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Reviewer's Choice
The Seasons of the Moon
SM Reine
Amazon Digital Publishing
www.createspace.com
B00805A5S6, $4.99, www.amazon.com
Gina Marie Stanish, Reviewer
www.ginamariestanish.wordpress.com
The Seasons of the Moon is a paranormal romance series written by urban fantasy writer SM Reine. Published in 2011 and consisting of four books it tells the story of Rylie Gresham. A teenage girl whose life has been turned upside down in more ways then one. Her battles will bring you into a world where the relationship between human and animal is put to the ultimate test.
"You're such a freak" was all Rylie heard from the moment she stepped foot into summer camp. To make matters worse her parents were going through a divorce and this was not how she envisioned spending her summer. When she finds her roommates going through her things, reading her private journal aloud and making a mockery of her situation it becomes the last straw for Rylie. She quickly grabs all of her things and runs into the dark forest with every intention of escaping. But her journey ends with dire consequences; she's bitten by a werewolf.
The aftermath of the attack leaves Rylie with gold eyes, a silver scar on her chest, a craving for raw meat and a budding friendship with Seth - a camper from across the lake whom Rylie had met earlier in the summer. Aside from sneaking over just to spend some quality time with her he also knows a lot more than he's saying. Because he's the only one she can talk to, the only one who understands her and the only one who doesn't see her as a freak Rylie trusts him completely. When the truth is exposed Seth and Rylie must work together to find a cure before the rise of the sixth full moon because with every symptom and every transformation it brings her one step closer to becoming a full blooded werewolf forever.
But as the summer comes to an end and with the solution in the palm of her hand Rylie is forced to make a decision that she hoped she'd never have to make. The choice, however, will not be an easy one and she'll have to learn how to live with the consequences. One of them being that she'll no longer be able to live in the city.
Leaving everything that she loves behind, Rylie goes to live at the only place where she has left to go; her Aunt Gwyn's ranch. Being invisible and ignored is how she hoped to start over but her heightened senses, uncontrollable anger and thirst for blood will threaten her very existence. A family of hunters - Eleanor, Abel and Seth - are on her trail and the new moon is only a few days away. Realizing that it's Rylie they're hunting Seth immediately sets out to protect her. After what went down at camp he owed her everything.
Shocked to find out that it's his family who's hunting her, Rylie is hesitant to let him anywhere near the situation. Even though she still has feelings for him she's still not quite sure whose side he's really on. Making it clear that he 'only wants to help' Rylie finally agrees to let him. But their plan backfires and sends them straight into the evil clutches of Seth's sadistic mother. Torn between duty to his family and the love that he has for Rylie, Seth struggles to do the right thing. Even though he's able to their worries are far from over.
Winter at the Gresham ranch brings with it yet another threat. Someone or something is encroaching on their territory and killing innocent people. Not only that there's two new kids at school named Bekah and Levi. Gold eyes, a foul odor and the power to transform into a werewolf at will they become number one on Rylie's suspect list. With Abel - Seth's brother - back in the game it's only a matter of time before they all figure out what's really going on. The answer is out there and the awful truth will lead to a bitter sweet goodbye, a poisonous heart break and a near fatal tragedy that will tear them all apart.
One year later Rylie and the others find themselves back at Gray Mountain. The home of Camp Silver Brook. The place where it all began. Visions of the forest hills are calling the werewolves home. The convergence has begun. Unable to resist the pull Bekah disappears to the mountain. Back at the Gresham ranch Eleanor arrives with an offer for Seth; join the union and kill the werewolves once and for all. Knowing it's the only way to protect Rylie he reluctantly agrees.
A few days later Rylie and Abel arrive at the place that has long since haunted their dreams and are shocked to find that Bekah isn't there. However, they're not alone. Other packs from all around the world have gathered there too. Unaware they're being hunted they take refuge in some nearby caves. But the night falls fast with a surprise attack by the union leaving only a handful of survivors in its wake. Time was running out. An Alpha had to be chosen. But with Eleanor at the helm using her son as bait Rylie is forced to make the ultimate choice; the life of her pack or the life of the man that she loves.
Catered towards young adults this series will take you on a journey of good versus evil right from the very first sentence of chapter one. It has everything from fantasy to romance to adventure to military style action that will keep you on the edge of your seats. At 685 pages it's a fast paced read that you will not want to put down. Even though it became a little but overly detailed throughout books two and three it was still highly entertaining.
The violence factor is kept to a minimum. The author gives you just enough detail. For example: "Rylie had a bullet in her shoulder." "Abel had been stabbed." "Wolves were being killed." You get the point of what's happening without it being graphic and gory. There's a few sexual situations but it's kept very clean which makes it appropriate for teen readers as well.
The wide array of depth and emotion that is given to every character makes them all relatable to us in some way. Rylie is the shy awkward teen who doesn't fit in and is tormented by her peers simply for being different. That is every girl's worst nightmare. Aunt Gwyn is the mother figure and role model that we all look up to and aspire to be like. She's a strong independent woman who appreciates the little things in life and doesn't take anything for granted. She loves fiercely and treats everyone around her with the kindness and the respect that they deserve. Then there's Seth. He's the man that every mother dreams will one day marry their daughter. He's kind hearted, highly talented and treats women like a real man should. And Eleanor, well, she's just the person that everyone loves to hate. Aside from the supernatural aspect, the real life challenges that these characters face will strike a chord within you and give the books more meaning.
For a self published author the editing wasn't bad. With only a few grammatical errors here and there it was very well written. Reine created a strong series that captured your attention, kept you interested, touched your heart and then brought it to a climactic conclusion that truly did not disappoint.
One Foot Outside The Door
Vina St. Fran
Zam Publishing, LLC
30835 West 10 Mile Road #4006 Farmington Hills, MI 48336
9780996139403, $15.00, 244pp, www.amazon.com
Lacey Smalton
Reviewer
Genre: Contemporary Romance
I am not a fan of most debut novels in which I have reviewed. I must warn you in advance that this is not the typical cookie-cutter Contemporary Romance novel you may currently find yourself reading! This is the 1st book installment of a trilogy. One Foot Outside The Door is a story about Cyndarella Worthy, a vibrant and beautiful African-American woman and her three best friends from childhood. They face the trials and tribulations of life, love, and romance, but not without angst. Cyndarella, the heroine of the story is successful in every area of her life, except in the love department, but her luck changes after a whirlwind relationship with Thad Mitchell, a handsome, African-American accountant in that she agrees to marry. However, Cyn's ex-boyfriend, Bashar Bazzi, a Chaldean gentleman of Iraqi descent returns and has other ideas about her new-found pending marital status. This book delves into the heartbreaking arena of the intense scrutiny and misconceptions involved in interracial dating. Yet, it embraces those struggles with such realism, grit and honesty, that this is truly a refreshing read from this new author.
There is a true love story which unfolds here that entertains as well as educates. The storytelling is solid, focused, and downright unpredictable! The supporting cast of characters each with their own distinctive flavoring makes this a must-read book that I would highly recommend. The sex scenes are sensual, passionate, and SO frigging good because they reel you in with each scene from beginning to end. Hotness at the highest level! It is a game-changer! Can't wait to read the next installment!
The Endless Journey
David V. Gaggin
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.Davidgaggin.com
Antonia Hall Communications
9781484982211, $14.95 (PB), 220pp, www.amazon.com
John J. McNulla
Reviewer
"The Endless Journey: A Unique Perspective on Mankind's Origin, Purpose and Ultimate Destiny" by David V. Gaggin is an outstanding book which contains a wealth of information collected over a period of forty years of research and study. In the book, Mr. Gaggin has mastered the ability to address myths and facts regarding religions, philosophies, metaphysics, sciences and historical data/perspectives. "The Endless Journey" helps each of us understand our existence and how to pursue our life's plan.
The Serpent Beguiled Eve
Acacia Slaton
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
PrimeStar Publicity & Public Relations
9781505225983, $9.99 (PB), $4.99 (Kindle), 148pp, www.amazon.com
Katelyn Hensel
Reviewer
"The Serpent Beguiled Eve: Healing the Wounds of Abandonment, Betrayal and Shame" by Acacia Slaton is a fascinating book. From the bright and personalized cover to the very last chapter, it manages to hold your attention and forces you to ask yourself tough philosophical questions about love, life, and your own personal relationships. It tells Acacia's story of her broken marriage and the loss of her husband to homosexuality. She struggles to understand why her life is the way it is, and why her husband has made these painful, hurtful decisions. I loved the self-doubt, the introspection, and the tough questions that Acacia pushes herself to answer. The book describes more than just her character; it spells out a path to self-discovery that every man, woman or child can use to discover the good and bad of their own lives. So much more than a self- help book or even a guiding light, "The Serpent Beguiled Eve" is a thoughtful and emotional journey towards self-discovery and happiness. Acacia Slaton uses her own personal narrative as a source for profound healing, growth, and reflection which should be admired. Scriptural references are prominent, and the book does focus for the most part on the Judeo-Christian mindset of tackling issues. In this mindset, it takes the traditional Christian approach of viewing homosexuality as wrong. While much of the book was tough to read, you come through it like you do a storm...feeling much better now that it's gone, but revitalized and refocused now that it's over.
Bend Me Shape Me
Debra R. Borys
www.debra-r-borys.com
New Libri Press
http://www.newlibri.com
9781614690412, $16.95, 222 pages, www.amazon.com
Starza Thompson, Reviewer
Windy City Reviews
Bend Me Shape Me takes a deep and fascinating look into the world of teen homelessness in Chicago. Through the eyes of Snow Ramirez, Jo Sullivan, and Leonard Goldenhawk, author Debra Borys shepherds the audience on a terrifying journey of homelessness, mental illness, family problems, and murder.
Snow was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, but after a couple strange visits with the psychiatrist, Levinson, Snow convinced herself that she was better off far away from psychiatrists. After her squat mate killed himself, Snow began to realize that she was not the only one to have strange visits with Levinson - in Snow's eyes, there was something much more sinister going on in Levinson's sessions. Unfortunately, it was very hard for people at the shelter and other doctors to believe her when she mentioned that something was wrong with Levinson, especially given her mental state. On the war path to remove her little brother from Levinson's care, Snow met Jo, a reporter for a newspaper that covered stories about teen homelessness. Snow did not trust anyone, but Jo was the only person who cared enough to dig deeper into the problem. All the while, Leonard Goldenhawk was following Snow to try to connect her with her past and give her some hope for the future.
This novel was chock full of nail-biting scenes and page-turning tension, making it very hard to put down. Throughout the book, Borys does an excellent job of painting a realistic picture of homeless youth and the struggle they have with mental illness, family, trust, and more. From the very first page of this novel, the audience is pulled into Snow's story and her struggle to keep her brother and herself safe.
Bend Me Shape Me is the second book of Debra Borys's Street Stories series. Borys has spent 12 years volunteering at various charities and programs that help the homeless, both in Chicago and in Seattle. Her experience was very evident throughout the novel - there was no question of the reality of Snow's situation and the struggle she was facing with trust, her mental state, and her past. It's easy to write what you think you know about homelessness, and how teens would react in certain situations, but it takes an expert - like Borys - to really discover the essence of what life is like for troubled teens on the streets.
For me, this book was both entertaining and eye-opening. The plot twists and multiple narrators kept me flipping the page to find out what happened next, while the reality of Snow's situation made me want to learn more about how I could make a difference in the lives of homeless youth. As someone who loves psychological thrillers and who is a Big Sister in Big Brothers Big Sisters, this book combined my interests in ways I didn't think possible. I immediately wanted to know more about Snow and her brother and could have easily read a book twice as long on this topic.
One weakness I saw in this novel was the shallow character development of Jo Sullivan and Leonard Goldenhawk, two of the three point-of-view characters. Both characters moved the plot along nicely, but I would have liked to know more about them. I realized at the end of the novel that Jo was a reoccurring character in the Street Stories series, so what was lacking in character development here may have been something more heavily discussed in the first novel that I, unfortunately, did not read. With a story as heart wrenching and important as this, I would have liked to learn more about Leonard's and Jo's past to give the novel even more depth.
Bend Me Shape Me is a chilling and tension-drenched thriller that will enable you to take a long hard look at the plight of the homeless. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers that make you think - once you pick up this book, you will struggle to put it down!
Ann's Bookshelf
Granta 130: INDIA: Another Way of Seeing
Ian Jack
Granta
9781905 881857, A$24.99, 288 pages
Welcome back, Ian Jack! As a guest editor Ian Jack has done what he always did when he was permanent editor of Granta. He has produced an issue which is varied, absorbing, informative and a real pleasure to read.
INDIA: Another Way of Seeing offers reportage, memoir, biography, history, art, fiction and poetry, and the intention was to find Indian writers who can present India as it is today, not as writers like Forster or Naipaul have depicted it. This goal seems to have been achieved admirably.
I particularly enjoyed the poetry, and Karthika Nair's reworking of the Mahabarata in 'Shakuna: Blood Count' is exciting and offers a wonderful balancing of this male-orientated heroic drama. It begins:
Shakama, Sister, why the need for dazed allegiance to men? We're canis lupus first, familiaris can come later - if it must.
As in any country, gender issues, however, come in many forms. Aman Sethi's report on 'Love Jihad' for example, describes an Indian cultural divide with deeply historical roots but horribly modern relevance. And Kalpana Narayanan's short story, 'The Bachelor Father', offers another perspective on male/female interactions.
Sam Miller's account of Ghandi's life in London is revealing. As is Samanth Subramanian's investigation of the power plays of one of Mumbai's newly wealthy elite and the way they have changed the old colonial Breach Candy Swimming Bath Trust.
Amongst the fiction, Arun Kolatkar's 'Sticky Fingers' is one of the many Balwant Bua stories which he based on 'talk sessions' with the eponymous singer raconteur who died in 1974. Balwant Bua talked of human behavior and the life around him, and Kolatkar's story, one of only six which he wrote in English, rather than his native Marathi, beautifully captures Bua's story-telling style and humour.
'Othello Sucks', which is Upamanyu Chatterjee's "radio play"/ "comic strip"/ non-fiction/fiction (as he describes it) is innovative and hilarious. He immerses the reader in the disorganized but very real life of an Indian family in which a teenage daughter is doing what teenagers everywhere do and the family are suffering, but not in silence. I wished this piece had been longer.
Amitava Kumar writes of his return from America to attend his mother's funeral pyre. Raghu Karnad ponders the sightings of a Kimono-clad ghost at the Red Fort in Delhi and traces the forgotten history of Japanese internees there during WW2. Hari Kunzru creates a strange Indian future governed by Seth, "lord of change, emperor of process". Katherine Boo's notes provide the necessary back-story to her photographs of families in the Mumbai slum of Annawadi. And photographer, Gauri Gill, collaborates with the Warli artist, Rajesh Vangad, to create an interesting selection of very unusual pictures. There are other excellent stories and poems and original art work is interspersed between the prose throughout the magazine.
Altogether, this Issue shows an India which is diverse, creative, aware of its history and also thoroughly modern. This is a good and very satisfying edition of Granta.
The Buried Giant
Kazuo Ishiguro, Editor
Faber
9780571315048, $29.99, 325 pages
Kazuo Ishiguro's latest novel is very much a departure from his earlier works. Set in Britain at a time after the Romans had departed and when Britons and Saxons still lived as separate communities, this story is essentially fantasy.
Axl and Beatrice are elderly Britons who set out on a journey across the desolate Great Plain to visit a son they have almost forgotten. Forgetting is a strange sickness which seems to be affecting everyone in the land, but there are hints that some things are best forgotten.
Lost memories are one of the things Ishiguro wanted to deal with in this book. He is interested, as he said in a recent Guardian interview, in how individuals, communities, societies and nations deal with memories: how they struggle with painful memories; how they remember and forget. But whether a fantasy in which ogres, pixies, dragons and geriatric knights appear is the vehicle for such weighty matters, is debatable.
Unfortunately, this is not the only difficulty Ishiguro has made for himself. Telling a story through a narrator who addresses the reader directly ("a Saxon village, viewed from a distance and a certain height would have been something more familiar to you as a village", for example) distances the action. There are jumps in the narrative, and new characters which appear suddenly but whose unexpected presence is explained only in retrospect. A few characters appear and disappear for no apparent reason, and have no apparent relationship to the story except perhaps to suggest a literary parallel, as with the innocent maiden, Edra, met carrying a hoe: a rather clumsy hint of the Norse Earth Goddess, Erda. And although his descriptions of fights are dramatic and exciting, his reported conversations with women and children are sometimes awkward and stilted.
There are hints of other literary parallels, too: of Beowulf in the marauding monsters from the lake; of the Ferryman on the River Styx; of Macbeth's witches in the sinister, ancient, bird-like hags; and of Tolkien's Smaug in the Dragon Querig. King Arthur, Merlin and Sir Gawain are also an essential part of the story, and we hear how Gawain and four others from Arthur's court once fought and conquered the dragon Querig. We assume (wrongly, it turns out) that they killed her.
Ishiguro says that he has always wanted to write about a man on a horse - the lone figure - "a man adrift in history". An elderly, rather tetchy Sir Gawain, wandering the countryside on his equally elderly horse, Horace, and dressed in rusty armour which he never seems to take off, is that man in this story. But the Giant of the title never appears, unless one assumes that this refers to the dragon, Querig.
I had no objection to fantasy or to fantastic creatures but, sadly, I did not find Ishiguro's narrator to be a compelling story-teller and I was never drawn into the tale sufficiently to make the elements of fantasy and magic acceptable.
Dr Ann Skea, Reviewer
http://ann.skea.com
Bethany's Bookshelf
Fantastical
Marija Bulatovic
SOL, LLC.
c/o MM Book Publicity
2817 West End Avenue, Suite 126-274
Nashville, TN 37203
www.maryglenn.com
9780990410614 $14.99 www.amazon.com
Illustrated with a handful of black-and-white photographs, Fantastical: Tales of Bears, Beer and Hemophilia is the true-life memoir of author Marija Bulatovic, who reflects on her Yugoslavian childhood among bears, hookers, gypsies, and more. Quixotic family members and unpredictable neighbors make for a quixotic navigation through girlhood, in this unforgettable tongue-in-cheek coming of age story. Fantastical is unique, original, and lives up to its title!
Wanderlust
Dawn Schout
WordTech Editions
PO Box 541106, Cincinnati, OH 45254-1106
9781625491169 $19.00 www.amazon.com
Wanderlust is anthology of free-verse poetry by author Dawn Schout. The brief reflections share a common theme of travel - from flights across the ocean to the more subtle but nonetheless crucial pursuit of happiness. "She writes down my name. / During our 13-hour flight, / I become best friends / with someone I'll never see again." Adventurous and evocative, Wanderlust is a treat for poetry connoisseurs.
Small Government My A**
Kevin Loesch
Outskirts Press, Inc.
10940 South Parker Road, #515
Parker, CO 80134
9781478739036 $12.95 www.outskirtspress.com
The debut political book by Colorado editorialist Kevin Loesch, Small Government My A**: Things Conservatives Say & Do That Aggravate Libertarians is a sharp criticism of the conservative wing of America's Republican party, from a Libertarian point of view. No topic is too hot to touch; Loesch discusses legalizing drugs and how the "war on drugs" has overcrowded the prison system; why he regards whistleblowers such as Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden, and Julian Assange as heroes; why America needs separation of church and state and why conservative's efforts to undermine that division are misguided and harmful; why he feels conservatives are not serious about balancing the budget; and much more. Whether one agrees with Loesch's views or not, he makes compelling, reasoned, and snappy arguments, worthy of extended contemplation. "It is a shame that more Republicans aren't like Amash or Ron and Rand Paul. If they were truly concerned about the out of control spending, they would cut military spending as well. As I stated earlier, the United States does have a huge spending problem, especially when it comes to the military, which dwarfs the rest of the world."
Susan Bethany
Reviewer
Buhle's Bookshelf
Paper Contracting
William D. Mitchell & Gary W. Moselle
Craftsman Book Company
6058 Corte del Cedro, Carlsbad, CA 92009
www.craftsman-book.com
9781572182707, $55.50, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Consulting contractors work with the designer, get owner approval of the plans, guarantee a maximum price, select trade contractors, make sure work is done right -- and then collect a little extra for finishing under budget. It can be a good business. But it s not a general contracting business. It s a consulting contractor business: no employees, no inventory, no payables, no warranty, no investment, no liens, no risk. It is also the way most federal, state and municipal jobs are done today, including many of the largest projects, e.g. the Corps of Engineers. Many commercial and residential jobs are run by consulting contractors sometimes called paper contractors. Some of the most experienced, most successful, most respected construction professionals in the industry fit the definition of paper contractor. A consulting contractor is the owner s representative answers only to the owner. The consultant s job is to protect the owner against high costs, delay, shoddy work and risk of loss. No one else on the site shares that agenda. The collaborative work of successful contract manager William D. Mitchell and Gary Moselle (an attorney specializing in state-specific construction contracts, as well as contracts for residential and commercial projects), "Paper Contracting: The How-To of Construction Management Contracting" is a thoroughly 'user friendly' instruction manual that will show the aspiring contractor how to get the right plans and specs; prepare bid packages and contracts; evaluate bids; observe day-to-day construction; keep owners informed of progress; evaluate payment requests; assist with change orders; and protect owners from claims.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Paper Contracting: The How-To of Construction Management Contracting" is an ideal instruction manual that is enhanced with the inclusion of a free Web link offering sample consulting contracts legal for residential and commercial work in each of the 50 states. Very strongly recommended for professional and technical college instructional reference collections, it should be noted that "Paper Contracting: The How-To of Construction Management Contracting" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).
Eros
Daryl Sharp
Inner City Books
Box 1271, Station Q, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4T 2P4
www.innercitybooks.net
9781894574440, $25.00, 128pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In this final volume of his Badger Trilogy, Sharp pushes the boundaries of "subjective non-fiction" about as far as they can go. Still, true to his other books in the "Jungian romance" genre (which he created), he continues to explore the psychological aspects of relationship. "Eros: Melodies of Love" is informative, often playful or romantic, and always fun to read. Through his alter-egos Daemon or Badger McGee, Sharp deftly interweaves a colorful quilt of Logos and Eros, full of compassion, good humor and Jungian wisdom. Not for nothing has he been called the Harold Pinter and Samuel Beckett of the Jungian literary community, and this latest volume underlines it. Open it anywhere and be engrossed. This is a warm and thoughtful book with big ideas. Readers familiar with Sharp's other writings will be delighted anew. Those who chance on "Eros: Melodies of Love" will be moved to read his other works, which all highlight the task of living intentionally, psychologically conscious.
Critique: Critically important for students of Jungian Psychology, "Eros: Melodies of Love More Jungian Notes from Underground with Badger McGee Still Sett in His Ways" is a compelling read from beginning to end and while the third volume of a trilogy, can be read as a 'stand alone' volume with complete satisfaction.
US Immigration In The Twenty-First Century
Louis DeSipio & Rodolfo O. de la Garza
Westview Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
www.westviewpress.com
9780813344737, $33.00, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "U.S. Immigration in the Twenty-First Century: Making Americans, Remaking America" is a comprehensive examination of the enduring issues surrounding immigration and immigrants in the United States. Authors Louis DeSpio and Rodolfo O. de la Garza begins with a look at the history of immigration policy, followed by an examination of the legislative and legal debates waged over immigration and settlement policies today, and concludes with a consideration of the continuing challenges of achieving immigration reform in the United States. "U.S. Immigration in the Twenty-First Century" also focuses upon the issues facing US immigrants, from their reception within the native population to the relationship between minorities and immigrants. Immigration and immigration policy continues to be a hot topic on the campaign trail, and in all branches of federal and state government. "Immigration in the Twenty-First Century" provides students with the tools and context they need to understand these complex issues.
Critique: Immigration continues to be a prominent and controversial national issue. "U.S. Immigration in the Twenty-First Century: Making Americans, Remaking America" by Louis DeSipio (Professor of Political Science and Chicano/Latino Studies, University of California, Irvine) and Rodolfo O. de la Garza (Eaton Professor of Administrative Law and Municipal Science, Department of Political Science, Columbia University) is exceptionally well written, organized and presented, making it for academia and non-specialist general readers with an interest in immigration issues. Also available in a Kindle edition, "U.S. Immigration in the Twenty-First Century" is appropriate and recommended for both community and university library Social Issues collections.
We Share Our Matters
Rick Monture
University of Manitoba Press
301 St. John's College, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3T 2M5
www.uofmpress.ca
9780887557675, $32.95, 240pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The Haudenosaunee, more commonly known as the Iroquois or Six Nations, have been one of the most widely written about Indigenous groups in the United States and Canada. But seldom have the voices emerging from this community been drawn on in order to understand its enduring intellectual traditions. Rick Monture's "We Share Our Matters: Two Centuries of Writing and Resistance at Six Nations of the Grand River" offers the first comprehensive portrait of how the Haudenosaunee of the Grand River region have expressed their long struggle for sovereignty in Canada. Through careful readings of more than two centuries of letters, speeches, ethnography, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and film, Monture argues Haudenosaunee core beliefs have remained remarkably consistent and continue to inspire ways to address current social and political realities.
Critique: Author Rick Monture is a member of the Mohawk nation, Turtle clan, from Six Nations of the Grand River Terrory and Director of the Indigenous Studies Program at McMaster University (Ontario, Canada). A seminal and impressive work of original researched based scholarship, Monture's "We Share Our Matters: Two Centuries of Writing and Resistance at Six Nations of the Grand River" is a critically important contribution to academic library Native American Studies reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted that "We Share Our Matters" is also available in a Kindle edition ($19.99).
Willis M. Buhle
Reviewer
Burroughs' Bookshelf
The Good of Recognition
Michael Sohn
Baylor University Press
One Bear Place, #97363, Waco, TX 76798-7363
www.baylorpress.com
9781481300629, $69.95, 172pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "The Good of Recognition" analyzes the polysemy of recognition operative in the thought of two contemporary French thinkers, Emmanuel Levinas (1906 - 1995) and Paul Ricœur (1913 - 2005). Author Michael Sohn shows that recognition - a concept most often associated with Hegel's works - appears prominently throughout the works of Levinas and Ricœur, which exist at the intersection of phenomenology, ethics, politics, and religion. Sohn situates recognition in the sociopolitical context of Levinas and Ricœur and excavates the philosophical and religious sources that undergird the two thinkers' use of recognition before contextualizing recognition within the broader themes of their thought. By reflecting on phenomenology, ethics, and religion in "The Good of Recognition", Sohn not only shows how Levinas and Ricœur articulated a response to the pervasive problems of non-recognition and mis-recognition in their day but also suggests how their thought can contribute to a better understanding of our contemporary social and political landscape.
Critique; An erudite and impressive work of seminal scholarship, "The Good of Recognition: Phenomenology, Ethics, and Religion in the Thought of Levinas and Ricoeur" will prove to be an enduringly valued addition to academic library Philosophy Studies collections in general, and a critically important addition to the supplemental studies reading lists for students of the lives and works of Emmanuel Levinas and Paul Ricoeur in particular. It should be noted that "The Good of Recognition: Phenomenology, Ethics, and Religion in the Thought of Levinas and Ricoeur" is also available in a Kindle edition ($55.96).
Think Agile
Taffy Williams
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
www.amacombooks.org
9780814434307, $23.00, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Funding falls apart. A similar product is unveiled by a more established company. A key employee jumps ship to work for a competitor. These are the unexpected obstacles that derail even the most promising new ventures. Entrepreneurs determined to keep up with today's constantly changing business environment need to stay nimble enough to shift their strategies, products, and services on a dime. Yet many fail to master this essential new mindset: agility. Featuring real-life case studies and invaluable tools, "Think Agile" by Taffy Williams helps entrepreneurs assess their level of flexibility and learn to be open-minded and option-oriented in key areas including: Funding sources; Launch timetables; Planning; Repurposing everything from products to people to names. When entrepreneurs lock themselves into one strategy, one product, one distribution method and one way of thinking about their business they limit their potential, and lower their chances of capitalizing on economic, industry, or market changes. "Think Agile" is an indispensable guide to an undeniably essential new skill.
Critique: In "Think Agile: How Smart Entrepreneurs Adapt in Order to Succeed", author and founder of the Colonial Technology Development Company, Taffy Williams draws upon his more than 30 years of experience and expertise as a successful entrepreneur to deftly craft an impressively informed and informative instructional guide that should be considered mandatory reading by anyone charged with an entrepreneurial responsibility for the fiscal health and productivity of a business. A critically important addition to community and academic library Business Studies reference collections, it should be noted that "Think Agile" is also available in a Kindle edition ($11.07).
The Great American Dividend Machine
Bill Spetrino
Humanix Books
2200 NW Corporate Blvd., Suite 404, Boca Raton, FL 33431
9781630060343, $24.99, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In "The Great American Dividend Machine: How an Outsider Became the Undisputed Champ of Wall Street", author and successful financial investor Bill Spetrino proves his investment philosophy will provide for a solid and secure financial future by showing the reading how to build the optimal, income-generating investment portfolio by using the power of dividends to achieve absolute financial security. Traders who jump from stock to stock in the hunt for a major Wall Street score lose money or, at best, break even. That's not an acceptable fate for the retirement nest egg. Instead, Spetrino's proven advice is to "Keep investments boring and the rest of life fun and exciting". By valuing safety and income above all else, Spetrino guides the reader through the process of unearthing true bargains in the marketplace. Adhering to the author's model, "The Dividend Machine" portfolio is made up of mostly large, multinational companies that are involved in diverse businesses. The companies that pass Spetrino's rigorous, multi-step vetting process must have a number of key characteristics, such as: Resonant brand names; Strong, competitive advantages in their industries; Pristine balance sheets; Capital to help survive and thrive in difficult markets.
Critique: "The Great American Dividend Machine: How an Outsider Became the Undisputed Champ of Wall Street" is as practical and informative as it is thoroughly 'reader friendly' from beginning to end. Very highly recommended to the attention of the non-specialist general reader seeking to create a successful investment strategy for their finances, "The Great American Dividend Machine" will prove to be an invaluable addition to community library Money/Finance collections. It should be noted that "The Great American Dividend Machine" is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.69).
Death In The Pines
Thom Hartmann
Academy Chicago
c/o Chicago Review Press
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
www.chicagoreviewpress.com
9780897337496, $14.95, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: After closing his private investigation firm and moving to a small cabin in the Vermont woods, Oakley Tyler can finally begin his retirement. But his peace is interrupted when Jeremiah Smith visits and asks the ex-PI to help him stop unidentified men from killing his grandson, a local newspaper reporter. Tyler is reluctant to take the case, wishing to get back to a life of leisure, but when Smith is killed in a hit-and-run car accident, Tyler is convinced someone has silenced the old man to protect a secret. Delving into the mystery, Tyler finds himself investigating the world of genetic engineering and its potentially devastating impact on the environment. And after enduring numerous attempts on his life, Tyler begins to wonder if he'll live long enough to bring the killer to justice.
Critique: A compelling and entertaining read from beginning to end, "Death In The Pines" is very highly recommended to the attention of mystery/suspense enthusiasts and denotes author Thom Hartmann as a master of the genre. Certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections, this latest Oakley Tyler novel is also available in a hardcover edition (9780897337618, $30.00), a Kindle edition ($9.59), and as an Audio Book Download ($17.46).
John Burroughs
Reviewer
Carson's Bookshelf
Behind God's Back
Harri Nykanen, author
Kristian London, translator
Bitter Lemon Press
37 Arundel Gardens, London, W11 2LW, United Kingdom
www.bitterlemonpress.com
Meryl Zegarek Public Relations
9781908524423, $14.95, 247pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: There are two Jewish cops in all of Helsinki. One of them, Ariel Kafka, a lieutenant in the Violent Crime Unit, identifies himself as a policeman first, then a Finn, and lastly a Jew. Kafka is a religiously non-observant forty-something bachelor who is such a stubborn, dedicated policeman that he's willing to risk his career to get an answer. Murky circumstances surround his investigation of a Jewish businessman's murder. Neo-Nazi violence, intergenerational intrigue, shady loans - predictable lines of investigation lead to unpredictable culprits. But a second killing strikes closer to home, and the Finnish Security Police come knocking. The tentacles of Israeli politics and Mossad reach surprisingly far, once again wrapping Kafka in their sticky embrace.
Critique: A compelling read from beginning to end, "Behind God's Back" by Harri Nykanen is an impressive and suspenseful mystery replete with unexpected plot twists and turns. A riveting novel, "Behind God's Back" is highly recommended and entertaining. An enduringly popular addition to any community library collection, for personal reading lists it should be noted that "Behind God's Back" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).
Steaming To The North
Katherine C. Donahue & David C. Switzer
University of Alaska Press
PO Box 756240, Fairbanks, AK 99775-6240
www.alaska.edu/uapress
9781602232389, $50.00, 200pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: On a rugged frontier where the ocean was king, most laws came from those who ruled the sea -- and few ships policed the western Arctic like the revenue cutter Bear. Commissioned into the organization that would eventually become the US Coast Guard, the Bear patrolled and charted the waters of Alaska and Siberia, bringing medical care, saving lives, and dealing out justice when needed. The ship's crew and famous captain, the fiery Michael Healy, looked out for Natives and Americans alike in a time when Alaska was adjusting to its new status as a US territory. Steaming to the North follows the Bear from May to October 1886 as it takes its first summer cruise from San Francisco up to Point Barrow and back again. "Steaming to the North: The First Summer Cruise of the US Revenue Cutter Bear, Alaska and Chukotka, Siberia, 1886" is the first book to exhibit the photographs taken by 3rd Lt. Charles Kennedy of New Bedford, introducing rarely seen photos of the last sail-and-steam whaling ships, capturing early interactions of Natives with white whalemen and explorers, and showing lives otherwise lost to time. Essays follow the logbook of the cruise and allow readers to vividly ride alongside the crew on a history-making voyage.
Critique: An impressive work of original and collaborative research, "Steaming to the North: The First Summer Cruise of the US Revenue Cutter Bear, Alaska and Chukotka, Siberia, 1886" by Katherine C. Donahue (Professor of Anthropology, Plymouth State University, New Hampshire) and the late David C. Switzer (Emeritus Professor of History, Plymouth State University, New Hampshire) is a fascinating maritime history enhanced with the inclusion of a six page list of References and a seventy-nine page Index. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Steaming to the North: The First Summer Cruise of the US Revenue Cutter Bear, Alaska and Chukotka, Siberia, 1886" is very highly recommended as an informed and informative addition to academic library 19th Century Alaskan History and 19th Century Maritime History collections.
Prophecies And Providence
Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer
Urim Publications
c/o Lambda Publishers
527 Empire Boulevard, Brooklyn, New York 11225
www.UrimPublications.com
9781934440599, $24.95, 216pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Prophecies and Providence: A Biblical Approach to Modern Jewish History" sheds light on modern Jewish history with a particular focus on macro-events of the Middle East. Arranged in a chronological order, moving from the early days of the Zionist Movement, through the establishment of the State of Israel, to the issues and threats presently facing Israel and the Jews, each of the nine chapters comprising "Prophecies and Providence" addresses a specific historical theme, shedding a light and clarity on the profound questions raised by the unusual turns of modern Jewish history. "Prophecies and Providence" is non-apocalyptical and non-political, raising thoughtful and thought-provoking questions while presenting a coherent biblical-historical picture that will make for fascinating reading for Bible scholars and non-specialist general readers with an interest in modern Jewish history alike.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Prophecies and Providence: A Biblical Approach to Modern Jewish History" is enhanced with the inclusion of four appendices: The Purpose of Prayer; The Resurrection; Return of the Lost Tribes; The Three Oaths. Rabbi Yehoushua Pfeffer's "Prophecies and Providence" is extraordinarily informed and informative, making it a critically important and very highly recommended addition to personal and academic library Judaic Studies and reference collections and Judaic Studies supplemental studies reading lists.
Blood And Gold
Clay Starmer
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
9781444821796, $20.00, 236pp, www.ulverscroftusa.com
Synopsis: When retired US Marshal Tom Stafford sets out for a new life, the past and future collide. A night stop in the town of Stratton is the prelude to mayhem, where there is love (in the form of the feisty Ella Farrell), murder, and simmering tension. But when Stafford gets wind that the man who ordered the deaths of his wife and child is close, he faces the prospect of confronting a lawless thug. Before long, aching for revenge and the hand of Ella, Stafford swears an oath: he'll take up his law badge again and eliminate his demons.
Critique: A compelling read from first page to last, "Blood And Gold" is an action-adventure western replete with outlaws, gold miners, Army troops, and Native Americans on the warpath. Author Clay Starmer is a gifted storyteller and a master of the western genre. This large print edition of "Blood And Gold" is very highly recommended reading and would make an enduringly popular addition to community library Western Fiction collections.
A Roving Eye
Mona Ateek, et al.
American University in Cairo Press
420 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10018-2729
www.aucpress.com
9789774166792, $16.95, 96pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Every language has local expressions and proverbs that create confusion when translated literally into another language. These phrases usually carry humor and wisdom at their core, but are only fully understood in their native language. "A Roving Eye: Head to Toe in Egyptian Arabic Expressions" explores some of these phrases and sayings from one of the world's most expressive tongues, Egyptian Arabic, the most widely spoken form of Arabic. Including some one hundred popular phrases and proverbs, all linked to parts of the body and features of the face, "A Roving Eye" uses striking black-and-white photography to bring these expressions to life. The result is a book that will delight both learners and native speakers of Arabic, as well as lovers of Egypt who have little knowledge of the language. Each phrase or saying features a photograph, the original expression in Arabic, its transliteration, and its equivalents in English (both literal and proverbial).
Critique: A unique and exceptionally well presented volume, "A Roving Eye: Head to Toe in Egyptian Arabic Expressions" is a "must" for English speaking students of Egyptian Arabic. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' and a delight to simply browse through with its captioned black-and-white photographic images, "A Roving Eye: Head to Toe in Egyptian Arabic Expressions" is very highly recommended for academic library Linguistic Studies reference collections.
Michael J. Carson
Reviewer
Gail's Bookshelf
Rose Book of Bible Charts, Volume 3
Rose Publishing
4733 Torrance Blvd., #259, Torrance, CA 90503
9781596368699, $29.99 (Spiral Bound), www.rose-publishing.com
Rose Publishing continues their full-color Rose Book of Bible Charts series with Rose Book of Bible Charts Volume 3. The easy-to-use Bible reference book is perfect for Bible study and personal use with its visually attractive and colorful Bible comparison charts, maps and timelines. The hardbound cover and interior spiral binding lays flat for ease-of-copying an excellent aid for Sunday school teachers, small group leaders or pastors.
The 220-page reference book covers twenty-seven key Bible topics and begins with "Who I am in Christ." Readers learn what salvation means, more about their new "identity in Christ," who God is and what spiritual gifts are and even includes a spiritual gifts questionnaire.
The table of contents, supplemented with an alphabetized topic specific index offers essential information about baptism, the Lord's Supper, heaven, creeds, heresies and attributes of God among other topics such as forgiveness.
For example this teaching recognizes forgiveness isn't easy even though we know to be forgiven requires forgiveness. True forgiveness also frees the forgiver from bitterness, anger and a desire for revenge, yet the question arises, "does forgiveness mean reconciliation?" This section explores the differences between forgiveness and reconciliation and concludes with, "Forgiveness is unlocking the door to set someone free and realizing you were the prisoner!"
Another fascinating section concerns the book of Revelation with its easy-to-understand colorful charts and timelines of End-time events, such as the Trumpet and Bowl judgments, what the number 666 is, the Great Prostitute, who the seven churches were and God's message to the churches.
From the Old and New Testament biblical biographies, to the colorful charts, detailed graphs, timelines and scriptural overviews, biblical information is supported by Scripture and visually stunning comparison charts, maps and timelines. There is something for everyone within these pages, whether a new or seasoned Christian. The book is well-worth the price and would be an excellent gift choice for church or loved one.
Rose Publishing, inspired by a Sunday school and school teacher began with a mother and daughters dream to create easy-to-understand, easy-to-reproduce Christian products that help people grow their faith. Their vision, "to make Bible teachings and basic Christian beliefs understandable to everyone" is fulfilled with each book they produce.
Laura and Me
Sylvia Peterson
Zulon Press
2301 Lucien Way, Suite 415, Maitland, FL 32751
9781498403733, $16.49, http://www.xulonpress.com/index.php
Laura and Me is a dramatic true account of Sylvia Peterson's two year journey into the mind of a female sexual Pedophile began with a request from a Washington State prison chaplain. The unique opportunity resulted from Sylvia's twenty year ministry with prisoners, many of them sex offenders, however female sexual predators were rare with little to accommodate them in the prison system.
DoSomething.org lists "11 Facts about Child Abuse" and Crisis Connection reports, "Active Pedophiles are generally single men between the ages of 16 and 35. Child molesters are generally married men, of any age, who are primarily drawn to their own children and step-children." There are few definitions for female predators, although the problem is increasing.
Laura Faye McCollum, deemed a rare female Pedophile, was housed in Washington State's "sex predator center," in an all-male sex offender prison. Laura's deliberately vague sentence, to be "confined indefinitely as a violent, serial, sexual predator" suggested the degree of her problem to children and society.
Sexual abuse was a personal issue for Sylvia. The ravages of childhood self-hatred, shame and guilt drove her to learn "why" adults were attracted to and sexually molested children. She admits, "Christian charity wasn't her driving force" when she agreed to meet with Laura twice a month. Instead, she searched for an answer to one question, "Why did he do that to me?" That question was the legacy pedophiles and child molesters left in their wake for "all survivors of child abuse" such as Sylvia.
Laura and Me takes readers inside the mind and personality of an accomplished liar and skilled manipulator, a woman Q13 Fox News reported as too dangerous to release into society. Her horrific crimes included the rape of an eighteen-month-old baby. It's also Sylvia's story of sexual abuse and her struggle with self-blame, guilt and shame. Until she "learned God is bigger than anything" from her past and she was blessed with the ability to forgive and find healing through her relationship with Laura.
"Laura and Me" is not an easy read and I recommend an age appropriate rating. The topic is dark and the detailed and poignant, sometimes disturbing conversations require maturity to read although the overall message features hope, forgiveness and healing.
Over time a friendship developed between Sylvia and Laura, yet News Tribune Staff Writer Larry LaRue interviewed McCollum and writes she isn't "allowed to read the book or benefit from book sales." He also asked if Laura would ever be free. Sylvia's simple answer, "I hope not. Laura has no remorse, no ability to feel compassion."
Heartfelt: A Woman's Guide to Creating Meaningful Friendships
Joneal Kirby, PhD, Miss Kay Robertson, Duck Dynasty Women
Worthy Publishing
134 Franklin Road, Suite 200, Brentwood, TN 37027
9781617954221, $15.99, www.worthypublishing.com
Dr. Joneal Kirby, celebrated author, popular conference speaker and founding director of Heart to Home Ministries, a woman's conference and mentoring group, releases "Heartfelt" February 17. The book, endorsed by Kay Robertson and other Duck Commander women, is a "Women's Guide to Creating Meaningful Friendships" in a "technology-driven" world that nurtures isolation instead of emotional intimacy.
Kay Robertson, who supports "Heart to Home's" ministry writes, "Close friendships with Christian women provide us strength, courage, and hope as we raise our children, fight for our marriages and build our faith." Kirby notes that describes previous generations when women lived in" small close-knit communities," not like the busy, fast-paced world of lengthy work and school commutes we live in today, electronic companions by our side.
Nevertheless, Kirby believes women have a "God-given craving for authentic, meaningful, connecting relationships" with other women instead of the more common church chit-chat she calls "foyer-facade" conversing. Where greetings of "Hello," and "How are you?" are pretexts for personal relationships. That's why she wrote "Heartfelt" where she asks women, "Are you tired of," impersonal remarks such as, "'I'm fine, how are you?" If you are, this book is for you. In these pages women learn about Kirby's "Titus 2" mentoring ministry.
The program is built around Titus 2: 3-5 in the Old Testament. These scriptures describe a God-mandated model for women to follow. Where older church women teach, train, guide and befriend younger church women fostering a "mentee," "mentor" program "supported by the truth of the Bible." As women build Christ-centered relationships, the "body of Christ is strengthened," writes Kirby. Flawed human character is replaced with the "character of Christ" and women begin to "mirror the gospel of Jesus Christ."
Kirby is quick to note, becoming a "Titus 2 woman isn't easy." It requires time, effort, patience, tolerance and forgiveness and doesn't permit "judgmental attitudes and opinions" of others. A "Titus 2" woman must not criticize or gossip because doing so destroys trust, a vital component of true friendship.
Dr. Kirby's how-to guide is an excellent resource for individual or church use. Chapters begin with the transformational experience of one woman's Titus 2 journey, the author's thoughts, a brief study with space to note responses and concludes with testimonies from the "mentee" and the "mentored." The last chapter features the "logistics of a meeting," from how to structure a meeting, to suggested rules, scheduling and the mentor-mentee role.
Dr. Kirby combines practical wisdom and personal experience gleaned from over thirty years as a practicing marriage therapist, family counselor and educator. The book is a plus-five on a scale of one to five.
Last Words of Jesus: First Steps to a Richer Life
Stu Epperson, Jr.
Worthy Inspired
c/o Worthy Publishing
134 Franklin Road, Suite 200, Brentwood, TN 37027
9781617954771, $15.99, 176 Pages, http://worthyinspired.com
Stu Epperson, Jr., president and founder of The Truth Network and radio host of Truth Talk Live, also attends a weekly Bible study group, "Wednesday in the Word." That is where his new devotional, Last Words of Jesus was "born, taught, and lived in real life with real men." The books thought-provoking insights focus on the "last seven statements uttered by Jesus on the cross." Which makes it a perfect choice for the Lenten season when Christians prepare to celebrate Easter.
Dr. David Jeremiah, writes in the foreword that a person's final words represent and reveal "either the hope or hopelessness" of a life that is ending when all hope is gone and death approaches. However, none are more so than the last statements of Christ, writes Epperson, "because of who He was - and is."
Seven brief chapters on "prayer, pardon, paternity, pain, passion, perfection and peace," portray an overall theme Epperson summarizes with these words. "Seven words of life from the tree of death." His narrow focus, often word by word, adds a new depth and understanding to what the life and death of Jesus on the cross really means.
His account of three crosses and why he views them as representative of the "unredeemed, the redeemed, and the Redeemer" broadened the perspective of the cross for me. As did his comparison between stories and the cross. Just as there are two sides to every story there are two sides to the cross and everyone stands on "one side of the cross or the other."
If you need a "fresh encounter" with Jesus this Lenten season, the "Last Words of Jesus: First Steps to a Richer Life" belongs on your bookshelf. Epperson's laser-like focus and sensitivity add deeper insight and rich personal meaning to the last words of Christ, whether for a new or seasoned believer.
Macy
April McGowan
Whitefire Publishing
13607 Bedford Rd NE, Cumberland, MD 21502
9781939023391, $14.99, http://whitefire-publishing.com/wordpress
April McGowan's newest contemporary fiction contains the same biting ring of truth I first saw in her debut release, Jasmine, a compelling story about at-risk girls, drugs and prostitution played out in the life of the main character. She pursues a similar theme in Macy with a convincing story about a young girl, her dysfunctional family, spousal emotional abuse and difficult choices.
When sixteen-year-old Macy Stone agreed to marry Arthur, a man old enough to be her father she thought he loved her and she daydreamed of their future home "nestled in the trees," with a garden, a dog and children of her own. She didn't know about the secret agreement that was part of the exchange.
Macy saw it as a chance to be independent, released from the responsibilities of "taking care of three little ones at home while her mother nursed her dying father." She knew Arthur would take care of her and she would learn to love him, even change his mind about wanting children. In spite of the fact he made his living as a long-haul trucker and she would now share his "sleeper-cab" truck with him.
Seven years later, little had changed except for Arthur's demanding and abusive ways. Now they sat across from one another in a roadside diner, Arthur's cold "steely gray eyes" boring into hers from across the table, his lips curled with disgust as he said. "You're what?"
"We're going to have a baby," Macy whispered.
Thus begins a first-person account of lost innocence, family secrets and a young woman challenged to live by God's grace when her husband abandons her. Macy had married Arthur to escape. Now she felt lost, alone and unable to care for herself, let alone care for the baby she carried, a story that mirrors the emotional challenges of many young woman today.
McGowan's realistic characterizations, engaging and surprising plot twists, enhanced by inner thoughts and authentic conversations make Macy an unforgettable and persuasive read. It's a story of commitment, healing, budding faith and learning to trust God with an unexpected ending that leaves room for a sequel.
The book is a five on a scale of one to five and would be especially good for anyone challenged by emotional abuse.
Gail Welborn
Reviewer
Gary's Bookshelf
Mightier Than The Sword
Jeffery Archer
St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.stmartins.com
9781250034519, $27.99, www.amazon.com
Put down whatever you are reading and pick up "Mightier Than The Sword" the fifth installment of The Clifton Chronicles. Prepare to be mesmerized once again in the world Jeffrey Archer began in "Only Time Will Tell." This time the story begins in 1964 and concludes somewhere in the 1970's. There are three separate storylines that move along until the cliff hanger ending. Though the wait has been almost a year, it is as if we have never been away as the story unfolds and takes readers along for a very satisfying journey. Archer is a first class story teller and "Mightier Than The Sword" continues to show why.
Driven to Matrimony
Barbara Barrett
The Wild Rose Press Inc
PO Box 708, Adams Basim, NY 14410-0708
www.thewildrosepress.com
9781628392950, $12.99, www.amazon
"Driven to Matrimony" is a comical romance novel that moves along to its final fun ending. Dina Maitland has a problem. Her famous movie star mom has let her know she is engaged to a man who is more than 30 younger. Dina leaves her job to confront her mother about her engagement. She meets Ben Cutler the father of the groom at a car rental place. Through a strange twist of fate they are thrown together but Dina does not let Ben know who she really is. They both have the same objective of stopping this relationship from going any further. There are enough twists and turns that stirs the story along with well defined characters, and an easy writing style makes "Driven to Matrimony" so enjoyable.
The Christmas Wedding
James Patterson & Richard DiLallo
Grand Central Publishing
c/o Hachette Book Group USA
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
www.HatchetteBookGroupUSA.com
9780446571753, $9.00 www.amazon.com
Though geared as a Christmas season novel "The Christmas Wedding" can be read anytime of the year and enjoyed. Patterson and DiLallo tell the story of a woman who has decided she is going to marry on Christmas one of three men she has been very close to through the years after her first husband died. She sends messages to all of her children that she wants all of them to attend the wedding she is planning. The novel is also about the lives of her children. When I was reading "The Christmas Wedding" I was reminded of the show "Brothers and Sisters" and how Nora Walker dealt with her children. "The Christmas Wedding" is another enjoyable Patterson novel.
Insatiable Appetites
Stuart Woods
Putnam
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9780399169151, $27.95, www.amazon.com
While other authors have one novel a year Woods produces at least four books a year and he keeps the quality very high for each one. "Insatiable Appetites" is one of the best Stone Barrington novels ever. This time there are several story lines that race the tale along to the end. He also settles the dilemma Stone has of where to have dinner now that Elaine's is no longer in business. One in particular is that there is a new president elected. On the very day of the election one party says in a secret meeting they will not work with the president elect at all and will do everything they can to stop any legislation from being passed by this new president. Stone Barrington learns of this plan and is caught up in revealing the members of this covert meeting. Woods has a page turner in "Insatiable Appetites" that also has a lot to say about the present climate of politics.
Measure of a Man From Auschwitz Survivor to Presidents' Tailor
Martin Greenfield With Wynton Hall
Regnery Publishing
300 New Jersey Avenue, Washington DC, 20001
www.Regnery.com
9781621572664, $27.99 www.amazon.com
70 years ago this year prisoners in the Nazi death camps like Auschwitz were freed by the Allied forces. "Measure of a Man From Auschwitz Survivor to Presidents' Tailor" is the first hand account by one of those victims of how he lived through the darkest time of the world's history to become a world respected tailor of suits and other clothes of some of the most famous people from many walks of life including presidents of The United States. Greenfield tells about the death camps he was taken to, the loss of his family in them, his coming to America, and how he got into the garment industry that changed his life forever. He is living proof that out of bad comes good and he shows why, with many different stories of the people he has worked with "Measure of a Man From Auschwitz Survivor to President' Tailor" is a well written tale of one of the last remaining survivors of the Holocaust of World War Two that so many disbelieve ever took place.
Tupperware Unsealed Brownie Wise, Earl Tupper, and the Home Party Pioneers
Bob Kealing
University Press of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street Gainesville, Fl 32611-2079
www.upf.com
9780813032276, $28.00, www.amazon.com
Millions of us use everyday the products of Tupperware but what do we know about the company. In "Tupperware Unsealed Brownie Wise, Earl Tupper and the Home Party Pioneers" Bob Kealing delves into the world of Tupperware and reveals lots of secrets never before known until now. He shows how the company was begun, the beginning of the home party and who began them, why the headquarters were relocated to Florida and the choice of city and the relationship of Earl Tupper and Brownie Wise. "Tupperware Unsealed Brownie Wise, Earl Tupper, and the Home Part Pioneers" is a fast paced account of one of our most cherished companies and how it has grown and changed through the years.
Downton Abbey Rules For Household Staff
Published and Printed by arrangement with
St. Martins Griffin
c/o St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.stmartins.com
9781250066329, $14.99, www.amazon.com
Downton Abbey continues to thrill and amaze the world with 5 seasons under its belt. "Downton Abbey Rules For Household Staff" is for the many fans to know the protocols of the servants. Some of the things covered are the many different types of jobs, proper dress for each situation, proper terms to be used, and lots more that give so much insight to the world of service. "Downton Abbey Rules For Household Staff" is a very revealing look behind the scenes at Downton Abbey.
Book Design 7 Simple Steps to Design Ebook Covers that Sell
Fitgerald
Spider Books Publishing
c/o Mother Spider Designs LLC
www.SpiderBooksPublishing.com
9781942728023, $18.78 www.amazon.com
Like the writing inside, the cover has to capture the interest of a reader to want to pick up the book and begin reading. In the case of this one that is all about covers and how important they are, it fails because there is too much going on. The way the title is set up is part of the confusion. The title has certain words missing making it that much more complicated. The author has some excellent points that are made inside and there are many examples of very good covers but it is interesting that the cover for the title of the subject is so poor. "Book Design 7 Simple Steps to Design Ebook Covers that Sell" should have been better thought out.
Parts of Speech Parade New York City
Irina Conikberg Dolnskiy, author
Mark Wayne Adams, illustrator
MWAI
c/o Mark Wayne Adams, Inc
P. O. Box 916392, Longwood Fl 32791
www.markwayneadams.com
9781596160170, $14.95, www.amazon.com
The author and artist have found a fun way to teach different parts of speech to kids. Several of them are nouns, verbs, and prepositions. The combined talents give the rules and show examples of them for children to remember how each parts of speech work together. "Parts of Speech Parade New York City" is an easy resource for youngsters to learn language
Frozen Floppies
John Hope, author
Mark Wayne Adams, illustrator
MWAI
c/o Mark Wayne Adams, Inc
P. O. Box 916392, Longwood Fl 32791
www.markwayneadams.com
9781596160187, $14.95, www.amazon.com
Floppies are little creatures who have many different adventures. The author and artist bring to life in two art forms the world of the Floppies. They also teach kids many valuable lessons that are subtle within the body of the work. "Frozen Floppies" is a fun kid's book for all ages to enjoy.
Gary Roen
Reviewer
Gloria's Bookshelf
Murder at Cape Three Points
Kwei Quartey
Soho Crime
853 Broadway, NY, NY 10003
www.sohopress.com
9781616954833, $14.95, 336 pp, www.amazon.com
Described by the author as "the land nearest nowhere," Cape Three Points appears to be a place of unspoiled beauty on the Ghanaian coast in West Africa where two bays form the three peninsulas which give it its name, jutting into the Atlantic Ocean, where the horrific murder of a wealthy middle-aged couple, Charles and Fiona Smith-Aidoo, is discovered. Their bodies are found in a fishing canoe drifting near a deep-sea oil rig, the man having been beheaded. Inspector Darko Dawson and his assistant, D.S. Chikata, are sent by CID Headquarters to assist the local police with the investigation.
Dawson is a fascinating protagonist. He has synesthesia;, which usually manifests itself when he is confronted with a liar; he has a fear of water, and has never flown before in his life, but the need to visit the unique crime scene, the area around the oil rig, necessitates him taking helicopter underwater escape training as well as fly in a helicopter to get to the site. There is no paucity of suspects, or of possible motives, among which are family feuds, blackmail, a corruption cover-up, ritual sacrifice, and even voodoo, as well as one suspect's grief over the death of a beloved child.
The setting, Ghana, where lack of potable water (or water of any kind) and dependable electricity are among the trials of daily life, is brought to vivid life by the author. Dawson loves his wife and children dearly, and fears for their safety as the investigation continues. There are those who are committed to preserving the environment, the local fishing industry, and the livelihood of the coastal peoples, all of which may be threatened in the scenarios which play out in this deftly plotted book. My one reservation was that while the intricacies of the families and their generational complexities are, admittedly, central to the plot, at times I felt the novel bogged down by them. Nevertheless, the book is recommended.
The Bone Orchard
Paul Doiron
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10010
www.minotaurbooks.com
9781250034885, $25.99, 303 pp., www.amazon.com
With this, his fifth novel, Paul Doiron seems poised to join the few outstanding authors, headed IMHO by William Kent Krueger, who bring to vivid life the landscape, beauty and inhabitants (both the human and wildlife variety) of the northernmost parts of the United States, the states bordering Canada - - a lofty perch, to be sure. In this instance, that means Maine, 'the most rural state in the country.' The protagonist is Mike Bowditch, 27 years old and a former game warden [who in Maine have all the powers of state troopers], now working as a hunting and fishing guide in the North Woods. The book opens in a rainy month of May, when a a tragedy has just taken place: Mike's friend, Jimmy Gammon, scion of a powerful and politically connected family, not long after returning home from Afghanistan with horrific injuries, has been fatally shot in a "suicide by cop" scenario. To make matters worse, one of the two cops involved is Mike's friend and mentor, Sgt. Kathy Frost.
In a state with the highest percentage of Afghanistan war vets in the nation, sympathies are decidedly against the cop, who says she acted in self-defense. When Mike goes to Kathy's house to offer his support, he comes upon a scene where a sniper has shot Kathy as she exited her house, leaving her grievously wounded and clinging to life, and Mike himself is wounded when he interrupts the encounter. Mike, who has two such incidents in his past where he had no choice but to fire his weapon in self-defense with lethal results, is determined to track down the perpetrator.
Mike had served 3 years as a game warden but had resigned his position two months earlier, a decision he second-guesses on nearly a daily basis. His former colleagues are wary of trusting him now, making his investigation that much more difficult. In a well-plotted tale, the author makes Mike a very human and conflicted protagonist, about whom the reader comes to feel great empathy. I loved the writing, e.g., "I'd never believed that our destinies are predetermined. If you look back on your life, you might see what looks like a meaningful progression, but it's no different from gazing at the moon and seeing a man's face. Just because you perceive a pattern doesn't mean it's really there." The novel is highly recommended.
The Black-Eyed Blonde
Benjamin Black
Picador
175 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10010
9781250062123, $16.00, 304 pp, www.amazon.com
John Banville, the Irish author here writing under his pen name of Benjamin Black, has written a book certain to give exquisite pleasure to the many fans of Raymond Chandler and his creation, LA private detective Philip Marlowe with a reputation as a "thinking man's detective.". The masterful re-imagining is evident from the first words: "It was one of those Tuesday afternoons in summer when you wonder if the earth has stopped revolving. The telephone on my desk had the air of something that knows it's being watched. Cars trickled past in the street below the dusty window of my office, and a few of the good folks of our fair city ambled along the sidewalk, men in hats, mostly, going nowhere."
The eponymous woman makes her first appearance moments later. "Her hair was blond and her eyes were black, black and deep as a mountain lake, the lids exquisitely tapered at their outer corners. A blonde with black eyes - - that's not a combination you get very often." As Marlow later summarized things, he is "hired to look for a guy who was supposed to be dead. Next thing I know I'm up to my knees in corpses, and I damn near became a corpse myself." What happens in between, taking place in a little more than a week, is laid out in Chandler-esque form, with a wholly unexpected ending. To say that Mr. Banville has "captured" the charm of that author seems inadequate.
Apparently this title was one that Chandler had listed as a possibility for a future novel, and Mr. Banville has made of it a terrific mystery. He evokes the Marlowe era perfectly, conjuring up memories of people with names like the Marx Brothers, Paul Whiteman, Lon Chaney, Raymond Burr, and Errol Flynn.
I highly recommend that you give yourself the deep pleasure of reading this book.
Moon in a Dead Eye
Pascal Garnier
Translated from the French by Emily Boyce
Gallic Books
59 Ebury St., London SW1W 0NZ
Meryl Zegarek Public Relations
9781908313492, $12.95, 128 pp, www.amazon.com
This was a strange book, in a good way, I hasten to add! Very unlike most others I've read, either recently or not so recently. It begins in a most charming manner, introducing the reader to Martial and Odette Sudre, retired professionals married over 40 years and now entering a new phase of their lives, leaving Suresnes, "the Parisian suburb they had called home for more than twenty years" to move to Les Conviviales. a retirement village in the Midi, boasting "an active life in the sunshine [where] you're protected and secure, with a dedicated caretaker-manager on site 365 days of the year." Initially they find Les Conviviales a bit disconcerting: "There was something a bit strange about all these houses that looked the same, though; it felt like ringing their own doorbell."
The first and only residents of the complex for the first month, the Sudres are soon joined by Maxime and Marlene Node, a couple of similar background who had lived in the residential neighborhood of Orleans, and then by Lea, a single woman who the others speculate may be a widow. Monsieur Gerard Flesh, the aforementioned caretaker, and ultimately Nadine, the 45-yeyar-old woman hired to organize the activities and run the clubhouse and who finds a bit of cannabis soothing, round out the residents. "It made Martial smile. For the time being, there were still just the five of them, with no new arrivals on the cards. They weren't exactly fighting for space in the pool. In fact, it was starting to feel a bit weird, all the empty houses." But they all have their little quirks. Maxime, for example, feels comforted with his gun behind the cushions of his wheelchair. The atmosphere changes soon, however, with the appearance just beyond the gates of caravans of gypsies, apparently an annual event, and a sense of unease sets in, the residents' sense of isolation suddenly seeming threatening.
Pascal Garnier, prize-winning author of over 60 books [of which this was the third published in the US], was born in Paris in 1949 and passed away in 2010. Next up for this reviewer is his The Front Seat Passenger, which was published by Gallic Books in the US in September of 2014, to which I am greatly looking forward. Recommended.
The Front Seat Passenger
Pascal Garnier
Translated from the French by Jane Aitken
Gallic Books
59 Ebury St., London SW1W 0NZ
Meryl Zegarek Public Relations
9781908313638, $13.95, 139 pp, www.amazon.com
Pascal Garnier, prize-winning author of over 60 books [of which this was the fourth and last published in the US], was born in Paris in 1949 and passed away in 2010. Having just recently read "Moon in a Dead Eye," the penultimate book by Pascal Garnier, I should have been prepared for this one, but must admit I was not. I described that book as "strange," albeit in a good way; as to this one, if I had to use one word, it would be "weird." But in a good way as well (I think).
One gets some inkling of what is in store on the very first page of the book, when the driver of a car, not identified until near the end of this short tale, is described thusly: "The right hand moved from the steering wheel, caressing the gear lever, as one might the head of a cat, or the handle of a gun."
It is not a spoiler, as the back page of the book shares this information, to say that Fabien and Sylvie Delorme have a marriage that is no longer the vibrant, loving one it once was, and in the early pages of the book Sylvie dies in a fatal car crash; her "front seat passenger" was her lover, also killed in the crash. Fabien is moved to track down the lover's widow, Martine, and begins stalking her. What follows ares examples of dysfunctional relationships of every description - marital, parental, etc.
To give just one example of the writing, this is the description of Martine, nearing her 32nd birthday: "She looked like an over-exposed photo, with so little presence that one wondered if she was capable of casting a shadow." This book, as its predecessor, is a riveting glimpse into another odd world from this author, and is recommended.
The Painter
Peter Heller
Vintage
1745 Broadway, NY, NY 10019
aaknopf.com
9780804170154, $15.95, 384 pp.
Jim Stegner is an artist. Forty-five years old, somewhat famous, married and divorced more than once, his current lover is the young woman, a 28-year-old with a hippy boyfriend, who models for him. He is still grieving the loss of his adored daughter, murdered three years ago when she was fifteen during a drug buy gone wrong. She had been his favorite fishing partner, appreciating the serenity and concentration and artistry of it, and he still cares for the rescue pig she called Mittens. (Oddly, this is the second book in recent weeks which contained a rescue pig!)
Jim has a barely suppressed violent streak, and served some time in jail after having shot a man in a bar. He is now 30 months sober, and has given up his gambling addiction as well, and tries to start fresh in the valleys of rural Colorado. His art dealer in Santa Fe, who has known him for twenty years, offers him a commission for a large portrait of the daughters of a man who has collected his paintings for years, which he ultimately accepts, and travels back to Santa Fe for the work.
The novel revolves around the rescue of a small strawberry roan, about which more cannot be said without spoilers. Initially, I thought this was going to be a departure from my usual read, generally a mystery, usually centered upon a murder. But it did not appear to be the case. The novel centers upon three major aspects of the author's life, and that of his protagonist: Fishing, painting, and poetry, not necessarily in that order. Three things, I must admit, about which I know little or nothing. But into this placid world violence intrudes, with it a low thrum of suspense and menace.
The writing is elegant, as much poetry as novel. Early in the book, Jim arrives at a small creek where he intends to fish: ". . . the creek below gathering the light as it gathers the water. The water is nearly blue, greener in the pools, snowy in the rapids, a living pulse reflecting trees and sky and cloud and ducks and crossing elk, and soon yours truly as it runs. My own pulse quickening. The excitement that never changes, of getting wet soon. Of facing off with a bunch of wary fish who may or may not be smarter than me." The world the author creates, of fishing, painting and poetry, is completely captivating, and the novel is highly recommended.
Deadly Bonds
L.J. Sellers
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
276 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10001
amazon.cm/thomasandmercer
9781477824306, $14.95, 303 pp.
Eugene, Oregon police detective Wade Jackson's newest case takes him to a scene where a young woman's dead body is discovered in a nearly empty house, but the most startling thing about it is when he discovers her three-year-old son hidden beneath the floorboards in a closet. The boy, Benjie, immediately bonds with Jackson, who already has enough on his plate, on a personal level: His teenage daughter's whereabouts are unknown, and his girlfriend, Kera, is going through her own personal crisis, with the mother of her grandson (whose father, Kera's son, had been killed in Iraq) on life support after being in a car crash.
The usual cast of terrific supporting characters is present, the other detectives in the Violent Crimes Unit, of which Jackson is task force leader: Rob "Schak" Schakowski; Jackson's mentee, Lara Evans; Michael Quince; and their boss, Sgt. Denise Lammers. Evans, who has romantic feelings towards Jackson, is a fascinating character in her own right. Coming from an abusive household, she now volunteers at a women's support center, and hopes to join the SWAT team soon. When a new case surfaces, with the star quarterback of the college football team having been found dead in his apartment, Evans is tasked with that investigation. This one is a political nightmare, with the college and its football team being the city's cash cow, and concerns that the death might be drug- and/or steroid-related. And soon the possibility arises that the two cases may overlap. The book races along to a suspense-filled conclusion, complete with kidnappings, and a series of new characters and events that had my head spinning.
This is the ninth entry in the series, and it is a winner. The author's many fans will be delighted to know that the tenth and newest book, "Wrongful Death," is due out in March.
Gloria Feit
Reviewer
Gorden's Bookshelf
A Blaze of Glory
Jeff Shaara
Ballantine Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com
B005OCYR1C (Print ISBN: 9780345527363) $9.99, 482 pages, www.amazon.com
A Blaze of Glory is a story about the key 1862 Civil War battle of Shiloh. Jeff Shaara has made a name for himself by writing well researched war novels. Unlike his father's work where letters and journals from the commanders in the battles take center stage, Jeff uses soldiers for many of his key characters. This technique adds a more personal touch to the story but it also leaves many tactical questions unanswered. Glory tries to be both a soldier's story and a campaign story. Shaara pulls of the soldier part but misses with the campaign. Since all battles turn on what-if questions (What if the attack was pressed? What if this captain, major or general did this?), Glory leaves the reader with more uncertainty than it would need to if the character of the commanders were more fully explored.
The beginning of the story starts months before the battle. The long lead up to the story does drag the reading. Shaara uses this long lead to explore the Confederate characters in the tale giving them the most depth. An interesting point in much of the story is how political extremism blinds people to the facts around them and how this shapes the battle. This is a point you can still see today.
Any Civil War or military history buff will have to read this. The price is right in the electronic version. Unfortunately the maps are a problem on the small electronic screen. The story is well enough written that those wanting to explore this genre will have an enjoyable read. A Blaze of Glory has the right price and quality to make it a book you will want to find.
Wind River
James Reasoner and L.J. Washburn
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
B005HFLFMU
(print ISBN: 9781481028646) ebook price $0.99 213 pages
Wind River is a classic style western. There are no holes in the storytelling. The locations, technologies and general events fit the real history of the west. Many contemporary western writers play fast and loose with history so it is nice to find someone who takes the time and has the general feel of the historic setting. The one thing missing from this horse opera is that the historic west in this story is just a setting to the tale and not a full participant in the storyline.
Wind River is a railhead town. Two entrepreneurs have built the town and brought the property before the tracks were built. Cole Tyler is a buffalo hunter and scout traveling on the very first train to enter the town. The celebrations thrown for the arrival of the first train ends in a brawl and murder of one of the entrepreneurs. Cole is hired by the town to control the violence of the railhead and is asked by the widow to find the murderer of her husband. He didn't know what he has gotten himself into as he is nearly immediately attacked. The more he looks into the people in the town the more hidden things come out. Nearly everyone has a hidden past.
Wind River is a solid western. It is better written than most contemporary westerns. In the very best westerns the setting becomes a full participant enriching the tale. Wind River just misses that high mark. The story is an easy recommendation for any western reader or for anyone wanting a first read in the genre. It is easily worth the minimal price. The mystery and action are enough for readers in the detective mystery genre to enjoy as well.
S.A. Gorden, Reviewer
www.paulbunyan.net/users/gsirvio/content.html
Jaclyn's Bookshelf
Ella Mae the Courageous Cheerleader
Stephanie Cameron
Tate Publishing- Children's Division
127 E. Trade Center Terrace, Mustang, Oklahoma 73064
ASIN: B00BJ8A3Z4, $7.99 Kindle, www.amazon.com
This is a perfect book for a child struggling with bullying issues. From the gorgeous illustrations to the well-integrated bible verses, Ella Mae was a delightful read. The story follows a young cheerleader named Ella Mae. She loved to cheer for her school, but had to face the daily teasing from her team mates. Even though it was difficult, Ella Mae made a choice to treat them with kindness rather than resorting to using the same tactics. Eventually, her kindness spread and she received a nice surprise.
At the end, we were greeted with a few questions and some bible verses that relates to the overall theme of "do to others what you would have them do to you". These questions help children take the concepts from the story and open up a dialogue with their family about bullying.
My daughter says, "It is hard to deal with bullies. Sometimes it is hard to know how to stand up to someone who is being mean. I like how she was able to be kind even though the girls were really mean to her. I think this book has a great message."
This book is a great complement to Christian upbringings. I believe that a reader who is not religious or does not believe in the Christian faith may have issues with the religious symbols, verses, and theme. And for that reason, I would not recommend this book for those readers. However, if the reader is looking for a great book about bullying, is Christian, religious, and/or curious about the faith, I feel this would be an excellent addition to their libraries.
The Adventures of Wally and Warren: Dinosaur Hunt
Lise Chase
Eve Innovations
9780692229224, Print $9.99 US, 42 pgs.
B00L3UL7R6, Kindle $2.99 US, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Wally and Warren, the dynamic polar duo, are on a new Jurassic adventure. With Warren as their guide, Wally learns about a variety of dinosaurs. When he discovers some of these creatures eat meat, he worries one might come after him, Warren, and their new baby Brontosaurus friend. He's determined to protect them, but what will he do when he encounters the greatest predator of all...the Tyrannosaurus Rex?
Dinosaur Hunt is the fourth installment in The Adventures of Wally and Warren children's book series. The story is written in clever and adorable rhymes. It depicts Wally, Warren, and their friends playing pretend while reading a book about dinosaurs. Lise Chase explains the purpose of her illustrations. She wants children to feel like they could draw those characters and create their own stories. It is a great concept which will surely inspire the future generation of authors and illustrators.
As a parent, I really enjoyed the interaction my children had with it. My son, the two year old, loved giving the baby dinosaur kisses. He took off down the hall to run away from the T-Rex when the characters screamed "Run!" My youngest daughter loved learning about the different dinosaurs, and my oldest enjoyed recognizing terms she is learning in school. I like how Lise Chase shows children how fun it is to read. I believe this book will light that fire in the hearts of many young children. It is a true gem!
What did the kids think?
My oldest daughter said, "I like that it teaches about dinosaurs in a fun way. I like that the characters are drawn as cartoons and real pics of the dinosaurs are shown in the back."
Jaclyn M. Bartz, Reviewer
http://jaclynmbartz.weebly.com
Julie's Bookshelf
Leading Small Groups In The Way Of Jesus
M. Scott Boren
InterVarsity Press
PO Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 605151426
www.ivpress.com
9780830836819, $16.19, 219pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Is there any arena in the contemporary church more perplexing than small groups? Leaders and participants alike fill them with promises of unparalleled spiritual intimacy and reliable relationship. Experts put forward model after model, paradigm after paradigm, and frustrated small group leaders and followers meander from one to the next in increasingly vain hope that the next model will deliver the goods. What could be more natural than a group of people sitting together, talking? What could be more contrived than a packaged curriculum, with prefab questions and notes for leaders? Such is the problem of small groups. Scott Boren has wrestled with these challenges for years, in the context of his own small-group ministries and in consultation with churches of every stripe. In "Leading Small Groups In The Way Of Jesus" he reminds us that any small group, no matter how it's organized, is at its heart a collection of people each walking in the way of Jesus. That means we are going somewhere together -- and that means we have a reliable guide.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' from beginning to end, "Leading Small Groups In The Way Of Jesus" is a thoughtful and thought-provoking read for anyone charged with the responsibility of leading small study groups of Christians or groups of Christians seeking to live their lives in Christ. Very highly recommended for personal and church library collections, it should be noted that "Leading Small Groups In The Way Of Jesus" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).
Sacred Pause: A Creative Retreat for the Word-Weary Christian
Rachel G. Hackenberg
Paraclete Press
PO Box 1568, Orleans, MA 02653
www.paracletepress.com
9781612615790, $21.00, 190pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Even though our lives are full of words, we rarely pause to attend to them - to revel in the sights and sounds and dynamics of what we too-easily say about God. Rachel Hackenberg (an ordained United Church of Christ minister) offers the word-weary, the writers-blocked, and the spiritually stagnant to explore the words of faith anew and thereby meet The Word afresh. Through twelve deceptively light-hearted chapters on letters and definitions, grammar and poetry, "Sacred Pause: A Creative Retreat for the Word-Weary Christian" sparks the spiritual imagination even as it provides practical exercises for an inspired retreat experience!
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Sacred Pause: A Creative Retreat for the Word-Weary Christian" is an informed and informative as it is inspired and inspiring. Very highly recommended and thoroughly 'reader friendly', "Sacred Pause: A Creative Retreat for the Word-Weary Christian" is a delight to study and is especially appropriate for the non-specialist Christian reader regardless of any denominational affiliation.
The Beautiful Way Of Life
Rene Feusi
Wisdom Publications
199 Elm Street, Somerville, MA 02144
www.wisdompubs.org
9781614291893, $15.95, 160pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The most enduring and widely read spiritual work to emerge from Buddhism's classical age in India is surely Shantideva's "Bodhisattva Way of Life". Among its many fans is the Dalai Lama, who quotes from it frequently. Here much-loved Buddhist monk and mediator Rene Feusi distills Shantideva's masterpiece verse by verse. Reflecting both the lyricism of the original verses and their wealth of inspiring reflections on the virtues to be cultivated by bodhisattvas, "The Beautiful Way of Life" is a brilliant condensation of a masterpiece and a lucid entryway into timeless insights. Rene Feusi also provides tips for using the verses in a series of guided contemplations.
Critique: As informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "The Beautiful Way of Life: A Meditation on Shantideva's Bodhisattva Path" is truly extraordinary and a welcome addition to personal, community, and academic library Buddhist Studies collections and supplemental reading lists. For students of Buddhism, it should be noted that "The Beautiful Way of Life: A Meditation on Shantideva's Bodhisattva Path" is also available in a Kindle edition ($11.62).
Born In The Ghetto
Ariela Abramovich Sef
Gainsborough House
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213
www.isbs.com
9781909719002, $39.95, 252pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Born in the Ghetto: My Triumph over Adversity" is Ariela Abramovich Sef"s personal story and presents a family saga played out against a background of some of the most momentous historical events of the 20th century. Ariela's life was shaped both by difficult circumstances and her triumphs in overcoming them. Ariela brings these events to life as she narrates her gripping stories of survival in the Ghetto and enduring World War II, growing up in the Soviet Union during the Cold War and Thaw period, migrating to the West, and her adventures in Paris. With remarkable courage, she also coped with congenital heart disease, prevailing and living life to the full. Ariela shares with the readers not only her interesting life in Paris, Moscow, and London, but also her pain, loss, endurance, and nobility of spirit, gentle sense of humor, and episodes of happiness. Passing away before she could complete her memoir, "Ariela Abramovich Sef" ends with tributes to Ariela written by her many devoted friends.
Critique: Rarely has a posthumously published autobiography been such an impressively crafted, compelling and informative read. Very highly recommended for community library 20th Century Biography collections, it should be noted that "Born in the Ghetto: My Triumph over Adversity" is also available in a paperback edition (9781909719019, $19.50) and in a Kindle edition ($9.99).
In Real Life
Jon Mitchell
Parallax Press
PO Box 7355, Berkeley, CA 94707
www.parallaxpress.com
9781937006907, $14.95, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Technology helps us with our hardest work. It can also offer us endless distractions. Can technology enable us, as individuals and communities, to do our greatest possible work, the hard work of being a good person? With "In Real Life: Searching for Connection in High-Tech Times", technologist writer Jon Mitchell sets out to identify and explore the ways in which we can develop a more thoughtful relationship with technology. Rather than using technology as a medium for connecting with the world, he recommends we rethink our relationship with technology, using it as a resource that allows us to have a more intimate and personal relationship with the world around us, nature, and our loved ones. Mitchell offers concrete practices for the way we use technology in our daily lives. With an accessible and conversational, easy-to-read style, Mitchell uses his years of experience as both a tech journalist and a mindfulness practitioner to propose a rethinking of both the design of technology and its use.
Critique: Ideal for the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the role technology is able to play with respect to enhancing the quality of our lives and our communities, along with the potential hazards to both if abused or misused, "In Real Life: Searching for Connection in High-Tech Times" is very highly recommended and would prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "In Real Life: Searching for Connection in High-Tech Times" is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.21).
The End Of The Rainbow
Susan Engel
The New Press
126 Wall Street, floor 31, New York, NY 10005-4007
www.thenewpress.com
9781595589545, $26.95, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Amid the hype of Race to the Top, online experiments such as Khan Academy, and bestselling books like "The Sandbox Investment", we seem to have drawn a line that leads from nursery school along a purely economic route, with money as the final stop. But what price do we all pay for the increasingly singular focus on wage as the outcome of education? In "The End of the Rainbow: How Educating for Happiness - Not Money - Would Transform Our Schools", author, educator, and developmental psychologist Susan Engel argues that this economic framework has had a profound impact not only on the way we think about education but also on what happens inside school buildings. "The End of the Rainbow" asks what would happen if we changed the implicit goal of education and imagines how different things would be if we made happiness, rather than money, the graduation prize. Drawing on psychology, education theory, and a broad range of classroom experiences across the country, Engel offers a fascinating alternative view of what education might become: teaching children to read books for pleasure and self-expansion and encouraging collaboration. All of these new skills, she argues, would not only cultivate future success in the world of work but also would make society as a whole a better, happier place.
Critique: As informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "The End of the Rainbow" is exceptionally well written, organized and presented. A compelling read, "The End of the Rainbow" is commended to the attention of parents, teachers, school administrators, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in educational reform. A valued addition to the national dialogue over the education of America's youth in the 21st Century. Very highly recommended for community and academic Educational Studies collections, it should also be noted that "The End of the Rainbow" is available in a Kindle edition ($14.51).
The Cherokee Rose
Tiya Miles
John F. Blair, Publisher
1406 Plaza Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27103
www.blairpub.com
9780895876355, $26.95, 256pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In her novel "The Cherokee Rose", author and historian Tiya Miles examines a little-known aspect of America s past slaveholding by Southern Creeks and Cherokees and its legacy as reflected in the lives of three young women who are drawn to the Georgia plantation where scenes of extreme cruelty and equally extraordinary compassion once played out. "The Cherokee Rose" is based on historical sources about the Chief Vann House Historic Site in Chatsworth, Georgia, and the Moravian mission sponsored there in the early 1800s. The characters in The Cherokee Rose include Jinx, the free-spirited historian exploring her tribe s complicated racial history; Ruth, whose mother sought refuge from a troubled marriage in her beloved garden and the cosmetic empire she built from its bounty; Cheyenne, the Southern black debutante seeking to connect with a meaningful personal history; and, hovering above them all, the spirit of long-gone Mary Ann Battis, a young woman suspected of burning a mission to the ground and then disappearing from tribal records. The story of the women s discoveries about the secrets of a Cherokee plantation traces their attempts to connect with the strong spirits of the past and reconcile the conflicts in their own lives and hearts.
Critique: A superbly crafted gem of an historical novel, "The Cherokee Rose" documents Tiya Miles as a master of the storytelling craft. Deftly drawn and memorable characters embedded in a plot of surprising twists and turns, "The Cherokee Rose" is a compelling read from beginning to end -- and one that will linger in the mind long after the novel is finished and set back upon the shelf. "The Cherokee Rose" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Historical Fiction collections.
Why Believe The Bible?
John MacArthur
Baker Book House
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.bakerbooks.com
9780801017940, $12.99, 208pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: We live in a time and culture where more and more people question authority, truth claims, and traditional beliefs. So what are we to believe about the authority and trustworthiness of a book that is thousands of years old? Is God's Word truly inerrant? How is it different from other religious texts? Why should we trust its claims? In "Why Believe the Bible?", John MacArthur (former pastor of Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, California) definitively these questions and many more, including: Is the Bible the Word of God?; Can we prove the Bible is true?; How did the Bible come to be?; What does it mean that the Scriptures are "inspired?"; What did Jesus believe about God's Word?; Who decided which books were part of the Bible? Skeptics, new Christians, and longtime believers will find in "Why Belief The Bible?" clear answers to vexing questions about the book that has arguably had more impact on the world than all other books combined.
Critique: Enhanced with the inclusion of a Bible reading plan with study tips and an appendix with helpful tools for Bible study, "Why Believe The Bible?" is particularly ideal for the non-specialist general reader. Very highly recommended for Christian study groups regardless of their denominational affiliation, it should be noted that "Why Believe The Bible?" is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.99).
The Flame In The Cauldron
Orion Foxwood
Weiser Books
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser/Conari
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
www.redwheelweiser.com
9781578635368, $16.95, 176pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Few words entice and incite like the word witchery. Thousands of self-identified witches, pagans, and magical practitioners embrace the word, but seldom go beyond the practice of the well-accepted and learned forms of "traditional" witchcraft to explore the path of old-witchery. In "The Flame In The Cauldron", Orion Foxwood invites readers to walk on the path of old-style witchery, a nature-based practice that is as old as the swamps and as wild as the woods. For the first time, Foxwood reveals some of his own deeply personal rituals and spells directly from his own grimoire of witchery; he highlights the differences (and similarities) between Wicca, "traditional" witchcraft, and old style witchery. By weaving his own path to witchery throughout the book, he gives readers examples of how to identify the way toward this path. There is a revolution among the Pagan and Witchcraft communities, a movement away from prescribed ritual and neopagan practices and a reaching back toward what Foxwood says is in the heart of any true witch: a thundering call deep within their very blood to become a healer, a reckoner, a protector of magical arts, and a guardian of the wild woods.
Critique: Simply stated, "The Flame In The Cauldron" by Orion Foxwood should be considered a "must read" for wiccans and students pagan magical practices. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Flame In The Cauldron" would prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal and community library Metaphysical Studies reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted that "The Flame In The Cauldron" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).
The Great American Health Hoax
Raymond Francis
Health Communications, Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190
www.hcibooks.com
9780757318498, $14.95, 264pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Raymond Francis draws deeply from his years of personal experience and professional training as a chemist and a graduate of MIT to exposes the truth about why the conventional approaches to health and disease aren't working in "The Health Hoax". Francis believes that, through education, we can put an end to the epidemic of chronic disease while providing a solution to the biggest social and economic problem of this century -- the costs of global aging. Because the human organism is a magnificent self-regulating, self-repairing system, it is capable of being completely functional and in excellent health for well over 100 years of vital, productive life. We are the sum of everything that goes into our system and it is our job to support it. When we make the choice to properly care for ourselves, our bodies will reward us with the gift of good health and long life. All we need is a tool to help us master the elements of health that are the most important. "The Great American Health Hoax" is that tool. "The Great American Health Hoax" will empower the reader to choose health and never be sick again!
Critique: Iconoclastic and as informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "The Great American Health Hoax" is a compelling read and strongly recommended to the attention of the non-specialist general reader with an interest in promoting and maintaining the health of themselves and their loved ones. It should be noted that 'The Great American Health Hoax" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).
The Perfect Metabolism Plan
Sara Vance
Conari Press
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950-4600
www.redwheelweiser.com
9781573246439, $16.95, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: We have a diet and weight loss industry that rakes in billions per year, and yet almost everyone who loses weight puts it back on and then some. This yo-yo dieting is not just frustrating to the dieter, it's extremely detrimental to the heart, joints, and bones--worse, some research suggests, than remaining fat. Sara Vance's principle message is that an inability to lose weight or keep it off has never been about a failure of will, it's about a broken metabolism. No diet will stick until the underlying metabolic issues are resolved. In "The Perfect Metabolism Plan" Vance offers 10 proven keys for fixing or resetting your metabolism: Break Up with Sugar; Fix Your Fats (eat healthy fats); Heal Your Gut (probiotics); Identify Food Intolerances (foods that make you foggy, fatigued, sick, and fat); Lose the Toxins (in household products, body care products, etc.); Put Out the Fire (beware acidic foods and other foods that cause inflammation); Stop the Madness (stress); Ditch the Convenience Foods (even the so-called healthy ones); Hydrate!; Exercise Smarter (not harder). "The Perfect Metabolism Plan" is smartly organized with a very approachable tone, and includes a 3-phase cleanse and about 50 recipes. Readers will also discover that a well-functioning metabolism controls much more than their weight. They'll find themselves more clear headed, more energetic, less frequently under the weather and better able to rebound, and less achy.
Critique: Practical, medically sound, and thoroughly 'user friendly' throughout, "The Perfect Metabolism Plan" by certified nutritionist Sara Vance is deftly organized into two major sections: The Ten Keys to Unlocking Your Perfect Metabolism; Take Action! The Perfect Metabolism Cleanse. Enhanced with the inclusion of an appendix (Perfect Metabolism Meal Plan Blank Form); a two page listing of Resources; and forty-eight pages of References, "The Perfect Metabolism Plan" is enthusiastically recommended for the reading lists of anyone struggle with weight and personal health issues -- and is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).
A Restful Mind
Mark Allen Zabawa
Hazelden Foundation
PO Box 11, Center City, MN 55012-0011
www.hazelden.org
9781592857524, $14.95, 400pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: With "A Restful Mind', author Mark Allen Zabawa offers the first book designed to provide inspiration and support specifically for people living with mental health problems. A year of daily readings address the common life issues that arise for those with mental health problems and help those dealing with a disorder start or end each day more at peace with themselves and the world. By focusing thinking on positive, health-enhancing messages and presenting the kind of empathetic support that fellow contenders of emotional distress can offer, these meditations help you achieve the mental rest and self-acceptance needed for a balanced, healthy mind and peaceful life.
Critique: The Hazelden Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Center City, Minnesota. Hazelden has alcohol and drug treatment facilities in Minnesota (Center City, Chaska, Maple Grove, Plymouth, and Saint Paul); Beaverton, Oregon; Newberg, Oregon; Chicago, Illinois; Naples, Florida and New York City, New York. It offers assessment and primary residential addiction treatment for adults and youth, including extended care and intermediate care, as well as outpatient treatment, aftercare services and a family program. In February 2014, it merged with the Betty Ford Center to form the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation headquartered in Minnesota. The Hazelden Foundation mission is to help restore hope, healing, and health to people affected by addiction to alcohol and other drugs. In implementing that mission they are a premier publisher of self-help books and pamphlets of which Mark Allen Zabawa's pocket-sized paperback "A Restful Mind" is a typical example -- and one that is especially and highly recommended for anyone having to struggle with any form of addiction or mental disorder. It should be noted that "A Restful Mind" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.99).
The Art Of Arts Integration
Tatiana Chemi
Aalborg University Press
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR 97213
www.isbs.com
9788771121513, $39.00, 212pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: All children (regardless of their age, gender, or geographical/social background) thrive under the same conditions for well-being. And, they learn more when they thrive. Children's creativity (which, in adulthood, leads to job satisfaction) is a basic need that cannot be ignored. "The Art of Arts Integration: Theoretical Perspectives and Practical Guidelines" is directed towards creative school education, continuing to further develop well-functioning elements and to find new creative ways to meet children's needs for learning, development, confidence, and positivity. With a focus on arts integration, "The Art of Arts Integration" will inspire teachers who believe that creativity should be a central focus in schools, and that artistic creativity will greatly contribute to more reflective schools. This inspiration is offered in the form of cases and examples illustrating the significant benefits that the integration of arts in teaching offers, such as positive emotions and cognitive intensity, but also in terms of concrete, effective, practical tools.
Critique: As practical and 'teacher friendly' as it informed and informative, "The Art of Arts Integration: Theoretical Perspectives and Practical Guidelines" by Tatiana Chemi (Associate Professor and Chair of Educational Innovation, Aalborg University, Denmark) is exceptionally well written, organized and presented. Thoughtful and thought-provoking, "The Art Of Arts Integration" is especially recommended to the attention of art class instructors K-12 and is a critically important addition to academic library Arts Education instructional reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
Julie Summers
Reviewer
Karyn's Bookshelf
The Twyning
Terence Blacker, author
Candlewick Press
99 Dover St., Somerville, MA 02144
9780763669027, $16.99, www.amazon.com
In this richly layered and intertwined story, featuring characters with deep physical and metaphysical connections, the human and rat worlds are embroiled in an often bloody and acrid, but also profound, interspecies war.
A young rat named Efren witnesses, while exploring the off-limits, above ground world, the torture of his subterranean rat nation's king. What he sees sets off a chain of events that quickly escalates to all-out war.
Pulled into the web are an eclectic bunch of characters including a young boy and girl abandoned to the streets by their families, who make their home inside a mountainous garbage dump; a scientist with a passion for rat knowledge, including the diseases they can spread and other havoc they can wreak in the human world; a local politician who agrees to a grand plan to hunt and kill all the local rats in a bid to win his upcoming re-election; a humble rat catcher; a bar owner who allows illegal dog-rat pit fighting in her establishment but also has a heart; a small army of rat dogs and their owners; a small female rat that Efren falls in love with; and various members of the below-ground rat and above-ground human communities.
What elevates the writing to masterful are its various allegorical layers.
Characters, both rat and human, struggle with being left behind and with the temptation to leave others behind; discover how to listen and respond to others, including through unconventional channels; must weigh how the demise of their enemy, seemingly a positive thing in the short term, might ultimately bring negative consequences; weigh the different ways in which we are all connected; and grapple with being thrust into power, or positioned to affect an important outcome, without full prior knowledge or understanding of how to reach the ends they now have no choice but to pursue.
Ultimately, all the threads and meaning come together in a story that will frequently make you wince, but also force you to think about the ties to, and responsibility we have, for others. Including, and especially, our enemies.
A great classroom discussion or teen book club choice.
Miss Emily
Burleigh Muten, author
Matt Phelan, illustrator
Candlewick Press
99 Dover St., Somerville, MA 02144
9780763657345, $15.99, www.amazon.com
Simple lessons about embracing childhood and recognizing the limitations of those we love underlay this beautifully written and illustrated story about a parentally forbidden late night trek to glimpse the arrival of a circus train, a subsequent mishap, confession, consequences, and inspiring aftermath.
The fictional tale is based on real-life famed poet Emily Dickinson, who lived next door to her young niece and nephew, Ned and Mattie, in Amherst, Massachusetts, in the 1870s.
At a picnic in the poet's garden, the children, and two neighbourhood friends, accept an invitation to sneak out with "Miss Emily" late that evening to see the circus train arrive in their town. And see it they do - in all its noisy, colourful glory - while dressed themselves in wild gypsy costumes.
But when one of the children, the son of a local preacher, sprains his ankle on the trek home, his father's reaction is swift and harshly disdainful of childish rule breaking.
Miss Emily's subsequent note to the children is the apex of the tale.
"Dear Boys," she writes. "Please never grow up, which is 'much better - ' Please never improve - you are perfect now."
Amid an uplifting moment in which the children are subsequently afforded a trip to the circus performance, they come to understand that Miss Emily is a recluse, who despite her incredible imagination and zest for life, rarely leaves her house.
Their marvellous solution elevates the characters from simple children, focused on themselves and their own childish pursuits, to young people on the cusp of adolescence, beginning to reach out to others.
Phelan's illustrations exquisitely capture the emotions of scenes that range from giggles at a garden party, to the awe-inspiring late night arrival of a steam engine packed with exotic animals and performers, to the peril of a lion trainer who places his head in the mouth of his beast. The shadowy black and white tones particularly work well for the first part of the book, set at night.
Memorably told, a spirited, loosely fictionalized tribute to "Miss Emily" and the children she inspired every day.
Karyn L. Saemann, Reviewer
www.inkspotsinc.com
Kelly's Bookshelf
Last Things
Jenny Offill
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
19 Union Square West, New York 10003
0374184054, $23.00, www.amazon.com
Most would agree that we tend to interpret the world around us -- as well as the stories we encounter -- through the lens of our own experience, and Jenny Offill's Last Things is no exception. In fact, I would contend that, given the tender age of the narrator, the events presented could be taken as hysterically quirky, utterly tragic or a bit of both depending upon the nature of one's own upbringing. For me, Last Things leaned more toward heartbreaking than humorous; yet, the story unfolded so gradually and unexpectedly that I found myself blissfully unaware of the gravity of what was happening until the circumstances turned dire.
Within Last Things, Grace Davitt recounts the downward spiral of her family life during the time that she was seven, turning eight, years of age. Born to a mother who embraces virtually all guises of spirituality, superstition and mythology and a father who holds no interest in anything beyond the strictly rational, Grace illustrates the propensity of children to accept what they are told by the people they trust. After all, who has more source credibility than one's parents early in life?
Homeschooled by her mother, Anna, after getting into trouble for stealing the pennies her class collected and intended to send to Ethiopia, Grace finds that her education has come to center around the cosmic calendar, which traces the evolution of the universe from the Big Bang through the appearance of the first humans. When not in the classroom, Grace accompanies her mother on daily treks to Lake Champlain, where they keep a continuous eye out for the monster that Anna spotted when she was boating with her first love back in 1973. It is during many of these outings or occasional visits to the park that Anna shares with Grace incongruent bits and pieces of her history, including anecdotes from her time as a spy.
Grace's father, Jonathan, is perpetually at his wit's end with his wife and her antics while remaining hopelessly enamored with her. Deeming her fantastical accounts and superstitions to be utter nonsense, he frequently backs up his views by referencing his copy of Know Your Constitution! Having taught chemistry at the Windler Academy until the day he told a Catholic boy that God is really a monkey, Jonathan begins to while away his days at home in the basement under the pretext of building Grace a dollhouse, which he assures her is further along than it appears. After several months of financial hardship, during which Anna takes on full-time hours at the raptor center where she works, Jonathan rediscovers gainful employment in assuming the role of Mr. Science after his brother leaves the television show to run off with one of the writers. Given that the opportunity requires him to move closer to the city for a time, Grace and her mother are left to figure out their next steps together.
It is probably of little wonder that Anna's eccentricity blooms into full-blown mental illness around this time, especially after Jonathan returns, only to let her know that he plans to spend the next couple of months in Brazil. Although Grace exhibits increasing anxiety and fear, she appears to handle the uncertainty of their lives astoundingly well as her mother packs up the car and drives her across the country from one unlikely destination to the next. As their journey progresses and Anna's behavior grows increasingly erratic, Grace continues to accept her mother's explanations and rationalizations; yet, something within her is acutely aware that the time for action is drawing near.
All of the characters, from Grace and her parents to Edgar the boy-genius babysitter, are vividly drawn such that their fatal flaws are glaringly apparent; yet, they each feel deserving of compassion given an undercurrent which assures us that some aspect of their experience, be it a particular wound or a genetic predisposition, contributed to their becoming precisely who they are. It's difficult to pass judgement in a world where we're all a little broken, is it not?
Although I found the conclusion rather unsatisfying, it led me to ponder who Grace might become as an adult after having experienced a childhood wherein the lines between truth and fantasy couldn't possibly be more blurred. On more than one occasion, Grace mentions the voices from the radio addressing her directly and the very precise rules that govern her activities. Whether or not she comes to struggle with a mental illness herself, there's little doubt that Grace will be changed in some way, destined to view the world around her through the lens of her own experience, too.
What Burns Away
Melissa Falcon Field
Sourcebooks Landmark
PO Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567-4410
9781492604563, $14.99, www.amazon.com
What Burns Away, the ambitious debut novel by Melissa Falcon Field, gathers assumptions as one would kindling, strategically placing them about the psyche, striking the match of emotional intensity and fanning the flames with uncompromising veracity. Indeed, it is remarkable to experience the way in which this novel recruits all that is visceral to arrive at the heart. Seldom have I encountered a work that so adeptly challenges our sense of identity, the past to which we cling and the chasm in our understanding of those by whom our lives have been impacted.
Having walked away from her career as a climatologist to devote herself to motherhood and the tending of the homefront while her husband, Dr. Miles Bancroft, fulfills his aspirations as a cardiac surgeon within a highly-respected teaching hospital, Claire Spruce finds her role as stay-at-home wife and mother to be much lonelier than anticipated. Increasingly resentful of their recent move to the Midwest, the encroachment of Miles's career upon their time together and the increasing distance between them, she longs for the connection they once knew... as well as reprieve from the pain of the long-ago past, which she has never felt comfortable sharing with her husband.
Unrelenting in their torment, the memories that haunt Claire reach back to her adolescence, a time notable for the pass of Halley's comet, the Challenger explosion and her mother's infidelity. Not able to shake the vision of her mother as she appeared in the window of a strange house, undressing a silver-haired man before pushing him down and climbing atop him, Claire has always regretted that she had to witness her mother's betrayal and, shortly thereafter, mourn the tragic conclusion to her father's life.
Dean D'Alessio, however, was there for Claire throughout those dark times, coming to understand her in a way that no one else has before or since. So, when she receives a friend request from him via Facebook on her fortieth birthday, it's not long before the two begin reminiscing about days gone by and the passion they once shared. When he shows up on her doorstep under the pretense of rescuing her from loneliness, Claire becomes acutely aware that the desire that smolders between them could easily ignite, putting her familial security at risk. Yet, Dean wants more than simply to rekindle the spark. He has come to ask a favor that could cost her even more.
The way in which the author weaves Claire's reflections of the past within the present is nothing less than masterfully executed, allowing the reader to inhabit not only her day-to-day experience but the harrowing terrain of her inner-landscape. Although these shifts in time and place are so subtle as to go virtually unnoticed, the transitions between the trauma of her adolescence in East Lyme, Connecticut in the mid-1980s and the privileged yet lonesome present in Madison, Wisconsin mimic Claire's ruminations in the midst of a seemingly mundane reality .
As Claire begins to identify parallels between her choices and those made by her mother all of those many years ago, it becomes increasingly difficult for her to justify her behavior while condemning that of another; however, the discretion of the rational mind is no match for the momentum of her desire, anger, loneliness and inconsolable grief. That said, these parallels emphasize for the reader the futility of judgments passed for the truth pertaining to any circumstance is destined to be much more nuanced than it appeared.
There was very little of the predictable within the novel's construction; yet, in retrospect, I find myself utterly awestruck by the foreshadowing of the major plot twists. Never once did my interest flag, and the pace of the narrative kept me reading late into the night. Nonetheless, in spite of the long moments spent on the edge of my seat, it is the quiet poignance of the conclusion that continues to resonate within me. Chances are that we all, like Claire, harbor something that desperately needs to be released; yet, ultimately, there's no certainty as to whether we will find ourselves cleansed -- or destroyed -- by what burns away.
Kelly Bodoh
Reviewer
Kevin's Bookshelf
Shadow Born: Book 1 of the Shadow-Borne Chronicles
Paul A Cagle
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781500697648, $13.00, www.amazon.com
Blood Promises - A review of the novel 'Shadow Born'
"I envy people that know love. They have someone who takes them as they are." - Jess C. Scott
Author Paul A. Cagle's novel 'Shadow Born' is the first book in the Shadow-Borne Chronicles series of books. A 22 year old orphan Alec Carson may have only faint memories of being abducted and tortured by a strange woman. But he will never forget the changes brought on by that incident. Apart from the magical transformation of his body, he also attained super human abilities. This is because he was turned into a vampire that night. He is also a hybrid version, retaining human and vampire physicality. This not only makes him more powerful than other vampires but also the target of evil forces that aren't happy with the odd one in their group. And he soon realizes that heroism comes at a steep price.
The vampire in Shadow Born is Cagle's own interpretation of everybody's favourite myth throughout the centuries. And it stands out from its contemporaries because of two very obvious reasons. Firstly it's set in a more urban surrounding breaking the monotony of the woods and the mountains where you usually find your quota of vampires in fiction. The urban space of the story lends itself to making the vampire content more believable and relatable.
And secondly it differs in the treatment of its protagonist Alec Carson. He is unlike other heroes you find in similar books; a finished product fighting immortal enemies and saving damsels from the get go. Alec isn't presented as some hunk so full of himself, his transformation takes place gradually and during that period he is confused, angry and often astonished by his own abilities. In fact Alec is such an unassuming hero that he often thinks about whimsical things to humor himself whenever he's under intense situations. These thoughts also help in breaking the flow of the narrative whenever it gets too serious for its own good.
The writing ensures that right from the start you will feel for this young boy caught up in such extreme situations. And gradually you will begin to root for him to emerge victorious and choose his preordained life path. The secondary characterizations are also good and well rounded in their presentation. Cagle's Marcus is loyal and honorable, plus he is strong, vigilant, and protective about Alec. And their friendship bordering on a full blown out romance actually spices up the book. But it's not all fun and games as the narrative also parlays important political and religious discussions as well.
The chapter breaks are precise and each one has been edited in such a manner as to achieve maximum effect in delivering the mystery factor. And even though there are violent action scenes, it's never too gory and for the genre it's set in, it's actually par for the course. The author also deserves appreciation for the originality & the imagination used in the set action pieces. Their ingenious use in the plot also builds up the thrill factor as the storyline moves forward.
Ending with the definite possibility of returning back with a sequel, Shadow Born is a book that all paranormal thriller fans will enjoy. It's clever, intriguing and will leave you completely hooked to this new series.
Peace on Earth
Paddy Bostock
Wings ePress
9781613097830, $16.85, www.amazon.com
The Ultimate Carnival - A review of the novel 'Peace on Earth'
"In a mad world, only the mad are sane." - Akira Kurosawa
Author Paddy Bostock's latest novel 'Peace on Earth' is a series of adventures in search of mankind's latest fallacy. A wannabe actor comes into possession of a disk containing the formula for attaining peace on earth. But he loses it and soon an international array of oddball characters descend in search of it and further mayhem ensues. Random events and coincidences are aplenty and when these characters get together it lets loose quirky madness like never before. Even in the midst of its lunacy the book manages to reflect the banality of our everyday endeavours.
Paddy is fast becoming a master of the slightly quirky storytelling which in reality shouldn't work but invariably does and that too very well. The absurdities of life that humans, the supposedly intelligent life beings run after have been discussed in this almost allegorical story. 'Peace on Earth' like Paddy's previous books is also full of British humor and charm that engages your intellect too. For a disillusioned generation it's a gift that such writers exist who can hold forth logical and rational arguments in a witty manner. The flow of words have almost a poetic feel to them, they manage to make this deep connection with your soul. Which when you think about is quite special because of all the zany madness going around in the background. It provides a refreshingly fresh take on modern life and its many distractions.
It has a plot that is rooted in the present times with excellent use of pop-culture references and elements from our day-to-day life. The chapter breaks are brilliantly put together, the editing is so precise that you will find it hard to stop reading at the end of a chapter without wanting to start the next one immediately. Some of the lines in the book are just too hilarious and worthy of being re-read and highlighted in your book. The novel also celebrates girl power in the kick-ass fashion that Hollywood films are famous for. And ever so occasionally in the plot, the author takes it upon himself to take on the archaic rules of the establishment and poke fun at it and does so splendidly. Paddy has this understated ability to take the mortification of everyday life and string a highly entertaining story around it.
Make no mistake; there is an underlying feel of seriousness to the proceedings. Because even though a lot of the scenes and characters have been designed to invoke laughter, they also make you think about the bigger picture. The author has created a remarkable fictional world that just gets better by each turn of the page. All his characters stand out and the Dickensian mirror he brandishes really reflects our current state of affairs.
The charm of this book lies in the unpredictability of its plot line, one strange situation changes quickly into another equally befuddling one. So the only advice I can give you is to fasten your seat belt and surrender to its brilliance for maximum enjoyment.
Kevin Peter, Reviewer
www.moterwriter.com
Linda's Bookshelf
A Man Called Ove
Fredrik Backman
Atria Books
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
http://imprints.simonandschuster.biz/atria
9781476738017, $25.00, 332 pages, Hardcover, www.amazon.com
When I first read "A Man Called Ove", it was like having Christmas arrive six months early with receipt of a surprise gift that fit perfectly and was greatly desired. This debut novel is a miraculous gem with heart and substance and a new favorite that will warrant frequent re-reading. It was published in hardback in July, 2015 and will soon be available in paperback. The author is Frederik Backman, a well-liked Swedish columnist, who introduced the irascible 59 year-old curmudgeon Ove on his blog. Over 1000 readers voted Backman should write a novel about the protagonist. The book was originally published in 2012 in Sweden, population 9.6 million, and swiftly became a word-of-mouth bestseller with sales topping 500,000. It will soon be published in twenty-five countries. The English language version is doubtless enhanced by an adept translation by Swedish novelist, screenwriter and Editor Henning Koch who writes professionally in English rather than his native language.
Ove is the cranky neighbor or co-worker everyone strives to avoid. Bereft of conventional niceties of making polite conversation and lacking filters, blunt to the point of being insulting, he habitually and sometimes verbally bestows disparaging nicknames on people he encounters. Perpetually cranky, swift to take offence and frequently simmering with anger, he has neither family nor friends. He has been ousted from leadership of the Neighborhood Homeowner's Association for reasons of his exasperating inflexibility. Ove thrives on rigid adherence to rules and established routines. He rises daily at 5:45 a.m. without an alarm clock, is bathed and dressed in a crisp shirt, suit and polished shoes promptly to begin his early morning neighborhood patrol. He does this twice daily to inspect and maintain safety as well as to observe parking violations, errant owners who fail to clean up dog droppings and to vocally chastise offenders whom he considers "idiots." His home is immaculately kept, as well maintained as his current SAAB automobile, a 9.5 Estate, the last model made before General Motors acquired a majority share of the Swedish company. Ove is a nationalist and fiercely loyal to SAAB whose cars he has owned since age 16. SAAB cars are emblematic as what is well made and right about the world and as germane to the book as any of the featured characters. Our hero is honest, forthright, capable, more comfortable with engines than people and desperately lonely. He does not like change.
Suddenly in late middle-age, Ove experiences two profoundly unsettling, devastating life changes: the death of his beloved spouse and enforced, unwelcome, early retirement. He loses his center and his reason for living. The cumulative effect of these events has kicked the stuffing out of him. Whatever vestige of optimism existed in him is long gone. Ove's world was clear-cut, black and white. His wife Sonja "was color. All the color he had." As Thoreau eloquently wrote of man "leading a quiet life of desperation with the song still in him," Ove voice is stilled but for grumblings. Noise and chaos erupt one quiet November morning when new neighbors ineptly backing up a borrowed trailer squash Ove's mailbox while moving into the house next door. Typically, Ove reacts by indignantly hurling insults at the car's occupants whom he mentally dubs "Pregnant Foreign Woman", "The Lanky One", and their two energetic young daughters. Parvaneh, a 30 year-old Iranian immigrant, arrived with her tall, blond, Swedish husband, Patrick, in the nick time to restore color and purpose.
Each chapter of this finely crafted novel reveals contained memories and significant events that shaped Ove's life. They unfold to show a life filled with tragedies and personal sorrows that embittered him while his stoic resiliency and acceptance enabled him to cope. The personal details of his biography emerge as new characters are introduced and the storyline progresses. A Man Called Ove addresses serious universal themes of loss, loneliness, feelings of worthlessness, aging, ill health and isolation. It is an inspiring affirmation of love for life and acceptance of people for their essence and individual quirks.
Ove would surely appreciate the findings of a recent joint Universities of Illinois and Pennsylvania study published in the journal Social Psychology which concluded grumpy people may be more efficient at work than their more affable counterparts. The crabapples have fewer social distractions and interests enabling them to focus on specific tasks resulting in greater proficiency adding substance to the adage "jack-of-all trades, master of none."
"A Man Called Ove" is a perfect selection for Book Clubs. It's well written, easily understood and replete with universal concerns. It lacks violence and profanity, is life affirming and relationship driven. The book is bittersweet, tender, often wickedly humorous and almost certain to elicit tears. I contentedly wept my way through a box of tissues when I first read the novel and again when I savored it for a second time. Everyone should be blessed with an Ove in their lives, crusty, shy big-hearted men who grumble yet always support you. My late father fit this profile as well and my sweet husband who peered over his reading glasses to inquire, "Are you all right?" as I read this special book.
Please note that a version of my book review was previously published in BookBrowse.com Reviews.
Ain't No Rag: Freedom, Family and the Flag
Charlie Daniels
Regnery Publishing
300 New Jersey Ave., Washington, DC 20001
www.regnery.com
9780895260734, $24.95, 332 pages, www.amazon.com
Interviewer: Linda Hitchcock, Member National Book Critics Circle
An Interview with Charlie Daniels
Charlie Daniels is on a mission to entertain and is not reticent about expressing his opinions. Charlie Daniels, a Wilmington, North Carolina native son and resident of Twin Pines Ranch in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, is a natural born entertainer. He graduated high school in 1955, formed a rock and roll band at age 17 and hit the road as a professional musician. In addition to their regular touring, CDB entertains our military, hosts an annual fan appreciation day and performs for various charitable functions they support including Christmas for Kids and Toys for Tots. Charlie Daniels all-star, multi-genre 40th Anniversary Volunteer Jam 2015 is set to raise the roof on Nashville Bridgestone Arena in August with profits designated for The Journey Home Project, a non-profit the entertainer co-founded to help Veterans of the United States Armed Forces and the Nashville based Predators Foundation.
Mr. Daniels turned 78 last October 28 and, far from slowing down, continues to tour and record. His recent CD, "Hits of the South" is an exuberant celebration of blues and Southern rock. "Devil Went Down to Georgia: Stories of Charlie Daniels", originally published in hardback in 1985 was updated and recently published in iBook and eBook formats. He has an up-to-date official website at www.charliedaniels.com that contains his extensive "Soap Box" commentary; and also his own YouTube Channel.
Charlie Daniels is a prolific songwriter with a large catalog of material augmented by covers of some of the greatest Gospel, Blues, Bluegrass, Country & Western, Motown, Pop, R & B, and Southern Rock tunes ever written and recorded. Tagged by music critics as an "outlaw" musician associated most closely first with Southern Rock followed by Country & Western, his artistry has defied pigeonholing into standard genre categories. Every concert has elements of spontaneity and surprise while guaranteeing delivery of world class musicianship with superb vocals, virtuoso guitarists, keyboardist, drummer and Charlie's legendary fiddle playing. His list of music awards and honors are longer than most bands' playlists and include six BMI awards for songwriting, induction in January 2008 into the Grand Ole Opry followed by induction into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009, as well as multiple Gold, Platinum and Triple Platinum records.
I was honored and pleased to be granted an interview with this erudite charming man who is a constant reader who maintains an extensive library at home.
Q. What should someone expect at your concerts?
A. You want to come out strong...honking...cooking, really up-tempo. You don't want to come out like a dud. You want to let everybody know: It's the Charlie Daniels Band, let's have some fun! You want to close out with something you want people to remember. Your first impression and the last impression are very important. The whole thing is to be entertaining.
Q. How do you select the songs for sets with so much material to choose from?
A. You owe people certain songs, like 'Devil Went Down to Georgia', 'Long Haired Country Boy' and "The South's Gonna do it again'; songs that they've heard on the radio; the one's that they're familiar with. That's what they come to see you for not for something they haven't heard. Everybody loves playing new stuff because it's fresh and fun to play but you don't want to be self-indulgent and do a song that nobody really cares about but you. Depending on how much time we have in a set, we may add songs or I may jam a blues song. We may choose a crowd pleasing song like "Toreador" or have other selections. I am there to entertain the crowd. That is my sole purpose for being there. Everything else becomes secondary.
Q. Would you tell us a bit about your book, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia: Stories by Charlie Daniels", first published in 1985 and the decision to release it as an eBook rather than reprint?
A. It was my son's idea. My son has dragged me kicking and screaming into every kind of technology invented probably; social media, everything. This whole thing is a new concept to me. I love being surrounded by books. He got me this iPad and first thing I know I'm using it. I read constantly. I've always got books in the works. But now, if I'm going on a trip, I can carry the books I read, plus my Bible, my devotional books all in one place.
Q. Is there anything you haven't done yet that you'd like to do?
A. I want to catch a 10" large-mouth bass and I want to kill a 9 point buck. Your desire for the music business always stays the same: every album platinum and every show sold out. That's what you're looking for, and of course, it's never going to happen. You always have something to strive for there.
Q. Who are or were your musical heroes?
A. I have a lot of musical heroes. I started out in bluegrass so it was Flatt and Scruggs, Bill Monroe and those people.
Q. Is there anyone you have not yet collaborated with that you would like to work with in the future?
A. I would love to have plenty of time and go into the studio with B.B. King. A couple of guitars and a fiddle and most of a rhythm section and just go in and say hey, what do you want to do? Let's just sit here and play awhile.
Q. Where did you get your musical training?
A. I haven't had any musical training; I can't read music. I can hear it. A kid that I knew had a guitar and he showed me a couple of chords and we started bugging everybody we could find to get another chord that we didn't know. It turned into an obsession. Since I learned how to play a little bit, it's all I ever wanted to do; it's all I've cared about. I have spent my life doing probably as close to what I wanted to do as anybody ever has. And I'm just thankful to the good Lord for it.
Q. Of all the awards and honors you've received, which has meant the most to you?
A. They're all very special to me but I am more pleased and thankful that I have been able to keep 30 people working steadily and gainfully employed for almost 40 years. I love these people. They're my extended family and I take it very much to heart. It's like I've got this great big family with all these kids and grandkids; they're no blood kin but they're like my children.
Q. You have quite a legacy. "How does it feel to be called an "American Treasure and a living legend"?
A. I don't look at myself that way. I'm very honored when somebody else says that. I'm just a medium talent chubby fiddle player from North Carolina who knows what a day's work is; who worked in the tobacco fields and understands the life of blue collar people. They're the salt of the earth. I'm just so thankful to be able to do what I do for a living. God has blessed me so much.
Q. What has changed most about the music industry since you began over 55 years ago?
A. Technology. Technology has changed tremendously... basically for the better.
Q. What inspired you to write "The Devil went down to Georgia?"
A. It would seem like there would be some kind of special event, a special story about it but it's not the case. We were in the studio recording an album and didn't have a, fiddle song. We decided we needed one, took a break from the recording and went into the rehearsal studio and wrote this thing.
Linda Hitchcock
Reviewer
Logan's Bookshelf
Scenario-Focused Engineering
Austina De Bonte & Drew Fletcher
Microsoft Press
c/o O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein, Hwy N., Sebastopol, CA 95472-2811
https://www.microsoftpressstore.com/store/scenario-focused-engineering-a-toolbox-for-innovation-9780735679337
9780735679337, $49.99, 576pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Great technology alone is rarely sufficient today to ensure a product's success. At Microsoft, scenario-focused engineering is a customer-centric, iterative approach used to design and deliver the deeper experiences and emotional engagement customers demand in new products. In "Scenario-Focused Engineering: A toolbox for innovation and customer-centricity" the reader will discover the proven practices and lessons learned from real-world implementations of this approach, including: Why design matters; Understand a competitive landscape where customers are no longer satisfied by products that are merely useful, but respond instead to products they crave using; What it means to be customer focused; Recognize that you are not the customer, understand customers can have difficulty articulating what they want, and apply techniques that uncover their unspoken needs; How to iterate effectively; Implement a development system that is flexible enough to respond to early and continuous feedback, and enables experimentation with multiple ideas and feedback loops simultaneously; How to bridge the culture gap. In an engineering environment traditionally rooted in strong analytics, the ideas and practices for scenario-focused engineering may not be intuitive. The reader will learn how to change team mindset from deciding what a product, service, or device will do, to discovering what customers actually want and what will work for them in real-life scenarios.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Scenario-Focused Engineering: A toolbox for innovation and customer-centricity" is an invaluable instructional guide and manual that is very strongly recommended for personal, professional, and academic library collections. It should be noted that "Scenario-Focused Engineering: A toolbox for innovation and customer-centricity" is also available in a Kindle edition ($30.86).
Against the Tide
Dave Oliver
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
www.nip.org
9781612517971, $27.95, 192pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Against the Tide: Rickover's Leadership Principles and the Rise of the Nuclear Navy" is a leadership book that illustrates how Adm. Hyman Rickover made a unique impact on American and Navy culture. Dave Oliver (Rear Admiral, USN, Retired) is the first former nuclear submarine commander who sailed for the venerable admiral to write about Rickover's management techniques. Oliver draws upon a wealth of untold stories to show how one man changed American and Navy culture while altering the course of history. The driving force behind America's nuclear submarine navy, Rickover revolutionized naval warfare while concurrently proving to be a wellspring of innovation that drove American technology in the latter half of the twentieth-century. As a testament to his success, Rickover's single-minded focus on safety protected both American citizens and sailors from nuclear contamination, a record that is in stark contrast to the dozens of nuclear reactor accidents suffered by the Russians.
Critique: Exceptionally well written and informative, "Against the Tide" is a compelling and rewarding read that is both thoughtful and thought provoking. Enhanced with the inclusion of twenty-six pages of Notes; a six page Bibliography; and a twenty-one page Index, "Against the Tide" is recommended for community and academic library 20th Century Military History collections, as well as the personal reading lists for non-specialist general readers with an interest American naval history, and/or in the life and career of Hyman Rickover. It should be noted that "Against the Tide" is also available in a Kindle edition ($15.37).
The Responsible Leader
Tim Richardson
Kogan Page USA
1518 Walnut Street, Suite 1100, Philadelphia, PA 19102
www.koganpageusa.com
9780749471811, $24.95, 216pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In "The Responsible Leader: Developing a Culture of Responsibility in an Uncertain World", academician and author Tim Richardson deftly explores the role of responsible leadership in an organization and offers a framework for how to incorporate it into company culture. "The Responsible Leader" challenges common-held beliefs established from traditional management methods and provides the practical steps needed to achieve organizational change. 'The Responsible Leader" presents a fresh vision for leadership and business success and includes in-depth case studies and examples from companies such as Starbucks, BP, HSBC, PwC, and BodyShop.
Critique: After an informed and informative introduction, "The Responsible Leader" is organized and presented in three major sections: A Fresh Response: Outlining the Case for Responsible Leadership; The Organizational Response; A Visionary Narrative. Enhanced with the inclusion of a number of Figures, two pages of References, and a nineteen page Index, "The Responsible Leader" is especially recommended and appropriate for readers aspiring to becoming a leader in the corporate world or in government. "The Responsible Leader" will prove to be a significant and important addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library collections. It should be noted that "The Responsible Leader" is also available in a Kindle edition ($13.97).
From Cahokia to Larson to Moundville
A. Martin Byers
The University of Tennessee Press
110 Conference Center UT, Knoxville, TN 37996
www.utpress.org
9781621901235, $60.00, 706pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: The orthodox view of the Mississippian social world hinges on the idea that native American chiefdoms (dominance- based hierarchical societies in the Eastern Woodlands of North America) vied for power, often violently but at times cooperatively, through political and economic avenues. These chiefdoms represented something of a feudal state in prehistoric North America, which lasted up to the contract period with Europeans around 1500 AD. In "From Cahokia to Larson to Moundville", archaeologist A. Martin Byers challenges these assumptions and offers a contrasting view by deconstructing the chiefdom model and offering instead an autonomous social world that focused on spiritual renewal and sacred rituals. Byers presents his case through the archaeological record of Cahokia, Larson, and Moundville's monumental earthworks and, in doing so, reveals the Mississippian social community to be more complex, and more cooperative, than previously envisioned.
Critique: A model of seminal scholarship, "From Cahokia to Larson to Moundville: Death, World Renewal, and the Sacred in the Mississippian Social World of the Late Prehistoric Eastern Woodlands" is an invaluable contribution to the fields of North American archaeology and pre-Columbian Native American studies. Enhanced with the inclusion of numerous Tables, Figures, and a Bibliography, "From Cahokia to Larson to Moundville" should be considered as a core addition to all academic library reference collections.
Carl Logan
Reviewer
Lydia's Bookshelf
Storm in a Teacup
Emmie Mears
Anam-Charaid
0692376550, $14.99, 422pp, www.amazon.com
Being right doesn't mean much to Ayala. Doing right does. And then right goes all kinds of wrong.
It starts with a woven piece of human hair around an imps neck. Ayala, a Mediator charged with keeping the balance between good and evil, kills the imp with little fanfare. But the piece of human hair around the imps neck - along with it being outside in sunlight, something imps aren't known to do - indicates she might be facing something new. Where hellkin are concerned, Ayala isn't keen on anything new.
Shortly after her grim discovery, Ayala is asked to locate a missing woman. The assignment doesn't thrill her, given that her role from birth has been to kill, not detect. Nor is she thrilled to soon discover a disturbing pattern of missing men and women that fit the one she's searching for; men and women whose bodies have been blown apart from the inside out. Bringing the 'splats' as she calls them, to the attention of her superiors, Ayala is summarily told they'll take care of the situation. Her services are no longer needed.
It's not like Ayala to let go of anything that hasn't been fully resolved. Being brushed aside on a case she's not certain her superiors have a bead on doesn't suit her much, either. Soon, she's perched high in a tree with a few of her fellow Mediators, spying on demons to see exactly what they're up to. She sees, alright. And as the grisly sight unfolds below her, she vows to do what's right; to kill the half demons being spawned on human men and women.
Ayala intends to give them exactly the same mercy they showed their human parents: none at all.
And yet it is the mercy she had no intention of granting that one of them gives her. In the midst of a planned slaughter of the half demons, something goes horribly wrong. A half demon saves her. But Mason does more than that. Proving he's more than a mindless man-eater, he talks to Ayala. Tells her he just wants peace; that most of his kind do. And in the doing, Mason makes her question the very foundation of what she's always been told she was born to do.
What a book this is.
To begin with, Mears effortlessly creates in Ayala my favorite kind of hero: one who doesn't toss coolly confident lines over her shoulder while easily killing the bad guys (or in this case, demons). No, Ayala doesn't pretend to know it all. Nor does she immediately and immaculately heal from the many injuries she endures in performing her duties.
Beyond Mears stellar character work, she extends her winning streak with the lightning fast pace of SIATC - and she does it without sacrificing one iota of quality in her mad dash to deliver readers, gasping and wide-eyed, to the next scene. And, contrary to the eye rolls out there I can almost sense at the mere mention of demons, I believe Mears will confound expectations on that front with her fresh-as-a-crisply-starched-shirt premise. Even the cover art is apropos, for Mears captured lightning in a bottle in this, the first in a purported series. The question is: can she do it again in her second outing?
I hope so. Oh, I do hope so.
You
Caroline Kepnes
Atria/Emily Bestler Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
www.simonsays.com
9781476785592, $26.00, www.amazon.com
Beck doesn't realize it when they first meet. But Joe knows. She is The One.
At first, Joe is patient. He can afford to be. He checked her out at the bookstore he works at, so Joe has Beck's full name and address from her purchases. All the information he needs to watch and learn.
When the time is right, Joe engineers a rescue of Beck, his own personal damsel in distress. Drunk and disheveled, Beck falls onto the tracks. Joe is there to scoop her up, whereupon he learns of the first obstacle in his way: Benji. A spoiled brat who uses Beck for his own convenience, Benji clearly doesn't deserve Beck. But that's okay. Joe has time. He will show Beck that he's better. Superior.
In the melee of the rescue, Joe gets Beck's cell phone, and with it, access to her email accounts and passwords. Beck doesn't want to tell her mother she's lost another cell phone, so her account stays active. This is a stroke of luck for Joe. Every single time Beck receives an email or text, he's alerted. Soon, he's making acquaintance with her friends through their communication with Beck.
Beck isn't happy when Benji goes on another bender without her. Between his insensitive tweets and near worship of an attractive performance artist, she's had about enough. Her friends, never fans of Benji's, urge her to leave him. But Beck isn't sure. Still, it won't hurt anything to go out with Joe a time or two. She hasn't forgotten the chemistry that crackled between them at the bookstore when they first met, nor his daring rescue of her. She's just been stuck on Benji, who seems to be getting more out of control day after day, judging by his social media posts.
So Beck and Joe go out. There is chemistry, laughter, and joy shared between them. But another obstacle rears its arrogant head soon enough: Peach. An extremely wealthy childhood friend of Beck's, she detests Joe on sight. Not because she senses his obsession with Beck. No, Joe is in her way. Peach has been obsessed with Beck from puberty on, and she'll do whatever it takes to get Joe out of the picture so she can make Beck hers.
Joe has the same agenda. Yet, he and Peach don't realize there is another foe competing for Beck's attention, even though Dr. Nicky is right under their noses. With frustration mounting at Peach's craftily effective plans to keep Beck away from him, Joe goes to Dr. Nicky himself. Beck has gushed about him often enough. Though Dr. Nicky is not, in fact, a licensed therapist, he does wonders for Joe in their sessions together. Joe can completely understand why Beck sees him so often.
Until their last session, that is. Joe is left alone with Dr. Nicky's computer. Once he gets access, what he must do becomes clear.
Kepnes achieves something remarkable in You, leading us for much of the novel to believe that Joe is outwardly focused; stubbornly attached to his obsession with Beck. And yet, in the stunning last act, we realize it isn't really Beck Joe's obsessed with. It's himself. Yes, Joe is looking for the perfect woman. Beck is that to him. But what he's really looking for someone who fits him; who fulfills every dream, desire, and want and need he has. That Kepnes manages to make Joe understandable, even sympathetic at points, is astonishing in light of this readers late realization of his monstrous selfishness. That kind of expert execution merits my keeping an eye on this abundantly talented author. And so I shall.
Lydia Aswolf-Carey, Reviewer
www.lydiaaswolf.com
Margaret's Bookshelf
Esoteric Egypt
J. S. Gordon
Bear & Company
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781591431961, $25.00, 416pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Esoteric Egypt: The Sacred Science of the Land of Khem" by J. S. Gordon is a nicely illustrated and exceptionally well written study of the 100,000-year-old spiritual science of ancient Egypt including an examination of the metaphysical structure of our universe as seen by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Celts, showing that each is based on the same central concepts from time immemorial. "Esoteric Egypt" reveals that the ancient Egyptians believed in reincarnation and a spiritual evolutionary process; explains the connections between the movements of Orion and Sirius and the story of Osiris and Isis, the importance of the Pleiades and circumpolar stars to the Egyptians, and the fundamental unity of the Egyptian pantheon; and investigates the people who colonized greater Egypt 100,000 years ago, descendants of the Atlanteans.
Critique: As informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Esoteric Egypt: The Sacred Science of the Land of Khem" is enhanced with the inclusion of six appendices; eight pages of Notes; a three page Bibliography; and a forty-eight page Index. A seminal and impressive work from beginning to end, "Esoteric Egypt" is very highly recommended for students of Antiquarian Metaphysics, as well as community and academic library Egyptology reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted that ""Esoteric Egypt: The Sacred Science of the Land of Khem" is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.30).
A Wish Your Heart Makes
Charles Solomon
Disney Hyperion
125 West End Avenue, New York, NY 10023
www.disneyhyperionbooks.com
9781484713266, $40.00, 176pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: With its kind heroine who receives her just reward-and a dashing prince-with the help of her Fairy Godmother, "Cinderella" is one the most beloved fairy tales throughout the world. Although the most popular versions appeared in Charles Perrault's Histoires ou contes du temps pass ("Stories or Fables of Times Past") (1697) and the Grimms' "Fairy Tales" (1812), the story can be traced back to the story of Rhodopis, a Greek slave girl who marries the pharoah of Egypt, which Strabo recorded in the first century B.C.E. In the late nineteenth century, British follklorist Marian Roalfe Cox catalogued 345 variations of the story. For more than two thousand years, children and adults have read and watched as Cinderella endured cruel mistreatment without complaining-and met her prince before the stroke of midnight. "A Wish Your Heart Makes: From the Grimm Brothers' Aschenputtel to Disney's Cinderella" traces the history of the fairy tale, emphasizing its strong ties to Walt Disney and his studio.
Critique: Beautifully illustrated throughout with flawlessly reproduced images, "A Wish Your Heart Makes: From the Grimm Brothers' Aschenputtel to Disney's Cinderella" by Charles Solomon is deftly organized into three major sections: Once Upon a Time; Walt Disney's Cinderella Story; A Live-Action Fairy Tale. Featuring an exceptionally informed and informative commentary, "A Wish Your Heart Makes" is a truly extraordinary and entertaining volume that would grace any coffee-table and become an enduringly popular addition to any community library collection.
Family-Centered Early Intervention
Sharon A. Raver & Dana c. Childress
Brookes Publishing Company
PO Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
www.brookespublishing.com
9781598575699, $39.95, 312pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: A must for future early interventionists, this introductory text prepares professionals to support infants and toddlers with special needs and their families -- and address the OSEP child outcomes so critical to a program's success. Focusing on the specific needs and challenges of children from birth to three, "Family-Centered Early Intervention: Supporting Infants and Toddlers in Natural Environments" gathers more than a dozen expert contributors with proven expertise in helping children who have or are at risk for developmental delays. Early interventionists will learn recommended practices for family-centered, evidence-based intervention and team collaboration, knowledge they'll use for the rest of their careers to ensure the best possible outcomes for infants and young children.
Critique: A compendium of ten exceptionally well and presented articles deftly organized into four major sections (Foundations of Early Intervention; Supporting Families in Natural Environments; Enhancing Infant and Toddler Development and Participation; Supporting Children with Diverse Abilities, "Family-Centered Early Intervention: Supporting Infants and Toddlers in Natural Environments" is a major contribution to the field of special needs education and very highly recommended for academic library Family & Relationship reference collections.
Plenish: Juices To Boost, Cleanse & Heal
Kara M. L. Rosen
Michael Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781784720353, $14.99, 144pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Plenish is a popular British juice brand. Compiled by Kara Rosen, "Plenish: Juices To Boost, Cleanse & Heal" shows how to make over 40 juice blends, detox with a cleanse program, heal the human body naturally, fuel the system, fight disease, promote mind and body wellness, and even lose weight in the process. From the Thai Melon Brightener to the Greenie Mary, each recipe will help your body to detox and rejuvenate, so that by utilizing these juice recipes anyone can thrive.
Critique: Exceptionally reader friendly throughout, after providing an informed and informative introduction, "Plenish: Juices To Boost, Cleanse & Heal" is organized into five major sections: What's Ailing You? (covering everything from arthritis to low sex drive, to fatigue, to healthy skin); For the Love of Juice (when to juice and when to clean; choosing a juicer, tips on buying produce, 'Ingredient Superstars'); Juice Recipes; Once Upon A Cleanse; Cleanse Meal Recipes (breakfast, lunch, dinner). Enhanced throughout with full color photography and a comprehensive Index, "Plenish: Juices To Boost, Cleanse & Heal" is an ideal and highly recommended for non-specialist general readers seeking to improve their health and well-being through juicing. Certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Health & Medicine collections, it should be noted that "Plenish: Juices To Boost, Cleanse & Heal" is also available in a Kindle edition ($5.99).
Butterfly Kills
Brenda Chapman
The Dundurn Group
3 Church Street, Suite 500, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5E 1M2
www.dundurn.com
MM Book Publicity
9781459723146, $14.99, 376pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Jacques Rouleau has moved to Kingston to look after his father and take up the position of head of the town's Criminal Investigations Division. One hot week in late September, university student Leah Sampson is murdered in her apartment. In another corner of the city, Della Munroe is raped by her husband. At first the crimes appear unrelated, but as Sergeant Rouleau and his new team of officers dig into the women's pasts, they discover unsettling coincidences. When Kala Stonechild, one of Rouleau's former officers from Ottawa, suddenly appears in Kingston, Rouleau enlists her to help. Stonechild isn't sure if she wants to stay in Kingston, but agrees to help Rouleau in the short term. While she struggles with trying to decide if she can make a life in this new town, a ghost from her past starts to haunt her. As the detectives delve deeper into the cases, it seems more questions pop up than answers. Who murdered Leah Sampson? And why does Della Monroe's name keep showing up in the murder investigation? Both women were hiding secrets that have unleashed a string of violence. Stonechild and Rouleau race to discover the truth before the violence rips more families apart.
Critique: "Butterfly Kills" is another Stonechild and Rouleau mystery by Brenda Chapman whose impressive abilities in crafting memorable characters embedded in a complex mystery/suspense tale of unexpected twists and surprising turns results in a compellingly entertaining read from beginning to end. Also available in a Kindle edition ($7.55), "Butterfly Kills" is highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections. For those to whom this is their first introduction to author Brenda Chapman, they will want to avail themselves of the first Stonechild and Roulea mystery novel "Cold Mourning" (9781459708013, $14.99 (PB); $3.03 (Kindle).
Maison Goossens: Haute Couture Jewelry
Patrick Mauries
Thames & Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500517703, $65.00, 224pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Goossens is one of the most prestigious names in haute couture jewelry of the last half century. Robert Goossens worked with Coco Chanel in the 1950s, cultivating an original style inspired by baroque and Byzantine art. He went on to design jewelry for the world's foremost fashion houses, pursuing notable collaborations with Balenciaga, Gres, and Yves Saint Laurent. As well as the emblematic rock crystal jewelry, baroque pearl brooches, and Byzantine cuffs famously associated with Chanel, Goossens' designs combine real and faux gemstones, making fashion jewelry both precious and bold at once. Robert's son, Patrick, has reimagined many original Goossens styles for Dior, Alexander McQueen, and Louis Vuitton among others. Martine, his daughter, collaborates regularly with architect Peter Marino to decorate the interiors of the most famous couture houses in the world. The Goossens family upholds the meticulous standards of the house, now part of the stable of exceptional craft practitioners owned by Chanel's Paraffection subsidiary.
Critique: Haute Couture refers to the houses or designers of clothing and accessories (including jewelry) that create exclusive and often trend-setting fashions for women. A simply beautiful compendium enhanced with 180 flawlessly reproduced illustrations (of which 168 are in color), "Maison Goossens: Haute Couture Jewelry" is a seminal work that is very highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library History of Fashion reference collections and specialized reading lists.
Communing With Music
Matthew Cantello
Devorss Publications
PO Box 1389, Carmarillo, CA 93012
www.devorss.com
9780875167923, $15.95, 154pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Through the ages, music has proven to be one of the few common links that connects humanity despite language barriers or cultural influences. The purpose of music could then be considered a medium of communication that has evolved into an art form where individuals outwardly express an inner rhythm by means of everything from a solo chant to a symphonic orchestra or choir. From a listener's standpoint though, without a trained ear, the pleasure attained from music is based solely on personal preference and taste in terms what sounds "good" or feels gratifying and stirs the soul. Author Matthew Cantello believes the inherent value of music offers an even greater benefit to the listener - the power to heal and transform your life. To enhance the listener's relationship with music, rather than focusing on composition and performance, "Communing With Music: Practicing The Art Of conscious Listening" teaches the listener how to experience music with a new focus and intensity. Through various contemplative techniques such as meditation, visualization, and expressive movement, readers discover how to consciously bring about healing, serenity, vitality and spiritual awakening through the exquisite energy within music.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Communing With Music" is especially recommended to the attention of non-specialist general readers with an interest in how listening to music can produce beneficial effects for the human psyche and help us deal with the vicissitudes and stresses in our everyday lives. Also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99), "Communing With Music" is commended for community and academic library Self-Help/Self-Improvement instructional reference collections.
Your Weight or Your Life?
Barbara McCalmon
Devorss Publications
PO Box 1389, Carmarillo, CA 93012
www.devorss.com
9780875168210, $14.95, 140pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: As people across the country continue to seek long-term solutions to their weight problems from a wide range of products, procedures, programs and diets, the unfortunate reality remains - America's obesity problem is growing at alarming rates. Is it then reasonable to wonder if this is a "physical" problem after all? Author Barbara McCalmon hit rock bottom before considering another solution to her eating disorder. Having followed the traditional path of overeaters looking to gain control of their lives again, it wasn't until she stepped off the scale and surrendered her physical will-power by turning inward to find the strength that saved her life. "Your Weight or Your Life?: Balancing the Scale for A Healthy Life from Within" retraces the journey of a once hopeless woman on the brink of an emotional and physical collapse and how she resurrected her will and spirit to live a healthy and balanced life.
Critique: A candid, informed, informative, and very personal story, "Your Weight or Your Life?" is strongly recommended reading for anyone struggling with weight control issues. A very special blending of autobiography and practical weight control guide, "Your Weight or Your Life?" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Health & Medicine collections.
The Ultimate Guide To Sex After 50
Joan Price
Cleis Press
2246 Sixth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710-2219
www.cleispress.com
9781627780964, $22.95, 408pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: "Sex changes with aging, but for every problem, there is a solution," says Joan Price, "senior sexpert" for the over-fifty population. "The Ultimate Guide to Sex After Fifty: How to Maintain - or Regain - a Spicy, Satisfying Sex Life" is her definitive guide to sex and aging has it all: medical challenges, loss of libido, loss of intimacy, dating, elusive orgasms, erectile dysfunction, vaginal pain, self-pleasuring, sex toys, kink, and more. "The Ultimate Guide to Sex After Fifty" delivers solid, practical information in a friendly, accessible style to help all genders and orientations, partnered or unpartnered, enjoy their sexuality for the rest of their lives. People over fifty who hunger for real information from an age-appropriate author will appreciate Price's savvy advice, personal candor, and humor. Whether you have a vibrant sex life or an unfulfilling one that you'd like to fix, "The Ultimate Guide to Sex After Fifty" will be a valuable resource.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Ultimate Guide to Sex After Fifty: How to Maintain - or Regain - a Spicy, Satisfying Sex Life" is packed from cover to cover with practical, insightful, accessible information for seniors wanting as fulfilling a personal sex life for themselves and their partners as possible. The range of topics and issues covered include long-term relationships; medical challenges; loss of libido; dating later in life; communication; elusive orgasms, self-pleasuring; sex toys; G-spots; P-spots; loss of intimacy; friends with benefits, and more. A very specialized self-help instruction guide and reference, it should be noted that "The Ultimate Guide to Sex After Fifty: How to Maintain - or Regain - a Spicy, Satisfying Sex Life" is also available in a Kindle edition ($11.99).
Margaret Lane
Reviewer
Mason's Bookshelf
Meditation as a Way of Life: Philosophy and Practice
Alan L. Pritz
Quest Books
c/o The Theosophical Publishing House
306 W. Geneva Road, Wheaton, IL 60187
www.questbooks.net
9780835609289, $17.95, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Among primers on meditation, "Meditation as a Way of Life: Philosophy and Practice" is exceptional in how it guides readers who treasure inner growth and are looking for reliable direction on how to achieve it in an authentic and sustainable way. Alan L. Pritz is a student of the Indian yogi Paramahansa Yogananda, and in "Meditation as a Way of Life: Philosophy and Practice" distills the teachings of many other spiritual traditions and religions, including Christianity, into an interfaith perspective that will appeal to all seekers of the divine. Specific elements include the foundations of spiritual practice; the benefits of energy-building exercises, affirmations, and healthy lifestyle regimens; instructions in mantra practice and inner-sound meditation; techniques for effective prayer; and guidelines to measure inner practice. "Meditation as a Way of Life: Philosophy and Practice" offers an accessible narrative and universal themes that make it enjoyable to read and life enhancing to apply.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Meditation as a Way of Life: Philosophy and Practice" is recommended as an invaluable introduction to the non-specialist general reader with an interest in mediation, and has a great deal to offer those who are extensively experienced with meditation practices and philosophy. Very highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library reference collections, it should be noted that "Meditation as a Way of Life: Philosophy and Practice" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).
On the State
Pierre Bourdieu
Polity
c/o Blackwell Publishing
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
www.blackwellpublishing.com
www.politybooks.com
9780745663296, $45.00, 480pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In "On The State", sociologist Pierre Bourdieu addresses fundamental political science questions with respect to the state in terms of the monopoly of legitimate physical and symbolic violence, where the monopoly of symbolic violence is the condition for the possession and exercise of physical violence. The state can be reduced neither to an apparatus of power in the service of dominant groups nor to a neutral site where conflicting interests are played out: rather, it constitutes the form of collective belief that structures the whole of social life. The 'collective fiction' of the state (with very real effects) is at the same time the product of all struggles between different interests, what is at stake in these struggles, and their very foundation. At a time when financial crisis is facilitating the hasty dismantling of public services, with little regard for any notion of popular sovereignty, "On the State" offers the critical instruments needed for a more lucid understanding of the well springs of domination.
Critique: Pierre Bourdieu (1 August 1930 - 23 January 2002) was a French sociologist, anthropologist, philosopher, and renowned public intellectual. Bourdieu's work was primarily concerned with the dynamics of power in society, and especially the diverse and subtle ways in which power is transferred and social order maintained within and across generations. In conscious opposition to the idealist tradition of much of Western philosophy, his work often emphasized the corporeal nature of social life and stressed the role of practice and embodiment in social dynamics. "On The State" is an anthology of his insightful lectures at the College de France from 1989 to 1992. Organized chronologically and enhanced with the inclusion of two appendices, extensive Notes, two bibliographies, and a comprehensive index, "On the State" is a critically important and highly recommended contribution for academic library Political Science reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.
Training Students to Extract Value from Big Data
Committee on Applied and Theoretical Statistics, et al.
National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.nap.edu
9780309314374, $35.00, 66pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: As the availability of high-throughput data-collection technologies, such as information-sensing mobile devices, remote sensing, internet log records, and wireless sensor networks has grown, science, engineering, and business have rapidly transitioned from striving to develop information from scant data to a situation in which the challenge is now that the amount of information exceeds a human's ability to examine, let alone absorb, it. Data sets are increasingly complex, and this potentially increases the problems associated with such concerns as missing information and other quality concerns, data heterogeneity, and differing data formats. "Training Students to Extract Value from Big Data" summarizes a workshop convened in April 2014 by the National Research Council's Committee on Applied and Theoretical Statistics to explore how best to train students to use big data. The workshop explored the need for training and curricula and coursework that should be included. One impetus for the workshop was the current fragmented view of what is meant by analysis of big data, data analytics, or data science. New graduate programs are introduced regularly, and they have their own notions of what is meant by those terms and, most important, of what students need to know to be proficient in data-intensive work. This report provides a variety of perspectives.
Critique: Data has always been Big. The one aspect that differs now, if compared with the past, would be the sheer scale and accessibility of Data, which is the direct result of the super efficient speeds in which data can now be computed. Big Data is therefore an all-encompassing term for any collection of large data sets that were once difficult to process. "Training Students to Extract Value from Big Data: Summary of a Workshop" will prove to be an invaluable informed and informative resource that is very strongly recommended for professional and academic library reference collections. It should be noted that "Training Students to Extract Value from Big Data: Summary of a Workshop" is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.84).
The Autumn Dead / The Night Remembers
Ed Gorman
Stark House Press
1315 H Street, Eureka, CA 95501
www.starkhousepress.com
9781933586601, $19.95, 322pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Two of Ed Gorman s best detective novels and now available under one cover. "The Autumn Dead" features Jack Dwyer, former-cop-turned-P.I., who tries to solve a mystery for a past love. "The Night Remembers" features Jack Walsh in a mystery which author Jeremiah Healy called an extraordinary novel and Kevin Burton Smith in Thrilling Detective cited as Ed Gorman's masterpiece.
Critique: Stark House Press is to be congratulated for bringing two private-eye mystery suspense thrillers to a whole new generation of appreciative readers. "The Autumn Dead / The Night Remembers" is a ripping good read and will prompt readers to go out looking for more Ed Gorman novels! Very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections.
Jack Mason
Reviewer
Peggy's Bookshelf
Draw What You See: The Life and Art of Benny Andrews
Written by Kathleen Benson
Illustrated by Benny Andrews
Clarion Books
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
9780544104877, $16.99, 32 pages, www.amazon.com
Author Kathleen Benson uses the vibrant paintings of artist Benny Andrews to illustrate his story. And what a story it is. As a child Benny loved to draw the world around him. One of ten children, Benny's parents worked as sharecroppers in the cotton fields near Plainview, Georgia. His love for art and school helped him overcome a difficult childhood and graduate high school. From there, Benny pursued his goal to go to art school in Chicago. Because of his unique ability to vividly portray African American culture and history, Benny's paintings made him famous. As a respected artist and teacher, he raised awareness of civil rights issues and social justice. Benny Andrews' fifteen colorful and captivating paintings, including two dazzling two-page spreads, by themselves are worth the price of admission. His story is an inspiration to budding artists everywhere. "Draw What You See: The Life and Art of Benny Andrews" is an art treasure.
Wangari Maathai: The Woman Who Planted Millions of Trees
Written by Franck Prevot
Illustrated by Aurelia Fronty
Charlesbridge
85 Main Street, Watertown, MA 02472
9781580896269, $17.95, 48 pages, www.amazon.com
Wangari Maathai grew up in Kenya where girls were not allowed to go to school. But her life was changed with a simple question from her brother: "Why doesn't Wangari go to school?" Her mother decided to send her to school. Wangari was such an excellent student she was invited by Senator John F. Kennedy (soon to be President Kennedy) to continue her education in the U.S. During her years in this country she learned firsthand about the civil rights movement. When she returned to Kenya, Wangari faced a different challenge. Her own country's forests were being cut down to make way for huge plantations that grew coffee, tea, and tobacco. Wangari formed the Green Belt Movement. Their mission was to plant trees all over Kenya as well as to educate people about the value of trees. But Wangari she didn't stop there. She organized the environmental party to defeat the authoritarian President Daniel arap Moi. Wangari became known as Mama Miti, "the mother of trees," and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.
Prevot spices up this rich biography with plenty of anecdotes to reveal Wangari's strength, intellect, and irrepressible personality. Through her actions, he shows how the civil rights movement influenced her political activities on behalf of the people of Kenya. Fronty's lavish spreads full of vibrant colors illustrate the natural beauty as well as the powerful bond between the people and their land. "Wangari Maathai: The Woman Who Planted Millions of Trees" is an engaging tribute to a great African leader.
Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America
Written by Carole Boston Weatherford
Illustrated by Jamey Christoph
Albert Whitman & Company
250 South Northwest Highway, Suite 320, Park Ridge, Illinois 60068
9780807530177, $16.99, 32 pages, www.amazon.com
Gordon Parks was born in Fort Scott, Kansas, the youngest of fifteen children. As a boy, his white teacher told her class of black children they would all grow up to be waiters and porters. When Gordon's mother died, he moved to Minneapolis to live with his sister, where he actually did work as a waiter and porter. Photos in a magazine gave him the idea to buy a used camera and try his hand at photography. Gordon's photos were so good he landed a job as a government photographer in Washington, DC. He took his camera with him all over the city. His photos exposed the poverty and racism that black people endured. Gordon went on to work as a photographer for Vogue and Life magazines. Throughout his long life, Gordon Parks achieved fame as a novelist, filmmaker, and composer.
Weatherford's use of present tense draws readers into the story of Gordon Parks' vast and remarkable career. Christoph's illustrations mimic the style and humanity of Parks' photographs. Four samples of Parks' famous photos are included at the end, along with a more detailed biography. "Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America" introduces readers to a true American Renaissance man.
The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage
Written by Selina Alko
Illustrated by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko
Arthur A. Levine Books
557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012
9780545478533, $18.99, www.amazon.com
Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter were in love. Like all young couples, they wanted to get married and raise a family together. But Richard's skin color happened to be lighter than Mildred's. The year was 1958, and they lived in Virginia where people with different skin color were not allowed to marry. Interracial marriage was legal in nearby Washington, DC, so they held their wedding over there. Back home in Virginia they were arrested. The only way Richard and Mildred Loving could stay together was to move to Washington, DC. They made a new life in the city and raised three children. But they missed rural life in Virginia and they were determined to take their children back home. That long journey back home led them all the way to the Supreme Court.
As an interracial couple, husband and wife team Selina Alko and Sean Qualls present a landmark historical event that is dear to their hearts. As illustrators they use the brilliance and contrast of color enhanced with whimsical collage to convey emotion in each scene. Through her sensitive storytelling and their combined artwork, Alko and Qualls weave the struggle for equal rights into a compassionate love story. "The Case for Loving" paints a human face on the struggle for marriage equality.
Seeds of Freedom: The Peaceful Integration of Huntsville, Alabama
Written by Hester Bass
Illustrated by E.B. Lewis
Candlewick Press
99 Dover Street, Somerville, MA 02144
9780763669195, $16.99, www.amazon.com
During the 1960s, riots broke out all over the South as blacks and whites clashed over the civil rights movement. In the quiet town of Huntsville, Alabama, the "Space Center of the Universe," a different kind of uprising was occurring. Individuals in the black community demanded equal rights along with their brethren across the country. But they were committed to non-violence. They staged sit-ins at restaurants and public parks. Instead of buying new Easter clothes at the local shops, members of the black community wore their blue jeans to church in what was known as Blue Jean Sunday. The peaceful protests were so successful that within a few months public places and businesses were open to everyone - blacks and whites. But the greatest goal challenge lay ahead. Was it possible for black children and white children to attend the same schools without violence?
Throughout this engaging story about Huntsville's peaceful uprising, Bass skillfully intertwines the history of the civil rights movement. Lewis's watercolor illustrations portray momentous events like snapshots in a photo album. "Seeds of Freedom" is a stirring revelation of how the skirmishes and successes of one community caused a giant ripple across the nation.
Emmanuel's Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah
Written by Laurie Ann Thompson
Illustrated by Sean Qualls
Schwartz & Wade
1745 Broadway, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10019
9780449817445, $17.99, 40 pages, www.amazon.com
Emmanuel was born with one leg instead of two. As a child in Ghana, West Africa, he didn't know the meaning of the word "disabled." All he knew was that he had to survive. He hopped to school. He played soccer on crutches. He even learned how to ride a bike. When his mother became ill, Emmanuel traveled to the city to find work to support his family. People wouldn't hire him at first but that didn't stop him. Emmanuel overcame all the obstacles because he had a big dream. He planned to bicycle across Ghana to show the world that disabled people can do anything. Sean Qualls uses color-splashed patterns against stonewashed backgrounds to illustrate the struggles and triumphs of this courageous young man. "Emmanuel's Dream" is a compelling true story that will touch your heart and change your mind.
Peggy Tibbetts, Reviewer
www.peggytibbetts.net
Susan's Bookshelf
Lone Jack Kid: The Return: A Western Adventure - Book 2
Joe Corso
Black Horse Publishing
http://www.corsobooks.com
9781507867235, $14.95 (PB), $3.06 (Kindle), 172 pages, www.amazon.com
Genre: Western
In The Adventures of The Lone Jack Kid we learnt how Charles Longstreet earns the name of The Lone Jack Kid and follow his adventures in an era where lawlessness was at its peak. This was the time of cowboys and Indians, when Sheriffs tried to keep the law, gunslingers were on every corner and life was cheap.
The year is 1868, and this book opens as Charles Longstreet, or The Lone Jack Kid finishes a year on the stage in New York giving shooting demonstrations following the outstanding success of Ned Buntlines books about his previous adventures.
In her luxury apartment in the Broadway Central Hotel, the actress Sarah Bernhart receives a surprise, a beautiful diamond ring as a gift from Charles in thanks for her friendship and help.
Whilst Charles is on a train heading for Kansas City. On board, he discovers that he has an unexpected presents too, from Boss Tweed in thanks for his shooting performances, a beautiful horse, fancy saddle and a new Winchester rifle.
Arriving at Kansas he is looking forward to spending some time there, however, he soon finds that tongues are wagging and his reputation has followed him closely. So, there, as in every place, despite trying to remain anonymous, his real identity is discovered, and he is challenged by gunslingers, each one intent on proving they can draw faster, and ultimately paying with their lives.
Then, one night he is ambushed and left for dead, but he isn't! Thus begins his search for the perpetrators and revenge.
As he travels the trails from one place to another, he has many adventures and finds himself helping lawmen, Indians and the white man alike.
His sense of justice earns him the respect of many, and he is even called to the Whitehouse for a meeting with President Ulysses S. Grant. Once there, he discovers that the president is in need of his help with the Indians, and offers him a very important job...
If you are fans of cowboys and Indian's and the Wild West then you are going to love this book. Although it does mention some of the characters from the previous book The Adventures of the Lone Jack Kid, it is just as enjoyable to read as a stand-alone.
Black Tar: For the Love of Heroin
Stephen E. Crockett
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
http://www.stephenecrockett.com
9781481131063, $11.95, 314 pages, www.amazon.com
A frank look at drug addiction.
Well, I must start off this review by admitting that before reading this book I had no idea about the world I was about to enter as I turned its pages. I suppose for many that may sound a naive comment but it's true, that's not to say I don't understand an addictive personality, I do, anyone can have an addiction to any number of things, but the world of drugs was new to me.
This very frank autobiography starts at the very beginning, as they say as we learn how he suffered a terrible fever with which he experienced hallucinations by day, and night terrors at night, aged twelve in 1972. His teenage years were, I suppose typical for many children at that time, and he experimented with drugs and alcohol, and embraced the rock and roll culture of that era. Soon however, his experimentation with increasing more potent drugs became a heroin addiction which was to influence his life for many years.
Throughout this book his world is eye-opener. His obsession with the girl with the golden eyes (Heroin) overtakes his existence, and despite managing to stop taking it at various times, his life seems to be one of continual struggle just to survive.
As we travel life's journey with him, there are no holds barred, everything is laid out in front of us, the love, death, tragedies and despair, until we find ourselves wondering, how can one man survive so much? But, survive he did, but is he clean?
The bravery of this author in opening up like he has, must be admired, I found this book extremely interesting, however, I can see that if you have a family member or friend in the same situation, this could well be invaluable as an aid to understanding them.
Adventures of Sammy the Dalmatian and Friends
D.C. Rush
Privately Published
http://www.dcrushbooks.com
B00T71QSOA, $1.52, 26 pages www.amazon.com
This is an enchanting story about three dogs who live in Sun City a retirement community. Sammy is a Dalmatian, who is a Fire Department retired Lead Fire Dog, Mason is a great big Rottweiler who's really a big softie, and then there's Jewel a beautiful Golden Retriever who when she's not playing dutifully protects her family's house.
The dogs are great friends and meet up regularly, so when Mason doesn't arrive one day, the others go round to his house to see where he is.
But he's not there! Eventually, he arrives, panting and very tired. He tells his friends he has been through a terrible ordeal, he has been dognapped, but he managed to escape. After Mason reveals that in the big barn he was taken to there were other dogs in cages, Sammy and Jewel leave him to recover and set out see if they can discover where he was held.
When they find the place they report back to Mason and together the three friends hatch a clever plan. However, for it to succeed they need some help from Sammy's son, Siren, the new Lead Fire Dog, and one of Sammy's oldest and dearest friend a calico cat called Peaches.
Will their plan succeed?
Will the terrible dognappers be caught?
To discover the plan and find out what happens, you will have to read the book.
Many children love animals and for me an added bonus to the books by this author is the way the characters of the animals and birds involved shine through. The distinctive personalities of the different dog breeds are so good in this book, as are the bird types in the Robby's Quest series, and the cats in Hershey Learns a Lesson.
Yet again D. C. Rush has written a wonderful, gentle story for children which teaches them the difference between right and wrong in an easily understood way, and it is beautifully illustrated by the very talented Daniela Frongia.
Ruby ShinesBright and the Birthday cake
RosaBella Bloom
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781505282832, $9.52, 24 pages, www.amazon.com
Genre: children's (from ages 3 and up)
Ruth ShinesBright is a very special little girl. She lives in a place called Flooperville and has a red stone on her tummy which shines bright when she is happy and well.
She is very excited because tomorrow is going to be a special day for her, it's her fifth birthday.
Her granny Ruth has made her a beautiful cake and it's sitting in the kitchen ready, however, Ruby can't wait until her party, and so naughtily she sneaks down in the night and accompanied by her little black kitten Dotty, she eats it all!
The next morning her granny is very unhappy with her, and poor little Ruby's stone on her tummy is very dull. She feels very unwell and deeply regrets eating all that cake. What's more, her granny wants to know what they are going to give her friends to eat when they arrive for her party later.
Then, Ruby has a great idea, and with help from her granny she makes a delicious cake of fruits which all her family and friends love.
And when the time comes for her to blow out her candles, can you guess what she wishes for?
To find out, you'll have to read the book!
This is a wonderful story for children and is beautifully illustrated by the talented artist Jackie Atkin.
Susan Keefe, Reviewer
www.susan-keefe.com
Teri's Bookshelf
The Secret Rooms
Catherine Bailey
Penguin Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9780143124733, $16.00, 465 pages, www.amazon.com
With all the "Downton Abbey" attention lately, it seems like anything British regarding the same time period can instantaneously be a best seller. However, author Catherine Bailey was looking for a story when she was allowed access to rooms that had been sealed for years in Belvoir Castle. Little did she realize that her research could unearth some family "skeletons" that she had not planned on discovering and many more questions than answers.
The author was allowed into the sealed rooms where the 9th Duke of Rutland had died in the year 1940. Apparently the Duke had been sorting through all his family letters saved from his entire life during his final days. The Duke's son, Charles had sealed the rooms when his father died. In those sixty years, no one had been given access to these rooms which even while in use years ago, were cold and sparsely furnished. Why had a man of such wealth lived in these isolated rooms with little heat and comforts? What secrets did he feel needed to remain hidden?
As the author, Catherine Bailey read through a multitude of boxes of letters she quickly realized that there were gaps in the life of the 9th Duke of Rutland. She quickly discovered that there appeared to be three time periods were no correspondence existed. It quickly seemed as it the Duke had purposefully destroyed all records during these times. Why? What secrets did he take to his grave? What was so terrible that he desired to have certain events erased from history?
The Secret Rooms describes the life of John Rutland as the 9th Duke and his family prior to the first World War, during World War I and afterwards. As the secrets are somewhat revealed, what is fascinating is the lifestyle of the Duke and his family, their choices, their actions, their successes, and even somewhat, their failures. Revealing the true actions and secrets of this family succeeds in giving the reader an insight into life in the early twentieth century through the eyes of the elite in British society.
The description of this book is "a true story of a haunted castle, a plotting duchess, and a family secret." Much of the book is devoted to the Duke's mother who unquestionably was the plotting duchess in attempt to save her son from harm during the War. The family secret was somewhat revealed but more than likely died with the Duke and his staff. The haunting though is barely mentioned and is never completely explained or identified.
The Secret Rooms is a page-turning non-fiction account about the Rutland family turning the individuals into real people who led a life of privilege with many of the same problems that trouble everyone. Included in the book are actual pictures of the people and the places of the book as well as an index, map of the castle, as well as a family tree.
I was slightly disappointed that the haunting was never explained but seemed to be a teaser for the book cover. Also the first time gap was never completely explained since the author was unsuccessful with discovering the true explanation but did attempt to fill-in the gaps. Her explanation is a possibility but it could be very misleading into the actual events.
The story was interesting even when it became focused more on gossip than actual records. Yes, the letters were revealing but only stated whatever the family had wanted recorded. However, the story succeeds in placing the reader in the center of life during World War I.
The Goldfinch
Donna Tartt
Little, Brown & Company
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
www.hachettebookgroup.com
9780316055437 $30.00, 755 pages, www.amazon.com
"That life-whatever else it is- is short. That fate is cruel but maybe not random....And in the midst of our dying, as we rise from the organic and sink back ignominiously into the organic, it is a glory and privilege to love what Death doesn't touch."
How do we know when a piece of artwork is a masterpiece? How does anyone learn about beauty, form, style and technique in recognizing true art whether in music, writing, or art?
Theo Decker has never been a part of a group. Early in his life, he was singled out for his intelligence and placed in advanced classes. With another student, Theo and Andy frequently found themselves bonded in a type of friendship joining in their constant battle against bullies. Through the natural isolation, the two had a bound of survival by relying on each other as their only friend.
Theo also was extremely close to his mother, especially after his father abandoned the two. She was beautiful and had a natural charm attracting people to her as a fly is drawn to a light.
After being suspended from school one day, his mother took him to a museum prior to their meeting with the school. When she went into another room, Theo's world changed forever. The building exploded. Theo became conscious and was aware of two people near him, an elderly man and a girl who was close to his age. The man gave him a ring and told him to take a particular painting, The Goldfinch which was painted by Vermeer's teacher who was also a student of Rembrandt. Realizing that death was near, he grabbed the painting and went home to wait for his mother. He knew that if she could not find him, she would look for him at home. At what point would he give up and realize that she was dead?
What does an orphaned thirteen-year-old boy do with a stolen painting? The answer is The Goldfinch.
The Goldfinch is a little reminiscent of the Twin Towers' disaster along with a realistic view of gifted children, absent fathers, foster care, drug-usage, art crime, and the antique business all blended into a well-written memorable tale.
This is the type of tale the obsesses your thinking day and night, even when the last page ends with the final period. The true gloriousness of this tale is how well the book constantly encircles art and attempts to define that which words cannot describe.
The Empty Throne
Bernard Cornwell
Harper
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
www.harpercollins.com
9780062250711, $27.99, www.amazon.com
"Leave one alive, that had been my father's advice. Let one man take the bad news home to frighten the others,...which meant the survivor, if there was one, would take the news of defeat to widows and orphans."
This was the belief of many fighters of numerous battles throughout history. Always leave one person alive, usually a youngster, to deliver the news to the towns and families about the fates of their loved ones. Considering the limits of communication back in the years prior to the 1900s, this appeared to be a common practice throughout much of European history.
In the land that would become England in the years of 900 A.D., the constant battles between the Vikings and the Saxons proved that life was still unsettled. Besides heritage there were also changes in religion with most people either following the gods of the Norse or the new beliefs of Christianity. Between the regions of Wessex, Mercia, East Anglia, and Northumbria there were constantly disagreements but there is now a possible hope of becoming a unified country since AEthelred, the ruler of Mercia, had died without a legitimate heir.
The obvious successor would be the West Saxon king. However, AEthelred's widow, AEthelflaed was loved by the people of Mercia, but not her husband. She followed her own path as a warrior and also possibly had her own lover while frequently in disagreements with her husband. Could a female succeed in uniting this land?
The Empty Throne opens with Uhtred who was called Osbert, the son of Uhtred, the lord in The Pagan Lord. So now the son is in charge of a war party with many men who had served his father. Lord Uhtred is not fighting but becoming an aging warrior who is slowly hearling from numerous old wounds. Uhtred has devised a strategy for capturing a large group of Norsemen. Through cunning, scheming, misdirection, and the firm belief of doing what he believes is right, they look forward to the day when this land in no longer plagued by these Northern invaders.
Bernard Cornwell places the reader directly in the middle of the battles. With Uhtred whose brother was disowned in the previous novel for becoming a Christian priest and his father, Lord Uhtred, Cornwell masterfully writes a tale based on the actual recorded history of these events. With names that are not commonly known, this novel is action-adventure at its best turning history into a readable page turner
The Empty Throne is the eighth book in Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Tales following The Pagan Lord. I strongly feel that this particular novel would be difficult to understand without reading the previous installment.
Teri Davis
Reviewer
Theodore's Bookshelf
The Competition
A Rachel Knight Novel
Marcia Clark
Mulholland Books
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Ave., NY, NY 100107
www.HachetteBookGroup.com
9780316220972, $26.00/29.00 CA$, 416 pp, www.amazon.com
An essential element of a crime novel is the inclusion of a red herring or two to keep the reader guessing. Well, in this latest Rachel Knight caper, there are a lot more than that, as the plot twists and turns toward completion. The story begins with two males shooting automatic weapons at a high school audience at a pep rally, killing and wounding many in a Columbine-like massacre. And that's the beginning of what appears to be a competition with other similar events in an effort to outdo the most famous perpetrators of similar bloodbaths.
At first, it seems that two students from the San Fernando school are the culprits, and assistant DA Rachel Knight and her buddy, Detective Bailey Keller, pursue the two. But things are never what they seem, and their attention is continually turned to a never-ending series of new possibilities.
It becomes quite a chase as the two try to find the killers and prevent further slaughters as the perpetrators attempt to set new records compared to past performances. To this reader, at least, the plot tended to drag as new suspects were continually erupting to lengthen the plot. But it remains an interesting tale, and is recommended.
The Night Searchers
Marcia Muller
Grand Central Publishing
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Ave., NY, NY 100107
www.HachetteBookGroup.com
9781455527939, $26.00/29.00 CA$, Hardcover, 304 pp, www.amazon.com
Sharon McCone undertakes two peculiar cases, sort of interrelated. The first is brought to her by an attorney who introduces Sharon to Jay and Camilla Givens. The other is handed over to her by her husband, who operates a separate security agency, when he is called overseas on a secret mission. This one involves a kidnapping of one of his clients.
It appears that Camilla "sees" devil worshipers performing human sacrifices in an undeveloped area in San Francisco. Meanwhile, Sharon learns that both Jay and the kidnapping victim are involved in a group that partakes in night forays, following clues, hunting treasure and, apparently, performing weird acts. Just how all these factors add up to Sharon solving both cases is the basis for a wide-ranging story.
While the plot is worthy of note, it is complicated and somewhat loosely written and disjointed. The author does keep Sharon and her husband, Hy Ripinski, fresh and up to date, continuing their development as characters in this long-running series, and it is recommended.
Herbie's Game
Timothy Hallinan
Soho Crime
853 Broadway, NY, NY 10003
www.sohopress.com
9781616955403, $14.95, Paperback, 400 pp, www.amazon.com
In an Afterword to his newest book, the author discloses that he was asked by the publisher to write a 30,000-word Junior Bender novella, which started out being a tale of a burglary which netted our protagonist some interesting pieces of jewelry. Instead he ended up writing a novel three times as long in which those brooches merely serve as sort of end pieces to an entirely different theme. Junior, a kind of detective to the underworld, is retained by a mastermind criminal to find out who broke into his office and stole a piece of paper. And to recover that list.
The identity of the culprit is obvious to Junior, since he left his "calling card" by leaving everything open. So, Junior heads for his mentor's home only to find Herbie Mott (who not only taught Junior everything he knows about his "profession," but was a surrogate father as well) beaten and dead. It's obvious his attackers were after that same piece of paper, which was a list of intermediaries who served to eventually pass along instructions to a hit man. Thus begins a long trek, as Junior follows the chain in an attempt to discover who was the intended target of the hit.
In reviewing the prior novel in the series, I pointed out that Junior was less amusing than he had been in the first two installments. Unfortunately, I felt that he was even less so in this, the fourth. While "Herbie's Game" is a serious attempt to look at Junior more meaningfully, and we do gain a deeper insight into his personality and character, it is not the Junior we have come to love. Nevertheless, as it stands, it is a novel that keeps one's interest, and it is recommended.
An Event in Autumn
Henning Mankell
Translated by Laurie Thompson
Vintage Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com
www.weeklylizard.com
9780804170642, $14.95, 169 pp, www.amazon.com
This last appearance by Kurt Wallander was first published many years ago by a Dutch publisher who used it as a promotion to sell crime books. It really is a long short story, and chronologically it dates to just before "The Troubled Man," the final novel in the Wallander series. So, this is really good-bye to Kurt.
Always desirous of purchasing a house, leaving his apartment and obtaining a dog, Wallander is induced by his friend and co-worker Martinson to look at a property owned by an aged relative. Upon inspection, he decides it meets his needs and even agrees to a price. But then, walking around the garden Wallander finds a bony hand sticking up from the ground. Further investigation turns up a complete skeleton, and later a second. So his desire to purchase the home is very much cooled, but the investigation heats up and we have a Wallander investigation with few leads.
The author writes in an Afterward that he decided to end the series on a high note, having said everything he wanted to say, and not drag it on merely for the sake of continuing it. That doesn't mean we won't all miss the irascible Swedish detective, because we will. But at least we enjoyed him for a long run.
Recommended.
Invisible Streets
Toby Ball
Overlook Press
141 Wooster St., NY, NY 10012
www.overlookpress.com
9781468309027, $26.95, 336 pp, www.amazon.com
New York, both the state and city, almost a century ago, was largely rebuilt by one man, Robert Moses, who ruled the construction of highways and other public projects. In most cases, it was to the benefit of the state and city, but some, like the Cross-Bronx Expressway, destroyed neighborhoods and even entire boroughs. This novel is loosely patterned on such a calamity. It tells of a project to "revitalize" a city by constructing an expressway running to the heart of a city, which is to be torn down and rebuilt at the expense of a variety of ethnic neighborhoods.
The main characters include the Moses stand-in, Nathan Canada, a detective, Torsten Grip and an old left-leaning journalist opposed to the expressway cutting the city in half, Frank Frings. Each provides the author the opportunity to symbolize the corruption involved in creation of the "new" city and the inherent problems surrounding it. A subsidiary story line, which does not seem to have anything to do with the plot, involves a college professor's experiment using LSD, the theft of dynamite from one of the construction sites, police surveillance of radicals and various side issues which only serve to provide less than positive attributes of the city: prostitution, bribery, the effect of "progress" on the poor, and other less-than-desirable attributes.
It is a powerful story told with a somewhat heavy hand, which takes its toll on the reader who has to plow through the various topics until reaching a conclusion which leaves one scratching one's head. It seems to this reader that a less complicated portrayal could have been more effective, omitting much of the heavy-handed scenes which do little to add to the general subject. Nevertheless, it is a tale that should be told and read, and is, therefore, recommended.
Murder in Pigalle
Cara Black
Soho Crime
853 Broadway, NY, NY 10003
www.sohopress.com
9781616954888, $15.95, 320 pp, www.amazon.com
Five months pregnant and suffering from morning sickness and other discomforts, Aimee Leduc still has the drive to investigate a series of rapes in the famous Pigalle district of Paris in this, the 14th novel in the series. And, of course, getting herself into all kinds of dangerous situations, despite her delicate condition.
When the 13-year-old daughter of the couple that owns the cafe on the corner of her office fails to return home, Aimee is enlisted to find her. The fear, of course, is that what appears to be a serial rapist who preys on young girls has abducted her. Aimee to the rescue. What is unknown at the time is a subplot which intertwines with that theory. But never fear: Aimee is on the job.
The story is to some degree based on a true Parisian crime that took place in 1998. As in past novels in the series, detailed descriptions of Paris, and especially the area in which the tale takes place, permeate the pages, lending flavor as usual. The book gets off to a rather slow start, with a lot of superfluous detail, but gathers steam as it goes. While all the previous novels have been somber (after all, serious crimes are involved), this book is grim given the age of the victims and the gravity of the harm that comes to Aimee. Given impending motherhood, the question arises: Is it time to retire?
Recommended.
Lion Plays Rough
Lachlan Smith
The Mysterious Press
c/o Grove-Atlantic
841 Broadway, NY, NY 10003
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802122995, $14.00, 256 pp, www.amazon.com
Leo Maxwell is a defense attorney with a conscience, and in this follow-up novel he exhibits all the characteristics of the breed. He thinks he knows at all, and as a result nearly gets himself killed. It all begins when he is handed a possible case by a woman tipster and he is blind to the possibility that he is being duped.
But being a lawyer isn't enough for Leo. He becomes an investigator and performs other roles, some of which are possibly unethical. All these machinations sometimes are too much for the reader to slog through, and the complicated plot slows progress through the pages. There is a courtroom scene which is well-presented (which unfortunately cannot be said for the remainder of the novel) and written by an author who is, after all, a practicing attorney, albeit not in criminal law.
Fatal Conceit
Robert K. Tanenbaum
Gallery Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Sixth Ave., NY, NY 10020
www.simonandschuster.com
9781451635577, $26.00, 431 pp, www.amazon.com
The reader has to suspend disbelief in this latest Butch Karp saga just to enjoy the usual highlight of a Robert K. Tanenbaum novel: the courtroom trial. What leads up to this well-portrayed event is another matter, requiring a stretch of the imagination. It seems that the premise involves the President's national campaign manager and his national security advisor taking part in what might be termed a rogue operation leading to multiple cover-ups and even murder.
We meet the two men as they sit in an office watching in real time an attack on a State Department mission and a group of clandestine secret American agents that includes Butch's daughter, Lucy, by unknown elements in Chechnya. Fearful that the incident would have negative implications on the President's reelection a week before the election, the men choose to do nothing to assist the besieged Americans, even ordering an overhead drone to fire upon them to remove any possible witnesses. Enter a hero general, now Acting CIA Director, who decides he is going to testify before a Congressional committee on what really happened. So they arrange his death to look like suicide when they fail to blackmail him into toeing the party line.
There are other subplots including a maudlin love story, but these merely add up to providing more fodder for a potboiler. Needless to say, Butch hones in on the pair after obtaining reams of evidence sufficient to provide a well-conducted trial that as usual is the highlight of this author's novels. Customarily, one can count on the author to be meticulous where the legal aspects are concerned. However, in this story, we find Butch properly having the defendants arrested in D.C. with a local policeman on hand, but we next find them indicted and on trial in New York City, but no mention of extradition or its waiver. Oversight or just plainly ignored? The plot captures the imagination, but I found it hard to overlook some of the novel's more troubling aspects. But it is well-written and fun to read, so it is recommended.
Windigo Island
William Kent Krueger
Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Sixth Ave., NY, NY 10020
www.simonsays.com
9781476749235, $24.99, 339 pp, www.amazon.com
When the body of a 14-year-old Ojibwe girl washes up on Windigo Island, a rocky outcrop on Lake Superior, Cork O'Connor and his daughter, Jenny, embark on a crusade to rescue another teenager, Mariah, who had run away from home with her, ending up as prostitutes in Duluth, pimped by a man known, strangely enough, as Windigo. The windigo is a mythical beast thought to rip hearts out of bodies and eat them, or a vengeful spirit called Michi Peshu, according to Ojibwe lore.
With the help of Mariah's cousin, a game warden, her mother, and Henry Meloux, Cork and Jenny follow a thin trail to find the girl with little help from other victims of the pimps who are virtually brainwashed and refuse to talk, or a very few others. What follows is an exciting investigation that leads to the uncovering of an extensive sex trafficking ring, many of whose victims are Native Americans steeped in poverty and abuse, especially in the Duluth and Twin Cities areas.
The novel graphically portrays the squalid cycle of poverty, abuse, alcoholism and runaway children on the reservations and the men who prey on them. Once again, the author has the opportunity to demonstrate a deep empathy for the Ojibwe, their values and traditions, as well as describing his love of the North Woods. All this and one of the most exciting finishes recently read by this reviewer.
Highly recommended.
The Farm
Tom Rob Smith
Grand Central Publishing
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Ave., NY, NY 10017
www.hbgusa.com
9781455551064, $15.00, 400 pp, www.amazon.com
This novel has many of the aspects of banality, but it is anything but triteness. In fact, it bristles with originality. The plot centers on Daniel, the homosexual son of a couple who worked hard all their lives only to end up with almost nothing because of investments destroyed during poor economic times. They choose to buy a farm in a remote part of Sweden, where Daniel's mother was born and lived until she left for England at the age of 16 years. There the plan for a contented retirement falls apart when she encounters what she believes to be a conspiracy.
Daniel, who has consistently put off visiting his parents because he is reluctant to disclose his sexual preference and introduce them to his significant other, receives a shocking phone call from his father informing him that his mother is not well, suffering from imagined occurrences and actually a psychotic breakdown. She is brought to a hospital and Daniel prepares to fly to Sweden, but before he can, his mother leaves the hospital and flies to London in an effort to enlist his assistance in reporting the conspiracy to the police.
This begins a slow, painstaking presentation by Daniel's mother, as she unfolds her experiences, observations and conclusions on the perceived evils that have taken place in the vicinity of the farm, including a possible sex ring involving young girls and maybe the murder of the 16-year-old daughter of a leading resident of the area. At the conclusion, Daniel undertakes to investigate the allegations by flying to Sweden and tracing his mother's life from the beginning to the recent events. And it turns out to be quite a trip giving the author an opportunity to turn everything upside down.
Highly recommended.
An Unwilling Accomplice
Charles Todd
William Morrow
c/o HarperCollins
10 E. 53rd St., NY, NY 10022
www.harpercolllins.com
9780062237194, $25.99, 337 pp, www.amazon.cpom
The newest entry in the Bess Crawford series follows a familiar path, Bess being a British nurse on the French front during World War I, the daughter of Colonel sahib whose orderly, Simon, is both protector of and participant in her escapades. In this, the sixth novel in the series, Simon and Bess occupy most of the plot as they chase an Army deserter whose disappearance has not only embarrassed her as he escaped from her charge, but nearly cost her her lilywhite reputation and being drummed out of the service.
It all begins when Sgt. Wilkins is to receive a hero's medal from King George and he asks Bess to accompany him to Buckingham Palace pushing his wheelchair. Upon returning to the hotel afterward, he leaves the premises, leaving Bess to take the blame for failing to perform her duty properly. Thus begins a chase in an attempt to salvage her reputation.
The plot is really overly complicated, with too many characters. As a result, the reader is forced to follow too many sub-plots and is confused with various characters that contribute little to moving the story forward. The picture of the trenches and the hardships on the Western Front, as in previous entries in the series, are vividly told, but unlike previous novels little is portrayed on the home front.
Saints of the Shadow Bible
Ian Rankin
Back Bay Books
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Ave., NY, NY 10017
www.hbgusa.com
9780316224574, $16.00, 416 pp., www.amazon.com
When the Cold Case Group in which Rebus has been working is eliminated, he lucks out by being taken back with a spot in CID, albeit with a demotion. Reduced from DI to DS, he now is subordinate to his long-time protege, DI Clarke. Of course, that doesn't stop the old dinosaur from acting like he always has.
Rankin introduces a couple of surprises in this novel, the first being having Malcolm Fox, Rebus's standing nemesis, as a co-investigator working together. It comes about because Fox is performing his last assignment with the Complaints looking at a 30-year-old case involving the group known as the Saints of the Shadow Bible because they each swore fidelity to protect each other on a stand-in for the holy book. Rebus had joined the group as a young DC soon after the arrest of a snitch who eventually got off on a murder charge through police mistakes. This was in the Old Days, when anything went and they made their own rules. The Solicitor General recently pushed through a retraction of the double jeopardy rule and was looking to resurrect the murder charge. Rebus volunteers to assist in Fox's efforts and the two learn to trust one another, leading to cooperation in another more recent investigation involving an auto accident and the murder of the Minister of Justice.
As with the rest of the series, Rebus shines and errs, but his character and ability always comes through. The author has no need of our praise, but deserves accolades nonetheless. The complexity of the plot provides Rebus with the chance to outthink everyone, but the surprise is that Fox rises to the occasion as a real CID detective.
Highly recommended.
Children of the Revolution
Peter Robinson
Morrow Paperbacks
c/o HarperCollins
10 E. 53rd St., NY, NY 10022
www.harpercollins.com
9780062240514, $14.99, 352 pp, www.amazon.com
DCI Alan Banks, as usual, takes matters into his own hands in this rather convoluted novel which begins with the discovery of the body of Gavin Miller, a disgraced college professor. Subsequent investigation by Banks and his team uncovers many potential suspects, some from the victim's college days 40 years before.
The murdered man appeared to have been desperate, malnourished, and greatly in need of funds. And among the possible motives for his death were drugs and blackmail. With only theories to go on, the police begin a plodding check into Miller's life, from his earliest days to his dismissal from his teaching post for sexual indiscretion. And all sorts of secrets begin to surface.
The plot is an interesting one, but bogs down with various side issues and long-winded passages and dialogue. While the writing is the usual high standard of a Peter Robinson novel, it is slow reading because of these characteristics. And because of the depth of the police procedural as well, which seems never-ending.
Nonetheless, as with all prior entries in this series, it is recommended.
The Competition
A Rachel Knight Novel
Marcia Clark
Mulholland Books
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Ave., NY, NY 10017
www.HachetteBookGroup.com
9780316220958, $8.00/9.00 CA$, 544 pp, www.amazon.com
An essential element of a crime novel is the inclusion of a red herring or two to keep the reader guessing. Well, in this latest Rachel Knight caper, there are a lot more than that, as the plot twists and turns toward completion. The story begins with two males shooting automatic weapons at a high school audience at a pep rally, killing and wounding many in a Columbine-like massacre. And that's the beginning of what appears to be a competition with other similar events in an effort to outdo the most famous perpetrators of similar bloodbaths.
At first, it seems that two students from the San Fernando school are the culprits, and assistant DA Rachel Knight and her buddy, Detective Bailey Keller, pursue the two. But things are never what they seem, and their attention is continually turned to a never-ending series of new possibilities.
It becomes quite a chase as the two try to find the killers and prevent further slaughters as the perpetrators attempt to set new records compared to past performances. To this reader, at least, the plot tended to drag as new suspects were continually erupting to lengthen the plot. But it remains an interesting tale, and is recommended.
A Dark and Twisted Tide
Sharon Bolton
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10010
www.minotaurbooks.com
9781250060495, $16.99, 448 pp., www.amazon.com
Still reeling from her recent harrowing experiences, Lacey Flint chooses to cease being a detective and reverts to working in uniform, albeit on a boat patrolling the Thames River; also living in a boat in a small inlet and taking up swimming in the polluted waters. But there is no way the author lets Lacey avoid danger and the taste of detecting. So it comes to pass one day that she encounters the remains of a female while swimming. And thus hangs a complicated tale.
Three more bodies turn up and Lacey becomes part of the investigation, which is full of twists and turns. It appears that the victims were from Afghanistan and smuggled up the Thames to some hidden location near where Lacey's boat is docked. So the investigation initially is centered on a case involving people-smuggling. The question, of course, is why. A subplot involves Dana (Lacey's boss) and her significant other, Helen, in their quest to have a baby, bringing them to a fertility clinic, setting the stage for another character to play a role in an ending that boggles the mind.
The author is famous for constructing novels full of surprises, and this one is no different. It is full of red herrings keeping the reader off balance and turning pages to find out what happens next.
Recommended.
The Iron Sickle
Martin Limon
Soho Crime
853 Broadway, NY, NY 10003
www.sohopress.com
9781616953911, $26.95, 320 pp, www.amazon.com
Twenty years after the truce brought hostilities to an end on the Korean peninsula, the head of the 8th United States Army Claims Office in Seoul is murdered when a Korean man slices his throat with a small iron sickle, bringing in CID agents George Sueno and Ernie Bascom to investigate. The two have demonstrated in previous novels that they irreverently disobey orders but somehow achieve results.
In this case, they are stonewalled by both the Americans and Koreans, both of whom apparently do not wish the two to solve it. It seems there is a dirty secret buried and the agents have to steal clues to guide their investigation.
The author's novels ring with authenticity gained from firsthand knowledge. He served 20 years in the Army, ten of them in Korea. As a result, the sights and sounds provide the reader with the real flavor of the city, the taste of foods, the nights filled with bars, drinks and sex. And, more important, the rigidness of the Army bureaucracy.
Recommended.
The Rest is Silence
James R. Benn
Soho Crime
853 Broadway, NY, NY 10003
sohopress.com
9781616952662, $26.95, 352 pp
This latest Billy Boyle mystery, the ninth in the series, takes place in the weeks before the Normandy invasion and is filled with many little-known facts. Did you know, for instance, that there was a practice area in southern England that nearly duplicated Omaha and Utah beaches in western France? Or that the armed forces conducted landings there called Operation Tiger? Or that one such exercise was so snafued by communications errors that it resulted in loss of equipment and lives, and a second was attacked by German naval vessels that sank several transports and resulted in about a thousand deaths? Or that Yogi Berra served on a small boat that shot rockets to blast barbed wire and other impediments to landings? Or even how Yogi got his moniker? So much for examples of why novels in the series reflect the author's impressive scholarship!
Now for the plot. Billy and his sidekick, Kaz, are sent to the area when a body washes ashore, and the powers-that-be are fearful it might be that of a German spy and could be detrimental to the planned invasion. When Billy and Kaz find otherwise, they are confronted with two additional mysteries: First, among the missing victims of the German attack on Operation Tiger are ten officers and NCOs with knowledge of the actual D-Day plans. Billy and Kaz, and later Sgt. "Big Mike," are tasked with inspecting bodies brought back to land to discover whether any of them fell into Nazi hands, which might give the enemy knowledge of the actual plans. Another subplot involves the death of a naval ensign unrelated to the invasion involving civilians, permitting Billy to demonstrate that he hasn't lost his touch as a Boston detective.
Once again, Mr. Benn has written an enthralling mystery combined with an interesting bit of history with the usual flair and clarity of the prior entries in the series.
Highly recommended.
Theodore Feit
Reviewer
James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
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