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Small Press Bookwatch

Volume 16, Number 6 June 2017 Home | SPBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice American History Shelf World History Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Biography Shelf Philosophy Shelf
Metaphysical Studies Shelf Fiction Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Self-Help Shelf Poetry Shelf
Christian Studies Shelf Money/Finance Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Psychology Shelf Business Shelf Theatre/Cinema Shelf
Social Issues Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Stories of Yesteryear: Horse and Buggy Days
Harry H. Brown
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781494850807, $11.95, PB, 82pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Born and raised in Halifax, Massachusetts, the late Harry H. Brown was a historian, author, farmer, youth leader, dowser, and community volunteer who lived to be 102 years old. "Stories of Yesteryear: Horse and Buggy Days" is a compilation of his engaging short story reminiscences of a now bygone era in the New England farming community of Fullertown.

One of the last of the swamp Yankee storytellers, Brown's succinct tales breathes new life into the now long gone day-to-day world of Pilgrim descendants at the turn of the twentieth century. Written with wit, warmth, and whimsy, this compilation of fifty-three stories and forty-five illustrations charts the town from its early settlers in the 1600s to the horse-and-buggy days of the early 1900s. Along the way, Brown paints a convivial, authentic portrait of the early settlers as they came together to create the American spirit.

Critique: An inherently fascinating and consistently entertaining read from cover to cover, "Stories of Yesteryear: Horse and Buggy Days" will prove to be an enduringly popular and welcome addition to personal reading lists and community library collections. It should be noted that "Stories of Yesteryear: Horse and Buggy Days" is also available in a Kindle format ($2.99).

At Dreams' End
Mary Tiffin
Firefly Scribbles, LLC
9780998739007, $16.95, PB, 368pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "At Dreams' End" is not just the love story of Mary Tiffin (the founder of the RunLites company), and her husband David, it is also a compelling story of faith and hope, because no matter what kind of person you are, be it a hopeless romantic, a spiritual soul, a grand questioner or a firmly-planted realist, you cannot help but find a bit of destiny in their personal journey together. Married just ten years when David was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia, the two of them had hope and faith that they could beat the cancer odds and be among the 5 percent who survive this disease.

Critique: Candidly informative, inherently thoughtful, inspired and inspiring, "At Dreams' End" is impressively well written, organized and presented from beginning to end. While very highly recommended, especially for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists for anyone struggling with similar health problems in their own lives, "At Dreams' End" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).

A Lifetime of Fishing
Jack Walsh
www.jackwalsh.co.za
Reach Publishers
www.reachpublishers.co.za
9780620693028 $13.99 pbk / $5.99 Kindle amazon.com

Synopsis: "Something of a fishing freak" Jack Wreford Walsh was born in November 1937. His parents aptly named him Jack, which must have been short for "Jack of all trades". If only they had known! He was schooled at Wet Pups (Western Province Preparatory School) and St Andrew's College, Grahamstown.

Three generations (On both sides of the family!) of insurance industry executives determined unequivocally his future. However even that could not keep him from the sea, as he was always fishing mad. Still wet behind the ears, he inherited one of the first true country insurance brokerages, together with the instilled principle to the extreme of "honesty is the best policy". The business flourished, leading, he says, to his first big mistake when he sold an excellent business, for which he was never paid, to concentrate on the sea.

Fifty-two years later, with an Associateship of the Chartered Insurance Institute having specialized in Marine Insurance Law, a management diploma, a foreign going fishing masters ticket, a pilot's licence, a flirtation with politics, a rocky personal history, thirty or so companies (two of which he took to the JSE) in some fifteen or so different industries and vocations, and last, but certainly not least, four wonderful and successful children, he has now finally retired! Maybe?

With his interest fired up by a natural sciences academic, who was to become his closest friend, he became an avid layman researcher in the field of Marine resources and their management. All in all his adventures and experiences are extremely entertaining, exciting, at times comical, and very insightful in the fields of commercial fishing and sea diamond recovery, about both of which very little has been written.

Critique: A Lifetime of Fishing is a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look into the fishing industry, as well as a candid biography and memoir. Occasional black-and-white photographs enliven the "you-are-there" tales of hard work on the seas, as well as the challenges of resource management. The result is a surprisingly addictive browse from cover to cover! It should be noted for personal reading lists that A Lifetime of Fishing is also available in a Kindle edition ($5.99).


The American History Shelf

Yanked Into Eternity
Larry Wood
Hickory Press
9780970282989, $15.99, PB, 228pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Before executions were moved to Jefferson City, the State of Missouri executed well over 300 people in the various counties, most by legal hanging, and citizens have taken the law into their own hands to lynch about 200 people by hanging during Missouri history. In "Yanked Into Eternity: Lynchings and Hangings in Missouri", Larry Wood ( a retired public schoolteacher and freelance writer specializing in the history of Missouri and the Ozarks) details thirteen of the state's more remarkable lynchings and an equal number of its legal hangings.

Critique: Impressively researched, exceptionally well written, and enhanced with the inclusion of five pages of Bibliographical Notes, a four page Bibliography, and a twelve page Index, "Yanked Into Eternity" is an invaluable and seminal contribution to community and academic library American History collections in general, and African-American History supplemental studies reading lists in particular.


The World History Shelf

The Other Side Continent
Michail Varvarousis
www.mvarvarousis.com
Outskirts Press, Inc.
10940 S. Parker Road, #515, Parker, CO 80134
www.outskirtspress.com
9781478772408, $34.95, PB, 134pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Profusely illustrated throughout with 133 photographs, drawings, and watercolor painting illustrating how seafarers lived and works, and how their ships looked and functioned, "The Other Side Continent" is a compilation of the incredible histories and mythologies of ancient voyages of exploration. Michail Varvarousis has supplemented his own study of primary sources by interviewing archeologists, traditional shipbuilders, and sailors with experience in ocean voyages and ocean weather conditions, and himself sailing the open sea, many times pushing his boat and crew to the limits to better understand what those explorers of yesteryear experienced.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organization end presented, "The Other Side Continent" is an impressively informed and informative study that is very highly recommended, especially for community and academic library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Other Side Continent" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.00).


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Between the Knife and the Sock
Inder Sandhu
Midpoint Trade Books
c/o Incorgnito Publishing Press
300 East Bellevue Drive, Suite 208, Pasadena, CA 91101
www.incorgnitobooks.com
9781944589141, $17.95, PB, 326pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Inder Sandhu lives in a picturesque town in India, far from the dismal conditions of those less fortunate. Yet, nowhere is he completely safe from the crime and violence that clings to his country's underbelly and he soon finds himself on the receiving end of a brutal attack in the streets.

While his body survives, his soul suffers and his mind dwells in darkness. Recovery is long; the outside world is unforgiving and whatever happiness enters young Inder's life, is quickly squashed by his desire to simply wallow in his depression.

Then one day, Speed, a new Doberman puppy becomes part of Inder's family. Though he is slow to embrace this new addition, Inder finally warms to the puppy and a bond is formed that brings Inder back into the light.

Soon, they are off, man and dog, on an international, existential adventure; an adventure recounted in the pages of "Between the Knife and the Sock".

Critique: An inherently fascinating and compelling read from cover to cover, "Between the Knife and the Sock" is an extraordinary and deeply personal story that will have a very special appeal to anyone with their own canine companion.


The Biography Shelf

In the Shadow of the White House
Jo Haldeman
Rare Bird Books
453 S. Spring Street, Suite 302, Los Angeles, CA 90013
www.rarebirdbooks.com
9781945572081 $35.00 hc / $17.99 Kindle amazon.com

Synopsis: For her first forty years, Jo Haldeman's life followed a conventional path. While her husband, Bob, built his career in advertising, Jo comfortably settled into her role as mother of four, housewife, and community volunteer.

In 1968, Jo's world changed dramatically. Richard Nixon was elected President of the United States, and Bob was offered the job of a lifetime - White House Chief of Staff. As Jo and Bob discussed the opportunities and challenges that this move would entail, little did she anticipate the course that her life, and her relationship with Bob, would take over the next ten years.

In this insightful, poignant, and guileless memoir of those ten years, Jo shares her story as the wife of H. R. Haldeman, often referred to as the second most powerful person in the White House. She offers a window into the world of trips on Air Force One, weekends at Camp David, and events at the White House, as well as family vignettes and the growing stresses of her husband's demanding job.

Then a bungled burglary at the Watergate erupted into a national scandal...

Critique: In the Shadow of the White House: A Memoir of the Washington and Watergate Years is a behind-the-scenes look at life in the White House during the Nixon years, including and especially as the Watergate scandal sent out shockwaves. Candid and forthright, In the Shadow of the White House offers a glimpse into the little, day-to-day details as well as the broader picture of American government in crisis. Utterly fascinating from cover to cover, In the Shadow of the White House is highly recommended especially for public and college library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that In the Shadow of the White House is also available in a Kindle edition ($17.99).

Claude T. Smith: Harmony from Within
Pam Smith Kelly
CTS Publishers
9780998472508, $34.49, HC, 432pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Written by his daughter, Pam Smith Kelly, "Claude T. Smith: Harmony from Within" travels through Claude's lifetime including his birth, childhood, education, Army and music career, and concludes with the legacy of Claude's life, including his impact on today's band, orchestral and choral music. The impact of Claude's use of irregular meters, fugue, hymn settings and variations and theme compositional structure forever changed all genres of music in the 20th Century.

Critique: Claude T. Smith (1932-1987) was a renowned American band conductor, composer, and music educator. An inherently fascinating biography that is impressively informed and informative, "Claude T. Smith: Harmony from Within" is especially commended to the attention of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in music. Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Claude T. Smith: Harmony from Within" is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library American Biography collections.

Pesos to Pennies
Gladys Starkey
Pinay Mom Publishing, LLC
www.thepinaymom.com
9781945505201, $16.95, PB, 242pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: It was a typical day at the call center Gladys worked at in Manila when she answered a customer service call that would change her entire life. After the man on the other line, Tim, asked her to take down his phone number, something inside Gladys told her she had to call him. Five months, countless phone calls, and a visit to the Philippines over Valentine's Day later, Tim proposed. The two married shortly after, and Gladys prepared to move to America. "Pesos to Pennies: A Filipino Immigrant's Memoir" is down-to-earth memoir follows Gladys from her old life in the Phillippines to her new life in America.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, inherently compelling, and told with unexpected and deftly presented candor, "Pesos to Pennies: A Filipino Immigrant's Memoir" is a true-life love story as well as a saga of adapting to a new way of life in America. "Pesos to Pennies" is a pleasure to browse, highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary Biography collections.

In the Matter of Edwin Potter
David E. Geiger
www.davidegeiger.com
Privately Published
9780692797822, $17.95, PB, 426pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "In the Matter of Edwin Potter: Mental Illness and Criminal Justice Reform" is essentially an autobiographical work where the names have been changed, but which is accurately based upon author David E. Geiger's own tumultuous and disturbing life experiences.

Critique: "In the Matter of Edwin Potter" is compelling presented from the point of view of someone who is mentally ill and who has been through the criminal justice system since 1979. Navigating the unnerving reality of schizophrenia and the exigency for a public conversation about mental illness in our contemporary society, Geiger reveals an impressive flair for deftly presenting an inherently informative and thought-provoking read. While very highly recommended for community and academic library collections, "In the Matter of Edwin Potter" will prove to be of immense and lasting interest, making it especially appropriate for the personal reading lists of both professionals and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject of mental health.

Taimak: The Last Dragon
Taimak Guarriello
Midpoint Trade Book
c/o Incorgnito Publishing Press
300 E. Bellevue Drive Ste 208, Pasadena, CA 91101
http://www.incorgnitobooks.com
9781944589110, $24.95, PB, 300pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Taimak Guarriello was only 19 years old when he starred in The Last Dragon. He was already a champion martial artist, a bouncer at some of New York City's famous clubs, and a budding ladies' man. Over the next thirty years, he had many more adventures. He learned lessons, fell in love, made countless new fans, and discovered the spiritual strength inside himself.

In this autobiography, readers will follow Taimak's inspirational, hilarious, shocking, eye-popping life story, including his encounters with everyone from David Bowie to Mike Tyson. readers will join Taimak as he experiences triumphs and heartbreaks in the world of Hollywood, as well as learning more about his relationship with Denise Matthews (Vanity) and his other co-stars from The Last Dragon.

Taimak's life isn't all about Hollywood, though. Included are his battles with self-doubt, his encounters with racism, and the struggles that he faced as a lonely kid growing up in the big city. Then there are his quirky parents, his beautiful girlfriends, and the companions and rivals he encountered in the dojos and grindhouse theaters of New York.

Critique: Impressively candid, informative, insightful, "Taimak: The Last Dragon" is an extraordinary and comprehensive account of an interesting life lived out in interesting times. A 'must read' for his legions of fans, "Taimak: The Last Dragon" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to both community and academic library Contemporary American Biography collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Taimak: The Last Dragon" is also available in a Kindle format ($7.99).

The Bravest Guy
Harry E. Wedewer
www.BravestGuy.com
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781539098874 $9.50 pbk / $1.95 Kindle amazon.com

Synopsis: As a U.S. Army infantryman in World War II, Don Wedewer was twice wounded in four days. On both occasions he was left for dead. Now, at 19, he was a double amputee and blind with seemingly no hope for the future. Yet, inspired by a brief meeting with the renowned activist, Helen Keller, and through extraordinary determination and persistence, this highly decorated combat veteran overcame seemingly impossible odds to become a leader in Florida and nationally in providing opportunities for those with vision loss. Don Wedewer's accomplishment would be recognized by Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Regan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. He would also be awarded the Migel Medal -- the highest award afforded to those in the field of vision loss. This is Don Wedewer's truly remarkable and inspiring story.

Critique: The unforgettable biography of WWII veteran Don Wedewer as penned by his son Harry Wedewer, The Bravest Guy tells of a man who lost both legs and most of his vision at age 19. He dedicated his life to breaking down barriers to the blind; for his efforts, he earned recognition from four U.S. Presidents, selection for the Blind Hall of Fame, and the Migel Medal, the highest award in the blindness field. An extraordinary and captivating story of a soldier whose mission of service to others continued for the whole of his life, The Bravest Guy is highly recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that The Bravest Guy is also available in a Kindle edition ($1.95).

An Extraordinary Life: Josephine E. Jones
Wendy Jones
Ida Bell Publishing, LLC
PO Box 175, Springfield, NJ 07081
9781946348029 $19.00 www.idabellpublishing.com

Synopsis: A native of the South, a descendant of slaves, and the daughter of sharecroppers, Mrs. Jones ventured North, to New York and Harlem, to find her chance. The tale of her tenacious advance, transforming what to others might seem to be insurmountable obstacles and burdens, into opportunities to shine - the stuff of alchemy, might in less able hands, seem apocryphal. But Wendy Jones, like her role-model-mother, keeps things real.

The saga she spins out is so inspirational, because in relating the highly specific history of a highly individual figure, she has made her mother's quest: to enhance her community, to enlighten her people, to educate and arm - with truth and an appreciation of beauty - her only child, into a universal story. If her mother was an alchemist, turning dross into life's gold, with this memoir written with her mom, Wendy Jones, can be considered like Mary Shelley's Doctor Frankenstein - she makes mere dead words on a page live, to recreate in the form of a woman of African descent, born poor but curious, an all-American hero.

Critique: An Extraordinary Life is the biography of Josephine E. Jones, a twentieth-century black woman and the daughter of sharecroppers, who dedicated herself to hard work and single motherhood (the man she married turned out to have a weak work ethic, and she quickly divorced him for it). In the course of her life she rose from domestic cook to temp work to becoming the first black woman in management of a Fortune 500 company. She was also a Harlem activist, and worked multiple jobs to ensure that her daughter would have the best education and the best life possible. Penned by Josephine's daughter Wendy Jones, An Extraordinary Life is also a testament to the bonds that connect mother and daughter, as well as to human courage and motivation. Highly recommended.


The Philosophy Shelf

In Search of Truth and Freedom
Dietmar Rothe
Avila Books
PO Box 418, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA 92007-0418
http://www.avilabooks.com
9780967745329, $26.95, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Is truth relative or absolute? Is freedom won on the battlefield or by personal effort? How are spirit and mind related? What are the essence and purpose of life? Are biblical creationists and Darwinian evolutionists both wrong? What is the universe made of? "In Search of Truth and Freedom; A Path from Ignorance to Awareness " is a courageous quest for answers to life's ultimate questions, in which Dr. Rothe deftly explores the mysteries of existence and shares his philosophical insights, which go far beyond the narrow, diverging views of reality painted by scientific and religious doctrines.

Critique: As informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "In Search of Truth and Freedom; A Path from Ignorance to Awareness " is an inherently engaging, exceptionally well written, impressively organized and presented read from cover to cover. Of special note is the concluding chapter on 'Creativity, Beauty and Happiness'. Enhanced with the inclusion of a ten page listing of Sources & References, and a nine page Index, "In Search of Truth and Freedom" is unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and academic library General Philosophy collections and supplemental studies lists.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Life After Death, Powerful Evidence You Will Never Die
Stephen Hawley Martin
The Oaklea Press
www.oakleapress.com
9781543134322, $11.95, PB, 206pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: A universal question across all ages, cultures, and peoples is: What happens when we die? Now in newly updated and expanded second edition of "Life After Death" by Stephen Hawley Martin, powerful evidence of continued consciousness after mortal death continues to be presented .

Martin spent two years gathering information that demonstrates this and along the way interviewed more than a hundred experts in a number of different fields. Among them were parapsychologists, medical doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, quantum physicists, and researchers into the true nature of reality. Specific examples are presented that indicate what happens when we die, for example that memories can be formed and retained despite a subject's brain having been shutdown and the blood drained from it.

Additionally, questions such as whether or not you will be able to communicate with living loved ones after death are addressed, if it is possible to be reborn, and what might be missing from reproductive theory to explain the various phenomena indicated in the many case histories and scientific investigations presented.

Critique: An inherently fascinating read from beginning to end, "Life After Death, Powerful Evidence You Will Never Die" is as impressively informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking. While very highly recommended for both community and academic library collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Life After Death, Powerful Evidence You Will Never Die" is also available in a Kindle format ($3.49).

One Man's Spiritual Journey to Healing with Color Energy
Lee Hillberg
Mountain Arbor Press
www.MountainArborPress.com
9781631830648, $15.95, PB, 211pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Color is all around us and it has the power to change our lives. Author Lee Hillberg has been using the healing properties of color to make a difference not only in his own life, but also in the lives of others. In "One Man's Spiritual Journey to Healing with Color Energy", he shares some of his most moving and spiritual experiences.

Readers will learn: How color affects their everyday lives; How listening and paying attention to nature provides guidance and insight in your life's journey; How the application of color can be used to lift depression, shrink tumors, provide pain relief, and more.

The techniques and advice given in "One Man's Spiritual Journey to Healing with Color Energy" have been frequently utilized by the author and could make a difference in readers' lives as well.

It is interesting to note that Hillberg (a self-professed naturalist, Native American historian, and lover of all parts of nature) is an ordained minister, the he has been a student of metaphysics and spirituality for many years, and that he is eager to help people using everything he has learned in any way he can. Most importantly, he is passionate about harnessing the power of God's creation to effect serious change in the world.

Critique: Impressively well written, informative, organized and presented, "One Man's Spiritual Journey to Healing with Color Energy" will have a special relevance for anyone interested in metaphysical studies and alternative medicine. While certain to be a welcome and enduringly popular addition to personal and community library collections, it should be noted that "One Man's Spiritual Journey to Healing with Color Energy" is also available in a Kindle format ($5.95).

Children of Eden
Martin Hinde
Troubador Publishing Ltd.
http://www.troubador.co.uk/book_info.asp?bookid=4381
9781788037266, $16.99 pbk / $2.99 Kindle, 154pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Starting at the beginning with the creation story of Adam and Eve, Martin Hinde's "Children of Eden" traces the true origins of humankind using the best available evidence. This leads to the startling revelation that humankind may have originated as hominid Primates who have been genetically-modified by a higher civilization in our own Solar system.

Created as hybrid Spiritual Beings bonded to physical Primate forms - this is the crux of the situation facing humankind. But there is a way out. Martin follows the path of some secret knowledge that was handed to a few from the creators of humankind: Knowledge that has been hoarded by elites and priesthood class, from the time of the Pharaohs and the' Mystery Schools', up to the present day.

This is the knowledge that empowers humanity to brake the chains of physical bondage, and allow our Spiritual Beings to rise to their auspicious place in the Cosmos.

"Children of Eden" shows us a way out of the quagmire that is our lives and our planet today, and how we can progress to a future where we can reconnect with our (true) higher Self; take back control of our lives, our governments, our environment; and leads us to the Return of Eden.

Critique: Deftly written, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Children of Eden" is an original, inherently fascinating, and compelling read from beginning to end that is very highly recommended for community and academic library collections in general, and dedicated students of Metaphysical Studies in particular. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Children of Eden" is also available in a Kindle edition ($2.99).


The Fiction Shelf

Paradise Gardens
Susan I. Weinstein
Pelekinesis
http://www.pelekinesis.com
9781938349508, $21.95, PB, 506pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Something that could easily have been ripped from today's newspaper headlines in this our second Golden Age of Robber Barron capitalism as evidence by President Donald Trump turning his administration over to corporate executives and millionaires, and appointing to be heads of various governmental agencies men and women hostile to them in line with Steve Bannon's aspiration to 'deconstruct' the government."Paradise Gardens" by Susan I. Weinstein is a truly Orwellian novel of speculative fiction that is set in an all too believable near future world, where the Federal government has dissolved amid ecological breakdown.

"Paradise Gardens" becomes the home of the United Business Estates (U.B.E). Capitalism has devolved into the corporate feudalism of the U.B.E., where employees are conceived as Superior or Average to fit the needs of business. It is a vision at once strange and familiar. The recognition it brings is a dark pleasure.

Critique: Part of the attraction of "Paradise Gardens" is that it is all too believable given the political climate today where corporate money clearly dominates all three branches of the federal government (even to the point of running well funded television commercials promoting the appointment of a member of the United States Supreme Court), and the top 1% of the population control 80% of the country's wealth. Deftly written, "Paradise Gardens" follows in the literary tradition of dystopian novels and is very highly recommended for both community and academic library Literary Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Paradise Gardens" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.95).

No Ordinary Season
James V. Jacobs
Father & Son Publishing
http://www.fatherson.com
9781935802303, $19.95, HC, 312pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Cassie Garnet hates the word mediocre. Yet her existence in a rural Indiana town could certainly be labeled that if not for her place on the cross country team. With her senior year approaching, Garnet has been River Bend High's best runner ... but she longs to be better. Cassie has never been challenged and pushed to reach her potential, and the Lady Coyotes are a terrible team. Then, everything changes.

When the beautiful and charismatic Charna Rothstein Simon moves to River Bend to become a teacher and cross country coach, Cassie's senior year will be anything but ordinary. C.R. Simon will raise eyebrows and push Cassie Garnet on both the running trails and as a person. The Jewish Simon will also challenge stereotypical perceptions in River Bend, a conservative town where different is viewed as threatening to its way of life.

Kyesha Hendrix the only African American student at River Bend and Cassie's unlikely training partner will join Jake Nader basketball star and Cassie's romantic interest to make her senior year one to remember. Before that year is over, Cassie will be forced to take a stand when accusations are made about someone Cassie respects. The consequences for speaking out and challenging the establishment will change her life forever.

Critique: An impressively compelling, exceptionally well written, inherently fascinating, and unfailingly entertaining read from beginning to end, "No Ordinary Season is an extraordinary novel that is certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library General Fiction collections, as is very highly recommended for the personal reading lists of those who appreciated a finely crafted, multilayered 'coming of age' novel.

Ruined Wings
Ashley Fontainne
RMSW Press, LLC
http://www.ashleyfontainne.com/rmsw-press
9780996017954, $23.99, HC, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Callie Novak is on the cusp of changing her life as she warms up for the final heat in the Women's 1600 meter track and field competition. While she sets a new state record, her family's worse nightmare is just beginning. When tragedy strikes the Novak family it comes in the form of drug abuse. "Ruined Wings" is a novel of pain, of grief, of the perils of drug abuse, of the despair that leads to a shocking downward spiral, and of the strength that's needed to overcome addiction.

Critique: A gritty, realistic, deftly crafted novel, "Ruined Wings" is a simply riveting read from beginning to end. "Ruined Wings" is a significant, relevant, and highly recommended addition for personal reading lists, as well as community and academic library General Fiction collections.

Daddy's Girl
Lin Stepp
www.linstepp.com
Mountain Hill Press
9780998506302, $15.00, PB, 271pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Olivia Benton is happy with her life in small town Bryson City. She loves her downtown floral business, her family home shared with her father, and the lavish formal gardens that sprawl behind their rural mountain property. Only a niggling restlessness alerts her to how life might change one summer day when Warner Zachery drives back into town. No one had ever thought Weird Warner, or his big dreams, would ever amount to anything, especially Olivia's father and grandmother. Even Olivia, who loved him, felt reluctant to risk everything and leave behind her familiar life to follow Warner's dreams. Now he's returned to Bryson City, famous and widowed, and as soon as Olivia sees him, she realizes she still loves him--a dilemma she is not prepared to deal with.

Warner Zachery, now better known as W. T. Zachery for his famous Geeky Gilmore books for kids, has avoided even visiting Bryson City since his high school graduation ten years ago. Even though his parents still live there, unhappy memories linger of being bullied in school, never fitting in with his peers, and being spurned by his childhood neighbor and sweetheart, Olivia Benton. After his wife Nelle's murder, Warner grew discontent in New York and headed home to spend time with his family, to see old friends, and to take a well-needed vacation. He knows he will probably see Olivia Benton again but expects time will have healed his broken heart -- and his anger.

Critique: A deftly crafted and thoroughly absorbing novel, "Daddy's Girl" reveals author Lin Stepp as having a genuine flair for creating memorable characters and an original, unfailingly entertaining story. While very highly recommended, especially for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Daddy's Girl" is also available in a Kindle format ($8.69).

Patti Cake
Donielle Ingersoll
iUniverse, Inc.
c/o Author House
1663 Liberty Dr. Suite #300, Bloomington, IN 47403
www.iuniverse.com
9781491794715, $20.99, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: All Patti Murray asked the Lord for was help in finding a God-fearing husband who would be a good provider for her and the family she hoped to raise. Oh, and if he were tall, dark, and handsome, that wouldn't be so bad either. Aside from this goal, she wanted to continue to grow her cake decorating business. This would give her the opportunity to exercise her unique creative talent and earn a little money on the side while being a full-time mommy.

However, when one of her exquisite wedding cakes comes to the attention of a national celebrity, Patti is suddenly thrust into the exotic world of the rich and famous and a whole new chance for romance. Was this God's plan all along?

Critique: Author Donielle Ingersoll's "Patti Cake: An Inspirational Romance" combines the theme of cake decorating with inspiration romance in a way and manner that is as unique as it is entertaining. Interested readers will be able to create their own versions of Patti's delectable desserts because "Patti Cake: An Inspirational Romance" also features 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes! While unreservedly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Patti Cake" is also available in a Kindle format ($3.99).

Tribulations of An Old Hippy
Leslie R. Tucker
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781540537256, $12.00, PB, 312pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Jack Burns was not one of those silent majority baby boomers. He was one of those who helped to make them the hippest generation, if not the greatest. He went to the Fillmore, marched in anti-war protest, and watched Yellow Submarine on acid.

Jack had no interest in his own pedigree when he read of Lee Melon's search for his Confederate General ancestor of Big Sur, he saw only the symbolism of a war against the status quo, a war he was a veteran of. Like Melon, 21st century Jack values the past and has pride in his Southern heritage, but it is just one more anchor around the neck of an aging baby boomer.

He once trusted no one over thirty, but now at more than twice that age has difficulty accepting the new world. He sold out and embraced materialism claiming he did so for the sake of family.

He has fulfilled his duties and there is still time to chase the ambitions of his youth. His wife of more than forty years, trying to balance career and family, forces him to choose between her and his dream. The situation is complicated by their son Aaron who has disappeared into a drug culture and their Harvard grad lawyer daughter Amanda battling her own demons. The clock is ticking and the end is near, a man must do what a man must do.

Like Agamemnon he assembles a band of friends willing to follow him in his quest. He accomplishes his mission, but not in the way he imagined when he started. In "Tribulations of an Old Hippy", armed with the attitude that "if a baby boomer can't do it then it can't be done," one man finds his answer to the meaning of life.

Critique: An inherently fascinating and deftly crafted novel, "Tribulations of an Old Hippy" showcases author Leslie Tucker's genuine flair for originality and ability to compel his reader's attention from beginning to end. Offering extraordinary insights into the mindset of a now aging baby-boom generation, "Tribulations of an Old Hippy" is very highly recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Tribulations of an Old Hippy" is also available in a Kindle forma t ($2.99).

Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon
Melissa Riordan
Maschler Publishing
9780995512214, $19.00, PB, 388pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: A deftly crafted work of historical fiction, author Melissa Riordan showcases the rise and reign of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon in 600 BCE, and the lost world of the kingdom of Babylon, its conquest of Jerusalem and the aftermath that was to shape every succeeding generation of the children of Abrama.

At every turn, through haunting dreams, confounding miracles (three Hebrews living with a Fourth Man in the fiery furnace), or his encounters and romance with the beautiful Daughter of Zion, the Most High confronts this willful king with his undeniable sovereignty and power.

Then, when Nebuchadnezzar thinks he has it all, in one simple moment, he loses everything, cast into a wilderness no man has ever traversed. Cared for by the woman he loves while being pursued by his murderous son bent on claiming Babylon's throne, Nebuchadnezzar finally (and dramatically) relinquishes the glory of kingdoms for the Throne of the Lord, sending his famous letter to the nations, immortalized in Scripture, declaring "all the wondrous things the Most High did for me."

Critique: An inherently compelling, skillfully engaging read from cover to cover, "Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon" reveals author Melissa Riordan's genuine flair for creating a truly memorable retelling of an ancient story of imperial arrogance and an ultimate redemption that arising from the chastisement of Israel's God. An impressive and extraordinary novel, "Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon" is highly recommended and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Historical Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.50).

Country Doctor and the Epidemics
Steven D. Helgerson
Privately Published
c/o Farcountry Press (distribution)
PO Box 5630, Helena, MT 59604
www.farcountrypress.com
9781591521914, $16.95, PB, 152pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In mid October 1918 the largest epidemic of the 2oth Century struck in a small eastern Montana town. Within a few weeks influenza had killed dozens of people in the rural county. But this was just one of a series of extraordinary events attacking the social fabric of the community in 1917 and 1918. Rich in detail, broad in scope, this novella by Steven D. Delgerson places a fictional physician in the midst of the riveting events of those years. The physician grieves the death of his wife and unborn child. He is deeply troubled by the limitations of medical science. Then he is tragically enveloped by yet another epidemic. Can a country doctor alter the fate of his patients? Or his own fate?

Critique: Replete with accurate historical details, "Country Doctor and the Epidemics: Montana 1917-1918" is a deftly crafted and inherently compelling read from beginning to end. Author Steven Helgerson has a genuine flair for creating memorable characters and accomplished storytelling skills that combine to make "Country Doctor and the Epidemics" an unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, and academic library Historical Fiction collections.

In the Fullness of Time
Katherine P. Stillerman
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781540718907, $9.98, PB, 244pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "In the Fullness of Time" is the sequel to Katherine Stillerman's "Hattie's Place" and is set in the year is 1913.

Hattie Robinson is married to the widowed Charles Barton and has left her teaching position at Calhoun School to raise Charles's sons and manage the Barton estate. Now she must reconcile her role as mother and wife with her work for woman's suffrage, a cause that ignited her passion when attending the Woman's Suffrage Procession in Washington, on the eve of Woodrow Wilson's first inauguration.

As a young bride, twenty-three years her husband's junior, Hattie struggles for acceptance in the community and Barton family. And then, Will Kendrick, her first love, appears, causing old feelings to resurface. When Julia Martin, the widow of Charles's best friend Percy, reaches out to Charles for legal advice in settling her husband's estate, Hattie discovers clues casting doubt on Charles's fidelity, and begins to question her marriage.

As Hattie throws herself into her work to gain the vote for women, South Carolina's reactionary politicians Ben Tillman and "Cotton Ed" Smith thwart suffrage efforts in the state at every turn. Even the progressive president Wilson drags his feet, invoking states rights as the only pathway to an amendment. Equally discouraging is the anti-suffragist sentiment among those of Hattie's own gender.

When Hattie's sister-in-law Alice learns to drive and purchases a 1916 Saxon touring car, Hattie agrees to go on a road trip to join the peaceful protests in Washington on the eve of President Wilson's second inauguration. Alice also invites Julia Martin to go along, and to Hattie's chagrin, Julia is sitting in the passenger seat when the two arrive from Columbia to pick her up. The journey brings new insight and fresh perspective, enabling Hattie to resolve misunderstandings with Charles and convincing her to continue her work for suffrage, with her husband's blessings. But the road Hattie has chosen becomes even more fraught with disappointing setbacks and delays.

In 1917, the US declares war on Germany and the president mobilizes the country in the fight for freedom in Europe, ignoring the oppression of the rights of women at home. Public opinion shifts, casting the women's movement as unpatriotic and subversive. Hattie does her part for the war and agonizes when Charles Jr. and the boys from Calhoun are drafted and sent to the front. She continues to support the suffrage cause, but must cancel a second road trip due to gas rationing.

When the war ends, she travels with Alice and Julia and Charles Jr.'s fiancee Pauline, to Washington to join the peaceful protests at the White House, organized by Alice Paul and the Woman's Party. The women become inspired to drive on to New York to join the demonstration against president Wilson, who is speaking at the New York Opera House on the eve of his return to the Paris peace negotiations.

The peaceful demonstration turns violent when the police and soldiers, who have flooded the ports on their return from war, begin shoving the suffragists and breaking and burning their banners. Amidst the uproar, Pauline becomes convinced that she has spotted Charles Jr. in the crowd and is determined to go and look for him. Hattie persuades her that they must first go to police headquarters to find Alice and Julia, who have been arrested and detained there.

The Susan B. Anthony Amendment finally passes the Senate in 1919. But Hattie and the South Carolina suffragists endure their greatest disappointment yet when the South Carolina legislature refuses to ratify the amendment by an overwhelming majority. They must now depend on the men of other states to ensure their enfranchisement.

In August, the Tennessee legislature becomes the thirty-fourth state to ratify, ending the long struggle for suffrage, and making the 19th Amendment the law of the land, just in time for Hattie to cast her first vote in the 1920 presidential election.

Critique: An historically accurate novel that is richly endowed with incorporated background detail, "In the Fullness of Time" is a deftly crafted and inherently compelling read from cover to cover. While very highly recommended for both community and academic library Historical Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "In the Fullness of Time" is also available in a Kindle format ($4.99).

Middle South
Maya Nessouli Abboushi
Lanier Press
www.lanierpress.com
9781610058636, $12.95, PB, 215pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Layla is a young woman who has recently moved out of her parent's home in the Atlanta suburbs and into an apartment in the city to assert her independence. Between her social life and her job as a feature writer for a small newspaper, Layla has little time to think about marriage and children, much to the dismay of her Lebanese parents. "Middle South" follows Layla on her hilarious journey from the Southeast to the Middle East and back. This is a journey in which Layla finds out a little more about herself and, ultimately, what she is looking for in life and in love.

Critique: A thoroughly entertaining and engaging read from beginning to end, "Middle South" is an original and highly recommended novel by a skilled and articulate author. While very highly recommended, especially for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Middle South" is also available in a Kindle format ($3.95).

The Crossing
Mark Alan Leslie
Elk Lake Publishing
www.lesliesmedia.pr.com
9781946638007, $10.99, PB, 290pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "As Maine goes, so goes the nation" was a motto in the American politics of the early 1900s. The Ku Klux Klan determined if they could grab a foothold in the bellwether northeastern-most state, they could succeed anywhere and everywhere else in the country. So they sent their most charismatic KKK recruiter to draw the crowds. And the KKK succeeded -- for awhile.

Critique: Although a work of historical fiction, "The Crossing" author Mark Alan Leslie includes a meticulous attention to historically accurate details with respect to the KKK's presence in Maine and their attempt to target Catholic immigrants, jews, blacks, and illegal alcohol. With a genuine flair for compelling, entertaining, and deftly crafted storytelling, "The Crossing" is very highly recommended, especially for community library Historical Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Crossing" is also available in a Kindle format ($7.99).

The People's President
John C. Bednar
Archway Publishing
1663 Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
www.archwaypublishing.com
9781480839014, $14.99, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Dr. George Franklin is an idealistic yet practical political science professor at Princeton University who is fed up with the current political scene. In mid-April of a turbulent election year, George surprises everyone when he calls an Associated Press office and calmly announces he is throwing his hat into the ring as an Independent candidate for the office of the President of the United States. After he proclaims he will not spend his own money or accept contributions to run his campaign, George has no idea of the firestorm he has just unleashed.

After George's surprising yet intriguing announcement, he summons help from respected campaign manager, Larry Stanton. While a growing number of supporters rally around him, another presidential candidate meets tragedy head-on. As George uses the press and social media to motivate the American public to actively participate in the political environment while eliminating the power of the dollar's influence, his radically different approach to American politics touches a nerve. Now only time will tell if the citizens can transform the political process or whether the powerful leaders within the current structure will succeed in stopping them.

"The People's President" shares the tale of a political science professor's quest to run for the highest office in the United States and, in the process, change the future of his great country.

Critique: As timely and relevant as today's newspaper headlines, "The People's President" is a deftly crafted and engaging read from cover to cover. While very highly recommended for both community and academic Contemporary Political Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The People's President" is also available in a Kindle format ($2.99).

The Professor And The Suicide Girl
Nick Totem
www.nicktotem.com
LucenGeist Literary Press LLC
9781943564026, $21.99, HC, 328pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "The Professor And The Suicide Girl " by Nick Totem is strange surrealist tale in which a professor of virology is out to prove that he can create a deadly virus. On his quest, the Professor gets help from an eclectic group that is comprised of a nuclear physicist, a Marxist, and a doctor of medicine and metaphysics. To achieve his goal, the Professor will need to outsmart a few bad guys and get a few viruses, including one from the other side of the world. But then he meets the Suicide Girl, who has a penchant for self - mutilation and is searching for her own meaning. This bizarre encounter draws the two of them together with unexpected consequences. Will the Suicide Girl ultimately help or foil his plan? Will he succeed?

Critique: A deftly crafted and original novel filled with unexpected twists and turns, humor, and suspense, "The Professor And The Suicide Girl" is an inherently compelling read from beginning to end and very highly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as both community and academic Literary Fiction collections.

Jellybeaners
Gene Scott
www.genescottbooks.com
Alarice Multimedia, LLC
9780692848807, $9.99, PB, 214pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The scourge of opioid addiction is deeply woven throughout the history of the world. It's notable that between 1861 and 1865 our own American Civil War produced roughly 200,000 addicts who spent their remaining years navigating shattered limbs and unstable minds. Fast forward a century-and-a-half and a 2016 report by the American Society of Addiction Medicine reveals that approximately two million Americans were addicted to prescription opioids in 2015. Specifically, overdose deaths related to prescription pain relievers took 20,101. "Jellybeaners" by Gene Scott is a contemporary novel set in the heart of Appalachia, revealing the money ties, political corruption, wasted lives, and overall cash-churning nature of the prescription pill culture from perspectives spanning both sides of the law.

Critique: A compelling and impressively well crafted read from cover to cover, "Jellybeaners" is one of those all-to-rare novels that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf. While unreservedly recommended, especially for both community and academic library Contemporary General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Jellybeaners" is also available in a Kindle format ($2.99).

Beneath a Scarlet Sky
Mark Sullivan
Lake Union Publishing
9781503943377, $14.95, PB, 524pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Pino Lella wants nothing to do with the war or the Nazis. He's a normal Italian teenager - obsessed with music, food, and girls - but his days of innocence are numbered. When his family home in Milan is destroyed by Allied bombs, Pino joins an underground railroad helping Jews escape over the Alps, and falls for Anna, a beautiful widow six years his senior.

In an attempt to protect him, Pino's parents force him to enlist as a German soldier - a move they think will keep him out of combat. But after Pino is injured, he is recruited at the tender age of eighteen to become the personal driver for Adolf Hitler's left hand in Italy, General Hans Leyers, one of the Third Reich's most mysterious and powerful commanders.

Now, with the opportunity to spy for the Allies inside the German High Command, Pino endures the horrors of the war and the Nazi occupation by fighting in secret, his courage bolstered by his love for Anna and for the life he dreams they will one day share.

Critique: "Beneath a Scarlet Sky" reveals novelist Mark Sullivan's genuine flair for creative and consistently entertaining storytelling. While very highly recommended, especially for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Beneath a Scarlet Sky" is also available in a Kindle format ($4.99).

The Touch
Robert Flynn III
https://roberteflynn.com
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781542737227, $13.95, PB, 382pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The old beast is up to something out of character here. Gabriel appears autistic because he hears a voice. The voice is real, but it is a supernatural presence. This voice gives him a power that he can transfer by touch. Gabriel does not trust this presence, though he finds that the wonder of what he is experiencing is far too great for him to resist.

Gabriel's "autism" is really a defense against the weight of the power that has engulfed his heart, mind and soul, from the very beginning. He has no memory of his parents and in actuality, the voice, which causes him so much distress, is the only reality he has ever known. Living in an orphanage in Austin, Texas, all of his life, the voice has shown him more attention and love than any other person.

He befriends one other special young person in that orphanage, Joshua Fellows. Joshua also has experienced little love in his short life. The bond between these two young boys is the beginning of an amazing journey Together, they form a bond that gives each of them strength to take the gift, and to use it for good. They will ultimately discover that the presence is not at all who they expected.

Critique: A consistently absorbing and entertaining read from cover to cover, "The Touch" is a spellbinding novel that reveals author Robert Flynn as having a genuine flair for engaging his reader's total attention from beginning to end. with an evident mastery of the supernatural genre, "The Touch" is very highly recommended for both personal reading lists and community library collections.

Flight of the Feathered Serpent
Dana Alexander
https://danaalexander.net
Whispering Pen
9780692792780, $11.50, PB, 278pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In Dana Alexander's new novel, "Flight of the Feathered Serpent", New York based psychiatrist Sara Forrester will encounter an old and deadly enemy, a danger reaching beyond life's boundaries, a love destined for all eternity, and a silent killer who sweeps humanity, consuming its life force, threatening an eternal reign of darkness.

After narrowly escaping this shadowy force in the highlands of Scotland, Sara is tasked with finding the second key of life by unlocking the riddles of Mayan myth in the shrouded depths of the Yucatan jungle. As Sara and her team are plunged into a history rooted in magic and mystery, they struggle to find light in the darkest corners of the unfamiliar. At risk are the billions of lives on earth and a future Sara longs to keep with the man she bonded with before either were ever born.

Critique: The third volume of her "The Three Keys" series, author Dana Alexander once again demonstrates her genuine flair for originality, deftly crafted and memorable characters, consistently engaging and unpredictable storylines replete with unexpected twists and turns. While highly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted that "Flight of the Feathered Serpent" is also available for personal reading lists in a Kindle format ($5.99).

A Rain of Night Birds
Deena Metzger
Hand to Hand Publishing
PO Box 186, Topanga, CA 90290
c/o Rare Bird Lit (dist.)
9780998344300, $18.95, PB, 284pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Sandra Birdswell is a student of climatology with an uncanny ability to sense weather events. Her mother, who died in childbirth, is a mystery to her. Her father, John, formerly a Reservation doctor, faithfully raises her despite his limitations and obligations.

She first meets Terrence, a Native man and a professor of climatology, at her university classes. Years later, they are drawn together by the powerful forces of their love, for the Earth, for each other, and their mutual need to seek out the broken links of their family histories.

When the UN report on climate change is released in 2007, the reality of the effects of the Anthropocene era sends a shockwave through both their lives. Their relationship to each other and to the elementals they are so intimate with lightning, thunder, rain, mountain brings them deeply and violently into a quest to live their lives in ways that disengage from colonial mind, the same mind that brought devastation to the Native peoples, and now brings all of humanity to the brink of extinction.

Through their love of and deeply felt intuitive connection to the Earth, they each go to the brink of death to find their truth, to gain strength and wisdom.

Critique: Original, exceptional, inherently fascinating, and one of those all to rare novels that will linger in the mind and memory long after it has been finished and set back upon the shelf, "A Rain of Night Birds" by Deena Metzger is a truly exceptional and highly recommended addition to community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "A Rain of Night Birds" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

The Long Harbor Testament
Tom Minder
Black Rose Writing
PO Box 1540, Castroville, TX 78009
http://www.blackrosewriting.com
9781612968001, $17.95, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Father Jim has a gambling problem, a girlfriend, and his brother Gabe just killed his bookie. Detective Mark Porfino investigates while mob boss Mario Gallante arrives to figure out why his protege was found floating in the harbor. Mark and Mario form an unholy alliance, with fast food, drinking, Girl Scout cookies, a dead man with a morbid sense of humor, and a wedding with a miracle, contributing to the search for the killer. Jim must weigh family loyalty and protection of his lover against the vows he's made to himself and his church. Will Gabe confess and relieve Jim of his burden? Or will they both be dragged further into the abyss until their secret is revealed?

Critique: Very highly recommended, especially for community library collections, "The Long Harbor Testament" reveals author Tom Minder's genuine gift for narrative storytelling and complete mastery of the Mystery/Suspense genre. A compelling and deftly crafted read from cover to cover, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "The Long Harbor Testament" is also available in a Kindle format ($3.99).

Rage
Stewart Raffill
http://stewartraffill.com
Code 7 Books
9780998587363, $15.95, HC, 394pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Jack Anderson, the newly elected, optimistic President of the United States finds his political agenda put on hold when fifteen American naval officers unexpectedly seize control of a USS-Ohio class nuclear submarine. In possession of the most formidable war machine ever created, carrying enough nuclear weapons to destroy every major city in the Middle East, the mutineers form a new terrorist organization that threatens to attack militant Islamists and their supporters around the world. In a race against time, the FBI and the US military try to stop the deciphered missile launch codes from reaching the nuclear submarine and unravel a conspiracy that permeates the very foundations of the US government. Replete with sophisticated characters, international intrigue, murder and mayhem, "Rage" confronts radical Islamic terrorism with a new western form of itself that threatens the entire world order.

Critique: The stuff from which block-buster movies are made, "Rage" is a simply riveting international political thriller from cover to cover. While very highly recommended, especially for community library action/adventure fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Rage" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).

The Inevitable Witness
Ed Rucker
Chickadee Prince Books
http://chickadeeprince.com
9780991327478, $14.99, PB, 282pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Bobby Earl is the guy you call when it's time to fix bayonets and go to trial. But when he's tapped to defend a notorious safecracker arrested for killing a decorated LAPD officer, Earl's own life is suddenly in danger, and Earl must dive into LA's dangerous underworld, and battle a court system in which the news media and politics corrupt the wheels of justice.

Critique: "The Inevitable Witness" is a deftly crafted and inherently compelling legal thriller by a master of the genre. It's clear from the attention and accuracy of procedural background details that author Ed Rucker draws upon his years of experience and expertise as a Los Angles based defense attorney to create a thoroughly entertaining read that will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. For the personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Inevitable Witness" is also available in a Kindle format ($6.99).

Conspiracy of Wolves
Ernie Hasler
www.conspiracyofwolves.com
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781466443594, $11.99, PB, 310pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: With "Conspiracy of Wolves", novelist Ernie Hasler has written an explosive political thriller involving a young couple who come into possession of the secret list of names of the people who rule the world. These three hundred powerful individuals, mostly men, but including a few women, comprise The Committee of Three Hundred.

Although expertly disguised by their spin doctors and media bosses, the main objective of the Committee of 300 is a communistic world order where they rule the serfs. They want complete control over the world's critical resources and they are heavily involved in the politics of so called democracies, media propaganda, eugenics and the creation of a "Master Race".

The hero and heroine become aware of the murder of the hero's father, a trade union activist during the miner's strike and national confrontation where he is given safe keeping of the secret list. Ten years later an updated secret list comes into the hands of his son who is pursued by the police, MI5 agents and gangsters in a mesmerizing series of chases and narrow escapes.

Although a work of fiction, "Conspiracy of Wolves" deftly explores the legal and moral legitimacy of nuclear weapons of mass destruction and the Romanising of the New Testament by Emperor Constantine during the fourth century and its spread to northern Britain after the Synod of Whitby in 664 and the world in general.

Critique: "Conspiracy of Wolves" is an impressively original, exceptionally well written, inherently fascinating, consistently entertaining read from cover to cover. While very highly recommended, especially for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Conspiracy of Wolves" is also available in a Kindle format ($2.99).

Thomas Haftmann, Private Eye: The Short Stories
Robb White
New Pulp Press
http://www.newpulppress.com
9781945734090, $14.95, PB, 326pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Ex-cop Thomas Haftmann, formerly of Cleveland Homicide, works as a private investigator in the resort town of Jefferson-on-the-Lake. "Thomas Haftmann, Private Eye: The Short Stories" is an anthology his fifteen of his short neo-noir cases. Among them are "The Kneeling Woman," "Ni Escape, No Turning Back," "The Riding Boy," "The Slave Master's Dungeon," "Archangel's Daughter," "A Woman With Tea-Colored Eyes," and "The Dog Returneth to His Vomit." These have been collected from a variety of outstanding publications and blog sites, ranging from Powder Burn Flash to A Twist of Noir to Sex and Murder Magazine. Thomas Haftmann's dark world of murder and madness that first began with the publication of author Robb White's "Nocturne for Madness" (9780692609026, $14.95 HC, $4.99 Kindle).

Critique: Clearly, author Robb White is a master of the noir-style mystery genre and "Thomas Haftmann, Private Eye: The Short Stories" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Thomas Haftmann, Private Eye: The Short Stories" is also available in a Kindle format ($4.99).

Forbidden Night
Joanne Lewis
Soul Attitude Press
https://www.soulattitudepress.com
9781939181756, $14.95, PB, 286pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: It has been four years since attorney Michael Tucker defended Sara Goldstein, the Long Island heiress, against murder charges. Now she is suing him! As Michael comes to terms with his true feelings for Sara, he unwittingly uncovers the truth behind Uncle Charlie's murder, as well as an unsolved murder from years' past. By exploring the present and the past, "Forbidden Night" begins to decipher the mystery of the carousel horses, and answers the question: did Sara really kill Uncle Charlie?

Critique: "Forbidden Night" is the second installment of the Forbidden trilogy by Joanne Lewis and reveals her as a master of the genre with a genuine flair as a novelist for originality, deftly created characters, and an inherently absorbing story from beginning to end. While "Forbidden Night" is very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that it is also available in a Kindle format ($4.99).

The Custer Conspiracy
Dennis Koller
Pen Books
www.PenBooks.biz
9780998080802, $14.99, PB, 350pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: A week after uncovering the secret of what really happened at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, history professor Matt Conroy was lying in a morgue with the back of his head blown off. SFPD homicide inspector Tom McGuire, a long-time friend of Conroy's, volunteers to assist the FBI in bringing the killer to justice. The FBI, however, is ordered to stand down for "national security" reasons. They thought that would be the end of it. They were wrong. Tom McGuire was not about to stand down. Not for anyone, not for any reason. That decision put him in the crosshairs of one of the world's most secretive and dangerous organizations - an organization whose rich and powerful members will stop at nothing to make sure their 140-year-old secret remains hidden. Drawn into a labyrinth of conspiracies over a century old, Tom McGuire has just walked into his worst nightmare.

Critique: A deftly crafted novel by a master of the genre, and a simply riveting read from cover to cover, "The Custer Conspiracy" will prove to be an original and enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. For the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "The Custer Conspiracy" is also available in a Kindle format ($6.99).

The Ridge
John Rector
Thomas & Mercer
9781503943933, $15.95, PB, 284pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: With its manicured lawns, pastel houses, and quiet, tree-lined streets, Willow Ridge seems to be the perfect place for Megan and Tyler Stokes to start a new chapter in their lives together. But soon after settling in, Megan begins to notice cracks in the neighborhood's bright suburban facade -- cracks that reveal a darker secret hidden just beneath the surface.

After an angry encounter with a neighbor takes a horrifying turn, Megan's waking nightmare truly begins -- growing ever more chilling and bizarre with each shocking twist. Suddenly forced to question everything around her, Megan finds herself trapped between the specter of madness and the shadow of something far worse.

Her only hope is to expose the community's pretty lies and discover the truth about what is really going on in Willow Ridge -- a truth so devastating that her life will never be the same.

Critique: An extraordinary, original, and deftly crafted novel, "The Ridge" is an inherently fascinating and unfailingly entertaining read from beginning to end, Revealing author John Rector's genuine flair as a novelist for memorable storytelling, "The Ridge" is an especially recommended addition to community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Ridge" is also available in a Kindle format ($3.99).


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

The Awakening: Part One
Michael Timmins
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781539638612, $11.99, PB, 228pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The Druid War has ended after a year of bloody combat, as Lycan armies battled each other to decide the course of civilization. Kestrel and her Lycan army have been defeated by the Druidess Sylvanis' Lycan army.

Kestrel, unbeknownst to Sylvanis, has cast a powerful spell. One, that upon her death, her essence shall remain upon this Earth until the last stone of the Calendar, what we know now as Stonehenge, falls. The spell will also awaken the power of lycanthropy in the ancestors of her champions, allowing her to cheat death and return to once again wage war on civilization.

Sylvanis executes Kestrel for her crimes, thus setting in motion Kestrel's spell. Sylvanis discovers the deceit and is left with no alternative but to cast a spell of her own. When Kestrel's spell goes into effect, Sylvanis will be reborn, and her champions will awake as well, to fight against Kestrel and her Lycans.

Two millennia have passed and the last stone has fallen. Kestrel spell awakens her. Sylvanis is reborn with almost no recollection of who she once was. Kestrel will stop at nothing to destroy her and her Lycans before they can discover their powers and find each other.

Now, four individuals find within themselves the power of lycanthropy awakened, the Wolf, Boar, Tiger and Rat. They must learn to control this new-found power as they discover they are a part of an ancient war between two Druidesses. Will they learn to use their powers in time?

Critique: An impressively crafted and original novel by an author with a genuine flair for narrative driven and inherently compelling storytelling, "The Awakening: Part One" by Michael Timmins is an extraordinary and highly recommended addition to community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections. For the personal reading lists of dedicated lycanthropy fantasy fiction fans it should be noted that "The Awakening: Part One" is also available in a Kindle format ($4.99).

Eve of the Exceptionals
Parker Sinclair, author
Meredith Tennant, editor
Rawlings Books, LLC
http://www.parkersinclair.net/rawlings-books.html
9780998405308, $11.99, PB, 200pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: When fate brings the young Prince Ryzyn and the rover girl Gem together, not only do their lives become forever entwined, their meeting also ignites the power within an ancient object called the Heart of Cyan. With the mystical Heart discovered, the wielder must prepare for an epic battle against a vicious, pervasive darkness that threatens all of Parlethis. Magical forces unite for the good of the land, but will that be enough to stop the Shadowland creatures from destroying them all?

Critique: An original and inherently compelling read from cover to cover, "Eve of the Exceptionals" reveals author Parker Sinclair's genuine flair for a deftly created and unfailingly entertaining action/adventure fantasy of unexpected plot twists and turns. While very highly recommended, especially for community library Fantasy Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists of dedicated fantasy fans that "Eve of the Exceptionals" is also available in a Kindle format ($2.99).

The Abscission Zone
Samuel Muggington
http://theabscissionzone.com
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781537593890, $14.95, PB, 338pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Dr. Texie Raynott and Dr. Dock Hatman hope to use their expertise in plant biology to discover new cancer drugs. They never imagined that they would end up fighting a global menace that has deadly implications for the future of humankind.

While examining a tissue sample, Texie falls and cracks her skull. At the same time, Dock uncovers the truth behind a series of mysterious deaths. Earth's green plants have turned violent. Someone or something has begun a new war that could wipe out all of humanity. Mother Nature wants to reclaim the Earth, and there is little we can do to stop her.

While some choose to stay and fight, others elect to establish a new home on another planet. As Texie makes an astounding discovery on Mars, Dock tries to stop the conflict that is ravaging Earth.

Critique: Original, imaginative, engaging, entertaining, "The Abscission Zone" by Samuel Muggington is a compelling science fiction novel that reveals the fragility and savagery of the natural world, along with mankind's profound impact on the Earth's biodiversity and ecosystems. While very highly recommended, especially for community library Science Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Abscission Zone" is also available in a Kindle format ($2.99).

Reversione: Reset the Future
Chris A. Jones
Green Ivy Publishing
http://www.greenivybooks.com
9781946775337, $16.50, PB, 235pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Mankind had spent decades trying to overcome an impending ecological global disaster. By the late 23rd century the disaster that they were attempting to prevent was at hand, and there was no reversing the damage. Now two scientists, both more than a 150 years apart are brought together to find a way to change the mistakes of the past and try to save a future that can only be done through the destiny of these two individuals. The love they will find together will not only determine the fate of their own lives, but the fate of the world. Can the two of them turn back the clock and reset the future of discovery? "Reversione: Reset the Future" is a science fiction love story that will define a destiny that will survive all time.

Critique: Impressively original, deftly written, thoroughly entertaining, "Reversione: Reset the Future" is an inherently compelling read from cover to cover and very highly recommended, especially for community library Science Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Reversione: Reset the Future" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).

An Alien's Quest
Cary Neeper
www.caryneeper.com
Penscript Publishing House
www.penscript-publishing.com
9781622220212, $24.95, HC, 276pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Only two decades after first contact, even Earth's people know of Haralahn, the great-fish spiritual leader on distant Ellason. Shawne Oran-ElConn-Grey determines to seek his guidance as she struggles to tame a haunting disillusionment that followed her home from Earth. Her quest for meaning draws everyone she loves away to the Kuiper Belt and into a genetic mystery on the watery home planet of the ellls.

Critique: The fourth novel in Cary Neeper's outstanding 'Archives of Varok' series, "An Alien's Quest" nicely completes the story of Shawne and her mixed-species family as they search for answers in Ellason's wild seas. Exceptional, original, deftly crafted, and a consistently entertaining read from cover to cover, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated science fiction fans that "An Alien's Quest" is also available in both a paperback edition (9781622220229, $14.95) and a Kindle format ($4.99).


The Self-Help Shelf

Enlighten Your Life: Spiritual Guidance + Life Coaching
The Church of Terra Sanctuaria
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781542972628, $45.00, PB, 816pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Steve is the Spiritual Leader of the Church of Terra Sanctuaria. "Enlighten Your Life: Spiritual Guidance + Life Coaching" is a compendium of base, enlightened truths that shine with their own light to help guide the reader on their own particular path for personal enlightenment. Enlightenment is a gradual awakening, a dissolving of past delusions, a greater awareness and understanding of reality. Follow the instructions comprising "Enlighten Your Life" see how they help living life gradually, more and more each day and enjoy a better, more rewarding life.

Be spiritual but don't forget to be physical. Reality can be good, it can be fun, it can be worth it. Be aware of the Heisenberg principle at work as you read these teachings; the act of observing an event influences it. Don't worry, crossing a bridge doesn't often damage it!

This book is written purposely in an under-written style. Each word is important while superfluous words are omitted. The phrasing might be difficult to understand and the concepts testing of your world view, your belief system. It consists of a heap of small chapters like a reference manual or encyclopedia of life and help improve your daily experience of life. If a chapter seems silly or confusing move on and try another. The more you read of it the more it should become readable. Get from it what you can.

"Enlighten Your Life" reveals: How to progress along your path of enlightenment; How to start exercising and get a good healthy diet; That you are 31/2 billion years old and counting; How to program yourselves and reinforce positive activities; How to gradually distance yourselves from the madding crowd; How to have Tantric sex with orgasms lasting for hours; How to reduce negative energies in your life and free yourselves from any negative history; and so much more!

Critique: A volume of impressive insights and a kind of reference workbook that is as informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Enlighten Your Life: Spiritual Guidance + Life Coaching" offers a life-changing, life-enhancing, practical instruction guide. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Enlighten Your Life" is highly recommended for community and academic library Self-Help / Self-Improvement collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Enlighten Your Life" is also available in an inexpensive Kindle format ($1.00).

Living Love, The Yoga of Yama & Niyama
Maetreyii Ma
Ananda Gurukula Publishing
http://www.anandagurukula.org
9780986304712, $14.48, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Living Love, The Yoga of Yama & Niyama: Timeless Teachings for Transformation and Awakening" by Maetreyii Ma offers a unique blend of the ancient teachings of yoga and modern psychology. Ma (a licensed transpersonal psychologist and an ordained yogic minister, or Acharya) provides basic life principles to live by and offers teachings for happiness, compassion, self-love and self-realization.

These ancient teachings of yoga provide clear guidelines to face the difficulties of life. "Living Love, The Yoga of Yama & Niyama" deftly leads the reader through processes that can help them shift negative beliefs and thought patterns, transform their relationship with themself and others and ultimately their own life.

"Living Love, The Yoga of Yama & Niyama" gives simple practices that can resolve, solve, clarify, heal, purify, fend off confusion, dispel error and light your way into developing a deeper connection with your true divine nature. "Living Love, The Yoga of Yama & Niyama" is a practical guide to living a deep and fulfilling life that will move you towards awakening to the deepest love within you.

Critique: Inspired and inspiring, "Living Love, The Yoga of Yama & Niyama: Timeless Teachings for Transformation and Awakening" is an inherently fascinating and potentially life changing read from cover to cover. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Living Love, The Yoga of Yama & Niyama" is an extraordinary and highly recommended addition for community and academic library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections in general, and Yoga supplemental studies reading lists in particular. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of yoga students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Living Love, The Yoga of Yama & Niyama" is also available in a Kindle format ($7.50).

I Am * You Are * Love Is
Curtis Christian
Balboa Press
c/o Hay House, Inc.
PO Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
www.balboapress.com
9781504352277, $31.95, HC, 230pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Throughout the ages philosophers, saints, and sages have described a state of pure love, bliss, peace, and joy. Many have studied the words of such beings and practiced their ways, seeking the experience of which they spoke. Still, until recently, few have experienced more than fleeting glimpses of such a state. However, humanity is currently embarking upon a shift where many of the seekers are beginning to experience themselves as they were created to be.

In the pages of "I Am * You Are * Love Is", Curtis Christian deftly explores basic truths of existence and experience that will deepen your understanding of the source of who you are. While not a magic ticket into the divine state that is so immensely sought after, nevertheless, "I Am * You Are * Love Is" can serve as a guide to aid those transitioning through the stage of spiritual seeking into the experience of being.

"I Am * You Are * Love Is" explains complex ideas, perspectives, and experiences in a refreshingly unique and understandable way, inviting you to accelerate your journey inward while making friends with the mind, expanding your awareness, and deepening your understanding of yourself and your experience. No stone is left unturned as commonly accepted spiritual concepts are questioned and examined from many angles, along with new, unique perspectives being offered for consideration.

"I Am * You Are * Love Is" serves as an elaborate invitation to awaken the message of the heart and begin expressing it to the world.

Critique: Thoughtful and thought-provoking, erudite and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, commentary, organization and presentation, "I Am * You Are * Love Is" is an extraordinary and life-affirming read that is highly recommended for both community and academic library collections. It should be noted for the personal lists of non-specialist general readers that "I Am * You Are * Love Is" is also available in a paperback edition (9781504352253, $14.99) and in a Kindle format ($3.99).


The Poetry Shelf

This Is Me, Not Robert Creeley, Speaking
Paul Bussan
PSB Publishing
www.amazon.com/author/paulbussan
9780972688420, $16.00, PB, 53pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "This Is Me, Not Robert Creeley, Speaking" is a book of poetry in which the Paul Bussan, in his own particular way, attempts to capture that calculated spacing and passionate compression which Dudley Fitts cited as the virtues of Robert Creeley's first book of poetry "For Love", and in which the poetry is not so much found in the poems themselves as in the spirit animating them. "After Berkeley": While I, based / on who I am, / who I see myself / at being, am being / seen as, am / seeing others / as they are, / is to be.

Critique: Whimsical, thought-provoking, deftly crafted, "This Is Me, Not Robert Creeley, Speaking " clearly showcases Paul Bussan's genuine flair for deftly crafted, succinct, and memorable free verse. This brief compendium of his work is very highly recommended for personal reading lists.

In Hubble's Shadow
Carol Smallwood
Shanti Arts, LLC
https://www.shantiarts.co
9781941830444, $14.95, PB, 98pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Though privileged to live in times when space exploration and technology have advanced our knowledge of the universe at breath-taking speed, we still live as if we are the ones around whom the sun rises and sets. Moving from the most intimate of human activities to the profound and expansive dimensions of the universe, "In Hubble's Shadow" is a collection of poems by Carol Smallwood that explores, as did Edwin Hubble, the elusive mysteries of life. The vision, shared by all of us (poets, artists, laborers, homemakers, and space explorers) is to make the best of this world while seeking to understand it more fully.

'A Dark Matter': Observers learned by watching rotation / that galaxies are nearly 90% invisible dark matter / which confounds our very best contemplation. / Observers learned by watching rotation / that without dark matter galaxies lack consolidation / and would collapse in one comprehensive splatter. / Observers learned by watching rotation / that galaxies are nearly 90% invisible dark matter.

Critique: Deftly crafted, each individual free verse poem is a thoughtful and thought-provoking gem. Taken as a whole, "In Hubble's Shadow" is an elegant compendium of verse that will prove to be inherently compelling from cover to cover and an enduringly popular and appreciated addition to personal, community, and academic library Contemporary Poetry collections.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Finding God Anew
Barbara Kudwa
Ezekiel Press
P.O. Box 2324 Traverse City, MI 49685-2324
http://barbfindsgodanew.com
9780998006307, $15.95, PB, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In "Finding God Anew: How I Fell Away and Returned to God Despite Divorce, Betrayal, and Personal Tragedy", Barbara Kudwa unveils how God never gave up on her. She takes you down a very personal journey through the storms of life to hope and healing as her relationship with God is tested. She faces challenges in marriages resulting in divorces, heartbreak in pregnancy loss, and deaths of family members, along with holding on to unforgiveness and anger from shocking betrayals. Experiencing trauma, anxiety, pain, and grief, she turns to God for hope, allowing her relationship with God to flourish and her brokenness to heal.

Critique: Candidly informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, inspired and inspiring, "Finding God Anew" is deftly written, inherently compelling read from beginning to end. While very highly recommended for church, community, and academic library Christian Studies collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of all Christians (regardless of denominational affiliation) that "Finding God Anew" is also available in a Kindle format ($2.99).

Beloved Hear MY Heart
Lawrence Sankar
National Library and Information System Authority
https://enalis.overdrive.com
9789768260123, $12.60, PB, 166pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Lawrence Sankar is an Ordained Minister within the Church of God in Christ and has served at various levels of Ministry during his twenty-six years of service at his local Church, the Greater Malabar Christian Center. The contents of his new book "Beloved Hear MY Heart: A Deep Sense of Righteous Urgency!" have been prayerfully and thoughtfully articulated in such a way that it carefully navigates the reader through the many challenges of this life, while keeping a laser focus on the Word of God.

"Beloved Hear MY Heart" addresses the many relevant issues of today's society within a poetic, prophetic discourse, reverently combining very vivid analogies, parables and anecdotes that ignite one's passion and call to action. It is Reverend Sankar's sincere hope that this very passionate Prophetic discourse will wholly provoke all, to zealously proclaim the Word of God.

Critique: Thoughtful and thought-provoking, inspired and inspiring, "Beloved Hear MY Heart: A Deep Sense of Righteous Urgency" is an extraordinary and potentially life altering read that is very highly recommended to everyone and anyone seeking to adhere their lives to the expressed and implied Word of God. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Beloved Hear MY Heart" is also available in a Kindle format ($7.50).


The Money/Finance Shelf

Live Rich Stay Wealthy - Total Retirement Freedom
Ken Himmler
Blue Apple Enterprises, LLC
9780692674925, $39.99, PB, 339pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In "Live Rich Stay Wealthy: Total Retirement Freedom", Ken Himmler draws upon his years of experience and expertise designing protected income and tax strategies for high net worth clients and companies to provide practical insights and instructions for non-specialist general readers with respect to investment, tax, and real estate planning strategies for themselves.

The underlying message is to not work your entire life for money, but rather, learn how to get money to work for you for what Himmler describes as 'Total Financial Freedom'.

The first part of "Live Rich Stay Wealthy" gives the do-it-yourself person the tools, the resources and processes on how to create a Total Retirement Freedom plan. The second part of "Live Rich Stay Wealthy" will teach you how to protect your money from certain advisors and financial companies which may cost thousands or even millions of dollars.

"Live Rich Stay Wealthy" will help you find, hire and oversee the right person. With checklists, software access and processes, you'll now have in "Live Rich Stay Wealthy" a tool to create a successful retirement.

Critique: Impressively informed and informative, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, practical, insightful, and directly applicable, "Live Rich Stay Wealthy: Total Retirement Freedom" will prove to be an enduringly popular and appreciated addition to personal, community, and academic library Money/Fiances instructional reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted that "Live Rich Stay Wealthy: Total Retirement Freedom" is also available in a Kindle format ($19.99).


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Finding Hope
Steven J. Sommer
Privately Published
9780995434516, $35.00, HC, 434pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: When he almost lost his life in 2012, holistic medical practitioner Dr. Steven Sommer, became inspired and determined to share his experience and knowledge before his life was done. The result is "Finding Hope: When Facing Serious Disease".

In "Finding Hope", Dr. Sommer shares his patients' and his own personal journey exploring how to defy the odds with Meditation as medicine, Lifestyle as therapy, Mind-body weaving, Epigenetics, Complementary therapies, Humor that heals, Fecal transplantation, Judgement and enlightenment and Dying well.

Gathering examples and research from illnesses such as Cancer, Heart Disease, Parkinson's, MS, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Dr. Sommer synthesizes the key principles for finding and maintaining hope for better health in the face of such serious challenges.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Finding Hope: When Facing Serious Disease" is a compendium of practical wisdom presented in a thoroughly accessible (and occasionally humorous) style. As informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Finding Hope" is a life-affirming, life-enhancing, life-prolonging read that is especially recommended for both community and academic library Health/Medicine collections in general, and Alternative Medicine supplemental studies lists in particular. It should be noted for medical students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Finding Hope" is also available in a paperback edition (9780995434509, $22.00) and in a Kindle format ($9.20).

I'm Hopeless, I'm Crazy
Linda Rae Anderson
Xlibris Corporation
1663 South Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
www.xlibris.com
9781524554538, $29.99, HC, 152pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "I'm Hopeless, I'm Crazy: How My Mother Recovered from the Ravages of Mental Illness Through Natural Medicine and Integrated Therapies" is the candid account of author Linda Rae Anderson's mother Elaine struggled to regain her mental and emotional health which included trying to protect her four children with respect to their father who has problems of his own with emotional stability and the consequences of poor life decisions. Linda's own journey as a child growing up during those turbulent years that were to include a five year commitment of her mother to a psychiatric facility is candidly related. Then when Linda's mother was again hospitalized when in her sixties she experienced another major psychiatric break and became catatonic due to the use of psychotropic drugs, having to step in to protect her mother and helping her recover through the use of a naturopathy approach which, after three years of nutritional supplements, various herbs, healthy foods, exercise, and therapy resulted in a complete recovery.

Critique: An honest, straight-forward, exceptionally well written account that is inherently fascinating, informative, thought-provoking, and ultimately inspiring, "I'm Hopeless, I'm Crazy: How My Mother Recovered from the Ravages of Mental Illness Through Natural Medicine and Integrated Therapies" is an extraordinary story that should be a part of every community and academic library Alternative Medicine collections in general, and Psychology/Psychiatry supplemental studies reading lists in particular. It should be noted for the personal lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "I'm Hopeless, I'm Crazy" is also available in a paperback edition (9781524554545, $19.99) and in a Kindle format ($3.99).


The Psychology Shelf

Phobia Relief: From Fear to Freedom
Kalliope Barlis
www.phobiarelief.org
Building Your Best
http://www.nlp.nyc
9781945953033, $14.95, PB, 136pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Humans are born with two fears: the fear of falling and fear of loud noises. All the rest of our fears ranging from spiders, snakes, clowns, and flying, to close spaces, getting sick, dogs, and needles, are learned and can therefore be unlearned.

In "Phobia Relief: From Fear to Freedom", author Kalliope Barlis draws upon her more than 20 years' experience in Neuro-Linguistic Programming to offer step-by-step instructions for ridding yourself of illogical fears and phobias by using Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) techniques. What she offers is education, not therapy, and the results can be absolutely liberating.

By completing the exercises comprising the life-changing workbook that is "Phobia Relief: From Fear to Freedom", readers be able to: Learn the true cause of their phobias; Gain control over formerly uncontrollable thoughts; Shrink their fears and reverse them; Stop visualizing what they don't want and start visualizing what they do want; Find their purpose and build their best life ever.

Critique: As thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation as it is informed and informative, "Phobia Relief: From Fear to Freedom" will prove to be an effective, practical, life changing/life enhancing read. While very highly recommended for both community and academic library Psychology collections in general, and Self-Help supplemental studies lists in particular, it should be noted for personal reading lists for psychology students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Phobia Relief: From Fear to Freedom" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).


The Business Shelf

The Dance of the Business Mind
Valeh Nazemoff
http://valehnazemoff.com
TI Press
9780998779409, $19.95, PB, 170pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Using ballroom dancing as a metaphor, "The Dance of the Business Mind: Strategies to Thrive Anywhere, From the Ballroom to the Boardroom" by Valeh Nazemoff (co-owner of a consulting firm, and executive coach, as well as a competitive ballroom dancer) deftly guides the reader through 6 steps to stimulate creativity, enhance awareness, and lead to peak performance. In each individual chapter of The Dance of the Business Mind, provides specific strategies gleaned from interviews with international award-winning dance coaches and performers, including Karina Smirnoff of Dancing with the Stars to train the mind to "dance". Readers start with the basics (mental and physical preparation) then expand to choreography and practice, before the finale: learning how to perform in the office and beyond with confidence and ease.

"The Dance of the Business Mind" covers such issues as: How freeing your mind to dance can help you make better decisions in the workplace and achieve desired results; Why positive thinking and visualization can help you perform at your highest level--in business and in dance; The Four I's, which will help you bring your passion and expertise to essential professional decisions; Successful business partnerships require you to get in sync with your colleagues (they take communication, rhythm, and a shared purpose); How to make sure that your "steps" (your business plan) match your "music" (your goal) so you can succeed in the best possible way; The value of mapping your business strategy like a choreographer, creating a plan of action before taking to the stage.

Critique: Offering an original and effective approach, "The Dance of the Business Mind:: Strategies to Thrive Anywhere, From the Ballroom to the Boardroom" is impressively informative, thoughtful, and thought-provoking. A potentially life changing, life enhancing read, "The Dance of the Business Mind " is exceptionally well written, organized and presented, making it an ideal and highly recommended addition to personal, corporate, community, and academic library Business Management collections in general, and Self-Help/Self-Improvement supplemental studies lists in particular.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

Your Breath in Art
Beatrice Manley
Everything Goes Media
PO Box 1524, Milwaukee, WI 53201
www.everythinggoesmedia.com
9781893121782, $16.95, PB, 220pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Your Breath in Art: Acting From Within" by the late Beatrice Manley (1921-2002) is nuanced and quirky collection of expert advice and observations once reserved for actors has been especially formatted for a new generation and a broader audience interested in: Breathwork; Mindfulness; Personal Presence; Presentation; and Authenticity. Drawing upon her more than 60-year theater career centered in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, and having distinguished herself on stage in tragedy and comedy, classical and modernist works, and ultimately as a beloved teacher and acting coach, Manley drew upon her experience and expertise to present an informed and informative instruction guide and manual.

Critique: Thoroughly 'user friendly' in tone, commentary, organization and presentation, "Your Breath in Art" should be a core part of every community theatre group, highschool and college drama department, and community library Theatre/Cinema/TV instructional reference collection and supplemental studies reading list.


The Social Issues Shelf

The Intersection
Bridge Magazine
http://www.bridgemi.com
Mission Point Press
http://missionpoint.businesscatalyst.com
9781943995264, $19.95, PB, 244pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The 1967 race riot in Detroit, Michigan was one of the worst in the country at that time. Now some fifty years after anger and frustration over police-community relations boiled over into a city-wide rebellion, "Intersection: What Detroit has gained, and lost, 50 years after the uprisings of 1967" addresses the critically important questions of what has been learned, and how have things changed. It is ironic that so many of the factors that led to that uprising are still with us. There are so many reminders, both physical and metaphorical can be disheartening. Is the past simply prolog to the future?

If there is good news, some 50 years after that 1967 uprising, it is probably that we are all much more honest about the ways in which the problems of then still haunt us now. There's nowhere near as much gloss or self-kidding as we used to indulge. The collective effort of the editorial staff of Bridge Magazine, and members of the Detroit Journalism Collective, "The Intersection", is a unique and informative collection of reports and insights with respect to the enduring effects of the traumatic experiences arising from the race riot and how race relations between the community and the police continue to be problematic to this day.

Critique: Highly illustrated with archival photos, contemporary photos, graphs and time lines, "The Intersection" is extraordinarily informed and informative. As comprehensive and inclusive as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "The Intersection" is very highly recommended for both community and academic library Social Issues collections, as well as for the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.

Why Physicians Die by Suicide
Michael F. Myers, MD
www.michaelfmyers.com
Privately Published
9780692831878 $14.99 amazon.com

Synopsis: Physicians are known to be a group of professionals who are at risk of taking their own lives. In this easy-to-read book, Dr. Michael Myers, a psychiatrist and specialist in physician health, attempts to explain the mystery of why some doctors, despite their calling and the adoration of their families, patients, students and colleagues, perish by suicide. He combines the powerful and gripping insights of dozens of bereaved people whom he interviewed for this project with disguised stories from his decades long clinical practice to shed some light on this national tragedy.

The stigma attached to mental illness in doctors is ubiquitous and pernicious - and, because untreated illness is one of the major drivers to suicide, Dr. Myers argues that stigma must be fought with urgency and might. He makes across-the-board recommendations in an effort to prevent suicide in physicians and concludes that everyone has a role to play in saving a doctor's life. This is a book about heartbreak, loss, prevailing, growth, passion and hope. It's a book for doctors themselves, their families, those who train them, those who treat them and those who care about them.

Critique: Written by professional psychiatrist Michael F. Myers MD especially for physicians and their families, Why Physicians Die by Suicide directly addresses a distressing problem - why 300 or 400 doctors kill themselves every year. Chapters address multiple contributors to the epidemic - stress and burnout, inherent knowledge of and access too potentially deadly drugs, and flaws in how the medical system treats physicians who need care. A compassionate call for prevention and change, Why Physicians Die by Suicide is highly recommended.


James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
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
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