Steve Wiegand (https://tantor.com/author/steve-wiegand.html) is a veteran journalist and history writer. His 35-year-newspaper career was spent at the San Diego Evening Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle and Sacramento Bee. He is the author or co-author of 10 books, including U.S. History for Dummies, which is in its 4th edition and has been translated into Chinese and German; The American Revolution for Dummies; and The Dancer, the Dreamers and the Queen of Romania. His newest book, Danny Boy: The Uncommon Story of a Common Baseball Card and the Player On It, will be out from Bancroft Press in Spring 2023.


The World History Shelf

Himalaya: Exploring the Roof of the World
John Keay
https://www.johnkeay.com
Bloomsbury Press
www.bloomsbury.com
9781632869432, $30.00, HC, 432pp

https://www.amazon.com/Himalaya-Exploring-World-John-Keay/dp/1632869438

Synopsis: More rugged and elevated than any other zone on earth, the Himalaya embraces all of Tibet, plus six of the world's eight major mountain ranges and nearly all its highest peaks. It contains around 50,000 glaciers and the most extensive permafrost outside the polar region. 35% of the global population depends on Himalaya's freshwater for crop-irrigation, protein, and, increasingly, hydro-power.

Over an area nearly as big as Europe, the population is scattered, often nomadic and always sparse. Many languages are spoken, some are written, and few are related. Religious allegiances are equally diverse. The region is also politically fragmented, its borders belonging to multiple nations with no unity in how to address the risks posed by Himalaya's environment, including a volatile, near-tropical latitude in which temperatures climb from sub-zero at night to 80 F by day.

The Himalaya has drawn an illustrious succession of admirers, from explorers, surveyors, and sportsmen, to botanists and zoologists, ethnologists and geologists, missionaries and mountaineers. It now sits seismically unstable, as tectonic plates continue to shift and the region remains gridlocked in a global debate surrounding climate change.

With the publication of "Himalaya: Exploring the Roof of the World", historian John Keay provides a striking case for this spectacular but endangered corner of the planet as one if its most essential wonders. Without an other-worldly ethos and respect for its confounding, utterly fascinating features -- John Keay persuasively argues, that the Himalaya will soon cease to exist.

Critique: A singularly unique and seminal study, John Keay's "Himalaya: Exploring the Roof of the World" is impressively informative, exceptionally well written, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation. An inherently fascinating and thought-provoking read from cover to cover, "Himalaya: Exploring the Roof of the World" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists for anyone with an interest in Central Asian History, and Ecotourism/Kathmandu Travel Guides, the "Himalaya: Exploring the Roof of the World" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.00).

Editorial Note: Currently residing in Scotland, John Keay has been writing about Himalaya and traveling there since the 1960s. He wrote the two-volume Explorers of the Western Himalayas and wrote and presented a major BBC R3 documentary series on the Himalayan kingdom; other works include India: A Historyand China: A History. He has contributed to about a dozen anthologies and multi-authored works on the region and written the text for several photographic studies. He reviews for the Literary Review and the TLS. The Royal Society for Asian Affairs awarded him its Sykes medal for his "literary contribution to Asian studies" in 2009. He has been a Royal Literary Fund fellow since 2010. Himalaya, his twenty-second book, will be the summation of a lifetime's study. He has a dedicated website at https://www.johnkeay.com

Alexandrea ad Aegyptum
Sherif Borale, editor
Zeitouna
c/o American University in Cairo Press
200 Park Avenue, Suite 1700, New York, NY 10166
www.aucpress.com
9789775864314, $59.95, HC, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Alexandrea-ad-Aegyptum-Sherif-Boraie/dp/9775864313

Synopsis: At the end of the eighteenth century, the city of Alexandria was a small backwater with a population of less than five thousand. Then in 1801 Muhammad Ali arrived in Egypt as second in command of an Albanian contingent, part of an Ottoman force sent to reoccupy the country after Napoleon Bonaparte's invasion in 1798. By 1805, Ali had become ruler of Egypt and in a short time, he built a new modern cosmopolitan Alexandria -- a thriving commercial hub and court city, the country's unofficial capital, and home to a large number of immigrants from the surrounding Mediterranean. Alexandrea ad AEgyptum, the old Latin adage meaning "Alexandria by Egypt," re emerged, underlining Alexandria's singular separateness.

Foreign dominance was further reinforced by British colonialism beginning in 1882, until 26 July 1956, when, from the parapet of the Bourse on Muhammad Ali Square in Alexandria, Gamal Abd al-Nasser announced the nationalization of the Suez Canal. As the city's sizeable foreign community left, following the Suez War then through waves of nationalization, the international Alexandria ceased to exist.

"Alexandrea ad Aegyptum" is a beautifully illustrated anthology that brings together the work of contemporaneous writers who witnessed the stages of Alexandria's dramatic rise and growth during the nineteenth and early- to mid-twentieth centuries.

Critique: Expertly compiled and edited by Sherif Boraie (a Cairo publisher, who lives in Dahshur, Egypt), "Alexandrea ad Aegyptum" is beautifully illustrated throughout with full page photographic reproductions of antique postcards. Impressively informative, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in both organization and presentation, "Alexandrea ad Aegyptum" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Egyptian History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Espana: A Brief History of Spain
Giles Tremlett
Bloomsbury Press
www.bloomsbury.com
9781639730575, $35.00, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Espa%C3%B1a-Brief-History-Giles-Tremlett/dp/1639730575

Synopsis: Spain's position on Europe's southwestern corner has exposed the country to cultural, political, and literal winds blowing from all quadrants throughout the country's ancient history.

Africa lies a mere nine miles to the south, separated by the Strait of Gibraltar-a mountain range struck, Spaniards believe, by Hercules, in an immaculate and divine display of strength. The Mediterranean connects Spain to the civilizational currents of Phoenicians, Romans, Carthaginians, and Byzantines as well as the Arabic lands of the near east.

Hordes from the Russian steppes were amongst the first to arrive. They would be followed by Visigoths, Arabs, and Napoleonic armies and many more invaders and immigrants. Circular winds and currents extended its borders to the American continent, allowing it to conquer and colonize much of the New World as the first ever global empire.

Spain, as we know it today, was made by generations-worth of changing peoples, worshiping Pagan, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim gods over time. The foundation of its story has been drawn and debated, celebrated and reproached. Whenever it has tried to deny its heterogeneity and create a "pure" national identity, the narrative has proved impossible to maintain.

With the publication of " Espana: A Brief History of Spain", by Guardian's Madrid journalist and author Giles Tremlett (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giles_Tremlett), who has lived in and written about Spain for over thirty years, deftly traces every stretch of Spain's history to argue that a lack of a homogenous identity is Spain's defining trait.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, impressively comprehensive, extraordinarily well organized, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in presentation, "Espana: A Brief History of Spain" provides an amazingly informative overview of the history of Spain from its beginnings as an identifiable country down to the present era. Enhanced with the occasion full color illustration, "Espana: A Brief History of Spain" is unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library World History collections in general, and Spanish History supplemental curriculum studies lists in particular. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Espana: A Brief History of Spain" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.50).

Regicide: The Trials of Henry Marten
John Worthen
Haus Publishing
https://hauspublishing.com
c/o The University of Chicago Press (dist.)
https://press.uchicago.edu
9781913368357, $29.95, HC, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/Regicide-Trials-Marten-John-Worthen/dp/1913368351

Synopsis: Henry Marten (1562 - 26 September 1641) was a soldier, a member of parliament, an organizer of the trial of Charles I, and a signatory of the King's death warrant. Today he is a neglected figure of the seventeenth century. Yet his life was both extraordinary and emblematic: he was at the fulcrum of English history during the turbulent years of the civil war, the protectorate, and the restoration.

Imprisoned in the Tower of London and tried at the Old Bailey, Marten was found guilty of high treason, only to be held captive for years on the equivalent of death row. While he was in prison, his letters to his mistress Mary Ward were stolen and published in an attempt to destroy his reputation. Witty, clever, loving, sardonic, and never despairing, those letters offer a rare and extraordinary insight into the everyday life of a man in the Tower awaiting a sentence of death.

The attempt to expose him as immoral revealed him instead as a tender and brave man.

With the publication of "Regicide: The Trials of Henry Marten" (Professor John Worthen's revelatory biography), Marten emerges from the shadows as a brilliantly clever, lively-minded man, free of the fundamentalist zeal so common in many of his republican contemporaries. Marten never abandoned his beliefs in equality, in a representative parliament under a constitution (which he had helped to write) without a monarch or a House of Lords, and in that way can be seen as a very modern man.

Critique: Rescued from an undeserved obscurity, "Regicide: The Trials of Henry Marten" is an extraordinary and meticulously presented work of outstanding scholarship that will be especially appreciated by readers with an interest in historical British biographies. Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of illustrations, twenty-two pages of notes, and a nine page Index, "Regicide: The Trials of Henry Marten" is an especially commended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library 17th Century English History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Regicide: The Trials of Henry Marten" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $28.45).

Editorial Note: John Worthen (https://everipedia.org/John_Worthen) is Emeritus Professor at the University of Nottingham. He is the author of several books, including The Life of William Wordsworth: A Critical Biography, The Cambridge Introduction to Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and T. S. Eliot: A Short Biography.

The Kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons
Paul Hill
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526782496, $42.95, HC, 280pp

https://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Anglo-Saxons-Wars-Alfred-865-899/dp/1526782499

Synopsis: "The Kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons: The Wars of King Alfred 865-899" is compelling military and political history of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom in which historian Paul Hill explores England's birth amidst the devastation and fury of the Danish invasions of the ninth century. He also provides insight into the English response to the new challenges of warfare in these years of turbulence and danger.

Alfred the Great, youngest son of King AEthelwulf, took control of the last surviving Anglo-Saxon kingdom, bringing Wessex and the 'English' parts of Mercia together into a new 'Kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons'. "The Kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons is a story of betrayal and of vengeance, of turncoat oath-breakers and loyal commanders, of battles fought and won against the odds. But above all, it is a history of how England came into being.

Warfare in Alfred's England changed from attritional set-piece battles to a grander strategic concern. This is explored, demonstrating how defense-in-depth fortification networks were built across the resurgent kingdom in the wake of Alfred's victory at Edington in 878. The arrival of new Danish armies into England in the 890s would lead to campaigns quite unlike those of the Great Heathen Army of the previous generation.

"The Kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons" is also a human as well as a military story of how a king demonstrated that his right to rule was important. Alfred sought to secure the succession on his son Edward, who led his own forces as a young man in the 890s.

But not everybody was happy in Alfred's England. Despite the ever-present threat from the Danes, the greatest challenge facing Alfred arose from his own kin, centered deep in the heart of ancient Wessex. Alfred knew very well that his was not the only branch of the family who claimed a right to rule.

Critique: A work of extraordinary scholarship that reads with all the narrative style of a novel, "The Kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons: The Wars of King Alfred 865-899" is enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of an eleven page Bibliography and a seven page Index. A simply fascinating history of 9th Century Britain and the wars of King Alfred, "The Kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons: The Wars of King Alfred 865-899" will have a particular interest for students of military strategy and is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library English Medieval History collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons: The Wars of King Alfred 865-899" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).

Editorial Note: Paul Hill (https://www.paulhillauthor.co.uk/) is formerly the curator of Kingston Upon Thames Museum in Surrey and is well known as a lecturer, author and expert on Anglo-Saxon and Norman history and military archaeology. He has written several books on these subjects, among them The Age of Athelstan: Britain's Forgotten History, The Viking Wars of Alfred the Great, and The Anglo-Saxons at War 800-1066.

Medieval Bridges of Southern England: 100 Bridges, 1000 Years
Marshall G. Hall
Oxbow Books
c/o Casemate Publishers
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781914427138, $59.99, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Medieval-Bridges-Southern-England-Years/dp/1914427130

Synopsis: Throughout history rivers have been a hub for human settlement and have long been a key part of local livelihoods, history and culture, as well as still playing a present-day role in providing services and leisure to people who live around them. It is no coincidence that all four of the earliest human civilizations were formed on great rivers: the Nile, Euphrates, Indus and Yellow rivers all saw great human aggregation along them. The most ancient and vital architectural structures in human history are linked to the use of rivers are bridges.

There are a wide range of medieval bridge structures, some very simple in their construction, to amazing triumphs of design and engineering comparable with the great churches of the period. They stand today as proof of the great importance of transport networks in the Middle Ages and of the size and sophistication of the medieval economy. These bridges were built in some of the most difficult places, across broad flood plains, deep tidal waters, and steep upland valleys, and they withstood all but the most catastrophic floods. Yet their beauty, from simplistic to ornate, remains for us to appreciate.

"Medieval Bridges of Southern England: 100 Bridges, 1000 Years" by Professor Marshall G. Hall has been organized geographically into tours and covers the governmental regions of Southwest England, London, and Southeast England. There are exactly 100 bridges included. There is an introduction and background information about the medieval period of English history at the beginning and there are beautiful full color photographs throughout the book.

Critique: A seminal work of original and informative scholarship that is impressively enhanced throughout with full color photography, "Medieval Bridges of Southern England: 100 Bridges, 1000 Years" is a unique, extraordinary, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, college, and university library Medieval History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Medieval Bridges of Southern England: 100 Bridges, 1000 Years" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.49).

Editorial Note: Marshall G. Hall is a retired UK university professor of Socio-Anthropology who has held a lifelong interest in travel, exploration, linguistics, architecture, and adventure. He originally moved from the University of Cincinnati to England to teach for the American College in London and 33 years later still calls the UK home. Today Marshall writes, teaches the occasional university class as a guest lecturer, does public speaking, and tends to his allotment.

Try Not to Be Strange
Michael Hingston
Biblioasis
www.biblioasis.com
9781771964159, $18.95, PB, 302pp

https://www.amazon.com/Try-Not-Be-Strange-Curious/dp/1771964154

Synopsis: On his fifteenth birthday, in the summer of 1880, future science-fiction writer M.P. Shiel sailed with his father and the local bishop from their home in the Caribbean out to the nearby island of Redonda -- where, with pomp and circumstance, he was declared the island's king. A few years later, when Shiel set sail for a new life in London, his father gave him some advice: Try not to be strange. It was almost as if the elder Shiel knew what was coming.

With the publication of "Try Not to Be Strange: The Curious History of the Kingdom of Redonda", by journalist and author Michael Hingston tells, for the first time, the complete history of Redonda's transformation from an uninhabited, guano-encrusted island into a fantastical and international kingdom of writers.

With a cast of characters including forgotten sci-fi novelists, alcoholic poets, vegetarian publishers, Nobel Prize frontrunners, and the bartenders who kept them all lubricated while angling for the throne themselves, Michael Hingston details the friendships, feuds, and fantasies that fueled the creation of one of the oddest and most enduring micronations ever dreamt into being.

Part biography, part literary history, part travelogue, part quest narrative, "Try Not to Be Strange" is cautionary tale about what happens when bibliomania escapes the shelves and stacks is as charming as it is peculiar -- and blurs the line between reality and fantasy so thoroughly that it may never be entirely restored.

Critique: An inherently fascinating read from first page to last, "Try Not to Be Strange: The Curious History of the Kingdom of Redonda" will have a special and particular appeal to readers with an interest in travel humor and unusual biographies. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Try Not to Be Strange" is unreservedly recommended for community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Try Not to Be Strange" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note #2: Matthew Phipps Shiell (21 July 1865 - 17 February 1947), known as M. P. Shiel, was a British writer. His legal surname remained "Shiell" though he adopted the shorter version as a de facto pen name. Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._P._Shiel

He is remembered mainly for supernatural horror and scientific romances. His work was published as serials, novels, and as short stories. The Purple Cloud (1901, revised 1929) remains his most often reprinted novel.

Editorial Note #2: Michael Hingston (http://michaelhingston.com) is also the author of "Let's Go Exploring" and "The Dilettantes". His journalism has appeared in National Geographic, Wired, and the Washington Post.


The Civil War Shelf

When Hell Came to Sharpsburg
Steven Cowie
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611215908, $34.95, HC, 552pp

https://www.amazon.com/When-Hell-Came-Sharpsburg-Civilians/dp/1611215900

Synopsis: The Battle of Antietam, fought in and around Sharpsburg, Maryland, on September 17, 1862, was the bloodiest day in American history. Despite the large number of books and articles on the subject, the battle's horrendous toll on area civilians is rarely discussed. "When Hell Came to Sharpsburg: The Battle of Antietam and Its Impact on the Civilians Who Called It Home" by Steven Cowie rectifies this oversight.

By the time the battle ended about dusk that day, more than 23,000 men had been killed, wounded, or captured in just a dozen hours of combat -- a grim statistic that tells only part of the story. The epicenter of that deadly day was the small community of Sharpsburg. Families lived, worked, and worshiped there. It was their home. And the horrific fighting turned their lives upside down.

"When Hell Came to Sharpsburg" investigates how the battle and opposing armies wreaked emotional, physical, and financial havoc on the people of Sharpsburg, and providing a proper context, explores the savage struggle and its gory aftermath and explains how soldiers stripped the community of resources and spread diseases.

"When Hell Came to Sharpsburg" also carefully and meticulously follows the fortunes of individual families like the Mummas, Roulettes, Millers, and many others (ordinary folk thrust into harrowing circumstances) and their struggle to recover from their unexpected and often devastating losses.

A comprehensive study is grounded in years of careful research, Steven Cowie unearthed a trove of previously unused archival accounts and examined scores of primary sources such as letters, diaries, regimental histories, and official reports. Packed with explanatory footnotes, original maps, and photographs, Cowie's richly detailed study is essential reading for those seeking new information on the battle and the perspective of the citizens who suffered because of it.

Antietam's impact on the local community was an American tragedy, and it is told here completely for the first time.

Critique: A seminal work of simply outstanding scholarship, no personal, professional, community, college, or university library American Civil War collection can be considered comprehensive without the inclusion of "When Hell Came to Sharpsburg: The Battle of Antietam and its Impact on the Civilians Who Called it Home". It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, Civil War historians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "When Hell Came to Sharpsburg: The Battle of Antietam and its Impact on the Civilians Who Called it Home" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).

Editorial Note: Steven Cowie (https://www.stevencowie.com) has dedicated the past fifteen years to exclusively researching the battle of Antietam. Cowie earned a degree from California State University, Long Beach. As part of the Los Angeles film industry, he penned screenplays and sold his award-winning short film Lola to the Sundance Channel. His current position at a marketing firm allows him to write scripts and produce award-winning content for PBS.


The Military Shelf

A Day in Hell on the DMZ
Lou Pepi, author
Stephen Weat, afterword
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476688398, $29.95, PB, 213pp

https://www.amazon.com/Day-Hell-DMZ-Firebase-Charlie/dp/1476688397

Synopsis: At "zero dark thirty" on January 30, 1971, units of the U.S. Fifth Mechanized Division left their firebases along the DMZ heading west along Provincial Route 9. The mission, called Dewey Canyon II, was to reopen the road from Khe Sahn Air Base to the Laotian border, in support of a South Vietnamese invasion of Laos (doomed from the start) to cut off the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Alpha Company of U.S. 61st Infantry performed commendably in keeping Route 9 open, with just one casualty killed by friendly fire. They returned to Firebase Charlie-2 in April, exhausted but hopeful -- the Fifth was schedule to leave Vietnam in July. They patrolled the "western hills" through May as rocket attacks fell each evening. On the 21st, a direct hit on a bunker killed 30 of the 63 men inside -- 18 of whom were from Alpha Company

"A Day in Hell on the DMZ: The Rocket Attack on Firebase Charlie 2 in Vietnam, May 21, 1971" is their story, as told to Specialist Lou Pepi by members of his unit.

Critique: An invaluable contribution to the growing library of Vietnam War histories and memoirs, "A Day in Hell on the DMZ: The Rocket Attack on Firebase Charlie 2 in Vietnam, May 21, 1971" by Lou Pepi provides an on-site personal witness account in detail. Leading off with a three page listing of dedications to the men involved, "A Day in Hell on the DMZ" is informatively enhanced with the inclusion of an Afterword (Foxhole Humor) by Vietnam Veteran Stephen Wheat, a six page Glossary, three Appendices (Battalion Communication Logs; Brigade Communication Logs; After Action Report), a two page Author's Service History, a two page bibliography of Works Cited, and a one page Index. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.49), "A Day in Hell on the DMZ: The Rocket Attack on Firebase Charlie 2 in Vietnam, May 21, 1971" is an invaluable and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university library Vietnam War collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Lou Pepi was drafted into the Army in March of 1968. Returning from Vietnam he worked in the construction field and then in building code and zoning enforcement. He is the author of "My brothers have my back": Inside the November 1969 Battle on the Vietnamese DMZ".

Naval Battles of the Second World War: Pacific and Far East
Leo Marriott
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399098984, $32.95, HC, 168pp

https://www.amazon.com/Naval-Battles-Second-World-War/dp/1399098985

Synopsis: The Second World War was a truly global conflict and maritime power played a major role in every theater of operations. Land campaigns depended on supplies transported by sea, and victory or defeat depended on the outcome of naval battles. So Leo Marriott's highly illustrated two-volume "Naval Battles of the Second World War" account of the struggle sets naval actions in the wider strategic context as well as giving graphic accounts of what happened in each engagement.

"Naval Battles of the Second World War: Pacific and Far East" is second volume and concentrates on the epic struggle between the Americans and the Japanese in the vast expanses of the Pacific where for almost four years a great maritime campaign ebbed and flowed and some of the most famous naval battles of the conflict took place.

The first part of the book covers the period from Pearl Harbor to Midway while the second covers the long and bloody campaign in the south-west Pacific where the US Navy honed its skills and turned a bloody defeat into a hard-won victory.

The final section focuses on naval operations during the American advance across the central Pacific up to the Battle of Leyte Gulf -- the greatest naval battle ever fought. Included are other actions involving the Royal Navy which, after early setbacks, would go on to play a major supporting role alongside the US Navy in the Pacific.

This concise but wide-ranging introduction to the naval war emphasizes the sheer scale of the conflict in every sea and shows the direct impact of each naval battle on the course of the war.

Critique: Profusely illustrated with historic black-and-white photography, "Naval Battles of the Second World War: Pacific and Far East" is informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a thirteen page Appendix (List of Warships), a one page Selected Bibliography, and a two page Glossary and Abbreviations list. Informed and informative, "Naval Battles of the Second World War: Pacific and Far East" is an ideal and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library World War II Naval Military History and Naval Military Strategy collections. It should be noted for students, academia, historians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Naval Battles of the Second World War: Pacific and Far East" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.49).

Editorial Note: Leo Marriott has written numerous books on aviation, naval and military subjects including Treaty Cruisers, Catapult Aircraft, Jets at Sea and Early Jet Fighters: British and American 1944-1954. He is now retired after a fifty-year career as an air traffic controller but still maintains his pilot's license flying a syndicate-owned Cessna 172.


The Biography Shelf

The Welsh Braveheart
Phil Carradice
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399002653, $39.95, HC, 216pp

https://www.amazon.com/Welsh-Braveheart-Owain-Glydwr-Prince/dp/1399002651

Synopsis: Like William Wallace in Scotland, Owain Glyndwr fought for his country and was only finally defeated by superior numbers and the military genius of Henry V. Yet Glyndwr was not just a freedom fighter. He was the last native-born Prince of Wales, a man who initiated the first Welsh parliament at Machynlleth and proposed an entirely independent Welsh church.

Glyndwr also laid plans for two Welsh universities, proposed a return to the far sighted and revolutionary Laws of Hywel Dda and formed a Tripartite Agreement with Henry Percy and Edmund Mortimer. It led to an invasion of England and nearly brought the reign of Henry V to an end.

And yet, despite his success and popularity, Glyndwr's rebellion seriously damaged the Welsh economy with towns destroyed and much agricultural land laid to waste. Even so, he was never betrayed by his people, despite a huge reward being offered for his capture.

Glyndwr refused at least two offers of pardon from the English crown and remains the supreme champion of the underdog.

Critique: A simply fascinating combination of biography and history, "The Welsh Braveheart: Owain Glydwr, The Last Prince of Wales" by Phil Carradice is the stuff from which block-buster movies are made. Informative enhanced with the inclusion of an Introduction and an Epilogue, "The Welsh Braveheart: Owain Glydwr, The Last Prince of Wales" also has a section of black/white illustrations, five pages of End Notes, a three page Bibliography, and a three page Index. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99), "The Welsh Braveheart: Owain Glydwr, The Last Prince of Wales" is a welcome and seminal contribution to personal, professional, community, and academic library Welsh History & Royal Biography collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Phil Carradice is a well-known poet, story teller, and historian with over 60 books to his credit. He is a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio and TV, presents the BBC Wales History program The Past Master and is widely regarded as one of the finest creative writing tutors in Wales. He is on Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Carradice

King Fisher: The Short Life and Elusive Legend of a Texas Desperado
Chuck Parsons, author
Thomas C. Bicknell, author
University of North Texas Press
1155 Union Circle #311336, Denton, TX 76203-5017
www.untpress.unt.edu
9781574418613, $29.95, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/King-Fisher-Elusive-Legend-Desperado/dp/1574418610

Synopsis: America's Wild West created an untold number of notorious characters, and in southwestern Texas, John King Fisher (October 1853 - March 11, 1884) was foremost among them.

To friends and foes alike, he insisted he be called "King". He found a home in the tough sun-beaten Nueces Strip, a lawless land between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande. There he gathered a gang of rustlers around him at his ranch on Pendencia Creek. For a decade King and his gang raided both sides of the Rio Grande, shooting down any who opposed them. Newspapers claimed King killed potential witnesses -- he was never convicted of cattle or horse stealing, or murder.

King's reign ended when he was arrested by Texas Ranger Captain Leander McNelly. In no uncertain terms he advised Fisher to change his ways, so King became deputy sheriff of Uvalde County. But his hard-won respectability would not last. On a spring night in 1884, King made the mistake of accompanying the truly notorious gambler and gunfighter Ben Thompson on a tour of San Antonio, where several years prior Thompson shot down Jack Harris at the latter's saloon and theater, the Vaudeville. Recklessly, King Fisher accompanied Thompson back to the theater, where assassins were waiting. When the smoke cleared, Fisher was stretched out beside Thompson, dead from thirteen gunshot wounds.

Critique: The stuff of which western legends are made, "King Fisher: The Short Life and Elusive Legend of a Texas Desperado" is a meticulous and scholarly historical biography that reads with all the drama of a Max Brand novel. Informatively enhanced with numerous illustrations, seven Appendices, forty-six pages of Notes, a ten page Selected Bibliography, and a fifteen page Index, "King Fisher: The Short Life and Elusive Legend of a Texas Desperado" is unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and academic library American Western History & Biography collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "King Fisher: The Short Life and Elusive Legend of a Texas Desperado" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).

Editorial Note #1: Chuck Parsons (https://untpress.unt.edu/authors/parsons-chuck/) is the author of Captain John R. Hughes and The Sutton-Taylor Feud and coauthor of A Lawless Breed, a biography of John Wesley Hardin. He lives in Luling, Texas.

Editorial Note #2: Thomas C. Bicknell (https://untpress.unt.edu/authors/bicknell-thomas-c/) is the co-author (with Chuck Parsons) of Ben Thompson: Portrait of a Gunfighter. His research and articles have appeared in various periodicals including True West and Wild West.

Cinder Girl: Growing Up on America's Fringe
Holly Thompson Rehder
Bombardier Books
c/o Post Hill Press
https://posthillpress.com
9781637581209, $26.00, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Cinder-Girl-Growing-Americas-Fringe/dp/1637581203

Synopsis: Growing up on welfare, food stamps, and Greyhound buses, Holly Thompson Rehder quit school at fifteen to help take care of her mother and younger sister after a devastating car accident. Getting married and pregnant soon thereafter, like so many other young girls caught in the poverty-cycle, Holly decided that the life she had been born into was not what she intended to give her child.

But unlike others who wind up mired in a lifetime of poverty, dysfunction, and despair, Holly used her resourcefulness, faith, and sheer stubborn American grit to fight her way out of the gutter.

Two decades later she was a successful businesswoman. And today, she is a rising political star who serves as an inspiration to young women across the state of Missouri (and indeed, the entire nation) all while never forgetting where she came from. She worked her butt off to help so many others born into seemingly helpless circumstances.

As a rare lawmaker who speaks candidly from raw personal experience, in "Cinder Girl: Growing Up on America's Fringe", Rehder rises above standard political prose to provide an unvarnished look inside the worst of American poverty from the perspective of those living in the margins. Rehder challenges us to recall the plight of those far less fortunate, who struggle without the opportunities most of us take for granted.

Critique: Every once in awhile there is a memoir of such deftly crafted and engaging candor and life story drama that it will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book has been finished and set back upon the shelf. "Cinder Girl: Growing Up on America's Fringe" by Holly Thompson Rehder is just such an autobiography. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), "Cinder Girl: Growing Up on America's Fringe" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections.

Editorial Note: State Senator Holly Thompson Rehder (https://www.senate.mo.gov/mem27) is a known voice in the fight against opioid addiction and the stigma of mental illness. Holly brings a unique perspective to the poverty cycle in America. A conservative Republican who speaks candidly from personal experience as someone who lived it as a child, got out as a teen, only to see her daughter caught in it, is an informative and thought-provoking anomaly.


The Psychology Shelf

Mental Health: From Diagnosis to Delivery
Kat McGrady, EdD, LCPC, NCC
Boys Town Press
13603 Flanagan Blvd., Boys Town, NE 68010
www.boystownpress.org
9781944882983, $33.95, Textbook Binding, 216pp

https://www.amazon.com/Mental-Health-Ed-D-LCPC-McGrady/dp/1944882987

Synopsis: Comprehensive and substantive, "Mental Health from Diagnosis to Delivery" showcases how social skills instruction can be applied and effectively incorporated into the successful care and treatment of children diagnosed with DSM-5 disorders (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition).

More than a dozen categories or types of mental disorders commonly diagnosed in children and adolescents are presented in convenient charts, along with suggested social skills, and arranged by the order and sections used in the DSM-5. Disorder types include communication, neurodevelopmental, psychotic, depressive, bipolar, anxiety, trauma, eating, addictive, personality, and other related conditions.

For each diagnosis, there is a list of suggested social and life skills. Treatment providers can broaden their treatment options by targeting and teaching the skills to build on a child's strengths and improve treatment progress. The skills are ordered according to their level of mastery - basic, intermediate, advanced, and complex.

The manual also includes the latest research on the link between social skill deficits and mental health disorders, sample treatment plans and social skill goals, plus guidance on how to implement social skills training into treatment plans across a variety of settings and levels of care. It is an excellent companion to the highly acclaimed Teaching Social Skills to Youth, Fourth Edition, also available from Boys Town Press.

Critique: Unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, clinic, and academic library Crisis Management Counseling, Behavioral Disorders in Special Education, and Educational Psychology collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, "Mental Health from Diagnosis to Delivery" will have a particular and enduring value for youth care workers, group home caregivers, foster parents, shelter workers, family interventionists, teachers, school counselors, therapists, social workers, psychiatrists, physicians, psychologists, staff working in psychiatric settings, and other health and mental health professionals.

Editorial Note: Kat McGrady (https://sequenceservices.com/staff/kat-mcgrady/) has experience as an educator, school counselor, and mental health therapist. She currently works in private practice as a therapist and parent coach. Kat also serves as an adjunct professor for the Johns Hopkins University Master's in Education program, as well as a doctoral advisor for the Johns Hopkins University School of Education. She is also the author of "Building Resiliency in Youth: A trauma-informed guide for working with youth in schools", as well as its supplemental teen workbook and children's activity guide.

Understanding and Preventing Harmful Interactions Between Residents with Dementia
Eilon Caspi
Health Professions Press
PO Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
www.healthpropress.com
9781938870521, $58.32, PB, 308pp

https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Preventing-Interactions-Residents-Dementia/dp/1938870522

Synopsis: With the publication of "Understanding and Preventing Harmful Interactions Between Residents with Dementia" by gerontologist and dementia behavior specialist Eilon Caspi, professional care providers work with Alzheimer's and Dementia patients can learn ways to avoid one of the most difficult and often tragic problems to occur in sheltered care settings when residents with memory loss act in ways that harm another resident.

Many of these episodes are preventable. Understanding what may provoke a person with dementia to respond in a physically or verbally harmful manner is the key to prevention and mitigation. "Understanding and Preventing Harmful Interactions Between Residents with Dementia" provides the first care standard for the field, presenting practical tools and instruction on how to identify contributing factors, causes, unmet needs, and triggers that commonly lead to serious distress or injury, sometimes even death.

Emphasizing compassionate, person-directed care practices, Professor Caspi describes numerous psychosocial strategies to use to prevent and de-escalate situations prior to, during, and after harmful resident-to-resident interactions. Included are dozens of real-life examples illustrating what does and does not work in addressing these episodes.

Based on extensive research and proven behavioral analysis, "Understanding and Preventing Harmful Interactions Between Residents with Dementia": Identifies 88 factors (personal triggers, interpersonal dynamics, the physical environment) that contribute to harmful interactions; Describes which factors can be modified and which cannot, and how to work with them either way; Creates opportunities for significant improvement in resident and staff well-being; Delivers useful screening and intervention tools; Provides access to downloadable assessment tools and detailed instructions on how to use them

This critical resource will inform training programs and daily practice for direct care staff, interdisciplinary teams, and long-term care administrators. The recommended approaches will help providers meet federal nursing home regulations, avoid unnecessary legal liabilities, and enjoy cost savings from reduced resident-to-resident incidents. A safer and more harmonious experience can be achieved for all who live or work in care homes.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Understanding and Preventing Harmful Interactions Between Residents with Dementia" is an ideal and seminal instruction manual and guide that will be of immense value to anyone having to care for patients and residents of sheltered care facilities for those suffering from Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. Also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $33.99), "Understanding and Preventing Harmful Interactions Between Residents with Dementia" is an essential and core addition to professional, sheltered care facilities, college, and university library Long Term Nursing, Geriatrics, and Gerontology collections and supplemental studies curriculum syllabus.

Editorial Note: Eilon Caspi, Ph.D., is the founder and director of Dementia Behavior Consulting LLC and a founding member, advisor, and board member of Elder Voice Family Advocates. He currently works as an assistant research professor at the Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy, University of Connecticut. He serves as a board member of the Long Term Care Community Coalition (NYC). He co-directed the first documentary film entitled Fighting for Dignity on injurious and fatal resident-to-resident incidents in dementia (Terra Nova Films). In recent years, he dedicated his research and advocacy to the prevention of various forms of elder mistreatment such as neglect of healthcare, abuse, financial exploitation, and theft of opioid pain medications in assisted living residences and nursing homes. He has a dedicated website at http://dementiabehaviorconsulting.com/?page_id=28


The Library Science Shelf

Unpacking the Personal Library
Jason Camlor, editor
J. A. Weingarten, editor
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
www.wlupress.wlu.ca
9781771125680, $89.99, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Unpacking-Personal-Library-Public-Private/dp/1771125683

Synopsis: Collaborative compiled and co-edited by the team of Professors Jason Camlot and J. A. Weingarten, the contributors to "Unpacking the Personal Library: The Public and Private Life of Books" collectively explore libraries at particular moments in their history across a wide range of cases, and includes Alberto Manguel's account of the Library of Alexandria as well as chapters on library collecting in the middle ages, the libraries of prime ministers and foreign embassies, protest libraries and the slow transformation of university libraries, and the stories of the personal libraries of Virginia Woolf, Robert Duncan, Sheila Watson, Al Purdy and others.

"Unpacking the Personal Library" also shows how the history of the library is really a history of collection, consolidation, migration, dispersal, and integration, where each story negotiates private and public spaces.

"Unpacking the Personal Library" builds on and interrogates theories and approaches from library and archive studies, the history of the book, reading, authorship and publishing. Collectively, the chapters articulate a critical poetics of the personal library within its extended social, aesthetic and cultural contexts.

Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of an Introduction (Private, Public, and Persona Libraries in Situ and in Circulation); an eighteen page Bibliography; a four page Author Biographys; a two page listing of Copyright Acknowledgements; and a ten page Index, "Unpacking the Personal Library: The Public and Private Life of Books" is a seminal, informative, and fascinating work of collective scholarship that will be of immense relevance and interest to authors, publishers, and bibliophiles with respect to the history, diversity, and continuing relevance of libraries. While especially recommended for community, college, and university Library Science collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that "Unpacking the Personal Library: The Public and Private Life of Books" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $27.99).

Editorial Note #1: Jason Camlot (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Camlot) is Professor of English and Research Chair in Literature and Sound Studies at Concordia University. His recent books include Phonopoetics (Stanford, 2019), CanLit Across Media (MQUP, 2019) and Vlarf (MQUP 2021). He is also the director of the SSHRC-funded SpokenWeb research partnership that focuses on literary audio collections.

Editorial Note #2: J. A. Weingarten is a Professor in the School of Language and Liberal Studies at Fanshawe College. He is also the author of Sharing the Past (UTP, 2019), as well as more than three dozen articles, book reviews, and papers on Canadian arts and culture. His web page is at https://www.concordia.ca/artsci/english/faculty.html?fpid=jeffrey-weingarten


The General Fiction Shelf

Half Moon Ranch
Elizabeth McGinty
Lindford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444849530, $23.00, PB, Large Print, 242pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/half-moon-ranch-elizabeth-mcginty/1141644679

Synopsis: Ashley Lang is settled with her life as a writer in LA, until she discovers her grandfather has left her his estate, Half Moon Ranch, in Denver. Now she must decide where her future lies - and handsome Levi, who cares for her grandfather's horse Stargazer, adds a further complication. Then the futures of the ranch and its employees are in danger when the lineage of Stargazer is disputed. Can Ashley save the ranch, and at what cost?

Critique: An impressively crafted, exceptionally entertaining, and original contemporary novel that will have special appeal for readers with a liking for stories about ranch life, romance, and horses, this large print paperback edition from the Lindford Western Library of "Half Moon Ranch" by Elizabeth McGinty is a true choice for both personal reading lists and community library Contemporary Fiction collections.

The Time Between Us
Marina McCarron
https://marinamccarron.com
Aria
c/o Head of Zeus
www.headofzeus.com
www.bolinda.com
9781801104425, $15.95, PB, 416pp

https://www.amazon.com/Time-Between-Us-Marina-McCarron/dp/1801104425

Synopsis: Normandy, 1937. Sixteen-year-old Elise embarks on a whirlwind romance with a young American man, which transports her from the drudgery of her everyday life caring for her mother. But neither she nor William is prepared for the war that will threaten to tear them apart...

Boston, 2009. Lucy has been left reeling by the death of her beloved grandfather. They had always planned to visit France together after her college graduation; now, still aching from his loss, Lucy decides to take the trip alone.

As Lucy traces the steps of her grandfather through the French countryside where he once served as a GI, a powerful story of love, loss and destiny emerges -- but can the truth about her family's past unlock her future? Or are some scars too deep to heal?

Critique: With a very special appeal to readers with an interest in wartime and historical multi-generational romance novels, "The Time Between Us" by author Marina McCarron is one of those deftly crafted and original stories that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book is finished and set back upon the shelf. While unreservedly recommended for community library Historical Fiction and Romance Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Time Between Us" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Bolinda Audio, 9781867587477, $29.99, MP3-CD). She has a dedicated website at https://marinamccarron.com

Editorial Note: Currently residing in London, England, Marina McCarron has worked as a reporter, a freelance writer, a reader for a literary scout and was a sales rep for a major publisher. The Time Between Us is her debut novel.

Possessed
Jowita Bydlowska
https://www.jowitabydlowska.com
Rare Machines Book
c/o The Dundurn Group
www.dundurn.com
9781459748071, $17.99, PB, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Possessed-Jowita-Bydlowska/dp/1459748077

Synopsis: Josephine is obsessed (or possessed!) by an unrequited love for a younger man who doesn't promise anything, but who gives her a taste of intimacy that puts her on the brink of losing her mind. Oscillating between her elusive lover and her older former partner, stuck in the hell that is working in a cubicle, and obliged to tend to her destructive, senile mother, Josephine feels trapped.

After a work assignment promises to deliver distraction, Josephine makes a decision to visit a former quarantine island in the Adriatic Sea, where she meets an enigmatic, beautiful man with a haunting story. What follows is intimate and erotic.

Critique: With a special appeal to readers with an interest in dark humor, sexual obsession, mental illness, and the supernatural, "Possessed" by Jowita Bydlowska will prove to be a riveting and fascinating read from cover to cover. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.49), "Possessed" is a deftly crafted, memorable, and recommended addition to community and academic library psychological thriller fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Jowita Bydlowska was born in Warsaw, Poland, and moved to Canada as a teenager. She has published two bestselling books: the memoir "Drunk Mom" and a novel, "Guy", as well as dozens of short stories in various magazines and journals. Jowita lives in Toronto and has a dedicated website at https://www.jowitabydlowska.com

The Strange Inheritance of Leah Fern
Rita Zoey Chin
https://ritazoeychin.com
Melville House
https://www.mhpbooks.com
9781612199863, $17.99, PB, 400pp

https://www.amazon.com/Strange-Inheritance-Leah-Fern/dp/1612199860

Synopsis: Born in a carnival trailer, Leah Fern begins her life as the "The Youngest and Very Best Fortuneteller in the World," taking strangers' hands and feeling the depths of their emotions. Her mother Jeannie Starr is a captivating magician, but not always an attentive mother, and when Leah is six, Jeannie upends their carnival life with an unexpected exit. With little fanfare and no explanation, she leaves her daughter at the home of Edward Murphy, a kindly older man with whom Leah shares one fierce wish: that Jeannie Starr will return to them.

After fifteen years as a small-town outcast, Leah decides to end her life on the occasion of her twenty-first birthday. But the intricate death ritual she has devised is interrupted by a surprise knock on her door. Her mysterious neighbor, the curmudgeonly and reclusive art photographer Essie East, has died and left Leah a very strange inheritance. Through a series of letters, Essie will posthumously lead Leah on a journey to nine points on the map, spanning from an island in Wisconsin to an island in the Arctic Circle -- a journey that, the first note promises, will reveal the story of Leah's mother.

Driven by a ferocious resurgence of hope, Leah embarks on this bizarre treasure hunt, Essie's ashes in a jeweled urn in the passenger seat of her truck. Along her way, she visits islands, libraries, diners, and defunct ice cream parlors, meeting a charming cast of eccentric characters and immersing herself in wonders of the natural world.

Critique: With a very special appeal to readers with an interest in stories of friendship and set in rural communities and small towns, "The Strange Inheritance of Leah Fern" by Rita Zoey Chin is a deftly crafted, quite unique, and compelling read that showcases the author's impressive storytelling talents as a novelist. While an unreservedly recommended addition to community library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Strange Inheritance of Leah Fern" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Rita Zoey Chin (https://ritazoeychin.com) is the author of the widely praised memoir, "Let the Tornado Come". She also holds an MFA from the University of Maryland and is the recipient of a Katherine Anne Porter Prize, an Academy of American Poets Award, and a Bread Loaf waiter scholarship. She has taught at Towson University and teaches at Grub Street in Boston, as well as at retreats and conferences near and far. Her writings have also been published by Guernica, Tin House, and Marie Claire.

Please Join Us
Catherine McKenzie
Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
www.simonandschuster.com
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9781982159245, $27.00, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Please-Join-Us-Catherine-McKenzie/dp/1982159243

Synopsis: At thirty-nine, Nicole Mueller's life is on the rocks. Her once brilliant law career is falling apart. She and her husband, Dan, are soon to be forced out of the apartment they love. After a warning from her firm's senior partners, she receives an invitation from an exclusive women's networking group, Panthera Leo. Membership is anonymous, but every member is a successful professional. It sounds like the perfect solution to help Nicole revive her career. So, despite Dan's concerns that the group might be a cult, Nicole signs up for their retreat in Colorado.

Once there, she meets the other women who will make up her Pride. A CEO, an actress, a finance whiz, a congresswoman: Nicole can't believe her luck. The founders of Panthera Leo are equally as impressive. They explain the group's core philosophy: they're a girl's club in a boy's club world.

Nicole is all in. And when she gets home, she soon sees dividends. Her new network quickly provides her with clients that help her relaunch her career, and a great new apartment too. The favors she has to provide in return seem benign. But then she's called to the congresswoman's apartment late at night where she's pressed into helping her cover up a crime. And suddenly, Dan's concerns that something more sinister is at play seem all too relevant. Can Nicole extricate herself from the group before it's too late? Or will joining Panthera Leo be the biggest mistake of her life?

Critique: A wonderfully original and dedicated cliff-hanger of a read from cover to cover, "Please Join Us" is especially commended to the attention of readers with an interest in carefully crafted suspense-thriller fiction. Highly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Please Join Us" is also available in a paperback edition (9781982159252, $17.99), in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781797142166, $39.99, CD).

Editorial Note: Catherine McKenzie is the author of numerous bestsellers including I'll Never Tell and The Good Liar. Her works have been translated into multiple languages and Please Join Us, I'll Never Tell, and You Can't Catch Me have all been optioned for development into television series. She can be visited her at www.CatherineMcKenzie.com or followed on Twitter @CEMcKenzie1 or Instagram @CatherineMcKenzieAuthor

Chasing Manhattan
John Gray
Paraclete Press
PO Box 1568, Orleans, MA 02653
www.paracletepress.com
9781640606715, $24.00, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Manhattan-Novel-John-Gray/dp/1640606718

Synopsis: Following the runaway success of her first novel, Chase Harrington is hiding out in Manhattan. Assuming the visions from her past are behind her, Chase takes an assignment that lands her in the center of a new mystery surrounding a mansion known as Briarcliff Manor and deceased millionaire Sebastian Winthrop.

A letter, left by Sebastian, reveals three secrets surrounding the mansion where Chase is now living. Silent messages begin to appear, urging her to help those closest to her who are now in peril, including a deaf child shut away from the world and a war veteran still haunted by his past.

With her handsome boyfriend, Gavin, and faithful dog, Scooter, at her side, Chase must unlock the secrets of Briarcliff, help those she has come to love and face the surprise ending not even she saw coming.

The latest Chase Harrington adventure, "Chasing Manhattan" is a simply riveting read in which novelist John Gray deftly combines romance, kindness, mystery, with a series of astounding twists and turns. Especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary General Fiction collection, it should be noted for personal reading lists of Christian Romance Fiction that "Chasing Manhattan" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.45).

Editorial Note: John Gray is an Emmy Award-winning television journalist and columnist in upstate New York. He is also the author of three popular children's books, God Needed a Puppy, Keller's Heart, and Sweet Polly Petals. His Chase Harrington novels are: Manchester Christmas, Chasing Manhattan, and Chasing Rome.

A Hundred Other Girls
Iman Hariri-Kia
Sourcebooks Inc.
1935 Brookdale Road, #139, Naperville, IL 60563
www.sourcebooks.com
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9781728247953, $16.99, PB, 304pp

https://www.amazon.com/Hundred-Other-Girls-Novel/dp/1728247950

Synopsis: Noora's life is a little off track. She's an aspiring writer and amateur blogger in New York -- which is a nice way of saying that she tutors rich Upper East Side kids and is currently crashing on her sister's couch. But that's okay. Noora has Leila, who has always been her rock, and now she has another major influence to lean on: Vinyl magazine. The pages of Vinyl practically raised Noora, teaching her everything from how to properly insert a tampon to which political ideology she subscribes to.

So when she lands a highly coveted job as assistant to Loretta James, Vinyl's iconic editor-in-chief, Noora can't believe her luck. Her only dream is to write for Vinyl, and now with her foot firmly in the door and the Loretta James as her mentor, Noora is finally on the right path -- or so she thinks.

Loretta is an unhinged nightmare, insecure and desperate to remain relevant in an evolving media landscape she doesn't understand. Noora's phone buzzes constantly with Loretta's bizarre demands, particularly with tasks Loretta hopes will undermine the success of Vinyl's wunderkind digital director Jade Aki. The reality of Noora's job is nothing like she expected, and a misguided crush on the hot IT guy only threatens to complicate things even more. But as Loretta and the old-school print team enter into a turf war with Jade and the woke-for-the-wrong-reasons digital team, Noora soon finds herself caught in the middle. And with her dream job on the line, she'll need to either choose a side or form her own.

Critique: A deftly crafted fun read from first page to last, "A Hundred Other Girls" is particularly recommended to readers with an interest in contemporary women's fiction set within the framework of the publishing industry -- and all the more impressive when considering that it is author Iman Hariri-Kia's debut as a novelist. While highly recommended for community library Contemporary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "A Hundred Other Girls" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.39) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798212004510, $31.95, CD)

Editorial Note: Iman Hariri-Kia (https://www.imanharirikia.com) is the sex and relationships editor at Bustle magazine. She also writes a monthly column for Man Repeller and is a digital contributor to Teen Vogue. She has worked as a sex and dating advisor for Elite Daily and a lifestyle writer for Bustle and has promoted her work on the Today Show, CBS, NY1 News, DailyMail TV and other media. And while this novel is entirely fictitious, she did begin her career as assistant to the editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue. She's passionate about advocacy, elevating the narratives of Middle Eastern women, and writing about her personal life on the internet (much to her parents' dismay).


The Romantic Fiction Shelf

Lord Winterton's Secret
Kitty-Lydia Dye
Linford Romance Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444849554, $23.00, PB, Large Print, 264pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lord-wintertons-secret-kitty-lydia-dye/1141644678

Synopsis: Virtue Browne was once childhood friends with the mysterious Lord Winterton. But now villagers avoid the crumbling wreck of his manor house on the dunes, and gossips whisper that the young lord is involved in arcane rituals. A headstrong governess too inquisitive for her own good, Virtue will encounter romance, mystery and smugglers at her first posting. Is there a logical explanation for the strange things she sees? Or will she become another soul lost in the rumored secret tunnels?

Critique: A carefully crafted historical romance by an author with an impressive knack for storytelling, "Lord Winterton's Secret" by Kitty-Lydia Dye is an extraordinarily entertaining read from beginning to end. This large print paperback edition from the Linden Romance Library series is particularly recommended for community library collections and the personal reading lists of dedicated historical romance fans.

Editorial Note: An accomplished novelist and blogger, Kitty-Lydia Dye has a dedicated website at https://kittylydiadye.blogspot.com

Someone Else's Honeymoon
Phoebe MacLeod
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781804262405, $39.00, PB, Large Print, 362pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/someone-elses-honeymoon-phoebe-macleod/1141663669

Synopsis: When Charley finds herself suddenly single on Christmas Day it feels like her world has fallen apart. Forced to move back in with her parents, she embarks on a journey of re-invention. When she meets Ed, who is on honeymoon alone after being jilted at the altar by a bride he's never met, it looks like her life may be taking a turn for the better. Fate, however, has other ideas, and she and Ed are forced apart. Will she find her way back to him, or are they just not meant to be?

Critique: As a comedic romance novelist, Phoebe MacLeod, the author of "Someone Else's Honeymoon" has an impressive talent for the kind of narrative driven storytelling style that fully engages and entertains her readers from first page to last. This large print paperback edition from Boldwood Books will prove a welcome and enduringly popular addition to community library Contemporary Romance collections and the personal reading lists of dedicated romance fans looking for a fun read.

Editorial Note: Phoebe MacLeod is the author of several popular romantic comedies. She lives in Kent with her partner, grown up children and disobedient dog. Her love for her home county is apparent in her books, which have either been set in Kent or have a Kentish connection. She currently works as an IT consultant and writes in her spare time. She has always had a passion for learning new skills, including cookery courses, learning to drive an HGV and, most recently, qualifying to instruct on a Boeing 737 flight simulator.

Single All The Way
Portia Macintosh
https://portiamacintosh.com
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781800487987, $39.99, PB, Large Print, 406pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/single-all-the-way-portia-macintosh/1141490055

Synopsis: When Dani's boyfriend (and boss!) dumps her for a younger model, the only silver lining she can see is to now being able to spend Christmas at home with her family after years away.

Determined to surprise them, Dani turns up unannounced in her hometown, excited to see that the festive season in Marram Bay is in full swing with Christmas lights twinkling on every corner. But disaster strikes when she finds her parents' house is empty and they appear to have gone away on holiday!

Christmas alone and single is not ideal, and when Dani starts bumping into old friends, neighbors and potential love interests, she can't face telling them the truth. So in a panic she claims to be home to throw a Christmas party for the whole town -- easier said than done with 12 days to go before Christmas!

As the fake party approaches, little does Dani know that there may be someone there under the mistletoe for her, if she can just let her guard down and see them...

Critique: A Christmas romance novel that will be enjoyed by its readers at any time of year, "Single All The Way" by novelist Portia MacIntosh is a fun and impressively well crafted novel. This large print paperback edition of "Single All The Way" is especially recommended for both personal reading lists of dedicated romance fans and community library Contemporary Romance Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Portia MacIntosh (https://portiamacintosh.com) is a master of the romantic comedy genre including "Just Date and See", "The Meet Cute Method", "The Time of Our Lives", "Life's a Beach", "Will They Won't They", and "The Accidental Honeymoon.

Something in the Heir
Suzanne Enoch
Griffin
c/o St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9781250842527, $16.99, Trade PB, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/Something-Heir-Novel-Suzanne-Enoch/dp/1250842522

Synopsis: Emmeline and William Pershing have enjoyed a perfectly convenient marriage for eight years. Their relationship is a seamless blend of their talents and goals. They've settled into separate, well-ordered lives beneath the same roof, and are content to stay that way -- or so Emmeline thinks. And if William has secretly longed for a bit more from the woman he adores, he's managed to be content with her supreme skills as a hostess and planner, which has helped him advance his career.

Then when Emmeline's grandfather, the reclusive Duke of Welshire, summons them both for his birthday celebration and demands they bring their two little angelic children, William is stunned to discover that his very proper wife invented not one, but two heirs to fulfill the agreement for living at Winnover. But surely if Emmeline and William team up and borrow two cherubs to call their own, what could go wrong? Enter George, age 8, and Rose, 5 -- the two most unruly orphans in Britain.

As the insanity unfolds, their careful, professional arrangement takes some surprisingly intimate turns as well. Perhaps it takes a bit of madness to create the perfect happily ever after.

Critique: With a very special and particular appeal to fans of Regency Romance & Comedy novels, "Something in the Heir" by author Suzanne Enoch is a fun and memorable read from first page to last. Deftly crafted with great wit and a genuine flair for originality, "Something in the Heir" is especially recommended as an addition to community library Romance Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Something in the Heir" is also available as a mass market paperback (9781250889966, $8.99), in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99), and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798212014915, $31.95, CD).

The Bride of Blackfriars Lane
Michelle Griep
https://michellegriep.com
Barbour Publishing
P.O. Box 719, 1810 Barbour Drive, Uhrichsville, OH 44683
www.barbourbooks.com
9781636092683, $15.99, PB, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Bride-Blackfriars-Lane-Michelle-Griep/dp/1636092683

Synopsis: Detective Jackson Forge can hardly wait to marry the street-sly swindler who's turned his life upside down. Kit Turner is equally excited to wed the handsome detective, and what better way to show her love than providing him with a gift any man of the law would love? She determines to bring to justice the men who years ago maimed his brother despite Jackson's warning to leave the past in the past. As she digs into the mystery of what happened, she unwittingly tumbles into her own history and endangers her future happiness with Jackson.

Critique: As an author, Michelle Griep is a master of the historical Christian romance genre as demonstrated by her newest novel "The Bride of Blackfriars Lane". A fun and compelling read from cover to cover, and available for the personal reading lists of all Michelle Griep fans in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) ans as a complete and unabridged audio book (Oasis Audio, 9781640919648, $37.99, CD - 9 CDs, 11 Hours), "The Bride of Blackfriars Lane" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Historical Romance collections..

Editorial Note: Michelle Griep (https://michellegriep.com) has been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She is the Christy Award-winning author of historical romances: A Tale of Two Hearts, The Captured Bride, The Innkeeper's Daughter, 12 Days at Bleakly Manor, The Captive Heart, Brentwood's Ward, A Heart Deceived, and Gallimore, but also leaped the historical fence into the realm of contemporary with the zany romantic mystery Out of the Frying Pan. If you'd like to keep up with her escapades, she can be followed on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.


The Western Fiction Shelf

Boyd Rode Alone
Matt Cole
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444848519, $23.00, PB, Large Print, 278pp

https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/Boyd%20Rode%20Alone

Synopsis: Alvin Boyd was a killer, but not a bad man. When he tried to escape his past, he found he stood alone. After Alvin's death, his brother, Asa, rode into town looking to avenge him. What he found was a white-hot range war. Quickly finding job as the town's deputy, Asa found it to be a tough job in this hard-fighting trail town and Asa found new enemies that included a murderous land baron and a deadly gunfighter. Caught in the dangerous crossfire between ranchers and moneymen, maddened by the murders of his brother and others, Asa Boyd's reward would be simple-the love of a beautiful woman. He had nothing to lose but his life!

Critique: One impressive thriller of a read from first page to last, "Boyd Rode Alone" is the stuff of which gunsmoke movies are made. This large print paperback edition of Matt Cole's "Boyd Rode Alone" from the Linford Western Library series is especially recommended for personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Matthew L. Cole was born in Oberlin, Ohio and grew up in Central Florida. He is the author of more than 20 books. He currently teaches English at several higher education institutes and universities. He has an author page on the Amazon website at https://www.amazon.com/Matthew-L-Cole/e/B01BZI9HKO

Massacre at Maple Bluff
Brent Larssen
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444848694, $23.00, PB, Large Print, 224pp

https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/Massacre%20at%20Maple%20Bluff

Synopsis: When Cade Kellerman and his gang bungled their robbery of a train and killed more than twenty passengers, they could not have known that the husband of one of those killed was himself a former bandit, who would stick at nothing to revenge himself on those he blamed for the loss of his wife. Together with an idealistic law student, Ben Walters sets out to track down and bring to justice the Kellerman Gang; even if he should lose his own life in the attempt.

Critique: A riveting vengeance trail western by Brent Larssen, "Massacre at Maple Bluff" is one of those novels that simply can't be put down until the last page is read. Of special interest to readers who enjoy a deftly crafted and original western by a skilled and imaginative novelist, this large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library series is especially recommended for the personal reading lists of dedicated western buffs and inclusion into community library Western Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Brent Larssen is one of the pseudonyms used by Simon Webb, who is the author of more than 30 westerns. In addition to westerns, he has written many nonfiction books, chiefly on the subjects of social history and education. The author has a dedicated website at https://www.simon-webb.com

Ambush at Skyline Ranch
Thomas McNulty
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444848465, $23.00, PB, Large Print, 211pp

https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/ambush%20at%20skyline%20ranch

Synopsis: Pinkerton Agent Cameron Scott arrives at the crossroads town of Willow Branch Creek seeking answers to a series of train robberies. He gets more than he bargained for when he befriends the lovely Becky Drake when defending her son from one of rancher Jim Gilson's cowpunchers. To complicate matters, an old enemy has come to town, Larry Strickland, who did prison time thanks to Cam, and now wants revenge. Things go from bad to worse and culminate in both a train robbery and a blazing gunfight at Skyline Ranch that forces Cam to use his hard-earned skill as a gunslinger to save not only his life, but that of the woman he loves.

Critique: With more plot twists and turns than a Coney Island roller coaster, "Ambush at Skyline Ranch" by Thomas McNulty is a fun read from cover to cover and will appeal to any and all dedicated western novel fans. This large print paperback edition of "Ambush at Skyline Ranch" is especially recommended for both personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Thomas McNulty has published a wide range of magazine articles and books, including a biography on Errol Flynn and genre novels such as The Adventures of Captain Graves, The Phantom Blonde, Trail of the Burned Man and Spirits of Tomahawk Canyon. He has an informative author's web page on the Amazon website at: https://www.amazon.com/Thomas-McNulty/e/B001KHDLNU

The Battle for the Bar-Q
Will Black
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444848786, $23.00, PB, Large Print, 234pp

https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/The%20Battle%20for%20the%20Bar-Q

Synopsis: Mitch Evans is riding to his brother's small ranch after receiving a telegram saying there was trouble brewing. But Cal Morgan, a ranch hand for the Bar-Q, has been forced by his ruthless foreman, Latham Parry, to ambush Mitch before he can get to his brother's ranch, the Bar-B. Both men shoot each other -- Mitch in the shoulder and Cal in the leg. So begins an unlikely friendship that will endure pain and hardship as well as love. All in the name of the Bar-Q.

Critique: A classic western of good guys and bad guys armed to the teeth, "The Battle for the Bar-Q" by Will Black is a terrific read from first page to last. Notably and particularly fun for any and all dedicated western fans, this large print paperback edition of "The Battle for the Bar-Q" from the Linford Western Library series is an extraordinary and recommended addition to both personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: A prolific author, Will Black (the pen name of Derek Doyle) has had over 40 Black Horse Westerns novels published.

Hogan's Bluff
Harriet Cade
Lindford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444848649, $23.00, PB, Large Print, 228pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hogans-bluff-harriet-cade/1130032697

Synopsis: When his father is killed and his sister kidnapped following a confrontation with a powerful rancher, it falls to fourteen-year-old Zachariah Hogan to set matters straight. That this would entail his riding with a band of Sioux warriors was something that the boy could not, in his wildest dreams, ever have imagined. So it is that a youngster who has not even yet begun to shave becomes embroiled in the last action of the Great Sioux War of 1876.

Critique: Riveting, original, memorable, "Hogan's Bluff" by Harriet Cade is western action/adventure storytelling at its best. This large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library series is very highly recommended for both the personal reading lists of dedicated western fans and community library Western Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Harriet Cade is the pseudonym of Simon Webb, who lives on the outskirts of London, and is the author of more than thirty westerns, published under both his own name and also a number of pseudonyms; for example Brent Larssen, and Fenton Sadler. In addition to westerns. His Cade books are listed at https://www.overdrive.com/creators/1238669/harriet-cade

Bleak Winds of Destiny
Dale Graham
Lindford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444848502, $23.00, PB, Large Print, 234pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bleak-winds-of-destiny-dale-graham/1130032698

Synopsis: The Rebel Raiders are heading for New Mexico territory to rob the bank in Tucumcari. Major Deke Hogan, a Civil War guerrilla fighter, heads the contingent. The proceeds of the attack are intended to support the Confederacy in a last-ditch effort to regain the initiative. But destiny has played a mean trick when Hogan discovers that the surrender had been signed by General Lee three weeks previously. Now the Raiders have become nothing more than common outlaws.

Critique: A prolific and talented storyteller with a genuine mastery of the western novel genre, Dale Graham's faced pace action/adventure novel "Bleak Winds of Destiny" is now available for the personal reading lists of his legions of fans, as well as an acquisition selection for community library Western Fiction collections in a large print paperback edition from Linford Western Library. Dale Graham also has a dedicated website listing all of his novels at https://www.fictiondb.com/author/dale-graham~79068.htm

The Tumbleweed Trail
Jack Martin
Lindford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444848823, $23.00, PB, Large Print, 210pp

https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/The%20Tumbleweed%20Trail

Synopsis: Jake Preston, travelling with his wife and children, takes the Tumbleweed Trail, heading for Kansas City. And if the mile after mile of inhospitable terrain was not enough to contend with, there is the added complication of a gang of marauding bandits led by the notorious Sam Brady who have vowed to kill Jake and his entire family. The family have only one hope and that is the mysterious stranger named Arkansas Smith, a man who some claim is an outlaw himself, a violator of women, a man as cold-hearted as the bitter winds that blow across the trail. But there are others who swear he is some sort of special lawman, a man bringing gun justice to those who need it. There is only one certainty and that is that blood will flow along the Tumbleweed Trail.

Critique: A classic action/adventure novel by a past master of the genre, "The Tumbleweed Trail" by Jack Martin is one terrific thriller of a read! A compulsive page turner of a western from beginning to end, "The Tumbleweed Trail" is especially commended to the attention of all dedicated western fans and this large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library series will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Western Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Jack Martin is the pseudonym of British author Gary M. Dobbs who has an author's page on Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_M_Dobbs

Halo Moon
Jim Jones
Five Star Books
c/o Gale Cengage Learning, Inc.
20 Channel Center Street, Boston, MA 02210
www.gale.com/five-star
9781432892685, $25.95, HC, 281pp

https://www.amazon.com/Halo-Moon-Jim-Jones/dp/1432892681

Synopsis: As Jared Delaney rides home from a cattle drive to Colorado, he is haunted by a nightmare of menace and impending change, signified by the moon encircled by a hazy band of light -- what is called a halo moon.

When he arrives in Cimarraon, he is shocked to discover that his friend and mentor, Sheriff Nathan Averill, has been murdered. Against his wife's wishes, he agrees to seek vigilante justice to avenge Nathan's death. Estranged from his family and friends, Jared travels the perilous trail to vengeance, unaware that a truly evil man is stalking him and his family at the same time.

Refusing to accept the counsel of those close to him, he finds moral guidance from an unlikely source -- a young man with a checkered past who is on the run from the law. Will the end justify the means? How many people will die along the way?

Critique: A carefully crafted and riveting read from cover to cover, "Halo Moon" by Jim Jones a part of his 'Jared Delaney Western' series and is western fiction at its action/adventure, vengeance quest best. Original, entertaining, "Halo Moon" is especially recommended for both personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Jim Jones is an award winning Western novelist who is also an award-winning Western singer/songwriter: International Western Music Association 2014 Male Performer of the Year; IWMA Song of the Year Award, 2019; Western Writers of America Spur Award, 2013, 2017 & 2021. Rustler's Moon, Jim's first novel, was a finalist in two categories for the 2009 New Mexico Book Awards, Best Historical Fiction and Best First Book.

The Case of Duffy's Revenge
Ethan J. Wolfe
Five Star Books
c/o Gale Cengage Learning, Inc.
20 Channel Center Street, Boston, MA 02210
www.gale.com/five-star
9781432892661, $25.95, HC, 257pp

https://www.amazon.com/Illinois-Detective-Agency-Duffys-Revenge/dp/1432892665

Synopsis: Book three of 'The Illinois Detective Agency', Ethan J. Wolfe's "The Case of Duffy's Revenge" picks up where book two ("The Case of the Stalking Moon") leaves off, with the murder of James Duffy's future wife in the town of Miles City, Montana.

The Agency is naturally outraged and Agency Director Charles Porter sends James Duffy, Jack Cavill, and Joseph Goodluck to Miles City to investigate. Porter and his personal assistant, Miss Potts, also make the trip. In Miles City they meet with Sheriff Bates, who provides details of what happened. During the Miles City founding day celebration, Duffy's future wife, Sylvia Trent, attended the dance with a family friend. Sometime during the festivities, Sylvia went missing and wasn't found until the next day by a stable hand in the loft. Sylvia was raped and murdered by strangulation.

An investigation leads to one suspect, a man by the name of Robert Peru. A cowboy at the Trent Ranch, Peru disappeared after the dance, along with four of his friends. Peru rides a very distinctive, Appaloosa horse. Peru, a Mormon, had family in Salt Lake City, Utah, and having no other leads, that is where Duffy, Cavill, and Goodluck go.

Critique: Of particular interest to readers with an interest in historical mysteries set in the Old West, "The Illinois Detective Agency: The Case of Duffy's Revenge" is a deftly crafted work of suspense that is an appropriate and recommended addition to personal the personal reading lists of dedicated western/mystery fans, and community library Western Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Ethan J. Wolfe is a pen name of novelist Al Lamanda who has a dedicated website at https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/al-lamanda


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Crime for the Books
Kate Young
https://www.kateyoungbooks.com
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781639101085, $29.99, HC, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Crime-Books-Jane-Book-Mystery/dp/163910108X

Synopsis: Lyla Moody and her book club, the Jane Does, are hosting a Halloween party at Magnolia Manor, tailored after Agatha Christie's A Murder is Announced, but when the lights come on after the staged murder, a real victim lies dead with a gunshot wound in her chest. The victim was an estranged relative of Elaine Morgan, operator of the B&B, who'd earlier been seen arguing with her about the fate of the property. Suspicion immediately falls on Elaine, and she's arrested.

The Jane Does members believe Elaine is innocent, and when they get the chance to team up with police officer Rosa Landry (a member of the club) they jump on it. But then, the club discovers that two more murders have been brazenly predicted online and in the Sweet Mountain Gazette -- and that one of the intended victims is Rosa.

Lyla thinks she knows who the killer is, but the only way to find out is by laying a trap using Rosa as bait. But, like an Agatha Christie mystery, the truth is never what it seems. Lyla and her trusty book club will have to sleuth out the killer before Rosa meets her final chapter.

Critique: An impressively original mystery and part of novelist Kate Young's 'A Jane Doe Book Club Mystery' series, "Crime for the Books" is a simply riveting 'whodunnit' populated by inherently interesting characters and a roller coaster of a plot line. With a special attraction for fans of the cozy mystery genre and amateur female sleuthing, "Crime for the Books" is particularly and especially recommended for community library Contemporary Mystery collections and is available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).

Editorial Note: Kate Young is a member of Sisters in Crime and the Guppy Chapter. She has a dedicated website at https://www.kateyoungbooks.com

A Death in Didlinton
Carol MacLean
Linford Romance Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444849523, $23.00, PB, Large Print, 303pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-death-in-didlinton-carol-maclean/1141644680

Synopsis: A suspicious death (and a gorgeous new neighbor) are not exactly what Poppy was expecting when she arrives at her usual holiday cottage by the sea! Drawn into solving the mystery with the attractive Simon by her side, Poppy discovers intrigue and danger in sleepy Didlinton, which draw ever closer the more she investigates. With not only her estranged mother arriving unexpectedly, but also Simon's ex-girlfriend turning up to cause trouble, will Poppy manage to both solve the case and find love?

Critique: A fun and memorable blending of mystery, romance, and suspense, "A Death in Didlinton" by author Carol MacLean is a romance and mystery lover's delight from cover to cover. This large print paperback edition of Carol MacLean's thoroughly entertaining novel is highly recommended for both personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections.

Editorial Note: A prolific and accomplished author Carol MacLean has an informative Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/carolcmaclean/ and an impressive listing of her novels at https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/6021757.Carol_MacLean

The Unkept Woman
Allison Montclair
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
www.minotaurbooks.com
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9781250750341, $27.99, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Unkept-Woman-Sparks-Bainbridge-Mystery/dp/1250750342

Synopsis: The Right Sort Marriage Bureau was founded in 1946 by two disparate individuals - Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge (whose husband was killed in the recent World War) and Miss Iris Sparks who worked as an intelligence agent during the recent conflict, though this is not discussed. While the agency flourishes in the post-war climate, both founders have to deal with some of the fallout that conflict created in their personal lives.

Miss Sparks finds herself followed, then approached, by a young woman who has a very personal connection to a former paramour of Sparks. But something is amiss and it seems that Iris's past may well cause something far more deadly than mere disruption in her personal life. Meanwhile, Gwendolyn is struggling to regain full legal control of her life, her finances, and her son -- a legal path strewn with traps and pitfalls.

Together these indomitable two are determined and capable and not just of making the perfect marriage match.

Critique: With its memorable characters, original storytelling, and author Allison Montclair's distinctive style of narrative driven mystery fiction, "The Unkempt Woman" has a very special appeal to readers with an interest in historical mysteries and amateur female sleuths. A fun read from cover to cover for all dedicated mystery buffs, "The Unkempt Woman" is unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Unkempt Woman" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798200912629, $31.95, CD).

Editorial Note: Allison Montclair (https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/allison-montclair/) grew up devouring hand-me-down Agatha Christie paperbacks and James Bond movies. As a result was her becoming addicted to tales of crime, intrigue, and espionage. She now spends her spare time poking through the corners, nooks, and crannies of history, searching for the odd mysterious bits and transforming them into novels of her own. She is the author of the Sparks & Bainbridge historical mystery series, which begins with The Right Sort of Man.

Kill Them with Canvas
Bailee Abbot
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
https://www.dreamscapepublishing.com
9781639101047, $29.99, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Kill-Canvas-Paint-Murder-Mystery/dp/1639101047

Synopsis: Chloe Abbington and her sister, Izzie, are enjoying huge success running Paint with a View, their paint party business in the tranquil western New York lakeside town of Whisper Cove. Now, their aunt Constance (president of the local chapter of the Chautauqua Sisterhood) has hooked them up with a gig hosting a Halloween painting party. The guests will be painting a local ghost legend, the Lady of Chautauqua Lake, who died a hundred years earlier and rises from the lake every October to haunt anyone who dares venture out on All Hallows' Eve.

The event seems to be going off without a hitch, until Chloe overhears an argument between Constance and Viola Finnwinkle, the Sisterhood director, about the fate of the local chapter. Both women leave and the sisters finish their painting. But the next morning, Viola's body is discovered floating face down near the town ferryboat dock, her long red hair spread around her. Eerily, the image is an exact replica of a painting Chloe and Izzie had discovered at the event the night before.

What's more, the police find Constance's purple knit hat lying on the ground near the crime scene. Constance pleads innocence, saying the hat mysteriously went missing during the event. Frantic that she might be charged with murder, she begs Chloe and Izzie to help her. The sisters believe their aunt is innocent, but if so, who's the real killer -- and when will the next victim turn up?

Critique: "Kill Them With Canvas" is the second novel in author Bailee Abbott's cozy mystery series 'A Paint By Murder Mystery'. A beautifully constructed and original 'whodunnit' that is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Kill Them With Cavas" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99), and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Dreamscape Media, 9781666616651, $22.99, CD).

Editorial Note: Bailee Abbott is a member of Sisters in Crime as well as of International Thriller Writers. She also writes the Sierra Pines B&B mystery series under the name Kathryn Long and has an online Author's Page at https://crookedlanebooks.com/bailee-abbott

Live and Let Grind
Tara Lush
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
https://www.dreamscapepublishing.com
9781639101122, $28.99, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Live-Grind-Coffee-Lovers-Mystery/dp/1639101128

Synopsis: Laid-off journalist Lana Lewis is thriving as the proprietor of Perkatory, a coffee shop on quirky Devil's Beach island, Florida. She's juggling a relationship with police chief Noah Garcia, enjoying the company of her best friend, Erica, and relishing the companionship of her golden Shih Tzu, Stanley. Only problem is her neighbor, Gus, who incessantly uses his leaf blower, disturbing everyone in the neighborhood. Lana has learned to tune it out, but Erica's rage boils over and she confronts Gus.

Then Gus is found dead, killed when his leaf blower explodes. Erica immediately becomes suspect number one. But there are plenty of other candidates as well: Gus's soon-to-be ex-wife, Honey Bailey, who thinks she'll be written out of his will; Mickey Dotson and Doug Beck, who were scalded financially after purchasing a pirate-themed tourist cruise business from Gus; and plenty of angry neighbors who've had run-ins with him.

As the clock ticks down will Lana get someone to spill the beans on the killer so she can clear her friend's name, or will Erica go to jail for a crime she didn't commit?

Critique: For true devotees of the cozy mystery genre, "Live and Let Grind" is the latest entry to novelist Tara Lush new 'A Coffee Lover's Mystery' series. A fun 'whodunnit' read from first page to last, while "Live and Let Grind" is highly recommended addition to community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Live and Let Grind" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Dreamscape Media, 9781666616620, $22.99, CD).

Editorial Note: A fan of vintage pulp-fiction book covers, Sinatra-era jazz, and 1980s fashion, Tara Lush is a Rita Award finalist, an Amtrak writing fellow, and a George C. Polk Award winning journalist. For the past decade, she's been a reporter with the Associated Press, covering crime, alligators, natural disasters, and politics. She also writes contemporary romance set in tropical locations. She has a dedicated website at https://taralush.com

Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking
Raquel V. Reyes
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
https://www.dreamscapepublishing.com
9781639101061, $28.99, HC, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Calypso-Corpses-Cooking-Caribbean-Kitchen/dp/1639101063

Synopsis: Fall festivities are underway in Coral Shores, Miami. Cuban-American cooking show star Miriam Quinones-Smith wakes up to find a corpse in her front yard. The body by the fake tombstone is the woman that was kicked out of the school's Fall Festival the day before.

Miriam's luck does not improve. Her passive-aggressive mother-in-law puts her in charge of the Women's Club annual gala. But this year, it's not canapes and waltzes. Miriam and her girlfriend-squad opt for fun and flavor. They want to spice it up with Caribbean food trucks and a calypso band. While making plans at the country club, they hear a volatile argument between the new head chef and the club's manager. Not long after, the chef swan dives to his death at the bottom of the grand staircase.

Was it an accident? Or was it Beverly, the sous chef, who is furious after being passed over for the job? Or maybe it was his ex-girlfriend, Anastasia?

Add two possible poisonings to the mix and Miriam is worried the food truck fun is going to be a major crash. As the clock ticks down and the body count goes up, Miriam's life is put in jeopardy. Will she connect the dots or die in the deep freeze? Foodies and mystery lovers alike will savor the denouement as the truth is laid bare in this simmering stew of rage, retribution, and murder.

Critique: A 'must read' for mystery buffs with an affinity for cozy mysteries and amateur women sleuths, "Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking" is another addition to author Raquel Reyes 'A Caribbean Kitchen Mystery" series. An original and fun read from cover to cover, "Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking" is unabashedly recommended addition to both personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that "Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Dreamscape Media, 9781666619812, $22.99, CD).

Editorial Note: Raquel V. Reyes writes stories with Latina protagonists. Her Cuban-American heritage, Miami, and Spanglish feature prominently in her work. Mango, Mambo, and Murder, the first in the Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series, won a LEFTY for Best Humorous Mystery. It was nominated for an Agatha Award and optioned for film. Raquel's short stories appear in various anthologies, including The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2022. Find her across social media platforms as @LatinaSleuths and on her website www.LatinaSleuths.com

Canter with a Killer
Amber Camp
https://www.ambercampauthor.com
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
https://www.dreamscapepublishing.com
9781639101801, $28.00, HC, 304pp

https://www.amazon.com/Canter-Killer-Horse-Rescue-Mystery/dp/1639101802

Synopsis: Mallory Martin left her marriage and her unfulfilling job to move back to her hometown of Hillspring, Arkansas, and start a horse rescue. It's everything she's been missing, with paddocks of happy horses and one very quirky donkey. But when her cantankerous neighbor and longtime critic, Albert Cunningham, is found murdered in his fancy show barn, Mallory becomes suspect number one. Since Sheriff Grady Sullivan is ignoring all good sense and focusing only on Mallory, she decides to take matters into her own hands.

Aided by her best friend, Lanie, and rescue volunteer Tanner, Mallory races headlong into the investigation in search of the real killer. But horses and murder aren't the only thing on her mind when she meets Albert's handsome son, Braydon. Sparks fly, and soon she's got a new boyfriend. But there's a case to be solved, and she redoubles her efforts to learn the truth.

The suspects mount quickly. There's Albert's girlfriend, Kathleen, who was on the farm when he was murdered; organic farmer Heather Rogers, who accused Albert of contaminating her creek; and Philip Atwood, who'd been trying for a right-of-way across Albert's farm. None of the evidence is holding up though, and Mallory learns that she'll need to take the reins on this investigation if she's going to clear her own name.

Critique: Featuring a veritable parade of inherently well crafted and memorable character, "Canter with a Killer" demonstrates author Amber Camp's impressive flair for originality and roller coaster plots with all manner of twists and turns. With a complete master of the cozy mystery genre, "Canter with a Killer" is especially recommended for community library mystery collections featuring female amateur detectives. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Canter with a Killer" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Dreamscape Media, 9781666616590, $22.99, CD).

Editorial Note: A member of Sisters in Crime, Amber Camp writes cozy mysteries that reflect her love of animals and quirky small towns. A lifelong lover of books, she started writing her own stories as a teenager and found she loves to write as much as she loves to read. She has a dedicated website at https://www.ambercampauthor.com

When the Saint Burns in their Hands
Franco Rainey
https://francorainey.ampbk.com
Austin Macauley Publishers
https://www.austinmacauley.com
9781398444997, $16.95, PB, 264pp

https://www.amazon.com/When-Saint-Burns-their-Hands/dp/1398444995

Synopsis: Sicilian crime lord, Michele La Barbara, has taken revenge on his wife's assassin, only to discover that he has opened the door further to a world of murder and treachery from within and outside his own family.

Summoned to New York City by the Calabrese family, Michele is caught up in a game of cat and mouse with sinister underboss Benito Calabrese. Now aware that Capo Alberto Calabrese was grieving over the death of his youngest son, Amadeo, who had been shot and killed outside a church on his wedding day in Sicily, Michele is left wondering if he had indeed murdered his wife's killer, or whether he remains at large.

"When the Saint Burns in their Hands" by author Franco Rainey is a powerful and gripping story, which delivers atmosphere and tension from the opening page. With a tale of heartbreak and revenge, a twisted sequence of events unfold that leads to a gripping and disturbing climax.

Critique: With a special appeal to fans of organized crime fiction, "When the Saint Burns in their Hands" is the stuff from which block-buster movies are made. With a genuine flair for engaging, riveting, and original storytelling, novelist Franco Rainey's new Mafia novel is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "When the Saint Burns in their Hands" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.50).

Editorial Note: Franco Rainey began his writing career covering the life of organized crime in the US, focusing on New York City's most powerful mafia families. Having worked as a proofreader and editor for almost ten years, he then dedicated his time to writing fictional crime stories. He has a dedicated website at https://francorainey.ampbk.com

Line of Darkness
Max Tomlinson
Oceanview Publishing
1620 Main Street, Suite 11, Sarasota, FL 34236
www.oceanviewpub.com
9781608094523, $27.95, HC, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Line-Darkness-Colleen-Hayes-Mystery/dp/1608094529

Synopsis: When a German businesswoman in 1979 San Francisco hires ex-con PI Colleen Hayes to find a missing relative, supposedly in town to visit, she thinks it's a simple job. But she soon discovers that the "nephew" is linked to an international vigilante group hunting down ex-Nazis. Then the body of a mysterious woman turns up on San Francisco's Municipal Railway, mirroring a murder committed the week before in Buenos Aires where the "nephew" had just been.

Colleen's search uncovers a World War II banknote and the 1942 SS ID of a German officer long thought dead. When Colleen fails to heed warnings to stop her investigation, her pregnant daughter is attacked.

The so-called nephew is nowhere to be found. The German business woman has fled town. Colleen's search leads her to Italy where the infamous Vatican Ratlines helped escaped ex-Nazis forge new identities around the globe. Deep in the Italian Alps, she uncovers a secret project hatched in a concentration camp. Colleen has no choice but to push ahead if the killing is to stop and justice prevail.

Critique: Another deftly crafted and original mystery from the mind and imagination of author Max Tomlinson, "Line of Darkness" is the latest addition to his 'Colleen Hayes Mystery' series. A suspense thriller of a read from first page to last, "Line of Darkness" is especially recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. Having a special appeal to fans of women sleuths and private eye fiction, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Line of Darkness" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.49).

Editorial Note: Max Tomlinson's published work includes a crime series set in South America, an international espionage series, and now the USA Today best-selling Colleen Hayes Mystery Series, set in 1970s San Francisco. While all of the novels in the Colleen Hayes Mystery Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence is: Vanishing in the Haight; Tie Die; Bad Scene; Line of Darkness; Night Candy (coming 2023).

Concrete Evidence
DiAnn Mills
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
www.tyndale.com
9781496451897, $26.99, HC, 416pp

https://www.amazon.com/Concrete-Evidence-DiAnn-Mills/dp/1496451899

Synopsis: On the family's Brazos River Ranch in Texas, Avery Elliott helps run her grandfather's commercial construction business. Raised by Senator Elliott, Avery has never doubted her grandfather is the man of integrity and faith she's always believed him to be -- until the day she finds him standing with a gun over the body of a dead man. And to make matters worse, Avery's just discovered a billing discrepancy for materials supposedly purchased for construction of the Lago de Cobre Dam.

Desperate for answers, Avery contacts FBI Special Agent Marc Wilkins for help. As Marc works to identify the dead man Avery saw, threats toward Avery create a fresh sense of urgency to pinpoint why someone wants to silence her. With a hurricane approaching the Texas coast and the structural integrity of the Lago de Cobre Dam called into question, time is running out to get to the bottom of a sinister plot that could be endangering the lives of not only Avery and her loved ones but the entire community.

Critique: A great and compulsive page turner of a read from cover to cover, "Concrete Evidence" by novelist DiAnn Mills is a non-stop combination of mystery and suspense that will prove to be an immediate and enduringly welcome addition to community library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated Christian oriented suspense/thriller fiction fans that "Concrete Evidence" is also available in a paperback edition (978-1496451903, $15.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).

Editorial Note: DiAnn Mills (https://diannmills.com) combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers' Choice, and Carol award contests. DiAnn is also a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a former director of Blue Ridge Christian Writers, and a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. She shares her passion for helping other writers be successful by teaching writing workshops around the country.

Fox Creek
William Kent Krueger
Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
www.simonandschuster.com
9781982128715, $28.00, HC, 400pp

https://www.amazon.com/Fox-Creek-Novel-OConnor-Mystery/dp/1982128712

Synopsis: The ancient Ojibwe healer Henry Meloux has had a vision of his death. As he walks the Northwoods in solitude, he tries to prepare himself peacefully for the end of his long life. But peace is destined to elude him as hunters fill the woods seeking a woman named Dolores Morriseau, a stranger who had come to the healer for shelter and the gift of his wisdom.

Meloux guides this stranger and his great niece, Cork O'Connor's wife, to safety deep into the Boundary Waters, his home for more than a century. On the last journey he may ever take into this beloved land, Meloux must do his best to outwit the deadly mercenaries who follow.

Meanwhile, in Aurora, Cork works feverishly to identify the hunters and the reason for their relentless pursuit, but he has little to go on. Desperate, Cork begins tracking the killers but his own skills as a hunter are severely tested by nightfall and a late season snowstorm. He knows only too well that with each passing hour time is running out. But his fiercest enemy in this deadly game of cat and mouse may well be his own deep self-doubt about his ability to save those he loves.

Critique: "Fox Creek" is another terrific cover to cover read from the skilled imagination and narrative driven storytelling talents of William Kent Kruger. With a very special appeal to readers with an interest in Private Investigator Mysteries in general, and Native American themed literary fiction in particular, "Fox Creek" is unreservedly recommended for community library Contempoary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of the legions of William Kent Kruger fans that "Fox Creek" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Recorded Books, 9798212155168, $41.95, CD).

Editorial Note: William Kent Krueger (www.WilliamKentKrueger.com) is the author of "This Tender Land", "Ordinary Grace" (winner of the Edgar Award for best novel), as well as nineteen acclaimed books in the Cork O'Connor mystery series, including "Lightning Strike" and "Desolation Mountain".

The Rope Juggler
Judson Blake
Stark House Press
1315 H Street, Eureka, CA 95501
www.starkhousepress.com
9781951473884, $15.95, PB, 238pp

https://www.amazon.com/Rope-Juggler-Judson-Blake/dp/1951473884

Synopsis: Milo Fyrish is the super in his apartment building, where he lives in aimless ease, more concerned with booze, carpentry and his cat than with his future. His friends and some of his enemies pass him off as a naive fool. He has a loving and witty girlfriend, but secretly Milo is infatuated with Miranda, a mercurial high fashion model who lives on the top floor.

One night, after a drunken fight and a trip to the ER, Milo is late for his tryst with Miranda. He finds her on the floor of her apartment, tied up and dead. He feels delirium coming on. Before passing out, he tells his girlfriend to call the police, but then something else gets in the way!

Critique: "It was the afternoon before the night when Miranda got killed. And later I wondered if something in the day, maybe some little detail, had anything to do with it..."

So begins "The Rope Juggler" the crime fiction novel by Judson Bale about how one night's gruesome violence conceals a darker intent, perversity and deeper cruelty winding out of a past that no one wants revealed.

A truly compulsive page turner of a read from cover to cover, "The Rope Juggler" by Judson Blake will have a special appeal to readers with an interest in a deftly crafted murder mystery by a master of the genre. While highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated crime fiction fans that "The Rope Juggler" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).

Editorial Note: For several years Judson Blake directed and acted on stage in New York, from Shakespeare to Pinter, along with stand-up comedy and improv. "Perversion", his bitter political satire, ran for five weeks in the West Village. His fiction has appeared in 2019 American Emerging Writers Series, Bewildering Stories, The Literary Yard, Freedom Fiction Literary Periodical, The Loch Raven Review, Ariel Chart, Whistling Shade and others.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

The Face of the Waters
Robert Silverberg
Spectra
c/o Three Rooms Press
561 Hudson Street, Suite 33, New York, NY 10014
www.threeroomspress.com
9781953103277, $16.99, PB, 396pp

https://www.amazon.com/Face-Waters-Robert-Silverberg/dp/1953103278

Synopsis: After a human offense against the natives of Hydros, the human population of the island of Sorve are ordered to leave. Forbidden on all other islands, in a flotilla of ships they seek the semi-mythical island of the Face of the Waters. During their journey they are forced to learn more about themselves, leading to questions about both religion and the purpose of Man. At the end of this novel, science fiction author Robert Silverberg deftly addresses what it means to be human, and explores what unites and divides humanity.

Critique: Originally published in October 1991, this new paperback edition of "The Face of the Waters" is published with the author's full support, and brings Silverberg's brilliant novel back into the must-read science-fiction canon. Highly recommended for personal and community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections after decades of being out of print, this classic Silverberg novel is now once again available to a whole new generation of dedicated science fiction buffs -- and is a 'must' for the legions of Robert Silverberg fans.

Editorial Note: Robert Silverberg (www.robert-silverberg.com) is a now near legendary author in the science-fiction genre, with four Hugo Awards and six Nebula Awards to his name. He was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 1999 and named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Guild in 2005. His short story "Needle in a Timestack" was adapted for the screen by Oscar-winning writer John Ridley (12 Years a Slave) in 2021, and additional projects are slated to finally bring more Silverberg writing to the screen. He has a Wikipedia page at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Silverberg

Daughter of Redwinter
Ed McDonald
Tor Books
c/o Tor/Forge Books
120 Broadway, 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10271
www.tor-forge.com
9781250811714, $27.99, HC, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/Daughter-Redwinter-Chronicles-1/dp/1250811716

Synopsis: Raine can see and speak to the dead, a gift that comes with a death sentence. All her life she has hidden, lied, and run to save her skin, and she's made some spectacularly bad choices along the way. But it is a rare act of kindness (rescuing an injured woman in the snow) that becomes the most dangerous decision Raine has ever made.

Because the woman is fleeing from Redwinter, the fortress-monastery of the Draoihn, warrior magicians who answer to no king, and who will stop at nothing to reclaim what she's stolen. A battle, a betrayal, and a horrific revelation force Raine to enter the citadel and live among the Draoihn. She soon finds that her secret ability could be the key to saving an entire nation. Though she might have to die to make it happen!

Critique: Launching 'The Redwinter Chronicles', a new action/adventure fantasy series from veteran author Ed McDonald, "Daughter of Redwinter" is an impressively crafted novel that is a compulsive page turner of a read from cover to cover. With a special appeal to fans of Epic Fantasy, "Daughter of Redwinter" will leave its readers looking forward to the next installment of a truly fun read. While unreservedly recommended for community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Daughter of Redwinter" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note: Ed McDonald (https://edmcdonaldwriting.com) is the author of the Raven's Mark series of novels. He studied Ancient History and Archaeology at the University of Birmingham, and Medieval History at Birkbeck College, University of London. Ed is passionate about fantasy tabletop roleplay games and has studied medieval swordsmanship since 2013

The Year's Best Fantasy: Volume One
Paula Guran, editor
https://paulaguran.com
Pyr
https://www.pyrsf.com
9781645060482, $21.95, PB, 456pp

https://www.amazon.com/Years-Best-Fantasy-One/dp/1645060489

Synopsis: With the publication of "The Year's Best Fantasy: Volume One", dedicated fantasy fans can escape on a journey from the ordinary to the extraordinary with award-winning fantasy editor Paula Guran.

This is a superbly curated collection of fantasy themed short stories by contributors that collectively explores myth and fable, dark and light -- an heroic creature facing a dangerous demon; an earthly love facing the mossy decay of death. With additional tales of living ball gowns and timid monsters, of modern witches and multidimensional magic, the twenty-four original stories comprising "The Year's Best Fantasy: Volume One" will transport the reader to fantastical realms that push the limits of imagination to alternative realities mirroring much of our own.

Critique: An inherently fascinating, entertaining, and just plain fun read from cover to cover, "The Year's Best Fantasy: Volume One" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college Science Fiction & Fantasy collections. It should be noted for the reading lists of all dedicated fantasy fans that "The Year's Best Fantasy: Volume One" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).

Editorial Note: Paula Guran (https://paulaguran.com) was senior editor for Prime Books for seven years. Previously, she edited the Juno fantasy imprint from its small press inception through its incarnation as an imprint of Pocket Books. In addition to the annual Year's Best Dark Fantasy and Horror series, she's edited many other anthologies. In an earlier life she produced weekly email newsletter DarkEcho (winning two Stokers, an IHG award, and a World Fantasy Award nomination), edited Horror Garage (earning another IHG and a second World Fantasy nomination), and has contributed reviews, interviews, and articles to numerous professional publications.

Sisters of Sorcery
Marsheila Rockwell
https://marsheilarockwell.com
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
9781839081651, $16.95, PB, 368pp

https://www.amazon.com/Sisters-Sorcery-Marvel-Untold-Novel/dp/1839081651

Synopsis: Deep in the Dark Dimension, the tyrant Umar the Unrelenting craves the Power Cosmic to expand her realm into new dimensions. When she kidnaps the cosmic being Ardina to make a grim battery of her powers, she draws the attention of Clea, her estranged daughter and mighty user of the mystic arts. Clea knows her mother will stop at nothing to conquer the whole of the Splinter Realms, imperiling all of reality. To defeat her, Clea must ally herself with three powerful sorceresses, each with their own unique powers, traverse dimensions, and free Ardina and the entire Archipelago of Anguish and Redemption before Umar consumes it all.

Critique: A superbly crafted, impressively original, and thoroughly fun read from cover to cover, "Sisters of Sorcery" by Macy Rockwell is a mystical adventure novel and part of the 'Marvel Untold' series from Aconyte Books. Unreservedly recommended for community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of the legions of dedicated Marvel fans that "Sisters of Sorcery" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).

Editorial Note: Marsheil (Marcy) Rockwell (https://marsheilarockwell.com) is an award nominated tie-in writer and poet. Her novels include SF/H thriller 7 Sykos, as well as The Shard Axe series, set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons Online. She has published two collections, and has written dozens of short stories, poems, and comic book scripts.

Assassin's Creed: The Magus Conspiracy
Kate Heartfield
https://kateheartfield.com
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
9781839081675, $16.95, PB, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Creed-Magus-Conspiracy-Novel/dp/1839081678

Synopsis: London, 1851 - When Pierrette, a daring acrobat performing at the Great Exhibition, rescues the mathematician Ada Lovelace from a gang of thugs, she becomes immersed in an ancient feud between Assassins and Templars. But Lovelace is gravely ill, and shares her secrets with Pierrette, sending the acrobat in search of a terrible weapon which she'd been developing for a shadowy figure known as "the Magus". Pierrette's only ally is Simeon Price, Lovelace's childhood friend, who belongs to a Brotherhood devoted to free will. With Simeon's aid, they uncover a startling web of political assassinations destabilizing Europe. As they race to foil the Templars' deadly plot, murders and bombs are everywhere they look, but hope is nowhere in sight.

Critique: Set in the Victorian era, "Assassin's Creed: The Magus Conspiracy" by Kate Heartfield is the latest entry to the ongoing series about the seemingly endless war between Assassins and Templars in a new science fiction action/adventure thriller of a read that expandes the Assassin's Creed universe. An absolute 'must read' for the legions of Assassin's Creed fans, "Assassin's Creed: The Magus Conspiracy" is unreservedly recommended for community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections and is available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).

Editorial Note: Kate Heartfield (https://kateheartfield.com) is the Aurora Award-winning author of "Armed in her Fashion", and the historical fantasy novel "The Embroidered Book. Her novellas, stories, and games have been finalists for the Nebula, Locus, Crawford, Sunburst and Aurora awards.

Dragon Sky
Matt Smith, author
Cliff Wise, author
Dorrance Publishing Company
585 Alpha Drive, Suite 103, Pittsburgh, PA 15238
www.dorrancepublishing.com
9781649570321, $25.00, PB, 428pp

https://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Sky-Matt-Smith/dp/1649570325

Synopsis: While the novel "Dragon Sky", stands alone, it is only one half of a much larger story. The core of the book focuses on the struggles of three strangers: Crystal, Alicia, and Assan. All three undergo growth in their own way.

Crystal begins as a point of calm in a world of chaos. Is she the only one who has answers to unanswerable questions? But over time her companions learn the truth that they must come to trust their own insights. And Crystal sees that she can't stand alone. Separately, Crystal, Alicia, and Assan, create three elemental beings.

While the setting could be referred to as post-apocalyptic, there are many aspects of it that make it unique. What had caused the Apocalypse is still present, lurking in the background: a constant threat more felt than consciously aware of. The "Shades," as they are known, are incarnations of pure terror and only become more terrifying the more the characters learn.

Critique: An original, seminal and unique work by co-authors Matt Smith and Cliff Wise, "Dragon Sky", while a fun and entertaining read from cover to cover, also has the underlying message that perseverance can see you through anything and everything -- especially if you surround yourself with people who will support and inspire you. A veritable saga of a novel, "Dragon Sky" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Dragon Sky" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.00).

Trouble Walked In
Mike Kupari
Baen Books
P.O. Box 1403, Riverdale, NY 10471
www.baen.com
9781982192037, $16.00

https://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Walked-Mike-Kupari/dp/1982192038

Trouble Walked In combines a crime story with interplanetary sci-fi elements in a mystery that crosses genres to involve readers from different interests. Cassandra Blake has gone missing. Her sister wants answers. Detective Ezekiel Novak is the one who usually solves crimes and provides them, but in this case he faces unprecedented danger because Cassandra apparently was involved in something over her head involving an alien artifact and dangerous forces. As he struggles to find Cassandra, he is drawn into a deadly conspiracy that threatens the cosmic order and the Terran Confederation. The lively writing and mystery will keep sci-fi and mystery readers thoroughly involved.

Baen Books
P.O. Box 1403, Riverdale, NY 10471
www.baen.com

Two new arrivals from Baen are highly recommended picks for sci-fi readers looking for something different.

https://www.amazon.com/Ballistic-Travis-S-Taylor/dp/198219202X

Travis S. Taylor's Ballistic (9781982192020, $25.00) mingles politics with futuristic dilemmas. A Russian ICBM site is attacked, the nuclear warheads are missing, and the International Space Station is threatened not with destruction, but by a hijacking attempt. A cat-and-mouse game evolves where the would-be terrorists find themselves both trapped and protected by their orbital perch, but it's up to one American astronaut to keep disaster at bay until rescue forces arrive. A gripping story evolves, filled with political, social, and futuristic action.

https://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Kevin-Ikenberry/dp/1982192011

Kevin Ikenberry's The Crossing (9781982192013, $25.00) brings alternate history to life as it tells of eight cadets from the future who join a revolutionary battle to change the world. Will a troupe of ROTC young people training in 2008 know enough of 1776 history to help George Washington do what he needs to preserve the timeline without changing the past? The dilemmas and choices make for an evocative tale.


The Graphic Novel Shelf

Rooster Fighter 1
Shu Sakuratani
Viz Signature
www.viz.com
9781974729845, $12.99 pbk / $7.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Rooster-Fighter-Vol-1/dp/1974729842

Synopsis: Giant demonic monsters wreak havoc and level Japanese cities! While the citizens flee in terror, it's up to one brave rooster to stand his ground!

In a world where terrifying monsters walk the earth, one heroic rooster is destined for greatness. When giant demons threaten the innocent, he's going to show them who's boss!

The neighborhood cock of the walk is more than just an ordinary rooster - he's humanity's greatest defender! His opponents may be ten stories tall, but nothing is bigger than his stout heart and his fearsome battle cry - cock-a-doodle-doo!

Critique: Rooster Fighter 1 kicks off a riotously squawking black-and-white manga series in which a lone, wandering rooster fights to destroy demonic humanoid kaiju (giant monsters) in Fist of the North Star-style battles! Although Rooster Fighter can be interpreted as a parody of both the "wandering warrior" and kaiju genres, the story is told quite seriously. Rooster Fighter is especially appealing to high-octane action fans first and foremost! Volume 1 of Rooster Fighter does an excellent job of showcasing the titular rooster, the horrific giant monsters he battles, and the "wandering warrior" storytelling style. Volume 1 consists of self-contained stories; there is no suspenseful cliffhanger at the end, only a promise of more rooster fury in future volumes. Highly recommended! It should be noted that Rooster Fighter is intended for older teens and adults due to violence (the kaiju battles are very gory) and sexual situations involving intimacy between poultry.

The Liminal Zone
Junji Ito
Viz Signature
www.viz.com
9781974726448, $19.99 hc / $10.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Liminal-Zone-Junji-Ito/dp/1974726444

Synopsis: Three-time Eisner Award winner Junji Ito presents brand-new nightmares!

What destiny awaits them after the screaming?

After abruptly departing from a train in a small town, a couple encounters a "weeping woman" - a professional mourner - sobbing inconsolably at a funeral. Mako changes afterward - she can't stop crying! In another tale, having decided to die together, a couple enters Aokigahara, the infamous suicide forest. What is the shocking otherworldly torrent that they discover there?

One of horror's greatest talents, Junji Ito beckons readers to join him in an experience of ultimate terror with four transcendently terrifying tales.

Critique: Three-time Eisner Award winning creator Junji Ito presents four new black-and-white horror manga (Japanese comics) collected into one hardcover volume in The Liminal Zone. In these stories, a professional mourner suddenly can't stop crying; a couple enters the infamous "suicide forest" of Aokigahara to discover an inexplicable phenomenon; a religious girls' school conceals gruesome secrets and a shocking supernatural power; and an unfortunate man finds himself beset by horrifying memories of murders he did not commit... or did he? The Liminal Zone is highly recommended, and a "must" for connoisseurs of masterful horror storytelling! It should be noted that The Liminal Zone is intended for older teens and adults due to violence.


The Audiobook Shelf

The Science of Storytelling
Will Storr, author
James Clamp, narrator
https://willstorr.com
Dreamscape Media
https://www.dreamscapepublishing.com
9781690585107, $22.99, CD (6 Discs, 8 Hours 51 Minutes)

https://www.amazon.com/Science-Storytelling-Will-Storr/dp/1690585102

Synopsis: How do master storytellers compel us? There have been many attempts to understand what makes a good story, but few have used a scientific approach.

In "The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better", Will Storr applies dazzling psychological research and cutting-edge neuroscience to our myths and archetypes to show how we can tell better stories, revealing, among other things, how storytellers (and also our brains) create worlds by being attuned to moments of unexpected change.

Storr's superbly chosen examples range from Harry Potter to Jane Austen to Alice Walker, Greek drama to Russian novels to Native American folk tales, King Lear to Breaking Bad to children's stories. With chapters such as "The Dramatic Question" and "Plot, Endings, and Meaning" and a practical, step-by-step appendix dedicated to "The Sacred Flaw Approach,"

"The Science of Storytelling" is destined to become an invaluable resource for writers of all stripes, whether novelist, screenwriter, playwright, or writer of creative or traditional nonfiction.

Critique: With this Dreamscape Media complete and unabridged audio book production that combines the impressive storytelling skills of author Will Storr with the equally impressive narrative skills of James Clamp, "The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better" is a very strongly advised addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library audio book and Playwriting/Screenwriting instructional reference collections.

Editorial Note #1: Currently residing in Kent, England, Will Storr is an award-winning journalist and novelist whose work has appeared in The Guardian, Sunday Times, The New Yorker, and The New York Times. His books include Selfie: How the West Became Self-Obsessed and The Unpersuadables: Adventures with the Enemies of Science. He has a dedicated website at https://willstorr.com

Editorial Note #2: James Clamp works from his fully equipped professional ISDN and Source Connect capable studios in the USA and Europe, specializing in Commercials, Promo's, Corporate Videos, eLearning Modules and Training Narrations. He's proficient at many accents including RP, Cockney, Northern English, Australian, Scottish, South African, French and Russian. He has a dedicated website at https://willstorr.com

Mad, Bad and Dead
Sherryl Clark, author
Kirsty Gillmore, narrator
Aurora
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781787829459, $98.95, MP3-CD,

https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/mad,%20bad%20and%20dead

Synopsis: Already struggling to juggle co-running Candlebark's pub/bistro along with her new childcare responsibilities, what Judi doesn't need right now is more stress. Yet, as usual, it arrives in spades: she starts receiving threatening, late night phone calls before discovering one of her best employees, Kate, shot dead in her bed.

Once again, Judi finds herself at the center of a murder investigation, as well as the hunt for the Kate's fourteen year-old daughter who has been missing since the murder. Add in the uncertainty of her relationship with D.S. Heath and the fact that her estranged mother's nursing home keeps calling to urge her to visit, and Judi might finally be at breaking point.

Critique: A dead employee. A missing child. Anonymous phone calls in the dead of night. Sherryl Clark's suspense thriller of a novel is brought vividly to life with the narrative vocal skills of Kirsty Gillmore in this complete and unabridged audio book from Aurora. "Mad, Bad and Dead" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly appreciated addition to community library audio book collections. (1 Disc, 10 Hours, 35 Minutes)

Editorial Note #1: Sherryl Clark has had 40 children's and YA books published in Australia, and several in the US and UK, plus collections of poetry and four verse novels. She has taught writing at Holmesglen TAFE and Victoria University. "Trust Me I'm Dead", her debut adult crime novel, was shortlisted for the CWA Debut Dagger and the CWA John Creasey Dagger Award. It is followed by "Dead and Gone" in the Judi Westerholme series. She has a dedicted website at https://sherrylclarkcrimewriter.com

Editorial Note #2: Kirsty Gillmore is a Voice Director, Casting Director, Sound Designer and the owner of Sounds Wilde. She was selected as a Voice Director for Games for the BAFTA Breakthrough UK programme for 2021. Her directing and casting work spans games, animation and audio drama. She has a dedicate website at https://www.soundswilde.com

Let It Snow
Beth Moran, author
Rosalind Steele, narrator
Boldwood
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781802806366, $93.95, MP3-CD

https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/Let%20It%20Snow

Synopsis: After the end of a long-term relationship, local weather girl Bea Armstrong has been avoiding her family, and their inevitable 'I-told-you-sos.' But with Christmas fast approaching, she is finally on her way home to Charis House, the school in Sherwood Forest that her mum and dad run in their old family home. And to top it all off, the insufferable Henry Fairfax (who her parents have always wanted her to marry) has also been invited.

Relief comes in the shape of a last minute interview for her dream job. There are just a few minor problems. The interview is in Scotland, Bea has no car, and the snow is falling already. The only solution is for Henry to drive her. Could this Christmas get any worse?

But during an unforgettable two day interview, a stay in a log cabin and a nightmare journey through the snow, Henry turns out to be nothing like she thought. And when Bea's first love and recent ex shows up, Bea has a difficult choice to make!

Critique: Rosalnd Steele's superb vocal skills as the narrator are perfectly suited to author Beth Moran's narrative style of storytelling that brings "Let It Snow" to life in the mind's eye of the listener in this complete and unabridged audio book edition from Boldwood. With flawless production skills, "Let It Snow" is an ideal and recommended addition to personal listening lists and community library audio book collections. (1 Disc, 9 Hours, 50 Minutes).

Editorial Note #1: Beth Moran (https://bethmoranauthor.com) initially worked as a biochemist and then taught antenatal classes before becoming an author. She enjoys writing contemporary women`s fiction set in and around Sherwood Forest, where she lives with her family.

A Million Dreams
Dani Atkins, author
Rosie Akerman, narrator
Dreamscape Media
https://www.dreamscapepublishing.com
9781690586586, $22.99, CD (10 Discs, 12 Hours 16 Minutes)

https://www.amazon.com/Million-Dreams-Dani-Atkins/dp/1690586583

Synopsis: Izzy's eight-year-old son Noah is her whole life. With his long eyelashes, mischievous grin and boundless energy, he's got her husband Pete's sunny outlook and Izzy's curious mind. When they receive a surprise phone call from the fertility center that helped them have Noah, it's surely nothing to worry about.

But what they learn from that call sends their dreams for their son crashing down around them. Eight years ago, someone made a terrible mistake at the center, and there's a possibility that precious Noah isn't actually their child.

Izzy and Pete know that they will fight to keep their beautiful boy at any cost... but if Noah's parents are out there somewhere, is it right to keep them from their son? When a shocking diagnosis brings things to a head, Izzy must decide what's right for Noah, even if it means sacrificing the person she loves most in the world.

Critique: Professional voice over actor and narrator Rosie Akerman brings to life in a true 'theatre of the mind' experience "A Million Dreams", the deftly crafted and original novel by Dani Atkins. The complete and unabridged audio book from Dreamscape Media is highly recommended, especially as an addition to community library audio book collections.

Editorial Note #1: Dani Atkins is an award-winning author whose work has been translated into sixteen languages. The author of four bestselling novels, she is the recipient of the Romantic Novel of the Year Award. She has a website at https://www.fantasticfiction.com/a/dani-atkins

Editorial Note #2: Rosie Akerman is a professional and committed voiceover artist who has narrated several audiobooks in multiple genres. In addition to audiobooks, she has also lent her voice to eLearning tapes, online commercials, documentaries, and telephony systems. She has a website entry at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4681344

A Simple Wedding
Leigh Duncan, author
Karissa Vacar, narrator
Hallmark Publishing
c/o Dreamscape Media
https://www.dreamscapepublishing.com
9781974944453, $24.99, CD (7 Discs, 8 Hours 52 Minutes)

https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Wedding-Leigh-Duncan/dp/197494445X

Synopsis: Jenny always dreamed of getting married at Heart's Landing. But when she finally visits the charming small town, she's there to make wedding arrangements for someone else: her cousin, who also happens to be her boss and a famous movie star. To keep the event secret and avoid a media circus, Jenny pretends she's the one getting married.

Nick is intrigued by this bride-to-be who starts visiting his bakery every afternoon for sweet treats and conversation. He has to keep reminding himself that she's already spoken for.

As Jenny deals with her cousin's ever-changing demands, she tries to hide her attraction to Nick. Planning this wedding couldn't be more complicated...and what will happen once the truth comes to light?

"A Simple Wedding" is a funny, heartwarming romance that includes as a welcome bonus for the reader a free original recipe for the best-ever Lemon Bars.

Critique: With the superbly executed narrative performance of Karissa Vacker bringing author Leigh Duncan's comedic romance novel to life! "A Simple Wedding" is an extraordinarily fun and highly recommended addition to both personal and community library audio book collections.

Editorial Note #1: Novelist Leigh Duncan has written over two dozen novels, novellas and short stories. Leigh lives on Central Florida's East Coast where she writes complex, heartwarming, and emotional stories with a dash of Southern sass. She has a website at https://leighduncan.com

Karissa Vacker is a multiple Earphones award-winning narrator and actress whose audiobook credits include romance, young adult fiction, and mystery thrillers. A graduate from Southern Methodist University, she performed in regional theaters across the country before moving to Los Angeles, where she has guest starred in network television shows and films and continues to work on screen, on stage, and behind the mic.

The Case of the Missing Firefly
Chris McDonald, author
Stephen Armstrong, narrator
Isis Audio
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781399124319, $43.95, MP3-CD (1 Disc, 3 Hours)

https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/The%20Case%20of%20the%20Missing%20Firefly

Synopsis: The notoriously hard-drinking, backstabbing Stonebridge Radio crew are having their Hallowe'en party on Winkle Island, rumoured to be the most haunted place in Northern Ireland. Unfortunately, Adam and Colin are there, too, having accepted an easy pay day from Colin's event-organising mother.

At dinner, a shocking announcement is followed by an even more shocking murder, and the theft of a priceless Firefly necklace. To top it all, thanks to a raging storm, everyone is trapped on the island. Now, faced with devious radio presenters, a strange tour guide and a rampaging murderer, Adam and Colin are back in business.

Critique: The truly impressive narrative skills of voice over actor Stephen Armstrong brings mystery novelist Chris McDonald's "The Case of the Missing Firefly" into a true 'theatre of the mind' experience for the listener. This flawless, complete and unabridged Isis Audio production of "The Case of the Missing Firefly" will prove to be an immediately welcome and enduringly popular addition to personal and community library Mystery/Suspense audio book collections.

Editorial Note #1: Chris McDonald grew up in Northern Ireland before settling in Manchester via Lancaster and London. He is the author A Wash of Black, the first in the DI Erika Piper series, as well as the forthcoming second - Whispers In The Dark. He has also recently dabbled in writing cosy crimes, as a remedy for the darkness. He has an author's page on the Amazon website at https://www.amazon.com/Chris-McDonald/e/B083VRLYPM

Editorial Note #2: An accomplished and professional voice over actor, Stephen Armstrong has a web page at https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=Stephen+Armstrong


The Library CD Shelf

The Shape of Strings
Wayne Alpern
Privately Published
$12.00 CD / $8.91 MP3

https://www.amazon.com/Shape-Strings-Wayne-Alpern/dp/B0BDVD763M

Composer, arranger, and scholar Wayne Alpern presents The Shape of Strings, a cross-genre album combining jazz and classical music techniques into a creations that transcend genre boundaries. A sweeping, extraordinary instrumental work showcasing the incredible talents of the String Orchestra of New York City, The Shape of Strings is a treasure for both personal and public library collections, and makes an excellent gift for connoisseurs. The tracks are Reinvention 1, Reinvention 2, Reinvention 3, Serenade 1, Serenade 2, Serenade 3, Divertimento 1, Divertimento 2, and Divertimento 3.

The Lost Souvenir Collection
Hank Snow with special guest artist Jimmie Snow
Country Rewind Records
www.countryrewind.com
$10.98 CD / $9.49 MP3

https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Souvenir-Collection-Hank-Snow/dp/B0B6CVCBW7

The Lost Souvenir Collection is a music album gathering newly discovered recordings by "The Singing Ranger", Canadian-American country music artist Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow. Hank Snow's baritone voice is the highlight of this emotional and inspiring showcase of roots and country music. The Lost Souvenir Collection is "must-have" for country music connoisseurs and highly recommended for public library collections. The tracks are Down The Trail of Achin' Hearts, I Don't Hurt Anymore, The Rhumba Boogie, How Do You Think I Feel, Tangled Mind, The Wreck Of The Old '97, Conscience I'm Guilty, Precious, Calypso Sweetheart, Loose Talk, Among My Souvenirs, Rainbow, Caribbean, Hobo Bill's Last Ride, Tell The World He's Coming, and Me And My Friends Fiddle.

Always
Dan Chadburn
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B4X735VS

Award-winning music artist Dan Chadburn presents Always, a new age solo piano album and his ninth in the contemporary instrumental genre. The songs on Always are Chadburn's original compositions, with the sole exception of Chadburn's arrangement of the classic song O Shenandoah. Extraordinarily beautiful and bordering on the mystical, Always is an emotionally moving collection highly recommended especially for personal and public library collections. The tracks are Always, Uncharted Waters, O Shenandoah, Turning Point, Yesteryear, Minuet, Uncertainty, Missing You, The Wishing Well, Sacred Breath, Synchronicity, and Final Curtain.

Feels Like Home: Songs from the Sonoran Borderlands
Putumayo World Music
www.putumayo.com
$14.98 CD / $9.49 MP3

https://www.amazon.com/Feels-Like-Home-Borderlands-Linda-Ronstadts/dp/B0BC25DY5G

Feels Like Home: Songs from the Sonoran Borderlands - Linda Ronstadt's Musical Odyssey is a music CD created as a companion to acclaimed singer Linda Ronstadt's new book, "Feels Like Home" (9781597145794, $35.00). A music selection co-curated by Linda Ronstadt and Putumayo founder Dan Storper, Feels Like Home features songs that influenced Ronstadt's childhood as well as some of Ronstadt's interpretations of classical Mexican songs. An extraordinary tour of the music that shaped Ronstadt's life in the Sonoran borderlands of the Southwest, Feels Like Home is highly recommended. The tracks are Barrio Viejo, El Sueno, Canadian Moon (New Version), Across the Border, The Dreamer, Naninan Upirin, I Never Will Marry, Piel Canela, and Voy Caminando.

Joy
Ernesto Cervini
ernestocervini.com
Three Pines Records
tprrecords.ca
$14.99 CD / $9.49 MP3

https://www.amazon.com/Joy-Ernesto-Cervini/dp/B0B8KMCZ9Y

Juno-winning drummer and composer Ernesto Cervini presents Joy, a music album inspired by Louise Penny's "Gamache" series of books. The songs of Joy are crafted to express powerful themes of goodness, courage, and love. A few of the tracks feature vocalists; the rest are instrumental. Evocative and soul-stirring, Joy is a wondrous addition to public library music collections and also makes an excellent gift. The tracks are Three Pines, Surprised by Joy, Myrna, Sandalwood and Rosewater, Clara, Roar and Havoc, Ruth's Rosa, The Moth, Oliver & Gabri, Bella Bella, Peter Morrow, The Beautiful Mystery, Lacoste, Beauvoir, and I'm FINE.

Rich in Symbols II
Chet Doxas
chetdoxas.com
Justin Time
justin-time.com
$TBA CD / $9.03 MP3

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BBSRHMBV

Rich in Symbols II is a music album inspired by artistic masterpieces from The Group of Seven (also known as the Algonquin School), a Canadian school of landscape painters. The songs feature Chet Doxas on saxophones and clarinet, Jacob Sacks on piano and mellotron, Joe Grass on pedal steel, guitar, and banjo, Zack Lober on bass, and Eric Doob on drums. The music is majestic, wistful, and breathtaking, much like the natural beauty captured in classic landscape paintings. Exploring the nuances of the art as well as the question "What does it mean to be Canadian?", Rich in Symbols II is a treasure for both personal and public library collections. Highly recommended. The tracks are The Slopes of Sainte- Tite-Des-Caps, Snow Clouds, The Jack Pine, Tree Trunk, North Shore Lake Superior, House of Ypres, and The Front of Winter.

Only Elephants Know Her Name
So Long Seven
www.solongseven.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $7.92 MP3

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BC2MZKJV

The music group So Long Seven presents Only Elephants Know Her Name, an album that draws upon jazz, classical, blues, and folk music from around the world. The extraordinarily talented performers include Neil Hendry on steel string, nylon string, electric guitar, and bass guitar; Tim Posgate on five-string banjo and gourd banjo; William Lamoureux on violin, viola, guitar, and bass; and Ravi Naimpally on talla, dumbek, udu, and percussion, as well as guest contributions. Both original compositions and arrangements for string quartet are present, in this multifaceted showcase worthy of a grand concert. Only Elephants Know Her Name is a treasure for personal and public library music collections, highly recommended. The tracks are Mazimhaka, Kenojuak, Only Elephants Know Her Name, L'unique etoile de la tolerance, Mara, Frolic of the Monsoon Frogs, World Now (We're Old), and Ghost Ocean.

Back in Business Again
The Hooten Hallers
Privately Published
$14.98 CD / $20.98 vinyl / $8.99 MP3

https://www.amazon.com/Back-Business-Again-Hooten-Hallers/dp/B0B42JPKLM

Touring trio The Hooten Hallers have reunited to create Back in Business Again, an all-original music album from the American Midwest. The songs draw from jazz, blues, ragtime, and country; all are treasures inspired the heartland. Back in Business Again is an adventurous celebration, highly recommended. The tracks are Back in Business Again, The Cobbler's Children, Show Me, Now That I Know, Cat Scrap, Vankiller, Broke the Spell, Heal It, Straight Down the Line, and Even the Blues Get the Blues.

Saath Saath
Rakesh Chaurasia and Purbayan Chatterjee
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $3.99 MP3

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B7232H8N

Saath Saath is a music album by Indian sitar player and composer Purbayan Chatterjee and flautist Rakesh Chaurasia. A showcase of sitar, flute, and classical cultural traditions, Saath Saath has been crafted to reflect the passage of day and night; the music evolves from gentle morning ragas to a crescendo of late night ragas. Inspired and enlightening, Saath Saath is a worthy contribution to international music collections, highly recommended. The tracks are Lalit, Shuddh Sarang, Madhuvanti, Yaman Madhya Laya, Yaman Drut, Pahadi, and Bhairave.

Rumba
Rafael Zaldivar
Effendi Records
effendirecords.com
$TBA CD / $8.99 MP3

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BBXQTTH2

Rumba is an original album by Cuban pianist and composer Rafael Zaldivar that resonates with an eclectic fusion of Afro- Cuban music and jazz. An extraordinary array of emotional and evocative creations, Rumba is a worth addition to both personal and public library world music collections. The tracks are Eleggua, A Pray, Interlude, Balla Mi Changui, Guajiro, Two Words, Short Blues, Dolor de Amar, Alma, Crying for Cuba, Tiempos de Amar, and Obbatala.

Walls Made of Glass
Gentiane MG
gentianemg.com
Three Pines Records
tprrecords.ca
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B8LFRQYQ

Featuring Gentiane MG on piano, Levi Dover on bass, and Luis-Vincent Hamel on drums, Walls Made of Glass is a captivating instrumental work showcasing transformative Canadian jazz. Multifaceted and dynamic, Walls Made of Glass is a treasure for connoisseurs of instrumental jazz, highly recommended. The tracks are Prologue, Flowers Laugh Without Uttering a Sound, Walls Made of Glass, The Moon the Sun and the Truth, Mesanges, Un pied en dehors du nid, Contemplating Joy, Little Tree, Burning Candle, and Epilogue.

Tardif / L'appel du vide
Brulez les meubles
tourdebras.com
$TBA

tourdebras.bandcamp.com

Two improvisational jazz masters from Quebec, Louis Beaudoin-de la Sablonniere and Eric Normand, have collaborated as Brulez les meubles to release two new albums: Tardif and L'appel du vide. Tardif is a quartet album with Jean Derome (alto saxophone and flute) and John Hollenbeck (drums), while L'appel du vide is a trio album with Tom Jacques (drums). Both are extraordinary compositions that flow as beautifully as the French names of their tracks, and both are smooth, engrossing soundscapes that will especially appeal to contemporary jazz connoisseurs. Highly recommended!


The Christian Studies Shelf

The Hunger for Home
Matthew Croasmun, author
Miroslav Volf, author
Baylor University Press
One Bear Place, #97363, Waco, TX 76798-7363
www.baylorpress.com
9781481317665, $17.99, HC, 114pp

https://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Home-Food-Meals-Gospel/dp/1481317660

Synopsis: What do the fields, rivers, and streams that provide food have to do with the God who created them? How do we become at home in this world where so many hunger for food, for companionship, or for the presence of God?

"Scripture is also a feast." As an invitation to feast at the table of God's word, "The Hunger for Home: Food and Meals in the Gospel of Luke" by Matthew Croasmum and Miroslav Volf explores the deepest human longings for home through the simple ingredients of bread, water, wine, and stories.

The authors read the meals of the Gospel of Luke as stories of God eating with God's people. By making a common home with us in this way, God turns all our meals into invitations to eat in God's home -- a home with a seat open for all who are willing.

No longer is breaking bread simply fuel for getting through the day, but it is also a call to be present to the agricultural workers, grocers, chefs, friends, and strangers with whom food connects us: everyone God is calling to the banquet. As Croasmun and Volf show, the Gospel of Luke gives us an image of creation at home by bringing God into the home, as it was always meant to be.

Critique: Of special and particular interest to readers focused on the subjects of Christian Eschatology, Christian Meditation, Christian Worship/Devotion, and New Testament Studies, "The Hunger for Home: Food and Meals in the Gospel of Luke" is an informative, thought-provoking, and ultimately inspiring study that is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, clergy, seminary student, and academic library Christian Studies collections.

Editorial Note #1: Matthew Croasmun (https://www.matthewcroasmun.com) is Associate Research Scholar and Director of the Life Worth Living Program at the Yale Center for Faith & Culture.

Editorial Note #2: Miroslav Volf (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miroslav_Volf) is the Henry B. Wright Professor of Systematic Theology at Yale Divinity School and the Founding Director of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture.

Love Him Ever More
Fr. Joe Laramie, SJ
Ave Maria Press
PO Box 428, Notre Dame, IN 46556
www.avemariapress.com
9781646801541, $16.95, PB, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Him-Ever-More-Personal/dp/1646801547

Synopsis: With the publication of "Love Him Ever More: A 9-Day Personal Retreat with the Sacred Heart of Jesus", Fr. Joe Laramie, (the North American director of the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network) offers a nine-day retreat that draws on the wisdom of Ignatian spirituality and the Sacred Heart devotion to help you know God's love and desires for you.

Love Him Ever More is a powerful encounter with the Sacred Heart of Jesus that will help you encounter Christ in the world today deepen your personal relationship with him.

Laramie leads you to reflect on your own heart, your wounds, and God's healing mercy. He takes you on a journey of reflection on the Incarnation, the ministry of Jesus, and God's call for each of us today. This personal retreat allows you to engage in Ignatian contemplation by using your imagination and five senses to encounter Jesus in the gospels and reflecting on your heart, the heart of Christ, and all hearts.

Each day begins with a quotation from the Spiritual Exercises and a grace to pray for, a personal story from Laramie, and contemplation on a gospel scene, and ends with reflection questions and a prayer.

Critique: Inspired and inspiring, "Love Him Ever More: A 9-Day Personal Retreat with the Sacred Heart of Jesus" is a life- changing, life-enhancing, life-celebrating, spirituality developing instructional resource and guide that is especially appropriate for clergy, seminary students, and members of the Roman Catholic community. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Love Him Ever More: A 9-Day Personal Retreat with the Sacred Heart of Jesus" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Fr. Joe Laramie, SJ, is national director of the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network (Apostleship of Prayer) and the author of Abide in the Heart of Christ and Love Him Ever More.. He previously served as a campus minister at St. Louis University, where he earned his undergraduate and master's degrees in communications. He studied at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary prior to joining the Jesuit novitiate. Laramie earned master of divinity and licentiate degrees at Boston College. He was ordained a priest in 2011 and has a dedicated website at https://www.joelaramiesj.com


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Awakenings
Rabbi Joshua Stanton, author
Rabbi Benjamin Spratt, author
Behrman House
https://store.behrmanhouse.com
9781681150895, $24.95, HC, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/Awakenings-American-Transformations-Leadership-Belonging/dp/1681150891

Synopsis: Why are mainstream religious organizations on the decline? What changes have caused many of them to lose touch with modern spiritual needs? What does it take to remain relevant in today's world? With the publication of "Awakenings: American Jewish Transformations in Identity, Leadership, and Belonging", Rabbis Joshua Stanton and Benjamin Spratt take on these and other critical questions facing religion today. And they have answers that are frank and yet surprisingly upbeat.

Nearly every facet of American Jewish life (and of American religious life in general) faces both disruption and great prospects for renewal. In every corner of our community, Jewish identity, wisdom, ritual, and power are being remixed and reimagined. As centralized authority declines, American Judaism moves and grows in a multitude of directions.

As technology reduces the importance and restrictions of geographic boundaries, new opportunities for connection and new modes of exercising power emerge. New mixtures of ancient Jewish practice and modern needs are beginning to shape the renewal of American Judaism, widening access to Jewish wisdom and ritual, transforming Jewish consumers into Jewish co-creators, and building new networks of Jewish belonging.

The initial purposes that inspired much of the American Jewish infrastructure are now falling victim to their own success. As is an emphasis on nostalgia and authenticity encouraging us to mythologize the past and narrow our awareness of the present. A focus on buildings and centralized power by much of American Judaism reflects the realities of a century ago.

In understanding what keeps these organizations mired in the past, we can unearth a new purpose to unify the American Diaspora and guide it toward a new golden age.

Critique: Deftly organized into four major sections (Purpose Petrified; Transformations; Renewing; The Unfolding Awakening), and informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of two Appendices (A Call to Action; A Brief History of Jewish Awakenings); twenty-five pages of Notes; and a five page Index, "Awakenings: American Jewish Transformations in Identity, Leadership, and Belonging" is especially and unreservedly recommended to personal, synagogue, community, and academic library Contemporary Judaic Studies collections. It should be noted that "Awakenings: American Jewish Transformations in Identity, Leadership, and Belonging" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.09).

Editorial Note #1: Rabbi Joshua Stanton (https://www.clal.org/team/joshua-stanton) is the Spiritual Co-Leader of East End Temple in New York and Senior Fellow of CLAL, the National Center of Learning and Leadership. Together with Rabbi Benjamin Spratt he writes a column for Religion News Service.

Editorial Note #2: Rabbi Benjamin Spratt (https://rodephsholom.org/rabbispratt) is Senior Rabbi of Congregation Rodeph Sholom in New York City.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

The Female Archangels Oracle
Calista, author
Marie-Joe Fourzali, illustrator
https://www.calistaascension.com
Findhorn Press
www.findhornpress.com
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
971644115800, $25.00, Card Deck, 176pp

https://www.amazon.com/Female-Archangels-Oracle-Empowerment-Guidebook/dp/1644115808

Synopsis: The first oracle to focus on the female Archangels, "The Female Archangels Oracle: A 44 Card Empowerment Deck and Guidebook" includes 44 full-color cards to help you partner with the Archeiai, the female twins to the male Archangels. The stunning illustrations intimately transmit the unique frequencies of each Archangel and are embedded with vibrational keys of angelic energy, sacred geometry, crystalline Light-codes, and alchemical fires, bringing the angels to life and creating a direct bridge into their consciousness. The deck includes 17 female Archangel cards, 17 male Archangel cards, and 10 cards with universal, powerful symbols.

In the accompanying guidebook angel author Calista explores who the Archeiai are, why they have come now, how they work in cooperation with their male counterparts, and how they can help us. She introduces the Archangel or symbol of each card, along with an angel message, a blessing, an expanded card meaning to aid interpretation, a reverse card meaning that serves as a divine wake-up call, and a "Rise Like an Angel" experience to integrate the angels' energies into your everyday life.

She also details how to use the cards in connection with her high-vibration Angel Healing system and shares practices to help you embody the virtues of each Archangel and integrate their angelic frequencies, practices such as healing techniques, guided journeys, creative exercises, energetic attunements, and angel rituals. The guidebook includes a download link for a free attunement audio track from Calista.

Offering a hands-on tool to connect with the female Archangels and taking you beyond divination into divine knowing, this oracle will help you accelerate your path of Ascension, manifest your dreams, heal your heart, and fill it with Love.

Critique: Of special and particular appeal to anyone with an interest in Angles, Spirit Guides, Divination, and Parapsychology, the ethereally beautiful artwork of Marie-Joe Fourzali with perfectly complements the cards and commentary of Calista comprising ""The Female Archangels Oracle: A 44-Card Empowerment Deck and Guidebook", an original and highly prized oracle deck that is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Metaphysical Studies collections.

Editorial Note: Currently residing in Perthshire, Scotland, Calista is an author, speaker, and pioneer of spiritual Ascension. As a former cancer research scientist, she blends the seen and unseen realms into her certified modalities, Angel Healing(R) and Unicorn Healing(R), which are taught worldwide. The author of several books, including The Female Archangels, Calista also has a dedicated website at https://www.calistaascension.com

The One World Tarot: A Deck and Book Set
Lena Rodriguez, Seanna Rose, June Rifkin, authors
Alexandra Filipek, illustrator
St. Martin's Essentials
c/o St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250809315, $32.00, Card Deck, 304pp

https://www.amazon.com/One-World-Tarot-Lena-Rodriguez/dp/1250809312

Synopsis: The tarot dates back to the 15th century, with the modern form developed by Arthur Waite and Pamela Colman Smith in the early 20th century. Since then, tarot has evolved and grown in popularity over the years due to its continuous appeal as an informative and inspiring tool.

"The One World Tarot" takes a fresh and contemporary approach to the deck and the meaning of the cards. It is intended for up-and-coming tarot readers and practitioners of any age. Traditional tarot decks are very medieval and Anglo-Saxon in their look and feel. In contrast, the book and the card art of "The One World Tarot" have been created to encompass many centuries and cultures, embrace our global diversity, and apply to all genders.

Critique: Written by seasoned tarot experts, Lena Rodriguez, Seanna Rose, and June Rifkin, "The One World Tarot" features the eloquent and beautiful artwork of Alexandra Filipek as it takes a modern, global approach to established and increasingly popular tarot cards. Enhanced with the addition of a 304 page instruction book, "The One World Tarot" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Metaphysical Studies & Resource collections in general, and Tarot card collections in particular.

Editorial Note #1: Currently residing in Queensland, Australia, Lena Rodriguez holds a PhD in Sociology/Anthropology at Newcastle University and produces a YouTube channel called Tarot Down Under which now has upward of 5.5 million views. She haks a dedicated YouTube website at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2LjMIFNNIJxIdiNLgUPffA

Editorial Note #2: Seanna Rose is the owner/operator of Seanna Rose Metaphysical in Alberta, Canada, where she practices Reiki, tarot, and mediumship for clients. She has been active on YouTube since 2018, doing livestreams and pre-recorded tarot readings. She has a dedicated website at https://seannarose.com

Editorial Note #3: June Rifkin is the coauthor of several books, including The Complete Book of Astrology, The One World Tarot, and Signature for Success: How Handwriting Can Influence Your Career, Your Relationships, and Your Life. She has a dedicated website at https://www.junerifkin.com

Editorial Note #4: Alexandra Filipek is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts and does a broad range of illustration. She has a dedicated website at https://alexandra.filipek.us

Sacred Geometry of the Starcut Diagram
Malcolm Stewart
Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781644114308, $40.00, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Geometry-Starcut-Diagram-Proportion/dp/1644114305

Synopsis: With the publication of "Sacred Geometry of the Starcut Diagram: The Genesis of Number, Proportion, and Cosmology", author Malcolm Stewart presents a lavishly illustrated study on the simplesquare figure of the Starcut diagram (created only with circles), that has extraordinary geometric properties.

This figure allows you to make mathematically exact measurements and build perfectly true level structures without a computer, calculator, slide rule, plumb bob, or laser level. Sharing his extensive research, along with hundreds of detailed diagrams and technical illustrations, the author shows how the Starcut diagram was the key to the building of humanity's first cities and how it underlies many significant patterns and proportions around the world.

Using circles drawn from the vesica piscis, Stewart explains how to create the Starcut diagram and shows how this shape was at the foundation of ancient building and design, illustrating the numerous connections between the diagram and the creation of mandalas and yantras, stained glass windows, architectural ground plans, temples and other sacred buildings, and surveying methods. He also shows how the Starcut diagram reveals ancient geometric knowledge of pi, the Fibonacci sequence, Pythagorean shapes and seals, the golden ratio, the power of 108 and other sacred numbers, and magic squares.

Exploring the Starcut diagram's cosmological and theological implications, Stewart explains how it contains knowledge of the Tree of Life and the Kabbalah. He examines how it relates to the Tetraktys, the key teaching device of Pythagoras, and other cosmograms. Demonstrating the ancient relationships existing between number, geometry, cosmology, and musical harmony, the author shows how the simple shape of the Starcut diagram unifies the many threads of sacred geometry into one beautiful mathematical tapestry.
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Critique: An absolute 'must' for students and practitioners of Geometry, Toplogy, Cosmology, "Sacred Geometry of the Starcut Diagram: The Genesis of Number, Proportion, and Cosmology" is beautifully and profusely illustrated in full color throughout. This coffee-table style (8 x 1.3 x 10 inches, 1.69 pounds) volume is certain to be a treasured and unique addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Sacred Geometry and Metaphysical Studies collections. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Sacred Geometry of the Starcut Diagram: The Genesis of Number, Proportion, and Cosmology" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $26.99).

Editorial Note: Currently residing in Tilford, Surrey, England, Malcolm Stewart is an author, musician, and designer who has created mosaic, stained glass, landscape, and interior designs for a range of secular and sacred environments. He is also a former priest, a BBC television producer, a UN project director, and an administrator for the refugee relief charity Ockenden Venture. He has lectured widely throughout the UK, Europe, the US, and Canada. He is on https://www.amazon.com/Malcolm-Stewart/e/B005BLLYOO

Hermetic Philosophy and Creative Alchemy
Marlene Seven Bremner
Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781644112885, $40.00, HC, 376pp

https://www.amazon.com/Hermetic-Philosophy-Creative-Alchemy-Hermeticum/dp/1644112884

Synopsis: Drawing on ancient Egyptian and Greek cosmogonies and essential Hermetic texts, such as the Corpus Hermeticum, the Emerald Tablet (Tabula Smaragdina), and the Nag Hammadi codices, with the publication of "Hermetic Philosophy and Creative Alchemy: The Emerald Tablet, the Corpus Hermeticum, and the Journey through the Seven Spheres", Marlene Seven Bremner offers a detailed understanding of Hermetic philosophy and the art of alchemy as a foundation for a psycho-spiritual creative practice.

Offering examples from traditional alchemical art and her own intricate esoteric paintings, Bremner examines the foundational principles of Hermeticism and alchemy and shows how these traditions are a direct means for accessing higher consciousness and true self-knowledge, or gnosis, as well as a way to extract the essence of one's own creative gifts.

As an author and artist, Bremner takes the reader on a Hermetic journey through each of the seven traditional planets (Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury, and the Moon) exploring their mythological, philosophical, alchemical, Qabalistic, magical, astrological, and energetic natures and offering meditative discourses that reach past the rational mind to speak directly to the intuitive soul. She also relates the seven planets to the esoteric anatomy of the human body, specifically the seven chakras, and shows how the planets can offer understanding and experience of archetypal energies and patterns in the body, in one's life, and in the creative process.

A profound synthesis of magical and occult teachings as well as an initiation into the alchemical opus, "Hermetic Philosophy and Creative Alchemy" reveals how to integrate and apply Hermetic and alchemical principles to awaken inner knowing, liberate the imagination, and live a mystical, creative, and truly inspired life.

Critique: Informatively illustrated, impressively informative, expertly written, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, Marlene Seven Bremner's "Hermetic Philosophy and Creative Alchemy: The Emerald Tablet, the Corpus Hermeticum, and the Journey through the Seven Spheres" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Metaphysical Studies collections. Of special relevance to readers with an interest in Hermetic Philosophy and Alchemy, it should be noted that "Hermetic Philosophy and Creative Alchemy" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $26.99).

Editorial Note: Marlene Seven Bremner (https://marlenesevenbremner.com) is a self-taught oil painter, writer, and teacher who has spent more than 20 years exploring esoteric and spiritual traditions, including Hermeticism, alchemy, surrealism, symbolism, tarot, psychology, magic, astrology, shamanism, and mythology. She developed her career as an artist in the Pacific Northwest and now spends her time painting and writing in the New Mexico desert.

Spells for Good Times
Kerri Connor, author
Krystle Hope, contributor
Llewellyn Publications
2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125
www.llewellyn.com
9780738770468, $15.99, PB, 232pp

https://www.amazon.com/Spells-Good-Times-Meditations-Confidence/dp/0738770469

Synopsis: Featuring a variety of simple spells, rituals, meditations, and more, "Spells for Good Times: Rituals, Spells & Meditations to Boost Confidence & Positivity" is a practical guide that will help you and your community raise positive energy and create the loving, compassionate world you desire.

"Spells for Good Times" will bring out the best in yourself and others with its more than fifty activities, such as a spell to cope with loss and a ritual to heal a community divide. "Spells for Good Times" also covers how to nourish your body, mind, and spirit with wholesome self-care recipes, like revitalizing shower steamers and lavender rose hot chocolate.

Filled with tools that can be used throughout the day, "Spells for Good Times" is a cheerful compendium of rituals, spells and meditations that will enable readers and practitioners to achieve the joy-filled life they deserve.

Critique: An easily portable (4.9 x 0.7 x 6.9 inches) paperback volume, "Spells for Good Times: Rituals, Spells & Meditations to Boost Confidence & Positivity" will prove to be a welcome and prized addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Metaphysical Studies collections. It should be noted for those with an interest in the Wiccan Religion, Occultism, and Spiritual Healing that "Spells for Good Times: Rituals, Spells & Meditations to Boost Confidence & Positivity" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

Editorial Note #1: Kerri Connor (https://www.kerriconnor.com) is the leader of The Gathering Grove (a family-friendly, earth-based spiritual group) and has been practicing her craft for over thirty-five years. She is the author of several books, including Spells for Tough Times, and her writing has appeared in several Pagan magazines.

Editorial Note #2: Krystle Hope (https://direct.me/krystlehope) is the coauthor of Conjuring with Cannabis and a contributing writer for Spells for Good Times. She is the treasurer of The Gathering Grove and runs her own business called Crescent Sapphire.

Gemstone and Crystal Magic
Gerina Dunwich
Weiser Publishers
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser/Conari
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
www.redwheelweiser.com
9781637480076, $18.95, PB, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Gemstone-Crystal-Magic-Amulets-Divination/dp/1637480075

Synopsis: The energy contained within stones is a mysterious and invisible power as old as the earth itself. It is also an energy that, when properly harnessed, can enable a person to create powerful magic and reconnect with energies that animate the natural world.

"Gemstone and Crystal Magic: A Modern Witch's Guide to Using Stones for Spells, Amulets, Rituals, and Divination" by Gerina Dunwhich is both a practical and a comprehensive guide to the magical world of crystals and gemstones, including both precious and semiprecious stones.

Written by a modern witch with firsthand knowledge of the occult properties of stones, "Gemstone and Crystal Magic" is comprised of numerous spells and rituals, folklore, and magical correspondences. It also explores gemstone curses and cures, and the many ways in which gemstones can be utilized as amulets for magical workings, as oracles for revealing the future, and as tools for healing one's body, mind, and spirit.

With the aid of "Gemstone and Crystal Magic", readers will learn how to properly cleanse and charge stones, and also how to make homemade gemstone elixirs. Additionally, they will discover the secrets of using stones to increase wealth, facilitate clairvoyant abilities, invoke deities, ward off bad luck and evil influences, draw love into their lives, and so much more.

Critique: This edition of "Gemstone and Crystal Magic: A Modern Witch's Guide to Using Stones for Spells, Amulets, Rituals, and Divination" from Weiser Books was previously published in as "Dunwich's Guide to Gemstone Sorcery: Using Stones for Spells, Amulets, Rituals, and Divination" by New Page Books in 2003. A now recognized classic in the field of Wiccan based usage of gemstones and crystals in magic, "Gemstone and Crystal Magic: A Modern Witch's Guide to Using Stones for Spells, Amulets, Rituals, and Divination", while unreservedly recommended for community and academic library Metaphysical Studies collections, it also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Gerina Dunwich (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerina_Dunwich) is a professional astrologer and occult historian, best known for her books on Wicca and various esoteric subjects. She is also involved in paranormal research and is the founder of the Paranormal Animal Research Group, which investigates cases of alleged hauntings by animal spirits.


The Native American Studies Shelf

Indigenous Firsts
Yvonne Wakim Dennis, author
Arlene Hirschfelder, author
Paulette F. Molin, author
Visible Ink Press
43311 Joy Rd., #414, Canton, MI 48187-2075
www.visibleinkpress.com
9781578598076, $74.95, HC, 496pp

https://www.amazon.com/Indigenous-Firsts-Achievements-Multicultural-Collection/dp/1578598079

Synopsis: "Indigenous Firsts: A History of Native American Achievements and Events" is an encyclopedic compendium that includes Native American Medal of Honor recipients, Heisman Trophy recipients, U.S. Olympians, a U.S. vice president, Congressional representatives, NASA astronauts, Pulitzer Prize recipients, U.S. poet laureates, Oscar winners, and more.

Also listed is the first Native American magician, all-Native comedy show, architects, attorneys, bloggers, chefs, cartoonists, psychologists, religious leaders, filmmakers, educators, physicians, code talkers, and inventors.

The luminaries include Jim Thorpe, King Kamehameha, Debra Haaland, and Will Rogers, along with less familiar notables such as Native Hawaiian language professor and radio host Larry Lindsey Kimura and Cree/Mohawk forensic pathologist Dr. Kona Williams. Their stories plus the stories of 2000 other people, events, places and more are eloquently presented with the publication of :Indigenous Firsts: A History of Native American Achievements and Events".

Critique: Informatively enhanced with the inclusion of an eight page bibliography of Further Readings; a two page listing of Selected Websites; a six page list of Native-Owned Museums; and a thirty-nine page Index, "Indigenous Firsts: A History of Native American Achievements and Events" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to highschool, community, college and university library Native American Studies collections. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subjects of Native American Biographies, Demographics, and History, that "Indigenous Firsts: A History of Native American Achievements and Events" is also available in a paperback edition (9781578597123, $32.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note: Since 1989 Visible Ink Press has published popular references built by experts, packed with facts, handsomely illustrated, with great indexes and appendices. These big bold beautiful books satisfy the hunger for information and thirst for answers that stretch the mind and challenge readers' preconceptions. They inform and entertain in the areas of science, history, minority studies, and the paranormal. The Visible Ink Press editorial and design community brings decades of experience to helping readers reach a higher level of enlightenment.

Warrior Spirit
Herman J. Viola
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
www.oupress.com
9780806180311, $19.95, PB, 164pp

https://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Spirit-American-Heroism-Patriotism/dp/0806180315

Synopsis: For decades, American schoolchildren have learned only a smattering of facts about Native American peoples, especially when it comes to service in the U.S. military. They might know that Navajos served as Code Talkers during World War II, but more often they learn that Native Americans were enemies of the United States, not allies or patriots. With the publication of "Warrior Spirit: The Story of Native American Heroism and Patriotism", author Herman J. Viola sets the record straight by highlighting the military service (and major sacrifices) of Native American soldiers and veterans in the U.S. armed services.

American Indians have fought in uniform in each and all of our nation's wars. Since 1775, despite a legacy of broken treaties, cultural suppression, and racial discrimination, indigenous Americans have continued to serve in numbers that far exceed their percentage of the general U.S. population. "Warrior Spirit" introduces readers to unsung Native American heroes ranging from the first Native guides and soldiers during the Revolutionary War to those servicemen and servicewomen who ventured to Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

This outstanding record of service begs a question: Why do American Indians willingly serve a country that has treated them so poorly? Native veterans invariably answer that they are a warrior people who have a sacred obligation to defend their homeland and their families.

Critique: Of special and informative value to readers of all ages who are interested in the subject, "Warrior Spirit: The Story of Native American Heroism and Patriotism" by Herman J. Viola (Director of Quincentenary Programs in the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution) is a unique resource that is especially and unreservedly recommended for highschool, community, and academic library Native American Studies and American Military History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted by students, academia, and non-specialist general readers that "Warrior Spirit: The Story of Native American Heroism and Patriotism" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.23).

Amelia Stone Quinton and the Women's National Indian Association
Valerie Sherer Mathes
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
www.oupress.com
9780806180274, $55.00, HC, 306pp

https://www.amazon.com/Amelia-Quinton-Womens-National-Association/dp/0806180277

Synopsis: With the publication of "Amelia Stone Quinton and the Women's National Indian Association: A Legacy of Indian Reform", Professor Valerie Mathes provides the first full account of Amelia Stone Quinton (1833-1926) and the organization she co-founded, the Women's National Indian Association (WNIA), offering nuanced insights into the intersection of gender, race, religion, and politics in our shared history. Professor Mathes also shows how Quinton was a true force for reform and progress who was nonetheless constrained by the assimilationist convictions of her time.

The WNIA, which Quinton cofounded with Mary Lucinda Bonney in 1879, was organized expressly to press for a "more just, protective, and fostering Indian policy," but also to promote the assimilation of the Indian through Christianization and "civilization." Charismatic and indefatigable, Quinton garnered support for the WNIA's work by creating strong working relationships with leaders of the main reform groups, successive commissioners of Indian affairs, secretaries of the interior, and prominent congressmen.

The WNIA's powerful network of friends formed a hybrid organization: religious in its missionary society origins but also political, using its powers to petition and actively address public opinion. Professor Mathes follows the organization as it evolved from its initial focus on evangelizing Indian women (and promoting Victorian society's ideals of "true womanhood") through its return to its missionary roots, establishing over sixty missionary stations, supporting physicians and teachers, and building houses, chapels, schools, and hospitals.

With reference to Quinton's voluminous writings (including her letters, speeches, and newspaper articles) as well as to WNIA literature, Professor Mathes draws a complex picture of an organization that at times ignored traditional Indian practices and denied individual agency, even as it provided dispossessed and impoverished people with health care and adequate housing. And at the center of this picture we find Quinton, a woman and reformer of her time.

Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a Foreword by Lori Jacobson, a listing of Abbreviations, sixty-four pages of Notes, a fourteen page Bibliography, and a six page Index, "Amelia Stone Quinton and the Women's National Indian Association: A Legacy of Indian Reform" is a seminal work of meticulous scholarship that is unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library Native American Studies and Women Social Activist Biography collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, historians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Amelia Stone Quinton and the Women's National Indian Association: A Legacy of Indian Reform" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.370.

Editorial Note: Valerie Sherer Mathes, Professor Emerita of City College of San Francisco. Among the several books she has authored or edited is "Helen Hunt Jackson and Her Indian Reform Legacy". She has an Author's Page on the Amazon website at: https://www.amazon.com/Valerie-Sherer-Mathes/e/B001HOIE7Y


The Literary Studies Shelf

Mary Shelley: A Very Short Introduction
Charlotte Gordon
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4314
www.oup.com/us
9780198869191, $11.95, PB, 160pp

https://www.amazon.com/Mary-Shelley-Short-Introduction-Introductions-dp-0198869193/dp/0198869193

Synopsis: In 1816, when eighteen-year old Mary Godwin began writing Frankenstein, the idea that a woman could dream up such a tale was as far-fetched as raising a being from the dead. But Mary wasn't just any woman. The daughter of two notorious radicals, Mary had become an outcast from English society when she was only sixteen. A lifelong advocate for the rights of women, she refused to be governed by social conventions, running away with a married man, having children out of wedlock, and authoring books, stories, and essays that broke literary conventions.

With the publication of "Mary Shelley: A Very Short Introduction", Charlotte Gordon explores the context, background, and important themes contained in Shelley's most famous novel, Frankenstein, as well as demonstrating the importance of her work after Frankenstein.

Over the course of her long career, Shelley developed a distinctive voice, and a political and philosophical stance. Exploring key themes throughout Shelley's work, Gordon shows how she devoted herself to the propositions her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, outlined in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: that women are equal to men; that all people deserve the same rights; that human reason and the capacity for love can reform the world; and that every person is entitled to justice and freedom.

Critique: Handily pocket sized (4.25 x 0.5 x 6.5 inches), "Mary Shelley: A Very Short Introduction" by Professor Charlotte Gordon is a succinct and informative introduction to the life and extraordinary accomplishments of Mary Shelley (30 August 1797 - 1 February 1851). While very highly recommended for personal, professional, community and academic library British Literary History & Biography collections, it should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Mary Shelley: A Very Short Introduction" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).

Editorial Note #1: Charlotte Gordon (https://www.charlottegordonbooks.com) is the Distinguished Professor of English at Endicott College. An award-winning author, her work has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post, among other publications. Her latest book, Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley (2015) won the National Book Critics Circle award. She is also the author of Mistress Bradstreet: The Untold Story of America's First Poet (2005), and The Woman Who Named God: Abraham's Dilemma and the Birth of Three Faiths (2009). Most recently, she has written the Introduction to Penguin's re-issue of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

Editorial Note #2: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Their expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Agatha Christie: A Companion to the Mystery Fiction
J. C. Bernthal, author
Elizabeth Foxwell, editor
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476676203, $49.95, PB, 456pp

https://www.amazon.com/Agatha-Christie-Companion-McFarland-Companions/dp/1476676208

Synopsis: The undisputed and legendary "Queen of Crime," Dame Agatha Christie (15 September 1890 - 12 January 1976) is the bestselling mystery novelist of all time. As the creator of such immortal detectives Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple, she continues to enthrall new generations of readers around the world and is drawing increasing attention from scholars, historians, and critics.

But Christie wrote far beyond Poirot and Marple. Hers was a varied life including war work, archaeology, and two very different marriages provided the backdrop to a diverse body of work. "Agatha Christie: A Companion to the Mystery Fiction" is an encyclopedic companion and reference that summarizes and explores Christie's entire literary output, including the detective fiction, plays, radio dramas, adaptations, and her little-studied non-crime writing. It details all published works and key themes and characters, as well as the people and places that inspired them, and identifies a trove of uncollected interviews, articles, and unpublished material, including details that have never appeared in print.

Critique: Whether it is the casual reader looking for background information on their favorite mystery, or the dedicated scholar tracking down elusive new angles in the life and literature of Agatha Christie, this comprehensive compendium about her work will provide the most comprehensive and up-to-date information yet available. While absolutely and unreservedly recommended as a core addition to community, college, and university library Literary Studies, it should be noted for students, academia, and the legions of Agatha Christie fans that "Agatha Christie: A Companion to the Mystery Fiction" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.49).

Editorial Note #1: J. C. Bernthal (https://cambridge.academia.edu/JCBernthal) is a visiting fellow at the University of Suffolk, UK. He has authored or edited several volumes on Agatha Christie and in 2020, won the Popular Culture Association's George N. Dove Award for advancing crime fiction scholarship.

Editorial Note #2: Elizabeth Foxwell (https://elizabethfoxwell.com) serves as managing editor of "Clues: A Journal of Detection", which is a premier academic journal on mystery, detective, and crime fiction.


The Agriculture Shelf

Resilient Agriculture, second edition
Laura Lengnick
New Society Publishers
www.newsociety.com
9780865719507, $34.99, PB, 368pp

https://www.amazon.com/Resilient-Agriculture-Second-Cultivating-Changing/dp/0865719500

Synopsis: Climate change presents an unprecedented challenge to food and farming in the U.S. and beyond. Damaging weather variability and extremes capture the headlines, but more subtle changes caused by hotter summer nights, warmer winters, and a longer growing season have far-reaching effects on the land, people, and communities that feed us.

Now in a significantly expanded and fully updated second edition, "Resilient Agriculture: Cultivating Food Systems for a Changing Climate" takes the reader beyond the headlines and the hype to shine a light on agricultural climate solutions with the power to cultivate new American foodways that are just, sustainable, regenerative, and resilient.

The updated content includes: Current and expected changes in regional weather patterns that disrupt food and farming; New adaptation stories from sustainable, climate-smart, organic, and regenerative farmers and updates on the producers featured in the first edition; Real-world applications of resilience thinking that connect the dots between food justice, sustainable development, regenerative economy, and planetary health; A companion website with stories, videos, issue briefs, reading guides, and more.

Whether working in food and farming or are simply an interested eater, this new second edition of "Resilient Agriculture" will take you on a journey into real-world resilience solutions with the power to regenerate the well-being of land, people, and community no matter the challenges ahead.

Critique: Informatively enhanced with the inclusion of twenty-six pages of Notes and a ten page Index, this second edition of "Resilient Agriculture: Cultivating Food Systems for a Changing Climate" is a timely and invaluable addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Sustainable Agriculture, Agronomy, and Climate Change collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that "Resilient Agriculture" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99) for agricultural students, academia, farmers, ranchers, agricultural professionals, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.

Editorial Note: Laura Lengnick (https://www.wildabundance.net/bios/laura-lengnick/) is an award-winning soil scientist with 25 years of experience working as a researcher, policy maker, educator, and farmer to put sustainability values into action in agriculture and food systems. She is also the founder and principal at Cultivating Resilience, LLC, in Asheville, NC.

The Berry Grower
Blake Cothron
New Society Publishers
www.newsociety.com
9780865719651, $39.99, PB, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Berry-Grower-Organic-Production-Century/dp/0865719659

Synopsis: "The Berry Grower: Small Scale Organic Fruit Production in the 21st Century" by Blake Cothron is an innovative DIY guide for growing and marketing organic small fruits and berries that offers intelligent strategies and solutions for successful small-scale, non-chemical fruit production in the 21st century.

"The Berry Grower" covers: Berry rowing history, innovations, and 21st-century challenges in modern fruit farming; Creating your own market farming reality; Farm planning for efficiency and profitability; Factoring in climate change, drought, and extreme weather; Soil fertility, efficient weed management, and organic pest control; Modern tools of the trade for efficiency in harvesting, fruit handling, and packing; Fruit profiles including raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, currants, gooseberries, figs, tomatoes, and more, including new cultivars; Innovative marketing methods and thinking beyond fresh fruit with multi-product strategies to maximize profit; Learning from other experts through interviews with successful growers and marketers from diverse areas around the USA.

Critique: Informatively illustrated and exceptionally well organized, "The Berry Grower: Small Scale Organic Fruit Production in the 21st Century" covers everything from the market garden and small farm to the homestead and backyard. Simply stated, "The Berry Grower" is an essential guide for both new and aspiring organic small fruit growers and seasoned farmers looking to produce high-quality organic fruits and products for local markets and self-sufficiency. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99), "The Berry Grower" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Sustainable Agricultural & Horticultural Studies collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Blake Cothron (https://newsociety.com/pages/author-blake-cothron) owns Peaceful Heritage Nursery, a 4-acre USDA Certified Organic research farm, orchard, and edible plant nursery. He shares his two decades of experience in organic agriculture and horticulture through magazine articles, public speaking engagements, and blogging. Blake is the author of Pawpaws: The Complete Growing and Marketing Guide.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

French Film History, 1895-1946
Richard Neupert
University of Wisconsin Press
728 State Street, Suite 443, Madison, WI 53706-1418
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299337704, $42.95, HC, 392pp

https://www.amazon.com/French-History-1895-1946-Wisconsin-Studies/dp/0299337707

Synopsis: With the publication of "French Film History, 1895 - 1946", Professor Richard Neupert addresses the creative and often unexpected trajectory of French cinema, which continues to be one of the most provocative and engaging cinemas in the world.

Tracing French film and its developments from the earliest days, when France dominated world cinema, up through the Occupation and Liberation, Professor Neupert outlines major players and films that made it so influential. Paris held a privileged position as one of the world's hubs of scientific, social, and cultural experimentation; it is no wonder that the cinema as we know it was born there in the nineteenth century.

This detailed study presents French cinema's most significant creative filmmakers and movies but also details the intricate relations between technology, economics, and government that helped shape the unique conditions for cinematic experimentation in the country.

Professor Neupert also explains the contexts behind the rise of cinema in France, including groundbreaking work by the Lumiere family, Georges Melies, and Alice Guy; the powerhouse studios of Pathe and Gaumont; directors such as Rene Clair, Germaine Dulac, Marcel Pagnol, and Jean Renoir; and an array of stars, including Max Linder, Jean Gabin, Josephine Baker, and Michele Morgan.

The first fifty years of French film practice established cinema's cultural and artistic potential, setting the stage for the global post - World War II explosion in commercial movies and art cinema alike. French film and its rich history remain at the heart of cinematic storytelling and our movie-going pleasure.

Critique: A seminal work of dedicated research and meticulous scholarship, "French Film History, 1895 - 1946" is an extraordinary, impressive, detailed and informative history of early French filmmaking. Informative enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a List of Illustrations and Acknowledgements, an Epilogue (Toward a New Era in French Cinema), a ten page Bibliography, and a twenty-one page Index, "French Film History, 1895 - 1946" is an essential and indispensable addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Cinematic History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Richard Neupert is the Charles H. Wheatley Professor of the Arts in the Department of Theatre and Film Studies at the University of Georgia. He is also the author of A History of the French New Wave Cinema, French Animation History, and, most recently, John Lasseter. He has a website at https://www.drama.uga.edu/directory/people/richard-neupert

Making Hollywood Happen
Charles Drazin
University of Wisconsin Press
728 State Street, Suite 443, Madison, WI 53706-1418
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299337001, $34.95, HC, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/Making-Hollywood-Happen-Finances-Wisconsin/dp/0299337006

Synopsis: Filmmaking is a business -- someone has to pay the bills. For much of the cinema industry's history, that role was shouldered by the studios. The rise of independent filmmakers then led to the rise of independent financiers. But what happens if bad weather closes down a production or a director's vision pays no heed to the limitations of time and money?

That's when Film Finances would come into play. The company was founded in London in 1950 to insure against the risk that a film would exceed its original budget or not be completed on time. Its pioneering development of the "completion guarantee" (the financial instrument that provides the essential security for investors to support independent filmmaking) which ultimately led to the creation of many thousands of films, including some of the most celebrated ever made: Moulin Rouge (1953), Dr. No (1962), The Outsiders (1982), Pulp Fiction (1994), Slumdog Millionaire (2008), La La Land (2016), and more.

Film Finances's role in filmmaking was little known outside the industry until 2012, when it opened its historical archive to scholars. Drawing on these previously private documents as well as interviews with its executives, "Making Hollywood Happen: Seventy Years of Film Finances" by Charles Drazin tells the company's story through seven decades of postwar cinema history and chronicles the growth of the international independent film industry. Focusing on a business that has operated at the meeting point between money and art for more than seventy years, this lavishly illustrated volume goes to the heart of how the movie business works.

Critique: A very special and very unique contribution to the growing library of Cinematic History, "Making Hollywood Happen: Seventy Years of Film Finances" is the newest addition to the Wisconsin Film Studies series. A fascinating historical study that will have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in how films are financed, "Making Hollywood Happen: Seventy Years of Film Finances" provides an extraordinary wealth of informed and informative insights -- making it an essential and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Cinematic Studies collections and supplemental curriculum lists.

Editorial Note: Charles Drazin (https://www.charlesdrazin.com) is an archival consultant for Film Finances Ltd. He previously taught at Queen Mary, University of London, and has published several books on film history, including In Search of The Third Man, Korda: Britain's Only Movie Mogul, and The Faber Book of French Cinema.

Queer Screams
Abigail Waldron
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476687421, $39.95, PB, 237pp

https://www.amazon.com/Queer-Screams-History-Survival-American/dp/1476687420

Synopsis: The horror genre mirrors the American queer experience, both positively and negatively, overtly and subtextually, from the lumbering, flower-picking monster of Frankenstein (1931) to the fearless intersectional protagonist of the Fear Street Trilogy (2021).

With the publication of "Queer Screams: A History of LGBTQ+ Survival Through the Lens of American Horror Cinema", historian Abigail Waldron provides an historical survey of the queer experiences of the horror genre's characters, performers, authors and filmmakers.

Offering a fresh look at the horror genre's queer roots, "Queer Screams" documents how diverse stories have provided an outlet for queer people (including transgender and non-binary people) to find catharsis and reclamation. Freaks, dolls, serial killers, telekinetic teenagers and Final Girls all have something to contribute to the historical examination of the American LGBTQ+ experience.

Ranging from psychiatry to homophobic fear of HIV/AIDS spread and, most recently, the alienation and self-determination of queer America in the Trump era, "Queer Screams" is a fearless inquiry into how terror may repair a shattered queer heart.

Critique: Of special and particular interest to the LGBTQ+ community, film historians, and movie buffs, "Queer Screams: A History of LGBTQ+ Survival Through the Lens of American Horror Cinema" is a unique and informative cinematic history that is exceptionally informative and highly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library Cinematic History and LGBTQ+ Studies collections and curriculum syllabus. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Queer Screams: A History of LGBTQ+ Survival Through the Lens of American Horror Cinema" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).

Editorial Note: Abigail Waldron (https://horrorpress.com/author/abigailwaldron) is an American historian who specializes in LGBTQ+ history and media representation. She earned her MA in American Studies and a Certificate in Museums & Communities from Trinity College. She is a contributing writer for Horror Press, and her other work can be found on Rue Morgue, Gayly Dreadful, and Hear Us Scream.

The Feminist Film Guide: 100 Great Films to See
Mallory Andrews, author
Bea Crespo, illustrator
Smith Street Books
c/o Rizzoli
300 Park Avenue South, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10010
www.rizzoliusa.com
9781922417664, $19.95, HC, 208pp

https://www.amazon.com/Feminist-Film-Guide-Great-Bechdel/dp/1922417661

Synopsis: The people listed in "100 Greatest Movies Ever Made," or "100 Films to See Before You Die" are almost all men. With so much incredible cinema to choose from, there's only so many movies you can watch about bunch of white guys struggling with their daddy issues, right?

With the publication of "The Feminist Film Guide: 100 Great Films to See (That Also Pass the Bechdel Test)" by Mallory Andrews it is time to push past the male gatekeepers of what makes a movie "great" or "culturally significant" and get a broader view of what's out there.

This comprehensive volume is a careful and knowledgeable curated selection of great films spanning whole eras and genres ranging from the overlooked female trail-blazers of the silent era and the iconic triple-threat performers of classic Hollywood, to the gun-toting rebels of the '80s and '90s and the funny women absolutely dominating comedy in the new millennium.

"The Feminist Film Guide" offers a fresh take on what defines great cinema and lends a long needed acknowledgement of the female creators and characters who have defined the art form of cinema.

Critique: With the film title, release date, director, writer, listing of actors, genre, and country of origin listed on the left page with a informative and descriptive commentary (include 'Behind the Scene' and 'Extra Credits') on the right hand page, "The Feminist Film Guide: 100 Great Films to See (That Also Pass the Bechdel Test)" is a delight for all dedicated film buffs to simply browse through one elegant page at a time. Perfect for planning feminist oriented movie nights with family and friends, "The Feminist Film Guide: 100 Great Films to See (That Also Pass the Bechdel Test)" is a unique, special, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Cinematic Studies & History collections and supplemental curriculum lists.

Editorial Note #1: Mallory Andrews (https://malloryandrews.com) is a cultural critic, writer, educator, and a founding member of the cleo editorial board based in Toronto, Canada. She works to uplift diverse voices, with a focus on BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities, and to foster a new generation of female and nonbinary writers and editors in film and media.

Editorial Note #2: As an artist, Bea Crespo has a dedicated website at https://beacrespo.es

Starstruck
Michael Kutza
BearManor Media
PO Box 71426, Albany, GA 31708
www.bearmanormedia.com
9781629339573, $39.00, HC, 232pp

https://www.amazon.com/Starstruck-Magically-Transformed-Hollywood-hardback/dp/1629339571

Synopsis: Long before there were the film festivals of SUNDANCE, TRIBECA, and TORONTO, there was CHICAGO and a young kid from Chicago's West Side named Michael Kutza. He decided that his city needed to see what it was missing around the world in international cinema and the glamor of Hollywood. So, the founded the Chicago International Film Festival in 1964, with the help of silent screen star Colleen Moore and legendary film director King Vidor.

What followed was a roller-coaster ride that lasted for better than half a century, with Kutza presiding over a gathering that throughout the decades hosted a veritable Who's Who of the film world - from Harold Lloyd to Clint Eastwood, Bette Davis to Viola Davis, Steven Spielberg to Spike Lee, Guillermo del Toro to Jodie Foster, Lauren Bacall to Al Pacino. At the same time, the festival introduced a plethora of new talent that would go on to revolutionize the movie business, from Martin Scorsese on.

"Starstruck: How I Magically Transformed Chicago into Hollywood for More Than Fifty Years" is Kutza's rollicking, provocative, racy, colorful, irreverent show business memoir culled from his decades rubbing elbows with the giants of film at both the Chicago Festival and numerous other festivals around the globe. It includes many of the lowlights as well as the highlights of a life lived just off-screen.

Critique: Absolutely fascinating, impressively informative, exceptionally well organized and presented, "Starstruck - How I Magically Transformed Chicago into Hollywood for More Than Fifty Years" by Michael Kutza will have a particular attraction to readers with an interest in cinematic history and the film industry in terms of actors, directors, writers and producers. Especially and unreservedly recommended as an essential addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library collections, it should be noted for film students and movie fans that "Starstruck - How I Magically Transformed Chicago into Hollywood for More Than Fifty Years" is also available in a paperback edition (9781629339566, $29.00).

Editorial Note: Michael Kutza is a graphic designer, filmmaker, film critic and podcast co-host who founded the Chicago International Film Festival in the mid-1960s. He ran the festival and served as its artistic director until stepping down in 2018. Kutza remains CEO Emeritus of Cinema/Chicago and the Chicago International Film Festival. He has a page on Wikipedia at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Kutza


The Political Science Shelf

After Populism
William C. Pratt
South Dakota Historical Society Press
900 Governors Drive, Pierre, SC 57501-2217
https://www.sdhspress.com
9781941813362, $34.95, HC, 338pp

https://www.amazon.com/After-Populism-William-C-Pratt/dp/1941813364

Synopsis: Populism was a farmer-led movement that called for sweeping economic reforms and became a major American political force in the 1890's. Though short lived, Populism's heyday has received ample attention from historians of the Northern Great Plains. But how did agrarian radicals and left-of-center farmers' groups in the region respond to the massive political changes of the twentieth century?

"After Populism: The Agrarian Left on the Northern Plains 1900-1960" is collection of essays by historian and academician William C. Pratt that sheds light on this period by tracking the evolution of rural activism and its impact across space and time. This broad, analytical history of agrarian movements on the northern plains pays close attention to local particularities and variations from national and even international trends.

"After Populism" explores farmers' relationships to Socialist groups; the persistence of radicalism in isolated plains communities; agrarian radicals' involvement in local affairs; women's roles in radical farm groups; the importance of the Farmers Union in regional and national politics; repeated, unsuccessful attempts at third-party organizing; and the gradual decline of progressive farm protest in the late twentieth century.

Professor Pratt's work builds on research in collections from throughout the Great Plains, as well as documents from the Russian State Archive of Social and Political History in Moscow and Federal Bureau of Investigation records. In addition, he pulls from decades of personal interviews and site visits, allowing him to add colorful anecdotes that help bring his subjects to life on the page.

Critique: Informative enhanced with the inclusion of a twenty page Epilogue (Using History to Make History?: Progressive Farm Organizing during the Farm Revolt of the 1980s), ninety-seix pages of Notes, and a twenty-one page Index, "After Populism" is a essential reading for students, academia, and historians of the Northern Great Plains, as well as non- specialist general readers with an interested in the history of American farm politics. A seminal work of meticulous and seminal scholarship, "After Populism: The Agrarian Left on the Northern Plains 1900-1960" must be considered an essential and core addition to community, college, and university library 20th Century American Political History collections in general, and supplemental curriculum 20th Century Agrarian Political History studies lists in particular.

Editorial Note: William C. Pratt is Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He was the Distinguished Fulbright Lecturer in American History at Moscow State University (2000) and a Senior Fulbright Lecturer in American Studies at the University of Warsaw (2007).

The Hidden History of Neoliberalism
Thom Hartmann
https://www.thomhartmann.com
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
1333 Broadway, Suite 1000, Oakland CA, 94612
www.bkconnection.com
9781523002320, $17.00, PB, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-History-Neoliberalism-Reaganism-Greatness/dp/1523002328

Synopsis: With four decades of neoliberal rule coming to an end, America is at a crossroads. In this powerful and accessible book, Thom Hartmann demystifies neoliberalism and explains how we can use this pivotal point in time to create a more positive future.

With the publication of "The Hidden History of Neoliberalism: How Reaganism Gutted America and How to Restore Its Greatness", author Thom Hartmann traces the history of neoliberalism (a set of capitalistic philosophies favoring free trade, low taxes on the rich, financial austerity, and deregulation of big business) up to the present day.

Hartmann explains how neoliberalism was sold as a cure for wars and the Great Depression. He outlines the destructive impact that it has had on America, looking at how it has increased poverty, damaged the middle class, and corrupted our nation's politics.

America is standing on the edge of a new progressive era. We can continue down the road to a neoliberal oligarchy, as supported by many of the nation's billionaires and giant corporations. Or we can choose to return to Keynesian economics and Alexander Hamilton's "American Plan" by raising taxes on the rich, reversing free trade, and building a society that works for all.

Critique: Critically important, thoughtful and thought-provoking, and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, college, and university library Contemporary Political Science & Economic Theory collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, political activists, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Hidden History of Neoliberalism: How Reaganism Gutted America and How to Restore Its Greatness" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Thom Hartmann (https://www.thomhartmann.com) is a four time winner of the Project Censored Award. He has authored more than thirty books, and is America's #1 progressive talk radio show host for more than a decade. His show is carried on SiriusXM and radio stations nationwide and simulcast as television on Free Speech TV.

War and Peace
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, author
Alex Prichard, editor
Paul Sharkey, translator
AK Press
370 Ryan Ave #100, Chico, CA 95973
www.akpress.org
9781849354684, $30.00, PB, 625pp

https://www.amazon.com/War-Peace-Principle-Constitution-Peoples/dp/1849354685

Synopsis: "War and Peace: On the Principle and Constitution of the Rights of Peoples" by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon was originally published in 1861, and still remains one of the only extended accounts of anarchist international theory -- and is one of the earliest in the history of socialist thought.

It is a profound contribution to the traditions of 'jus gentium' and just war theory, that puts force and power at the centre of analysis. Alex Prichard's introduction describes both its specificity and the multiple lines of influence "War and Peace" had on thinkers as diverse as Tolstoy, Sorel, French sociology more broadly, and post-1945 Anglo-American International Relations theory.

Critique: This new paperback edition of "War and Peace: On the Principle and Constitution of the Rights of Peoples" from AK Press is ably translated into English for an American readership by Paul Sharkey and is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Political Science collections. Of special note to readers with an interest in Anarchism, Class Theory, and Social Theory that "War and Peace: On the Principle and Constitution of the Rights of Peoples" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.49).

Editorial Note #1: A French politician, philosopher, economist and the founder of mutualist philosophy, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (15 January 1809, Besan on - 19 January 1865, Paris) was one of Europe's most well-known socialists during his lifetime. His complete works span over sixty volumes. From his opening salvo on the social origins of the Sabbath, to the claim that "all property is theft!", to his final writings on international relations, federalism, and the political capacity of the working class, his works shaped European socialism for a generation, and continue to act as the intellectual spine of modern anarchism.

Editorial Note #2: Alex Prichard (https://politics.exeter.ac.uk/staff/prichard/) is Associate Professor of International Relations at the University of Exeter. He has written widely on Proudhon's thought and on the political theory of anarchy. His most recent project is Anarchic Agreements: How to Build Groups and Coalitions with PM Press. He resides in England.

Editorial Note #3: Paul Sharkey is one of the most well-known and highly respected translators of anarchist writings of the past thirty years. He has translated works by Kropotkin, Malatesta, Proudhon, and many more. He lives in Ireland.


The Architecture Shelf

Pretty Good House
Dan Kolbert, et al.
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
www.taunton.com
9781641551656, $34.99, HC, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Pretty-Good-House-Michael-Maines/dp/1641551658

Synopsis: With the publication of "Pretty Good House: A Guide To Creating Better Homes", such a dwelling is described by the team of Dan Kolbert, Emily Mottram, Michael Maines, and Christopher Briley as: A house that's as small as possible; Simple and durable, but also well designed; Insulated and air-sealed; And above all is affordable, healthy, responsible, and resilient.

"Pretty Good House" provides a framework and set of guidelines for building or renovating a high-performance home that focus on its inhabitants and the environment -- but keeps in mind that few people have pockets deep enough to achieve a "perfect" solution. The essential idea is for homeowners to work within their financial and practical constraints both to meet their own needs and do as much for the planet as possible.

Critique: Profusely and informatively illustrated in full color throughout, "Pretty Good House: A Guide To Creating Better Homes" is a coffee-table style volume (8.5 x 0.75 x 11 inches, 1.95 pounds) that is exceptionally well written, expertly organized, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in presentation. Enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of an informative eight page Introduction, a three page Glossary, and a three page Index, "Pretty Good House: A Guide To Creating Better Homes" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Residential Architecture collections and supplemental Green Design & Sustainability curriculum studies lists.


The Business Shelf

Sell Yourself
Cindy McGovern
McGraw Hill
c/o McGraw Hill Professional
1221 Avenue of the Americas, 45th Floor, New York, NY 10020
www.mhprofessional.com
9781264846245, $26.00, HC, 272pp

https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Yourself-Create-Powerful-Personal/dp/126484624X

Synopsis: No matter what your role or title is at work, selling is an important part of what you do -- whether you're selling a product, an idea, or a new way of doing things. But, before you can sell any of those things you have to sell yourself. Creating your own personal brand (and promoting it in all you do) is essential to achieving your professional goals and getting ahead in life.

With the publication of "Sell Yourself: How to Create, Live, and Sell a Powerful Personal Brand", renowned sales and leadership expert Dr. Cindy McGovern guides you through the process of intentionally creating, living, and selling your own personal brand.

Even those who don't view themselves as being "in sales" will quickly agree that everyone has a personal brand -- whether they know it or not. Throughout this instructive and informative volume, Dr. Cindy reveals the secrets to selling yourself (your vision and ideas) in a way that's thoughtful, active and deliberate. You will learn about how to apply the most effective selling strategies to your personal brand, and how these strategies can help you create and live a personal brand that will be easy to sell.

Comprised of time-tested strategies and real-world anecdotes to help you visualize how to put these powerful ideas into practice, "Sell Yourself" goes far beyond showing you why it's so important to create your personal brand. It helps you embrace the notion that that everyone sells, and anyone can sell better; especially when the idea you're selling is you. And once you believe in you, the rest of the world will, too.

Critique: Basically a comprehensive 'how to' manual for succeeding both on and off the job, "Sell Yourself: How to Create, Live, and Sell a Powerful Personal Brand" is exceptionally well written, deftly organized, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in presentation. The next best thing to sitting front row center in a Cindy McGovern workshop, "Sell Yourself" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Business Sales & Marketing collections. It should be noted that "Sell Yourself" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99).

Editorial Note: Dr. Cindy McGovern (https://drcindy.com) is the founder of Orange Leaf Consulting, which helps organizations, entrepreneurs, and individuals create dynamic and robust sales processes. Before launching her business, McGovern was a college professor of communication as well as a successful sales professional. She has worked with hundreds of organizations of all sizes and specialties across the globe and is now one of the most sought-after business and sales authorities.

Exit Path: How to Win the Startup End Game
Touraj Parang
McGraw Hill
c/o McGraw Hill Professional
1221 Avenue of the Americas, 45th Floor, New York, NY 10020
www.mhprofessional.com
9781264703326, $28.00, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Exit-Path-How-Startup-Game/dp/1264703325

Synopsis: In 2008, Touraj Parang's award-winning startup, Jaxtr, had 10 million users, raised nearly $20 million from top-tier Silicon Valley investors, and seemed poised to sail straight through the Great Recession. But, by January of 2009, Jaxtr's only hope for survival was to find a buyer -- sadly, it was too late for that.

With the publication of "Exit Path: How to Win the Startup End Game", Touraj draws upon and shares the lessons learned from that chaotic experience and the extraordinary successes that followed once he (and the entrepreneurs he advises) made creating and executing an exit strategy a top priority. For too long entrepreneurs have been failing to establish the requisite relationships and properly prepare for the most important milestone in their life cycle: a sale to an acquirer. But in today's hyper competitive and interconnected business world, that is no longer an option.

In this first-of-its-kind, comprehensive guide, you will discover the surprising reasons few startups succeed while many fail -- and you'll learn that implementing an exit strategy early will empower you to take charge of your startup's ultimate fate, maximizing its potential for success while mitigating the risks of failure.

Arranged in four sequential parts, "Exit Path" walks you through actionable steps to devise and execute an effective exit strategy, starting with a fresh new perspective on the critical importance of creating a viable sale option for your startup. You'll learn why creating your exit strategy is necessary well before you're contemplating an exit, regardless of the stage of your startup. You'll also discover how to create your own exit plan, how to make your plan a reality through personal and business relationships, and how to approach and negotiate with acquirers for an outcome best aligned with your values and ambitions should the need arise.

Critique: What must be considered mandatory reading by all entrepreneurs with successful start-ups, "Exit Path: How to Win the Startup End Game" will be of particular and special value to readers who are investors and company advisors as it provides expert and experienced 'real world practical' advice and insights on managing a startup's destiny and unlocking its strategic potential and options over time. Deftly organized into four major sections (A New Perspective on Exit Planning; Creating Your Exit Strategy; Playing the Long Game; Mastering the Short Game), ten pages of Notes, and a nine page Index, "Exit Path: How to Win the Startup End Game" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, corporate, community, college, and university library Entrepreneurship and Business Management collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Exit Path: How to Win the Startup End Game" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).

Editorial Note: Touraj Parang (https://builtin.com/authors/touraj-parang) is a veteran Silicon Valley insider. He is a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, adviser, and M&A expert who has sat in almost every seat around the table in Silicon Valley since late 1990's, including as a corporate attorney at legal powerhouses Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and O'Melveny & Myers. Touraj has been a founder, executive, and trusted adviser to several fast growing technology startups with exits to LinkedIn, Instacart, Vistaprint, Postmates, and Amplify among others. He has also spent nearly a decade on the acquirer side of M&A deals as a corporate development executive at Webs and GoDaddy.

The Unicorn Within
Linda K. Yates
Harvard Business Review Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
http://hbr.org/books
9781633698680, $35.00, PB, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Unicorn-Within-Companies-Game-Changing-Ventures/dp/1633698688

Synopsis: With the publication of "The Unicorn Within: How Companies Can Create Game-Changing Ventures at Startup Speed", Mach49 founder and CEO Linda Yates shows large companies how to beat startups at their own game -- to build a pipeline and portfolio of new ventures to drive meaningful growth. How? With a teachable, repeatable, scalable method focused 100 percent on execution across the spectrum of venture creation from Ideate to Incubate, Accelerate, and Scale. She also offers keys to managing the Mothership and seizing the Mothership advantage to ensure your ventures reach escape velocity and thrive.

Yates also lays out her blueprint for building a Venture Factory capable of becoming your company's growth engine for years to come.

The next Unicorns don't have to come from Silicon Valley. Regardless of your company's industry, geography, or history, they can come from you. Whether you're the CEO, a member of the C-suite, or an internal entrepreneur, you can help your company grow. With "The Unicorn Within: How Companies Can Create Game-Changing Ventures at Startup Speed" proven method, you can unleash the Unicorn within yourself and your company.

Critique: Informatively illustrated throughout, "The Unicorn Within: How Companies Can Create Game-Changing Ventures at Startup Speed" is enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of two pages of Notes and an eight page Index. An inspirational, aspirational, and 'real world practical' combination of instruction guide and 'how-to' manual that is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99), "The Unicorn Within: How Companies Can Create Game-Changing Ventures at Startup Speed" is a 'must read' choice for every corporate executive and entrepreneur seeking to compete and grow their company in today's rapidly evolving and change driven economy.

Editorial Note: Linda Yates (www.mach49.com) is the founder and CEO of Mach49, the growth incubator for global businesses with clients including Goodyear, Gundersen Health, Hitachi, Intel, Pernod Ricard, Schneider Electric, Shell, and many more. She is a seasoned CEO and board member with over thirty years of experience bridging Silicon Valley and the Global 1000, creating global strategy, building companies, and driving innovation for large multinationals worldwide.


The Sports Shelf

Landaluce
Mary Perdue
The University Press of Kentucky
663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40508-4008
www.kentuckypress.com
9780813195537, $29.95, HC, 346pp

https://www.amazon.com/Landaluce-Seattle-Champion-Horses-History/dp/0813195535

Synopsis: When Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew retired from racing in 1978 to stand at stud at Spendthrift Farm, no one could be certain he would be a successful sire. But just four years later, his dark bay daughter Landaluce won the Hollywood Lassie Stakes by twenty-one lengths -- a margin of victory that remains the largest ever in any race by a two-year-old at Hollywood Park.

California horse racing had a new superstar, and Slew was launched on a stud career that would make him one of the most influential sires in North America. Like her father, Landaluce soon became a national celebrity, and was poised to become the next American super-horse. But those dreams ended when the two-year-old died in her stall at Santa Anita four months later, the victim of a swift and mysterious illness. Today, with her "I Love Luce" bumper stickers long gone, the filly has been largely forgotten.

With the publication of "Landaluce: The Story of Seattle Slew's First Champion", author Mary Perdue tells the story of a horse whose short but meteoric career could have changed racing history forever. Sparking comparisons to Ruffian, Landaluce helped elevate California horse racing to the national stage and could have been the first filly to ever win the Triple Crown.

In telling this story, Perdue also explores the lives and careers of Landaluce's breeders, owners, and trainer, D. Wayne Lukas, as well as her famous sire Seattle Slew -- and shows not only how one filly captured the imagination of racing fans across the country, but also set the stage for another filly turned super-horse, Zenyatta, in the decades to come.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, impressively informative, and inherently fascinating, "Landaluce: The Story of Seattle Slew's First Champion" by Mary Perdue (who is a freelance turf writer and a winner of the Equus WINNIE award) will have a very special attraction to readers with an interest in horses and horse racing. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.49), "Landaluce: The Story of Seattle Slew's First Champion" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library 20th Century American Horse Racing History collections.

Racing with Roger Penske
Sigur E. Witaker
http://sigurwhitakerbooks.com
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476687865, $49.95, PB, 280pp

https://www.amazon.com/Racing-Roger-Penske-History-Motorsport/dp/1476687862

Synopsis: Auto racing legend Roger Penske began as a successful sports car driver before transitioning to owning a race team and opening a car dealership. Within eight years, Team Penske won the Indianapolis 500. Today, the team boasts more than 580 victories, including an unparalleled 18 Indianapolis 500 wins and two at the Daytona 500.

Penske's efforts on the track have been intertwined with his business ventures. Penske Corporation, with $32 billion in revenues, includes Penske truck leasing and rentals, retail automotive centers and logistics. In 2019, he bought the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and related assets, including IndyCar, and led both through the coronavirus pandemic, when racing continued with no fans in the stands.

"Racing with Roger Penske: A History of a Motorsport Dynasty" by Sigur E. Whitaker chronicles more than 50 years of Roger Penske's racing history, with an overview of his business career, including the turnaround of Detroit Diesel.

Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a thirty-six page Bibliography, forty-two pages of Notes, and a three page Index, "Racing with Roger Penske: A History of a Motorsport Dynasty" is an extraordinary combination of biography and automotive racing history. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.49), "Racing with Roger Penske: A History of a Motorsport Dynasty" is a welcome and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Motor Sports History and Contemporary American Biography collections.

Editorial Note: Sigur E. Whitaker (http://sigurwhitakerbooks.com), is the great-great-niece of James Allison, one of the founders of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.


The Art Shelf

Go with the Flow Painting
Ohn Mar Win
Quarry Books
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartous.com
9780760377727, $24.99, PB, 128pp

https://www.amazon.com/Flow-Painting-Step-Step-Spontaneous/dp/0760377723

Synopsis: With the publication of "Go with the Flow Painting: Step-by-Step Techniques for Spontaneous Effects in Watercolor - Create Expressive Flowers, Animals, Food, and More", author and artist Ohn Mar Win offers beginner-friendly techniques, tips, and step-by-step lessons that show how to get the most out of these mediums and paint confidently in this captivating style.

With "Go with the Flow Painting", aspiring artists will discover a new visual language that renders subjects with soft edges and luminous color. Capture just enough detail to suggest familiar flowers, animals, and objects and allow a unique expression and style to flourish.

Aspiring artists will begin with essential supplies and learn the key characteristics of loose watercolor. Practice basic techniques that lay the foundation for this style, such as working wet-on-wet, creating color gradients, layering, and creating shapes. Learn the best way to use brushes, and explore easy methods of working with pen and ink to add striking linework and details.

Step-by-step lessons show how to capture the essence of a subject without worrying about perfectly executing every detail. Learn how to paint captivating hot air balloons, tiger lilies, French macarons, a colorful chameleon, and more. Embracing this flowing approach to watercolor allows you to develop a freer style and create artwork that's alive and exciting, instead of overworked.

Critique: Beautifully and effectively organized and presented, "Go with the Flow Painting: Step-by-Step Techniques for Spontaneous Effects in Watercolor - Create Expressive Flowers, Animals, Food, and More" is an ideal combination of instructional guide and 'how to' manual that will be of immense interest and value to aspiring artists wanting to work with watercolors. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in presentation, "Go with the Flow Painting: Step-by-Step Techniques for Spontaneous Effects in Watercolor - Create Expressive Flowers, Animals, Food, and More" is especially recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Watercolor Painting instructional reference collections.

Editorial Note: Ohn Mar Win (www.ohnmarwin.com) is an artist, illustrator, designer, and teacher whose career spans more than 20 years. She's known for her expressive watercolors, and she regularly shares her vibrant sketchbook work with her followers on Instagram. She is a top teacher on the online education platform Skillshare, where she has more than 20 watercolor and illustration classes and over 80,000 students. Ohn Mar has done work for such companies as Unilever, BBC Worldwide, and Cost Plus World Market. She can be followed on Instagram: @ohn_mar_win

Generations: The Sobey Family and Canadian Art
Sarah Milroy
Goose Lane Editions
www.gooselane.com
9781773102689, $55.00, HC, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/Generations-Sobey-Family-Canadian-Art/dp/1773102680

Synopsis: For over three generations, the Sobey family of Nova Scotia has demonstrated their discerning and enthusiastic commitment to Canadian art. Accompanying a major exhibition at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection and timed to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the prestigious Sobey Art Award, "Generations: The Sobey Family and Canadian Art" tells the story of a visionary family and their engagement with Canadian and Indigenous art.

This sweeping survey encompasses works by the beloved leaders of Canadian 20th-century art (the Group of Seven, Tom Thomson, David Milne, and Emily Carr) as well as offering a rich display of works by Cornelius Krieghoff, the Quebec Impressionists, Automatiste painters Jean Paul Riopelle and Paul-Emile Borduas, and Ukrainian Canadian artist William Kurelek, before moving onward to showcase leading contemporary artists. Among them are international artist Peter Doig, whose works draw on the legacies of Canadian art, and Indigenous artists Brenda Draney, Ursula Johnson, Kent Monkman, and Brian Jungen.

Featuring more than 200 full-color images, "Generations: The Sobey Family and Canadian Art" includes an introduction by McMichael Chief Curator Sarah Milroy, essays by McMichael Executive Director Ian A.C. Dejardin, art historians Jocelyn Anderson, John Geoghegan, and Michele Grandbois, and an interview with contemporary artist Kent Monkman.

Critique: A beautifully produced coffee-table style (10.25 x 1 x 11.25 inches, 3.25 pounds) volume, each individual work of art is flawless reproduced and is accompanied by an instructive commentary providing an informative context for the painting and the artist. Of particular interest to art students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in Canadian Art History, "Generations: The Sobey Family and Canadian Art" is an especially recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Art History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Sarah Milroy is Chief Curator at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. A highly respected art critic and exhibition curator, she has contributed to more than a dozen books on art, including Mary Pratt, From the Forest to the Sea: Emily Carr in British Columbia, and David Milne: Modern Painting. She has a website at https://mcmichael.com/sarah-milroy


The Needlecraft Shelf

Crocheted Bees, Bugs & Butterflies
Vanessa Mooncie
The GMC Group
www.gmcbooks.com
9781784946357, $24.99, PB, 144pp

https://www.amazon.com/Crocheted-Bees-Butterflies-Vanessa-Mooncie/dp/1784946354

Synopsis: "Crocheted Bees Bugs and Butterflies" by needlecraft expert Vanessa Mooncie is a stunning collection of 10 exquisite crochet projects including moths, beetles, butterflies and other insects.

Each individual project includes clear step-by-step instructions and stunning full color photography. "Crocheted Bees Bugs and Butterflies" also includes an extensive and beautifully illustrated techniques section explaining everything you need to know to embark on these wonderful projects. Once completed the projects can either be worn as an accessory, such as a brooch or hair decoration, or they can be mounted in a frame or bell jar for display.

Made using various yarns, metallic and nylon threads, these projects incorporate beads and sequins to give astounding results. The legs are wired and the designs use a variety of crochet stitches and embroidered details.

Critique: Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and step-by-step presentation, "Crocheted Bees Bugs and Butterflies" is a fun, fabulous and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft/Crocheting instructional guides and 'how-to' manuals.

Editorial Note: Vanessa Mooncie spent many happy hours as a child sitting with her mother and grandmother learning to knit and crochet. She went on to study fashion and textile design and became a children's wear designer, illustrator and interior designer. Vanessa now specializes in silkscreen work (www.vanessamooncie.com) and designing crochet jewellery through her company Kissy Suzuki (www.kissysuzuki.com). She lives with her family in a rural village in the south of England. Vanessa has written many successful books for GMC Publications, including Animal Hats, Crocheted Wild Animals, Sew Adorable, And Sew to Bed and Crocheted Sea Creatures. She is also a regular contributor to other craft books and magazines.

Editorial Note: Sharon Wegscheider-Cruse (https://sharonwegscheidercruse.com) is a family therapist, businesswoman, and founder of Onsite Training and Consulting. She is the author of twenty-three books, including five bestsellers, translated into thirteen languages, most notably Another Chance: Hope and Health for the Alcoholic Family, Learning to Love Yourself, and Choicemaking.

10,000 Knitted Hats
Jo Allport
The GMC Group
www.gmcbooks.com
9781784946319, $29.99, Spiral Bound HC, 80pp

https://www.amazon.com/10-000-Knitted-Hats-combinations/dp/1784946311

Synopsis: Compiled, created, and presented by Jo Allport, "10,000 Knitted Hats: Discover Your Own Unique Design Combinations" is an interactive knitting book contains photographs of different hat brims, bodies and crowns that can be combined in a total of 10,626 ways to create unique hat patterns. Once you've chosen your design, turn over the pages for the correct written pattern for that combination of parts. You can then use the handy embellishments section to add any extra features to the basic design.

The hat brims, bodies and crowns use many stitches, some familiar and others new. Find color work, both easy and more challenging, along with slipped-stitch patterns, cables, lace and texture, all explained clearly in the handy techniques section.

Aimed at all ability levels, "10,000 Knitted Hats" has something for everyone -- and you will never need another hat book!

Critique: "10,000 Knitted Hats: Discover Your Own Unique Design Combinations" is a fun and clever flip-page instruction and 'how to' book that is specifically for designing and building your own unique headwear creations. Unique and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "10,000 Knitted Hats" is a knitter's delight and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft instructional reference collections.

Editorial Note: From UK knitting magazines to big international yarn brands, you can find Jo Allport's knitwear designs in many places. She also teaches knitting face to face, online and via tutorials. A lover of all crafts and a prolific writer on the subject, she is a regular contributor to Knitting magazine and Let's Knit. She has a dedicated website at www.joallportdesigns.com

A Masterclass in Needle Felting Wildlife
Cindy-Lou Thompson
Hubble & Hattie
www.hubbleandhattie.com
9781787117471, $23.99, PB, 128pp

https://www.amazon.com/Masterclass-Needle-Felting-Wildlife-techniques/dp/1787117472

Synopsis: The art of needle felting can produce endless possibilities of hyper-realistic, almost taxidermic results. With a little know-how, some needles, wool and a few inexpensive accessories, you can learn to needle felt like a professional with Cindy-Lou Thompson's "A Masterclass in Needle Felting Wildlife".

A complete course of illustrated step-by-step instruction, "A Masterclass in Needle Felting Wildlife" will take your needle felting to a whole new level to create a range of lifelike British wildlife as world class felting master Cindy-Lou Thompson of Chicktin Creations takes you through the steps.

Covering four different British wild animals, with her illustrated step-by-step instructions, Cindy guides you through the process of creating different body shapes, proportions, armatures, coats, and blending, as well as realistic finishing touches such as eyes, nails, ears and detailing.

You will also learn how to achieve a professional finish that you will be proud of with different textured coats, blending, clipping, and adding shape and giving a realistic finishing touch with a variety of mediums and methods, some of which Cindy has designed and developed herself.

Critique: The next best thing to taking a workshop course in felting from Cindy-Lou Thompson and also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99), "A Masterclass in Needle Felting Wildlife" will prove to be a treasured addition to personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft instructional reference collections. Also very strongly recommended to dedicated needlecrafters from Cindy-Lou Thompson is "A Masterclass in Needle Felting Dogs" (9781787113831, $23.99 PB, $11.99 Kindle, 128pp).

Editorial Note: Cindy-Lou Thompson's needle felting journey began with needing something to occupy her during a slow medical recovery. Now self-taught Cindy has become world class in this addictive craft of needle felting -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWWun-cfRRU


The Wine Shelf

Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book 2023
Margaret Rand, editor
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Books
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781784728434, $17.99, HC, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Hugh-Johnsons-Pocket-Wine-Book/dp/1784728438

Synopsis: "Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book 2023" is the essential reference book for everyone who buys wine - in shops, restaurants, or on the internet. Now in its 46th year of publication, it has no rival as the comprehensive, up-to-the-minute annual guide for both amateur and professional wine connoisseurs.

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

This latest edition of Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book for 2023 includes a color supplement: How Wine Ages (And Why), which covers questions such as whether aged wine is necessarily better wine and how to store wine to ensure it ages well.

Critique: Reliable, comprehensive, informative, and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book 2023" is completely and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community Wine/Beer/Spirits collections. It should be noted that "Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book 2023" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).

Editorial Note #1: Hugh Johnson is the world's pre-eminent writer on wine. First published in 1977, his Pocket Wine Book sells hundreds of thousands of copies a year. Its winning formula of insight, critical appraisal of the world of wine, plus valuable vintage news and wine recommendations has been often-imitated but never bettered. He has a Wikipedia page at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Johnson_(wine_writer)

Editorial Note #2: Margaret Rand (https://www.decanter.com/author/MargaretRand/) 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. 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 Crafts Shelf

The Beginner's Guide to Friendship Bracelets
Masha Knots
Rocky Nook
1010 B Street, Ste 350, San Rafael, CA 94901
https://rockynook.com
9781681988610, $24.95, PB, 144pp

https://www.amazon.com/Friendship-Bracelet-Guidebook-Masha-Knots/dp/1681988615

Synopsis: Friendship bracelets aren't just for summer camp anymore. They have exploded in popularity as a creative and thoughtful way to share a connection with loved ones, even from far away. With the publication of "The Beginner's Guide to Friendship Bracelets: Essential Lessons for Creating Stylish Designs to Wear and Give", Masha Knots demonstrates that she is the go-to friendship bracelet expert who has amassed a following on YouTube and Instagram for her colorful, creative designs and her easy-to-follow instructions.

Now, with "The Beginner's Guide to Friendship Bracelets" Masha is sharing all her bracelet tips and tricks as well as her favorite designs. Featuring an array of patterns from simple to more advanced, Masha covers all the basics needed to get started, including the best materials to use, knotting techniques, and easy embellishments and customization tricks for adding your own flair.

Critique: It is no exaggeration to proclaim that whether creating a one-of-a-kind gift for a friend or stylish accessories for yourself, "The Beginner's Guide to Friendship Bracelets" will make even the most novice of bracelet makers be able to successful turn out truly memorable bracelets for friends, family, and colleagues. Profusely and informative illustrated in full color, "The Beginner's Guide to Friendship Bracelets" is enthusiastically recommended for personal, professional, and community library DIY Crafts collections. It should be noted that "The Beginner's Guide to Friendship Bracelets" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).

Editorial Note: Masha Knots (the pseudonym of Maria Makarova) is a handmade crafter and online content creator based in London. With over a decade of experience in making friendship bracelets out of embroidery floss, Masha creates video guides on her YouTube channel explaining the ins and outs of bracelet making. Her online tutorials range from simple bracelets explained step by step for beginners to more advanced friendship bracelet techniques and designs for the more experienced. Masha is on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/mashaknots


The Gardening Shelf

Hardy Apples: Growing Apples in Cold Climates
Bob Osborne, author
Beth Powning, photographer
Firefly Books Ltd.
www.fireflybooks.com
9780228103189, $35.00, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Hardy-Apples-Growing-Cold-Climates/dp/0228103185

Synopsis: "Hardy Apples: Growing Apples in Cold Climates" by Bob Osborne is both a practical guide and a loving tribute to the wonderful abundance and diversity of apple cultivars available to the northern gardener and orchardist. Full of tips, facts, beautiful photographs by Beth Powning, and fascinating stories about apples both popular and obscure, "Hardy Apples: Growing Apples in Cold Climates" is inherently fascinating and impressively informative.

Drawing on over 40 years of experience propagating and selling apple cultivars from his nursery in Corn Hill, New Brunswick, author Bob Osborne walks you through the basics of how an apple tree grows and the ideal conditions needed to cultivate a successful crop. Osborne also includes vital information about planting, pruning, harvesting, storing and propagating apples, and he devotes an entire chapter to preventing and dealing with the pests and diseases that plague so many growers, plus the challenges of hard winters and unpredictable weather.

Of special note is that following the section on growing apples there is an extensive catalog of over 90 apple cultivars.

Critique: An absolute 'must' for the personal reading lists of novice and professional fruit growers, "Hardy Apples: Growing Apples in Cold Climates" is impressively comprehensive, well written, beautifully and profusely illustrated with full color photography, exceptionally 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, and unreservedly recommended as a core addition to personal, professional, and academic library Gardening & Horticulture collections.

Editorial Note #1: Bob Osborne is the owner of Corn Hill Nursery in New Brunswick, Canada. He is a gardening author, a columnist on CBC radio and a member of several horticultural organizations.

Editorial Note #2: Author and photographer Beth Powning has photographed four previous books, including "Hardy Roses" with Bob Osborne. She has a dedicated website at https://www.powning.com/beth


The Self-Help Shelf

Storytelling Legacy
Sharon Wegscheider-Cruse
Health Communications, Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190
www.hcibooks.com
9780757324352, $15.95, PB, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Storytelling-Legacy-Everyone-Stories-What-Yours/dp/0757324355

Synopsis: Communication is more than an exchange of information. Words can inspire, teach important lessons, and woven together offer a legacy to those that we love for generations to come. With the publication of "Storytelling Legacy: Everyone Has Stories--What Are Yours?" author, family therapist, and co-founder of the National Association of Children of Alcoholics, Sharon Wegscheider-Cruse, invites her readers to join her as she recounts her remarkable life.

Included are tales of celebrity, culture, humor, history, questions, relationships, surprises, spirituality, traditions, and travels. She then invites readers to then go deep within, to realize the wonder of their own life experiences, and to craft their own legacy of stories. Everyone has a story -- what is yours?

Critique: Part memoir, part expression based self-help guide, and with just a touch of a "how-to" manual for anyone thinking about writing out their own life story whether it's a form of DIY personal cathartic therapy and for publication with the intent to help others, "Storytelling Legacy: Everyone Has Stories--What Are Yours?" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, counseling center, college, and university library Motivational Self-Help collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists that "Storytelling Legacy: Everyone Has Stories--What Are Yours?" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).


The Reference Shelf

Great Lakes Nature Guide
James S. McCormac, author
Krista Kagume, author
Lone Pine Publishing
www.lonepintpublishing.com
9781774511855, $21.95, PB, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/Great-Lakes-Nature-Guide-McCormac/dp/1774511851

Synopsis: Beautifully and profusely illustrated with museum quality full color illustrations, "Great Lakes Nature Guide" by the team of James S. McCormac and Krista Kagume is a fascinating and informative guide that features over 400 species of plants and animals most commonly encountered in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

Critique: Deftly organized into two major sections (Animals and Plants), the "Great Lakes Nature Guide" is informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a one page listing of References, a seven page Glossary, and a twelve page Index. Simply stated, the "Great Lakes Nature Guide" is an especially and unreservedly recommended high value addition to personal, professional, community and academic library collections.


The Criminology Shelf

A Lovely Girl
Deborah Holt Larkin
https://deborahholtlarkin.com
Pegasus Crime
c/o Pegasus Books
www.pegasusbooks.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9781639362448, $29.95, HC, 304pp

https://www.amazon.com/Lovely-Girl-Tragedy-Californias-Notorious/dp/1639362444

Synopsis: Deborah Larkin was only ten years old when the quiet calm of her California suburb was shattered. Thirty miles north, on a quiet November night in Santa Barbara, a pregnant nurse named Olga Duncan disappeared from her apartment. The mystery deepens when it is discovered that Elizabeth Duncan (Olga's mother in-law and a deeply manipulative and deceptive woman) had been doing everything in her power to separate Olga and her son, Frank, prior to Olga's disappearance.

From a forged annulment to multiple attempts to hire people to "get rid" of Olga, to a faked extortion case, Elizabeth seemed psychopathically attached to her son. Yet she denied having anything to do with Olga's disappearance with a smile.

But when Olga's brutally beaten body is found in a shallow grave, apparently buried alive, a young DA makes it his mission to see that Elizabeth Duncan is brought to justice. Adding a wrinkle to his efforts is the fact that Frank (himself a defense attorney) maintained his mother's innocence to the end.

How does a young girl process such a crime along with the fear and disbelief that rocked an entire community? Decades later, Larkin is determined to revisit the case and bring the story of Olga herself to light. Long overshadowed by the sensationalism and scandal of Elizabeth and Frank, "A Lovely Girl: The Tragedy of Olga Duncan and the Trial of One of California's Most Notorious Killers" by Deborah Holt Larkin seeks to reveal Olga as a woman in full. Someone who was more than the twisted family that would ultimately ensnare her.

Critique: Exceptionally well written and an inherently fascinating read from cover to cover, "A Lovely Girl: The Tragedy of Olga Duncan and the Trial of One of California's Most Notorious Killers" will have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in the subjects of True Crime Memoirs. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Criminology collections, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers that "A Lovely Girl" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798212231510, $45.99, CD).

Editorial Note: Deborah Larkin (https://deborahholtlarkin.com) holds a bachelor's degree in American History and Literature from the University of California at Davis, and she studied creative writing at the University of California at San Diego. She has a master's degree in the Education of Exceptional Children from San Francisco State University. She has spent more than three decades teaching students with special needs before becoming an elementary school principal.


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