Return to home
page Book Reviews, Book Lover Resources, Advice for Writers and Publishers
Home / Internet Bookwatch

Internet Bookwatch

Volume 28, Number 10 October 2018 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Social Issues Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Christian Studies Shelf Judaic Studies Shelf
Fiction Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf American History Shelf
World History Shelf Self-Help Shelf Poetry Shelf
Education Shelf Biography Shelf Sports Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Graphic Novel Shelf Library CD Shelf
Library DVD Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf Fashion Shelf
Business Shelf Needlecraft Shelf Travel Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Science Shelf
Art Shelf Crafts Shelf Automotive Shelf
Technology Shelf Humor Shelf Martial Arts Shelf
Gardening Shelf Military Shelf Political Science Shelf
Autism Shelf Theatre/Cinema Shelf Parenting Shelf
Economic Studies Shelf Psychology Shelf Library Science Shelf
Aviation Shelf Music Shelf Jobs/Careers Shelf
Philosophy Shelf Beer Shelf Literary Studies Shelf
Criminology Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Safe Haven in America
Michael Wildes
American Bar Association
321 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60610
https://www.americanbar.org
9781641051897, $34.95, HC, 200pp, www.amazon.com

America's "broken" immigration system has become a cliche of national politics which has only been made substantially worse by decades of political gridlock. "Safe Haven in America: Battles to Open the Golden Door" by Michael J. Wildes (an Adjunct Professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York where he teaches Business Immigration Law) who draws on nearly a quarter of a century of his practice in the immigration field. The cases presented, however, don't merely involve legal principles, but the human aspects of coming to America as reflected in the happiness of a family and children; the results of fighting criminality and corruption; the hopes of safely expressing political, religious, or social beliefs; and sometimes, the very stark difference between life and death. A timely and much appreciated contribution to our current on-going national dialogue with respect to current immigration law enforcement (especially in light of the perceived abuses of that enforcement by the Trump Administration), "Safe Haven in America" should be a part of every community, college, and university library collection in the country. It should be noted for the personal reading list of students, politicians, ICE personnel, political scientists, immigration reform activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Safe Haven in America" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99).

Patent It Yourself, 19th edition
David Pressman & David E. Blau
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.nolo.com
9781413325393, $49.99, PB, 672pp, www.amazon.com

Now in a fully updated and significantly revised 19th edition, "Patent It Yourself: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Filing at the U.S. Patent Office" continues to be a complete course of instruction from start to finish, guiding inventors and entrepreneurs through the process of getting a patent. Patent attorneys David Pressman and David E. Blau draw upon their impressive expertise to provide the latest information, forms, and clear instructions to: Conduct a patent search the right way; Evaluate an idea's commercial potential; File a provisional patent application to get "patent pending" status; Prepare a patent application; Focus on the patent application's claims; Respond to patent examiners; Get drawings done right; Protect rights in foreign countries; Deal with infringers; Market and license an invention. This new 19th edition covers all the latest implications of the first-to-file rules created by the congressional America Invents Act. While unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library collections, it should be noted that "Patent It Yourself: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Filing at the U.S. Patent Office" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $27.20).

Born To Ice
Paul Nicklen
teNeues Publishing
350 Seventh Avenue, Suite 301, New York, NY, 10011
9783961711239, $125.00, HC, 344pp, www.amazon.com

Paul Nicklen is a Canadian photographer, filmmaker, and marine biologist who has documented the beauty and the plight of our planet for over 25 years. He is the co-founder of SeaLegacy and is the recipient of numerous photographic awards, including BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year and the World Press Photo Award for Photojournalism. In "Born To Ice" he visually traces his extraordinary love affair with the polar regions. His powerful photographic images of iconic arctic and antarctic wildlife and scenery, coupled with his inspiring style of image-based storytelling, blends ethereal beauty of the icy landscape with a compelling call to action. The Arctic is in Paul Nicklen's blood. Born and raised on Baffin Island, Nunavut, he grew up in one of the only non-Inuit families in a tiny Inuit settlement amid the ice fields, floes, and frigid seas of Northern Canada. At an age when most children are playing hide-and-seek, he was learning important lessons on survival; how to read the weather, find shelter in a frozen snowscape, or live off the land as his Inuit neighbors had done for centuries. Today, Nicklen is a naturalist and wildlife photographer uniquely qualified to portray the impact of climate change on the Polar Regions and their inhabitants, human and animal alike. This elegant coffeetable photo artbook will prove of special interest for photography students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the arctic and antarctic, as well as being very highly recommended as an appropriate Memorial Fund acquisition selection for community, college, and university library collections.

The Book of Tea
Okakura Kakuzo
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805314869, $9.99, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com

Now in paperback with a new foreword and new photographs, "The Book of Tea" is a classic work by Okakura Kakuzo that has inspired many generations of readers by illuminating the underlying spirit and message of the venerable Japanese tea masters. "The Book of Tea" doesn't focus on the tea ceremony itself, but rather on the Zen Buddhist philosophy behind it. Kakuzo teaches his readers to cultivate an everyday awareness of the beauty in all the common things around us. His powerful message is even more relevant today than when he originally wrote this study in 1956, and it continues to serve as a wonderfully informative introduction to the aesthetics of Japanese culture. While very highly recommended for community, college, and university library Japanese Culture collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Book of Tea" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).

The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple
Wendy Waszut-Barrett & Jo Whaley, editors
Museum of New Mexico Press
PO Box 2087, Santa Fe, NM 87504-2087
www.mnmpress.org
9780890136331, $39.95, 228pp, www.amazon.com

Built in 1912, Santa Fe's Scottish Rite Temple is an historic landmark and the home of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in New Mexico. The building (including its jewel box theater with original scenery collection) and its artifacts, represent a time capsule of Masonic culture and theatrical history. Informative essays by Rick Hendricks, Khristaan Villela, and Wendy Waszut-Barrett deftly examine the emergence of Freemasonry, key Masonic figures during New Mexico's territorial period through statehood, and the architectural significance of the iconic pink building and Freemasons' use of it to the present. Beautifully illustrated with 90 color and 56 b/w photographs by Jo Whaley, showcasing both contemporary and historical images, "The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple" reveals the theatrical production of Masonic degrees and the production of the magnificent scenic backdrops. Today, many of the country's Masonic buildings are being repurposed and their collections are being liquidated. Through the heroic efforts of its members, the Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple has been preserved, remaining under the continued stewardship of the Freemasons, who share their building with the community. An extraordinary and inherently fascinating read from cover to cover, "The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple" is very highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library 20th Century American Architectural History, New Mexico History, and Masonic/Freemasonry History collections and supplemental studies lists.

A Modern Guide To Knife Making
Laura Zerra
Quarry Books
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9781631595059, $24.99, Flexibound, 160pp, www.amazon.com

Laura Zerra is a primitive survival expert who has been practicing her craft in different ecosystems around the world for the past fifteen years. Her daily life often depends on the blade she takes with her into the wild. She's learned about what works and what doesn't, what steel will hold an edge, and what nuances in blade design will make or break a knife. From design to sharpening, "A Modern Guide to Knifemaking" is comprised of illustrated step-by-step instruction for forging your own knife from expert bladesmiths, including making your own handle, sheath and sharpening To begin, you will consider what you want your knife to accomplish, develop a design, and make a prototype. Zerra takes you through choosing and buying steel for your knife and then teaches you to build your own forge. You will learn forging basics and then move on to forge the shape of your knife and make the blade tip. From there, you will cut the blade profile, grind in bevels to make the edge of the knife, heat treat and temper your blade, grind and polish it, and make a handle and sheath for it. You will also learn sharpening techniques to maintain the edge of your new knife. Throughout, Zerra has included Pro-Tips from some of the leading knifemakers working today including Ken Onion, Kaila Cumings, and Mike Jones. While very highly recommended and certain to be an enduringly popular and valued addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library collections, it should be noted that "A Modern Guide To Knife Making" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

Cartography
Kenneth Field
ESRI Press
9781589484399 $94.99 www.esri.com

Cartography is an in-depth, lavishly illustrated reference that documents the different processes involved in modern mapmaking, covering everything from different approaches to specialized maps to common errors that creep into maps and cartography processes, and how to avoid them. Full-page color maps accompany such discussions as how error and bias affects map interpretations and organization, how map aesthetics can be defined to analyze a map's visual choices and value, and applications as a database and as a cartographic tool. The result is a wide-ranging survey that examines all levels of map creation, choice, interpretation, and incorporation of GIS and datasets in a production that should be in any authoritative cartographic or college-level geography reference collection.


The Social Issues Shelf

Race on the Brain
Jonathan Kahn
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023-7015
http://cup.columbia.edu
9780231184243, $35.00, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com

In "Race on the Brain: What Implicit Bias Gets Wrong About the Struggle for Racial Justice" (who is the James E. Kelley Chair in Tort Law and Professor of Law at Mitchell Hamline School of Law), Jonathan Kahn persuasively argues that implicit bias has grown into a master narrative of race relations -- one with profound, if unintended, negative consequences for law, science, and society. Professor Kahn emphasizes its limitations, arguing that while useful as a tool to understand particular types of behavior, it is only one among several tools available to policy makers. An uncritical embrace of implicit bias, to the exclusion of power relations and structural racism, undermines wider civic responsibility for addressing the problem by turning it over to experts. Technological interventions, including many tests for implicit bias, are premised on a color-blind ideal and run the risk of erasing history, denying present reality, and obscuring accountability. Professor Kahn recognizes the significance of implicit social cognition but cautions against seeing it as a panacea for addressing America's longstanding racial problems. A bracing corrective to what has become a common-sense understanding of the power of prejudice, "Race on the Brain" challenges the reader to engage more thoughtfully and more democratically in the difficult task of promoting racial justice. An impeccable work of articulate, insightful scholarship that is enhanced with the inclusion of forty-eight pages of Notes and an eight page Index, "Race on the Brain" is an especially relevant and highly recommended addition to community, college, and university library Contemporary Social Issues collections in general, and the Psychology of Racism supplemental studies lists in particular. It should be noted for students, academia, racial equality activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Race on the Brain" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.99).

Gamer Nation
Eric Geissinger
Prometheus Books
9781633883796 $25.00 www.prometheusbooks.com

Gamer Nation: The Rise of Modern Gaming and the Compulsion to Play Again considers how games are big business in America, accounting for nearly a ninth of America's entire economic output as the entertainment industry attracts all kinds of users. Eric Geissinger provides no single approach to his consideration of the effect of games on culture and society in this country, but contrasts the pros and cons of gaming and juxtaposes his opinion with that of experts in psychology, games, and economics. The result is a powerful survey of compulsive behaviors and different kinds of games and their impact on society and individuals alike.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

The Writer's Portable Mentor, second edition
Priscilla Long
University of New Mexico Press
MSC05 3185, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM 87131-0001
www.unmpress.com
9780826360052, $24.95, PB, 368pp, www.amazon.com

Priscilla Long is a writer of poetry, creative nonfiction, science, fiction, and history. In this newly updated and expanded second edition of "The Writer's Portable Mentor: A Guide to Art, Craft, and the Writing Life", she continues to draw upon her years of experience and expertise to designed an instructional guide and manual as a means of mentoring writers at all levels, from beginning to quite advanced, by offering a wealth of insight and crafting models. Based upon her twenty-plus years of teaching and creative thought, "The Writer's Portable Mentor" provides the tools necessary for the successful structuring a book, story, or an essay. "The Writer's Portable Mentor" deftly trains writers in observation and in developing a poet's ear for sound in prose. Priscilla also scrutinizes the sentence strategies of the masters and even offers practical advice on how to publish. This newly revised second edition is updated to account for changes in the publishing industry and provides hundreds of new craft models to inspire, guide, and develop every writer's work. Expertly organized and throughly 'user friendly' in tone, commentary, and presentation, "The Writer's Portable Mentor" is explicitly and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library Writing/Publishing instructional reference collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted that "The Writer's Portable Mentor" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.95).

500 Words You Should Know
Caroline Taggart
Firefly Books Ltd.
www.fireflybooks.com
9781782432944, $16.95, HC, 192pp, www.amazon.com

"500 Words You Should Know" is Caroline Taggart's instructive reference for anyone who has ever wanted to ameliorate their atavistic lexicon, engage in a little intellectual badinage, or been discombobulated by tricky diction. "500 Words You Should Know" will inspire readers and writers to use uncommon words in their correct context, to utilize the English language to its full potential, and to test themselves on the words they think they already know. "500 Words You Should Know" is an instructive reference for those who appreciate correct usage of the English language, and contains words we thought we knew (decimate, caveat, nemesis), words we should know (euphemism, diatribe, tautology), and just a few that we might want to know (peripatetic, shibboleth, callipygian). Arranged thematically, each word is dissected, with a brief explanation of etymology, historical, and modern usage, allows the full understanding and effectively employment of the word in its proper context. "500 Words You Should Know" is an ideal, entertaining, and useful read for bibliophiles, writers, and the general reading public. While highly recommended for community, college, and university library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "500 Words You Should Know" is also available in a paperback edition (9780228101062, $14.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).

The Three Wells of Screenwriting
Matthew Kalil
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
9781615932863, $26.95, PB, 200pp, www.amazon.com

Working from a writer's perspective, in "The Three Wells of Screenwriting: Discover Your Deep Sources of Inspiration", writer, director and script editor Matthew Kalil deftly explores how aspiring scriptwriters draw upon their innate creativity and inspirational resources that will help them consciously develop new scripts or strengthen old ones. "The Three Wells of Screenwriting" includes 29 exercises and techniques that help novice (and even seasoned) screenwriters to craft and develop stories that contain fresh ideas, intriguing characters, original scenes, inventive dialogue, unique locations, and important themes. Extraordinary, practical, effective, inspiring, and thoroughly 'user friendly' instructional manual and guide, "The Three Wells of Screenwriting" is unreservedly recommended for professional, community, college, and university library Performing Arts - Screenwriting collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that as an ideal resource for successfully dealing with the problem of 'writer's block', "The Three Wells of Screenwriting" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $26.95).


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

77 Things to Know Before Getting a Cat
Susan M. Ewing
Fox Chapel Publishing Company
www.FoxChapelPublishing.com
9781620082911 $19.99 amazon.com

Featuring striking full-color photography throughout, 77 Things to Know Before Getting a Cat: The Essential Guide to Preparing Your Family and Home for a Feline Companion lives up to its title as a thoroughly reader-friendly guide to getting ready for and caring for a cat. Whether one is buying a purebred from a breeder, adopting from a shelter, or acclimating a stray, 77 Things to Know Before Getting a Cat is filled cover and cover with need-to-know information. 77 Things to Know Before Getting a Cat is highly recommended for both personal reference and public library collections. "When you cut your cat's nails, try to avoid the quick, the dark blood vessel running through the middle of the nail. If you can't see the quick, cut the nail just where it starts to curve and you should miss the quick. If you accidentally cut the quick, use a touch of styptic powder to stop the bleeding or just hold your finger tightly to the end of the nail until the bleeding stops."

Bring Jade Home
Michelle Caffrey
Farcountry Press
PO Box 5630, Helena, MT 59604
www.farcountrypress.com
9781560377351, $14.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com

"Bring Jade Home: The True Story of a Dog Lost in Yellowstone and the People Who Searched for Her" by Michelle Caffrey is the gripping true story of Jade, a young Australian shepherd, who disappeared into the Yellowstone Park wilderness after a horrific car wreck. Despite their injuries and against doctor's orders, Jade's owners David and Laura leave the Trauma Center to begin a desperate search hoping against hope that they can they find Jade before it's too late. "Bring Jade Home" is a 'must read' and unforgettable story for dog lovers and wilderness enthusiasts alike. Holding immense appeal for anyone with a canine companion of their own, "Bring Jade Home: is a deftly written and heartwarming tale of the owners, park employees, and huge search effort to bring Jade home. While very highly recommended, especially for community library Pets/Wildlife collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Bring Jade Home" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Heart-felt Dogs
Stephanie Cowburn
Hubble & Hattie
www.hubbleandhattie.com
9781787112056, $16.99, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com

"Heart-felt Dogs: The Canines Behind the Art" is essentially an illustrated compendium of love stories between people and their dogs, showcasing the special bond and relationship that is not only a privilege but a blessing. Stephanie Cowburn's retelling of the stories, together with her lovingly-made felt models, demonstrate her respect for this unique relationship. "Heart-felt Dogs" is unreservedly and especially recommended to the attention of anyone and everyone who has a canine companion of their own.

North American Wildlife Policy and Law
Bruce D. Leopold, Winifred B. Kessler, & James L. Cummins, editors
Boone and Crockett Club
9781940860275 $95.00 www.boone-crockett.org

North American Wildlife Policy and Law is a reference recommended for legal and science holdings alike, reviewing wildlife law and policy as it relates to wildlife and natural resource management challenges. More than a legal primer, however, it also provides a history of wildlife law and enforcement processes, considering local, regional and nationwide efforts to manage natural resources and their users, and providing a foundation for understanding wildlife conservation enforcement, policy-making, politics, and legal processes. This is an extensive in-depth coverage that should be in any college-level or legal collection strong in environmental law and public lands management, providing a thorough background necessary for understanding all facets of wildlife policy in this country.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Asian Christianities
Peter C. Phan
Orbis Books
Price Building, Box 302, Maryknoll NY 10545-0302
www.orbisbooks.com
9781626980938, $50.00, PB, 336pp, www.amazon.com

Considering history, theology, and practice, In "Asian Christianities: History, Theology, Practice", Peter Phan (who is currently Ignacio Ellacuria Professor of Catholic Social Thought at Georgetown University and a former president of the Catholic Theological Society of America) offers a sweeping review of what he terms, deliberately, Asian Christianities -- a reflection of the multiplicity and diversity among cultures and traditions in Asia. Focusing chiefly on East and South Asia, Professor Phan gives special attention to the project of inculturation of Christianity into local cultures and the vexed question of Christian identity: Are Asian Christians primarily Asian and secondarily Christian or vice versa? In the case of Catholicism, he looks at the reception of Vatican II and the challenge of a new "way of being church" in Asia. In addition, he covers a range of topical issues from migration, to interreligious dialogue, popular devotion, and ecological responsibility. A unique, erudite work of impeccable scholarship offering a detailed, insightful, documented historically descriptive analysis, "Asian Christianities: History, Theology, Practice" is unreservedly recommended for seminary, community, college, and university library Christian Studies collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of seminary students, academia, clergy, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Asian Christianities: History, Theology, Practice" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $40.50).

Chance or the Dance?
Thomas Howard
Ignatius Press
PO Box 1339, Fort Collins, CO 80522
www.ignatius.com
9781621642299, $15.95, PB, 136pp, www.amazon.com

In this new edition of a modern classic, Thomas Howard (who was a highly regarded Professor of English and Literature for over 30 years) contrasts the Christian and secular worldviews, refreshing our minds with the illuminated view of Christianity as it imbued the world in times past -- showing that we cannot live meaningful lives without this Christian understanding of things. "Chance or the Dance?: A Critique of Modern Secularism" is essentially an inspiring apology for Christianity, and a stirring critique of secularism. Professor Howard explains in clear and beautiful language why secular humanism is robbing us of the beauty, depth and profound truths of Christianity. With laser precision through lyrical ponderings Professor Howard takes us through the dismal reductionist view of the world to the shimmering significance of this world as sign and sacrament. A deftly written study that is more timely now than when it was first written in 1989, and a prophetic examination of modern society's conscience, this new edition of "Chance or the Dance?" is enhanced with an informative Foreword by Eric Metaxas and an Afterword by Tyler Blanski. Very highly recommended reading by clergy and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of seminary students that "Chance or the Dance?" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

The Church in Babylon
Erwin W. Lutzer
Moody Publishers
820 N. LaSalle Blvd., Chicago, IL 60610
www.moodypublishers.com
9780802413086, $14.99, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Like the Israelites in Babylon, today's Christians must find a way to maintain our faith in the midst of a pagan culture. But that requires we answer two crucial questions: How did we get here? How do we prepare for the dark and difficult days ahead? In "The Church in Babylon: Heeding the Call to Be a Light in the Darkness", Erwin W. Lutzer (Pastor Emeritus of The Moody Church, Chicago, Illinois) answers both of these questions. He will walk you through the many parallels between the church in America and God's people in Babylon, and embolden you to be a gospel witness. You'll be encouraged not to compromise your faith even when under constant pressure from all corners of society. And more than all this you will have a fresh encounter with Jesus Christ, as you consider the biblical role of those in exile. Inspired and inspiring, "The Church in Babylon" is very highly recommended reading for all members of the Christian community regardless of their denominational affiliations. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Church in Babylon" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Making Faithful Decisions at the End of Life
Nancy J. Duff
Westminster John Knox Press
100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202-1396
www.wjkbooks.com
9780664263195, $15.00, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com

By exploring the ethics of resisting and accepting death from a Christian perspective in the pages of "Making Faithful Decisions at the End of Life", Nancy Duff (who is the Stephen Colwell Associate Professor of Christian Ethics at Princeton Theological Seminary) encourages Christians to talk about death in the context of Christian faith. "Making Faithful Decisions at the End of Life" will help practicing Christians to use biblical and theological perspectives regarding death to inform end-of-life decisions, consider where they stand on withdrawing life support and supporting death with dignity laws, and take steps in planning for their own future. An erudite and impressively informative read, "Making Faithful Decisions at the End of Life" is an especially recommended addition to church, seminary, and community library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of clergy and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Making Faithful Decisions at the End of Life" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.00).

Union with Christ
Rankin Wilbourne
David C. Cook
c/o Cook Communications
4050 Lee Vance Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80918
https://davidccook.org
9781434709387, $18.99, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com

If you are a Christian, the Bible says that Christ has united his life to yours, that you are now in Christ and Christ is in you. This almost unfathomable truth is the central theme of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Yet few Christians today experience or enjoy this reality. "Union with Christ: The Way to Know and Enjoy God" by Rankin Wilbourne (who is the Pastor of Pacific Crossroads Church in Los Angeles) reveals the transformational power of this ancient doctrine while addressing the basic questions of the human heart: Who Am I?; Why Am I Here?; Where Am I Headed?; How Will I Get There? Nothing is more practical for living the Christian life than union with Christ. The recovery of this reality provides the anchor and engine for a Christian life with God and for a Christian's promised destiny which is not only to see Christ, but to actually become like him. Inspired and inspiring, While "Union with Christ" is very highly recommended for church and seminary library collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of pastors and laity alike that "Union with Christ" is also available in a paperback edition (9780830772070, $16.99), in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), and as a complete an unabridged audio book (Oasis Audio, 9781613759783, $22.99, CD).


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Amazing Jewish Heroes Down Through the Ages
David Richard Goldberg
Gefen Publishing House
11 Edison Place, Springfield, NJ 07081
www.gefenpublishing.com
9789652298812, $24.95, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com

The eleven Jewish heroes presented in the pages of "Amazing Jewish Heroes Down Through the Ages", include the famous and the relatively obscure. These are men and women who overcame tremendous challenges to achieve greatness, persevering through their faith in God and belief in freedom and human dignity. Queen Esther maintained her traditions in the house of Ahasuerus for nine years while also hiding her true origins, and then orchestrated the salvation of the Jewish Persians at great personal risk. When urgent funding was needed for the Continental Army in 1781, General George Washington turned to none other than a financial genius named Haym Salomon. Felix Zandman survived World War II as a teenager by living with three others in a pit for seventeen months, and then went on to graduate from the Sorbonne and found a company that was innovational in the world of electronics and communication. Our heroes many feats and great accomplishments, and their dedication to freedom and its ideals, are truly amazing, and their stories stand the test of time. An informative and fascinating read from cover to cover, "Amazing Jewish Heroes Down Through the Ages" is an especially recommended addition to community, college, and university library Jewish History collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Amazing Jewish Heroes Down Through the Ages" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $0.99).

Song of Teshuvah
Rav Moshe Weinberger, author
Yaacov Dovid Shulman, adaptor
Penina Press
c/o KTAV Publishing House
527 Empire Blvd, Brooklyn, NY 11225
www.ktav.com
www.UrimPublications.com
9789655242157, $36.95, HC, 366pp, www.amazon.com

Abraham Isaac Kook (7 September 1865 - 1 September 1935) was an Orthodox rabbi, the first Ashkenazi chief rabbi of British Mandatory Palestine, the founder of Yeshiva Mercaz HaRav Kook (The Central Universal Yeshiva), a Jewish thinker, Halakhist, Kabbalist, and a renowned Torah scholar, and arguably one of the most celebrated and influential rabbis of the 20th century. Rabbi Kook's seminal work on repentance, Oros HaTeshuvah, is recognized as a classic of Jewish thought but has, because of its difficult language and its theological depth, remained inaccessible to many. "Song of Teshuvah" presents readers with the original Hebrew text of Oros HaTeshuvah with a new translation into English, as well as expert commentary in English from Rabbi Moshe Weinberger. Weinberger draws on his extensive knowledge of Jewish philosophical and inspirational literature to provide profound, moving, and fresh insights into the text, richly explicating the ideas in Oros HaTeshuvah in an accessible and clear but not superficial manner. Readers will come away with a firm grasp on the profound truth at the heart of Kook's classic work: that teshuvah (repentance) is not a somber process of self-deprivation but a joyful journey back to God and to the core of each individual. "Song of Teshuvah" covers chapters 14 through 17 of Oros HaTeshuvah and is the fourth and final volume in this simply outstanding series. "Song of Teshuvah" is unreservedly recommended for synagogue, college, and university library Judaic Studies collections in general, and Rabbit Abraham Isaac Kook supplemental studies reading lists in particular.


The Fiction Shelf

The Sea of Grass
Walter R. Echo-Hawk
www.walterechohawk.com
Fulcrum Publishing
4690 Table Mountain Drive, Suite 100, Golden, Colorado 80403
www.fulcrumbooks.com
9781938486753, $25.95, PB, 350pp, www.amazon.com

Although "The Sea of Grass: A Family Tale from the American Heartland" by Walter Echo-Hawk (who is a Pawnee Indian who practices law in Oklahoma) is an historical fiction novel, it is inspired by real people and events that were shaped by the land, animals, and plants of the Central Plains and by the long sweep of Indigenous history in the grasslands. Major events are presented from a Pawnee perspective to capture the outlook of the Echo-Hawk ancestors. The oral tradition from ten generations of Echo-Hawk's family tell the stories of the spiritual side of Native life, and give voice to the rich culture and cosmology of the Pawnee Nation. An impressively well crafted novel that will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Sea of Grass" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.07).

Union Soldier
Gordon Landsborough
Neil Hunter
Lindford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444827903, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 312pp, www.amazon.com

In Gin Point, Iowa, the Union Army Enrollment Office is sifting through the locals for recruits. Jim McGaughey (a Harvard-educated doctor far from home) is determined to enlist as an ordinary trooper, despite his being exempt from the draft by way of his medical degree. When one young would-be soldier is roughed up by troopers and goes missing in suspicious circumstances, Jim (now a cavalry trooper) forms an alliance with the youth's sister, who is desperate to discover the truth. But enemies are lurking not only among the Confederates and Sioux, but within the ranks of Jim's blue-coated comrades themselves. A blend of murder mystery whodunnit and an a U. S. calvary vs Indians combat, "Union Soldier" is an absolutely compelling read with a lot of deftly plotted twists and turns. The result is a very highly recommended addition to community library collections and the personal reading lists for anyone who enjoys the combining of a murder mystery with high action and unexpected consequences!

The High Riders
Neil Hunter
Lindford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444837582, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 192pp, www.amazon.com

In the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming, Bodie is on the trail of Lew Gallman and his gang - a bunch of cold stone killers who will go to any lengths to get what they want, and shoot down anyone who stands in their way. Tracking them into the heart of a raging storm, Bodie takes shelter in a cave, and meets Ruby Kehoe - the lone survivor of an encounter with the Gallman crew, which left her wounded and her companions dead. Author Neil Hunter is one of the very best of the western action/adventure novelists writing today and "The High Riders" is just the latest classic-in-the-making from his pen. An original and unfailingly compelling read from cover to cover, this large print edition of "The High Riders" is especially recommended for community library collections and is a 'must' for all dedicated western buffs in general -- and Neil Hunter fans in particular!

A Stranger In Honeyfield
Anna Jacobs
Thorpe / Charnwood
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444837735, $35.50, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com

Bella is working as a VAD, driving ambulances in England in 1916, when she gets engaged to Philip, on leave from fighting in France. His family strongly disapprove of her, but the two of them are happy together. When the worst happens, Bella must manage on her own, though there are shocks and dangers she did not foresee ahead. Thankfully, Philip's best friend, Tez, injured in France, steps in to offer assistance. Can he also help Bella build a new life? A beautifully crafted story of love and loss and starting over again, "A Stranger In Honeyfield" is a fully satisfying and enduringly memorable read from beginning to end, this large print edition of "A Stranger In Honeyfield" is an especially recommended addition to community library collections and the personal reading lists of dedicated romance novel readers.

Rawhide Express
Jake Douglas
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444830415, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 248pp, www.amazon.com

Hardluck Lacy, they call him. The nickname's fitting for a man who gets three years in the penitentiary after defending himself in a fist-fight which leaves his opponent dead. And the moniker follows him to his old stamping ground, where old friends have now become new enemies. But years in prison have hardened Matt Lacy, and now he's ready for anything. Or so he hopes. An experience and accomplished master of the western novel format, with "Rawhide Express" author Jake Douglas has created another excellent read that will have immense appeal for his legions of appreciative readers. There is only one minor quibble, the ending feels incomplete and leaves a major villain, guilty of all manner of heinous crimes against the hero with what feels like a 'slap on the wrist' where all the other villains have meet with suitably violent and satisfying ends at the hands of a highly justified vengeance seeking hero up against all odds. Nevertheless, this large print edition of "Rawhide Express" is recommended for both personal reading lists and community library collections.

The Bloody Trail To Redemption
Paxton Johns
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444837599, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 248pp, www.amazon.com

Another western novel showcasing the adventures of English born aristocrat Born Gallant, "The Bloody Trail To Redemption" begins with him riding into Dodge City when he is attacked, flogged, and left to die. Initially relieved when rescued by a lawman and his posse, he is surprised when as they cut him down they accuse him of murder. A witness, the stage coach driver has sworn that he saw Gallant stab a Kansas senator, and it seems certain he will hang for a crime he did not commit. With the help of old friends like Melody Lake and Stick McCrae, Gallant uncovers a web of political intrigue and vengeance - but will he be able to unmask the true murderer and clear himself from a death sentence for a crime he didn't do? Author Paxton Johns once again demonstrates his genuine flair or original storytelling and his total master of the western genre making "The Bloody Trail To Redemption" in this Linford Western Library large print edition a 'must' for all dedicated western novel fans and highly recommended for all community library Western Fiction & Large Print collections.

A Gun For Shelby
Jake Henry
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444837919, $20.99, PB, Large Print, 224pp, www.amazon.com

Forced into taking a job he doesn't want by an army fort colonel, Savage finds himself riding into a desert full of hostile Yavapai Indians to track down a half-breed killer. Unexpectedly Savage is taken captive by a small band of Confederate rebels for whom the Civil War has never ended. Although their leader, the legendary General Jo Shelby, now wants to return to Missouri, some under his command would rather see him dead than betray their cause -- even to the point of trying to make an alliance with Indians on the warpath. Can Savage get Shelby home in one piece before the desert is wrenched apart by the explosive fury of the Yavapais? Another riveting read that is populated by several different 'bad guys' by a master of the western genre, Jake Henry's "A Gun For Shelby" has more unexpected plot twists than a carnival roller coaster. A solidly written and unfailingly entertaining read from first page to last, "A Gun For Shelby" will prove to be an extraordinary and popular addition to both personal reading lists and community library collections.

Hard Ride Across Texas
Michael Zimmer
Five Star Books
10 Water Street, Suite 310, Waterville, ME 04901
9781432847074, $25.95, HC, 346pp, www.amazon.com

Nineteen-year-old Gage Pardell didn't intend to kill Henry Kalb when he rode into Shelburn, Texas, to confront the son of the county's richest man. He just wanted justice for what Kalb had done to his sister. But now Henry is dead, and Gage is on the run from a gang of vicious bounty hunters hired by Henry's father. With nowhere else to go, Gage heads west toward the far-flung buffalo ranges of West Texas. There, he learns what it means to stand up for himself against a lawless frontier, a kill-crazy buffalo hunter, and the men Kalb keeps sending after him. Realizing he can no longer live this way, Gage finally returns home, completing the journey he began the night he killed Henry Kalb. Another deftly scripted and original western from a true master of the genre, Michael Zimmer's "Hard Ride Across Texas" is a simply riveting read and very highly recommended for the personal reading lists of dedicated western novel buffs, as well as community library Western Fiction collections.

Glissando
Debbie Burke
Waldorf Publishing
2140 Hall Johnson Road 102-345, Grapevine, TX 76051
www.waldorfpublishing.com
9781641369817, $16.95, PB, 280pp, www.amazon.com

Sharp-witted paralegal Ellie Greenberg has a dynamite career at a law firm in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Happily divorced, in the middle years of her life and trying to keep all her plates spinning in the air, she decompresses from the demands of her career by joining the jazz scene at a local college. The instant she sees the very-married new soloist, trumpet player Vincent Keyes, she's speared directly in the heart by Cupid's arrow. Unfortunately, Ellie has also walked straight into the romantic cross-hairs of ace lawyer Stan Feldman. Ellie tries to gain her footing in the emotional tornado, where the ride is thrilling but ultimately unsustainable. She agonizes over choosing between the two men...or changing her life completely. With an impressively entertaining style of narrative storytelling, Debbie Burke's new novel, "Glissando: A Story of Love, Lust and Jazz" offers its fully engaged readers an original and skillfully crafted literary experience from first page to last. While unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary General Romance collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Glissando" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.95).

The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond
Jaime Jo Wright
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton Road, Ada, MI 49301
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764232039, $25.99, HC, 347pp, www.amazon.com

Annalise knows painful memories hover beneath the pleasant facade of Gossamer Grove. But she is shocked when she inherits documents that reveal mysterious murders from a century ago. In this dual-time romantic suspense novel, two women, separated by a hundred years, must uncover the secrets within the borders of their town before its too late. Another superlative and unfailingly entertaining read from first page to last, "The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond" showcases author Jaime Jo Wright's impressive flair for narrative storytelling. While certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond" is also available in a paperback edition (9780764230295, $14.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.87).

Courtney's War
Wilbur Smith
http://www.wilbursmithbooks.com
Zaffre Publishing
c/o Bonnier Zaffre Ltd.
9781499861297, $28.99, HC, 464pp, www.amazon.com

With Paris, in1939 being torn apart by war, Saffron Courtney and Gerhard von Meerbach are thousands of miles apart, both struggling for their lives. Gerhard (despite his objections to the Nazi regime) is fighting for the Fatherland, hoping to one day have the opportunity to rid Germany of Hitler and his cronies. But as his unit is thrown into the hellish attrition of the Battle of Stalingrad, he knows his chances of survival are dwindling by the day. Meanwhile Saffron (recruited by the Special Operations Executive and sent to occupied Belgium to discover how the Nazis have infiltrated SOE's network) soon finds herself being hunted by Germany's most ruthless spymaster. Confronted by evil beyond their worst imaginings, the lovers must each make the hardest choice of all: sacrifice themselves, or do whatever they can to survive, hoping that one day they will be reunited. A simply riveting saga of courage, betrayal and love in a world shattering conflict by an author with a genuine flair for deftly crafted and memorable narrative storytelling, "Courtney's War" by Wilbur Smith will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Courtney's War" is also available in a paperback edition (9781785768590, $10.92, Amazon) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Season of Wonder
RaeAnne Thayne
HQN
c/o Harlequin Books
9781335005915, $16.99, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Dani Capelli has never truly belonged anywhere. And from her earliest days as a foster child in Queens, she would have been lost if it weren't for her love of animals. Until high school, when she fell hard for the wrong boy, and found herself pregnant and married by graduation. Two daughters later, Dani realized her mistake and filed for divorce, and with the help of scholarships and loans (and a lot of macaroni and cheese dinners) she enrolled in vet school. Things were finally looking up -- until her ex-husband became her late husband, in the most notorious way possible. Now Dani and her daughters need an out-of-town pass more than ever. So when the retiring Haven Point veterinarian offers her a chance to settle in the small Idaho town and take over his practice, she jumps at it. But adjusting to the charming mountain community isn't easy; thirteen-year-old Silver begins acting out while six-year-old Mia is growing too attached to Haven Point and everything in it, especially their next-door-neighbor, Deputy Sheriff Ruben Morales. And Dani can't blame her. Ruben is everything she's secretly wanted, and everything she can't bear to risk loving -- and losing. As the holidays draw near, their shared concern for Dani's daughters brings them closer together, giving Ruben the chance to show this big-city woman just how magical Christmas in Haven Point can be -- and that the promise of a home at last is very real in the most wondrous season of the year. Another deftly crafted gem of a novel by a master of narrative storytelling RaeAnne Thayne, "Season of Wonder" is a compelling and unfailingly riveting read from first page to last. While very highly recommended for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Season of Wonder" is also available in a paperback edition (9781335947932, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).

Thief of Corinth
Tessa Afshar
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
www.tyndale.com
9781496428653, $24.99, HC, 400pp, www.amazon.com

First-century Corinth is a city teeming with commerce and charm. It's also filled with danger and corruption -- the perfect setting for young lady named Ariadne's greatest adventure. After years spent living with her mother and oppressive grandfather in Athens, Ariadne runs away to her father's home in Corinth, only to discover the perilous secret that destroyed his marriage: though a Greek of high birth, Galenos is the infamous thief who has been robbing the city's corrupt of their ill-gotten gains. Desperate to keep him safe, Ariadne risks her good name, her freedom, and the love of the man she adores to become her father's apprentice. As her unusual athletic ability leads her into dangerous exploits, Ariadne discovers that she secretly revels in playing with fire. But when the wrong person discovers their secret, Ariadne and her father find their future (and very lives) hanging in the balance. When they befriend a Jewish rabbi named Paul, they realize that his radical message challenges everything they've fought to build, yet offers something neither dared hope for. A wonderfully entertaining and deftly crafted historical novel, "Thief of Corinth" by Tessa Afshar will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Historical Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Thief of Corinth" is available in a paperback edition (9781496428660, $15.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.07).

The Best of Intentions
Susan Anne Mason
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton Road, Ada, MI 49301
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764219832, $15.99, PB, 352pp, www.amazon.com

In the aftermath of WWI, Grace Abernathy is determined to reunite with her family, crossing an ocean to convince her widowed sister to return home to England. Yet Toronto holds more tragedy and her nephew Christian is now in the custody of his paternal relatives, the formidable Easton family, who rejected Grace's sister because of her low social status. Unconvinced the Eastons can be fitting caretakers, Grace jumps at the chance to be Christian's nanny and observe the family up close under an assumed name. In the course of her new position, she is shocked to discover herself falling for Andrew Easton, the boy's guardian. Unfortunately, Andrew is promised to a spoiled socialite who will make a terrible stepmother for Christian. Will Grace be able to protect her nephew -- and her heart? Another beautifully scripted romance novel by a master of the genre, "The Best of Intentions" by Susan Anne Mason is an extraordinary and memorable read from first page to last. While very highly recommended for community library Romance Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Best of Intentions" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Promises and Primroses
Josi S. Kilpack
Shadow Mountain Publishing
P.O. Box 30178, Salt Lake City, Utah 84130-0178
www.shadowmountain.com
9781629724577, $15.99, PB, 336pp, www.amazon.com

A wise old uncle aims to correct the very messy marital mistakes and spousal scandals of his generation of brothers and sisters by requiring their offspring (his nieces and nephews) to endure a ''marriage campaign'' to help them make good and respectable matches -- and win their share of the family's inheritance. A deftly scripted Regency romance by a master of this specific genre, "Promises and Primroses: Mayfield Family" by Josi S. Kipack is an extraordinary and highly recommended addition to community library Romance Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of romance fiction fans that "Promises and Primroses" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) as well as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781982575915, $34.95, CD).

Alaskan Holiday
Debbie Macomber
Ballantine Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com
9780399181283, $20.00, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Before beginning her dream job as sous chef in one of Seattle's hottest new restaurants, Josie Avery takes a summer position cooking at a lakeside lodge in the remote Alaskan town of Ponder. Josie falls for the rustic charms of the local community - including Jack Corcoran, the crotchety keeper of Ponder's famed sourdough starter, and, in particular, the quiet and intense Palmer Saxon, a famed master swordsmith. Josie and Palmer become close during the long Alaskan summer days, but Josie knows that, come fall, she'll be returning to reality and the career she's worked so hard for. Palmer, on the other hand, would like nothing better than to make Josie his wife and to keep her in Ponder. But Josie can't imagine abandoning her mother back in the Emerald City and sacrificing her career to stay in this isolated town - not even for a man she's quickly coming to love. But fate has other plans. Josie misses the last boat out of town before winter sets in, stranding her in Ponder and putting her dream job at risk. As the holidays approach, Josie and Palmer must grapple with the complications that arise when dreams confront reality, and the Christmas magic that can happen when they put their faith in love. Debbie Macomber's "Alaskan Holiday" is another gem of a novel by a master of reader entertaining, character driven, narrative storytelling. While very highly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Alaskan Holiday" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99). Librarians should note that there is also a large print edition of "Alaskan Holiday" (Random House Large Print, 9781984833563, $22.00, PB, 352).

The Bronze Frog
A. Denis Clift
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
www.nip.org
9781682473054, $27.95, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com

Commander Linc Walker is a sharp, combat-seasoned Navy SEAL on a clandestine mission against the People's Republic of China, when he is betrayed in this mission by leaders in The White House. Waler vows revenge. His path eventually crosses Michele Casidy, a woman who has also been viciously betrayed by a leader she trusted as she climbed the academic ranks at Harvard University. A deftly crafted and simply riveting read with more twists and turns than a Coney Island rollercoaster, "The Bronze Frog" is a novel that moves swiftly from Helsinki, to Cambridge and Harvard, to Bucharest, to Moscow, Stockholm and Washington. If he is to survive and achieve his goals, Walker mus draw upon his special forces skills, killing anyone who stands in his way, repeatedly changing identities, and leaving law enforcement on both sides of the Atlantic grappling with the unsolved murders. Showcasing author Denis Clift's impressive flair for originality, character creation, and narrative driven storytelling, "The Bronze Frog" is unreservedly recommended, especially for community library Action/Adventure Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Bronze Frog" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.87).

Ours for a Season
Kim Vogel Sawyer
WaterBrook Press
c/o WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group
10807 New Allegiance Drive Suite 500, Colorado Springs, CO 80921
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com
9780735290082, $14.99, PB, 352pp, www.amazon.com

Anthony and Marty Hirschler are part of an Old Order Mennonite community in Pine Hill, Indiana. The couple has grown apart since a doctor confirmed they would never have children. Marty longs to escape the tight-knit area where large families are valued, and the opportunity to do so arises when her childhood friend, Brooke Spalding, resurfaces with the wild idea of rebuilding a ghost town into a resort community. Brooke hires Anthony to help with the construction, drawing the Hirschlers away from Indiana and into her plan, and then finds herself diagnosed with cancer. Moral complications with Brooke's vision for a casino as part of the resort and the discovery of a runaway teenager hiding on the property open up a world neither the Hirschlers nor Brooke had considered before. Will they be able to overcome their challenges and differences to help the ones among them hurting the most? A deftly written and engaging novel by an accomplished and impressively skilled author, "Ours for a Season" by Kim Vogel Sawyer is very highly recommended and certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. Librarians should note that there is a Large Print edition of "Ours for a Season" (Thorndike Press, 9781432856502, $33.99, Library Binding). For personal reading lists "Ours for a Season" there is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

Printed in Beirut
Jabbour Douaihy
Interlink Publishing Group
46 Crosby Street, Northampton, MA 01060-1804
www.interlinkbooks.com
9781623719906, $15.00, PB, 220pp, www.amazon.com

Farid Abou Char arrives in Beirut on a hot summer morning with his manuscript, looking for a publisher. He is turned down by all of them; nobody reads anymore, he is told. Instead, he accepts a job as a proofreader at the famous old print house Karam Bros., allegedly established in 1908. Disappointed by the menial tasks of checking catalogs and ad copy, Farid secretly hopes that his book will eventually be published. His manuscript never leaves his side until one day it disappears and then reemerges, beautifully printed. Farid soon realizes that the expensive paper its printed on is the same that the company is using to manufacture fake twenty-euro bills, and that the person who printed the book is none other than the wife of his boss. Entangled in a police investigation and an illicit flirtation, Farid discovers that the Karam Bros. print house is not what it seems. Douaihy dizzies the reader with an intricate play of appearances and deception, and as always, portrays Lebanese society with exquisite irony. A dazzling mystery by Lebanese noveli Jabbour Douaihy and set in the world of Lebanon's book publishing industry, "Printed in Beirut" is a simply riveting and deftly crafted read from beginning to end and very highly recommended, for personal reading lists and community library collections.

Lady of a Thousand Treasures
Sandra Byrd
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
www.tyndale.com
9781496426826, $24.99, HC, 464pp, www.amazon.com

Miss Eleanor Sheffield is a talented evaluator of antiquities, trained to know the difference between a genuine artifact and a fraud. But with her father's passing and her uncle's decline into dementia, the family business is at risk. In the Victorian era, unmarried Eleanor cannot run Sheffield Brothers alone. Another deftly crafted and impressively entertaining read by a novelist with a genuine flair for narrative driven storytelling by a master of the historical romance genre, "Lady of a Thousand Treasures" by Sandra Byrd is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Lady of a Thousand Treasures" is also available in a paperback edition (9781496426833, $15.99) as well as in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Black Diamond Fall
Joseph Olshan
Polis Books
1201 Hudson Street, #211S, Hoboken, NJ 07030
www.polisbooks.com
9781947993341, $26.00, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Luc Flanders has just finished playing a game of pond hockey with his college roommates when he realizes he has lost something precious and goes back to the ice to find it. He never returns, and the police department in Middlebury, Vermont are divided in their assessment of what may have happened to him. Some feel that Flanders left on his own accord and is deliberately out of touch. Others, including detectives Nick Jenkins and Helen Kennedy, suspect that harm may have come to him. As the search for Luc Flanders widens and intensifies, suspicions about several different people, including his Middlebury College roommates and ex-girlfriend arise. Unfortunately, Sam Solomon an older man with whom Luc has been having a secret relationship, cannot prove his whereabouts during the hours when the younger man may have disappeared and Solomon, too, comes under suspicion. As Luke Flanders disappears, the Robert Frost house near the Middlebury campus is vandalized. And there seems to be a link between the two events that the police are determined to discover. A uniquely script novel by a master of character driven narrative storytelling, Joseph Olshan's "Black Diamond Fall" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated mystery buffs that "Black Diamond Fall" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Glitter Bomb
Laura Childs
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9780451489548, $26.00, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com

It's Mardi Gras in New Orleans and scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand is excited to be attending the Pluvius Parade along with her best friend Ava. Carmela's ex-husband Shamus rides by the duo on his float at the head of the parade, when suddenly the revelry turns to disaster. Shamus' float crashes and explodes, and although Shamus escapes unhurt, a member of his crew is killed. Carmela and Ava plunge into an investigation of the crew-member's death, but as they dig deeper it starts to look less like an accident and more like a murder -- and Shamus seems less like a victim, and more like a suspect! The newest addition to author Laura Childs' simply outstanding 'New Orleans Scrapbooking Mystery' series, "Glitter Bomb" is another deftly crafted mystery of amazing twists and turns. While very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated mystery buffs in general, and Laura Child's fans in particular, the "Glitter Bomb" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

An Act of Villainy
Ashley Weaver
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.minotaurbooks.com
9781250159755, $27.99, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com

Walking through London's West End after a night at the theater, Amory Ames and her husband Milo run into wealthy investor and former actor Gerard Holloway. Holloway and his wife Georgina are old friends of theirs, and when Holloway invites them to the dress rehearsal of a new play he is directing, Amory readily accepts. However, Amory is shocked to learn that Holloway has cast his mistress, actress Flora Bell, in the lead role. Furthermore, the casual invitation is not what it seems when he admits to Amory and Milo that Flora has been receiving threatening letters, and he needs their help in finding the mysterious sender. Despite Amory's conflicting feelings, not only does she feel loyalty to Georgina, but the disintegration of the Holloways' perfect marriage seems to bode ill for her own sometimes delicate relationship, her curiosity gets the better of her, and she begins to make inquiries. It quickly becomes clear that each member of the cast has reason to resent Flora -- and with a group so skilled in the art of deception, it isn't easy to separate truth from illusion. When vague threats escalate, the scene is set for murder, and Amory and Milo must find the killer before the final curtain falls. Another deftly scripted Amory Ames mystery from the pen of Ashley Weaver, "An Act of Villainy" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated mystery buffs that "An Act of Villainy" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Dreamscape Media, 9781974917587, $29.99, CD).

River of Secrets
Roger Johns
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.minotaurbooks.com
9781250110121, $27.99, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Herbert Marioneaux, a Louisiana politician infamous for changing his mind on hot-button issues, has been murdered and his body posed to send a message. Baton Rouge homicide detective Wallace Hartman has to figure out who's sending that message. DNA points to Eddie Pitkin, a social justice activist who also happens to be the half-brother of Wallace's childhood best friend. But even with the combative history between Pitkin and Marioneaux, murder seems out of character for Pitkin, whose usual MO is to confront the wealthy and powerful with their inconvenient past. As Wallace digs deeper, she unearths a possible alibi witness, along with evidence of a deeply troubled relationship that points the finger of suspicion at Marioneaux's son. While Eddie's supporters are convinced of his innocence, his enemies are equally certain of his guilt. Under pressure from all directions, Wallace pursues her investigation into the dark heart of the political establishment as Baton Rouge falls under the shadow of escalating violence. When it appears a police department insider may be sabotaging her efforts by leaking information about the case, and after menacing messages are left for her and her loved ones, Wallace is forced to untangle a trail of old and disturbing secrets unaided by those she most needs to trust. Another deftly crafted and inherently riveting mystery showcasing author Roger Johns originality and total mastery of the genre, "River of Secrets" is unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "River of Secrets" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Murder in the Oval Library
C. M. Gleason
Kensington
c/o Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street, Floor 21, New York, NY 10018-2522
www.kensingtonbooks.com
9781496710215, $26.00, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com

With the Confederate Army firing on Fort Sumter, the Civil War has begun and an invasion of Washington, DC, from Secessionist Virginia seems imminent. As the population evacuates, the elected President Abram Lincoln is in desperate need of men to defend the capital. Lincoln's trusted aide, Adam Speed Quinn, and Quinn's old friend from the Bloody Kansas conflict, Senator Jim Lane, hastily assemble a motley crew of just over a hundred men and garrison them in the East Room at the White House. Dubbed the Frontier Guard, these rough-and-tumble patriots steel themselves for the inevitable attack. But even as dawn breaks with no Rebel strike, a single act of violence intrudes within the White House. One of the Frontier Guard lies dead in the oval library, throat slit ear to ear. There is a murderer among them. Lincoln promptly assigns Quinn to deal with the matter, who is in turn aided by journalist Sophie Gates and Dr. George Hilton. And to Quinn's chagrin, the Southern belle Constance Lemagne insists on being involved in the investigation as well. But when Dr. Hilton examines the body, he makes a startling discovery that overturns all Quinn's assumptions about the murder. With his president at grave risk from without and within, Quinn must act quickly to catch the White House killer. With an impressive attention to historical detail, "Murder in the Oval Library" is a simply riveting read from cover to cover, as author C. M. Gleason exhibits a genuine flair for deftly crafted storytelling and a mastery of the historical mystery genre. While especially recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated mystery buffs that "Murder in the Oval Library" in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99). Librarians should be aware of the large print edition of "Murder in the Oval Office" (Kennebec Large Print, $26.99, PB, 452pp).

Dark Tide Rising
Anne Perry
Ballantine Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com
9780399179914, $20.00, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Jacob's Island is a broken-down waterside slum, a place of perpetual gloom where Monk is just as likely to lose a man to the mud and tides as to the criminals who hide in the shadows. Kidnappers have chosen this warren of tunnels and alleys as the site of a ransom exchange for Kate Exeter, the wife of wealthy real estate developer Harry Exeter. Harry asks the Thames River Police to secretly accompany him to the spot and ensure that no harm comes to him or his captive wife. But on arrival, Monk and five of his best men are attacked from all sides, and Monk is left wondering who could have given away their plans. As Monk follows leads from Kate's worried cousin and a crafty clerk at the bank where Exeter gathered the ransom money, it seems undeniable that one of his own men has betrayed him. Delving into their pasts, he realizes how little he knows about the people he works with every day, including his right-hand man John Hooper, the one colleague Monk has always been certain he can count on -- but who is also hiding a dreadful secret. As the case runs into a series of deadly obstructions, Monk must choose between his own safety and the chance to solve the mystery -- and to figure out where his men's loyalty really lies. Another deftly crafted gem of a suspense thriller by a master of the mystery genre, Anne Perry's "Dark Tide Rising" should be considered a 'must read' by her legions of fans. While an obligatory addition to any and all community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Dark Tide Rising" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).

Dangerous Encounters
G. R. Sutter
Dorrance Publishing Company
585 Alpha Drive, Suite 103, Pittsburgh, PA 15238
www.dorrancepublishing.com
9781480958876, $21.00, PB, 332pp, www.amazon.com

Janice Morgan has dreams to marry her fiance, Mark, only to find he has been murdered. She then receives a letter from someone in Australia, which is odd since, she doesn't know anyone from there. She learns the letter is from her uncle, Norman Dickenson, who is a multimillionaire and CEO of Thunderbolt Security, one of the largest security firms in the world. What does this mysterious letter contain? Answers about Mark's murder? An impressively scripted mystery by an author with a genuine flair for character and narrative driven storytelling, "Read Dangerous Encounters" is highly recommended, especially for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Read Dangerous" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Death in Paris
Emilia Bernhard
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781683317685, $26.99, HC, 323pp, www.amazon.com

When French financier Edgar Bowen drowns in a bowl of soup, his former girlfriend, American Rachel Levis, is alarmed by the unnatural death. Who dies eating a nice vichyssoise? But when she overhears a mourner at his funeral describing the circumstances of his death, something sounds even stranger: a bottle of rose was on the dining table when he died. The only problem: Edgar loathed rose. If he wasn't drinking it, who was? After the police rule the death accidental, Rachel knows it's up to her and her best friend Magda to investigate. As the two Americans immerse themselves in Edgar's upper-class world, the list of suspects grows: Could it have been his son, who inherited his money and lavish apartment? His icy ex-wife? His greedy new girlfriend? His impoverished personal assistant? But when the suspects start dropping like flies, Rachel and Magda realize the murderer is tying up loose ends. It'll be up to two amateur sleuths to solve their first case before the murderer decides they're next! An impressively clever and deftly scripted mystery by a master of the genre, it should be noted that Emilia Bernhard's "Death in Paris" is enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a three page Glossary of French Words and Phrases. While very highly recommended, especially for community library Myster/Suspense collections, "Death in Paris" is also available for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

The Hour of Death
Jane Willan
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781683317593, $26.99, HC, 314pp, www.amazon.com

As Yuletide settles upon Gwenafwy Abbey, the rural Welsh convent's peace is shattered when Tiffany Reese, president of the Village Art Society, is found dead on the floor of the parish hall. Sister Agatha, whose interests lie more with reading and writing mystery stories than with making the abbey's world-renowned organic gouda, is not shy about inserting herself into the case. With the not-entirely-eager assistance of Father Selwyn, she begins her investigation. Sister Agatha has no shortage of suspects to check off her naughty-or-nice list, until finally, Tiffany's half-brother, Kendrick Geddings, emerges as the prime suspect. There never was any love lost between Tiffany and Kendrick, and of late they had been locked in a vicious battle for control of the family estate. But if Sister Agatha thinks she has the case wrapped up, she'll have to think again. As the days of Advent tick by, Sister Agatha is determined to crack the case by Christmas! Another gem of a deftly crafted mystery by novelist Jane Willan, "The Hour of Death" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for dedicated mystery buffs that "The Hour of Death" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781982540272, $29.95, MP3 CD).

Maggie Terry
Sarah Schulman
The Feminist Press
365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016
www.feministpress.org
9781936932399, $17.95, PB, 272pp, www.amazon.com

Post-rehab, Maggie Terry is single-mindedly trying to keep her head down in New York City. There's a madman in the White House, the subways are constantly delayed, summer is relentless, and neighborhoods all seem to blend together. Against this absurd backdrop, Maggie wants nothing more than to slowly re- build her life in hopes of being reunited with her daughter. But her first day on the job as a private investigator lands her in the middle of a sensational new case: actress strangled. If Maggie is going to solve this mystery, she'll have to shake the ghosts (a dead NYPD partner, vindictive ex, steadfast drug habit) that have long ruled her life. While a simply riveting mystery by a master of the genre, Sarah Schulman's "Maggie Terry" is also an inherently fascinating and deftly crafted character study. Solidly entertaining from first page to last, "Maggie Terry" is very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Maggie Terry" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.55).

Hitting the Books
Jenn McKinlay
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9780451492678, $24.95, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com

When a stack of library materials is found at the scene of a hit and run, library director Lindsey Norris finds herself dragged into the investigation as the police try to link the driver of the stolen car to the person who borrowed the books. Before Lindsey can delve into the library's records, the victim of the hit and run, Theresa Houston, suffers another "accident" and the investigation shifts from driver negligence to attempted homicide. A clue surfaces in the confiscated library materials that could crack open the case and it is up to Lindsey to piece it all together. But things are not as they seem in the sleepy town of Briar Creek and when the driver of the stolen car turns up dead, Lindsey, her staff and her library friends have to hit the books before the murderer gets the last word. With her latest novel, "Hitting the Books", author Jenn McKinlay once again demonstrates and documents her mastery of the mystery genre and distinctive flair for narrative driven storytelling with a veritable roller coaster of unexpected twists and turns. A part of McKinlay's outstanding 'Library Lover's Mystery' series, "Hitting the Books" will be an immediately popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Hitting the Books" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) as well as a complete and unabridged audio book (Dreamscape Media, 9781974906000, $29.99, CD).

Murder on Millionaires' Row
Erin Lindsey
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.minotaurbooks.com
9781250180650, $16.99, PB, 400pp, www.amazon.com

Rose Gallagher might dream of bigger things, but she's content enough with her life as a housemaid. After all, it's not every girl from Five Points who gets to spend her days in a posh Fifth Avenue brownstone, even if only to sweep its floors. But all that changes on the day her boss, Mr. Thomas Wiltshire, disappears. Rose is certain Mr. Wiltshire is in trouble, but the police treat his disappearance as nothing more than the whims of a rich young man behaving badly. Meanwhile, the friend who reported him missing is suspiciously unhelpful. With nowhere left to turn, Rose takes it upon herself to find her handsome young employer. The investigation takes her from the marble palaces of Fifth Avenue to the sordid streets of Five Points. When a ghostly apparition accosts her on the street, Rose begins to realize that the world around her isn't at all as it seems -- and her place in it is about to change forever. Another gem of a deftly crafted novel by a master of narrative driven storytelling, "Murder on Millionaires' Row" is an inherently riveting read that will be enjoyed by those who appreciate a mystery that has more unexpected twists and turns than a carnival roller coaster. While very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Murder on Millionaires' Row" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Macmillan Audio, 9781250303837, $45.99, CD).

You'll Get Yours
William Ard
Black Gat Book
c/o Stark House Press
1315 H Street, Eureka, CA 95501
www.starkhousepress.com
9781944520540, $9.99, PB, 156pp, www.amazon.com

It all started simply enough when press agent Archie St. George hires private investigator, Barney Glines, to retrieve some missing jewels stolen from his beautiful client, Kyle Shannon. Glines knows he's being set-up for something but he goes along with the exchange out of curiosity more than anything. That and Kyle Shannon. Turns out that the real jewels are a cache of nude photos of Miss Shannon, who is now being blackmailed. Soon Glines finds himself in a dead woman's room who's been shot with his own gun and the police are jumping to conclusions. It's beginning to look like whoever's behind the blackmail wants to make sure that Glines is the fall guy. Unless Glines can find him first! Originally writing under the pen name of Thomas Wills, Stark House Press has now brought back into print a classic mystery novel by William Ard is a simply riveting read and a 'must' for all dedicated mystery buffs.

Mrs. Jeffries and the Three Wise Women
Emily Brightwell
Berkley
9780399564244 $16.00 www.penguinrandomhouse.com

Mrs. Jeffries and the Three Wise Women provides a holiday Victorian mystery featuring Mrs. Jeffries, housemaid to a bumbling British inspector, and provides the thirty-sixth installment in the series. One need have no prior familiarity with the other characters or Victorian situations in Brightwell's prior books: each Mrs. Jeffries mystery stands alone, and this is no exception. The Christmas setting involves Inspector Witerspoon and his household in chaos as a case threatens the holiday spirit in this absorbing, fun tale.


The American History Shelf

Tombstone, Deadwood, and Dodge City
Kevin Britz & Roger L. Nichols
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
www.oupress.com
9780806160290, $32.95, HC, 280pp, www.amazon.com

The Wild West may be long gone, but its legend lives on in places like Tombstone, Arizona; Deadwood, South Dakota; and Dodge City, Kansas. In "Tombstone, Deadwood, and Dodge City" Kevin Britz and Roger L. Nichols have collaborated to provide an informed and informative tour of these iconic towns, revealing how over time they became repositories of western America's defining myth. Beginning with the founding of the communities in the 1860s and 1870s, "Tombstone, Deadwood, and Dodge City" deftly traces the circumstances, conversations, and clashes that shaped the settlements over the course of a century. Drawing extensively on literature, newspapers, magazines, municipal reports, political correspondence, and films and television, "Tombstone, Deadwood, and Dodge City" shows how Hollywood and popular novels, as well as major historical events such as the Great Depression and both world wars, shaped public memories of these three towns. "Tombstone, Deadwood, and Dodge City" also definitively document the forces ranging from business interests to political struggles that influenced dreams and decisions in these three iconic cities. While very highly recommended, especially for community and academic library American History collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Tombstone, Deadwood, and Dodge City" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $26.95).

The Loyalist Conscience
Chaim M. Rosenberg
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476672458, $49.95, PB, 232pp, www.amazon.com

Freedom of speech was restricted during the Revolutionary War. In the great struggle for independence, those who remained loyal to the British crown were persecuted with loss of employment, eviction from their homes, heavy taxation, confiscation of property and imprisonment. Loyalist Americans from all walks of life were branded as traitors and enemies of the people. By the end of the war, 80,000 had fled their homeland to face a dismal exile from which few would return, outcasts of a new republic based on democratic values of liberty, equality and justice. In "The Loyalist Conscience: Principled Opposition to the American Revolution", author Chaim M. Rosenberg showcases one of the critically important but often overlooked or undervalued fact that roughly one-third of the people living in the 13 Colonies did not support the American Revolution. Exceptionally well researched, written, organized, presented, and very highly recommended for both community and academic library American History collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Loyalist Conscience" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.57).

Saving Spaces
John H. Sprinkle, Jr.
Routledge
711 - 3rd Avenue, Floor 8, New York, NY 10017-9209
www.routledge.com
9781138888661, $150.00, HC, 244pp, www.amazon.com

"Saving Spaces: Historic Land Conservation in the United States" by John H. Sprinkle Jr. (who is an historian with the National Park Service and an Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, University of Maryland, College Park) offers an historical overview of the struggle to conserve both individual parcels of land and entire landscapes from destruction in the United States. Professor Sprinkle deftly identifies the ways in which the identification, evaluation, and stewardship of selected buildings and landscapes reflect contemporary American cultural values. Detailed case studies bring the text of "Saving Spaces" to life by highlighting various conservation strategies and suggesting the opportunities, challenges, and consequences of each. Balancing close analyses with a broader introduction to some of the key issues of the field, "Saving Spaces" is ideal for students and instructors of historic preservation. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, commentary, organization and presentation, "Saving Spaces" is a critically important and highly recommended addition to both community and academic library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of academia and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Saving Spaces" is also available in a paperback edition (9781138888678, $44.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $42.70).

Hidden History of Queens
Richard Panchyk
Arcadia Publishing
420 Wando Park Blvd., Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
www.arcadiapublishing.com
9781540235343, $29.99, HC, 194pp, www.amazon.com

Queens is the easternmost and largest in area of the five boroughs of New York City. It is geographically adjacent to the borough of Brooklyn at the southwestern end of Long Island, and to Nassau County farther east on Long Island; in addition, Queens shares water borders with the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. Queens has a history filled with fascinating firsts, cool characters and ramshackle ruins. From the nation's first modern highway to the first-ever transatlantic flight, the borough has long been at the forefront of modern transportation. Poet Clement Clarke Moore was inspired by childhood memories of Elmhurst when he wrote the poem "'Twas the Night before Christmas". The infamous William "Boss" Tweed once fled jail to a secret hideout in a Bayside hotel. The remains of the old Creedmoor Hospital complex in Queens Village are haunting, as are the eerie remnants of Fort Tilden in the Rockaways. In the pages of "Hidden History of Queens", author and Queens native Richard Panchyk reveals glimpses of a hidden history that is inherently fascinating and informative reading from beginning to end. While very highly recommended for community and academic library American History collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Hidden History of Queens" is also available in a paperback edition (9781467138536, $23.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.98).

Pacing Dakota
Thomas D. Isern
North Dakota State University Press
North Dakota State University
Dept. 2360, PO Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58108-6050
https://ndsupress.org
9781946163066, $29.77, HC, 264pp, www.amazon.com

Pacing Dakota is a collection of essays by Thomas D. Isern (Professor of History & University Distinguished Professor, North Dakota State University) reflecting on the history and culture of the Great Plains of North America. Professor Isern, with more than forty years as a working historian and regional author, transitions from the close confines of historical archives into the prairie landscapes of the northern plains. "Pacing Dakota" speaks with the mingled voices of scholarly historian, outdoor sportsman, culinary enthusiast, lifelong Lutheran, and prairie farmboy. In these erudite commentaries Professor Isern prowls prairie churches, finds forgotten artifacts, and gathers cherished stories from Williston to Wahpeton and points beyond. He situates his encounters along the way into the canon of literary and historical writing on the prairies. In the end, Professor Isern articulately speaks for a generation committed to making a good life in this place. As informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Pacing Dakota" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading list, as well as community, college, and university library American History collections.

The Plains Political Tradition
Jon K. Lauck, John E. Miller, & Paula M.Nelson, editors
South Dakota Historical Society Press
900 Governors Drive, Pierre, SC 57501-2217
www.sdshspress.com
9784294604854, $24.95, PB, 284pp, www.amazon.com

Not all politics is party politics. Nowhere is this fact more apparent than within the boundaries of South Dakota. Although the state is known for its agrarian conservatism, political tradition in the land of infinite variety is more than simply Republican or Democrat. An awareness of the influence of culture lies at the core of understanding the decisions of political leaders and voters alike. In this capstone volume of The Plains Political Tradition series from the South Dakota Historical Society Press, and collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Jon K. Lauck, John E. Miller, and Paula M. Nelson presents a series of essays from historians and other scholars who identify major influences on the political culture of South Dakota. Against a backdrop of agricultural ups and downs, varied religious beliefs, worldwide conflict, and powerful personalities, "The Plains Political Tradition" deftly examines ingredients critical to the success and failure of civic movements, legislation, and political campaigns and careers. Exceptionally well organized and presented, "The Plains Political Tradition" is unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library Political Science collections and South Dakota History supplemental studies reading lists.

Stories of the Old West
Steven D. Price and Thomas P. McCarthy, editors
Lyons Press
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
9781493031986 $22.95 www.lyonspress.com

Stories of the Old West: 44 Great Tales of the American Frontier gathers tales of ranches, rodeos, gunslingers, range warfare, and a host of other Western legends and tales, and adds life and vigor to images of the old West and those who made their lives in a rugged world in America's past. 19th century U.S. history comes to life in a collection that represents the top American Western writings of this country, with a hundred years of tales packed under one cover. It's a lively read for anyone looking for a refresher course in Western history as well as a good collection of Western short tales.


The World History Shelf

A History of France
John Julius Norwich
Atlantic Monthly Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
154 West 14th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10011
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802128904, $30.00, HC, 400pp, www.amazon.com

Beginning with Julius Caesar's conquest of Gaul in the first century BC, "A History of France" by John Julius Norwich is a study of French history comprising a cast of legendary characters ranging from Charlemagne, Louis XIV and Napoleon, to Joan of Arc and Marie Antionette, it chronicles France's often violent, always fascinating history. From the French Revolution (after which neither France, nor the world, would be the same again) to the storming of the Bastille, from the Vichy regime and the Resistance to the end of the Second World War, "A History of France" is packed from cover to cover with heroes and villains, battles and rebellion. An impressively informative, exceptionally well written, superbly organized and presented study, "A History of France" is unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library French History collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted that "A History of France" is also available as a complete and unabridged audio book (Tantor Audio, 9781977367884, $29.99, CD).

Eminent Chinese of the Qing Dynasty 1644-1911/2
Arthur W. Hummel, editor
Berkshire Publishing Group
122 Castle Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230
https://www.berkshirepublishing.com
9781614720331, $189.00, HC, 2 Vols., www.amazon.com

Knowledgeably edited by Arthur W. Hummel, "Eminent Chinese of the Qing Period 1644-1911/2" is a standard reference used by scholars because it is meticulously compiled and unique in its scope. This respected and scholarly history was produced under the auspices of the US Library of Congress and published by the United States Government Printing Office during World War II. Now in a new 2018 Berkshire edition, ""Eminent Chinese of the Qing Period 1644-1911/2" features the original text of 800 biographical sketches as well as a preface by Hu Shih, a scholar who had been China's ambassador to the United States, together with new material for 21st-century readers. While an essential, core addition to community, college, and university library Chinese History collections and supplemental studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that the two volume "Eminent Chinese of the Qing Period 1644-1911/2" is also available in a paperback edition (9781614728504, $120.00) and in a digital book format (9781614728498).


The Self-Help Shelf

Resilience
Linda Graham, MFT
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608685363, $17.95, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Whether it's a critical comment from the boss or a full-blown natural catastrophe, life continually dishes out challenges. Resilience is the learned capacity to cope with any level of adversity, from the small annoyances of daily life to the struggles and sorrows that break our hearts. Resilience is essential for surviving and thriving in a world full of troubles and tragedies, and it is completely trainable and recoverable -- when we know how. In "Resilience: Powerful Practices for Bouncing Back from Disappointment, Difficulty, and Even Disaster", Linda Graham (who is a licensed marriage and family therapist and mindful self-compassion teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area, and who integrates neuroscience, mindfulness, and relational psychology in her international training groups, conferences, workshops, and webinars) offers clear guidance to help the reader develop somatic, emotional, relational, and reflective intelligence -- the very skills needed to confidently and effectively cope with life's inevitable challenges and crises. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in tone, commentary, organization and presentation, "Resilience" is very highly recommended for community and academic library Self-Help/Self-Improvement instructional reference collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Resilience" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.36).

Untwisted
Ted Anders
Square One Publishers
115 Herricks Road, Garden City Park, NY 11040
www.squareonepublishers.com
9780757004537, $16.95, PB, 112pp, www.amazon.com

The emotional pain that comes with being human is often met with sadness, depression, loneliness, anger, or even rage. These reactions lead to more pain, and so a cycle of negativity is created. These days there is no shortage of pharmaceuticals being recommended to alleviate this type of suffering, but most of these drugs have potential side effects that could be worse than the problems themselves. And what's more, they address only the symptoms of emotional pain, not the pain itself. In the pages of "Untwisted: How to Use the Power of Love to Heal Your Emotional Pain", psychologist Ted Anders (who created the LifeLift Experience seminars to help others let go of painful, self-limiting beliefs and achieve sustainable inner peace and joyful creative freedom) offers a different perspective on the subject and presents a unique step-by-step approach to breaking this cycle for good. "Untwisted" proposes a proven drug-free technique you can use to eliminate the root cause of your emotional wounds and transform your life for the better. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, following the simple but powerful practices described in "Untwisted", is an ideal start to untangling from persistent sadness, loneliness, depression, and anger. While unreservedly recommended for community library Self-Help/Self-Improvement instructional reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Untwisted" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.10).


The Poetry Shelf

So Far So Good
Ursula K. Le Guin
Copper Canyon Press
PO Box 271, Port Townsend, WA 98368
www.coppercanyonpress.org
9781556595387, $23.00, HC, 100pp, www.amazon.com

Ursula K. Le Guin (October 21, 1929 - January 22, 2018) is best known for her ground- breaking science fiction novels, but she began her literary career as a poet, and wrote across genres for the rest of her life. "So Far So Good" is clarifying and sublime collection of her poetry from 2014 to 1018 and was completed shortly before her death. Le Guin is unflinching in the face of mor- tality, and full of wonder for the mysteries beyond. Redolent of the lush natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, with rich sounds playfully echoing myth and nursery rhyme, and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community and academic library poetry collections, "So Far So Good" is especially and unreservedly recommended to the attention of all Ursula LeGuin fans. The Combat: On the farthest margin of old age / in thickets and quicksands of half-sleep / the fat grey serpent of despair / wrestles with the thin tiger of my rage. // The tiger's teeth meet in the snake / Break writhing backbone, break!


The Education Shelf

Open-Ended Art for Young Children
Tracy Galuski & Mary Ellen Bardsley
Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
www.redleafpress.org
9781605545981, $24.95, PB, 152pp, www.amazon.com

Open-ended art is defined as art activity where children are free to use their imagination as they explore a variety of materials without a planned outcome. When teachers embrace open-ended art, they emphasize the process of creating and observe the developmental growth being experienced by the children. Open-ended art provides children an important opportunity to think about, feel, and express ideas. It allows teachers to slow down the pace of the day and appreciate the beauty that comes from simple experimentation with art materials. Specifically designed for use by classroom teachers by childhood education experts Tracy Galuski and Mary Ellen Bardsley, "Open-Ended Art for Young Children" goes beyond the basics to highlight why the field of early childhood education advocates for open-ended art and explains how to adapt to new ways of thinking about art. Each chapter begins with a classroom vignette that describes the challenge, followed by a plethora of solutions grounded in research and illustrated through practical examples. Each chapter also includes full-color pictures and photos and ends with an activity or investigation for reflection. While "Open-Ended Art for Young Children" is fully endorsed and unreservedly recommended for school district, college, and university library Teacher Education instructional reference collections, it should be noted that "Open-Ended Art for Young Children" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $28.45).

Assessment Literacy for Educators in a Hurry
W. James Popham
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
www.ascd.org
9781416626480, $26.95, PB, 150pp, www.amazon.com

Assessment literacy reference to a handful of fundamental understandings about the testing concepts and procedures that influence educational decisions. It is arguably the most cost-effective means of real school improvement. In "Assessment Literacy for Educators in a Hurry" W. James Popham (Emeritus Professor in the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies) strips away the psychometrician-speak and condenses the complexities of educational testing to six practical and action-oriented understandings about validity, reliability, fairness, score reporting, formative assessment, and affective assessment. "Assessment Literacy for Educators in a Hurry " covers: Tests that are worth the valuable time they take to administer; Tests that accurately measure what student have learned; Tests that fairly reflect teacher and school effectiveness; Tests that provide the instructionally useful data that will help students learn faster and better. "Assessment Literacy for Educators in a Hurry" is an instructional guide that will enable the reader, in just a few hours' time, to can pick up the knowledge needed to do a whole lot of good for their students, themselves, and their schools. While very highly recommended for school district, college, and university library Teacher Education instructional reference collection and supplemental studies lists, it should be noted that "Assessment Literacy for Educators in a Hurry" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.79).

School Safety and Violence Prevention
Matthew J. Mayer & Shane R. Jimerson, editors
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
www.apa.org/books
9781433828942, $79.99, HC, 345pp, www.amazon.com

Knowledgeably compiled and expertly edited by the team of academicians Matthew J. Mayer (The state University of new Jersey - New Brunswick) and Shane R. Jimerson (University of California - Santa Barbara), "School Safety and Violence Prevention: Science, Practice, Policy" is timely volume comprised of thirteen chapters that presents a data driven approach to preventing and responding to school violence. As school violence receives increasing attention across the nation, the application of scientific knowledge is critical. For maximum effectiveness, transdisciplinary teams should use school data, logic models, and theories of change to design, implement, and evaluate interventions. Collaboration among key stakeholders is also necessary to address both structural and systemic barriers to success with violence prevention. With concrete methods for promoting safety in primary and secondary educational settings, "School Safety and Violence Prevention: Science, Practice, Policy" will engage and enable school faculty, counselors, administrators, and other partners to better understand areas of common interest and learn how to work together more effectively. While highly and unreservedly recommended for school district, college, and university library Education Administration collections in general, and school safety supplemental studies lists in particular, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of administrators, policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "School Safety and Violence Prevention: Science, Practice, Policy" is also available in a digital book format (eTextbook, $65.64).

Visual Learning and Teaching
Susan Daniels
Free Spirit Publishing
6325 Sandburg Road, Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55427-3674
www.freespirit.com
9781631981401, $42.99, PB, 272pp, www.amazon.com

With the ubiquitious presense of emojis, avatars, and icons, our world today is becoming increasingly reliant on visual communication. But even as we edge toward a virtual world, it's still critical for students to comprehend and know how to make simple, meaningful marks. "Visual Learning and Teaching: An Essential Guide for Educators K - 8" is an easy-to-use resource created by Susan Daniels who draws upon her more than twenty years of research and experience to create a thoroughly classroom teacher friendly creative guide of strategies that will enable educators to present the foundational skills of visual learning in the classroom. Teachers will learn how to create a "visual toolbox" of tools that promote visual literacy across the curriculum and discover interactive activities to encourage visual learning and communication in all students. Digital content includes customizable forms and a PDF presentation. A free online PLC/Book Study Guide is available at freespirit.com/PLC. "Visual Learning and Teaching" is unreservedly recommended for school district, college, and university library Teacher Education instructional reference collections and supplemental studies lists.

Educating for Empathy
Nicole Mirra
Teachers College Press
1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027
www.tcpress.com
9780807759141, $29.95, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com

"Educating for Empathy: Literacy Learning and Civic Engagement" by Nancy Mirra (Assistant Professor of Urban Teacher Education at Rutgers, Graduate School of Education, The State University of New Jersey) presents a compelling framework for thinking about the purpose and practice of literacy education in a politically polarized world. Mirra proposes a model of critical civic empathy that encourages secondary ELA teachers to consider how issues of power and inequity play out in the literacy classroom and how to envision literacy practices as a means of civic engagement. "Educating for Empathy" reviews core elements of ELA instruction (response to literature, classroom discussion, research, and digital literacy) and demonstrates how these activities can be adapted to foster critical thinking and empathetic perspectives among students. Individual chapters depict teachers and students engaging in this transformative learning, offer concrete strategies for the classroom, and pose questions to guide school communities in collaborative reflection. Of special note is the inclusion of includes real-world examples from a variety of schools and discussion questions at the end of each chapter. While very highly recommended for school district, college, and university library Teacher Education collections and supplemental studies lists, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Educating for Empathy" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $29.95).

Project Based Teaching
Suzie Boss & John Larmer
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
www.ascd.org
9781416626732, $28.95, PB, 205pp, www.amazon.com

"Project Based Teachers: How to Create Rigorous and Engaging Learning Experiences" is specially written for the purpose of encouraging active questioning, curiosity, and peer learning; create learning environments in which every student has a voice; and have a mastery of content but are also comfortable responding to students' questions by saying, "I don't know. Let's find out together." Educational consultants Suzie Boss and John Larmer build on the framework for Gold Standard PBL originally presented in Setting the Standard for Project Based Learning and explore the seven practices integral to Project Based Teaching: Build the Culture; Design and Plan; Align to Standards; Manage Activities; Assess Student Learning; Scaffold Student Learning; Engage and Coach. For each practice, "Project Based Teaching" present a wide range of practical strategies and include teachers' reflections about and suggestions from their classroom experiences. Exceptionally accessible in organization and presentation, "Project Based Teaching" is unreservedly recommended for school district, college, and university library Teacher Education instructional reference collections and supplemental studies lists.

Choral Counting & Counting Collections
Megan L. Franke, Elham Kazemi, & Angela Chan Turrou, editors
Stenhouse Publishers
282 Corporate Drive, Suite I, Portsmouth, NH 03801.
www.stenhouse.com
9781625311092, $38.67, PB, 210pp, www.amazon.com

Basic mathematics is a critically important component of elementary school education from preschool through fifth grade. Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Megan L. Franke, (Professor of education at UCLA), Elham Kazemi (Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Washington), and Angela Chan Turrou, (who is a senior researcher at UCLA, works to support preservice and inservice teachers across preschool and elementary settings to deepen teaching with children's mathematical thinking at its center), "Choral Counting & Counting Collections: Transforming the PreK-5 Math Classroom" presents the collective wisdom of mathematics teachers and researchers across the country who explore activities that are at once playful and intentional, simple and sophisticated. "Choral Counting & Counting Collections" covers such issues as: How to facilitate open-ended counting activities to deepen children's number sense; How counting activities can produce both social and academic benefits; How teachers can engage with families to build on students' mathematical thinking; How to facilitate collaborative activities with multiple entry points and multiple ways to be successful. Impressively well organized and presented, "Choral Counting & Counting Collections" is unreservedly recommended for school district, college, and university library Teacher Education collections and supplemental studies lists.

Writers Read Better: Nonfiction
M. Colleen Cruz
Corwin
9781506311234 $27.95 www.corwin.com

Writers Read Better: Nonfiction provides fifty paired lessons that lead to better reading skills, and uses research-backed ideas to create these insights and specific writing lessons plans. Each writing lesson leads back to a reading lesson and visa versa, supporting approaches to activities that serve as building blocks for literacy. From reordering information with purpose to adding dimensions to writing, each lesson comes with lesson steps, a 'What I Say to Students' outline, and tips for success. Teachers will be especially pleased by these specific steps.


The Biography Shelf

Gabriel Renville
Gary Clayton Anderson
South Dakota Historical Society Press
900 Governors Drive, Pierre, SC 57501-2217
www.sdshspress.com
9784294604557, $29.95, HC, 220pp, www.amazon.com

Born on the shores of Big Stone Lake in modern-day South Dakota, Gabriel Renville (1825 - 1892) was a Sisseton-Wahpeton leader who opposed conflict with the United States during the Dakota War of 1862. He worked tirelessly to create and maintain a space for his people throughout his life. Credited with the creation of the Lake Traverse Indian Reservation in 1867, Renville was a man of contrasts. Of European and Dakota descent, he adopted Christianity yet refused to abandon the Dakota Medicine Society. He held fast to kinship obligations even as he courted capitalism. He won favor among white missionaries and Indian agents for promoting their ideas about hard work even as he frustrated them with his love of dancing and feasting. He clung to traditional lifeways while also committing to the economic progress that made the Sisseton-Wahpeton reservation a prime example of what the Bureau of Indian Affairs called its Civilization Program. Whether scouting under General Henry Sibley or serving as head chief of his people, Renville remained committed to traditional Dakota ethics even as he embraced the change he and others believed was needed to survive in the coming twentieth century. In this definitive history of Gabriel Renville and his achievements, biographer Gary Clayton Anderson (the George Lynn Cross Research Professor of History, University of Oklahoma - Norman) draws upon primary sources to illuminate the life and motivations of the Sisseton-Wahpeton chief. An impressively informed and informative study, "Gabriel Renville" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library 19th Century American Biography collections, and 19th Century Native American supplemental studies reading lists.

Susie
Ray Rhodes Jr.
Moody Publishers
820 N. LaSalle Blvd., Chicago, IL 60610
www.moodypublishers.com
9780802418340, $19.99, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com

While many Christians recognize the name of Charles H. Spurgeon, the beloved preacher and writer, few are familiar with the life and legacy of his wife, Susie. Yet Susannah Spurgeon was an accomplished and devout woman of God who had a tremendous ministry in her own right, as well as in support of her husband. Even while dealing with serious health issues, she administered a book fund for poor pastors, edited and published her husband's sermons and other writings, led a pastor's aid ministry, wrote five books, made her home a hub of hospitality, and was instrumental in planting a church. And as her own writing attests, she was also a warm, charming, and fascinating woman. Now, for the first time, "Susie: The Life and Legacy of Susannah Spurgeon, wife of Charles H. Spurgeon" by Ray Rhodes Jr.( founding pastor of Grace Community Church of Dawsonville, GA) brings this vibrant woman's story to modern readers in a detailed and informative examination of Susannah's life, showing that she was not only the wife of London's most famous preacher, but also a woman who gave all she had in grateful service to the Lord. While very highly recommended for church, community, and academic library American Biography collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Susie" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.59).


The Sports Shelf

Hockey Plays and Strategies
Mike Johnson & Ryan Walter
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61820-5076
www.HumanKinetics.com
9781492562535, $24.95, PB, 248pp, www.amazon.com

Hockey Plays and Strategies features more than 200 plays, systems, and strategies for game play in the offensive, neutral, and defensive zones. With tactics for all players in each of the various zones, you can prepare players to hit the ice with confidence and dominate their opponents. Both amateur and professional hockey players and their coaches to find detailed plays on entering the offensive zone with a dump-in or chip-and-chase, covering shorthanded goals, and using hybrid icing as an offensive advantage. Including tips and 10 key strategies for winning face-offs, "Hockey Plays and Strategies" offers detailed instructions for specific skills, techniques, position responsibilities, and team player requirements will help you learn optimal execution of the following: Breakouts; Attack options; Offensive zone strategies; Forechecking systems; Backchecking alignments; Neutral zone forechecking tactics; Power-play breakouts and zone setups; Penalty kill forecheck and zone alignment; Faceoff plays for each zone; Game management strategies. "Hockey Plays and Strategies will enable players to plan for an opponent with tips on scouting the competition and adjusting game strategy accordingly. No matter what level being coached, "Hockey Plays and Strategies" will guide smart, consistent, and winning play. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Hockey Plays and Strategies" is very highly recommended for personal, professional, school, community, and hockey team instructional reference collections. It should be noted that "Hockey Plays and Strategies" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.49).

The New Power Eating
Susan M. Kleiner, et al.
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61820-5076
www.HumanKinetics.com
9781492567264, $24.95, PB, 432pp, www.amazon.com

Written especially for athletes, "The New Power Eating: More Muscle, More Energy, Less Fat" brings together the latest scientific research on nutrition planning and explains not just what to eat but also when and how to adjust eating plans for your body and specific energy needs. Whether it's a heavy or light training day, in peak season or off-season, you'll learn how to achieve your physique and performance goals safely, legally, and effectively. New recipes pack a nutritional punch into every meal or snack, and sample meal plans for each meal of the day help you easily put it all together. Of special not is the inclusion of a food group template to help you customize your own menus. Plus, updated details on safe supplements guide you through the maze of marketing claims to help you select the best options in view of the scientific evidence. Products and brands based on testing for purity, potency, digestibility, and absorption. Fascinating facts explain how your relationship with food and the gut-to-brain axis can affect your physical and emotional health and performance. Both males and females will discover gender-specific guidance and strategies to help you take advantage of your body's benefits and overcome unhealthy triggers or habits to create and maintain an effective power eating program. Exceptionally informative and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "The New Power Eating" is an extraordinary and highly recommended addition to personal, community, academic library, and professional sports team collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated athletes that "The New Power Eating" is also available in a digital book format (eTextbook, $13.99).


The Audiobook Shelf

Billion Dollar Whale
Tom Wright & Bradley Hope
Read by Will Collyer
Hachette Audio
1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104
www.HachetteAudio.com
9781478947998 $35.00 billiondollarwhale.com

Billion Dollar Whale is the unabridged audiobook rendition of a journalistic expose of an unprecedented financial heist. It began in 2009 when Jho Low, a recent graduate of the elite Wharton business school, persuaded Najib Razak, the prime minister of Malaysia, to create an investment fund, 1MDB. Low raised more than $10 billion for the fund, with assistance from the U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs and others. Then, through his secretive control over 1MDB, Low stole billions from the fund. He spent the money to finance elections, purchase luxury real estate, produce Hollywood films (including "The Wolf of Wall Street"), throw worldwide parties, hobnob with celebrities, and even donate to President Obama. Billion Dollar Whale is the utterly fascinating true tale of modern thievery almost beyond imagination, highly recommended especially for both public and college library audiobook collections. 11 CDs, 12.5 hours.

The Celtic World
Jennifer Paxton
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
www.recordedbooks.com
9781629975221, $39.95, CD, www.amazon.com

Written and ably narrated by Jennifer Paxton (Clinical Assistant Professor of History at The Catholic University of America) "The Celtic World" focuses upon the incredible story of the Celtic-speaking peoples, whose art, language, and culture once spread from Ireland to Austria in an informative series of 24 enlightening lectures explains the traditional historical view of who the Celts were, then contrasts it with brand-new evidence from DNA analysis and archeology that totally changes our perspective on where the Celts came from. European history and culture have been profoundly affected by the Celts, from the myth of King Arthur to the very map of the United Kingdom, where the English confronted the peoples of the "Celtic Fringe". In a complete and unabridged CD audio book format, "The Celtic World" presents each topic related to Celtic history with approachability and ease. Professor Paxton's engaging, often humorous delivery blends perfectly with the facts about the Celts to uncover surprising historical revelations. The ancient Celts are very much alive in the literary and artistic traditions that their descendants have both preserved and very deliberately revived. A flawless audio recording from beginning to end, "The Celtic World" will prove to be a prized and enduringly popular addition to personal, community, and academic library audio book collections in general, and Celtic History supplemental studies lists in particular.

Climate Change: What Everyone Needs to Know, second edition
Joseph Romm, author
Read by Paul Heitsch
HighBridge Audio Books
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
https://highbridgeaudio.com
9781684415762 $39.99 amazon.com

Written by Joseph Romm, Ph.D. (Chief Sicence Advisor for the Emmy Award-winning "Years of Living Dangerously" series) and now in an updated second edition, Climate Change: What Everyone Needs to Know is the unabridged audiobook rendition presents straightforward answers to the most common (and politically charged) questions about the threat of man-made climate change. Chapters include an analysis of the Paris climate agreement, and the ramifications of the United States' withdrawal; potential implications of clean energy (solar power, wind power, batteries, and electric cars); updates on modern efforts to stem or slow climate change; thoughts on the effects Trump administration's policy with regard to climate action both within the U.S. and internationally; and more. Edifying and thoroughly accessible to individuals of all backgrounds, Climate Change is highly recommended especially for public library audiobook collections. 11 hours on 9 CDs.

Stygian: A Dark-Hunter Novel
Sherrilyn Kenyon
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781511363297, $29.99, MP3 CD, www.amazon.com

Born the grandson of the Greek god Apollo and through an act of extreme violence by the last surviving Atlantean goddess, "Stygian" is the story of the 11,000 year life span of a struggling demigod that reveals the origins of vampires called 'Daimons', the origin and purpose of Dark Hunters, and the repeated conflicts between pantheons, as well as individual clashes between the gods. A part of author Sherrilyn Kenyon's acclaimed Dark Hunter series, this complete and unabridged audio book edition of "Stygian" is able narrated Holter Graham and is very highly recommended for both personal and community library Science Fiction & Fantasy audio book collections. (MP3 CD, 2 Discs, 26 hours, 6 minutes).

Hachette Audio
www.hachetteaudio.com

Pete Larkin's Valley of Genius: The Uncensored History of Silicon Valley (9781549169052, $35.00) receives a fine narration by Adam Fisher which brings to life the story of California's tech area's rise as told by the hackers and founders who made it grow virtually overnight. From the origins of Google and Facebook to early influences on the development of the internet, this lively story is especially recommended for its engrossing account of the start-ups, successes, and failures that led to a specific geographic area becoming the hub of high-tech advancements. Gail Carriger's Competence (9781549169083, $30.00) is Book Three in The Custard Protocol and is read by Moira Quirk, who brings alive the tale of an airship, a new breed of vampire, and crew which stumbles upon a mission to Peru, encountering airship pirates and oddities along the way. The story lies somewhere between a fantasy, a steampunk story and a novel, adding intrigue and interest with a spunky heroine who navigates her world and all its surprises. Listeners will find this a strangely compelling, different environment that is absorbing and hard to stop listening to.


The Graphic Novel Shelf

The Case of the Missing Marquess: An Enola Holmes Mystery
Serena Blasco
Based on the novel by Nancy Springer
IDW Publishing
2765 Truxton Road, San Diego, CA 92106
www.idwpublishing.com
9781684053360 $14.99 amazon.com

The Case of the Missing Marquess: An Enola Holmes Mystery is a full-color, hardcover graphic novel featuring Enola Holmes, the younger sister of celebrated detective Sherlock Holmes. On her fourteenth birthday, Enola discovers that her mother has disappeared, leaving behind only a collection of flowers and a coded message book. Her brothers Sherlock and Mycroft insist on sending her to boarding school, but Enola uses her own cunning to escape and search for her mother. In the process, she becomes involved in the kidnapping of a young marquess, and learns skills to disguise herself and evade pursuit. A fascinating adventure featuring an intelligent and adaptable heroine, The Case of the Missing Marquess: An Enola Holmes Mystery is highly recommended for public library collections and readers of all ages.

The Provocative Colette
Annie Goetzinger
NBM Publishing
160 Broadway, Ste. 700, East Wing, New York, NY 10038
www.nbmpub.com
9781681121703 $24.99 amazon.com

The Provocative Colette is a full-color, biographical graphic novel about the talented French author Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (1873-1954), who was extremely open-minded and free- thinking, especially by the standards of her time. Her unconventional love life included salacious love affairs with both men and women, two divorces and three marriages, and even a romantic relationship with her adult stepson. She is best known for writing "Gigi", which became a play that launched Audrey Hepburn's career and a famous Hollywood musical, but her body of work and her unfettered life remain an inspiration for women's sexual and cultural liberation. The Provocative Colette is recommended for YA and adult audiences due to mature themes, and an excellent contribution to public library graphic novel collections.

The Best of Don Winslow of the Navy
Craig Yoe, editor
Dead Reckoning
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
www.deadreckoning.org
9781682473238, $29.95, HC, 272pp, www.amazon.com

Deftly edited by Craig Yoe, "The Best of Don Winslow of the Navy: A Collection of High-Seas Stories from Comics' Most Daring Sailor" is a collection of the best stories from the classic run of Don Winslow of the Navy, one of the most popular comic books running during and after World War II. In this new hardcover graphic novel style compendium, the selected stories are digitally remastered and contextualized with Yoe's impressive historical research. Preceding the full, colorful tales is a detailed introduction on the creation of the adventurous Don Winslow. The character served to foster recruitment and entertain Navy personnel and the general public alike during World War II and beyond. Winslow fights the Axis and supervillains like The Snake and the attractive, but deadly, Singapore Sal. Certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to personal and community library collections, "The Best of Don Winslow of the Navy" is enthusiastically and unreservedly recommended.

Trench Dogs
Ian Densford, author/illustrator
Dead Reckoning
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
www.deadreckoning.org
9781682472330, $18.95, PB, 184pp, www.amazon.com

Inspired from assorted first-hand accounts and presented in a graphic novel format, "Trench Dogs" is a fictional story of World War I as an anthropomorphic retelling of that global conflict and the soldiers who experienced the horrors of the front lines and high seas. While horse drawn carts and trains were ordinary sights, automobiles, tanks, submarines, and airplanes made their wartime debuts alongside machine guns, poison gas, and flame throwers. While the nightmares of World War I and the aftermath are sometimes forgotten, "Trench Dogs" asks the reader to look again and remember the dead, and to weigh their number against those who would choose war. Conceived as a long, continuous camera pan through the trenches and beyond, the reader is soon buried in mud, corpses, and ruin, emerging on the other side with blurred recollections of lost comrades and a nagging sense of pointless destruction. Ian Densford's graphic watercolors paired with a spattering of onomatopoeic utterings create an unforgiving tale of the "war to end all wars". While very highly recommended for community library graphic novel collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Trench Dogs" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.00).

The 'Stan
Kevin Knodell, David Axe, and Blue Delliquanti
Dead Reckoning
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
www.deadreckoning.org
9781682470985 $16.95 pbk / $16.95 Kindle amazon.com

The 'Stan is a full-color, graphic novel anthology of true stories that took place during the first decade of U.S. military intervention in Afghanistan (America's longest war). The stories come from a diversity of perspectives, including those of Afghan and U.S. Army soldiers, as well as a Taliban ambassador and others. The 'Stan respects the extreme difficulties faced both by soldiers in American Afghanistan, and the civilians in a land torn apart by war. Highly recommended. It should be noted that The 'Stan is also available in an ebook or Kindle edition ($16.95).

Machete Squad
Brent Dulak, Kevin Knodell, David Axe, and Per Berg
Dead Reckoning
291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402
www.deadreckoning.org
9781682471005 $18.95 amazon.com

Machete Squad is the full-color, graphic novel memoir of Brent Dulak, a U.S. Army medic and veteran of two tours in Iraq sent to serve in Afghanistan, America's longest war. His duty is to take care of the wounded at a remote outpost as the Americans prepare to turn Kandahar Province over to Afghan forces. Kandahar is the birthplace of the Taliban; senseless violence plagues the land, sending not only injured soldiers, but also civilians and even dying children to the overworked Dulak. Candidly describing the violence of war, laced with dark humor, and all but impossible to put down, Machete Squad is highly recommended. It should be noted that Machete Squad is also available in an ebook edition.

The Mental Load
Emma
Translated by Una Dimitrijevic
Seven Stories Press
140 Watts Street, New York, NY 10013
www.sevenstories.com
9781609809188 $18.95 www.amazon.com

Flawlessly translated into English by Una Dimitrijevic, The Mental Load: A Feminist Comic a social commentary in color graphic novel format by outspoken French blogger Emma. Although Emma characterizes herself as a feminist and primarily speaks of social injustice against women, she openly criticizes aspects of society that harm men as well - such as police violence that disproportionately takes the lives of young men of color. Topics addressed include "the mental load" (that women are expected to plan and keep track of all household tasks, in addition to doing the housekeeping); how doctors and hospitals all too frequently perform an unnecessary episiotomy (a surgical incision in the vaginal wall) to speed up childbirth and vacate hospital beds, despite the lasting harm that can result to women's bodies; how lack of parental leave for fathers results in an unfair burden on mothers and newborn children; how society consistently rewards men for aggression while stigmatizing women for any remotely aggressive act (including but not limiting to standing up for themselves when men make sexist or derogatory comments), and much more. The Mental Load is thought-provoking, enlightening, and highly recommended.

One Dirty Tree
Noah Van Sciver
Uncivilized Books
PO Box 6534, Minneapolis, MN 55406
uncivilizedbooks.com
9781941250273 $19.95 amazon.com

One Dirty Tree is a hardcover graphic novel memoir by author Noah Van Sciver, who grew up in a large Mormon family in an utterly dilapidated New Jersey house with an address number of 133, or "One Dirty Tree". His parents were devoutly religious; they had nine children, whom his mother stayed at home to raise... but his father struggled and ultimately failed to earn enough money to provide for such a large family. Noah's impoverished childhood in that house, surrounded by bathtubs full of dirty dishes, a hardwood floor full of painful splinters, a front yard full of mud, and countless other troubles left a lasting impression on his psyche, affecting his midlife friendships and relationships. Thoughtful, reflective, and sympathetic to his parents even while describing a difficult childhood, One Dirty Tree is highly recommended.


The Library CD Shelf

Winterland
The Okee Dokee Brothers
Okee Dokee Music
$20.00 http://www.okeedokee.org

Grammy Award-winning group The Okee Dokee Brothers presents Winterland, a music album about celebrating the cold season. From the joys of ice fishing, to questioning how snow-"men" get assigned genders and identities, to the role of winter in nature's life cycle, these songs reach out to listeners of all ages with a positive, jubilant message. Highly recommended! 10% of all Winterland CD sales will be donated to Askov Finlayson's Keep the North Cold initiative (askovfinlayson.com/mission), which supports leading-edge solutions to the problem of man- made climate change. The tracks are "Blankets of Snow", "Welcome Home", "Ice Fishin' Shack", "Keep Me Warm", "The Abominable Yeti", "You You You", "Candles", "Slumberjack", "Ukulele in a Snowstorm", "Howl", "Snowpeople", "Lazy Day", "North Country Dance Band", "Great Grandmother Tree", "New Year", and "Signs of Spring".

Journey of Tears
Monica Williams
Heart Dance Records
https://www.heartdancerecords.com
$13.98 CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com

Flutist and composer Monica Williams presents Journey of Tears, a captivating new age music album of original works, enriched with contributions from guest artists including fingerstyle guitarist Darin Mahoney, New Age flutist Sherry Finzer, and vocalist Alexa Nodromia. Journey of Tears reflects on the highs and lows of life - "Love and loss, joy and pain, fear and hope," in Williams' own words. The profound, emotionally moving songs reach out to the listener, exploring the untold mysteries of happiness and sorrow. Highly recommended, especially for connoisseurs of the genre. The tracks are "Raining Tears", "Conversations Within", "New Horizons", "Unconditional Love", "On the Edge", "Finding Peace", "Constant Change", "Wandering", "Love from a Distance", and "The Great Beyond".

Beyond Measures & Time
Steve Rivera
steveriveramusic.com
Privately Published
$12.97 CD / $9.99 download cdbaby.com

Beyond Measures & Time is a new age solo piano music album by Steve Rivera, that dares to venture into the both the brilliance and the darkness of human emotion. Rich, layered, and inherently intricate, Beyond Measures & Time is an extraordinary, mindscape-spanning musical journey, highly recommended. The tracks are "Suspended Dream", "Passing Shadows", "Unlocking the Moments", "Spectrum of Thoughts", "Falling Closer", "In My Own Memories", "Waves and Particles", "From the Beginning", "Dark Tides", "Fragmented Dreams", and "Measures & Time".

Come See About Me
The Mountain Home Family
Mountain Home Music Company
mountainhomemusiccompany.com
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com

Come See About Me is a bluegrass music album created especially to benefit the IBMA Trust Fund, which was created especially to aid musicians who encounter sudden illness, vehicle accidents, or other catastrophic hardships, in order to help them get back to creating the music they love as soon as possible. Songs by a wide medley of contributors make Come See About Me a smorgasbord of passionate, emotional music with a strong positive message of trust, support, and helping those in need. Highly recommended! The tracks are "Their Hands Made the Music", "A Little Trust", "All the Good Things "We Could Do", "If I Needed You", "We're All in This Together", "You've Got a Friend in Me", "We'll Never Walk Alone", "Those Tears", "Glimpse of the Kingdom", "Help!", and "Come See About Me".

Glassellland
Jordie Lane
www.jordielane.com
Privately Published
$11.98 CD / $11.49 download amazon.com

Glassellland is an original music album inspired by the Glassell Park neighborhood (and its titular sign, an ironic rendition of Los Angeles' original Hollywoodland sign), as well as the simple notion of searching for one's dreams amid day-to-day life. The Glassell Park is a working- class neighborhood, and these songs celebrate the drive to devote oneself to labors of blood, sweat, tears, and love. Highly recommended. The tracks are "Symmetry", "Black Diamond", "Out of State", "A Piece of Land", "America, Won't You Make My Dreams Come True?", "Better Not Go Outside", "Time Just Flew", "Interlude 31", "Frederick Steele McNeil Ferguson", "Act Like This", "Dreamin' the Life", "In Dreams of War", and "Rambling Mind".

Deva
Deva Premal
www.DevaPremalMiten.com
Privately Published
$11.99 CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com

Deva is the self-titled debut album of world-class chant singer Deva Premal. Her mellifluous, soothing voice promotes inspiration, meditation, and spiritual exploration. ("Buddham Sharanam" in particular pays respect to the teachings of the Buddha.) Deva is a beautiful, harmonious album, highly recommended. The tracks are "Seven Chakra Gayatri Mantra", "Sarva Mangala", "Prabhujee (feat. Anoushka Shankar)", "Buddham Sharanam", "Mahamantra", "Vakratunda Mahakaya", and "Seven Chakra Gayatri Mantra".

A New Awareness: Music of the Twelve Rays
Richard Shulman
Privately Published
RealityofYourGreatness.com
$TBA CD / $11.88 MP3 amazon.com

A New Awareness: Music of the Twelve Rays is a spiritual music album, crafted in collaboration with author Michael G. Love and inspired by his book "The Reality of Your Greatness: A Personal Journey Through the Twelve Rays" (9781943070343, $19.95 pbk / $12.99 Kindle). The twelve meditative songs promote reflection, inspiration, hope, and healing. Highly recommended, especially for new age connoisseurs! The tracks are "Divine Will", "Love and Wisdom", "Active Intelligence", "Harmony through Conflict", "Concrete Knowledge", "Devotion and Idealism", "Gateway into Awareness", "The Cleansing Ray", "Contact with the Soul Level", "The Body of Light", "The Bridge to the New Awareness", and "The New Awareness".

Still Happy
Danny Bacher
www.dannybachermusic.com
Whaling City Sound
www.whalingcitysound.com
c/o Naxos of America (dist.)
www.naxosusa.com
$16.99 CD / $8.99 MP3 amazon.com

Still Happy is a jazz album by Danny Bacher, featuring time-honored treasures of the genre and classic takes on the Great American Songbook, all performed with his unique, vibrant flair. A treat for connoisseurs of the genre, Still Happy is a treasure for personal music lists and holiday gift-giving. The tracks are "Getting Some Fun Out of Life", "Laughing at Life", "In Spite of All This, I'm Still Happy", "Shakin' The Blues Away", "Hooray for Hollywood", "Lucky To Be Me", "Joie De Vivre", "This Happy Madness", "Joy Spring", "Lazy Afternoon", "Get Happy", and "Cloudy/Nuages".


The Library DVD Shelf

Nana
A film by her granddaughter Serena Dykman
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036
$24.95 www.firstrunfeatures.com

Nana is a DVD documentary about a survivor of the Ravensbruck, Malchow, and Auschwitz death camps. When Poland-born Maryla Michalowski-Dyamant was held in the death camps, she was forced to translate for the notorious "Angel of Death" Josef Megele. After the war, Maryla dedicated her life to activism and public speaking. Directed by Maryla's 25-year-old granddaughter, Nana retraces Maryla's story, emphasizing the importance of speaking out against injustice, especially in modern times when the last survivors of World War II are fading away, and intolerance, racism, and antisemitism are making an ugly comeback. Profound, poignant, and an award-winner at fifteen film festivals, Nana is worthy of the highest recommendation to high school, university, and public library DVD collections. 100 min.

Strangers on the Earth
Featuring Dane Johansen
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036
$24.95 www.firstrunfeatures.com

Shot amid the beautiful landscapes of northern Spain, Strangers on the Earth showcases the Camino de Santiago (also known as the "Way of Saint James"), a network of pilgrims' ways leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. These routes have been traveled through the centuries by those seeking spiritual growth and enlightenment. One such pilgrim is Dane Johansen, a performer who carries his musical instrument on his back and plays music, including songs by J.S. Bach, for his fellow seekers. Strangers on the Earth contemplates the concept and meaning of "journey", and the crucial role that the experience of travel and searching plays in the overall understanding of the human experience. Thoughtful, far-reaching, and inspirational, Strangers on the Earth is highly recommended for both personal and public library collections.

Anna Karenina
Starring Helen McCrory, Kevin McKidd, and Stephen Dillane
Adapted from the novel by Leo Tolstoy
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$34.99 www.acornonline.com

Adapted into a four-part mini-series by award-winning writer Allan Cubitt, Anna Karenina is based on the classic novel by Leo Tolstoy, about the passionate yet troubled affair between a a married aristocrat and an affluent count. A saga of love and betrayal in 19th century Russia, Anna Karenina brings the vibrance, dangers, and tumultuous changes of over a hundred years ago to vivid life. Anna Karenina is highly recommended especially for public library collections, but recommended for mature viewers due to the presence of disturbing images and sexual situations. 4 episodes on 2 DVDs, 241 min.

Sando
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$39.99 www.acornonline.com

Sando is an outrageously funny Australian comedy, featuring the charismatic yet extraordinarily self-centered business mogul Victoria "Sando" Sandringham (played by Sacha Horler). As the "package deal queen" of a furniture empire, Sando once had it all - but an extreme indiscretion at her daughter's wedding shut her out of her family's good graces, and ten years later, Sando is also being forced out of her own company! Can Sando worm her way back into her family's hearts, and regain control of her business? Or will her own selfishness sabotage her yet again? Featuring unforgettably flamboyant characters, Sando is a sensational madcap delight! Bonus material includes cast interviews (7 min.), Sandro's Warehouse commercial (1 min.) and "Real Deal" music video (2 min.). 6 episodes, approx. 188 min. plus bonus, widescreen, SDH subtitles.

East West 101, Series 3
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$39.99 www.acornonline.com

East West 101, Series 3 is the third and final season of the award-winning crime series set in the city of Sydney, Australia. Based on the stories of real life detectives, East West 101 deals with cultural rifts, schisms in socio-economic status, and religious tensions in Australia. In the final season, Detective Zane Malik decided to resign, in search of a less dangerous life with his family. But when his wife and son become involved in a hit-and-run accident, Malik searches for the perpetrator, a hunt that puts him on the trail of the robbery of an armored vehicle that left four people dead. A former army officer who blames Muslim extremists for the attack, but Malik suspects that there is far more to the case. An intense, edge-of-seat gripping drama, East West 101 is highly recommended, especially for connoisseurs of the genre. Bonus materials include a 20 min. behind-the-scenes featurette and 7 min. of deleted scenes. 7 episodes on 2 DVDs, 377 min. plus bonus, SDH subtitles.

Tinplate Legends in Action 5-DVD Boxed Set
A McComas/Stachler Production
TM Books & Video
PO Box 9228, Michigan City, IN 46361
9781936890934 $29.99 www.tmbv.com

Tinplate Legends in Action 5-DVD Boxed Set features a total of over five hours of programming featuring tinplate model trains, filmed in widescreen and HD. These toy trains were crafted before World War II, and share a vintage appeal. Beautifully preserved and running just as they would have when they were created decades ago, Tinplate Legends in Action is a "must-have" for model rail enthusiasts eager to experience a slice of history. Highly recommended.

World Class HiRail Layouts Parts 1, 2, 3 & 4
A McComas/Stachler Production
TM Books & Video
PO Box 9228, Michigan City, IN 46361
9781936890972 $29.99 www.tmbv.com

World Class HiRail Layouts Parts 1, 2, 3 & 4 is a DVD collection featuring extraordinary scale scenery, beautifully crafted model structures, and captivatingly realistic model trains. Some layouts were assembled by dedicated individuals, others by model railroad clubs or societies. All are sure to amaze and astound model rail enthusiasts, and feature film footage so vivid it's difficult to discern from real life trains. Highly recommended! 4 hours, 30 min.

Toy Train Revue 5-DVD Boxed Set
A McComas/Stachler Production
TM Books & Video
PO Box 9228, Michigan City, IN 46361
9781936890378 $29.99 www.tmbv.com

Toy Train Revue 5 DVD Boxed Set collects five delightful 90-minute DVDs about model trains into one convenient carrying case. The compilation features model trains and layouts big and small, as well as operating tips, cherished collections, information on how to use toy train control systems, rare trains, fix-up projects and more. Each 90-minute program includes 60 minutes of new HD video footage in widescreen, plus 30 minutes of digitally re-mastered archival footage from the original "Toy Train Revue" series. The result is a treasury for model rail enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds. The fourth and fifth programs contain special Christmas celebrations from 2014 and 2015 respectively, making Toy Train Revue 5-DVD Boxed Set the perfect holiday gift for hobbyists! Highly recommended. 7 hours, 30 min.

Holden Qigong series
Lee Holden
www.holdenqigong.com
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
$29.95 each www.ymaa.com

Two DVDs from Qi Gong master Lee Holden demonstrate how routines grounded in an ancient Chinese system of "moving meditation" can promote health in body and mind. "Qi Gong: Mindfulness in Motion" (45 min.) teaches Qi Gong movements in a viewer-friendly manner, emphasizing how to lead the Qi (or "life-force energy") with focus, and how to quiet one's mind for deeper relaxation, as well as promote mindfulness in daily life. "Qi Gong: Five Elements Energy Balance" demonstrates the five-element cycle as a means to foster harmony with nature in one's everyday life, and harness one's energy and emotions to their full potential. Both DVDs are excellent supplements to fitness DVD collections, and highly recommended especially for anyone interested in partaking in the benefits of Qi Gong.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Chinese Astrology: Forecast Your Future
Man-Ho Kwok & Martin Palmer
Red Feather
c/o Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
978 0764355943, $24.99, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com

How does your Chinese zodiac sign influence your life? How does your lunar date of birth affect your fortune? Find out the answers to these questions and more, in "Chinese Astrology: Forecast Your Future", an easy-to-follow guide to the fascinating ancient art of Chinese astrology by the team of Man-Ho Kwok (who trained for twenty years in the Taoist tradition and was one of the first people to bring knowledge of the Chinese calendar to the West) and Martin Palmer (who is a world-renowned authority on Chinese culture, and the author of a range of titles on international traditions and beliefs). "Chinese Astrology" shows how to make accurate readings about every aspect of your life based on your date and time of birth according to the Chinese calendar. From your love life to your career, and from your own personality to your compatibility with others, "Chinese Astrology" offers a wealth of advice giving invaluable insight into almost any situation. Now you can discover what your future holds! Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Chinese Astrology" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Metaphysical Studies collections in general, and Chinese Astrology supplemental studies lists in particular.

The Mirror of Magic
Kurt Seligmann
Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781620557907, $50.00, HC, 512pp, www.amazon.com

Kurt Seligmann (1900-1962) was a Swiss-American Surrealist painter and expert on magic, known for his extensive collection of rare books and his monumental role in the popularization of Surrealism in the United States. In what has become an occult classic, Seligmann's "The Mirror of Magic," draws from his encyclopedic practitioner's knowledge and extensive antiquarian collection to offer a comprehensive, illustrated history of magic and the occult from Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt through the 18th century. He explores the gods and divinatory arts of the legendary Sumerians and the star-wise Babylonians, including the birth of astrology. He examines the afterlife beliefs of the ancient Egyptians and the dream interpretation practices and oracles of ancient Greece, including the mysteries of Eleusis and the magical philosophy of Plato, Socrates, and other Greeks. He uncovers the origins of Gnosticism and the suppression and banishment of magic by the post-pagan, Christian emperors of Rome. First published in 1948, this comprehensive history of magic and the occult seeks to "mirror" the magical worldview throughout the ages. Beautifully illustrated with images from Seligmann's rare library, this new collector's edition from Inner Traditions International features all of the artwork (more than 250 images) from the original 1948 edition. While very highly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library Metaphysical Studies collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists of students, practitioners, and academia, that "The Mirror of Magic" is also available in a digital book format (eTextbook, $33.99).

New Era Elements Tarot
Eleonore F. Pieper
U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
www.usgamesinc.com
9781572819214, $21.95, Cards, 196pp, www.amazon.com

Uniquely relevant and fully accessible, the "New Era Elements Tarot" deck replaces the esoteric symbolism of traditional tarot with intriguing images of 21st century global life. Eleonore F. Pieper's four tarot suits are explicitly connected to the four elements (Fire, Water, Air and Earth), and the court cards represent four distinct world cultures. This simply outstanding "New Era Elements Tarot" includes 80 cards and 116-page guidebook and is unreservedly recommended for personal and professional Tarot collections.

Messages from the Light Meditation Deck
Joyce Huntington
U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
www.usgamesinc.com
9781572819238, $29.95, Cards, 76pp, www.amazon.com

"Messages from the Light Meditation Deck" by Joyce Huntington is visionary deck delivers inspirational messages from the light that help illuminate ordinary things in life with fresh, new insights. The cards invite you to look inward as you focus on a spiritual image, allowing subconscious connections to surface. This unique deck can help you develop gratitude and intention as it guides you toward centering, abundance and transformation. Very highly recommended for personal and professional collections, The "Messages from the Light Meditation Deck" includes 52 cards and a 24-page instructional booklet.


The Fashion Shelf

Contemporary Muslim Fashions
Jill d'Allesandro & Reina Lewis
Prestel Publishing
900 Broadway, Suite 603, New York, NY 10003
www.prestel.com
9783791357829, $75.00, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com

The collaborative work of Jill d'Allesandro & Reina Lewis and nine erudite and informative contributors, "Contemporary Muslim Fashions" is dazzling visual exploration of contemporary Muslim modest dress, ranging from historic styles to present-day examples, and accompanied by a major exhibition and revealing the enormous range of self-expression through fashion achieved by Muslim men and women. Filled with from cover to cover with documentary and full color fashion photography, as well as stills from runway shows and the media, "Contemporary Muslim Fashions" deftly explores the ways Muslim style cultures are shaped by global trends and religious beliefs. From high-end couture to streetwear, "Contemporary Muslim Fashions" shows how established and diaspora regions, such as Dubai, Jakarta, London, and New York, are homes to thriving industries that create classic and cutting-edge looks. Accompanying these images are essays and personal narratives by leading voices that touch on everything from the history of modest dress to social media. A fascinating examination of a major segment of the fashion industry, "Contemporary Muslim Fashions" successfully highlights the ingenuity and creativity of Muslim designers and wearers as they deftly navigate the fashion industry while maintaining their religious and cultural identities. Impressively informative, visually stunning, a unique and unreservedly recommended, "Contemporary Muslim Fashions" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Contemporary Fashions collections and supplemental studies lists.


The Business Shelf

Reinventing Jobs
Ravin Jesuthasan & John W. Boudreau
Harvard Business Review Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
http://hbr.org/books
9781633694071, $32.00, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com

In the pages of "Reinventing Jobs: A 4-Step Approach for Applying Automation to Work", Ravin Jesuthasan (Managing Director at Willis Towers Watson and a recognized global thought leader on the future of work. He is a member of the World Economic Forum's Steering Committee on Work and Employment) and John Boudreau (Professor of Management Organization at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business and Research Director at the university's Center for Effective Organizations) present business leaders with a new set of tools to answer the daunting questions of how, when, and where should they apply automation in their organization. "Reinventing Jobs" shows how smart corporate leaders are optimizing human-automation combinations that are not only more efficient but also generate higher returns on improved performance. Based on groundbreaking primary research, Reinventing Jobs provides an original, structured approach of four distinct steps (deconstruct, optimize, automate, and reconfigure) to help leaders reinvent how work gets bundled into jobs and create optimal human-machine combinations. With numerous examples and practical advice for applying the four-step process, "Reinventing Jobs" gives corporate leaders and entrepreneurs a more precise, and actionable way to decide how, when, and where to apply and optimize work automation. Thoroughly accessible in tone, commentary, organization and presentation, "Reinventing Jobs" should be a part of every corporate, community, college, and university library Business Management collection and supplemental studies list. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of corporate executives, union executives, MBA students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Reinventing Jobs" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.66).

Boards That Dare
Marc Stigter & Sir Cary Cooper
Bloomsbury Business
9781472938060 $35.00 www.bloomsbury.com

Boards That Dare: How to Future-Proof Today's Corporate Boards should be read by any board member interested in learning how business, community, consumer and employee value is created and defined. This book addresses board shortcomings, common pitfalls, the process of board self-assessment routines that help them define attitudes and underlying perceptions and misconceptions about their purpose and duties, and the kinds of changes that broaden their dynamics and effectiveness. It's based on the authors' experiences and research with board members and international private, public, and nonprofit sectors alike, and thus provides an unusually broad perspective about board interactions, processes, and the process of making them more effective. No business collection should be without this challenge to conventional wisdom about board management and makeup.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Weaving Patterned Bands
Susan J. Foulkes
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764355509, $26.99, HC, 152pp, www.amazon.com

Narrow bands woven in colorful patterns are a centuries-old part of Baltic craft tradition. The double slotted heddle makes patterned band weaving quicker to learn and easier to do. Susan J. Foulkes is a widely experienced designer/weaver and focuses her research on the woven patterned bands from around the Baltic region. In the illustrated pages of "Weaving Patterned Bands: How to Create and Design with 5, 7, and 9 Pattern Threads" she draws upon her years of experience and expertise to present the first comprehensive instructional reference book that teaches beginners the needlecraft arts of how to create patterned bands. The craft doesn't involve bulky equipment. Everything needed can be stored in a shoe box! Aspiring needlecrafters will learn how to weave these beautiful bands step by step, from the simple 5 pattern threads to the more complex 7 and 9 patterns. Color photographs illustrate the instructions for learning to weave. More than 140 patterns are included, along with principles for planning your own unique designs for contemporary uses such as straps, belts, bracelets, and even handfasting bands. The breathtaking range of colorful bands woven in Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Norway are explored and offer additional inspiration. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Weaving Patterned Bands" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft instructional reference collections.

Sleigh Bells
Jan Patek
The Patchwork Place
c/o Martingale & Company
19021 - 120th Avenue NE, Suite 102, Bothell, WA 98011
www.shopmartingale.com
9781604689471, $18.99, PB, 24pp, www.amazon.com

Now quilting enthusiasts can celebrate the season making a quilt chock-full of winter's charms! "Sleigh Bells: Stitch a Folk-Art Quilt Full of Winter Fun" offers a dozen cute quilt-block designs featuring whimsical snowmen, quaint cottages, towering trees, wonky stars, and joyful angels, plus kids bundled up for wintertime fun. Need some cold-weather comfort? At queen size, this cozy quilt can be showcased anywhere -- and cuddled under anytime you need to warm up! Even the most novice quilting enthusiasts can use Jan's needle-turn technique, or any favorite applique method, to make each block. For quick coordinating projects, turn single blocks into pillows, wall quilts, table toppers, and more! Full-size patterns included. While "Sleigh Bells" is highly recommended for personal and community library Needlecraft instructional reference collections, it should be noted that it is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).

Cat Lady Embroidery
Applemints
Creative Publishing International
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9781589239647, $19.99, PB, 120pp, www.amazon.com

Applemints is publisher in Japan, well known for their craft titles. Fat, striped, cheshire, or grumpy, Applemints' "Cat Lady Embroidery: 380 Ways to Stitch a Cat" offers more than 300 embroidery stitch patterns for cat lovers. Each set of patterns offers a range of ideas in different styles, shapes, genres from simple to more complex. A ideal instruction manual for embroidery beginners, as well as anyone looking for fun and simple patterns, the original designs and clear instructions comprising "Cat Lady Embroidery" is a 'must have' for any embroidery enthusiasts library and is unreservedly recommended for personal and community library needlecraft instructional reference collections.

Creating Art Quilts with Panels
Joyce Hughes
Landauer Publishing
c/o Fox Chapel Publishing
1970 Broad Street, East Petersburg, PA 17520
www.landauercorp.com
9781947163164, $24.99, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com

In "Creating Art Quilts with Panels", quilter and fiber artist Joyce Hughes reveals her creative methods for creating stunning pictorial quilts. Quilt makers will discover how to make a quilt pop and explore endless options for creativity with free-motion quilting, thread painting, trapunto, overlay, three-dimensional effects, machine techniques, raw edge applique, and a variety of embellishments. Profusely illustrated, "Creating Art Quilts with Panels" shows how to take an ordinary fabric panel and turn it into a beautiful work of art, thereby creating gorgeous seasonal panels, beautiful florals, and magnificent panel replicas. From simple beading to more advanced three-dimensional pieces, "Creating Art Quilts with Panels" presents techniques clearly and concisely with detailed photographs in a step-by-step format. Of special note is that "Creating Art Quilts with Panels" features a photographic gallery of inspirational art quilt masterpieces. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Creating Art Quilts with Panels" will prove to an immediate and enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, and community library quilting/needlecraft instructional reference collections.

Dimensional Cloth
Andra F. Stanton
Schiffer Publishing
9780764355363 $50.00 www.schifferpublishing.com

Dimensional Cloth: Sculpture by Contemporary Textile Artists serves two purposes: it serves as an overview of dimensional cloth applications and uses, and it profiles over three hundred photos of the creations of nearly 80 artists who use dimensional cloth to produce eye-popping three-dimensional works. Five basic themes are used to organize these cloth art pieces, while discussions with the artists cover the basics of how modern artistic techniques changes fiber to a new art form. Discussions move beyond theory and into techniques as they survey the different forms dimensional cloth can take under different hands and perspectives, making for a solid recommendation for textile and arts collections alike.


The Travel Shelf

Waterfalls of Nova Scotia: A Guide
Benoit Lalonde
Goose Lane Editions
www.gooselane.com
9781773100227, $24.95, PB, 312pp, www.amazon.com

Nova Scotia is blessed with numerous must-see waterfalls, and "Waterfalls of Nova Scotia: A Guide" from self-described "waterfall addict" Benoit Lalonde brings together under one cover 100 of the province's very best waterfalls. Conveniently categorized by the government of Nova Scotia scenic route system, "Waterfalls of Nova Scotia: A Guide" is a rich and informative compendium that includes famous waterfalls such as Garden of Eden Fall, Wentworth Falls, Cuties Hollow, Annandale Falls and Butcher Hill Falls, as well as lesser-known but easy to locate gems. In addition to providing useful information on the height, type, and hiking distance of each waterfall, their degree of difficulty to reach is also assessed for the convenience of both novice and advanced hikers alike, "Waterfalls of Nova Scotia: A Guide" features gorgeous color photographs and individual maps of each location. "Waterfalls of Nova Scotia: A Guide" offers an invaluable reference as well as a tribute to the beauty of the falls and the natural splendor waiting to be discovered, making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal and community library Canadian Travel Guide collections.


The Cookbook Shelf

Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, 17th edition
Better Homes & Gardens
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
3 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016
www.hmhco.com
9781328498854, $29.99, HC, 704pp, www.amazon.com

The iconic Better Homes and Gardens brand is one of America's most trusted sources for information on cooking, gardening, home improvement, home design, decorating, and crafting. Today, the brand encompasses books, magazines, and digital media. Now in a new 17th edition, one of their most popular culinary titles, "New Cookbook" has been issued. offering a wealth of palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, nutritious, delicious, and thoroughly kitchen cook friendly recipes. Offering complete lists of ingredients and step-by-step instructions, the dishes range from Roasted Smashed Potatoes; Plank-Smoked Salmon; Andouille and Shrimp Gumbo; and Stuffed French Toast; to Apple Pie Pull-Apart Loaf; Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting; Pickled Three-Bean Salad; and Brandied Strawberry Freezer Jam. Profusely illustrated in full color throughout, this compendium of hundreds of recipes should be considered as an invaluable 'must have' addition to personal, family, professional, and community library cookbook collections.

The New Filipino Kitchen
Edited by Jacqueline Chio-Lauri
Photography by Rowena Dumlao-Giardina
Agate Publishing
www.agatepublishing.com
9781572842588 $28.00 hc / $27.99 Kindle amazon.com

The New Filipino Kitchen: Stories and Recipes from Around the Globe is more than a cookbook, though it features recipes of 30 Filipino chefs and home cooks who have lived abroad, including "Tortang Ampalaya" (stir-fried bitter melon omelet), "Tinola" (ginger chicken soup with moringa), "Sylvana" (balls of almond and candied lemon peel meringue filled with coffee praline buttercream), and more. Here are also a wealth of true-life stories about learning to adapt Filipino cuisine to different diets, ingredients, and preferences; insights into Filipino history, culture, and tradition; and much more. A wealth of full-color photography interleaves this treasury for cooks, gourmets, and anyone with a keen interest in Filipino cuisine and culture. Highly recommended!

Back to the Cutting Board
Christina Pirello
BenBella Books
10300 N. Central Expressway, Suite 400, Dallas, TX 75204
www.benbellabooks.com
9781946885364, $19.95, PB, 220pp, www.amazon.com

"Back to the Cutting Board: Luscious Plant-Based Recipes to Make You Fall in Love (Again) with the Art of Cooking" by Christina Pirello (a professional chef and the host of PBS's Christina Cooks), takes the family cook on a very special culinary journey to re-engage with the soul of food preparation, from the slice of the knife to the aroma of steam rising from a perfectly roasted winter squash. Showcasing more than 100 enriching plant-based recipes that pair the freshest ingredients with cooking techniques meant to optimize their natural, native flavors, Christina reintroduces dishes that range from Spicy Sauteed Collard Greens; Sweet Root Vegetable Stew; Sesame Hiziki Salad; and Chickpea Farro Soup; to Sweet Corn Fritters; Fabulous English Muffins; Tempeh Reuben; Ginger-Poached Pears; and Orange-Scented Steamed Pudding. Beautifully illustrated throughout with full color photography, "Back to the Cutting Board" is very highly recommended and certain to be an immediately popular addition to family and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Back to the Cutting Board" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.69).

Cook Slow
Dean Edwards
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Books
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9780600635628, $19.99, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com

In "Cook Slow" culinary expert Dean Edwards showcases 90 beautifully illustrated, simple, stress-free recipes for slow cookers and conventional ovens. In addition to serving size, an ingredients list, and serving suggestions, each recipes features both a conventional method and a slow cooker method of preparation. With recipes ranging from Overnight Slow Cooker Oats; Coconut Fish Curry; Braised Pork Meatballs in Rich Cider Gravy; and French Onion Soup with Blue Cheese Croutons; to Lazy Mexican Chicken Lasagne; Festive Soda-Baked Holiday Ham; Slow Roasted lamb with Boulangere Potatoes; and Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake, "Cook Slow" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular resource for planning truly memorable menus for time-limited kitchen cooks. Certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections, it should be noted that "Cook Slow" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Milk Street: Tuesday Nights
Christopher Kimball
Little, Brown & Company
c/o Hachette Book Group
1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104
www.hachettebookgroup.com
9780316437318, $35.00, HC, 416pp, www.amazon.com

Showcasing more than two hundred beautifully illustrated, palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, kitchen cook friendly recipes, "Milk Street: Tuesday Nights" by Christopher Kimball and his team of cooks and editors focus on weeknight cooking by showing how to make simple, healthy, delicious meals using pantry staples and just a few other ingredients. The recipes range from Poached Cod in Tomato-Garlic Broth; Tuscan Soup with Bread, Beans and Greens; Mushroom Pork Omelet; Miso-Ginger Chicken Salad; and Vietnamese Meatball Lettuce Wraps; to Toasted Pearl Couscous; Lemon Grass-Coconut Tofu; Potato Salad and Smoked Trout; Seared Strip Steak with Almond-Rosemary Salsa Verde; and Buckwheat Apple Pancakes. Some chapters focus on time featuring recipes that are Fast (under an hour, start to finish), Faster (45 minutes or less), and Fastest (25 minutes or less), while other chapters highlight easy methods or themes, including Supper Salads, Roast and Simmer and Easy Additions. And there's always time for pizza, tacos, "walk-away" recipes, one-pot wonders, ultrafast 20-minute miracles, and desserts. Certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular culinary resource for planning midweek meals, "Milk Street: Tuesday Nights" will prove to be a welcome addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections!

The Venison Cookbook
Kate Fiduccia
Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781510737259 $15.99 pbk / $9.99 Kindle amazon.com

The Venison Cookbook: Venison Dishes from Fast to Fancy is a cookbook filled with color photography and more than 125 recipes for venison meat, which is increasing in popularity even among people who don't hunt deer. Venison is a health, low-fat alternative to traditional meats such as beef, lamb, pork, and veal, and can be obtained domestically raised or imported via mail- order. No matter how one acquires venison, here are easy-to-follow, healthy recipes to prepare it in a wide variety of dishes, such as "Sweet Cherry Peppers with Venison Stuffing", "Venison Filet Wellington", "Quickie Venison Chili", and much more. Highly recommended!

Chili Madness
Jane Butel
Turner Publishing Company
200 - 4th Avenue North, Suite 950, Nashville, TN 37219
www.turnerpublishing.com
9781681624839, $34.99, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com

Jane Butel is the leading international authority on the cuisine of the American Southwest and Regional Mexican cooking. This revised edition of her "Chili Madness" cookbook includes more than 160 recipes to feed the irresistible passion and teach the methods to chili madness. These recipes are not only for chili, but for all kinds of delicious dishes that use chilies in some creative and unexpected ways. Included throughout are bits of legendary origins and spiritual beginnings, a chili rating scale, and cook-off lore. In addition, Jane guides you through parching and peeling your own dried pods and fresh peppers, the 10-Step Chili Fitness Plan, the controversy of beans vs no beans, and beef vs. pork. Of special note is her Preface (Chili in the Twenty-First Centry) and her Introduction (Chili, the Irresistible Passion). Along with a wealth of thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes, "Chili Madness" is enhanced with the inclusion of a list of Sources, Conversion Tales, a Chili chart, and an Index. While highly recommended as a popular addition to community library cookbook collections, it should be noted that "Chili Madness" is also available in a paperback edition (9781681624822, $15.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.19).

Best of Bridge Weekday Suppers
Emily Richards & Sylvia Kong
Robert Rose Inc.
www.robertrose.ca
9780778806103, $29.95, Spiral Bound, 288pp, www.amazon.com

"Best of Bridge Weekday Suppers" showcases some 175 recipes ranging from delectable weekday recipes for Smoky Tomato Chickpea Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons; Shrimp and Bacon Spinach Salad; Pineapple Pulled Pork Buns; Stovetop Gnocchi and Beef Stew, and Rosemary Lamb; Feta Meatballs on Lemon Garlic Potatoes, and Curried Turkey Pot Pie. A hardcover, spiral bound cookbook that will lay conveniently flat on a kitchen table or counter, "Best of Bridge Weekday Suppers" is beautifully illustrated with full color photography throughout. Of special note is the one page listing of 'Measuring Tips'. Simply stated, as a source of thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes that are unfailingly palate pleasing and appetite satisfying, "Best of Bridge Weekday Suppers" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

Fresh Alaska Cookbook
Rob Kinneen
University of Alaska Press
PO Box 756240, Fairbanks, AK 99775-6240
www.alaska.edu/uapress
9781602233591, $40.00, HC, 144pp, www.amazon.com

Rob Kinneen is an Alaska Native chef who has been working in restaurants since he was fifteen years old. He has worked and staged in Louisiana, North Carolina, New York, and Illinois. He is a chef at The Boot in Durham, North Carolina, and also runs a catering company specializing in Alaska cuisine. Kinneen made it his mission to bring the flavors of his home state to the lower 48, combining contemporary cooking with Alaska's native plants and animals. Going beyond smoked salmon and crab chowder, in the pages of his "Fresh Alaska Cookbook", Kinneen introduces us to Arctic Polenta and Razor Clam Fritters with Smoked Mustard Aioli. While salmon, crab, and moose do figure prominently in this culinary compendium, so do updates of foods like agudak and bannock. Along with the recipes, Kinneen describes the culinary culture of the many regions and peoples of Alaska and argues for the importance of a local food movement. "Fresh Alaska Cookbook" also offers tips for non-Alaskan cooks who want to taste more of the flavors unique to the state. Beautifully illustrated throughout with the full color photography of Ash Adams and Brian Adams, the "Fresh Alaska Cookbook" is a unique and very highly recommended addition to personal, family, professional, and community library cookbook collections.

Dump Cake Magic
Anne Schaeffer
Fox Chapel Publishing Company
1970 Broad Street N., East Petersburg, PA 17520
www.FoxChapelPublishing.com
9781565238763, $14.99, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com

Colleen Dorsey is a writer specializing in the craft and hobby industry, and an editor at Design Originals and Fox Chapel Publishing. In "Dump Cake Magic: The No-Bowl, No-Mess Method of Fuss-Free Baking" she showcases more than 75 easy stir-and-bake recipes enhanced with the inclusion of full-color photos accompanying simple kitchen cook friendly instructions for making desserts a 'piece of cake'! With recipes ranging from Pina Colada Angel Food Cake; French Pear Tart; Strawberry Cake; and Deep Dish Pumpkin Snack Cake; to Peachy Butter Pecan Cake; Cherry Cola Cake; Peppermint Patty Brownies; and Skillet Sugar Cookies, "Dump Cake Magic" will prove to be an extraordinarily and singularly popular addition to family, personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections!

Taste of Home Cast Iron
Taste of Home, editor
Reader's Digest Trade Publishing
44 South Broadway, White Plains, NY 10601
www.rdtradepublishing.com
9781617657405, $12.99, HC, Spiral Binding, 208pp, www.amazon.com

Taste of Home is the leading multi-platform producer of information on food, cooking and entertaining, serving home cooks engaging media that capture the joy and comfort received from food made with love. "Taste of Home Cast Iron" beautifully illustrates and showcases 100 recipes using a cast iron skillet for their creation. The recipes are deftly organized into five major sections: Snacks & Starters; Rise & Shine; Ring the Dinner Bell; Breads & Sides; Crisps, Cobblers & More. With thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' dishes ranging from Hot Sausage & Bean Dip; Mediterranean Broccoli & Cheese Omelet; German Apple Pancake; Camper's Breakfast Hash; and Seasoned Crab Cakes; to Oven Barbecued Pork Chops; Oven Swiss Steak; Wonderful English Muffins; Golden Sweet Onion Bread; and Potato Pan Rolls, "Taste of Home Cast Iron" will prove to be an immensely popular addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

Taste of Home Happy Hour
Taste of Home, editor
Reader's Digest Trade Publishing
44 South Broadway, White Plains, NY 10601
www.rdtradepublishing.com
9781617657382, $12.99, HC, Spiral Binding, 208pp, www.amazon.com

The leading multi-platform producer of information on food, cooking and entertaining, serving home cooks engaging media that capture the joy and comfort received from food made with love, Taste of Home has created an impressively illustrated and thoroughly 'user friendly' spiral bound volume showcasing more than 100 cocktails, non-alcoholic drinks, appetizers and liquor desserts. Suitable for all occasions, the drink recipes range from the Mimosa; a Bubbly Champagne Punch; a Cranberry-Jalapeno Martini; and a Spring Strawberry Sangria; to Rosemary Lemonade; A Pineapple Colada Shake; a Holiday peppermint Mocha; a Hot Apple Pie Drink, and so many more delicious drinks for both formal and informal gatherings. Of special note for the novice drink mixer and maker are the occasional 'Helpful Hint' entries. Whether planning for a simple get together or an elaborately elegant celebration, "Taste of Home Happy Hour" is an ideal and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, family, and community library cookbook collections.

The Sourdough School
Vanessa Kimbell
Kyle
9781909487932 $24.99 www.kylebooks.co.uk

The Sourdough School: The Ground-Breaking Guide to Making Gut-Friendly Bread comes from a breadmaking expert and teacher of the Sourdough School who offers home bakers an easy way of getting started with starters and sourdough baking methods. Lest cooks think that The Sourdough School sounds similar to existing sourdough cookbooks, it should be advised that the tutorial moves from basics to experimenting with flavors such as a Fig & Earl Grey load, Tomato & Herb Bread, or a Scandinavian-inspired Rosinbr d with a butter spice paste made of cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg and raisins.

American Cookie
Anne Byrn
Rodale Books
9781623365455 $24.99 www.rodalebooks.com

If a limited number of cookie cookbooks were to be considered for a collection, then American Cookie: The Snaps, Drops, Jumbles, Tea Cakes, Bars & Brownies That We Have Loved for Generations should be among the top contenders for the honor. New York Times food editor and author blends a historical examination of cookie basics with an inspection of small cakes, cookies, and desserts, providing some 100 recipes for cookies that have grown along with the country. Regional fare, such as a Texas Mexican Wedding Cookie or Sagamore Hill Sand Tarts, an older cousin of the snickerdoodle and originally a German recipe, are profiled along with enlightening insights into how the cookie featured in some part of American history. The result is more than another cookie cookbook alone, placing the American cookie firmly in place with other classic American regional cuisine by affording it a book of its own. Very highly recommended for culinary history and cookbook holdings alike.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Sheepfarmer's Daughter
Elizabeth Moon
Baen Books
PO Box 1188, Wake Forest NC 27588
www.baen.com
9781481483469, $16.00, PB, 416pp, www.amazon.com

Paksenarrion Dorthansdotter may be the daughter of a humble sheep farmer in the far north end of the kingdom, but she dreams of so much more. After refusing her father's orders to do the sensible thing and marry the pig farmer down the road, Paks, runs away to join a band of mercenaries, dreaming of daring deeds and military glory. But life in the army is different than she imagined, and her daydreams at first seem to be turning to nightmares. But Paks refuses to let her dreams die -- and does her duty with honor and integrity. Her path is an arduous one, but it will transform her into a hero remembered in songs, chosen by the gods to restore a lost ruler to his throne. The Compton Crook Award-winning first novel from Nebula-winning author Elizabeth Moon, and the first volume in her 'Paksenarrion Trilogy', this trade paperback edition features and all new introduction by the author. A deftly crafted and simply riveting read from beginning to end, "Sheepfamer's Daughter" will leave the reader looking eagerly toward the next to installments of this simply outstanding series!

Nebula Awards Showcase 2018
Jane Yolen, editor
Pyr
9781633885042 $18.00 www.pyrsf.com

Nebula Awards Showcase 2018 is always a highly recommended short story collection because it, quite simply, represents the creme de la creme of the genre's Nebula winners. Each story is outstanding and the diversity of the gathering as a whole introduces names readers may not be familiar with, from Alyssa Wong and A. Merc Rustad to Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam. This synthesis of winning and nominated stories enjoys editor Jane Yolen's attention to the best, making this collection an outstanding gathering of the finest new, upcoming sci-fi and fantasy writers.

Worlds 3
Eric Flint
Baen Books
9781481483414 $16.00 www.baen.com

Worlds 3 gathers Eric Flint's short fiction pieces, but though it's heavy in sci-fi, his genres aren't limited to sci-fi alone. Here are mysteries, alternate history pieces, short fiction, and even a novelette, each offering a different theme and approach that demonstrates that Flint isn't just a master of alternate history alone. As an added bonus, each story comes with an introduction explaining its origins, which adds immensely to reader enjoyment of the story. Prior Flint fans who might consider him a singular writer from his popular and expansive alternate history series will find this a fitting demonstration of his multifaceted talents.


The Science Shelf

The Physics Behind...
Russ Swan
Cassell Illustrated
c/o Firefly Books Ltd.
www.fireflybooks.com
9781844039746, $24.95, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com

From the Cloud to static, and from waterproof clothing to driverless cars, there's a whole world of fascinating science underlying our everyday objects, actions and interactions. In the pages of "The Physics Behind..." readers will discover more about the science that makes our world go round, including everyday technology, objects in the home, amazing physics in nature, incredible engineering and the science behind things most of us would never have thought of before such as sunburn, wifi and a bag of sugar. Packed from cover to cover with detailed original artwork and infographics, "The Physics Behind..." is especially recommended for anyone who has ever been curious about the science of life as it explores the physics behind: touchscreen technology, weather, electric guitars, facial recognition, spider silk, and more! While very highly recommended for school and community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Physics Behind..." is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Space Craft
Giuseppe De Chiara & Michael H. Gorn
Voyageur Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9780760354186, $30.00, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com

A federal historian of nearly 30 years, Michael H. Gorn spent 13 of those years at NASA. Giuseppe De Chiara is an accomplished aerospace professional who began his career as a designer of Parabolic Flights facilities. He later was assigned to the ISS program as a training expert and operations leader. In 2003 De Chiara began a second career as a professional aerospace illustrator. Together they have effectively collaborated in "Space Craft: 100 Iconic Rockets, Shuttles, and Satellites That Put Us in Space" to profile and depict spacecraft ranging from Sputnik 1, through the International Space Station, and everything in between, including concepts that have yet to actually venture outside the Earth's atmosphere. "Space Craft" depicts and describes the design, development, and deployment of these manned and unmanned spacecraft. The showcased satellites, capsules, space planes, rockets, and space stations are illustrated in multiple-view, sometimes cross-section, and in many cases shown in archival period photography to provide further historical context. Dividing the book by era, De Chiara and Gorn feature spacecraft not only from the United States and Soviet Union/Russia, but also from the European Space Agency and China. The marvels examined in this volume include the rockets Energia, Falcon 9, and VEGA; the Hubble Space Telescope; the Cassini space probe; and the Mars rovers, Opportunity and Curiosity. While very highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library Aerospace History collections and supplemental studies lists, it should be noted that "Space Craft" is also available in a digital book format (eTextbook, $14.99).


The Art Shelf

Centering Modernism
Louise Siddons
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
www.oupress.com
9780806160337, $45.00, HC, 328pp, www.amazon.com

During the twentieth century, artists across the United States participated in the modernist movement. But as American modernism evolved during the 1950s and 1960s, the art world likewise changed, narrowing its vision toward large coastal cities such as New York and Los Angeles. As these cities increasingly claimed the avant-garde for themselves, artists from the "flyover" states all but disappeared from the canon of experimental artists. Among these forgotten figures is Oklahoma modernist J. Jay McVicker (1911 - 2004). In "Centering Modernism: J. Jay McVicker and Postwar American Art", Louise Siddons (Associate Professor of Art History at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater) fills a curious gap in the history of American art by exploring and rescuing from obscurity McVicker's career and contributions to international modernism. Featuring nearly one hundred full-color reproductions of McVicker's works, "Centering Modernism" showcases the extraordinary range of his artistry. As the first comprehensive survey of McVicker's career and oeuvre, and a scholarly study enhanced with the inclusion of twenty-six pages of Notes, an eight page Bibliography, and a ten page Index, this impressively informed and informative volume is also the story of American modernism in all its diversity, making it an essential, core addition to American Art History collections in general, and J. Jay McVicker supplemental studies reading lists in particular.

Folk Art Fusion
Heather Galler
Walter Foster Publishing
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9781633221987, $21.95, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com

In "Folk Art Fusion" folk artist Heather Galler shows how to blend classic subjects with new techniques to create unique works of art. "Folk Art Fusion" explores a colorful combination of art styles and presents them step by step in her modern folk art paintings. Aspiring folk artists can learn how traditional folk art continues to influence today's painters as you learn to create your own contemporary folk-art paintings. Even if for the utter novice new to creating art, "Folk Art Fusion" will enable the beginner to easily engage with step-by-step projects that are as varied as they are colorful. The do-it-yourself projects include flowers, animals, architecture, sugar skulls, portraits, and more. Some of the vibrant folk art pieces that can be replicated are Frida Kahlo, Day of the Dead, Maneki Neko, and Russian Nesting Dolls. Colorful, contemporary, and inspirational, "Folk Art Fusion" allows artists of all skill levels to quickly discover the joy of creating modern, globally inspired art in this time-treasured genre. While very highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library Folk Art instructional reference collections, it should be noted that "Folk Art Fusion" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Numinosity: Photographs, Paintings & Text
Richard Louis Perri
Regent Press
2747 Regent St., Berkeley, CA 94705
www.regentpress.net
9781587904332, $29.97, HC, 44pp, www.amazon.com

In the pages of "Numinosity: Photographs, Paintings & Text", Richard Louis Perri (aka Luckey) artistically presents of memorable images of urban San Francisco. Featured are neighborhood joints like Red's Java House, Carmen's, Wolfe's Lunch, The Whiz, and other iconic diners. For each showcased building there is a full color photograph juxtaposed with a painting and accompanied by a succinct descriptive commentary. The result is a fascinating browse and an appreciation for the art and artistry of Richard Louis Perri and his visual tour of a San Francisco not often celebrated.


The Crafts Shelf

Paint and Frame: Botanical Painting
Sara Boccaccini Meadows, author/illustrator
Race Point Publishing
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9781631064982, $19.99, PB, 96pp, www.amazon.com

Paint and Frame: Botanical Painting features 20 charming modern watercolor projects including florals, nature scenes, and more. With step-by-step instructions and watercolor paper included, you can try your hand at these "mini" projects, and then you can instantly display your painting in one of the enclosed frames. Aspiring artists can add their own patterns or colors to their frame, then simply fold it to an upright position, and their brand new watercolor painting can be displayed inside it. These handcrafted frames are ideal for displaying artwork around the house, at your desk, or to mail as a lovely handmade gift. "Paint and Frame: Botanical Painting" includes an instruction book, 20 step-by-step watercolor projects to try, an assortment of watercolor paper, and 5 fantastic frames to decorate and personalize the project. The perfect gift for the beginner artist looking to display their work in an elegant way without paying for expensive frames, "Paint and Frame: Botanical Painting" is unique, extraordinary, user friendly, and highly recommended!


The Automotive Shelf

Jeep TJ 1997-2006: How to Build & Modify
Michael Hanssen
CarTech Inc.
838 Lake Street South, Forest Lake, MN 55025
www.cartechbooks.com
9781613254288, $29.95, PB, 144pp, www.amazon.com

In "Jeep TJ 1997-2006: How to Build & Modify", Jeep enthusiast and expert Michael Hanssen presents everything you need to know about how to modify your TJ for off-road use is covered. Beginning with why you should choose a TJ for modification, Jeep expert Michael Hanssen takes you through all the different systems needing modification, including engine modifications and swaps, transmission swaps, transfer case and driveshafts modifications, axles and traction systems, suspensions and lifts, wheels, tires, brakes, chassis protection, electrical, and winches. Profusely illustrated with 397 color photos and charts, included in every chapter are step-by-step modification instructions to help walk you through the process. If you want to build a TJ for serious off-road trail use, or you just want a capable and great-looking Jeep for around town, "Jeep TJ 1997-2006: How to Build & Modify" from CarTech Inc. is the most comprehensive and 'user friendly' instruction manual available today.

Jaguar XK: A Celebration of Jaguar's 1950s Classic
Nigel Thorley
Veloce Publishing Ltd.
www.veloce.co.uk
9781787113022, $60.00, HC, 152pp, www.amazon.com

Nigel Thorley has been involved with Jaguars all his life, having owned 68 at the time of writing. His first Jaguar came at the age of 18, and he has owned most models over the years, currently owning a 5.0 litre XK Portfolio convertible and an XJ saloon. Nigel has written more than twenty titles on the Jaguar marque, including several of the Essential Buyer's Guides for Veloce Publishing. He is a founder member and director of the Jaguar Enthusiasts' Club and has edited its magazine, Jaguar Enthusiast, since 1984. In the pages of "Jaguar XK: A Celebration of Jaguar's 1950s Classic" he focuses on the Jaguar XK 120, 140 and 150 model ranges. The XK120 established Jaguar as a world-renowned marque, providing a remarkable combination of style, world-beating performance and innovative engineering, and the subsequent XK-40 and XK150 maintained Jaguar's position as a leading sports car manufacturer. With the aid of archive images and stunning studio photography, "Jaguar XK: A Celebration of Jaguar's 1950s Classic" is an impressively informative and inherently fascinating read. Simply stated, "Jaguar XK: A Celebration of Jaguar's 1950s Classic" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community and academic library Automotive History collections - - and is a 'must read' for all Jaguar automotive fans!

Volkswagen Beetle
Richard Copping
Veloce Publishing Ltd.
www.veloce.co.uk
9781844259663, $60.00, HC, 160pp, www.amazon.com

A former editor of VW Motoring magazine, Richard Copping is a lifelong Volkswagen enthusiast and has written many books and magazine articles on the marque, including Volkswagen Transporter: The first 60 years for Haynes. Now in "Volkswagen Beetle: A Celebration of the World's Most Popular Car" he draws upon his experience and expertise to provide a profusely illustrated study of one of the most iconic cars in the world. With more than 21 million built between 1945 and 2003, the Volkswagen Beetle was and remains the world's most popular car. A part of the simply outstanding Haynes Great Cars Series, where stunning studio photography combines with archive material and a narrative covering all the key elements in the history of perhaps the humblest of motoring icons, "Volkswagen Beetle" is unreserved recommended for personal, community, and academic library Automotive History collections and supplemental studies reading lists.


The Technology Shelf

FMCW Radar Design
M. Jankiraman
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com
9781630815677, $179.00, HC, 420pp, www.amazon.com

Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radars are a fast expanding area in radar technology due to their stealth features, extremely high resolutions, and relatively clutter free displays. "FMCW Radar Design" by M. Jankiraman (who is a senior radar advisor to Larson and Toubro, Ltd, a holder of 4 patents in the field, has decades of industry experience, and holds a Masters of Technology in radar design from The Delft University of Technology, as well as a Ph.D. in wireless communications from Aalborg University) is groundbreaking resource offers engineers expert guidance in designing narrowband FMCW radars for surveillance, navigation, and missile seeking. It also provides professionals with a thorough understanding of underpinnings of this burgeoning technology. Moreover, "FMCW Radar Design" provides detailed coverage of the RF components that form the basis of radar construction. Featuring clear examples, "FMCW Radar Design" presents critical discussions on key applications and will prove to be an essential, cored addition to corporate, college, and university library Contemporary Technology collections in general, and FMCW radar supplemental studies reading lists in particular.

Heat Transfer Modelling Using COMSOL
L.S. Mayboudi
Mercury Learning
9781683921721 $54.95 www.merclearning.com

Heat Transfer Modelling Using COMSOL Slab to Radial Fin will appeal to physics and thermal design engineers alike, offering a set of heat transfer models for fin designs that discuss the basics of implementing models in real-world commercial applications. It uses COMSOL Multiphysics version 5.3 to set up numerical analysis of models and it includes all the math needed to address problems, solutions, and more. A companion disc with the models and apps rounds out the invaluable reference material provided in a text recommended for college-level courses and engineers alike.

GIS for Surface Water
Jeff Simley
ESRI Press
9781589484795 $79.99 www.esri.com

GIS for Surface Water: Using the National Hydrography Dataset is a work recommended for science, cartography, and water management collections alike, offering researchers, scientists, policy makers, and students a basic review of the surface waters of the U.S. and the analysis tools that contribute to their usage, regulation, and understanding. Chapters show how various GIS operations can be applied to further scientific understanding and define surface water management issues and systems. Color photos, charts, and analysis sequences assure an invaluable reference that offers lasting value to any college-level collection strong in water management issues.

Artech House
www.artechhouse.com

Two new microwave design and methods reference books will appeal to college-level and professional electronics holdings for anyone strong in microwave technology, and provide surveys from recognized experts who examine critical components and engineering. Howard Hausman's Microwave Power Amplifier Design with MMIC Modules (9781630813468, $169.00) provides engineers with ikeys to selecting the best power amplifier modules for different applications, integrating them into systems and troubleshooting common issues involving microwave and PA systems. The basics of SSPA design and evaluation are reviewed in chapters that introduce theories and applications and support them with equations and technical discussions based on real-world issues. Matteo Pastorino and Andrea Randazzo's Microwave Imaging Methods and Applications (9781630813482, $159.00) provides researchers and microwave imagers with a review of the latest techniques for inspecting structures and bodies using microwave applications, and covers everything from medical imaging to security and engineering applications. Examples, equations, reviews of systems, and cross-comparisons of different imaging methods all contribute to a reference that covers not only basic and advanced applications, but the latest research and discoveries in the field. Both are 'must have' references for any professional or college-level collection strong in microwave technology.


The Humor Shelf

Humorists vs. Religion
Iain Ellis
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476675602, $39.95, PB, 267pp, www.amazon.com

Critical humorists and religion are steeped in a long-standing cultural antagonism. "Humorists vs. Religion: Critical Voices from Mark Twain to Neil DeGrasse Tyson" by Iain Ellis (who is a Senior Lecturer in the English Department at the University of Kansas) recounts the dramatic skirmishes between religion (its dogma and edicts, political manifestations, and the nature of faith) and the satire, parody, jokes and hyperbole of popular wits. The writings of Twain, Vonnegut, Mencken and Hitchens are included, along with the films of Monty Python, the cartoons of Charlie Hebdo, the animated television series The Simpsons and South Park, the comedy of George Carlin and Bill Maher, the music of Randy Newman and Pussy Riot, the performance monologue of Julia Sweeney and the magic of Penn Jillette. A simply fascinating, thoughtful and thought-provoking read from cover to cover, "Humorists vs. Religion" is a critically important and highly recommended addition for community and academic library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non- specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Humorists vs. Religion" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99).


The Martial Arts Shelf

Martial Structure
Phillip Starr
Blue Snake Books
North Atlantic Books
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA 94704-2607
www.northatlanticbooks.com
9781623172268, $14.95, PB, 136pp, www.amazon.com

In all martial disciplines (including karate, judo, taekwondo, and gong-fu) real martial skill does not require the development of large muscles or great strength but rather correct posture. In the pages of "Martial Structure: How to Maximize Your Martial Arts Skills through Body Alignment, Movement, and Breathing", and drawing on decades of experience as both a martial arts student and a teacher, Phillip Starr focuses on how physical posture affects not only physical abilities but also the mental condition and emphasizes the importance of developing power without exerting unnecessary muscular force. Starr's thorough and accessible explanation of the principles of physical structure as they pertain to the human body and how these affect martial arts performance shows how anyone, regardless of size or strength, can learn to generate uncanny power with very little muscular effort through the enhanced stability achieved by maintaining correct alignment and proper structure. Abundantly illustrated throughout with photographs that provide step-by-step instructions, "Martial Structure" is essential for anyone wanting to understand how the laws of physics and biomechanics can be harnessed to make them faster, more powerful, and more effective in actual combat. While unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Martial Arts instructional reference collections, it should be noted that "Martial Structure" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).


The Gardening Shelf

Stylish Succulents
Tokiiro
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9780804850957, $16.99, HC, 96pp, www.amazon.com

Yoshinobu and Tomomi Kondo, collectively known as TOKIIRO, are garden and green interior designers, authors, exhibitors, holders of workshops and purveyors of beautiful gardening containers. Their atelier in Tokyo offers a wealth of ideas for adding succulents to your living space. In "Stylish Succulents: Japanese Inspired Container Gardens for Small Spaces" they draw upon their years of experience and expertise to provide the American hobby gardener with a complete and profusely illustrated course of step-by-step instructions for their own container gardening projects suitable for any home or apartment. Of special note is the inclusion of the two-page article 'Q&A: How to Grow Succulent Successfully'. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Stylish Succulents" is very highly recommended, especially for community library DYI Gardening instructional reference collections. It should also be noted for the personal reading lists of gardening enthusiasts that "Stylish Succulents" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.13).


The Military Shelf

Military Communications in the Future Battlefield
Marko Suojanen
Artech House
685 Canton Street, Norwood, MA 02062
www.artechhouse.com
9781630813338, $139.00, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com

Taking an applications-oriented view, "Military Communications in the Future Battlefield" by Marko Suojanen (who is a researcher in the Information Technology Division at the Fininsh Defence Research Agency and holds an M.Sc. in electronics engineering from the Tempere University of Technology, where he is currently pursuing his Dr.Tech degree in electronics and telecommunications) is unique volume delivers a forward-looking roadmap to military communications. A hands-on reference that offers military and security technology practitioners insights into the key issues related to long-term development within the battlefield communications area, "Military Communications in the Future Battlefield" presents the technological alternatives for communication in the battlefield in unexpected situations and environments. An authoritative resource that discusses unstructured formations of actors using a holistic approach that considers key capability requirements, "Military Communications in the Future Battlefield" is an invaluable and instructive resource for professionals and officers wanting to learn how to prepare for the unexpected and start building agile, adaptive and cognitive systems that are needed in future operating environments. From scenario-based capability planning to situational and context awareness to unmanned ground and aerial platforms, "Military Communications in the Future Battlefield" is easy-to-understand instructional guide and manual covering the critical topics that practitioners need to master to achieve top performance in the battlefield. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Military Communications in the Future Battlefield" is a core addition to college and university library Contemporary Military Studies collections and supplemental studies reading lists.

Doing My Bit Over There
Everard J. Bullis, author
David J. Bullis, editor
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476674292, $35.00, PB, 248pp, www.amazon.com

Motivated by patriotism, 21-year old Everard Bullis of St. Paul, Minnesota (the only boy of five siblings from a middle-class family) enlisted in the U.S. Marines in 1917 and went to the Western Front. His clear-eyed memoir describes in detail the Fifth Marine Regiment's desperate stand against repeated German assaults at Belleau Wood, along with actions at Soissons, St. Mihiel and Blanc Mont Ridge. Historical figures appear in this candid memoir, including Captain Frank Whitehead, George W. Hamilton ("America's Greatest World War I Hero") and General John J. Pershing. Capably edited by David J. Bullis, "Doing My Bit Over There: A U.S. Marine's Memoir of the Western Front in World War I" is an inherently fascinating and impressively informative account that will prove to be an enduringly valued contribution to the growing library of World War I literature. While very highly recommended for both community and academic library World War I collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Doing My Bit Over There" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).


The Political Science Shelf

Securing the Vote
Engineering, and Medicine National Academies of Sciences
The National Academies Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.nap.edu
9780309476478, $50.00, PB, 180pp, www.amazon.com

During the 2016 presidential election, America's election infrastructure was targeted by actors sponsored by the Russian government. "Securing the Vote: Protecting American Democracy" examines the challenges arising out of the 2016 federal election, assesses current technology and standards for voting, and recommends steps that the federal government, state and local governments, election administrators, and vendors of voting technology should take to improve the security of election infrastructure. In doing so, the report provides a vision of voting that is more secure, accessible, reliable, and verifiable. It is now clear that we are locked into a cyberwar that directly threatens one of the fundamental pillars of our democracy and that there is no leadership in this war by Donald J. Trump who as the current Commander in Chief is blatantly in violation of his presidential oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States from all enemies both foreign and domestic. "Securing the Vote: Protecting American Democracy" is a vital and critically important addition to community, college, and university library Contemporary Political Science collections, as well as the personal reading lists of political science students, political activists, governmental officials at both the state and federal levels, all members of the Federal Congress and their staff members. Simply stated, if we lose the current cyberwar against our democratic institutions, we lose our democracy -- period.


The Autism Shelf

Ask Dr. Tony
Craig R. Evans & Tony Attwood
Future Horizons, Inc.
721 West Abram Street, Arlington, TX 76013
www.fhautism.com
9781941765807, $19.95, PB, 200pp, www.amazon.com

The collaborative work of clinical psychologist Tony Attwood and Craig Evans (the father of an Asperger Syndrome child), "Ask Dr. Tony: Answers from the World's Leading Authority on Asperger's Syndrome/High-Functioning Autism" is a compilation of fifty episodes of the Autism Hangout question-and-answer program video series in which Dr. Attwood directly addresses the most pressing questions of those touched by autism. "Ask Dr. Tony" also includes bonus sections of questions and answers from specific groups such as parents, teachers, public servants, social workers, and more. "Ask Dr. Tony" is an invaluable and comprehensive resource for anyone needing reliable and accessible information for seeking or disclosing a diagnosis; dealing with anxiety, depression, and meltdowns; getting and keeping a job; forming and keeping friendships and relations. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Ask Dr. Tony" is very highly recommended for both community and academic library Psychology collections in general, and Asperger's/Autism supplemental studies lists in particular. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Ask Dr. Tony" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.69).


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

The Essentials of Theater
Lisa Mulcahy
Allworth Press
www.allworth.com
c/o Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781621536468, $29.99, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com

"The Essentials of Theater: A Guide to Acting, Stagecraft, Technical Theater, and More" by theater teacher, director, performer, and multimedia writer Lisa Mulcahy is specifically designed to prepare actors and crew for their next show. Perfect for college students in theater programs, as well as community theater troupes, Mulcahy covers all the bases from a brief history on theater over the centuries and basic terminology, to tips on interpreting scripts, developing characters, and utilizing props. Her helpful explanations and examples include a backstage tour introducing the tasks and responsibilities of every participant: stage hands, sound designers, prop managers, and more. Special sections include: A simple guide to completing your first production project; Worksheets and checklists to practice new skills; Interviews with theater critics, playwrights, and sound designers; Appendices with suggested readings, viewings, and resources for theater students. Through real-world examples and engaging activities, readers will explore every facet of the world of theater: acting, directing, playwriting, production, technical design, and more. Mulcahy even includes a chapter on innovative ways to use one's theater education off-stage. A great resource for college theater programs and acting classes in general, "The Essentials of Theater" is an excellent introduction to the stage and all of its moving parts. Informative, practical, comprehensive, and an ideal introduction to the theatrical world, "The Essentials of Theater" is unreservedly recommended for professional, community, and academic library Theater/Cinema/TV instructional reference collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of aspiring actors and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject of theatrical productions that "The Essentials of Theater" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.52).

Shoot from the Heart
Diane Bell
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
9781615932887, $26.95, PB, 250pp, www.amazon.com

"Shoot from the Heart: Successful Filmmaking from a Sundance Rebel" is a step-by-step instruction manual by screenwriter and director Diane Bell to will guide aspiring film makers through the process of making an indie film successfully from writing a stand-out script to raising finance, and from getting the most out of a shoot to planning a profitable release. Broken down into sixteen essential steps, "Shoot from the Heart" provides a clear, actionable, real-world plan for turning a film making dream into a reality. With "Shoot from the Heart" the aspiring film maker will not need a ton of money or industry connections, he or she will simply need to be willing to do the work of each step. A complete course of instruction under one cover, "Shoot from the Heart" is exceptionally well written, organized and presented, making it an ideal Do-It- Yourself instruction manual for personal, professional, community, college, and university library Theater/Cinema/TV collections and film making supplemental studies reading lists.


The Parenting Shelf

Understanding Your Gifted Child From the Inside Out
James R. Delisle
Prufrock Press
PO Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813
www.prufrock.com
9781618218087, $17.95, PB, 150pp, www.amazon.com

Professor James R. Delisle has taught gifted children and those who work on their behalf for more than 30 years. He retired from Kent State University after 25 years of service as a professor of special education. He is the author of more than 250 articles and 16 book. In "Understanding Your Gifted Child From the Inside Out", Professor Delisle provides an engaging and encouraging look at raising gifted children today. A follow-up to his earlier book, "Parenting Gifted Kids: Tips for Raising Happy and Successful Children", this new edition of "Understanding Your Gifted Child From the Inside Out" focuses on the social and emotional aspects of giftedness, highlighting new information on the issues of perfectionism, self-advocacy, underachievement, mindfulness, and the impact of technology on gifted kids' relationships. "Understanding Your Gifted Child From the Inside Out" also features a section on life beyond college, for those readers whose children are no longer children. "Understanding Your Gifted Child From the Inside Out" also features real-life stories about the lives of gifted children and how they and their parents recognize and enjoy the many intellectual talents and social and emotional insights they possess. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Understanding Your Gifted Child From the Inside Out" is very highly recommended to the attention of the parents of a gifted childe and should be a part of every community, school district, college, and university library Parenting and Gifted Children instructional reference collection.


The Economic Studies Shelf

Universal Economics
Armen A. Alchian, author
William R. Allen, author
Jerry L. Jordan, editor
Liberty Fund, Inc.
11301 N. Meridian Street, Carmel, IN 46032-4564
www.libertyfund.org
9780865979055, $24.00, HC, 736pp, www.amazon.com

Armen A. Alchian (1914-2013), was one of the twentieth century's great teachers of economic science and taught at UCLA from 1958 to 1984. William R. Allen (3 April 1924, age 94) is an American economist, professor and author). In Universal Economics Professors Alchian and Allen had written an erudite presentation of the analytical tools employed in the economic way of thinking. Deftly edited by Jerry L. Jordan (formerly Dean of the School of Management at the University of New Mexico, a member of President Reagan's Council of Economic Advisors and of the U.S. Gold Commission, Director of Research of the Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis, and President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland), this Liberty Fund edition of "Universal Economics" shows the critical importance of property rights to the existence and success of market economies. "Universal Economics" explain the interconnection between goods prices and productive-asset prices and how market-determined interest rates bring about the allocation of resources toward the satisfaction of consumption demands versus saving/investment priorities. "Universal Economics" shows just how the crucial role of prices in a market economy cannot be well understood without a firm grasp of the role of money in the modern world. The Professors Alchian and Allen application of information and search-cost analysis to the subject of money, price determination, and inflation is unique in the teaching of economic principles. An exhaustive yet definitive work of impeccable scholarship that is enhanced with the inclusion of an informative Foreword, figures, tables, questions, meditations, a glossary, and an index, "Universal Economics" is an unreservedly recommended and core addition to professional, community, college, and university library Economics collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for students, economists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Universal Economics" is also available in a paperback edition (9780865979062, $14.50) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).


The Psychology Shelf

Owning Bipolar
Michael G. Pipich
Citadel Press
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street, Floor 21, New York, NY 10018-2522
www.kensingtonbooks.com
9780806538792, $16.00, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Grasping the basics of bipolar disorder can give you the power you need to detect it, accept it, and own the responsibility for treatment and lifelong disease management. With its three-phase approach, "Owning Bipolar: How Patients and Families Can Take Control of Bipolar Disorder" by licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Michael G. Pipich can help anyone who is bipolar and their loved ones to become experts at an illness that, if left untreated, often leads to tragedy. "Owning Bipolar" covers: The Pre-stabilization phase and recognition: confronting the causes of bipolar and the effects, including depression, anxiety, loss of energy, avoidance of responsibilities, and suicidal thoughts; The Stabilization phase and acting on it: starting effective medication, accepting the disease, and treating different types of bipolar; The Post-stabilization phase and living with it: undertaking long-term maintenance, accepting a new identity, and coming to terms with personal responsibilities, and the responsibilities of caregivers. Accessible and encouraging, and accented with empathetic first-hand stories from people who share the disorder, "Owning Bipolar" is a vital for readers to help them understand, treat, and live successfully with a bipolar condition. Impressively informed and informative, exceptionally well written, thoroughly accessible for the non-specialist general reader in organization and presentation, "Owning Bipolar" is especially recommended for personal, community, and academic library Psychology collections in general, and Bipolar supplemental studies lists in particular. It should be noted that "Owning Bipolar" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.00) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Tantor Audio, 9781515933755, $29.99, CD).


The Library Science Shelf

Get Your Community Moving
Jenn Carson
yogainthelibrary.com
ALA Editions
c/o American Library Association
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
www.alastore.ala.org
9780838917251, $54.99, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com

Jenn Carson is a professional yoga teacher and the director of the L.P. Fisher Public Library in Woodstock, New Brunswick, Canada. She is the creator of the website yogainthelibrary.com and has been delivering movement-based programs in schools, libraries, and museums for a decade. She was named the inaugural member of the Let's Move Libraries advisory board. She also blogs about her physical literacy adventures at the ALA's Programming Librarian website: www.programminglibrarian.org. In "Get Your Community Moving: Physical Literacy Programs for All Ages" she draws upon her years of experience and expertise to: Describe the concept of physical literacy and explains why it matters, using both research and library testimonials; Share tips for building enthusiasm among library staff, training, marketing, partnering with community organizations, and handling patron feedback; Show how to get started regardless of staffing or budget limitations, with hints for sneaking physical literacy into existing spaces and initiatives; Include programs for children and families, such as ABC Boom!, storytime fun runs, and a healthy nutrition lecture and tasting; Outline a Water Wars! party, a Quidditch match, an earth walk, and other programs that convert teens energy into healthy movement; Demonstrate ways that adults can also get moving, from gym passes and walk/run clubs to ballroom dancing; guide libraries on involving special populations through outreach and in-reach; and provide checklists for prep, teardown, tie-ins, and followup. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Get Your Community Moving" is unreservedly recommended for college and university library 'Library Science" collections, as well as community library in-service training manual for librarian instructional curriculums.

Archival Futures
Caroline Brown, editor
Facet Publishing
www.facetpublishing.co.uk
9781783302185, $185.28, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com

Caroline Brown is the Programme Leader and Honorary Lecturer for the archives programmes at the Centre for Archive and Information Studies, University of Dundee, where she is also Deputy Archivist. In "Archival Futures" Professor Brown draws upon her years of experience and expertise as well as the contributions of a range of international experts to consider the current archival landscape and imagine the archive of the future. Firmly rooted in current professional debate and scholarship, Archival Futures offers thought provoking and accessible chapters that aim to challenge and inspire archivists globally and to encourage debate about their futures. It is widely acknowledged that the archive profession/discipline is facing a time of change. The digital world has presented changes in how records are created, used, stored and communicated. At the same time, there is increased public debate over issues such as ownership of and access to information and its authenticity and reliability in a networked and interconnected world. While an absolutely essential and unreservedly recommended addition to college, and university Library Science collections and supplemental studies lists, "Archival Futures" will have a special appeal and value to an international audience of students, academics and practitioners in archival science, records management, and library and information science. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of community, academic, and corporate librarians, as well as non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Archival Futures" is also available in a paperback edition (9781783301829, $89.99).


The Aviation Shelf

Early Jet Fighters
Leo Marriott
Pen & Sword Books
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526727770, $28.95, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com

In almost 200 archive photographs, "Early Jet Fighters: British and American 1944-1954" by aviation expert and historian Leo Marriott deftly traces the development of British and American jet fighters during the first pioneering decade of their production. In many ways the period from 1944 to 1954 was one of the most exciting and innovative in the history of military aviation. Rare images show the first jet fighters flown by the RAF toward the end of World War II and takes the story forward to the most advanced designs that played a key role in the Korean War. The range of experimental and operational aircraft that were conceived and built during this short time was remarkable. "Early Jet Fighters: British and American 1944-1954" is a graphic and informative introduction to an extraordinary stage in the evolution of the modern warplane, making it an ideal and very highly recommended addition to personal, community, college, and university library American Military Aviation collections and supplemental studies lists.


The Music Shelf

Music as an Art
Roger Scruton
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.bloomsbury.com
9781472955715, $32.00, HC, 272pp, www.amazon.com

As Sir Roger Scruton (who currently teaches an MA course in philosophy for the University of Buckingham) argues in "Music as an Art", in earlier times, our musical culture had secure foundations in the church, the concert hall and the home; in the ceremonies and celebrations of ordinary life, religion and manners. Yet we no longer live in that world. Fewer people now play instruments and music is, for many, a form of largely solitary enjoyment. As is shown in "Music as an Art", we live at a critical time for classical music, and this study is an important contribution to the debate, of which we stand in need, concerning the place of music in Western civilization. "Music as an Art" begins by examining music through a philosophical lens, engaging in discussions about tonality, music and the moral life, music and cognitive science and German idealism, as well as recalling Roger Scruton's personal struggle to encourage his students to distinguish the qualities of good music. Scruton then explains (via erudite chapters on Schubert, Britten, Rameau, opera and film) just how we can develop greater judgement in music, recognizing both good taste and bad, establishing musical values, as well as musical pleasures. As thoughtful and thought-provoking as it is informed and informative, "Music as an Art" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, college, and university Music Appreciation collections and supplemental studies lists.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

Building a Career Outside Academia
Jennifer Brown Urban & Miriam R. Linver, editors
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
www.apa.org/books
9781433829529, $29.99, PB, 190pp, www.amazon.com

While many graduates, having earned their doctorate degree go on to pursue academic careers, academia isn't for everyone. "Building a Career Outside Academia: A Guide for Doctoral Students in the Behavioral and Social Sciences" is career guide by collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Jennifer Brown Urban (Professor, Department of Family Science and Human Development, Montana State University) and Miriam R. Linver (Professor, Department of Family Science and Human Development, Montclair State University) that examines the rewarding opportunities that await social and behavioral science doctorates in non-academic sectors, including government, consulting, think tanks, for profit corporations, and nonprofit associations. The individual chapter authors are all experienced professionals who provide a true insider's look into their respective fields. They explain why they chose their paths, the challenges they overcame, and how they applied their PhDs to make a difference in the real world. Each Chapter offers tips for leveraging support from mentors, conducting job searches, marketing a degree and skillset, networking, and preparing for interviews. While unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library Jobs/Careers collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Building a Career Outside Academia" is also available in a digital book format (eTextbook, $28.23).


The Philosophy Shelf

Scott Adams and Philosophy
Daniel Yim, Galen Foresman, & Robert Arp, editors
Open Court
9780812699777 $19.95 www.opencourt.com

Philosophy, current events, and political science readers alike will appreciate the contemporary blend of philosophical insight and social reflection in Scott Adams and Philosophy, which closely considers the commentator's ideas in his satirical comic strip Dilbert and how they have affected many circles. From questions of the existentialist absurdity in Dilbert presentations to different meanings of 'facts' and whether and how they matter, Scott Adams and Philosophy offers discussions that presume some prior knowledge of Dilbert and his world, but take this knowledge in satisfying intellectual directions relating Dilbert to modern life, times, and philosophical inspection.


The Beer Shelf

The Craft Beer Dictionary
Richard Croasdale
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Books
9781784723880 $20.00 www.octopusbooksusa.com

The Craft Beer Dictionary: An A-Z of craft beer, from hop to glass uses the dictionary format to illustrate craft beer methods, storage, production and tasting from around the world, and will attract craft beer drinkers who may be new to the concept and its possibilities. Color illustrations pepper a fine A-Z coverage of everything from fermentation to harvesting hops and making cask beer in a celebration perfect for newcomers to beer-making terminology.


The Literary Studies Shelf

From Medicine to Manuscript
Seymour I. Schwartz
Prometheus Books
9781633884335 $26.00 www.prometheusbooks.com

From Medicine to Manuscript: Doctors with a Literary Legacy profiles modern doctors and historic people who have specialized in medicine, but made their names among literary circles, and is recommended for health and literature collections alike. From Keats and Chekhov to John Michael Crichton and Charles Krauthammer, readers receive a wide-ranging profile of popular and scholarly writers who have made impacts in both the medical and the literary worlds alike. In addition to assessing their literary prowess, the chapters cover their social and political engagements and how their work changed their worlds.


The Criminology Shelf

The Senator's Son
Charles Oldham, author
Foreword by Ray McAllister
Beach Glass Books
www.BeachGlassBooks.com/titles/the-senators-son
9780998788142 $26.00

The Senator's Son: The Shocking Disappearance, The Celebrated Trial, and The Mystery That Remains a Century Later comes from an attorney fascinated by history's mysteries who stumbled upon the true story of the disappearance and presumed murder of a state senator's eight-year-old son in 1905, becoming immersed in a murder mystery over a hundred years old. The conclusion assesses political influence, legal proceedings, and narrows the possibilities of what really happened in an approach that raises questions even as it wraps up avenues the original investigation didn't touch. One could not hope for a better expose than The Senator's Son. Filled with passion, well-researched facts, maps, photos and illustrations, and astute insights into state senators, financial influences, and special interests that led to disaster, the story is not just a historical recounting, but a vibrant, engrossing true tale that proves both educational and nearly impossible to stop reading.


James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com


Copyright ©2001

Site design by Williams Writing, Editing & Design