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Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
A Factotum in the Book Trade: A Memoir
Marius Kociejowski
Biblioasis
www.biblioasis.com
9781771964562, $18.95, PB 360pp
https://www.amazon.com/Factotum-Book-Trade-Marius-Kociejowski/dp/1771964561
Synopsis: A memoir of a life in the antiquarian book trade, "A Factotum in the Book Trade" by antiquarian bookseller
Marius KocieJowski is a readily recognized journey for all dedicated bibliophiles between the shelves, behind the counter,
into the overstuffed basement, and up the spine-stacked attic stairs of their own neighborhood bookshop.
From his childhood in rural Ontario (where at the village jumble sale Marius bought poetry volumes for their
pebbled-leather covers alone), to his all-but-accidental entrance into the trade in London, and then on to a career when it
turned into a poet and travel writer, Marius recounts his life among the buyers, sellers, customers, and literary nobility (the
characters, fictional and not) who populate these bookshop places all bibliophiles love to browse through.
Cataloging their passions and pleasures, oddities and obsessions, "A Factotum in the Book Trade" is a memorable journey
through their lives, and a story of the serendipities and collisions of fate, the mundane happenings and indelible encounters,
the friendships, feuds, losses, and elations that characterize the business of books -- and, inevitably, make up an
unforgettable life story.
Critique: An absolute 'must' for the personal reading lists of all authors, publishers, booksellers and dedicated bibliophiles,
"A Factotum in the Book Trade" is an absorbing, entertaining, informational, and inherently fascinating combination of
memoir and book trader insights and commentaries. One of those life stories that will linger on in the mind and memory of
the reader long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf, this paperback edition of Marius
Kociejowski's "A Factotum in the Book Trade" should be on the Biography/Memoir shelf of every community, college, and
university library.
Editorial Note: Marius Kociejowski, born 1949, is a poet, essayist and travel writer. Among the books he has written are
The Street Philosopher and the Holy Fool - A Syrian Journey, and a sequel, The Pigeon Wars of Damascus published by
Biblioasis in 2010. His first collection of poetry, Coast (Greville Press, 1990) was awarded the Cheltenham Prize. His most
recent books are God's Zoo: Artists, Exiles, Londoners (Carcanet, 2014), The Pebble Chance: prose & feuilletons
(Biblioasis, 2014), Zoroaster's Children and other travels (Biblioasis, 2015) and Collected Poems (Carcanet, 2019). He has
recently completed another travel book, The Serpent Coiled in Naples.
The Healing Power of Storytelling
Annie Brewster, MD, author
Rachel Zimmerman, author
https://www.rachelzimmerman.net
North Atlantic Books
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA 94704-2607
www.northatlanticbooks.com
9781623176693, $17.95, PB, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Power-Storytelling-Personal-Narrative/dp/1623176697
Synopsis: When Harvard-trained physician Dr. Annie Brewster was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2001, she realized
firsthand that the medical system to which she'd devoted her entire career was failing patients. The experience was
dehumanizing. Her doctors weren't listening. And the confusion, fear, and shame she felt around her diagnosis was
preventing her from truly healing, claiming her story, and living her fullest, richest life.
The fact is, doctors can give you a life-changing diagnosis, but they're not equipped to help you deal with the inner fallout:
the confusion, anxiety, trauma, and dread that comes after "I have some bad news." Here, Dr. Brewster shows how writing
your own unique healing story can help you process what comes next -- to come to terms, create new ways to thrive, and
even reclaim your personal power amid fear, change, and uncertainty.
With the publication of "The Healing Power of Storytelling: Using Personal Narrative to Navigate Illness, Trauma, and
Loss" Dr. Brewster and veteran journalist Rachel Zimmerman each share their own personal stories, acting as expert guides
as you move forward on your healing journey.
With exercises, reflections, writing prompts, and stories from other real patients, Dr. Brewster and Zimmerman show how
you can: Process the difficult emotions that come with life-changing diagnosis; Move beyond being the hero of your own
story to become the author of your own story; Craft your narrative and share it in whatever medium speaks to you: music,
audio, art, or writing; Integrate a traumatic health event into a new and evolving identity; Use applied storytelling techniques
to strengthen connections between you and your loved ones (and even your care providers); Cultivate resilience to move
forward amid uncertainty and fear.
Critique: An extraordinary, informative, insightful, compassionate, and ultimately inspiring combination of personal
memoirs and 'insider' instruction with respect to the medical community, "The Healing Power of Storytelling: Using
Personal Narrative to Navigate Illness, Trauma, and Loss" is particularly germane and timely reading for anyone having to
deal with a serious illness -- especially in the era of global pandemic and over crowded hospitals. Unreservedly useful,
practical, and encouraging, "The Healing Power of Storytelling: Using Personal Narrative to Navigate Illness, Trauma, and
Loss" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and medical school library Health/Medicine
collections in general, and Self-Help/Healing Trauma curriculum studies lists in particular. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of medical personnel and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The
Healing Power of Storytelling: Using Personal Narrative to Navigate Illness, Trauma, and Loss" is also readily available in a
digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note #1: Dr. Annie Brewster is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Harvard Medical School and a practicing
physician at Massachusetts General Hospital. She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2001. She started recording
patient narratives in 2010 and founded Health Story Collaborative (HSC) in 2013. She maintains an informative website at
www.healthstorycollaborative.org and can be followed on @HealthStoryCo
Editorial Note #2: Rachel Zimmerman has been a journalist, writer, and editor for more than two decades, including as a
staff writer for The Wall Street Journal, a health reporter for WBUR, and co-founder of the blog CommonHealth. She has
been published in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Slate, and more. A Brooklyn native, Zimmerman lives in Cambridge,
MA, with her family. She has a website at https://www.rachelzimmerman.net and can be followed on
@zimmerman082
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
From Book to Bestseller
Penny C. Sansevieri
Privately Published
9798485487201, $12.99, PB, 216pp
https://www.amazon.com/Book-Bestseller-Promotion-Branding-Longterm/dp/B09PHJV86W
Synopsis: It's easy to get caught up in writing, and the other daily demands of life. But the result is often a rushed,
ineffective, and amateur approach to book marketing.
With the publication of "From Book to Bestseller: The Savvy Author's Guide to Book Promotion, Smart Branding, and
Longterm Success", book marketing expert Penny Sansevieri draws upon her years of experience and expertise to provide
self-published and traditionally published authors and instructive guide and 'how to' manual specifically is designed to help
them to: Get laser focused on what matters; Tighten up and finesse an author brand; Generate more traction with an author
platform; Reach out to more bloggers and get more reviews.
"From Book to Bestseller" also shows: How to pitch a book to its intended readership; Easy ways to build your social
media; Build a more consistent reader review funnel; Easy ways to build your street team; Develop a return buyer network;
Consistently sell more books!
In fact, the goal of "From Book to Bestseller" is to help authors that feel they've been at this for a while and have done "all
the book marketing things" without really seeing much progress.
Critique: A complete and comprehensive course in book marketing in a single volume, "From Book to Bestseller: The
Savvy Author's Guide to Book Promotion, Smart Branding, and Longterm Success" is an ideal DIY combination of
instructional guide and 'how to' manual. Impressively 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "From Book to
Bestseller: The Savvy Author's Guide to Book Promotion, Smart Branding, and Longterm Success" is essential for the
novice author discovering that they are the primary person responsible for bringing their book to the attention of their
intended readership.
It also has immense value for even the more experienced author as a compendium of 'real world practical' tips, tricks and
techniques for successfully marketing books regardless of their subject matter or genre. It should also be a part of every
college and university Creative Writing Class & Workshop curriculum so that aspiring writers can learn what to do with
what they have written and published.
While a critically important addition to personal, professional, community, and university library Writing/Publishing
collections, "From Book to Bestseller: The Savvy Author's Guide to Book Promotion, Smart Branding, and Longterm
Success" is also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note #1: Penny Sansevieri is the CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. (AME) and an Adjunct
Professor at NYU. She is also a best-selling author in her own right and an internationally recognized book marketing and
media relations expert. Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most
cutting-edge book marketing campaigns. She maintains an informative website at: www.amarketingexpert.com
Editorial Note #2: It should be noted that as the editor-in-chief of the Midwest Book Review I have had a long, friendly, and
successful cyberspace pen-pal and professional relationship with Penny over the years. She is one of the most competent,
knowledgeable and reliable book publicists and marketing directors I've ever had the privilege of working with. I fully
endorse everything she has incorporated into her newest publication "From Book to Bestseller: The Savvy Author's Guide to
Book Promotion, Smart Branding, and Longterm Success".
The Health/Medicine Shelf
Unlock Your Macro Type
Christine Hronec
Mariner Books
www.marinerbooks.com
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
195 Broadway, New York, NY, 10007
www.harpercollins.com
www.harperaudio.com
9780358576624, $28.99, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Unlock-Your-Macro-Type-Understand/dp/0358576628
Synopsis: When it comes to weight control, one-size-fits-all diets simply don't work, and neither does counting calories
alone. Biochemical Engineer and fitness expert Christine Hronec has discovered that the key to fat loss and feeling your best
is eating the optimum ratio of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat) for your unique body.
Through years of coaching and research, Hronec has pinpointed five macro types, a bio-individual nutritional blueprint
based on your body type and carb tolerance. Rooted in science and backed by real-world results, "Unlock Your Macro Type"
reveals: The secret code of fat, and why you need to eat fat to burn fat; Why drastic carb-cutting can backfire for many
macro types; The essential macronutrient most people don't get enough of each day; The single biggest factor that dictates
how to eat for your macro type.
Featuring quizzes and tailor-made menus, recipes, and workouts, Hronec's personalized plan for maximum health and
weight control is designed to get you the best results based on your body, your metabolism, and your goals.
Critique: "Unlock Your Macro Type: Identify Your True Body Type, Understand Your Carb Tolerance, Accelerate Fat
Loss" by Christine Hronec is thoroughly 'real world practical' and thoroughly 'user friendly' in commentary style,
organization and presentation. Enhanced for the reader with an informative Epilogue (Macross for Life), a five page listing
of References, a nine page General Index, and a six page Recipe Index, "Unlock Your Macro Type" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library Health & Medicine collections. It should be
noted for personal reading lists that "Unlock Your Macro Type" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99)
and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Harper Audio, 9780358669814, $28.99, CD.)
Editorial Note: Christine Hronec is an award-winning chemist and three-time champion fitness competitor, nutrition, and
exercise expert, Christine uses her background in serious science to develop her popular body type programs. Since
founding her company in 2013, Christine has helped approximately 35,000 women transform their bodies and switch to a
body-positive self-image. With over 21 million views on her YouTube channel, Christine has been a leader in the area of
women's health since 2012. She's been featured in Forbes, Huffington Post, Muscle and Fitness HERS, Muscle and
Strength, Flex magazine, and has appeared on Extra TV, Fox News, and CBS.
The Cookbook Shelf
50 Easy Indian Curries
Penny Chawla
Smith Street Books
c/o Rizzoli
300 Park Avenue South, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10010
www.rizzoliusa.com
9781922417589, $19.95, HC, 136pp
https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Indian-Curries-Penny-Chawla/dp/1922417580
Synopsis: Indian curries consists of a variety of regional and traditional ingredients that were locally available including
spices, herbs, vegetables, and fruits. Historical events such as invasions, trade relations, and colonialism have played a role
in introducing certain curries to western nations.
From world-famous classics to lesser-known regional specialties, "50 Easy Indian Curries" is a collection deftly compiled by
Penny Chawla (a food writer and chef based in Sydney, Australia) that features some of India's easiest and most delicious
curries. With recipes for vegan dals, slow-cooked braises, coastal masalas, and fiery chicken, along with simple breads, rice,
and curry pastes, "50 Easy Indian Curries" reveals in an illustrated, step-by-step approach how to create India's most
beloved, versatile, and popular food with both ease and speed.
Critique: Beautifully illustrated with full page color photography of each showcased dish, "50 Easy Indian Curries" is a
delight to simply browse through one page at a time. Ideal for planning memorable menus for any and all dining occasions,
"50 Easy Indian Curries" is thoroughly 'user friendly" for the novice kitchen cook and has a great deal to offer even the
experienced devotees of what could be rightfully acknowledged as Indian's internationally famous contribution to world
class cuisines.
The Turmeric Cookbook
Aster, author
Aster
c/o Octopus Books
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781783254965, $12.99, PB, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Turmeric-Cookbook-Delicious-Recipes-Superfood/dp/1783254963
Synopsis: Turmeric has been harvested for over 5,000 years in its native Indonesia and is a key ingredient in many dishes
and medicinal remedies throughout the region. It is now rising quickly in popularity everywhere in the world as wellness
seekers of all ages discover the health properties of this incredible food. Scientific studies now show that turmeric contains
anti-cancer properties, may be helpful with inflammatory bowel disease, Chrohn's, rheumatoid arthritis, help with improved
liver function, heart health, may help to lower cholesterol and be protective against Alzheimer's disease.
Turmeric becomes more active either when cooked or combined with other specific ingredients such as ginger and black
pepper. Whether in root or powder form, turmeric can be used in juices, smoothies, infusions, soups, curries, pulses, stews,
for roasting vegetables, adding to hummus, yoghurt and marinades for fish, meat or tofu.
With the publication of "The Turmeric Cookbook" showcases how to use turmeric, all its health benefits, and provides a
compendium of 50 delicious recipes for turmeric dishes.
Critique: Beautifully illustrated throughout in full color, "The Turmeric Cookbook" is a delight to simply browse through
one recipe at a time. Ideal for planning memorable, palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, health inducing menus, "The
Turmeric Cookbook" will be an immediately welcome and enduringly appealing addition to personal, family, and
community library cookbook collections.
Editorial Note: Launched with a mission to bring fresh voices to those seeking a more conscious way of life, Aster is the
home of books that nourish and inspire. Its growing list of bold and beautiful books for the contemporary wellness audience
encompasses narrative and illustrated titles in food, fitness, health, beauty, science, mind body spirit, diet, lifestyle and
beyond. A complete list of all Aster titles can be found at https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/aster/2785734/
Fabulous Modern Cookies
Paul Arguin, author
Chris Taylor, author
The Countryman Press
c/o W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.countrymanpress.com
9781682686591, $25.00, PB, 360pp
https://www.amazon.com/Fabulous-Modern-Cookies-Lessons-Next-Generation/dp/1682686590
Synopsis: Chris Taylor and Paul Arguin bring fresh perspective and heaps of creativity to everything they bake. Now
reinventing America's most traditional handheld dessert (the cookie) with the publication of "Fabulous Modern Cookies:
Lessons in Better Baking for Next-Generation Treats" they team up to offer 100 reliable and exciting recipes that are sure to
impress. From Pumpkin Snickercrinkles to Black-Bottom Lemon Squares, and Coffee Bean Crunchers to Bronze Butter
Chocolate Chip Cookies, these are next-level cookies.
Combining their passion for serious baking with their professional backgrounds as accomplished scientists, Taylor and
Arguin apply new methods and modern ingredient pairings to develop novel base recipes with innovative techniques. In
these pages, they share what they've learned in lively tips and tricks for every recipe and style of cookie. Complete with
mouth-watering photos, options to make ahead, decorate, or infinitely adapt, these outside-the-box recipes are the very
definition of fabulous.
Critique: Beautifully illustrated throughout with 100 color photographs, "Fabulous Modern Cookies: Lessons in Better
Baking for Next-Generation Treats" is an impressively 'kitchen cook friendly' compendium easy and delicious cookies
suitable for all occasions. Featuring bar cookies; drop cookies; rolled cookies; slice-and-bake cookies; filed, stuffed, and
sandwiched cookies; piped, shaped, molded, and no-bake cookies; savory cookies, there is a final section for fillings and
other additional recipes. Also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $1299) and enhanced for the novice baker with the
inclusion of a ten page Flavor Index, a five page listing of Sources, and a four page Index, "Fabulous Modern Cookies:
Lessons in Better Baking for Next-Generation Treats" will prove an enduringly popular addition to personal, family,
professional, and community library cookbook collections.
The Homestead Sourdough Cookbook
Georgia Vardozza
Harvest House Publishers
PO Box 41210, Eugene, OR 97404-0322
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
9780736984409, $17.99, PB, 176pp
https://www.amazon.com/Homestead-Sourdough-Cookbook-Techniques-Successful/dp/0736984402
Synopsis: There are few things more satisfying than a thick, warm slice of homemade bread served fresh out of the oven --
especially when its sourdough bread! With the publication of "The Homestead Sourdough Cookbook", novice and
experienced bread makers alike with fully enjoy joining baking and homestyle cooking veteran Georgia Varozza as she
teaches everything needed to be known about making memorably delicious sourdough creations from scratch, including
how to make or source a quality sourdough starter, what tools and supplies to collect and where to locate them, and of
course, how to make a basic sourdough loaf.
A compendium of over 100 delicious recipes, expert advice, and kitchen cook friendly instructions, "The Homestead
Sourdough Cookbook" provides an ideal place to start a DIY sourdough baking adventure.
Critique: Illustrated throughout with line drawings, "The Homestead Sourdough Cookbook" is thoroughly 'user friendly' in
organization and presentation. While also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.49), "The Homestead
Sourdough Cookbook" is certain to be an enduringly valued, highly prized, and thoroughly appreciated addition to personal,
professional, family, and community library cookbook collections.
Editorial Note: A writer and editor, Georgia Varozza, is also the author of the Homestead Canning Cookbook and the
Homestyle Amish Kitchen Cookbook. She enjoys teaching people how to prepare and preserve healthy foods, live simply,
and get the most from what they have. She maintains a website at: www.georgiaplainandsimple.blogspot.com
The Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Cats & Books
Jennifer Thompson and Nikki Maldonado, editors
Michaela Creedon et al, photographers
Universe Publishing
c/o Rizzoli International Publications, Inc.
300 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010
www.rizzoliusa.com
9780789341181, $19.95, HC, 112 pages
https://www.amazon.com/Cats-Books-Universe/dp/0789341182
"Cats & Books" is a stunning and charmingly adorable collection of 80 color photographs of 42 distinctive cats, living in
feline tolerant habitats in various corners of the world . Each cat's portrait is accompanied by a brief bio sketch preceded by
feline name/title.
Thus we find Charlie from Seattle, Washington, Catniss from Grand Rapids Michigan, Remus from Minnesota, USA, Felix
(also known as Felix Felicis) from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Olly, from Greater Manchester, UK, Darwin and Olympe
from Chalons-en-Champagne, Marne, France, George form Dusseldorf, Germany, Tan, from Africa, Odin, from Walmer
Estate, Cape Town, South Africa, and even one sleeping cat listed as "Unknown," from Fethiye, Turkey, and so many
more!
Each individual portrait shows distinctive personality traits and adorable posing habits of beloved felines in proximity to
equally well-beloved books. A must for cat fanciers and bibliophiles everywhere, here is a dream testament to the graceful,
enduring charm of felines of all descriptions. My personal favorite is Orson the Bookstore Cat, from Stephentown, New
York, USA. Orson loves wet cat food and human food that comes from a bag. He is a smooth grey Russian blue -looking cat
who was born in Fort Lauderdale, FLA and moved to upstate New York with his human mum, and subsequently thrived
despite breaking out of his cat carrier during the long car ride from FLA to NY.
Many surprising mixes and breeds of cats are featured, but all have one thing in common, star quality. If begging for their
owners' attention and affection is a common trait, so is soaking up a spotlight and taking maximum advantage of one's
environment. Here are cats who live to be loved. How wonderful the world that loves them back enough to feature their
portraits so prominently!
"Cats & Books" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal and community library Pets/Wildlife collections -
- and is a 'must' for all dedicated cat fanciers and anyone else who has ever enjoyed the company of a feline companion.
The Business Shelf
The Success Factor
Ruth Gotian
Kogan Page
www.koganpage.com
9781398602311, $210.00, ($80.00 Amazon), HC, 248pp
https://www.amazon.com/Success-Factor-Developing-Skillset-Performance/dp/1398602310
Synopsis: All high achievers share the same four attributes (intrinsic motivation, perseverance, strong foundation, constantly
learning through informal means). The key to their success is that they do all four of these things in tandem. Based on
research and in-person interviews with astronauts, Nobel laureates, and Olympic champions "The Success Factor:
Developing the Mindset and Skillset for Peak Business Performance" by Ruth Dotian outlines the methodological approach
that individuals aspiring to improve their performance can adopt to achieve success.
Using these four shared attributes as a guide, "The Success Factor" shows how to reach your peak performance by applying
the lessons of high achievers in your own life: identify your passion using a Passion Audit; learn how and where to find a
mentor and how to build a mentoring team; develop your own community of practice; pursue your interests through
informal learning; and manage your time and energy.
"The Success Factor" also comes with online resources that feature a downloadable Passion Audit worksheet, mentoring
team worksheet, scripts for approaching potential mentors and a list of uncommon places to find a mentor, such as webinars,
book clubs and social media.
Critique: Offering a complete course of DIY instructional course on skill set development, "The Success Factor: Developing
the Mindset and Skillset for Peak Business Performance" is an exceptional and highly recommended addition to personal,
professional, community, corporate, college, and university library Business Motivation, Leadership, and Self/Help/Self-
Improvement collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of MBA students, academia, corporate executives,
business managers, entrepreneurs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Success
Factor: Developing the Mindset and Skillset for Peak Business Performance" is also available in a paperback edition,
(9781398602298, $25.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.32).
Editorial Note: Ruth Gotian is a leadership coach, keynote speaker, educator, and social scientist who researches the most
successful people in order to learn about their mindsets and practices. She also serves as the Chief Learning Officer and is
an Assistant Professor of Education in Anesthesiology at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, New York. She is the
2021 recipient of the Thinkers50 RADAR Award, making her the world's #1 emerging management thinker. Her work
regularly appears in Forbes, Psychology Today, Nature, Scientific American, Academic Medicine, and Harvard Business
Review.
Bridge the Gap
Jennifer Edwards, author
Katie McCleary, author
McGraw Hill Professional
1221 Avenue of the Americas, 45th Floor, New York, NY 10020
www.mhprofessional.com
9781264269112, $26.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bridge-Gap-Meaningful-Relationships-Communication/dp/1264269110
Synopsis: Human beings are born to connect -- but in today's increasingly polarized world, we're losing sight of the
importance of building and maintaining professional relationships. And that's bad for business.
With the publication of "Bridge the Gap: Breakthrough Communication Tools to Transform Work Relationships From
Challenging to Collaborative" by the team of Jennifer Edwards and Katie McCleary, readers will learn how to tap into the
psychology of human connections to drive meaningful workplace communications.
Jennifer and Katie are two prominent Fortune 500 coaches who in "Bridge the Gap" explore how your biology and
biography define and refine your behavior in relationships where you struggle to connect. Focusing on personal
responsibility and awareness, meta-cognition, and curiosity, they provide a reliable and replicable framework to enhance
open communication. And they illuminate the inner workings of the human brain and mind, and how they impact the way
you connect, communicate, and collaborate.
"Bridge the Gap" reveals eye-opening techniques to help you: Master your biological reactions when pressure, stress, and
anxiety hijack your efforts to connect; Understand how you and others can better learn from and listen to each other; Lead
with curiosity in all your communication strategies and learn how to give authentic feedback; Feel more comfortable
working on diverse team and embrace all cultural backgrounds.
What makes "Bridge the Gap" different from others is that it focuses on the how rather than just the why of fostering better
communication. And, whether you're entry level staff or a C-Suite executive, these techniques can be applied at all levels
and all capacities.
Filled with practical exercises, colorful stories, and illustrative case studies, "Bridge the Gap: is impressively comprised of
instructions to harnessing the real and raw power of your mind to build solid workplace relationships in any situation.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of six pages of Notes and an eleven page Index, "Bridge the Gap:
Breakthrough Communication Tools to Transform Work Relationships From Challenging to Collaborative" is thoroughly
'user friendly' in commentary style, organization and presentation. While a remarkably useful and highly recommended
addition to community, corporate, college, and university library Business Management/Communication Skills collections,
it should be noted for the personal reading lists of MBA students, academia, corporate executives, business managers,
entrepreneurs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Bridge the Gap: Breakthrough
Communication Tools to Transform Work Relationships From Challenging to Collaborative" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note #1: Jennifer Edwards is a business advisor and leadership advisor working with Fortune 500 companies and
boards, equipping them to perform and collaborate optimally when pressure and stress hit. Her clients include top leaders at
global companies, including Microsoft and WeWork. She is a partner at Winning Streak Ventures, an early-stage capital
fund which invests in disruptive technology companies.
Editorial Note #2: Katie McCleary is an entrepreneur and storyteller who trains leaders, creatives, and humanitarians to
launch big ideas by leveraging their social and cultural capital. She is the founder of 916 Ink, a nonprofit that has
transformed over 4,000 vulnerable youth into confident authors. She is also the host of The Drive podcast on NPR's
CapRadio with the American Leadership Forum.
Anti-Racist Leadership
James D. White, author
Krista White, author
Harvard Business Review Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
http://hbr.org/books
9781647821975, $30.00, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Anti-Racist-Leadership-Transform-Corporate-Race-Conscious/dp/1647821975
Synopsis: Simply stated, racism is bad for business. Business leaders and corporate executives have the unique ability to
reach thousands of employees and millions of consumers and with them build a truly diverse, equitable, and inclusive work
environment and, by extension, a more prosperous business and a more just society.
"Anti-Racist Leadership: How to Transform Corporate Culture in a Race-Conscious World" by James D. White (who as a
black man at the highest levels of corporate America for over thirty years and with the assistance of his daughter Krista
White) provides a comprehensive plan for leaders who are ready to get serious about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)
and to create a successful anti-racist company culture.
Practical lessons and real-world examples of techniques used by seasoned experts will empower company leaders who are
asking themselves what so many have asked James White: What can I do? White's reply is that they can best start by reading
"Anti-Racist Leadership: How to Transform Corporate Culture in a Race-Conscious World".
Critique: Given the racial conditions of our country today, "Anti-Racist Leadership: How to Transform Corporate Culture in
a Race-Conscious World" is an extraordinarily time and critically important contribution to working toward a non-racist
society, culture, and corporate environment. Enhanced for the reader with the inclusion eight pages of Notes, a two page
listing of Acknowledgments, and a ten page Index, "Anti-Racist Leadership: How to Transform Corporate Culture in a
Race-Conscious World" is unreservedly recommended for community, corporate, college, and university library Human
Resources/Personnel Business Management and Ethnic Studies collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists
of MBA students, academia, political activists, corporate leaders, business managers, and non-specialist general readers with
an interest in the subject that "Anti-Racist Leadership: How to Transform Corporate Culture in a Race-Conscious World" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: James D. White is a transformational leader with more than thirty years' experience as a CEO, operating
executive, and board member in the consumer products, retail, and restaurant industries. As Chair, President, and CEO of
Jamba Juice (2008 - 2016), he transformed the company's DEI practices, resulting in a 500 percent increase in the company's
market cap. He has held senior executive positions at Safeway, Gillette, and Nestle Purina and served on more than fifteen
public and private boards. White currently chairs the board of the Honest Company, which recently held its IPO, and is
Executive Chair of the startup Air Protein. In 2020 he launched Culture Design Lab to coach, train, and lead CEOs, boards,
Chief People Officers, and Chief Diversity Officers on putting his DEI playbook into practice.
The Christian Studies Shelf
To Be Made Well
Amy Julia Becker
Herald Press
P.O. Box 866, Harrisonburg, VA 22803
www.heraldpress.com
9781513809724, $29.99, HC, 180pp
https://www.amazon.com/Be-Made-Well-Invitation-Wholeness/dp/1513809717
Synopsis: One of the enduring questions that we all will have to face in the course of our daily lives is: How can we be
made well?
From hurting bodies and souls to hurting relationships and communities, it's clear that things are not as they should be.
Some of us live with varying degrees of physical pain, and others of us harbor the emotional pain of loneliness, shame, and
guilt. Looking at our culture more broadly, we see the harm of our social divisions and the unyielding reality and impact of
injustice and inequity. The gospels brim with stories of Jesus healing people, but what does that mean for us today?
In "To Be Made Well: An Invitation to Wholeness, Healing, and Hope ", Amy Julia Becker weaves together her own story
with reflections on biblical accounts of Jesus' healing work, providing fresh insight into both the nature of healing and the
pathway to healing, then and now. "To Be Made Well" is a powerful invitation to personal, spiritual, and social healing as
we reconnect to our bodies and souls, to God, and to our communities.
For anyone struggling with pain or loss, for anyone concerned about the things that divide us, "To Be Made Well" goes
beyond wellness and beyond miraculous physical transformations to explore how we, personally and collectively, can be
made well.
Critique: Inherently inspiring, "To Be Made Well: An Invitation to Wholeness, Healing, and Hope" is especially and
unreservedly recommended reading for all members of the Christian community regardless of denominational affiliations.
Exceptionally well written, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, it should be noted for the
personal reading lists of clergy, seminary students, church congregation members, that "To Be Made Well: An Invitation to
Wholeness, Healing, and Hope" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781513809717, 17.99) digital book format
(Kindle, $8.49).
Editorial Note: Amy Julia Becker is an award-winning writer and speaker on faith, family, disability, and culture. She is the
author of four books, including most recently White Picket Fences: Turning Towards Love in a World Divided by Privilege.
She hosts the Love is Stronger than Fear podcast. Becker has a bi-vocational license with the Evangelical Covenant Church.
She and her family are members of Salem Covenant Church.
A Hit of Hope: (for when it gets really bad)
Betsy Johnson
The Liturgical Press
2950 Saint John's Road, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
www.litpress.org
9780814667712, $14.95, PB, 136pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hit-Hope-when-gets-really/dp/0814667716
Synopsis: In 2018, Betsy Johnson's life went sideways. She was diagnosed with breast cancer, had to undergo chemo and
radiation, and was asked for a divorce she didn't want. Betsy knew there were all kinds of things she could do to numb the
pain, but she wanted to get better, not worse. She decided to walk through this crucible with hope and grit, and thus began
the meditations that now comprise "A Hit of Hope: (for when it gets really bad)".
To heal, we have to get real and name the mess, the fear, the pain. And we have to see a way forward. A way out. Or at least
a way to sit while the storm crashes - because no storm in the history of the world has ever been able to hold the sky forever.
Whatever you or someone you love are facing, these meditations can bring a hit of hope and help you not only to survive but
to live light.
Critique: Inspired and inspiring, thoughtful and consoling, "A Hit of Hope: (for when it gets really bad)" by Betsy Johnson
is a timely and timeless source of comfort and consolation for anyone having to deal with adverse conditions and
circumstances of any kind in their personal lives. While highly recommended for personal, church, seminary, community,
college, and university library collections, it should be noted that "A Hit of Hope: (for when it gets really bad)" is also
readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: A writer, professor, and yoga teacher, Betsy Johnson hails from a small town in southwestern Minnesota,
and her meditations have been downloaded over 100,000 times on the Insight Timer app.
The Church and the Age of Reformations (1350 - 1650)
Joseph Stuart, author
Barbara A. Stuart, author
Mike Aquilina, series editor
Ave Maria Press
PO Box 428, Notre Dame, IN 46556
www.avemariapress.com
9781646800339, $17.95, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Church-Age-Reformations-1350-1650-Renaissance/dp/1646800338
Synopsis: In 1517, Augustinian monk Martin Luther wrote the infamous Ninety-Five Theses that eventually led to a split
from the Catholic Church. The movement became popularly identified as the Protestant Reformation, but Church reform
actually began well before the schism.
With the publication of "The Church and the Age of Reformations (1350 - 1650): Martin Luther, the Renaissance, and the
Council of Trent", historian Joseph T. Stuart and theologian Barbara A. Stuart highlight the watershed events of a confusing
period in history, providing a broader (and deeper) historical context of the era, including the Council of Trent, the rise of
humanism, and the impact of the printing press.
The Stuarts also profile important figures of these tumultuous centuries, including Thomas More, Teresa of vila, Ignatius
of Loyola, and Francis de Sales, and show that the saints demonstrated the virtues of true reform -- charity, unity, patience,
and tradition.
"The Church and the Age of Reformations (1350 - 1650)" reveals that: Reform efforts in the Catholic Church were
underway before Luther's Ninety-Five Theses; The Church did not sell the forgiveness of sins with indulgences; Millions of
people did not die in the Spanish Inquisition; there were less than 5,000 deaths during a 350-year period; Inquisitions led to
legal advances such as grand juries, the need for multiple witnesses, and defendant protections that are still in place today;
The Catholic Reformation was conducted in four stages and exhibited respect for Church authority, human free will, and the
saints, and focused on the new universal reach of the Church around the globe due to missionary work.
Critique: Enhanced with the inclusion of a Map and a Chronology, eight pages of Notes, a six page Bibliography and a four
page Index, "The Church and the Age of Reformations (1350-1650): Martin Luther, the Renaissance, and the Council of
Trent" is an exceptionally well written and meticulously presented historical study that is especially and unreservedly
recommended for personal, church, seminary, community, college, and university library Christian History collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for seminary students, academia, clergy, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "The Church and the Age of Reformations (1350 - 1650): Martin Luther, the
Renaissance, and the Council of Trent" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.49).
Editorial Note: Books in the Reclaiming Catholic History series, edited by Mike Aquilina and written by leading authors
and historians, bring Church history to life, debunking the myths one era at a time.
St. Ephrem the Syrian: Hymns On Paradise
St. Ephrem, author
Sebastrian Brock, translator
SVS Press
575 Scarsdale Road, Yonkers, NY 10707
www.svspress.com
9780881410761, $19.00, PB, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/St-Ephrem-Syrian-Hymns-Paradise/dp/0881410764
Synopsis: Ephrem the Syrian (c. 306 - 373), also known as Saint Ephrem, Ephrem of Edessa, or Aprem of Nisibis, was a
prominent Christian theologian and writer of the 4th Century A.D., and is revered as one of the most notable hymnographers
of Eastern Christianity. He was born in Nisibis, served as a deacon, and later lived in Edessa.[1][2]
Saint Ephrem's cycle of 15 Hymns on Paradise offers a fine example of Christian poetry, in which the he deftly weaves a
profound theological synthesis around a particular Biblical narrative. Centered on Genesis 2 and 3, he expresses his
awareness of the sacramental character of the created world, and of the potential of everything in the created world to act as
a witness and pointer to the creator. God's two witnesses, says Ephrem, are: 'Nature, through man's use of it, [and] Scripture,
through his reading it."
In his writing, Saint Ephrem posits an inherent link between the material and spiritual worlds. Saint Ephrem's mode of
theological discussion is essentially Biblical and Semitic in character. He uses types and symbols to express connections or
relationships to 'reveal' something that is otherwise 'hidden,' particularly expressing meanings between the Old Testament
and the New, between this world and the heavenly, between the New Testament and the sacraments, and between the
sacraments and the eschaton (meaning end times, end of time, end of days, or last days).
Because his theology is not tied to a particular cultural or philosophical background, but operates by means of imagery and
symbolism basic to all human experience, his theological vision expressed in his hymns has a freshness and immediacy
today that few other theological works from the early 4th Century Christian period can hope to achieve.
Critique: Ably translated into English for an American readership by Sebastian Brock (who is a Fellow of Wolfson College,
Oxford, and University Lecturer in Aramaic and Syriac), and the tenth published volume in the simply outstanding SVS
Press 'Popular Patristics' series, this concise paperback edition of "St. Ephrem the Syrian: Hymns On Paradise" is especially
and unreservedly recommended for personal, church, seminary, college, and university library Antiquarian Christian History
and Christian Hymns/Devotionals collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
The Judaic Studies Shelf
Because My Soul Longs for You
Edwin Goldberg, editor
Elaine Zecher, editor
Central Conference of American Rabbis
https://www.ccarnet.org
9780881233728, $19.95, PB, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Because-Soul-Longs-You-Integrating/dp/0881233722
Synopsis: Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Edwin Goldberg and Elaine Zecher, "Because My Soul Longs for You:
Integrating Theology into Our Lives" seeks to answer one of the most enduring human questions: Where can we find God in
our lives?
While Jewish theologians have long pondered the "God question" from ethical and philosophical perspectives, the last
century has made space for a more experiential theology: God is present in our lived experiences. Radical amazement, to
use Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel's phrase, can be found in everyday life.
The contributors to "Because My Soul Longs for You" share how they welcome God's presence into their lives, as well as
the theological language they use to think and speak about this presence. Individual chapters explore how we experience
God through prayer, text study, poetry, food, music, service, movement, meditation, interpersonal connection, and much
more.
Critique: Erudite and thought-provoking, exceptionally well organized and presented, "Because My Soul Longs for You:
Integrating Theology into Our Lives" is a welcome and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional,
community, synagogue, college, and university library Judaic Studies collections and supplemental curriculum lists. It
should be noted for personal reading lists that "Because My Soul Longs for You: Integrating Theology into Our Lives" is
also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Choosing Hope: The Heritage of Judaism
David Arnow
Jewish Publication Society
2100 Arch Street, 2nd floor, Philadelphia PA 19103-1399
https://jps.org
9780827615205, $30.00, PB, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Choosing-Hope-Heritage-Judaism-Essential/dp/0827615205
Synopsis: According to psychologist and author David Arnow, throughout their recorded history Jews have traditionally
responded to their many and seemingly unending trials with hope because they have had ready access to Judaism's abundant
reservoir of hope.
Published by The Jewish Publication Society, "Choosing Hope: The Heritage of Judaism" is the first book to plumb the
depths of this reservoir as with an historical study that ranges from biblical times to the present day.
"Choosing Hope: The Heritage of Judaism" focuses upon nine fundamental sources of hope in Judaism including: Teshuvah
(the method to fulfill our hope to become better human beings); Tikkun Olam (the hope that we can repair the world by
working together); Abraham and Sarah (models of persisting in hope amid trials); Exodus (the archetype of redemptive
hope); Covenant (the hope for a durable relationship with the One of Being); Job (the "hard-fought hope" that brings a
grief-stricken man back to life); World to Come (the sustaining hope that death is not the end); Israel (high hope activists
work to build a just and inclusive society for all Israelis); Jewish Humor ("hope's last weapon" in the darkest days).
Grounded in a contemporary theology that situates the responsibility for creating a better world in human hands, with God
acting through us, "Choosing Hope: The Heritage of Judaism" can help to both affirm hope in times of trial and transmit
those deepest hopes to the next generation.
Critique: An absorbing, insightful, thoughtful and thought-provoking study that is impressively well organized and
presented, "Choosing Hope: The Heritage of Judaism" is an ideal, timely, and unreservedly recommended addition to
synagogue, community, college, and university library Judaic Studies collections. It should be noted for the personal reading
lists of academia and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in Jewish History & Faith that "Choosing Hope: The
Heritage of Judaism" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: A scholar of the festival of Passover, David Arnow is also the author of "Creating Lively Passover Seders"
and co-editor of "My People's Passover Haggadah".
The Anatomy of Jewish Law
Rabbi Edward Reichman, MD
Maggid
c/o Koren Publishers Jerusalem Ltd.
PO Box 8531, New Milford, CT 06776-8531
www.korenpub.com
9781592645794, $34.95, 596pp
https://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Jewish-Law-Edward-Reichman/dp/1592645798
Synopsis: An innovative and comprehensive work by rabbi, physician, and medical historian Edward Reichman, "The
Anatomy of Jewish Law" deftly traces the medical understanding of anatomy, physiology, and therapeutics across time and
genres of rabbinic literature.
The accumulated literature of centuries of Jewish legal discourse on medical topics serves as the foundation for
contemporary Jewish bioethics. As these writings span the chronological gamut of scientific and medical discovery, it is
essential to view each source in its proper historical context.
Drawing from a vast array of sources from multiple disciplines, "The Anatomy of Jewish Law" demonstrates the importance
of the historical dimension not only for medical halakhic research, but to better understand the unique relationship of
Judaism and medicine throughout the centuries.
Critique: Thematically organized into five major sections (Fertility and Reproduction; Anatomy and Physiology; Diseases
and Theraputics; Death and Resuscitation; Medicine and Rabbinic Literature), "The Anatomy of Jewish Law" is enhanced
for the reader with the inclusion of a ten page Glossary and an eleven page Index. Replete with footnotes, "The Anatomy of
Jewish Law" is an impressively written, organized, presented, and detailed study that will prove a welcome and
recommended addition Rabbinic Literature collections in general, and Judaic/Medical History Studies in particular. While
an especially appropriate addition for synagogue, community, college, and university library collections, it should be noted
for the personal reading lists of rabbinical students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject that "The Anatomy of Jewish Law" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Edward Reichman is a Professor of Emergency Medicine as well as a Professor in the Division of Education
and Bioethics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He received his rabbinic ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan
Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University and writes and lectures internationally in the field of Jewish medical ethics. He
has been a mentor of the Medical Ethics Society of Yeshiva University since its inception. His research is devoted to the
interface of medical history and Jewish law. A graduate of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Rabbi Dr. Reichman and is
also an Attending Physician in Montefiore Medical Center's Emergency Medicine Department.
Studies in Halakhah and Rabbinic History
Rabbi Eitam Henkin
Koren Publishers Jerusalem Ltd.
c/o Toby Press, PO Box 8531
New Milford, CT 06776-8531
www.korenpub.com
9781592645817, $39.95, HC, 456pp
https://www.amazon.com/Studies-Halakhah-Rabbinic-History-Henkin/dp/159264581X
Synopsis: By the time of his death at age 31, Rabbi Eitam Henkin Hy"d had authored over fifty articles and four books. The
scion of an illustrious rabbinic dynasty, he was acclaimed for both his halakhic writings and his mastery of the byways of
the rabbinic world of the 19th and 20th centuries. Those who grasped his gifts forecast for him a future as a rabbinic
luminary.
But Rabbi Eitam Henkin and his wife, Naama Hy"d, were murdered by terrorists who attacked their car on Hol HaMoed
Sukkot 5776 (2015). With the publication of "Studies in Halakhah and Rabbinic History" by Koren Publishers Jerusalem,
the reader is provided with a sampling of Rabbi Eitam's halakhic and historical works, and reflects his range of interests
within both of these genres. Each chapter is a masterpiece in its own field.
The topics range from the kosher status of strawberries ("What You Permitted, We Prohibited") to electronic sensors on
Shabbat, from the Bruria episode in the Talmud to "The Haredi/National-Religious Dichotomy in Israel: Case Studies in
Historical Revisionism." Each subject is approached with astonishing breadth of knowledge, analytic incisiveness, careful
scholarship, and creative insight. This memorial volume allows us to benefit from the lasting impact of Rabbi Eitam
Henkin's legacy.
Critique: Halakha is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. "Studies
in Halakhah and Rabbinic History" offers invaluable insights, observations and commentaries that will be of immense
interest to rabbinical students, rabbinical scholars, academicians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
subject. While strongly recommended for professional, synagogue, college, and university library Judaic Studies collections,
it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Studies in Halakhah and Rabbinic History" is also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $12.95).
Editorial Note: Oct 1, 2015 - Rabbi Eitam Henkin, 31, and his wife Na'ama, of Neria, parents of four, were killed in a
drive-by shooting attack on the road between Itamar and Elon Moreh in Samaria.
Bridging Traditions
Rabbi Haim Jachter
Maggid Books
www.maggidbooks.com
c/o Koren Publishers Jerusalem Ltd.
PO Box 8531, New Milford, CT 06776-8531
www.korenpub.com
9781592645749, $29.95, HC, 544pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bridging-Traditions-Demystifying-Differences-Ashkenazic/dp/1592645747
Synopsis: As the rabbi of a Sephardic synagogue for over twenty years who is himself of Ashkenazic descent and trained in
Ashkenazic yeshivot, Rabbi Haim Jachter has a unique vantage point from which to observe the differences in customs and
halachot between Ashkenazim and Sephardim.
With the publication of "Bridging Traditions: Demystifying Differences Between Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jews", Rabbi
Jachter applies his wide-ranging expertise and experience to explicating an encyclopedic array of divergences between
Ashkenazic and Sephardic halachic practice, while also capturing the diversity within different Sephardic communities.
"Bridging Traditions" is essential reading for Jews of all origins who are interested in understanding their own practices and
appreciating those of their brethren, and in seeing the kaleidoscope of halachic observance as a multi-faceted expression of
an inner divine unity.
Critique: An exceptionally well written, organized and presented work of original and outstanding rabbinical scholarship,
"Bridging Traditions: Demystifying Differences Between Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jews" is enhanced for the reader with
the inclusion of an informative Epilogue and an Appendix (Comments by Rabbi Mordechai Lebhar). Comprehensively
informative, "Bridging Traditions: Demystifying Differences Between Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jews" is recommended as
a core addition to personal, synagogue, community, college, and university library Judaic History & Studies collections and
supplemental curriculum lists. It should be noted for students, academia, rabbinical students, and non-specialist general
readers with an interest in the subject that "Bridging Traditions: Demystifying Differences Between Sephardic and
Ashkenazic Jews" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Rabbi Haim Jachter is the rabbi of the Sephardic Congregation of Teaneck. He serves as a Dayan on the
Beth Din of Elizabeth and has acquired an international reputation of excellence in the area of Get administration. He is also
teacher at Torah Academy of Bergen County, a member of the Rabbinical Council of America's Halacha Committee, and
Chairman of its Igun Resolution Committee. Rabbi Jachter is frequently sought out to assist communities in establishing
and managing their Eruvin, and is the Rav HaMachshir of our eruv. Rabbi Jachter's ordination is from Yeshiva University
where he also earned his Master's degree in Jewish Philosophy.
Elijah: The Lonely Zealot
Rabbi Elchanan Samet, author
Kaeren Fish, translator
Maggid Books
www.maggidbooks.com
c/o Koren Publishers Jerusalem Ltd.
PO Box 8531, New Milford, CT 06776-8531
www.korenpub.com
9781592645336, $29.95, HC, 632pp
https://www.amazon.com/Elijah-Lonely-Zealot-Elchanan-Samet/dp/159264533X
Synopsis: The prophet Elijah's powerful character looms over some of the most tumultuous chapters in the Bible. Elijah's
policy of confronting power and corruption aroused opposition and protest - indeed, it endangered his life. Many questions
arise: Why does Elijah appear at this specific time? Why does he perform so many miracles seemingly at his own initiative,
without any divine command? To what extent is the prophet's aggressive policy approved of by God? And, looking beyond
the biblical text, what can we learn about our own confrontations with entrenched injustice?
"Elijah: The Lonely Zealot" is the first work by the renowned Bible scholar Rabbi Elchanan Samet to appear in English.
This systematic and creative literary commentary on the Elijah narrative which had influenced a generation of readers and
teachers since its first appearance in Hebrew (entitled 'Pirkei Eliyahu'), now thanks to the able translation by Kaeren Fish,
English readers too can benefit from Rabbi Samet's penetrating analyses and insights in this masterwork.
Critique: An erudite, informative, insightful, thoughtful and thought-provoking study, "Elijah: The Lonely Zealot" by Rabbi
Elchanan Samet is the latest addition to the simply outstanding 'Maggid Tanakh Companions' series. A work of outstanding
rabbinical scholarship, "Elijah: The Lonely Zealot" is an especially recommended addition to personal, professional,
synagogue, community, college, and university library Biblical Studies and Judaic Studies collections and supplemental
curriculum lists.
Editorial Note: Rabbi Elchanan Samet is a lecturer at the Michlelet Herzog- Lifschitz College in Gush Etzion. He served for
over 25 years as a teacher and Ram at Yeshivat Birkat Moshe in Maaleh Adumim. Rabbi Samet is also the author of a
number of popular volumes containing his shiurim on Parashat Hashavuah, on the Elijah and Elisha cycle of narrative sin
the Book of Kings and selected Psalms.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
The Dictionary of Dreams
Gustavus Hindman Miller, author
Sigmund Freud, author
Henri Bergson, author
Wellfleet Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
100 Cummings Center, Suite 265D, Beverly, MA 01915
www.quartoknows.com
9781577152842, $15.99, HC, 528pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dictionary-Dreams-Symbols-Meanings-Pocket/dp/1577152840
Synopsis: Dreams can be fun and adventurous, but also frightening and distorted, and still again, they can be an endless
combination of both. From spitting teeth out (a sign of aging), to creepy, crawly spiders (a sign that one feels like an
outsider), dreams can mean much more to us once we learn how to decipher their hidden meanings. Whether positive or
negative, and covering more than 1,000 dream symbols, signs, and meanings, the Dictionary of Dreams provides all the
tools, symbols, and their true meanings to translate cryptic nightly images.
Starting with selections from classic texts like Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis,
Henri-Louis Bergson's dream analysis approach laid out in "The World of Dreams", and "10,000 Dreams Interpreted" by
Gustavus Hindman Miller, one of the first authors to complete a thorough study of all the symbols that appear in our
dreamscape, this updated edition features revisions (such as the addition of cell phones, computers, televisions, and more) of
Miller's original interpretations to bring the book up to speed with our modern life.
Critique: Arranged into three major sections (Understanding Dreams; Keeping A Dream Journal; Dream Symbol
Dictionary), this pocked edition of "The Dictionary of Dreams" is further enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of an
informative Foreword by Linda Shields, a two page listing of Contributor Biographies, and a six page Glossary.
Exceptionally 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Dictionary of Dreams" is recommended as a core
addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Metaphysical Studies collections in general,
and Dream Interpretation studies lists in particular.
Editorial Note #1: Gustavus Hindman Miller (1857 - 1929) was a prominent manufacturer from Chattanooga, TN, as well as
the author of the influential book 10,000 Dreams Interpreted.
Editorial Note #2: Sigmund Freud (1856 - 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical
method for treating psychopathology through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst. His work contributed heavily
to the fields of psychotherapy and psychoanalysis.
Editorial Note #3: Henri Bergson (1859 - 1941) was a French philosopher, influential especially in the first half of the 20th
century and after WWII in continental philosophy. Bergson is known for his influential arguments that processes of
immediate experience and intuition are more significant than abstract rationalism and science for understanding reality.
Editorial Note #4: Linda Shields, also known as The Jersey Shore Medium , is a wife and mom who has had a full,
working life. She is a celebrity clairvoyant and regularly entertains and works with large audiences, as well as one-on-one
sessions. She uses her psychic senses of hearing (clairaudience), tasting/ smelling (clairsensient), physical feeling, and being
an Empath during readings. A published author, her works include Angel Inspirations for Serenity and Love and Crystal
Power.
The Witch of the Forest's Guide to Earth Magick
Lindsay Squaire, author
Viki Lester, illustrator
White Lion Publishers
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
100 Cummings Center, Suite 265D, Beverly, MA 01915
www.quartoknows.com
9780711271722, $20.00, HC, 176pp
https://www.amazon.com/Witch-Forests-Guide-Earth-Magick/dp/0711271720
Synopsis: Lindsay Squire is a practitioner of eclectic Witchcraft and is the Witch behind the popular Instagram account, The
Witch of the Forest. She has been walking her own spiritual path for over a decade, and is passionate about helping and
empowering Witches at the beginning of their Witchcraft journeys.
Earth magick is all about understanding the elements which govern the world around us, connecting with the Earth and
using its powers to thrive. From using the four elements (fire, air, water and earth) in spells, to learning about the powers of
crystals and mastering the art of divination.
With the publication of "The Witch of the Forest's Guide to Earth Magick: Ground Yourself with Magick. Connect with the
Seasons in Your Life & in Nature" Lindsay will teach you everything you know about this ancient form of magick. Aspiring
and practicing Wiccan will discover how to use simple witchcraft to boost their wellbeing, keep themselves grounded in the
21st century, and connect to their own natural 'seasons' in thir lives as well as in their craft.
"The Witch of the Forest's Guide to Earth Magick" is ideal for budding beginners new to the spellbinding world of
witchcraft and need to learn about: Casting a circle and ritual basics; Crystals and their magickal properties and uses;
Divination techniques such as using runes and divination dice: Connecting with the energies of the four seasons, the four
elements, and harnessing their power; Connecting to one's own natural 'seasons' in your life through the craft; Reconnecting
with the craft after a break; Caring for magickal energy if an empath, or are feeling drained; Embracing darker energies, and
using shadow work for personal growth and transformation; Wellbeing techniques for witches to help manage personal
energy -- and more!
Suitable for every type of witch and witchling -- including those practicing in the broom closet - "The Witch of the Forest's
Guide to Earth Magick" also includes a runes board on the back of the jacket that can removed to help answer all
questions.
Critique: An ideal and comprehensive introduction to Earth Magick that is particularly well written by Lindsay Squire,
nicely illustrated throughout by artist Viki Lester, "The Witch of the Forest's Guide to Earth Magick" a veritable
compendium of magick lore and practices that should be a part of any serious metaphysical studies instructional reference
collections and reading lists readers with an interest in the subject. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$9.99), "The Witch of the Forest's Guide to Earth Magick" is especially recommended as a core addition to personal,
professional, community, college, and university library Runic Divination, Crystal Divination, Wiccan, and Metaphysical
Studies collections.
Editorial Note: The Witch of the Forest's Guide to... series by White Lion Publishers is a collection of guides to different
areas of witchcraft, focusing on the relationship between magic, the natural world and the self. Each book discusses
completely different elements of the natural world, and Earth Magick is full of techniques not mentioned in Natural
Magick.
Hoodoo Your Love
Starr Casas
Weiser Books
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser/Conari
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
www.redwheelweiser.com
9781578637553, 232pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hoodoo-Your-Love-Conjure-Want/dp/1578637554
Synopsis: Although love magic is among Starr Casas's specialties, she has never written about it extensively before. But
with the publication of "Hoodoo Your Love: Conjure the Love You Want (and Keep It) ", now Starr shares her professional
knowledge and also reveals her never before published family secrets to help readers obtain the love they seek.
"Hoodoo Your Love" explores all facets of love magic. Within these pages, you will learn to draw new love toward you,
bring errant lovers back, and improve and control your current situation. Starr also explains how to build a love altar, heal a
broken heart, stimulate and maintain family peace and happiness, and maybe most crucially, learn to really love
yourself.
Her tools include herbs, roots, candles, and assorted simple household items, so anyone can put Mama Starr's knowledge
into practice.
Critique: Of special appeal to metaphysical students and practitioners for matters of the heart, "Hoodoo Your Love: Conjure
the Love You Want (and Keep It)" is an exceptional and thoroughly 'user friendly' instructional guide. Impressively
organized and presented, and also readily available in a digital book format (Kinde, $9.99), "Hoodoo Your Love: Conjure
the Love You Want (and Keep It)" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community,
college, and university library Metaphysical Studies and Ethnic/Tribal Religious Practices collections in general, and Sacred
Sexuality/Folklore/Mythology supplemental curriculum studies lists in particular.
Editorial Note: Starr Casas is a traditional Conjure woman and veteran rootworker of over 40 years holding onto the values
of her ancestors. Mama Starr is a prolific author and a hands-on teacher who presents workshops throughout the US. She
also owns the store Mama Starr's Style LLC in Houston. She maintains an informative website at www.oldstyleconjure.com
and is on Instagram @starrcasas
Recentering Seth
John Friedlander
Bear & Company
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781591434375, $20.00, PB, 448pp
https://www.amazon.com/Recentering-Seth-Multidimensional-Gracefully-Skillfully/dp/1591434378
Synopsis: The Seth books were channeled by the late Jane Roberts in the 1970s and galvanized a whole generation of
spiritual explorers. The entity known as Seth turned familiar mystical concepts into a radically new framework and
introduced a unique understanding of how we create our own reality with our conscious beliefs.
After nearly five decades exploring Seth's ideas, and with the publication of "Recentering Seth: Teachings from a
Multidimensional Entity on Living Gracefully and Skillfully in a World You Create But Do Not Control", John Friedlander
has re-framed the groundbreaking Seth teachings, recentering them in the awareness that all consciousness expands in all
directions. He synthesizes Sethian teachings with an eclectic variety of concepts and influences, from aura reading, healing,
and interpersonal engagement to Buddhism and reincarnation to conscious dying and nondual awareness. He also reveals
how you do create your own reality, but that no one controls reality, which is spontaneous and surprisingly creative.
Critique: An essential resource for metaphysical students studying the Seth books, "Recentering Seth: Teachings from a
Multidimensional Entity on Living Gracefully and Skillfully in a World You Create But Do Not Control" is essential
reading. Thoughtful, thought-provoking, iconoclastic, insightful, impressively organized and exceptionally 'reader friendly'
in presentation, and also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99), "Recentering Seth: Teachings from a
Multidimensional Entity on Living Gracefully and Skillfully in a World You Create But Do Not Control" is especially
recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library Metaphysical Studies collections.
Editorial Note: John Friedlander began a formal meditation practice in 1970 and was introduced to Seth's books in 1972. A
member of Jane Roberts's original Seth classes in Elmira in 1974, he also studied psychic meditation and aura reading with
Lewis Bostwick beginning in 1973. He is also the co-author of: The Practical Psychic, Basic Psychic Development, and
Psychic Psychology.
The General Fiction Shelf
With Love from London
Sarah Jio
Ballantine Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
www.randomhouse.com
9781101885086, $17.00, PB, 400pp
https://www.amazon.com/Love-London-Novel-Sarah-Jio/dp/1101885084
Synopsis: When Valentina Baker was only eleven years old, her mother, Eloise, unexpectedly fled to her native London,
leaving Val and her father on their own in California. Now a librarian in her thirties, fresh out of a failed marriage and still
at odds with her mother's abandonment, Val feels disenchanted with her life.
In a bittersweet twist of fate, she receives word that Eloise has died, leaving Val the deed to her mother's Primrose Hill
apartment and the Book Garden, the storied bookshop she opened almost two decades prior. Though the news is
devastating, Val jumps at the chance for a new beginning and jets across the Atlantic, hoping to learn who her mother truly
was while mourning the relationship they never had.
As Val begins to piece together Eloise's life in the U.K., she finds herself falling in love with the pastel-colored third-floor
flat and the cozy, treasure-filled bookshop, soon realizing that her mother's life was much more complicated than she ever
imagined. When Val stumbles across a series of intriguing notes left in a beloved old novel, she sets out to locate the book's
mysterious former owner, though her efforts are challenged from the start, as is the prospects of Book Garden's future.
In order to save the store from financial ruin and preserve her mother's legacy, she must rally its eccentric staff and journey
deep into her mother's secrets!
Critique: "With Love from London" by novelist Sarah Jio, is an impressively well written and inherently compelling story
about healing and loss, revealing the emotional, relatable truths about love, family, and forgiveness. An original and fully
entertaining read from first page to last, "With Love from London" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended
addition to community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of
women's friendship and family saga stories that "With Love from London" is also readily available in a digital book format
as well (Kindle, $11.99). Librarians should note that "With Love from London" there is also a large print library binding
edition available (Central Point Publishing, 9781638082309, $39.95).
The Bright Side Running Club
Josie Lloyd
Alcover Press
c/o Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
https://www.dreamscapepublishing.com
9781643859491, $16.99, PB, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bright-Side-Running-Club-friends/dp/1643859498
Synopsis: When Keira first receives her breast cancer diagnosis, she never expects to end up joining a running group with
three women she's only just met. Totally blind-sided, all she can think about is how she doesn't want to tell her family or
step back from work. Nor does she want to be part of a group of fellow cancer patients. Cancer is not her club.
And yet it's the running, the hot, sweaty, lycra-clad running in the company of brilliant, funny women all going through
treatment, that unexpectedly gives Keira the hope she so urgently needs. Because Keira will not be defined by the C-word.
And now, with the Cancer Ladies' Running Club cheering her on, she is going to reclaim everything: her family, her
identity, and her life. -- One step at a time.
Critique: Although a work of deftly crafted fiction, "The Bright Side Running Club" deals with the real-life dilemmas of a
cancer diagnoses that impact tens of thousands of women every year. An inherently fascinating and entertaining novel about
love, family and the power of finding your tribe, "The Bright Side Running Club" is guaranteed to be an immediately
welcome and enduringly popular addition to community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be
noted for the personal reading lists of non-specialist general readers with an interest in medical fiction, friendship fiction,
and novels that linger in the mind and memory of the reader after the story is finished and the book set back upon the shelf
that "The Bright Side Running Club" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99) and as a complete
and unabridged audio book (Dreamscape Media, 9781666534009, $22.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Josie Lloyd's first novel, It Could Be You, was published in 1997 and since then she has written 15
bestselling novels (under various pen names), including the number one hit Come Together, which she co-authored with her
husband, Emlyn Rees, and which was number one for 10 weeks, published in 27 languages and made into a Working Title
film. Josie has also written several best-selling parodies with Emlyn, including We're Going On A Bar Hunt, The Very
Hungover Caterpillar and The Teenager Who Came To Tea.
The Marriage of Rose Camilleri
Robert Hough
Douglas & McIntyre
c/o Harbour Publishing
PO Box 219, Madeira Park, BC, Canada, V0N 2H0
www.douglas-mcintyre.com
9781771623049, $22.95, PB, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Rose-Camilleri-Robert-Hough/dp/1771623047
Synopsis: When Rose Camilleri and Scotty Larkin meet, neither expects to spend a lifetime together, navigating a
sometimes turbulent marriage and scraping through the process of raising a family.
When Scotty first enters the bakery where Rose works, she is a new arrival from the tiny island nation of Malta, fond of
rabbit stew and Hollywood cinema. He is a thoughtful printer's assistant recently released from juvenile detention after
stealing and swiftly totaling a stranger's car. Even after years of marriage and two children together, Rose struggles to shake
the idea that perhaps she should have held out for someone more exciting, less withdrawn. But together they will face
poverty, infidelity, troubled teenagers, latent criminality, illness and cold Canadian winters and find their own kind of
happiness along the way.
Critique: With the publication of "The Marriage of Rose Camilleri", novelist Robert Hough eloquently creates his
memorably larger-than-life characters with genuine warmth, insight and humor, and displaying the masterful approach to
storytelling that gained his previous novels acclaim and several prestigious award nominations. As an experienced and
narrative driven storyteller, Robert Hough is able to transport his readers into the epicentre of an unconventional love story,
where he draws out captivating details from the fabric of an ordinary shared lifetime to create a story that lives in the
moment and takes seriously the small but vital details of everyday life. An engaging, entertain, and memorable novel, "The
Marriage Of Rose Camilleri" is unhesitatingly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and academic
library contemporary literary fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Currently residing in Toronto, Canada, Robert Hough is also the author of The Final Confession of Mabel
Stark (Vintage Canada, 2002), short listed for both the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for best first book and the Trillium
Book Award; The Stowaway (Vintage Canada, 2004), one of the Boston Globe's top ten fiction titles of 2004; The Culprits
(Vintage Canada, 2008); Dr. Brinkley's Tower (House of Anansi, 2012), short listed for the Governor General's Award for
fiction and long listed for the Giller Prize; The Man Who Saved Henry Morgan (House of Anansi, 2015), a finalist for the
Trillium Book Award; and Diego's Crossing (Annick Press, 2015), and was short listed for the Arthur Ellis Award.
The Tobacco Wives
Adele Myers
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
www.BlackstoneAudio.com
9780063082939, $27.99, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Tobacco-Wives-Novel-Adele-Myers/dp/0063082934
Synopsis: Maddie Sykes is a burgeoning seamstress who's just arrived in Bright Leaf, North Carolina (the tobacco capital of
the South) where her aunt has a thriving sewing business. After years of war rations and shortages, Bright Leaf is a
prosperous wonderland in full technicolor bloom, and Maddie is dazzled by the bustle of the crisply uniformed female
factory workers, the palatial homes, and, most of all, her aunt's glossiest clientele: the wives of the powerful tobacco
executives.
But she soon learns that Bright Leaf isn't quite the carefree paradise that it seems. A trail of misfortune follows many of the
women, including substantial health problems, and although Maddie is quick to believe that this is a coincidence, she
inadvertently uncovers evidence that suggests otherwise.
Maddie wants to report what she knows, but in a town where everyone depends on Big Tobacco to survive, she doesn't
know who she can trust -- and fears that exposing the truth may destroy the lives of the proud, strong women with whom
she has forged strong bonds.
Critique: Although a work of fiction, "The Tobacco Wives" by Adele Myers accurately reveals the hidden history of
women's activism in exposing the dangers of tobacco use during the post-war period. A deeply human, emotionally
satisfying, and dramatic novel about the power of female connection and the importance of seeking truth, "The Tobacco
Wives" will prove an enduringly welcome addition to community library fiction collections. For personal reading lists, "The
Tobacco Wives" is available in a digital book format (Kindle, $$14.99. Librarians should note that "The Tobacco Wives" is
also readily available in a large print paperback edition (9780063211353, $29.99, 480pp) and as a complete and unabridged
audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798200854257, $46.99, CD).
The Literary Fiction Shelf
Black Writers Matter
Whitney French, editor
University of Regina Press
www.uofrpress.ca
9780889776166, $21.95, PB, 216pp
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Writers-Matter/dp/0889776164
Synopsis: An anthology of African-Canadian writing compiled and edited by Whitney French, "Black Writers Matter" offers
a cross-section of established writers and newcomers to the literary world who tackle contemporary and pressing issues with
beautiful, sometimes raw, prose. As editor Whitney French says in her introduction to "Black Writers Matter" each
contributor "injects new meaning into the word diversity [and] harbours a sacredness and an everydayness that offers Black
people dignity." The provide an "invitation to read, share, and tell stories of Black narratives that are close to the bone," in a
literary collection that feels particular to the Black Canadian experience.
Critique: A unique compendium of Canadian authors of color, "Black Writers Matter" is an inherently fascinating,
thoughtful, informative, eloquent, and memorable collection that is especially and unreservedly recommended addition to
community, college, and university library Contemporary Canadian Literary Studies in general, and Black Literary Studies
supplemental curriculum lists in particular. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers
with an interest in the subject that "Black Writers Matter" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$14.99).
Editorial Note: The founder and co-editor of From the Root Zine, Whitney French has been published in Descant Magazine,
anthologized in The Great Black North: Contemporary African Canadian Poetry, and is the host and facilitator of the
Writing While Black creative writing studio in Toronto, Canada.
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
The Attractiveness of Wisdom
Judy Kelly
Black Rose Writing
PO Box 1540, Castroville, TX 78009
www.blackrosewriting.com
9781684338504, $21.95, PB, 301pp
https://www.amazon.com/Attractiveness-Wisdom-Judy-Kelly/dp/1684338506
Synopsis: After a tumultuous marriage and struggling trying to keep it together, Hamilton, a university dean, sets out on a
perilous emotional journey to change his life and seek the kind of love he's always wanted. He's tired of controlling his life
and the lives of others.
Hamilton meets Franny, a troubled dance teacher, and accepts her job offer of organizer in her studio. When Franny injures
her foot, Hamilton must step out of his secure place to help. His trepidation increases when he meets a research journalist
who falls in love with him. But her life isn't what it seems. He fears controlling her, and after her convent life she needs his
love.
Will Hamilton wise up and learn how a man truly loves a woman, the value of friendship and the need for prayer?
Critique: "The Attractiveness of Wisdom" by Judy Kelly is a deftly crafted, reader engaging, and exceptionally entertaining,
heart-warming, enthralling novel with truly memorable characters. Showcasing the author's genuine flair as a novelist for
originality and with a gifted approach to narrative driven storytelling, "The Attractiveness of Wisdom" is especially and
unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Romance Fiction collections. It should be noted for the
personal reading lists of those who enjoy literary novels with a Christian perspective that "The Attractiveness of Wisdom" is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).
Editorial Note: An adjunct professor at Montgomery College teaching fiction writing, speech, college reading and English,
Judy Kelly is also an award-winning author whose second novel, "Blessings and Curses", is a Finalist in the Readers
Favorite Award for 2020, in the Top Ten Most Popular Novels at the Frankfort, Sharjah, and Guadalajara International
Book Fairs, 2018. Her first novel, "That Ever Died So Young", was a finalist in the Somerset Literary and Contemporary
Fiction Award for 2014. She presents at conferences, libraries, and meetings.
Summer Nights with a Cowboy
Caitlin Crews
St. Martin's Press
120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250750020, $8.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Nights-Cowboy-Kittredge-Ranch/dp/1250750024
Synopsis: Traveling nurse Janie Atwood has come to Cold River to uncover old family secrets and maybe, if she's lucky,
find a new home. That the gorgeous, glowering sheriff next door thinks her caring for his elderly neighbor is a nefarious
scheme is a bonus. Having never been anything but a good girl, Janie finds Zack Kittredge's simmering suspicion an
excellent reason to try being a little dangerous instead.
Sheriff Zack Kittredge is okay with being intense. He takes his loner status as seriously as he takes his responsibilities to
protect Cold River. And he thinks cheerful Janie might be a threat to the town. But the more he gets to know her, the more
he faces the truth -- she's brighter than sunshine and he's like a moth to her flame. When Janie suggests he could use a few
charm school lessons, he surprises them both by accepting. He doesn't need help. But it's clear he might need her. Because
the only thing hotter than the summer sun in the Rockies is the forbidden passion that burns between them!
Critique: A particularly skilled and impressively entertaining story by an novelist who is a past master of the Western &
Contemporary Romance genre, this mass market paperback edition of Caitlin Crews' "Summer Nights with a Cowboy" is
especially and unreservedly recommended for community library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading
lists of the legions of Caitlin Crews fans that "Summer Nights with a Cowboy" is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $8.99).
Editorial Note: Caitlin Crews has written more than seventy-five books, including Frenemies, Princess from the Past, A
Royal Without Rules, and Undone by the Sultan's Touch. She has won fans with her romance, Harlequin Presents, women's
fiction, chick lit, and work-for-hire young adult novels, many of which she writes as Megan Crane (including the dystopian
Viking romance Edge series). These days her focus is on contemporary romance in all its forms, from small town heat to
international glamour, cowboys to bikers to military men and beyond. Caitlin has also taught creative writing classes in
places like UCLA Extension's prestigious Writers' Program, gives assorted writing workshops on occasion, and attempts to
make use of the MA and PhD in English Literature she received from the University of York in York, England.
Fool Me Once
Ashley Winstead
Graydon House
195 Broadway, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10007
http://graydonhousebooks.com
9781525899744, $16.99, PB, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Fool-Me-Once-Ashley-Winstead/dp/1525899740
Synopsis: Lee Stone is a twenty-first-century woman: she kicks butt at her job as a communications director at a women-run
electric car company (that's better than Tesla, thank you), and after work she is "Stoner," drinking guys under the table and
never letting any of them get too comfortable in her bed.
That's because Lee's learned one big lesson: never trust love. Four major heartbreaks set her straight, from her father
cheating on her mom all the way to Ben Laderman in grad school -- who wasn't actually cheating, but she could have sworn
he was, so she reciprocated in kind.
Then Ben shows up five years later, working as a policy expert for the most liberal governor in Texas history, just as Lee is
trying to get a clean energy bill rolling. Things get complicated (and competitive) as Lee and Ben are forced to work
together. Tension builds just as old sparks reignite, fanning the flames for a romantic dustup the size of Texas.
Critique: "Fool Me Once" is a rom-com movie in book form. Replete with wit and rapid fire banter, "Fool Me Once" is a
deftly crafted novel that will have a very special appeal to fans of novels that combine elements of political, women's, and
friendship fiction. A solidly entertaining, memorable, and compelling read from first page to last, "Fool Me Once" is an
especially recommended addition to community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Fool
Me Once" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book
(9798200863846, $41.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Ashley Winstead is an academic turned novelist with a PhD in contemporary American literature. She
maintains a website at www.ashleywinstead.com.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
The Strange Case of the Dutch Painter
Timothy Miller
Seventh Street Books
https://www.seventhstreetbooks.com
c/o Simon & Schuster
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9781645060420, $17.95, PB, 264pp
https://www.amazon.com/Strange-Case-Dutch-Painter/dp/164506042X
Synopsis: Paris, 1890. When Sherlock Holmes finds himself chasing an art dealer through the streets of Paris, he's certain
he's smoked out one of the principals of a cunning forgery ring responsible for the theft of some of the Louvre's greatest
masterpieces. But for once, Holmes is dead wrong.
He doesn't know that the dealer, Theo Van Gogh, is rushing to the side of his brother, who lies dying of a gunshot wound in
Auvers. He doesn't know that the dealer's brother is a penniless misfit artist named Vincent, known to few and mourned by
even fewer.
Officialdom pronounces the death a suicide, but a few minutes at the scene convinces Holmes it was murder. And he's
bulldog-determined to discover why a penniless painter who harmed no one had to be killed - and who killed him. Who
could profit from Vincent's death? How is the murder entwined with his own forgery investigation?
Holmes must retrace the last months of Vincent's life, testing his mettle against men like the brutal Paul Gauguin and the
secretive Toulouse-Lautrec, all the while searching for the girl Olympia, whom Vincent named with his dying breath. She
can provide the truth, but can anyone provide the proof? From the madhouse of St. Remy to the rooftops of Paris, Holmes
hunts a killer -- while the killer hunts him!
Critique: An absolute 'must' for the legions of Sherlock Holmes fans, this new Sherlockian mystery/adventure by author and
novelist Timothy Miller does full and complete justice to the legendary detective originally created by Sir Conan Doyle. A
riveting and entertaining read from first page to last, "The Strange Case of the Dutch Painter" is a welcome addition to the
growing canon of Sherlock Holmes stories and will prove a welcome addition to community library Mystery/Suspense
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Strange Case of the Dutch Painter" is also readily
available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Hell and Gone
Sam Wiebe
Harbour Publishing
www.harbourpublishing.com
9781550179637, $18.95, PB, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hell-Gone-Wakeland-Sam-Wiebe/dp/1550179632
Synopsis: In one moment of public violence, everything changes for Dave Wakeland. When masked men and women storm
an office building in Chinatown, leaving a trail of carnage, the Vancouver PI and his partner, Jeff Chen, find themselves
caught up in a mystery that won't let them go.
The police have a vested interest in finding the shooters, and so does the leader of the Exiles motorcycle gang. Both want
Wakeland's help. The deeper he investigates, the more connections he uncovers: a reclusive millionaire with ties to
organized crime, an international security company with a sinister reputation, and a high-ranking police officer who seems
to have a personal connection to the case. When the shooters themselves start turning up dead, Wakeland realizes the only
way to guarantee his own safety, and that of the people he loves, is by finding out who hired the shooters and why.
What Wakeland uncovers are secrets no one wants known -- a botched undercover operation, an ambitious gangster and a
double-crossing killer who used the shooting to cover up another crime. With a setup like this, anything can go wrong, and
does. Skill and luck are needed for Wakeland and Chen to emerge with the killers, the money and their own lives.
Critique: Another original and riveting crime novel by author Sam Wiebe, "Hell and Gone" is a terrific, pulse pounding read
from cover to cover. Memorably crafted characters and unexpect plot twists and turns, "Hell and Gone" is especially
recommended for community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal
reading lists of all dedicated PI mystery fans that "Hell and Gone" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,
$10.99).
Editorial Note: Currently residing in New Westminister, BC, Canada, Sam Wiebe is the award-winning author of the
Wakeland novels, one of the most authentic and acclaimed detective series in Canada, including Invisible Dead and Cut
You Down (Random House, 2016 and 2018). Wiebe's other books include Never Going Back (Rapid Reads, 2020), Last of
the Independents (Dundurn, 2014) and the Vancouver Noir anthology (Akashic Books, 2018), which he edited.
Knit or Dye Trying
Allie Pleiter
Berkley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
www.penguin.com
9780593201800, $8.99, PB, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Knit-Trying-Riverbank-Knitting-Mystery/dp/0593201809
Synopsis: As spring comes to Collinstown, the village launches a food festival to draw a new group of tourists. Libby, proud
owner of Y.A.R.N., has planned a yarn event to provide an alternative option to a foodie weekend. Artisan fiber dyer Julie
Wilson (who is known for her work with animal-friendly, plant-based knitting fibers such as bamboo and hemp as well as
her brilliant use of color) will hopefully draw a crowd with a special dyeing workshop.
The festival begins, but it draws more than crowds. First a flock of sheep parades down the street, herded by farmers
protesting Julie's anti-wool stance. Then Julie's celebrity chef sister appears, and the siblings resume a long-standing rivalry.
Despite all this, Julie's workshop has sold out. Libby is thrilled, and they're preparing for a full house. But the night before
the event, Julie is found alone in the warehouse event space -- dead. The witty "Watch Julie Wilson Dye" workshop title
now has a terrible new meaning and it's up to Libby to catch a crafty killer!
Critique: A beautifully crafted cozy mystery by an author who is a master of the genre, "Knit or Dye Trying" by Allie Pleiter
is a fun read from first page to last. While also available for the personal reading lists of all dedicated mystery fans in a
digital book format (Kindle, $8.99), "Knit or Dye Trying" is whole heartedly recommended for community library
Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: An avid knitter and compulsive author, Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and nonfiction, working on as many
as four books at a time. The author of more than fifty books, Allie has enjoyed a twenty-year career, with over 1.5 million
books sold to date. Allie also maintains an active writing productivity coaching practice and speaks regularly on the creative
process, publishing, and her very favorite topic -- the Chunky Method of time management for writers. Her website is at:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/453346.Allie_Pleiter
When the Crow's Away
Auralee Wallace
https://auraleewallace.com
Berkley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
www.penguin.com
9780593335857, $8.99, PB, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/When-Crows-Evenfall-Witches-Mystery/dp/0593335856
Synopsis: After spending months unable to use her powers, Brynn Warren is once again using her gift and working at her
family's bed-and-breakfast. Her heart is full, and although one of her aunts wonders if it might be a little more full with a bit
of romance in her life, Brynn is certain that finding love again is not in her future. In fact, she can't imagine anyone being
more certain of anything -- except for maybe, the recently deceased Mortimer Sweete. He's certain he's been murdered, and
he wants Brynn's help to bring his killer to justice.
Mort is positive he knows who killed him: his business partner's wife, Cookie, who had been trying to get them to sell the
candy shop for months. But Brynn doesn't share his conviction. After all, the coroner ruled his death natural causes, and
Mort did have health problems in life. But with Cookie putting up a For Sale sign for the shop already, Brynn knows she
can't just let it go.
Trying to solve a might-be murder while attempting to stop her aunt from meddling in her personal life seems like a recipe
for disaster. If Brynn wants to bring Mort's spirit peace, she'll have to rely on all her skills, both magical and mundane, to
uncover the truth.
Critique: An inherently fascinating combination of fantasy and mystery, "When the Crow's Away" by Auralee Wallace is a
deftly crafted and impressively entertaining read from cover to cover and will leave the reader looking eagerly toward author
Auralee Wallace's next novel -- and if they haven't read it yet, look up her first novel "In the Company of Witches"
(9780593335833, $8.99 PB, $1.99 Kindle)in this unique and simply outstanding series. While also available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $8.99), this mass market paperback edition of "When the Crow's Away" is especially and unreservedly
recommended for personal reading lists and community library Fantasy/Mystery collections.
Editorial Note: Auralee Wallace is the author of multiple novels, including the Otter Lake mystery series. She has an
undergraduate degree in psychology and a Master's degree in English literature, and she has worked in the publishing
industry for a number of years before teaching at the college level. She maintains a website at:
https://auraleewallace.com/
The Art of the Decoy
Trish Esden
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
https://www.dreamscapepublishing.com
9781643859644, $26.99, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Decoy-Scandal-Mountain-Antiques-Mystery/dp/1643859641
Synopsis: After her mother is sent to prison for art forgery, Edie Brown returns to Northern Vermont to rebuild her family's
fine art and antiques business. She's certain she can do it now that her mother is gone. After all, butting heads with her mom
over bad business practices was what drove Edie away three years ago, including a screwup that landed Edie on probation
for selling stolen property.
When Edie scores a job appraising a waterfowl decoy collection at a hoarder's farmhouse, she's determined to take
advantage of the situation to rebuild the business's tarnished reputation and dwindling coffers. In lieu of payment, Edie
intends to cherry-pick an exceptional decoy carved by the client's renowned Quebecoise folk artist ancestors. Only the tables
turn when the collection vanishes.
Accused of the theft, Edie's terrified that the fallout will destroy the business and land her in prison next to her mom.
Desperate, she digs into the underbelly of the local antiques and art world. When Edie uncovers a possible link between the
decoy theft and a deadly robbery at a Quebec museum, she longs to ask her ex-probation officer, and ex-lover, for help. But
she suspects his recent interest in rekindling their romance may hide a darker motive.
With the help of her eccentric uncle Tuck and Kala, their enigmatic new employee, Edie must risk all she holds dear to
expose the thieves and recover the decoys before the FBI's Art Crime Team or the ruthless thieves themselves catch up with
her.
Critique: It is interesting to note that author Trish Esden's 'day job' as an antiques dealer very nicely infuses her mystery
novel "The Art of the Decoy" with details that make the background and context to her original story all the more realistic
and absorbing as a 'whodunnit' crime story. The author's impressive ability narrative driven story telling, combined with a
genuine flair for originality, has created a very special and recommended addition to community library Contemporary
Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated crime novel enthusiasts that
"The Art of the Decoy" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99) and as a complete and unabridged
audio book (Dreamscape, 9781666536065, $22.99, CD).
Shadow in the Glass
M. E. Hillard
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
https://www.dreamscapepublishing.com
9781643858944, $26.99, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Glass-Greer-Hogan-Mystery/dp/1643858947
Synopsis: Librarian Greer Hogan is on hand to celebrate her old friend Sarah Whitaker's nuptials at the Whitaker summer
home on beautiful Mirror Lake, just outside the upstate New York village of Lake Placid. But Greer has an ulterior motive -
- to gather information that could reopen the investigation into her husband's murder, a crime for which she believes an
innocent man went to prison.
But her plans come to a shuddering halt when a wedding guest goes missing and turns up dead in the lake. The guest,
Brittany Miles, was an employee of the Whitaker family whom Sarah had long suspected was up to no good at work.
The police have no leads, but Greer (an avid reader of crime fiction who possesses an uncanny knack for deduction) begins
her own investigation. She learns that the victim was seen with a mystery man right before she disappeared. Then the
autopsy reveals that she didn't drown in the lake after all, but in the reflecting pool in the Whitaker garden.
The suspect list is as long as the guest list itself, with no apparent motive. Now, Greer must rely on the wisdom of her
favorite fictional detectives to tease out truth from lies -- and keep herself out of the killer's sights!
Critique: The newest mystery novel by M. E. Hillard (who is a full-time librarian and a life-long lover of mystery fiction)
"Shadow in the Glass" is a full on 'whodunnit' mystery laced with suspense, memorable characters, and the kind of unexpect
plot twists and turns that makes for a compulsive page turning and fun read from start to (unexpected!) finish. While
unabashedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be
noted that "Shadow in the Glass" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99) and as a complete and
unabridged audio book (Dreamscape Media, 9781666536027, $22.99, CD).
Reader, I Buried Them & Other Stories
Peter Lovesey
Soho Press
853 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
www.sohopress.com
9781641293617, $27.95, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Reader-Buried-Them-Other-Stories/dp/1641293616
Synopsis: More than fifty years ago, Peter Lovesey published a short story in an anthology. That short story caught the eye
of the great Ruth Rendell, whose praise ignited Lovesey's lifelong passion for short form crime fiction.
On the occasion of his hundredth short story, Peter Lovesey has assembled "Reader, I Buried Them and Other Stories", a
devilishly clever collection comprised of eighteen short stories replete with mystery, melancholy, and mischief, and
inhabiting such deadly settings as a theater, a monastery, and the book publishing industry.
The collection includes that first story which launched Peter's story-writing career as well as including three exclusive new
stories. In addition, Lovesey fans will delight in a personal essay by the author about the historical inspirations -- and in an
appearance by the irascible Bath detective Peter Diamond, who has, in the author's words, "bulldozed his way" into this
anthology.
Critique: Showcasing the undeniable literary talent of short story author and novelist Peter Lovesey, "Reader, I Buried Them
& Other Stories" is a dedicated mystery lover's delight from first page to last. An acknowledged and award-winning grand
master of the genre, "Reader, I Buried Them & Other Stories" is highly recommended for community library
Mystery/Suspense and Crime Fiction collections and is readily available for the personal reading lists of the legions of Peter
Lovesey fans in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Peter Lovesey won a competition with his first crime fiction novel, "Wobble to Death", and has never looked
back, with his numerous books winning and/or being short listed for nearly all the prizes in the international crime writing
world. He was also Chairman of the Crime Writers' Association and has been presented with Lifetime Achievement awards
both in the UK and the US.
Girl in Ice
Erica Ferencik
www.EricaFerencik.com
Scout Press
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl., New York, NY 10020
www.simonandschuster.com
9781982143022, $27.99, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Ice-Erica-Ferencik/dp/1982143029
Synopsis: Valerie "Val" Chesterfield is a linguist trained in the most esoteric of disciplines: dead Nordic languages. Despite
her successful career, she leads a sheltered life and languishes in the shadow of her twin brother, Andy, an accomplished
climate scientist stationed on a remote island off Greenland's barren coast. But Andy is gone: a victim of suicide, having
willfully ventured unprotected into 50 degree below zero weather. Val is inconsolable and disbelieving. She suspects foul
play.
When Wyatt, Andy's fellow researcher in the Arctic, discovers a scientific impossibility (a young girl frozen in the ice who
thaws out alive, speaking a language no one understands),Val is his first call. Will she travel to the frozen North to meet this
girl, and try to comprehend what she is so passionately trying to communicate? Under the auspices of helping Wyatt
interpret the girl's speech, Val musters every ounce of her courage and journeys to the Arctic to solve the mystery of her
brother's death.
The moment she steps off the plane, her fear threatens to overwhelm her. The landscape is fierce, and Wyatt, brilliant but
difficult, is an enigma. But the girl is special, and Val's connection with her is profound. Only something is terribly wrong;
the child is sick, maybe dying, and the key to saving her lies in discovering the truth about Wyatt's research. Can his data be
trusted? And does it have anything to do with how and why Val's brother died? With time running out, Val embarks on an
incredible frozen odyssey (one led by the unlikeliest of guides) to rescue the new family she has found in the most
unexpected of places.
Critique: An inherently fascinating and deftly crafted novel by an author with a remarkable flair for imaginative,
compelling, and narrative driven storytelling, "Girl In Ice" by Erica Ferencik will prove to be an immediately popular and
enduringly prized addition to community library contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for
personal reading lists that "Girl In Ice" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781982143039, $17.99), in a digital
book format (Kindle, $9.99), and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781797130194, $39.99,
CD).
Editorial Note: Erica Ferencik is also the author of "The River at Night" and "Into the Jungle". She maintains a website at
www.EricaFerencik.com and can be followed on Twitter @EricaFerencik
Kingdom of Bones
James Rollins
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780062892980, $28.99, HC, 464pp
https://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Bones-Thriller-Sigma-Novels/dp/0062892983
Synopsis: A United Nations relief team in a small village in the Congo makes an alarming discovery. An unknown force is
leveling the evolutionary playing field. Men, women, and children have been reduced to a dull, catatonic state. The
environment surrounding them (plants and animals) has grown more cunning and predatory, evolving at an exponential
pace. The insidious phenomenon is spreading from a cursed site in the jungle known to locals as the Kingdom of Bones and
is sweeping across Africa, threatening the rest of the world.
What has made the biosphere run amok? Is it a natural event? Or more terrifyingly, did someone engineer it?
Commander Gray Pierce and Sigma Force are prepared for the extraordinary and have kept the world safe, vigilance for
which they have paid a tragic personal price. Yet, even these brilliant and seasoned scientific warriors do not understand
what is behind this frightening development -- or know how to stop it. As they race to find answers, the members of Sigma
quickly realize they have become the prey.
To head off global catastrophe, Sigma Force must risk their lives to uncover the shattering secret at the heart of the African
continent in the form of a truth that will illuminate who we are as a species and where we may be headed -- sooner than we
know!
Red in tooth and claw, Mother Nature is turning against humankind, propelling the entire world into the Kingdom of
Bones.
Critique: A master of the extinction event suspense/thriller genre, author James Rollins's newest novel, "Kingdom of Bones"
is another of his riveting read from start to finish. A compulsive page turner if ever there was one, "Kingdom of Bones" is a
'must' for the legions of Rollins fans and an unreservedly recommended addition to community library collections. It should
be noted for personal reading lists that "Kingdom of Bones" is also available in a paperback edition (9780062892997,
$9.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99). Librarians should be aware that there is also a large print edition of
"Kingdom of Bones" (HarperLuxe Large Print, 9780062892997, $30.99, PB, 704pp").
Editorial Note: James Rollins is the author of international thrillers that have been translated into more than forty languages.
His Sigma series has been lauded as one of the "top crowd pleasers" (New York Times) and one of the "hottest summer
reads" (People Magazine). In each novel, acclaimed for its originality, Rollins unveils unseen worlds, scientific
breakthroughs, and historical secrets -- and he does it all at breakneck speed and with stunning insight.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Reign of the Devourer
David Annandale
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
9781839080944, $16.95, PB, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Reign-Devourer-Marvel-Untold-Novel/dp/1839080949
Synopsis: Victor von Doom saw his future for an instant, and now he cannot rest. His obsession with regaining those
memories leads him into the arcane science of geomancy. As he delves into the ancient memories that lie beneath his land,
Doom discovers a tremendous concentration of power -- a power that should never have been explored. Doom's excavations
and necromancy fracture the prison of something awful: the Devourer of Souls. Now free to roam Latveria, the Devourer
spreads a plague of soul-hungry vampires. Doom must choose between seizing this power for himself or destroying it,
before his realm is no more.
Critique: A deftly crafted and simply riveting read from first page to last, "Reign of the Devourer" by David Annandale is a
'must' for the legions of Marvel Universe fans in general, and Doctor Doom enthusiasts in particular. A part of the simply
outstanding Aconyte Books 'Marvel Untold' series, and highly recommended for community library Science Fiction
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Reign of the Devourer" is also readily available in a digital
book format (Kindle, $9.95).
Editorial Note: David Annadale is a lecturer at a Canadian university on subjects ranging from English literature to horror
films and video games. He is the author of many novels in the Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40,000 universe, and a
co-host of the Hugo Award-nominated podcast Skiffy and Fanty.
The Poetry Shelf
Messengers of the Gods
Kathryn Gahl
https://www.kathryngahl.com
Cornerstone Press
www.uwsp.edu/cornerstone
9781737739067, $19.95, PB, 162pp
https://www.uwsp.edu/english/cornerstone/Pages/BOOKS.aspx
Synopsis: Moving and mysterious, the poems by Kathryn Gahl that comprise "Messengers of the Gods: New and Selected
Poems" have a distinctive beat, cadence, measure, and meter that if rendered in song would be top of the charts successful.
Certain to be prized by all who enjoy deftly crafted freeform verse.
Critique: An inherently absorbing, entertaining, thoughtful and thought-provoking read one poem at a time, Here's a taste of
what "Messengers of the Gods" has to offer titled Jazz Poem You Didn't Write: Acting like our spines are in prayer position
because / if you're down on your knees / its either breakdancing / or something broke. Simply stated, "Messengers of the
Gods" is unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community/college/university library Contemporary
American Poetry collections.
Editorial Note: It should be noted that Kathryn Ghal maintains a comprehensive website listing all of her published works at
https://www.kathryngahl.com/works
The Audiobook Shelf
The Quarter Storm
Veronica G. Henry
www.veronicahenry.net
Brilliance Audio
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781713623908, $14.99, MP3-CD
https://www.amazon.com/Quarter-Storm-Veronica-G-Henry/dp/1713623900
Synopsis: Haitian-American Vodou priestess Mambo Reina Dumond runs a healing practice from her New Orleans home.
Gifted with water magic since she was a child, Reina is devoted to the benevolent traditions of her ancestors.
After a ritual slaying in the French Quarter, police arrest a fellow vodouisant. Detective Roman Frost, Reina's ex-boyfriend
(and fierce nonbeliever) is eager to tie the crime, and half a dozen others, to the Vodou practitioners of New Orleans. Reina
resolves to find the real killer and defend the Vodou practice and customs, but the motives behind the murder are deeper and
darker than she imagines.
As Reina delves into the city's shadows, she untangles more than just the truth behind a devious crime. It's a conspiracy. As
a killer wields dangerous magic to thwart Reina's investigation, she must tap into the strength of her own power and faith to
solve a mystery that threatens to destroy her entire way of life.
Critique: "The Quarter Storm" is an impressively original and inherently entertain Dark Fantasy novel by Veronica G. Henry
that will have a special resonance with fans of the paranormal and urban fantasy genre. With its expertly performed
narration by Robin Mile, this complete and unabridged audio book (8 CD, 10 Hours, 14 Minutes) will prove to be a
welcome and appreciated addition to personal and community library collections. It is interesting to note that as an author,
Veronica G. Henry maintains an informative website at www.veronicahenry.net
The War of Two Queens
Jennifer L. Armentrout, author
Brilliance Audio
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781713555919, $29.99, MP3-CD
https://www.amazon.com/War-Two-Queens-Blood-Ash/dp/1713555913
Synopsis: Casteel Da'Neer knows all too well that very few are as cunning or vicious as the Blood Queen, but no one, not
even him, could've prepared for the staggering revelations. The magnitude of what the Blood Queen has done is almost
unthinkable.
Nothing will stop Poppy from freeing her King and destroying everything the Blood Crown stands for. With the strength of
the Primal of Life's guards behind her, and the support of the wolven, Poppy must convince the Atlantian generals to make
war her way - because there can be no retreat this time. Not if she has any hope of building a future where both kingdoms
can reside in peace.
Together, Poppy and Casteel must embrace traditions old and new to safeguard those they hold dear - to protect those who
cannot defend themselves. But war is only the beginning. Ancient primal powers have already stirred, revealing the horror
of what began eons ago. To end what the Blood Queen has begun, Poppy might have to become what she has been
prophesied to be - what she fears the most.
Critique: Of particular and special appeal to fans of Vampire romances and Gothic fantasies, "The War of Two Queens" is
the fourth title in author Jennifer L. Armentrouts 'Blood & Ash' series. Showcasing Jennifer Armentrout's extraordinarily
impressive literary talent by bringing "The War of Two Queens" to life in an extended 'theatre of the mind' listening
experience by the narrative talents of Stina Nielsen and Tim Campbell, this complete and unabridged audio book edition (21
CDs, 26 Hours, 43 Minutes) is enthusiastically recommended for all dedicated fantasy fans and community library audio
book collections.
Damaged Intentions
Mike Omer
Brilliance Audio
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781713612230, $14.99, MP3-CD
https://www.amazon.com/Damaged-Intentions-Abby-Mullen-Thrillers/dp/1713612232
Synopsis: As a child, Abby Mullen escaped the insidious Wilcox cult when it literally went down in flames. Years later,
she's the NYPD's best hostage negotiator and a mother. She thought the worst part of her life was behind her. Until now.
Armed conspiracy theorists called the Watchers have attacked the local high school and taken her daughter hostage!
With the delusional Watchers holding her child at gunpoint, the unflappable Abby might be at her breaking point. But the
clock is ticking on her daughter's life, and she has no choice but to negotiate with the paranoid group and discover their
leader's secret before it's too late.
As Abby peels back the layers of mystery surrounding the Watchers, there's always another puzzle underneath. And it seems
to be leading back to the dark past she's spent her whole life trying to forget.
Critique: An innately fascinating and deftly crafted suspense thriller replete with unexpected plot twists and memorable
characters, author Mike Omer's novel, "Damaged Intentions" is brilliantly narrated by the team of Jesse Vilinsky and Fajer
Al-Kaisi, making this a true 'theatre of the mind' experience for the listener. Complete and unabridged, "Damaged
Intentions" is highly recommended for personal and community library Suspense/Thriller audio book collections. (30 CDs,
12 Hours, 38 minutes).
The Music CD Shelf
Parallel Dimensions
Giuseppe Paradiso & Meridian 71
www.giuseppe-paradiso.com
Privately Published
$20.99 CD / $4.99 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/Parallel-Dimensions-Giuseppe-Meridian-Paradiso/dp/B09SNV8WDM
Parallel Dimensions is a cross-cultural music album showcasing original compositions by Giuseppe and performances by an
ensemble of Boston-based musicians. Musical influences in the creation of Parallel Dimensions include jazz, Mediterranean
and West African rhythms, and more. Giuseppe performs drums, percussion, electronics and vocals; Mark Zaleski
contributes alto and soprano sax/clarinet; Utar Artun is on piano and keys; Phil Sargent plays electric guitar; James
Hazlewood-Dale plays upright, electric, and fretless bass; and Malick Ngom contributes his expertise in West African sabar
drums, percussion, and vocals. An exciting, rhythmic, cooperative fusion, Parallel Dimensions enthralls the listener with its
extraordinary soundscape, and is a choice pick for connoisseurs in search of new horizons. Highly recommended! The tracks
are Kaizen, Memories of the Future, Joriki, It's Only the Beginning, Parallel Dimensions, and Tony.
Hurricane Clarice
Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves
allisonandtatiana.com
Free Dirt Records
freedirt.net
$14.98 CD / $8.99 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/Hurricane-Clarice-Allison-Groot/dp/B09PRNFP3H
Hurricane Clarice is an original album of bluegrass music by expert fiddle-playing duo Allison de Groot and Tatiana
Hargreaves. The songs feature themes ranging from seasonal depression to the questionable aspects of touring to cherishing
family, whether it's the family one is born into or a family made by close bonds that transcend genetic kinship. Hurricane
Clarice is a treasure for bluegrass connoisseurs, highly recommended! The tracks are The Banks of the Miramichi,
Wellington, Nancy Blevins, Each Season Changes You, Hurricane Clarice / Brushy Fork of John's Creek, I Would Not Live
Always, Dead and Gone (Hen Cackle), Ostrich with Pearls, and The Road That's Walked By Fools.
Till Skogen
Kolonien
Cumbancha
www.cumbancha.com
$13.98 CD / $9.49 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/Till-Skogen-Kolonien/dp/B09R4T45BJ
Till Skogen is a new album by Swedish folk-pop quartet Kolonien, a four-man family-band with a talent for acoustic roots
music. Embodying the love of land and the forest by the farm where members of Kolonien grew up, Till Skogen is heartfelt
and emotional, performed with a passion that transcends language barriers. Highly recommended. The tracks are Time Will
Tell, Drommen, Alla Andra, Luftpalats, Springen, Nattsudd, Farfars Jord, Tiden Gar For Fort, Intro de Bateria, Varandra,
Morgondag, Till Skogen, Hjaltesaga, and Unlearning.
A Porta Aperta
Karl Silveira
www.karlsilveira.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $8.91 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SRNMD21
A Porta Aperta is an original, jazz-inspired album by Canadian composer and trombonist Karl Silveira, with aid from David
French on tenor saxophone, Allison Au on alto saxophone, Chris Pruden on piano, Dan Fortin on upright bass, and Nico
Dann on drums. The instruments intertwine yet stand strong on their own, in this brilliant composition that flows with the
smoothness of jazz, yet brims with the excitement of a band performance. Highly recommended! The tracks are Nymark
Plaza, Perimeter, Hunch, A Porta Aperta, Trip the Light Fantastic, Far, Shimmy, Rye and Lilacs, and A Serretinha Em
Julho.
The Biography Shelf
American Ace: Joe Foss, Fighter Pilot
Hector Curriel
South Dakota Historical Society Press
900 Governors Drive, Pierre, SC 57501-2217
https://www.sdhspress.com
9781941813379, $19.95, PB, 130pp
https://www.sdhspress.com/books/american-ace
Synopsis: From the time he was four years old, Joseph Jacob "Joe" Foss (1915 - 2003) found flight fascinating. As an
adolescent, he followed the career of flyer Charles Lindbergh and could hardly wait to get into the air himself. In college, he
took private flying lessons, and as war broke out across Europe in 1939 and 1940, he joined the South Dakota National
Guard, preparing himself for combat by earning more flight time on weekends. After graduation, he joined the United States
Marines Corps' flight training program. Finally, in 1942, Joe was ready to be a fighter pilot, just as he had always dreamed
of being. But he was now twenty-six years old, and the military deemed him too old for combat. Instead, the Marine Corps
assigned Joe to teach men eighteen to twenty-three years old how to fly.
Joe accepted his role but also volunteered for special assignments. He became an aerial reconnaissance photographer,
hoping the job might lead him to the battle front. He pestered his superiors until he was allowed to take combat training in
the Grumman F4F Wildcat, the carrier-based dogfighter of the Pacific theater. Still, he found himself stateside rather than at
the front. He continued to volunteer for dangerous assignments, and his determination eventually won him a spot in a
fighting unit just as the war in the Pacific heated up.
Joining the Marine Corps' VMF-121 fighter squadron as executive officer, Capt. Joe Foss and his unit shipped out to
Guadalcanal, code-named "Cactus," in the Solomon Islands. They arrived in early October 1942, just weeks after the Allies
had taken Henderson Field on Guadalcanal from the Japanese. By mid-October, Joe had shot down five enemy airplanes,
which officially made him a flying ace. With his leadership and his pilots' daredevil tactics, the VMF-121 became known as
Foss's Flying Circus, the heart of the Cactus Air Force. Shooting down a total of twenty-six enemy planes between October
10, 1942, and January 25, 1943, Foss became America's Number One Ace and earned the Congressional Medal of Honor for
his role in Guadalcanal. He was a hero known around the world for his prowess in the skies.
With the publication of "American Ace: Joe Foss, Fighter Pilot", illustrator, watercolor artist, and cartoonist Hector Curriel,
using pen and ink, draws readers into his subject's triumphs and trials as Joe Foss overcomes difficult and dangerous
situations. He was shot down twice, contracted malaria, and lost his friends and many comrades in battle. "American Ace:
Joe Foss, Fighter Pilot" places action at the forefront, using the escapades of Foss during World War II to showcase the
experience of many fighter pilots, while highlighting the perseverance that made this man unique.
Critique: A true life military biography presented in a graphic novel format, and an inherently fascinating read from cover to
cover, "American Ace: Joe Foss, Fighter Pilot" with its immense appeal to World War II military historians and military
aviation fans and is a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, college, and university
library World War II History & Biography collections.
That's Rufus
Rufus L. Edmisten
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476677972, $29.95, PB, 234pp
https://www.amazon.com/Thats-Rufus-Memoir-Politics-Watergate/dp/1476677972
Synopsis: A farm boy from the mountains of North Carolina, Rufus Edmisten could not have been prepared for the halls of
power in Washington, D.C. During the Vietnam War era, as young men burned their draft cards and pro-cannabis factions
held "smoke-ins" in the capital, as a University of North Carolina Chapel Hill graduate, Rufus earned a law degree at
George Washington University and landed a job as counsel to U.S. senator Samuel J. Ervin, Jr.
This in turn led to Edmisten's appointment as Deputy Chief Counsel for the Senate Watergate Committee--he personally
served Richard Nixon the first ever subpoena of a sitting president by Congress.
Returning to North Carolina, he served as Attorney General and Secretary of State before retiring from public life to practice
law and participate in charitable activities.
Written with humor and candor, his memoir recalls the cultural contrasts of American life in the 1970s and 1980s, and
affirms that the business of government is to enable us to live together peacefully.
Critique: Given the current rancor and political polarization, "That's Rufus: A Memoir of Tar Heel Politics, Watergate and
Public Life" by Rufus L. Edmisten is a much needed and quite timely reminder of that no matter how bad things seem to get
with respect to the stability of our democracy and the misdeeds of a president, the American nation will recover, lessons will
be learned, history will be remembered.
An inherently fascinating and impressively informative read, and also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99),
"That's Rufus: A Memoir of Tar Heel Politics, Watergate and Public Life" is a welcome and recommended addition to the
personal reading lists of political science students, academia, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an
interst in the subject.
Simply stated, "That's Rufus: A Memoir of Tar Heel Politics, Watergate and Public Life is an important and seminal
addition to professional, community, college, and university library Contemporary American Biography and 20th Century
American History & Politics collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Former North Carolina Attorney General and Secretary of State, Rufus L. Edmisten drew international
attention when he served as deputy chief counsel for the Senate Watergate Committee. His work, together with that of
others, uncovered the truth about the Watergate scandal in 1973. He has the distinction of being the first person on a
congressional committee to serve a subpoena to a sitting president of the United States. A practicing lawyer and lobbyist, he
currently resides in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Ann Miller: Her Life and Career
Peter Shelley
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476679259, $29.95, PB, 225pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ann-Miller-Her-Life-Career/dp/1476679258
Synopsis: Ann Miller (born Johnnie Lucille Collier; April 12, 1923 - January 22, 2004) was an American actress, dancer,
singer and author. Best known as a tap dancer, Miller practiced all forms of dance, and some of her solo routines are
considered as good as any recorded in film musical history.
Despite having a reputation as a kook who believed she was psychic, and the potentially flat image of a "glamour girl,"
Miller's wit, charm and genuine ability to act gave her and her characters depth.
"Ann Miller: Her Life and Career" by Peter Shelley is an impressively informative, detailed, and fascinating biography that
presents Ann Miller's career within the context of her extraordinary life. Her career began with child acting and included
three Hollywood studio contracts, two retirements for marriage, and appearances in film, stage, variety shows, sitcoms and
more. She made a comeback in the stage musical Sugar Babies, earning a Best Leading Actress in a Musical Tony Award
nomination. She was even appointed an international spokesperson for MGM in the ailing years of that film studio.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader with occasional black-and-white historical photos, "Ann Miller: Her Life and Career" is
an exceptionally well written and impressively presented life story of a truly fascinating film star during Hollywood's
Golden Age for studio produced movies -- especially the musicals. Highly recommended for community, college, and
university library 20thy Century American Biography and Cinematic History collections, it should be noted for the still
remaining legions of Ann Miller fans that "Ann Miller: Her Life and Career" is also readily available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: Currently residing in Gosford, Australia, Peter Shelley is a playwright, screenwriter and author of several
film books.
John Severin: Two-Fisted Comic Book Artist
Jon B. Cooke, et al.
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614
www.twomorrows.com
9781605491066, $39.95, HC, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/John-Severin-Two-Fisted-Comic-Artist/dp/1605491063
Synopsis: "John Severin: Two-Fisted Comic Book Artist" is the definitive biography of one of the most prolific creators in
the history of American comics!
From a start in 1947 at the Simon & Kirby shop, he co-created the legendary Western strip American Eagle with Will Elder,
and became an EC Comics mainstay, working with Harvey Kurtzman on Mad and Two-Fisted Tales. In addition to a 40+
year association with Cracked magazine, his pivotal Marvel Comics work included an extended run inking Herb Trimpe on
The Hulk, and teaming with sister Marie Severin to create the classic comics version of King Kull.
Throughout his storied career, he freelanced for every major publisher, and remained a workhorse up till his final Dark
Horse mini-series at age 90.
Included in this volume from TwoMorrows Publishing is a special "American Eagle" section, an eye-popping art gallery,
and extensive personal photos and artifacts (including WWII "Victory Mail" cartoons and handmade greeting cards for his
family). Also featured are commentaries drawn from over 25 peers gathered just for "John Severin: Two-Fisted Comic Book
Artist", including Neal Adams, Richard Corben, John Byrne, Russ Heath, Walter Simonson, and many others. Written by
Greg Biga and multiple Eisner Award-winner Jon B. Cooke, with an introduction by Howard Chaykin, Foreword by Mort
Todd, and Afterword by Chuck Dixon, this profusely illustrated book celebrates the centennial of the two-fisted artist's
birth!
Critique: There could be no better memorial tribute to John Severin (December 26, 1921 - February 12, 2012) than "John
Severin: Two-Fisted Comic Book Artist", a profusely illustrated and impressively informative account and description of his
life and work as an artist and illustrator. An inherently fascinating read from cover to cover, "John Severin: Two-Fisted
Comic Book Artist" is especially recommended for the personal collections of dedicated comic book history fans, and will
prove to be an enduringly valued addition to community, college, and university library Biography and Comic/Graphic
Novel history collections.
The Psychology Shelf
The Heart and Mind of Hypnotherapy
Douglas Flemons
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
9780393714395, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Mind-Hypnotherapy-Connection-Inventing/dp/039371439X
Synopsis: In the popular imagination, hypnosis is misconstrued as something done to people, as if the hypnotist hypnotizes
them. And hypnotherapy is similarly misconceived as something done to clients' problems, as if the therapist could
unilaterally counter or cure them. In a refreshing departure from conception-as-usual, with the publication of "The Heart and
Mind of Hypnotherapy: Inviting Connection, Inventing Change", Professor Douglas Flemons offers another view,
articulating relational ideas about how minds and bodies communicate and learn.
In his characteristically casual and concise way, Professor Flemons explains and illustrates how hypnosis, like meditation, is
invited, not induced, and how hypnotherapy entails the altering and unraveling of knotted strands of problematic experience,
not the controlling and abolishing of labeled afflictions. The therapist gets in sync with clients so they can, together,
extemporaneously facilitate changes to undesired thoughts, urges, emotions, sensations, or behaviors. "The Heart and Mind
of Hypnotherapy: Inviting Connection, Inventing Change" takes you to the heart of hypnotherapy, to the respectful, playful
practice of utilizing clients' flow experience to collaboratively discover and create opportunities for embodied learning and
therapeutic change.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of an informative Foreword, Preface, and Author's Note, "The Heart
and Mind of Hypnotherapy: Inviting Connection, Inventing Change" also features a ten page listing of References and a
thirteen page Index. An exceptional and impressively presented work, "The Heart and Mind of Hypnotherapy" is an
extraordinary and especially recommended addition to professional, college, and university library Hypnotherapy, Medical
Clinical Psychology, and Medical Counseling collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for
medical students, academia, clinicians, aspiring/practicing medical hypnotists, and non-specialist general readers with an
interest in the subject that "The Heart and Mind of Hypnotherapy: Inviting Connection, Inventing Change" is also available
in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.05).
Editorial Note: Douglas Flemons, PhD, LMFT, is Co-Director of Context Consultants, Professor Emeritus of Family
Therapy and Former Co-Director of the Office of Suicide and Violence Prevention at Nova Southeastern University. and a
Clinical Fellow and Approved Supervisor in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). For
more than thirty years, he has devoted himself to developing (through his practice, research, teaching, supervision, and
writing) a relational approach to hypnotherapy and brief therapy. Currently in private practice in Asheville, North Carolina,
he regularly offers hypnotherapy workshops and international training sessions.
The Architecture Shelf
Architizer: The World's Best Architecture
Architizer, author
The Monacelli Press
6 West 18th Street, #2C, New York, NY 10011
www.monacellipress.com
9781580935913, $79.95, HC, 280pp
https://www.amazon.com/Architizer-Worlds-Best-Architecture-MONACELLI/dp/1580935915
Synopsis: The Architizer A+Awards represent 2021's best architecture and products, celebrated by a diverse group of
influencers within and outside the architectural community. Entries are judged by more than 400 luminaries from fields as
diverse as fashion, publishing, product design, real-estate development, and technology, and voted on by the public,
culminating in a collection of the world's finest buildings.
Each year, winners are honored in this fully illustrated compendium, and on Architizer.com, the largest online architecture
community on the planet. Featuring select A+Award winners, "Architizer: The World's Best Architecture" is the definitive
guide to the year's best buildings and spaces.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated with full color photography on each page, this coffee-table style (10.15 x 0.99
x 11.69 inches" volume of "Architizer: The World's Best Architecture" is a very special and essential addition to all
personal, professional, community, college, and university library Contemporary Architecture collections and supplemental
curriculum architectural studies lists.
Editorial Note: Architizer is the premier online destination for design professionals to explore the world's best architecture
and interiors, and discover the products and people behind them. Launched in 2009, the site has rapidly become the world's
largest platform for architecture and design. Architizer publishes a must-read blog covering industry news, and honors the
best architecture, spaces, and products annually with the A+Awards program.
Intentional Beauty
Tim Campbell
Pointed Leaf Press
136 Baxter Street, Suite 1C, New York, NY 10013
www.pointedleafpress.com
9781938461415, $75.00, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Intentional-Beauty-Tim-Campbell/dp/193846141X
Synopsis: Featuring an informative Foreword by renowned American fashion designer Thom Browne, "Intentional Beauty"
is the first major book to survey the twenty-five year architectural career of bicoastal designer Tim Campbell, whose
sophisticated and cutting-edge work features residential projects in both Los Angeles and New York, as well as the
renovation and restoration of several well-known homes in Los Angeles, including Richard Neutra's Singleton House.
Campbell's notable restorations exemplify his ability to preserve and honor the architecture of a historic home while
seamlessly updating it with modern additions to accommodate a more contemporary lifestyle. His boutique design firm,
Studio Tim Campbell, has offices in both Los Angeles and New York and specializes in both high-end custom residential
design renovations, new construction. and specialty commercial projects.
"Intentional Beauty" also illustrates his work as a philanthropist in Africa.
Critique: A simply stunning coffee-table style (11.52 x 1.08 x 12.11 inches) volume, "Intentional Beauty" is a distinct
pleasure to simple browse through one beautiful and captioned full color photograph after another. An impressive and
documented architectural study, "Intentional Beauty" by Tim Campbell is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended
addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Contemporary Architecture collections and
supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: In 2006, Tim Campbell founded Studio Tim Campbell to provide design services for high-end residential
and commercial projects, along with historical renovations. In addition to domestic projects, Campbell has worked on
numerous international projects in locales as varied as Paris, Mexico City and Dubai. In both Los Angeles and New York
City, Studio Tim Campbell's services include Architecture and Interior Design for residential, commercial and hospitality
projects.
A Home to the World
Raul Barreneche
ORO Editions
31 Commerical Blvd., Suite F, Novato, CA 94949
www.oroeditions.com
9781951541309, $40.00, HC, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/United-Nations-New-York-City/dp/1951541308
Synopsis: "A Home to the World: The United Nations and New York City" is profusely illustrated with rare archival
photographs and architectural drawings, as well as newly commissioned photographs. This unique volume also includes
informative contributions from UN-affiliated individuals of note, including current and former UN secretaries-general,
ambassadors to the UN, mayors, governors, historians, architecture critics, and other luminaries.
"A Home to the World" begins by chronicling how New York came to be the permanent home of the UN, including the
individuals, institutions, and other forces that helped the city secure the headquarters of the UN -- among them the
Rockefeller family, William Zeckendorf, and Robert Moses. Then it presents the architectural and urban design journey to
create the iconic UN campus by a global team of architectural giants such as Wallace K. Harrison, Le Corbusier, and Oscar
Niemeyer, with archival photos and architectural drawings and renderings.
"A Home to the World" also charts how the real estate needs of the UN evolved over time, leading to the creation of the
United Nations Development Corporation (UNDC) and its commissioning of three architecturally significant buildings at
UN Plaza that have helped keep the UN in New York City. Also included are sections on the $2 billion renovation and
restoration of the UN campus and proposals past and present for additional architectural commissions. Additional sections
will document visually how New York City and the UN have helped shape each other over the years; and how both continue
to change and evolve.
Unique for its architectural and urbanistic focus, "A Home to the World" showcases the importance of the United Nations's
many accomplishments (past, present, and future) as a truly global organization.
Critique: It should be noted that this coffee-table style (11 x 1 x 12.5 inches) volume of captioned photographs is will be of
immense and special interest to architects, architecture students, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the
United Nations. A combination of architectural studies and mission histories focusing on New York City in general, and the
now iconic United Nations building in particular, "A Home to the World: The United Nations and New York City" by Raul
Barreneche is especially recommended for personal reading lists, as well as professional, community, college, and university
library Architecture History & Preservation collections.
Editorial Note: Raul Barreneche, a longtime journalist, is the former executive editor of the magazine 'Architecture' and has
written extensively for major publications including Architectural Digest, Departures, ELLE Decor, and the New York
Times, and has authored eleven books on design for Rizzoli, Phaidon, and publishers. He remains a contributing editor to
Interior Design and holds a professional architecture degree from Carnegie Mellon University.
The Interior Design Shelf
Living in Color
Phaidon Editors, conception/editors
Stella Paul, contributor
India Mahdavi, contributor
Phaidon Press
65 Bleecker Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10012
www.phaidon.com
9781838663087, $39.95, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Living-Color-Contemporary-Interior-Design/dp/1838663088
Synopsis: With the publication of "Living in Color: Color in Contemporary Interior Design", professionals and non-
specialist general readers with an interest in the subject can easily tap into the growing trend for injecting color into home
decor with its elegant, thoughtful selection of interiors in every shade and hue. Organized by color, ranging from the purest
white to the deepest black, from the hottest pinks, oranges, and reds, to the coolest greens and tranquil blues in between,
"Living in Color: Color in Contemporary Interior Design" explores and celebrates the current trend for vivid accents and
vibrant transformations of our domestic spaces, whatever their size and wherever their location.
Critique: A compendium of stunningly beautiful, full page, color photographs, "Living in Color: Color in Contemporary
Interior Design" is a unique coffee-table style volume (10.2 x 1.13 x 11.7 inches), that is an extraordinary and inspirational
interior design sampling resource and is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community,
college, and university library Interior Design collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Stella Paul was educator-in-charge of exhibitions and communications, and senior manager of the
Interpretative Audio Program (Digital Media) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. She established the
Smithsonian Institution's Southern California Center for the Archives of American Art, and has worked as a curator at
LACMA.
Editorial Note #2: India Mahdavi is a Paris-based interior designer, best known for her use of color in her work for such
venues as Sketch in London.
Joseph Urban: Unlocking an Art Deco Bedroom
Amy M. Dehan, author
Christopher Long, contributor
Elizabeth McGoey, contributor
Giles
https://gilesltd.com
9781911282563, $49.95, HC, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Urban-Unlocking-Deco-Bedroom/dp/1911282565
Synopsis: Joseph Urban arrived in Boston in 1911. He lived and worked in the United States for the rest of his life. Over the
next twenty-two years, he would become one of the nation's most important and celebrated interior designers and was at the
forefront of American modernism, doing as much as anyone to shape its distinctive face.
His iconic designs include the Tulip Room, Central Park Casino, New York, 1929; Park Avenue Restaurant, 128 East 58th
Street, New York, 1931; and the bedroom for Nedenia Hutton, daughter of E. F. Hutton and Marjorie Merriweather Post ,
Mar-a-Lago Palm Beach, Florida, 1926. When Urban arrived in the United States, the new architecture and design were just
beginning to make their appearance; by the time he died in 1933, they were already starting to assert their dominance
Designed in 1929 and completed in 1930, "Joseph Urban: Unlocking an Art Deco Bedroom" showcases a rare, bespoke
bedroom that was specifically created for seventeen-year-old Elaine Wormser. An interior design survey and analysis
reveals the skillful blend of Viennese artistic influences, sleek modern finishes, daring color and pattern that marked all of
the artist's greatest achievements.
The interior, whose elements are held by the Cincinnati Art Museum, has never been fully researched, published or
displayed before now. "Joseph Urban: Unlocking an Art Deco Bedroom" is comprised of five informative essays that are
accompanied by nearly 90 full-color illustrations, combining to unlock the narratives and significance of this important
historic interior.
Critique: Beautiful, informative, inspirational, inherently fascinating, "Joseph Urban: Unlocking an Art Deco Bedroom" will
be of immense interest to students, interior designers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.
Simply stated, "Joseph Urban: Unlocking an Art Deco Bedroom" is an elegant, exceptional, and unreservedly recommended
addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Interior Design collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Amy Miller Dehan is the curator of Decorative Arts and Design, Cincinnati Art Museum. Christopher Long
is the Martin S. Kermacy Centennial Professor, School of Architecture, University of Texas at Austin. Elizabeth McGoey is
the Ann S. and Samuel M. Mencoff Associate Curator, Arts of the Americas, Art Institute of Chicago
The Gift Of Home
Bre Doucette
Ten Peaks Press
c/o Harvest House Publishers
PO Box 41210, Eugene, OR 97404-0322
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
9780736981514, $34.99, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Gift-Home-Beauty-Inspiration-Special/dp/0736981519
Synopsis: When you look around your home, what do you see? Imperfections and disappointments around every corner, or a
blank canvas just waiting for your creative brushstrokes?
With the publication of "The Gift of Home: Beauty and Inspiration to Make Every Space a Special Place", home decor
expert Bre Doucette is here to help you break free from your decorating disillusionment with expert advice on how to view
your home from a new perspective, overcome the obstacles that keep you from trying new ideas, and be happy in the here
and now as you transform your spaces into places filled with warmth, joy, and love.
Room by room, Bre shares her years of experience, expertise, and encouragement with you, so you can see your home the
way it was intended -- as a gift for you and your loved ones to enjoy.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated in full color throughout, "The Gift of Home: Beauty and Inspiration to Make
Every Space a Special Place" is impressively inspirational and thoroughly 'user friendly' in commentary, organization and
presentation. An ideal resource for non-specialist general readers with an interest in home decor and interior design, "The
Gift of Home: Beauty and Inspiration to Make Every Space a Special Place" is especially recommended for personal,
professional, community, college, and university library Interior Design & Home Decor collections and supplemental
curriculum studies lists. It should also be noted that "The Gift of Home: Beauty and Inspiration to Make Every Space a
Special Place" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.49).
Editorial Note: As the girl who couldn't wait to come home from school and rearrange her bedroom, it's no wonder Bre
Doucette grew up loving to decorate homes. Her own home is an 1846 farmhouse in New England, which she shares with
her youth group sweetheart, her two kids, one dog, and twelve chickens. Bre welcomes others into her home through her
blog - Rooms for Rent, where she spreads her passion for decorating, her belief that creating a home is so much more than
the stuff we fill our rooms with, and a little bit of faith along the way. Bre's heart is to serve others through the gifts God has
given her.
The Photography Shelf
Look at Me
Firooz Zahedi
Pointed Leaf Press
136 Baxter Street, Suite 1C, New York, NY 10013
www.pointedleafpress.com
9781938461842, $85.00, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Look-at-Me-Firooz-Zahedi/dp/1938461843
Synopsis: From acclaimed Hollywood photographer Firooz Zahedi comes "Look at Me", a collection of his most
distinguished and intimate celebrity portraits. From editorial commissions from magazines that include Vanity Fair,
Glamour, InStyle, GQ, and Entertainment Weekly, to iconic movie posters such as Pulp Fiction, Edward Scissorhands, and
The Addams Family - Zahedi has been photographing Hollywood's biggest stars for over 35 years.
Each individual photograph is accompanied by a short text offering personal insight into how each shot came together. Also
included are never-before-seen photographs as well as special behind-the-scenes snapshots and notes from Zahedi's
appreciative subjects. "Look at Me" is a celebration of this golden age of celebrity as seen through the lens of one of
Hollywood's most accomplished photographers.
Critique: The third volume of his photographic work, "Look at Me" by Firooz Zahedi is a coffee-table style (10.29 x 0.99 x
12.96 inches) volume showcasing stunningly beautiful photographs of mostly stunningly beautiful celebrities. With a very
special appeal to fans of celebrity photography, as well as those with an interest in portraiture photography, "Look at Me" is
readily and especially recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library Contemporary
American Photography collections.
Editorial Note: While still at art school Firooz Zahedi began working as a photographer for Andy Warhol's Interview. Later,
Elizabeth Taylor became his mentor and friend and in 1978 he accompanied the actress to Hollywood and worked on a film
set as her personal photographer. He remained in Los Angeles and built a successful career that culminated in a contract
with Vanity Fair in 1990. His photographs have appeared on the covers of the British GQ, French Vogue, Tatler, Time,
Glamour, Town & Country, InStyle, and many other publications. Ranging from the iconic poster for the movie Pulp Fiction
to album covers for Barbara Streisand and Diana Ross, Zahedi has produced some of the most prominent advertising and
publicity campaigns for film, television, and music companies. He has also exhibited his celebrity portraits as well as his
fine art photography at galleries in Los Angeles, New York, London, Dubai, and Basel. His photographs are in the
permanent collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art as well as the Norton Museum in West Palm Beach,
Florida. My Elizabeth a pictorial book of his 35 years of friendship with Elizabeth Taylor was published by Glitterati
Incorporated in 2016. City of Angels, a book on a select group of architectural homes in Los Angeles was published by
Vendome Press in 2018.
The Sports Shelf
The New York Mets in Popular Culture: Critical Essays
David Krell, editor
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476680101, $29.95, PB, 254pp
https://www.amazon.com/New-York-Mets-Popular-Culture/dp/1476680108
Synopsis: Bringing fresh perspectives to the team that has brought joy, triumph and even a miracle to New York City, "The
New York Mets in Popular Culture: Critical Essays" is collection of seventeen new essays which collectively examines
portrayals of the Mets in film, television, advertising and other media.
The erudite and knowledgeable contributors cover little-known aspects of Mets history -- insider aspects that even die-hard
fans may not know. The topics covered include the popularity of Rheingold's advertising in the 1950s and 1960s, Bob
Murphy's broadcasting career before joining the Mets' announcing team in 1962, Mr. Met's rivalry with the Phillie Phanatic,
Dave Kingman's icon status, the pitching staff's unsung performance after the 1969 World Series victory, and Joan Payson's
world-renowned art collection and philanthropy.
Critique: Inherently fascinating and informative reading for dedicated baseball fans in general, and an absolute 'must' for all
Mets fans everywhere, "The New York Mets in Popular Culture: Critical Essays" is additionally enhanced with the inclusion
of a two page Bibliography, a three page listing of the Contributors and their credentials, and an eighteen page Index. While
especially recommended as an addition to community, college, and university library American Baseball History collections,
it should be noted for the personal reading lists of all die-hard Mets fans that "The New York Mets in Popular Culture:
Critical Essays" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: David Krell is a freelance journalist, author and attorney. He has written for Memories and Dreams -- The
Official Magazine of the Baseball Hall of Fame; Black Ball: A Negro Leagues Journal and New York State Bar
Association's Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Journal. He is also the chair of SABR's Elysian Fields Chapter (northern
New Jersey) and the Spring Training Research Committee.
Lou Ambers
Mark Allen Baker
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476682204, $39.95, PB, 241pp
https://www.amazon.com/Lou-Ambers-Biography-Lightweight-Champion/dp/1476682208
Synopsis: Born Luigi d'Ambrosio, Lou Ambers grew up in Herkimer, New York, during the Great Depression. He and his
nine siblings watched their father lose his business. Then they lost their father. Taking to the ring as a "bootleg" boxer to
support his family, "The Herkimer Hurricane" soon became an undefeated contender, losing only one of more than fifty
fights in his first three years as a professional.
A keen judge of distance with prodigious hand speed, he worked just within punching range, busily slipping and feinting,
then slashing in with hooks and uppercuts. In 1936, he faced his idol and mentor, Tony Canzoneri, and defeated him to
capture the world lightweight championship. Ambers held the title for twenty-three months, losing it in a historic fight with
the formidable Henry Armstrong (1938) but regaining it in a rematch the following year.
As the 1930s ended, so did Amber's impressive career. "Lou Ambers: A Biography of the World Lightweight Champion and
Hall of Famer" by Mark Allen Baker chronicles the life of one of the great 20th century lightweights, who retired with a
Hall of Fame record of 90-8-6 with 30 KOs.
Critique: Illustrated throughout with black-and-white historical photographs, this exceptionally well written boxing
history/biography of a genuine champion, "Lou Ambers: A Biography of the World Lightweight Champion and Hall of
Famer" will have a very special appeal to boxing fans and sports historians alike. While highly recommended, especially for
community, college, and university library 20th Century American Sports History & Biography collections, it should be
noted for personal reading lists that "Lou Ambers: A Biography of the World Lightweight Champion and Hall of Famer" is
also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.99).
Editorial Note: Mark Allen Baker is a business executive and the writer of hundreds of articles and more than 20 books. He
is also the only person to serve the International Boxing Hall of Fame as an author, historian, chairperson, sponsor,
volunteer and biographer, as well as serving on the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame.
The Woodworking Shelf
Foundations of Woodworking
Michael Pekovich
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
www.taunton.com
9781641551625, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Foundations-Woodworking-Essential-techniques-strategies/dp/1641551623
Synopsis: Comprised of essential joinery techniques and building strategies, "Foundations of Woodworking" by Michael
Pekovich gets to the very core of the craft of woodworking: laying out, cutting, and assembling joinery for furniture and
other treasured wood objects.
After an introductory chapter on the basic woodworking strategies that apply to anything you might build, Pekovich dives
into a step-by-step, project-by-project description of the essential wood joints, from rabbets and dadoes through mortise and
tenons to dovetails and miters. Master these joints (with a combination of hand tools and power tools) and the door is open
to create just about any design you can think of.
"Foundations of Woodworking" concludes with a selection of inspiring projects, including a wall cabinet, a chimney
cupboard, an arched entry table, a desk divider, a dining chair, and many more.
Critique: With what could be considered as the sequel to woodworking expert Michael Pekovich's first book, "The Why and
How of Woodworking" which was published in 2018, "Foundations of Woodworking" is beautifully illustrated and
thoroughly 'user friendly' in both organization, presentation, and instruction. Simply stated, this coffee-table style (8.75 x
0.75 x 11.25 inches) edition of "Foundations of Woodworking" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to
personal, professional, and community library DIY woodworking instructional guide and 'how to' manual collections.
Editorial Note: Michael Pekovich's approach to designing and building furniture, as well as life in general, is that simple is
usually better. A furniture maker, photographer, writer, teacher, and graphic designer, he puts his talents to use as the
creative director at Fine Woodworking.
Weekend Woodturning Projects
Mark Baker
The GMC Group
www.gmcbooks.com
9781861089229, $24.99, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Weekend-Woodturning-Projects-Designs-Skills/dp/1861089228
Synopsis: "Weekend Woodturning Projects: 25 Simple Projects for the Home" by Mark Baker is an ideal introduction to
woodturning -- especially for beginners and intermediate turners. This DIY 'how to' manual presents clear, step-by-step
instructions accompanied by over 600 photographs and finely detailed drawings (with dimensions for further guidance)
providing all the hands-on knowledge ever needed to start a woodworking/woodturning project.
Enhanced for beginners with: Helpful sections on safety; How to season wood; Tool and material lists for each project;
Special sidebars describing the types of wood used, aspiring woodturners will learn the use 6 basic tools, as well as Spindle
roughing gouge; Spindle gouge; Parting tool; Bowl gouge; Skew chisel; Scrapers; plus carving tools and a boring tool.
Showcasing 25 fabulous and functional projects that are quick to make in only a couple of hours to a few days to complete
"Weekend Woodturning Projects" is ideally suited to a beginner or intermediate turner.
Critique: Beautifully and effectively illustrated throughout, "Weekend Woodturning Projects: 25 Simple Projects for the
Home" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community library woodworking
collections, as well as school woodshop curriculum textbook. It should be noted for woodworking students, practitioners,
and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Weekend Woodturning Projects: 25 Simple Projects
for the Home" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: Mark Baker has always been fascinated by wood. His father was a carpenter and joiner and, on leaving
school, Mark served a five-year apprenticeship working for a local building firm, which included restoration work. Mark has
also helped set up an industrial workshop for autistic adults and he has worked for some of the major manufacturers of
woodturning tools in the UK. He is now the editor of Woodturning magazine and the group editor of all GMC Publications
woodworking magazines. His previous books include Woodturning Projects: A Workshop Guide to Shapes, Wood for
Woodturners and Wood Turning: A Craftsman's Guide -- all published by GMC Publications.
The Needlecraft Shelf
Weekend Makes: Crocheted Bags
Emma Osmond
The GMC Group
www.gmcbooks.com
9781784946180, $22.99, PB, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Weekend-Makes-Crocheted-Quick-Projects/dp/1784946184
Synopsis: With the publication of "Weekend Makes: Crocheted Bags" instructively showcasing 25 2uick and easy projects,
even the most novice of needlecrafters can now successfully crochet their way from clutch to tote, making a variety of
beautiful bags in between. Crochet bags are an up-to-date crocheting project, examples of which now fills Instagram and
Pinterest (not to mention catwalks and high-end fashion houses) with modern masterpieces.
Grab your crochet hook and yarn and join the trend by creating a carrier for every outing. Whether you're a newcomer to this
craft or have been hooked for a while, you'll find a project to kickstart your creativity and learn the skills required to make it.
With detailed techniques, tools and materials sections, "Weekend Makes: Crocheted Bags" provides everything you need to
know to get started. Each project guides you step by step with easy-to-follow instructions and close-up photos of each
stage.
Whether you need to carry keys, groceries or a picnic, or add the finishing touch to an outfit, there are 25 easy projects to
make, from essential everyday bags, such as the tote, shopper and backpack, to more exciting, elaborate shapes, such as the
Japanese knot, circle raffia and drawstring bag. As well as learning the basic stitches and how to shape these styles, you'll
expand your knowledge to create different patterns and textures, including leopard print, geometric and honeycomb designs,
and work with different colours and types of yarn.
The individual projects include: a leopard-print clutch, a circle raffia bag, a honeycomb messenger bag, an ombre shopping
bag, a Japanese knot bag, a beach bag, an eco shopper bag, a tweed shoulder bag, a textured tote bag, and a crossbody
drawstring bag.
Critique: Featuring full color photographs, 'user friendly' step-by-step instructions that include the materials needed,
"Weekend Makes: Crocheted Bags" will be an enduringly popular and prized addition to personal, professional, and
community library needlecraft instructional reference collections.
Editorial Note: Guild of Master Craftsman (GMC) Publications publishes quality instructional guides and 'how to' manuals
which are valued and prized by professional craftsmen and amateur women alike.
The Gardening Shelf
Beyond Wild
Raymond Jungles, author
The Monacelli Press
6 West 18th Street, #2C, New York, NY 10011
www.monacellipress.com
9781580935821, $60.00, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Wild-Gardens-Landscapes-Raymond/dp/1580935826
Synopsis: For almost 40 years, Raymond Jungles has generated design solutions that respond to surrounding natural systems
while restoring nature's balance and harmony on a micro-scale. His completed gardens personify timelessness and beauty,
with verdant spaces that entice participation and soothe the psyche.
"Beyond Wild: Gardens and Landscapes by Raymond Jungles" is beautifully illustrated monograph (the fourth to focus on
his work) that present and showcases 21 completed projects, along with a section of work in progress featuring sketches,
renderings, and site plans of 12 current projects of varying typologies including an 18-acre Phipps Ocean Park in the Town
of Palm Beach, Florida.
Among the featured works are major landscapes surrounding luxury residential complexes as well as lush private gardens
from the mountains in Mexico to volcanic craters in Panama, Caribbean beachfronts, the Florida Keys, and densely
populated cities like Manhattan and Miami.
Highlights include the restoration of the famed interior garden by the revered landscape architect Dan Kiley at the Ford
Foundation Center for Social Justice in New York; a landscape to evoke the work of legendary Brazilian designer Roberto
Burle Marx at the New York Botanical Garden, and two new gardens at the the Naples Botanical Garden.
Critique: An extraordinary and inspiring coffee-table style volume (11.08 x 1.1 x 9.78 inches) to simply browse through one
gorgeous page at a time, "Beyond Wild: Gardens and Landscapes by Raymond Jungles" will prove to be an immediately
welcome, enduringly popular, and highly prized addition to personal, professional, college, and university library
Gardening, Horticulture, and Landscaping collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Founded in 1985 by Raymond Jungles, the firm's design priorities are generated by the scale and
functionality of a space. Simple, clean, and well-detailed hardscape elements are the quintessential bones of a garden.
Planting volumes vary and bold colors and textures are used with intent. The firm is guided by Raymond's personal and
design principles: integrity, relevance, and nature's honor. Their informed designs tread lightly on the land, provide habitat,
and incorporate elements of surprise.
The Garden Book
Toby Musgrave, author
Ruth Chivers, author
Tim Richardson, editor
Phaidon Press
65 Bleecker Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10012
www.phaidon.com
9781838663209, $59.95, HC, 520pp
https://www.amazon.com/Garden-Book-Revised-updated/dp/1838663207
Synopsis: A beautifully illustrated, revised and refreshed version of Phaidon's classic, this new edition of "The Garden
Book" is an A-to-Z who's who of the world's finest garden-makers throughout history, spanning all styles and continents.
From the first religious gardens to Dan Pearson's heavenly new Tokachi garden in Japan, each entry illustrates a key work
by the designer, describes the garden, and evokes its unique spirit and ethos.
Critique: Showcasing five hundred elegant gardens, "The Garden Book" an unreservedly recommended and essential
reference for today's gardeners and landscapers. Beautifully illustrated on each page with a full color photography and an
informative commentary, "The Garden Book" offers infinite inspiration for create a signature space -- whatever the
landscape might be. An invaluable and thoroughly 'user friendly' reference for gardeners and garden lovers alike, "The
Garden Book" is a significant addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library
Gardening/Landscaping reference collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Tim Richardson, consultant editor, is an acclaimed garden historian and critic of landscape architecture.
Toby Musgrave is a widely published garden writer and historian. Bill Noble is a garden designer and former director of
preservation for the Garden Conservancy in the US. Clare Foster is garden editor of House & Garden magazine.
The Theatre/Cinema Shelf
Batman's Batman
Michael E. Uslan
Red Lightning Books
https://redlightningbooks.com
9781684351831, $65.00, HC, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Batmans-Batman-Memoir-Hollywood-Money/dp/1684351839
Synopsis: In "Batman's Batman: A Memoir from Hollywood, Land of Bilk and Money", Michael E. Uslan, who was the
executive producer of the Batman movie franchise, offers an insider's look at Hollywood and the process of how movies and
television shows go from the drawing board to your screens.
Continuing the delightful tale of his adventures begun in "The Boy Who Loved Batman", Uslan draws on both his
successful and less successful attempts to bring ideas to the screen, offering a helpful, honest, and breezily told guide to
producing films. From passion to promotion, from the initial pitch to selecting the best partners and packaging, Uslan
reveals the 13 qualities essential to would-be producers.
A lively memoir and a valuable glimpse inside Hollywood rarely seen by the public, "Batman's Batman" is sure to please
fans of Michael Uslan and the Batman franchise, but it will also prove to be an invaluable resource for any aspiring
producers, as he guides readers through the Land of Bilk and Money that we know as Hollywood!
Critique: Impressively well written, organized and presented, "Batman's Batman: A Memoir from Hollywood, Land of Bilk
and Money" is an extraordinary and inherently fascinating combination of person history and the film making process using
one of Hollywood's most successful film franchises. An absolute 'must' for the legions of Batman fans, as well as aspiring
film producers, Hollywood memoire enthusiasts, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject,
"Batman's Batman: A Memoir from Hollywood, Land of Bilk and Money" recommended for community, college, and
university library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Batman's Batman" is also available in a
paperback edition (9781684351848, $20.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.75).
Editorial Note: Michael E. Uslan was the first instructor to teach an accredited course on comic book folklore at any
university.
The Nautical Shelf
Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes
Anna Lardinois
The Globe Pequot Press
246 Goose Lane, Suite 200, Guilford, CT 06437
www.globepequot.com
9781493058556, $19.95, PB, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Shipwrecks-Great-Lakes-Tragedies-Legacies/dp/149305855X
Synopsis: "Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes: Tragedies and Legacies from the Inland Seas" by Anna Lardinois covers the
sensational wrecks and maritime disasters from each of the five Great Lakes. It is estimated that over 30,000 sailors have
lost their lives in Great Lakes wrecks. For many, these icy, inland seas have become their final resting place, but their last
moments live on as a part of maritime history.
The tales and stories comprising "Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes: Tragedies and Legacies from the Inland Seas", are all true
and well-documented, feature some of the most notable tragedies on each of the lakes. Included in many of these tales are
legends of ghost ship sighting, ghostly shipwreck victims still struggling to get to shore, and other chilling lore. Sailors are a
superstitious group, and the stories are sprinkled with omens and maritime protocols that guide decisions made on the
water.
Critique: The newest addition to Globe Pequot's outstanding Shipwrecks series, "Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes: Tragedies
and Legacies from the Inland Seas" is deftly organized into five major chapters, each one focused on a particular Great Lake
(Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Superior). Informationally enhanced with the inclusion of a six page Bibliography, a
four page Glossary of Nautical Terms, and a five page Index, "Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes: Tragedies and Legacies from
the Inland Seas" is impressively well written, organized and presented. An inherently informative and fascinating read
throughout, "Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes: Tragedies and Legacies from the Inland Seas" is also available in a digital book
format (Kindle, $17.00) and highly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library
Great Lakes History and American Nautical History collections and supplemental curriculum studies reading lists.
Editorial Note: Anna Lardinois, a maritime disaster enthusiast, owns Gothic Milwaukee, Brew City's most popular haunted,
historical walking tour company. The creator of Walking Milwaukee and the 11th Pfister Narrator, Lardinois loves to
celebrate the best Milwaukee has to offer. His previous titles include Milwaukee Ghosts and Legends and Storied and
Scandalous Wisconsin.
The Self-Help Shelf
Nailing It
Robert L. Dilenschneider
Citadel
c/o Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street, Floor 21, New York, NY 10018-2522
www.kensingtonbooks.com
9780806541754, $16.95, PB, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Nailing-Historys-Awesome-Twentysomethings-Together/dp/080654175X
Synopsis: Do you think Albert Einstein had his act together by his mid-20s? Think again. Would you assume style icon and
humanitarian Audrey Hepburn's life was always as beautiful as she was? Far from it. At the other end of the spectrum is the
revolutionary Steve Jobs, who was at the top of his game by age 25. But Jobs's beginnings were marked by his adoption,
displacement, bullying, and then a rocky personal life.
"Nailing It: How History's Awesome Twentysomethings Got It Together" by Robert Dilenschnneider is an absorbing
examination of the trajectories of 25 iconic figures (from Toni Morrison to Albert Einstein and Golda Meir to Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart) to reveal where they were in their lives in their mid-twenties and the choices that enabled them to make
their historic marks.
For those who are coming of age now, and for those who care about them and their futures, these captivating profiles
provide inspiration, instruction, and encouragement. The profiles in Path to Greatness will be real-life examples of the fact
that the turning points that lead to success and happiness come at different times and as a result of different conditions.
Some people create their own turning points, other people build on what happens to them.
Many people who seemed to "have their act together" at age 25, had already weathered difficult beginnings to their lives;
their turning points came early. And other people who didn't even have an act at age 25, went on to make profound
contributions to the world; their turning points came with maturity. "Nailng It" will remind readers that it is never too late to
make an impact.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Nailing It: How History's Awesome Twentysomethings Got
It Together" is an inherently fascinating, impressively informative, and inspiring read that is especially and unreservedly
recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library Business Motivation, Jobs/Careers,
Self-Help/Self Improvement collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Nailing It: How History's
Awesome Twentysomethings Got It Together" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Robert L. Dilenschneider has hired more than 3,000 successful professionals and advised thousands more.
He is the founder of the Dilenschneider Group, a corporate strategic counseling and public relations firm based in New York
City. Formerly president and CEO of Hill & Knowlton, he is also the author of The Critical First Years of Your Professional
Life, Power and Influence, A Briefing for Leaders, and On Power.
The Criminology Shelf
When a Killer Calls
John Douglas, author
Mark Olshaker, author
Dey Street Books
c/o William Morrow & Company
www.harpercollins.com
9780063074477, $27.99, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/When-Killer-Calls-Profiling-Mindhunter/dp/0062979795
Synopsis: On May 31, 1985, two days before her high school graduation, Shari Smith was abducted from the driveway of
her family home in South Carolina. Based on the crime scene and the abductor's repeated and taunting calls to the family,
law enforcement quickly realized they were dealing with a sophisticated and highly dangerous criminal.
A letter arrived the next day entitled "Last Will & Testament," in which Shari, knowing she was to be murdered, wrote
bravely and achingly of her love for her parents, siblings, and boyfriend, saying that while they would miss her, she knew
they would persevere through their faith. The abduction rocked her quiet town, triggering a massive manhunt and bringing
in the FBI, which enlisted profiler John Douglas. A few days later, a phone call told the family where they could find Shari's
body.
Then nine-year-old Debra May Helmick was kidnapped from her yard, confirming the harsh realization that Smith's murder
was no random act. A serial killer was evolving, and the only way to stop him would be to use the study of criminal
behavior to anticipate his next move before he could kill again. Douglas devised a risky and emotionally fraught strategy to
use Shari's lookalike older sister Dawn as bait to draw out the unknown subject. Dawn and her parents courageously
agreed.
One of the most haunting investigations of Douglas's storied career, this case details how the eerily accurate profile he
created (alongside his carefully crafted and stage-managed manipulation of the killer's psychology) combined with dedicated
police work and cutting-edge forensic science to end a reign of criminal terror.
As Shari's family took incredible personal risks to lure her killer from the shadows, Douglas and the FBI pushed criminal
profiling to its limits, culminating in one of his most dramatic and effective confrontations with a sadistic and remorseless
killer.
Critique: Simply stated, "When a Killer Calls: A Haunting Story of Murder, Criminal Profiling, and Justice in a Small
Town" is a compulsively riveting read for first page to last. A detailed, suspenseful, emotionally invested account for the
reader, "When a Killer Calls" is a true life crime story that is one of those books that will linger in the mind and memory
long after it has been finished and set back upon the shelf. While unreservedly and unhesitatingly recommended for
community library True Crime collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "When a Killer Calls" is also
readily available in a paperback edition (9780062979797, $16.99), in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99), and as a
complete and unabridged audio book (HarperCollins, 9798200747740, $41.99, CD).
Editorial Note #1: One of the foremost experts and investigators of criminal minds and motivations, John Douglas, the
legendary FBI criminal profiler and a veteran author of true crime books. He has spent over twenty-five years researching
and culling the stories of America's most disturbing criminals. A veteran of the United States Air Force, he has directly
worked and/or had overall supervision in over 5,000 violent crime cases over the past 48 years. He is currently chairman of
the board of the "Cold Case Foundation."
Editorial Note #2: Mark Olshaker is an Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker and author of ten nonfiction books
and five novels, including Einstein's Brain and The Edge. His books with former FBI Special Agent and criminal profiling
pioneer John Douglas, beginning with Mindhunter and, most recently, Law & Disorder, have been translated into many
languages. Mindhunter is now a dramatic series on Netflix, directed by David Fincher.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
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