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Wisconsin Bookwatch

Volume 12, Number 9 September 2017 Home | WBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Writing/Publishing Shelf Cookbook Shelf
Needlecraft Shelf Fiction Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Christian Studies Shelf Buddhist Studies Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Music CD Shelf DVD Shelf
Self-Help Shelf Business Shelf Travel Shelf
Education Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Biography Shelf
Railroading Shelf Gardening Shelf Computer Shelf
Music Shelf Automotive Shelf Civil War Shelf
Money/Finance Shelf Art Shelf Psychology Shelf
Interior Design Shelf Martial Arts Shelf Wisconsin Shelf


Reviewer's Choice

Buzz Ride
P. M. White
Lake Claremont Press
c/o Everything Goes Media
PO Box 1524, Milwaukee, WI 53201
https://www.everythinggoesmedia.com
9781893121669, $12.95, 145pp, www.amazon.com

"Buzz Ride: Driven to Disruption: Memoirs of an Uber Driver" is the story of a financially-comfortable fifty-something father of two (with a Mercedes) who ends up as an Uber driver late at night on the toughest streets of Chicago. Pat White (the author's pseudonym), is a financial advisor and business strategist, decided to go undercover to research how the disruptive technology of ridesharing affects commerce. Soon his business study warped into a study of humanity and himself. A summer experiment that took White down roads he never imagined he would travel. Being an Uber driver would entail him having to embrace danger, longing for the thrill of voyeuristic glimpses into private lives made public, and facing the depths of his shadow personality. An inherently fascinating read from cover to cover, "Buzz Ride" is an always wild ride that is sometimes dark, sometimes humorous, as well as providing a surprisingly insightful and touching side of Chicago nightlife in the smart-phone generation. An impressively well crafted and entertaining account, "Buzz Ride" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library collections.

Apples
Roger Yepsen
The Countryman Press
c/o W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.countrymanpress.com
9781682680193, $18.95, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com

"Apples" is compact and elegant book in which artist/writer Roger Yepsen that succinctly presents fascinating facts about more than 200 varieties of apples growing in the United States. With beautiful and distinctive watercolors, one for each apple variety showcased, "Apples" makes identification a snap. "Apple" also reveals how each variety tastes and which varieties are best for eating and which are best for cooking. A unique, portable, and extraordinary guide to one of the most popular and ubiquitous fruits on earth, "Apples" is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Gardening/Horticultural collections. It should be noted for personal reading and reference lists that "Apples" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.48).

The Benevolent Bee
Stephanie Bruneau
Quarry Books
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartous.com
9781631592867, $24.99, Flexibound, 160pp, www.amazon.com

A honeybee hive produces much more than honey; it also produces pollen, propolis, royal jelly, beeswax, and bee venom. And humans have found uses for all these products. "The Benevolent Bee" by Stephanie Bruneau (who is a beekeeper, herbalist, and artist, and owner of The Benevolent Bee, a small business selling honey, beeswax candles, herbal body care products, and other handcrafted and hive-derived items) describes how and why the bees make these products, how they've been used by humans throughout the ages, and how beekeepers harvest the products. The Benevolent Bee" also presents simple do-it-yourself recipes for using the products in health and wellness, body care, nutrition, and craft. "The Benevolent Bee" specially features six amazing products of the honeybee hive: honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, beeswax, and bee venom. Appreciative readers will learn how to make a salve for burns and a cough syrup from raw honey; how to make a tincture, an infused oil, and a mouthwash from propolis, the anti-bacterial "bee glue" that lines the inside of the hive; and much more. Beautifully and profusely illustrated in full color from cover to cover, "The Benevolent Bee" is a wonderfully informative and highly recommended addition to both community and academic library collections. It should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Benevolent Bee" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.74).

For the Benefit of All
Jeffrey T. Ramsey & Margaret Nettesheim Hoffmann
Marquette University Press
PO Box 3141, Milwaukee, WI 53201-3141
www.marquette.edu/mupress
9781626003026, $20.00, HC, 208pp, www.amazon.com

Faye McBeath held a position of leadership and authority with the Milwaukee Journal at a time when women were often relegated to backrooms and not boardrooms. She believed in the importance of civic duty and in focusing resources on the Milwaukee community. McBeath chose to use her wealth gained from the success of her uncle, Journal founder Lucius Nieman, to help others by forming a philanthropic foundation. Her selection of five areas of giving (children, elderly, health education, health care, and civics and governmental affairs) helped the foundations board direct her donations to efforts that she loved and cemented her legacy. Deftly written by the team of historian Jeffrey Ramsey and researcher Margaret Hoffman, "For the Benefit of All. A Fifty-Year History of the Faye McBeath Foundation" is part of the outstanding Marquette University Press 'Urban Life' series and will guide the reader through the life of Faye McBeath and the history of her foundation that was specifically and deliberately designed to end on Dec. 31, 2014 -- as well as her framework for giving that led to donations of nearly $50 million to worthy causes in the Milwaukee area. Unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library collections, "For the Benefit of All" will prove to be of special and particular interest to students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the history of American philanthropy in general, and the Favye McBeath Foundation in particular.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Writer's Market 2018
Robert Lee Brewer, editor
Writer's Digest Books
c/o F+W Media
10151 Carver Road, Suite 200, Blue Ash, OH 45242
www.writersdigest.com
9781440352638, $29.99, PB, 896pp, www.amazon.com

Now in a fully updated and significantly expanded 97th edition, "Writer's Market 2018 " fully lives up to it's subtitle of 'The Most Trusted Guide to Getting Published'. Comprised of thousands of current listings for book publishers, magazines, contests, literary agents, internet resources and more, this new edition of "Writer's Market 2018" includes an invaluable webinar by C. Hope Clark for aspiring authors on funding a writing career. Of special note are the lists of professional writing organizations, samples of query letters, and a free digital download of Writer's yearbooks, featuring the 100 Best Markets. Exceptionally well organized and thoroughly 'user friendly' in presentation, "Writer's Market 2018" should be considered a core and indispensable reference work for personal, professional, community, and academic library Writing/Publishing collections.


The Cookbook Shelf

Gumbo Love
Lucy Buffett
Grand Central Publishing
c/o Hachette Book Group
1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104
www.hachettebookgroup.com
9781455566440, $30.00, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com

In the pages of "Gumbo Love: Recipes for Gulf Coast Cooking, Entertaining, and Savoring the Good Life", Lucy Buffett combines over one hundred new recipes with old favorites. Incorporating among the authentic Gulf Coast recipes are stories from Lucy's childhood growing up in Mobile, Alabama, adventures traveling the seas as a cook, time spent working as a chef in New Orleans, and her philosophy of relaxation, gratitude, and seizing the day. Profusely and beautifully illustrated throughout, the recipes comprising "Gumbo Love" range from Buttermilk Orange Chess Pie; Fresh Herb and Garlic Cheese Spread; Pork Roast with Apples and Oranges; Grouper with Balsamic Butter Glaze; and Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic, Basil, Balsamic, and Black Olives; to Florida Lobster Salad with Grapefruit and Avocado; Cucumber Margarita; Heavenly Fried Crab Claws; Beer-Braised Beef Brisket with Cumin and Garlic; and Braised Collards with turkey Bacon, Pecans, and Balsamic. While "Gumbo Love" is unreservedly recommended for community library regional cookbook collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that it is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).

The Pumpkin Cookbook
Deedee Stovel
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
www.storey.com
9781612128337, $16.95, PB, 248pp, www.amazon.com

Now in a newly revised second edition, "The Pumpkin Cookbook: 139 Recipes Celebrating the Versatility of Pumpkin and Other Winter Squash" is a compendium of pumpkin oriented dishes selected and showcased by veteran cookbook author Deedee Stovel to transform any dining occasion into a truly memorable one. Beautifully illustrated, the thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes for pumpkin and other winter squish dishes range from Thai Curried Pumpkin in Phyllo Cups; Roasted Pumpkin and Barley Pilaf; Spicy Beef Stew in a Pumpkin Shell; Pumpkin Donut Muffins; and Chocolate-Pumpkin Brownies; to Almond Bread Pudding; Barbecued Chicken Thighs with Spicy Pumpkin Sauce; Red Cabbage and Maple-Roasted Delicata Salad; and Pumpkin Fudge. Whether from a can or a garden, "The Pumpkin Cookbook" will allow year round pumpkin based cuisine delights. While very highly recommended as an enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections, it should be noted that "The Pumpkin Cookbook" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Cambodian Cooking
Joannes Riviere
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9780804848466, $15.95, PB, 96pp, www.amazon.com

A beautifully and profusely illustrated compendium of authentic Cambodian cuisine, "Cambodian Cooking" brings a previously obscure culinary tradition to the table in a wealth of thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' dishes that will please any palate and satisfy any appetite. The easy to prepare, step-by-step recipes range from Fresh Salad Rolls with Shrimp; Hot and Sour Fish Soup; Beef Consomme with Star Anise; and Pork Ginger and Green Onions; to Coconut Ham Curry with Pineapple; Palm Sugar Pearls; Khmer Curry; and Pomelo and Shrimp Salad. Of special note is an ingredients section that includes the Cambodian names as well as the Vietnamese or Thai names of the ingredients whenever necessary for ease of shopping. While certain to be an enduringly popular addition to family and community library ethnic cookbook collections, it should be noted that "Cambodian Cooking" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

The Good Mood Kitchen
Leslie Korn
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
9780393712223, $24.95, HC, 272pp, www.amazon.com

"The Good Mood Kitchen: Simple Recipes and Nutrition Tips for Emotional Balance" by Leslie Korn (a clinician specializing in mental health nutrition and integrative medicine) is an ideal cookbook for anyone seeking to revolutionize their personal cooking and eating habits for optimal energy, health, and emotional well-being. "The Good Mood Kitchen" is a compendium of mood-savvy tips, tools, and delicious recipes guides, step by step, the family kitchen cook through all the essentials. "The Good Mood Kitchen" also features dozens of easy-to-understand graphics, lists, and charts to help prioritize choices for maximum benefit. Kitchen cooks will learn how to: Assess their unique digestive style and nutritional needs and develop the diet that's right for them and their family members; Substitute problem foods, ingredients, and habits with healthy, delectable alternatives; Navigate gluten sensitivity and other allergies; Use smarter, healthier food preparation options for busy schedules; Identify common nutritional complications behind depression, anxiety, and other mood challenges; Engage family and friends in nutritional change -- and so much more! While unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, family, community, and academic library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Good Mood Kitchen" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Old Farm Country Cookbook
Jerry Apps & Susan Apps-Bodilly
Wisconsin Historical Society Press
816 State Street, Madison, WI 53575
www.wisconsinhistory.org
9780870208300, $26.95, PB, 320pp, www.amazon.com

Jerry Apps has been a rural Wisconsin historian and environmental writer for more than forty years. His daughter, Susan Apps-Bodilly, has been an elementary and middle school teacher for more than twenty years. Now together this father/daughter team has compiled recipes, menus and memories into an inherently fascinating and highly recommend "Old Farm Country Cookbook". The authentic country recipes of a yesteryear Wisconsin range from Baked Pork Chops with Sauerkraut; Beer Batter Fried Fish; and Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies; to Corn and Noodle Casserole; Green Jell-O Salad; and Homemade Popcorn Balls. Of special note are the personal reminiscences that are scattered through out. Absolute treat to read and a delight to plan menus with, "Old Farm Country Cookbook" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library cookbook collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Old Farm Country Cookbook" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).

Christopher Kimball's Milk Street
Christopher Kimball
Little, Brown & Company
c/o Hachette Book Group
1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104
www.hachettebookgroup.com
9780316437288, $40.00, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com

Christopher Kimball's Milk Street is located in downtown Boston (at 177 Milk Street) and is home to a cooking school, a bimonthly magazine, and public television and radio shows. "Christopher Kimball's Milk Street: The New Home Cooking" is Milk Street's first cookbook and showcases recipes for a simpler, bolder, healthier way to cook that will become an act of pure pleasure, not a chore. These thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly', palate pleasing, appetite satisfying recipes range from Spanish-Style Eggs with Garlicky Crums and Chorizo; Sweet-and-Spicy Ginger Green Beans; Gemelli Pasta with Chevre, Arugula and Walnuts; Brown Ale Turkey with Gravy; and Vietnamese Caramel Fish; to Multigrain Soda Bread; Date-Stuffed Semolina Cookies; Chocolate Tart; Tamarind Dipping Sauce; Pickled Chilies. Profusely and beautifully illustrated with full color photography throughout, "Christopher Kimball's Milk Street: The New Home Cooking" will prove to be an especially prized addition to personal, professional, family, and community library cookbook collections! It should be noted that "Christopher Kimball's Milk Street: The New Home Cooking" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).


The Needlecraft Shelf

The Mr. X Stitch Guide to Cross Stitch
Jamie Chalmers
Search Press USA
c/o Publishers Group West
1700 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.searchpressusa.com
9781782214243, $19.95, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com

In "The Mr. X Stitch Guide to Cross Stitch", needlecraft expert Jamie Chalmers (also known as Mr X Stitch) shows how to cross stitch using simple step-by-step instructions and also takes the needlecrafter to the frontiers of cross stitch design. Showcasing colleagues who are pushing the boundaries of this ancient craft, Mr X Stitch introduces more than 20 lovely, cutting-edge projects to make, and shows that beauty, innovation and 'craftivism' are alive and kicking in this inspirational book. Profusely illustrated throughout and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Mr. X Stitch Guide to Cross Stitch " is highly recommended for stitchers of all abilities ranging from absolute beginners looking to learn a new craft to experienced embroiderers and cross stitchers who want to do something different in cross stitching. Of special note is Chalmer's focus on typography and there is a good balance of typographical and pictoral projects to stitch. The book is split into 5 themes: Color, Glow in the Dark, More than a Hobby, Using Computer Software and Outside the Hoop. Color explores techniques such as ombre design, inverting color and using geometric shapes; Glow in the Dark looks at how to use glow-in-the-dark threads to achieve different effects; More than a Hobby considers the idea of mindfulness in cross stitch, including black work, backstitch etc.; Using Computer Software looks at photorealism and how to originate your design on a computer; and finally, Outside the Hoop explores projects not stitched on canvas. The final spread of each section features an Outlier - the work of another stitcher to illustrate a different aspect of cross stitch made on a surface other than canvas. The book will be informative, fun, instructive and inspirational. Unreservedly recommended, "The Mr. X Stitch Guide to Cross Stitch" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft instructional reference collections.

Layered Cloth
Ann Small
Search Press Ltd.
c/o Publishers Group West
1700 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.searchpressusa.com
9781782213345, $35.00, PB, 144pp, www.amazon.com

Ann Small's imaginative use of cutting and manipulating techniques, and her layering and coloring tricks, makes "Layered Cloth: The Art of Fabric Manipulation" an ideal 'go-to' guide for bringing form and texture to the fabric work of even the most novice of needlecrafters. "Layered Cloth" is a rich resource and reference for any and all textile artists seeking new ideas and who want to experiment with texture and pattern. Clear, close-up images and exciting hot tips help to make layering enjoyable and accessible. All aspects of texture and pattern are explored in this thoroughly 'user friendly' instructional reference manual and guide that will bring new dimensions to any fabric work. Simply stated, "Layered Cloth: The Art of Fabric Manipulation" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Needlecraft collections in general, and Textile Art supplemental studies reading lists in particular.

Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible
Hitomi Shida, author
Gayle Roehm, translator
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805314531, $16.95, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com

Showcasing 260 superbly crafted patterns, the "Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible" is comprised of Hitomi Shida's strikingly original designs and variations on every imaginable classic stitch result in intricate patterns that form the basis for beautiful and unique knitted fashions. The perfect instruction guide for the experienced knitter who is looking for new stitches that yield spectacular results, the "Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible" features a wide range of rewarding and intricate stitches including: cables, popcorn stitches, twisted stitches, edgings, and a great many more. "Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible" includes a set of detailed, step-by-step diagrams show needlecrafters how to execute all the basic stitches. Instructions and diagrams for a series of small projects that offer practice working with large patterns, lacy patterns, pattern arrangement and round yokes among other things. These knitting projects include: A classic hat made using large patterns; An elegant scarf in lacy patterns; The ever-popular fingerless mittens; Thick socks that can be made using various patterns; A feminine collar using round stitching; and more! Profusely and beautifully illustrated throughout, thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible" is a unique and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library knitting instructional guide collections.

Pat Sloan's Teach Me to Make My First Quilt
Pat Sloan
Martingale & Company
19021 - 120th Avenue NE, Suite 102, Bothell, WA 98011
www.shopmartingale.com
9781604688276, $24.99, PB, 96pp, www.amazon.com

In "Pat Sloan's Teach Me to Make My First Quilt", Pat (a skilled instructor known for her warm and patient teaching style) draws upon her years of experience and expertise to guide even the most novice beginner quilting student through each and every step as they make their first quilt. Pat's easy-to-follow and profusely illustrated instructions (featuring more than 140 clear how-to photos) make it fun to start, stitch, and finish nine classic blocks and nine simple quilt projects. "Pat Sloan's Teach Me to Make My First Quilt" is an ideal instruction manual for the absolute beginner seeking to learn the basics of quilting ranging from the selecting of notions, to cutting fabric, to machine sewing, to quilting and binding. While unreservedly and enthusiastically recommended for personal and community library needlecraft instructional reference collections, it should be noted that "Pat Sloan's Teach Me to Make My First Quilt" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Superhero Sewing
Lane Huerta
Creative Publishing Interneational
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9781589239449, $24.99, PB, 144pp, www.amazon.com

In the pages of "Superhero Sewing: Playful Easy Sew and No Sew Designs for Powering Kids' Big Adventures--Includes Full Size Patterns" Lane Huerta draws upon her years of experience and expertise to present easy sewing projects for encouraging and satisfying your child's love of (and need for) richly imaginative play. Herself a mom and the owner of Lovelane Designs, "Lane Huerta, " is a noted independent maker of imaginative silk-screened playwear who deftly shares her creative know-how and adapts her charming designs for sewers and other needlecrafters. Following an overview of essential materials, tools, and techniques, "Superhero Sewing" features 20 projects in five playful themes (heroes, pirates, fairies, magicians, and animals) with color palette suggestions for both boys and girls. Each project is marked with a level of difficulty. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Superhero Sewing" is unreservedly recommended for the personal instructional collections of all needlecrafting enthusiasts -- especially those with children!


The Fiction Shelf

The Summer That Made Us
Robyn Carr
Mira Books
c/o Harlequin
225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, ON, Canada, M3B 3K9
www.mirabooks.com
9780778331049, $26.99, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com

For the Hempsteads, two sisters who married two brothers and had three daughters each, summers were idyllic. The women would escape the city the moment school was out to gather at the family house on Lake Waseka. The lake was a magical place, a haven where they were happy and carefree. All of their problems drifted away as the days passed in sun-dappled contentment. Until the summer that changed everything. But after an accidental drowning that turned the lake house into a site of tragedy and grief, it was closed up. For good. Torn apart, none of the Hempstead women speak of what happened that summer, and relationships between them are uneasy at best to hurtful at worst. But in the face of new challenges, one woman is determined to draw her family together again, and the only way that can happen is to return to the lake and face the truth. An impressively entertaining read from beginning to end, "The Summer That Made Us" clearly reveals author Robyn Carr's total mastery of the genre and her genuine flair for deftly creating characters that linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf. While unreservedly recommended and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of the legions of Robyn Carr fans that "The Summer That Made Us" is also available in a paperback edition (9780778330868, $15.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

On Love's Gentle Shore
Liz Johnson
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.bakerbooks.com
9780800728885, $25.99, HC, 338pp, www.amazon.com

When Natalie ORyan returns to Prince Edward Island to plan her wedding, she runs into her childhood best friend and discovers that the love she's been looking for is right where she left it. "On Love's Gentle Shore" is another gem of a novel by Liz Johnson who is an accomplished and skilled author with a genuine flair for originality and the creation of truly memorable characters. An engaging and entertaining read from cover to cover, "On Love's Gentle Shore" is unreservedly recommended, especially for community library Contemporary Romantic Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated romance fans that "On Love's Gentle Shore" is also available in a paperback edition (9780800724511, $14.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

The Mandate of Heaven
Rob Flanigan
L. N. Smith Publishing
9780965331661, $12.95, PB, 306pp, www.amazon.com

The Mandate of Heaven is an ancient Chinese belief that a government's authority is divinely granted and that this authority lasts only for as long as the leadership rules with virtue. Thus, when the ruling classes become greedy, corrupt, and immoral, it is the right of the people (or Mother Nature) to rise up and remove them from power, thus proving they've lost the Mandate of Heaven. In the election year of 2032 it's the Chinese government that strikes at America's political vulnerability. Bert Alfred is an unknown American author who is silenced and robbed of his works by an official of the Chinese government. Unbeknownst to him, however, the strength of his ideas has won him a Chinese ally and given him a chance to reclaim what is rightfully his -- but will he, when the future of a brighter generation is at stake? Will Bert's interference in the lives of two Chinese children and his disruption America's political order end in success or disaster? An original, deftly crafted, and engagingly entertaining novel from beginning to end, "The Mandate of Heaven" by Wisconsin author Rob Flanigan is one of those books that will linger in the mind and memory long after they have been finished and set back upon the shelf. While unreservedly recommended as an enduringly popular addition to community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Mandate Of Heaven" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.95).

These Healing Hills
Ann H. Gabhart
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.bakerbooks.com
9780800729721, $25.99, HC, 368pp, www.amazon.com

Francine Howard has her life all mapped out until the soldier she planned to marry at WWII's end writes to tell her he's in love with a woman in England. Devastated, Francine seeks a fresh start in the Appalachian Mountains, training to be a nurse midwife for the Frontier Nursing Service. Deeply affected by the horrors he witnessed at war, Ben Locke has never thought further ahead than making it home to Kentucky. His future shrouded in as much mist as his beloved mountains, he's at a loss when it comes to envisioning what's next for his life. When Francine's and Ben's paths intersect, it's immediately clear that they are from different worlds and value different things. But love has a way of healing old wounds and revealing new possibilities for life and love. With "These Healing Hills" author Ann H. Gabhart once again demonstrates her genuine flair for deftly crafted and memorable characters embedded in a consistently engaging story that will linger in the mind long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf. While very highly recommended, especially for community library Romance Fiction collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated romance novel enthusiasts that "These Healing Hills" is also available in a paperback edition (9780800723637, $15.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

The Western Star
Craig Johnson
Viking Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9780525426950, $28.00, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Sheriff Walt Longmire is enjoying a celebratory beer after a weapons certification at the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy when a younger sheriff confronts him with a photograph of twenty-five armed men standing in front of a Challenger steam locomotive. It takes him back to when, fresh from the battlefields of Vietnam, then-deputy Walt accompanied his mentor Lucian to the annual Wyoming Sheriff's Association junket held on the excursion train known as the Western Star, which ran the length of Wyoming from Cheyenne to Evanston and back. Armed with his trusty Colt .45 and a paperback of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, the young Walt was ill-prepared for the machinations of twenty-four veteran sheriffs, let alone the cavalcade of curious characters that accompanied them. The photograph (along with an upcoming parole hearing for one of the most dangerous men Walt has encountered in a lifetime of law enforcement) hurtles the sheriff into a head-on collision of past and present, placing him and everyone he cares about squarely on the tracks of runaway revenge. Once again author Craig Johnson has penned an impressively entertaining and deftly crafted novel showcasing his genuine flair for originality and compelling storytelling. While unreservedly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for dedicated Sheriff Longmire fans that "The Western Star" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99). Librarians should be aware that there is a complete and unabridged audio book edition of "The Western Star" (Recorded Books, 9781501962592, $34.99, CD).

The Hours Between Us
Carol Graf
Mill City Press
https://www.millcitypress.net
www.thehoursbetweenus.com
9781635052367, $24.95, HC, 370pp, www.amazon.com

Kai Ingersohn was motivated to become a psychiatrist after a childhood of dysfunction with her tempestuous and manic-depressive grandmother, Dumpling. Now divorced, in private practice, and raising two teenagers, she starts work with Stephanie, a young grad student with acute leukemia, who has returned to Charleston and its mystic healing waters and marsh to fight for her life. Stephanie braves the revelations of shocking family secrets, while Kai seeks peace with her own past as the therapy unfolds. Both women emerge with new capacities for love, life, and spiritual truths. Set against a lush Lowcountry backdrop of Spanish moss, salt marshes, silent oaks, and the pounding sea, "The Hours Between Us" is an artful exploration by an impressively accomplished novelist of the heartbreaking struggles and unbreakable spirits of two extraordinary women. While unreservedly recommended, especially for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Hours Between Us" is also available in a paperback edition (9781635051766, $15.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).

The Ready Made Thief
Augustus Rose
Viking Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9780735221833, $26.00, HC, 384pp, www.amazon.com

Betrayed by her family after taking the fall for a friend, Lee finds refuge in a cooperative of runaways holed up in an abandoned building they call the Crystal Castle. But the facade of the Castle conceals a far more sinister agenda, one hatched by a society of fanatical men set on decoding a series of powerful secrets hidden in plain sight. And they believe Lee holds the key to it all. Aided by Tomi, a young hacker and artist with whom she has struck a wary alliance, Lee escapes into the unmapped corners of the city -- empty aquariums, deserted motels, patrolled museums, and even the homes of vacationing families. But the deeper she goes underground, the more tightly she finds herself bound in the strange web she's trying to elude. Desperate and out of options, Lee steps from the shadows to face who is after her -- and why. An impressively original and consistently well crafted novel from beginning to end, "The Ready Made Thief" by Augustus Rose will prove to be an instant and enduringly popular addition to community library General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Ready Made Thief" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

China Girl
Ho Lin
Regent Press
2747 Regent St., Berkeley, CA 94705
9781587903847, $19.00, PB, 214pp, www.regentpress.net

A compilation of short story by Ho Lin, "China Girl" tells tales of a modern woman adrift in modern China; would-be lovers connected and separated by random chance; a drunken dissident and his less-then-happy minder; a researcher of war atrocities who must come to grips with her own family tragedies; a princess of a kingdom that no longer exists; actors placed at the service of comedies and tragedies, depending on a filmmaker's whim, and more. In its nine deftly written and inherently fascinating short stories, "China Girl", although a series of fictional entertainments, insightfully documents the collisions between East and West, the power of myth and the burden of history, and loves lost and almost found. These nine short stories encompass everything from contemporary vignettes about urban life to fable-like musings on memories and the art of storytelling. Wide-ranging and playful, "China Girl" by a master of the short story format are little journeys into an Asia of the imagination by a truly gifted storyteller. Simply stated, "China Girl" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as both community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Riverwatcher: A Fly-Fishing Mystery
Ronald Weber
Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781620878101, $24.95, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Lottery winner and ex-journalist Donal Fitzgerald joins forces with his girlfriend, DNR conservation officer Mercy Virdon, to solve the mysterious death of a beloved angler, Charlie, who was murdered in his tent in a state campground and who was known by all -- and who may have known too much. Fitzgerald and Mercy's investigation to discover the deadly secret among the locals leads to dead ends until a surprisingly bookish theory surfaces. Set in the engaging small town of Ossning on the Borchard River in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (an angler's dream, filled with eccentric, believable, sympathetic, and unforgettable characters) "Riverwatcher" is a classic whodunit. Author Ronald Weber expertly weaves this character-driven novel with a strong sense of place, creating a great yarn for anglers and mystery lovers and, as it turns out, a literally literary mystery. Absolutely certain to be an enduringly popular addition to any and all community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of each and every dedicated mystery buff that "Riverwatcher: A Fly-Fishing Mystery" is also available in a paperback edition (9781510719248, $15.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.95).

Moskva
Jack Grimwood
Thomas Dunne Books
c/o St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.stmartins.com
9781250124777, $27.99, HC, 368pp, www.amazon.com

In 1985, the naked body of a young man is left in Red Square, outside the walls of the Kremlin. The body is frozen solid (like marble to the touch) and missing the little finger from his right hand. A week later, Alex Marston, the headstrong fifteen-year-old daughter of the British Ambassador, disappears. Army Intelligence Officer Tom Fox, posted to Moscow to keep him from telling the truth to a government committee, is asked to help find her. It's a shot at redemption. But Russia is reluctant to give up the worst of her secrets. As Fox's investigation sees him dragged deeper towards the dark heart of a Soviet establishment determined to protect its own, his fears for Alex's safety grow with those of the girl's father. And if Fox can't find her soon, she looks likely to become the next victim of a sadistic killer whose story is bound tight to that of his country's terrible past. A brilliantly written and compelling novel by an author with a genuine flair for originality, "Moskva" is chilling and sophisticated the serial killer style suspense thriller that is unreservedly recommended, especially for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Moskva" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Two Nights
Kathy Reichs
Bantam Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com
9780345544070, $28.00, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com

In Kathy Reichs' new novel, "Two Nights", readers will meet Sunday 'Sunnie' Night, a woman with physical and psychological scars, and a killer instinct. Sunnie has spent years running from her past, burying secrets and building a life in which she needs no one and feels nothing. But a girl has gone missing, lost in the chaos of a bomb explosion, and the family needs Sunnie's help. Is the girl dead? Did someone take her? If she is out there, why doesn't she want to be found? It's time for Sunnie to face her own demons -- because they just might lead her to the truth about what really happened all those years ago. An experienced and gifted novelist of the first order, "Two Nights" once again reveals Kathy Reichs' total master of the suspense thriller genre. While very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of the legions of Kathy Reichs fans that "Two Nights" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Over Maya Dead Body
Sandra Orchard
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.bakerbooks.com
9780800728892, $25.99, HC, 354pp, www.amazon.com

While vacationing on Martha's Vineyard, Serena Jones becomes entangled in a suspicious death with ties to an international antiquities smuggling ring. Will she find the killer before another person dies? "Over Maya Dead Body" is another deftly crafted masterpiece of a novel by an author is an award winning master of the mystery/suspense genre. While unreservedly recommended, especially for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Over Maya Dead Body" is also available in a paperback edition (9780800726706, $14.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.53).

The Last Girl
Danny Lopez
Oceanview Publishing
595 Bay Isles Road, 120-G, Longboat Key, FL 34228
www.oceanviewpub.com
9781608092529, $26.95, HC, 229pp, www.amazon.com

After being laid off from his job as a newspaper reporter in a coastal Florida town, Dexter Vega meets a wealthy retiree who hires him to find his daughter who is supposed to be attending the local college. When Vega visits his client to inform him that his daughter is in Mexico, he discovers the man has been murdered. And Vega's prints are all over the murder weapon. As the police build a case against him, Vega flies to Mexico City to locate his client's daughter, hoping she will help him find the murderer and thus clear his name. But when he finds the woman, she tells him a very different story -- nothing is as it seems. Beaten by thugs and ordered to leave Mexico, Vega returns home to find himself immersed in a web of blackmail, greed, and revenge. Still pursued by the cops -- and now a target of evil predators. "The Last Girl" is an original and riveting novel from beginning to end, making it an unreservedly and enthusiastically recommended addition to community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Last Girl" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Death of an Avid Reader
Frances Brody
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.minotaurbooks.com
9781250067395, $25.99, HC, 368pp, www.amazon.com

Lady Coulton gave up the baby that would have ruined her marriage, born when Lord Coulton was abroad. Now that her husband is dying, she asks Kate to find Sophia. It is forty years since the ghost of a dead librarian haunted the old library, yet the stories have begun again. Kate does not believe in ghosts but obligingly takes part in a ceremony to expel the restless spirit. Shockingly, there is a body in the basement, strangled, and covered in dusty volumes from a fallen bookcase. It is Dr. Potter, a mathematician. Dr. Potter's body is taken away. The police find a sick man sheltering in the basement. He is an Italian, Umberto, an organ grinder and owner of a lively Capuchin monkey. Umberto becomes the prime suspect and will be charged with murder. Kate goes with Umberto to the infirmary. But he is too weak to be a suspect. And now Kate must set out to find the real culprit! A deftly crafted and simply riveting novel from beginning to end, "Death of an Avid Reader" showcases author Frances Brody impressively originality and complete master of the genre. While unreservedly and enthusiastically recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Death of an Avid Reader" is also available in a paperback edition (9781250067500, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).


The Christian Studies Shelf

Thomas and the Thomists
Romanus Cessario, OP & Cajetan Cuddy, OP
Fortress Press
P.O. Box 1209, Minneapolis, MN 55440-1209
http://fortresspress.com
9781506405957, $39.00, PB, 170pp, www.amazon.com

Romanus Cessario, OP, is a fellow of the Pontifical Academy of Saint Thomas Aquinas and a professor of theology at St. John's Seminary in Brighton, Massachusetts. Cajetan Cuddy, OP, is completing a doctorate in sacred theology at the Universite de Fribourg in Switzerland. In "Thomas and the Thomists: The Achievement of Thomas Aquinas and His Interpreters" they effectively collaborate to produce a new volume in the outstanding Fortress Press 'Mapping the Tradition' series. "Thomas and the Thomists" effectively serves as an introduction to the life of Thomas Aquinas, the major contours of his teaching, and the lasting contribution he made to Christian thought. Together, Romanus Cessario and Cajetan Cuddy also outline the history of the Thomist tradition from the medieval era through revival in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. "Thomas and the Thomists" is an impressively informed and informative volume that affords its readers a working guide to understanding the history of Aquinas and his expositors as well as to grasping their significance for us today. While very highly recommended for seminary, community, and academic library Christian Studies collections in general, and Thomas Aquinas supplemental studies reading lists in particular, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Thomas and the Thomists" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.86).

Salvation in Continuity
Mothy Varkey
Fortress Press
P.O. Box 1209, Minneapolis, MN 55440-1209
http://fortresspress.com
9781506425061, $79.00, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com

It is clear that according to Matthew's Gospel, Jesus came to "save his people from their sins" (1:21), to "give his life as a ransom for many" (20:28), to have his blood "poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (26:28). But if salvation as promised in 1:21 is achieved only through Jesus' death, asks Mothy Varkey (who is honorary postdoctoral associate at Murdoch University, Australia, where he also completed his dissertation under the direction of William Loader), are the twenty-five preceding chapters merely preamble? Varkey argues, to the contrary, that the key theme of salvation in the Gospel is presented by Matthew as being in continuity with God's saving acts in the history of the Jewish people. Further, Varkey insists that, as a consequence of this theology of continuity, Jesus' death on the cross represents just one of the many ways in which the Gospel presents God's salvific deeds. The death of Jesus, while unique due to his ontological status as Son of God, should not be distinguished too sharply from his saving acts during his earthly ministry, which took the form of salvific teaching of the Torah, healings, exorcisms, and forgiving of sins. The result is a narrative emphasizing the continuity of salvation throughout Jesus' life, reaching into Israel's past, and beyond into the work of the disciples. An impressively erudite work of theological scholarship, "Salvation in Continuity: Reconsidering Matthew's Soteriology" is unreservedly recommended for seminary, college, and university library Christian Studies collections.

Grieving a Suicide
Albert Y. Hsu
InterVarsity Press
PO Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
www.ivpress.com
9780830844937, $16.00, PB, 200pp, www.amazon.com

Suicide raises heartrending questions: Why did this happen? Why didn't we see it coming? Could we have done anything to prevent it? How can we go on? After his father's death by suicide, Albert Hsu wrestled with the intense emotional and theological questions surrounding suicide. While acknowledging that there are no easy answers, In "Grieving a Suicide: A Loved One's Search for Comfort, Answers, and Hope" he draws on the resources of the Christian faith to point suicide survivors to the God who offers comfort in our grief and hope for the future. For those who have lost a loved one to suicide and for their counselors and pastors, "Grieving a Suicide" is an essential companion for the journey toward healing. This newly revised edition incorporates updated statistics, has expanded resources for suicide prevention and mental health ministry, and now includes a discussion guide for suicide survivor groups. While unreservedly recommended, especially for seminary, community, and academic library Christian Studies collections in general, and Death & Dying supplemental studies lists in particular, it should be noted for ministers, counselors, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Grieving a Suicide" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Saint Benedict for Boomers
Christine M. Fletcher
The Liturgical Press
2950 Saint John's Road, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
www.litpress.org
9780814647028, $16.95, PB, 152pp, www.amazon.com

"Saint Benedict for Boomers: Wisdom for the Next Stage of Life" by Christine M. Fletcher (Associate Professor of Theology at Benedictine University and an Oblate of St. Procopius Abbey, Lisle, Illinois) is based on the idea that no one can retire from being a Christian; we are to love God and our neighbor throughout our life. And it recognizes that aging presents us with change, loss, and death, as well as new growth and opportunities for deep gladness and peace. The Christian vocation is valid when we are healthy and strong and when we are weak and sick. Taking Saint Benedict of Nursia as a guide, Professor Fletcher insists that those in the autumn of their lives still have much to contribute to society and to those around them, even when they are ill and dependent. Benedict's wisdom is perennial, and it remains helpful to those who negotiate new challenges in living well, preserving bodily health, discerning purpose in new stages of living, deepening faith, and ultimately, facing sickness and death. Inspired and inspiring, "Saint Benedict for Boomers" is unreservedly recommended to the attention of all members of the Christian community.

The Rule of Benedict
Jane Tomaine
Skylight Paths Publishing
Sunset Farms Offices, Route 4
PO Box 237, Woodstock, VT 05091
www.skylightpaths.com
9781594736322, $16.00, PB, 200pp, www.amazon.com

Many people today are realizing that the cultural focus on competition, success, acquisition and constant busyness is ultimately not satisfying. They hunger for a way of life that has more lasting value and deeper meaning. For centuries, people within and outside Christianity have turned to the writings of Benedict of Nursia, a sixth-century monk committed to shaping a life of humility and compassion, to guide their spiritual lives. His Rule speaks profoundly to our contemporary search for spiritual grounding. Anglican laywoman and writer Esther de Waal says that Benedict's Rule helps her know "how to be human now today, tomorrow and for the rest of my life". "The Rule of Benedict: Christian Monastic Wisdom for Daily Living--Selections Annotated & Explained" by Episcopal priest and retreat leader Jane Tomaine is an accessible introduction to the Rule of Benedict, intended for readers unfamiliar with Benedictine monasticism, and presents the Rule as a guide to a God-centered, balanced approach to life. "The Rule of Benedict" shows us how to use Benedict's wisdom to build relationships and communities formed by love and respect."The Rule of Benedict" offers historical background and personal reflections on Benedictine topics such as living in the present moment, balance, finding God in everyday life, individual and community prayer, hospitality, and healthy approaches to work and service. Highly recommended for church, seminary, and academic library Christian Studies collections in general, and Benedictine supplemental studies lists in particular, it should be noted that "The Rule of Benedict" is also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.07).

Imaginative Prayer
Jared Patrick Boyd
InterVarsity Press
PO Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
www.ivpress.com
9780830846252, $19.00, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com

How can Christian parents help their children to connect with God? Most parents want their kids to learn to love God. But most of struggle to facilitate real spiritual experiences. It's hard enough to have a meaningful conversation with children about spiritual things, let alone help them experience true transformation in the presence of God. In "Imaginative Prayer: A Yearlong Guide for Your Child's Spiritual Formation", Jared Patrick Boyd (a pastor, spiritual director, and founder of The Order of Sustainable Faith -- a missional monastic order for the 21st century) discovered that children's spiritual formation is rooted in the imagination. When parents lead their children through guided times of imaginative prayer, they can experience a connection with God that transcends mere Bible knowledge or doctrinal content. "Imaginative Prayer" is unique and 'user friendly' resource that provides six units of weekly guided imaginative prayer, themed around core topics: God's love, loving others, forgiveness, God as king, the good news of God, and the mission of God. Each unit has six sessions, providing a year long experience of spiritual formation for children ages five to thirteen. Through imaginative prayer, parents can help their child connect with God. As they do so, they may find themselves connecting more closely with their children, and their own formation as a parent will deepen into greater awareness of God's work in there daily lives. As inspired and inspiring as it is exceptionally well organized and presented, and while very highly recommended for all members of the Christian community regardless of denominational affiliation, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Imaginative Prayer" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.25).


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

The Life of My Teacher
The Dali Lama, author
Gavin Kitty, translator
Wisdom Publications
199 Elm Street, Somerville, MA 02144
www.wisdompubs.org
9781614293323, $34.95, HC, 480pp, www.amazon.com

The Sixth Ling Rinpoche (1903 - 83) was a towering figure in Tibetan Buddhism. Combining great learning with great humility, he was ordained by the Thirteenth Dalai Lama and went on to serve as the head of the Geluk tradition and as the senior tutor to the present Dalai Lama. In temperament and wisdom, he had a profound influence on the current Dalai Lama's spiritual development, and he became a steadying presence for His Holiness during the chaotic changes that defined the Tibetan experience of the twentieth century, with the invasion of their county by Communist forces and the subsequent rebuilding of their culture in India. Ling Rinpoche's extensive travels among exiled communities abroad and across India buoyed the spirits of the Tibetan diaspora, and the training and activities of this consummate Buddhist master, here told by the Dalai Lama himself in the traditional Tibetan style, will inspire and amaze. Ably translated into English for an American readership by Gavin Kitty, "The Life of My Teacher: A Biography of Kyabje Ling Rinpoche" is enriched with more than one hundred archival photos that wonderfully illustrate an impressively informative text. While unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Buddhist Studies collections and supplemental studies reading lists, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Life of My Teacher" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Pagan Portals: The Crane Bag
Joanna Van Der Hoeven
Moon Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing, Ltd.
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781785355738, $10.95, PB, 112pp, www.amazon.com

Joanna van der Hoeven is a practicing Druid and the cofounder of Druid College UK. In "Pagan Portals: The Crane Bag: A Druid's Guide to Ritual Tools and Practices" she draws upon her years of experience and expertise to write a truly 'user friendly' introduction to the ritual tools and practices found in the Druid tradition. Held deeply within Celtic mythology, the crane bag is both a symbol of sovereignty, as well as an item containing the ritual tools of the Druid. With the proper use, it can further the Druid in working with the tides of nature, finding his or her own place in the environment, living in balance, harmony and peace. In ritual, these tools and practices can guide one to deeper levels of meaning and understanding within the tradition, helping the Druid on his or her journey through life and towards integration with the natural world. Impressively informed and informative, exceptionally well organized and presented, "Pagan Portals: The Crane Bag" is especially recommended for the novice student of Druidic Lore and would prove to be an enduringly popular and appreciated addition to personal, community, and academic library Metaphysical Studies collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in Druidic Lore that "Pagan Portals: The Crane Bag" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.61).


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Whose Dog Are You?
Martin Wallen
Michigan State University Press
1405 South Harrison Road, Suite 25, East Lansing, MI 48823-5245
http://msupress.org
9781611862584, $49.95, HC, 182pp, www.amazon.com

The intriguing question in the title comes from an inscription on the collar of a dog Alexander Pope gave to the Prince of Wales. When Pope wrote the famous couplet "I am his Highness' Dog at Kew, / Pray tell me Sir, whose Dog are You?" the question was received as an expression of loyalty. That was an era before there were dog breeds and, not coincidentally, before people were generally believed to develop affectionate bonds with dogs. "The Aesthetics of Modern Human-Canine Relations" by Martin Wallen (Professor in the English department at Oklahoma State University) is an interdisciplinary study that focuses on the development of dog breeds in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Beginning with the Foxhound (the first modern breed) Professor Wallen examines the aesthetic, political, and technological forces that generate modern human-canine relations. These forces have colluded over the past two hundred years to impose narrow descriptions of human-canine relations and to shape the dogs physically into acceptable and recognizable breeds. The largest question in animal studies today is how alterity affects human-animal relations. This cannot be fully considered until the two approaches to this question are understood as complements of one another: one beginning from aesthetics, the other from technology. Most of all, "Whose Dog Are You?" asks if we can engage with dogs in ways that allow them to remain dogs. Featuring sixteen pages of Notes, an eight page Bibliography, and a three page Index, "Whose Dog Are You?" is an original and seminal work of simply outstanding scholarship and will prove to be of immense and enduring interest to both academia and non-professional general readers with an interest in the history of dog breeding and human/canine relations. While unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Pets/Wildlife collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Whose Dog Are You?" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $37.63).


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Lifelong Yoga
Sage Rountree & Alexandra Desiato
North Atlantic Books
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA 94704-2607
www.northatlanticbooks.com
9781623171438, $19.95, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com

Sage Rountree is a preeminent yoga authority for athletes, a yoga teacher trainer, and an endurance sports coach with certifications from USA Triathlon, USA Cycling, and the Road Runners' Club of America. Alexandra Desiato is a seasoned teacher of yoga and an expert Pilates instructor who has taught several athletic teams at the University of North Carolina, including the football team, men's basketball team, and women's rowing team. Together they draw upon their many years of experience and expertise to produce a comprehensive and thoroughly 'user friendly' instruction guide for students and practitioners of Yoga. This is a form of exercise that offers vital tools for healthy aging: strength, flexibility, balance, and peace of mind. A unique and effective 'how to' manual, "Lifelong Yoga' describe the poses and routines that can help keep people of any age fit and injury free. In addition to demonstrating simple ways to maintain and even increase our ability to be active into our 50s, 60s, and beyond. Profusely and effectively illustrated throughout, "Lifelong Yoga" offer poses and routines aimed toward specific goals, such as improving balance, maintaining strength and flexibility, and recovering properly between workouts. Each fully illustrated sequence is introduced with a brief overview of its benefits, along with modifications and options suited to individual requirements. "Lifelong Yoga" also features sequences that help support specific activities such as running, swimming, or golf, as well as yard work, travel, and caring for grandchildren. An essential and easy-to-follow guide, "Lifelong Yoga" offers key practices for maintaining and improving physical and mental well-being throughout a lifetime. While very highly recommended for both community and academic library Health/Medicine collections in general, and Yoga supplemental studies reading lists in particular, it should be noted for yoga students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Lifelong Yoga" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).


The Comix/Graphic Novel Shelf

Reed Crandall: Illustrator of the Comics
Roger Hill
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614
www.twomorrows.com
9781605490779, $49.95, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com

From the 1940s to the 1970s, Reed Crandall brought a unique and masterful style to American comic art. Using an illustrator's approach on everything he touched, Crandall gained a reputation as the "artist's artist" through his skillful interpretations of Golden Age super-heroes Doll Man, The Ray, and Blackhawk (his signature character); horror and sci-fi for the legendary EC Comics line; Warren Publishing's Creepy, Eerie, and Blazing Combat; the THUNDER Agents, Edgar Rice Burroughs characters; and even Flash Gordon for King Features. In "Reed Crandall: Illustrator of the Comics" comic art historian Roger Hill has compiled a complete and extensive history of Crandall's life and career, from his early years and major successes, through his tragic decline and passing in 1982. "Reed Crandall: Illustrator of the Comics" is a full-color compendium that includes never-before-seen photos, a wealth of rare and unpublished artwork, and a comprehensive and deftly crafted insight into one of the true illustrators of American comic books. An extraordinary biography of a major American comic book artist, "Reed Crandall: Illustrator of the Comics" is a seminal and core addition for both community and academic library 20th Century American Popular Art collections -- and a 'must' for the legions of Reed Crandall fans.

Molly and the Bear
Bob Scott
Cameron + Company
149 Kentucky Street, Suite 7, Petaluma, CA 94952
www.cameronbooks.com
9781937359850, $24.95, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com

It can be tough on a family when someone new has moved in, especially if it's a 900-pound scaredy-bear so terrified of wilderness life that he's fled to the burbs. Fortunately Bear was found by Molly, a fearlessly optimistic 11-year-old girl who has taken him firmly in hand, devoted to seeing her hirsute BFF cope with modern life. Molly's Mom is happy with the new sibling -- Bear's an excellent conversationalist and loves her homemade cookies. But Dad is having a harder time, his role as center of the universe now shared with an ursine behemoth who, unfortunately, adores him. "Molly and the Bear" is comprised of the popular syndicated comic strip created by Disney Animation artist Bob Scott, whose illustrious career has spanned over three decades and has included projects ranging from Warner Brother's Bugs Bunny cartoons to Pixar's 'The Incredibles' and 'Ratatouille'! A wonderfully entertaining read from cover to cover, "Molly and the Bear" is highly recommended for community library collections and the personal reading lists of anyone of any age who appreciates original and consistently imaginative comic strip style humor!

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz, Glory of the Losers 1
Story by Katsuyuki Sumizawa
Art by Tomofumi Ogasawara
Original concept by Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino
Vertical, Inc.
451 Park Avenue South, 7th floor, New York, NY 10016
9781945054341 $12.95 www.vertical-inc.com

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz, Glory of the Losers 1 is the first graphic novel in a new retelling of Gundam Endless Waltz, a science fiction epic about violent war among spacefaring humans who use supremely powerful, piloted robots as deadly weapons. Taking place at the same time as the Gundam Wing anime (Japanese animation) television series, Endless Waltz, Glory of the Losers incorporates light novel and manga side-stories into the main Endless Waltz plot, the better to weave the multifaceted, character-driven war saga of Gundam Wing into a unified narrative. Set in the year A.C. (After Colony) 195, the story is about how the United Earth Sphere Alliance's exercise of near-totalitarian control over some of its colonies has prompted a growing rebellion. But if "Operation Meteor" takes flight, the cost in innocent lives could be inhumanly staggering! As is characteristic of the Gundam series, Endless Waltz, Glory of the Losers does not downplay the horrors of war, and is highly recommended for connoisseurs of military science fiction (with weaponized giant robots)!


The Audiobook Shelf

Video Game Plotline Tester
Michael Atamanov
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
www.tantor.com
9781515969334, $24.99, CD, www.amazon.com

Would you be prepared to work for free? How would you like to bust your hump for a large corporation sixty-plus hours a week without a wage or a single day off for the vague promise of some mysterious perks in the distant future? You'd refuse point blank, wouldn't you? But what if the job in question was playing a state-of-the-art fantasy MMORPG game? And what if this was the only thing you're really good at? Especially considering that your in-game partner is someone really special to you-and this person already lives a virtual life? Knowing all this, would you consider the mysterious future bonus worth your while? "Video Game Plotline Tester" is the original and impressively engaging story of a man and his sister who are dedicated role play gamers in an age where virtual reality machines can, quite literally, put them into the game in the form of avatar characters (he is a goblin, she is a kind of fairy) who find themselves involved with a cast of characters that range from trolls, to magicians, to assassins. There are two kinds of inhabitants in the virtual game of Boundless World -- NPCs (computer creations) and the Undying (humans who role play). Brought vividly to life in a true theatre of the mind experience by the narrative skills of Eric Michael Summer, "Video Game Plotline Tester" by Michael Atamanov is the first volume of the author's 'The Dark Herbalist' series, and especially commended to the attention of anyone who has ever had to level up a character in a fantasy role play game!

Dragonsworn
Sherrilyn Kenyon
www.sherrilynkenyon.com
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781511363228 $29.99 www.brillianceaudio.com

Dragonsworn is the unabridged MP3 audiobook (plays on MP3-CD enabled players or transfers to portable devices) of a dark fantasy about the savage conflict between gods, dragons, and mortals. The cursed dragon Falcyn harbors endless rage and vengeance toward humanity in general, and Greek humans in particular, while the Greek god Apollo cruelly dishes out the curse of death and virulent plague as he pleases. Apollo's granddaughter Medea has also been cursed to die, but her will is not crushed; to protect her people, she seeks a trump card held by a dragon that yearns to unleash Armageddon! A striking, fantastic saga featuring a passionate and resourceful heroine, Dragonsworn is highly recommended. 1 MP3 CD, 9 hours 19 min.

Comanche Trail
Ralph Compton, author
Tom Stechschulte, narrator
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781490681269, $TBA, CD, www.recordedbooks.com

Thad Taylor is no one's idea of a fine man. Usually drunk and shiftless, he's disapproved of by most-especially his father. But when his father doesn't return from a trip across the Kansas plains, Thad is the only one who can search for him. And he's far from ready for the ordeal. Because his father is already dead. He has fallen victim to the bloody Benders-a demented family who lures travelers into their cabin way station only to rob and brutally murder them. Now, for his father's memory, Thad, accompanied by an expected friend, must hunt the most lethal Benders down and deliver them either to the law-or to the grave. The problem is that the last surviving and utterly evil Bender is a woman! Impressively narrated by Tom Stechschulte, "Comanche Trail" is another thrilling western that continues to showcase author Ralph Compton's originality and mastery of the genre -- making it certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library complete and unabridged audio book collections. (7 CDs, 8.25 Hours).


The Music CD Shelf

Before Breakfast
The Grascals
grascals.com
Mountain Home Music Company
mountainhomemusiccompany.com
$9.79 CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com

The latest album by three-time Grammy-nominated band The Grascals, Before Breakfast is a celebration of guitar, clawhammer banjo, and cherished popular bluegrass and country songs. A treasury of top-notch talent, Before Breakfast is highly recommended for both personal and public library music collections. The tracks are "Sleepin' with the Reaper", "Demons", "Delia", "I've Been Redeemed", "Lonesome", "Beer Tree", "Pathway of Teardrops", "Lynchburg Chicken Run", "He Took Your Place", "Lost and Lonesome", "There Is You", and "Clear Corn Liquor".

Juntos
ESSO Afrojam Funkbeat
Privately Published
$TBA www.essoafrojamfunkbeat.com

Juntos is an album by ESSO Afrojam Funkbeat, an eclectic group of musicians with a unique spin on afrobeat funk. The original songs have a profound message about transcending divisions of race, class, or ethnicity, reflecting the need for connection and tolerance. Juntos is lively, soul- stirring, and highly recommended. The tracks are "Baila", "La Calle", "Mariposa Negra", "Noche Tras Dia", "Cumbia del Encanto", "Homenaje", "Somos Hermanos", "Mi Gente", "Meet Me Out", "Cumbia Triste", "Stone Eagle", "Sangre", and "Piramides".

Another Part of Me
Marcus Monteiro
Whaling City Sound
www.whalingcitysound.com
c/o Naxos (dist.)
www.naxosusa.com
$18.61 CD / $8.99 MP3 amazon.com

Alto saxophonist Marcus Monteiro, along with John Harrison III on piano, Fernando Huergo on bass, and Steve Langone on drums present Another Part of Me, a jazz album that draws upon both classic and contemporary musical stylings. Original, windswept, and masterful, Another Part of Me is a treasure for jazz connoisseurs. The tracks are "Sister Sadie" (6:03), "Adagio" (7:28), "For Once in My Life" (5:25), "The Monteiro Backhand Var. 1" (4:14), "Easier Said Than Done" (6:25), "Wait Till You See Her" (5:58), "Another Part of Me" (4:13), "Slammin' Around" (5:12), "Receipt Please" (3:25), "Fell On Black Days" (4:35), "Mill Street" (7:51), "Sagg Shootin' His Arrow" (5:11).

Traveler
Sherry Finzer and Peter Sheridan
www.sherryfinzer.com
www.lowflutes.com
Heart Dance Records
www.heartdancerecords.com
$12.99 CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com

Traveler is a beautiful, collaborative album created by American New Age composer and flutist Sherry Finzer and Australian classical low flute specialist Peter Sheridan. The original, instrumental songs encourage relaxation, celebration, and quiet thought. Traveler embodies the lilting joy of the flute, and is highly recommended for personal and public library instrumental collections. The tracks are "Leaving Earth" (5:39), "Spiritual Crossing" (7:35), "Nocturnal Dance" (13:03), "Reverence" (8:44), "Hunt on the Plains" (8:07), and "Joy" (5:26).

Surface
The Ellameno Beat
www.theellamenobeat.com
$TBA CD / $7.99 download cdbaby.com

Surface is the debut full-length music album of The Ellameno Beat, which consists of Reggie Froom, James Rosenblit on drums, Dylon Hixon on bass, Matt Diamond on trumpet and vocals, and Walker Brantingham on keyboards. Surface is a deeply introspective album, fostering contemplation and expansion of the mind. Original and superbly beautiful, Surface is an extraordinary soundscape, highly recommended. The tracks are "Bumpy Road", "One of Us", "Half Empty", "Muse", "Distance", "Momentary Light", "Take Me Away", "Used to Be", "Grow On", and "Last Call (feat. Signal Fire)".

The Light
Ammoye
http://ammoyemusic.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $12.49 MP3 amazon.com

Nominated three times for a Juno award (Canada's answer to the Grammys), The Light is Jamaican-Canadian singer-songwriter Ammoye's latest album. Ammoye is particularly noteworthy as a reggae star, since she is one of very few female performers in a male-dominated genre. The Light carries a profound message of love, conveyed in roots reggae with a dash of electro-pop and sprinkle of R&B, and also reflects Ammoye's deep spiritual belief in God's universal presence. Highly recommended! The tracks are "Bloody Fire" (4:06), "Outta Town" (3:54), "Are You Ready" (3:00), "Soul Rebel" (3:10), "Jah Jah" (5:24), "Good Vibez" (4:26), "Honeymoon" (4:02), "Cool Gypsy Island" (3:59), "The Light" (3:26), "Reggae Rockit Boy" (3:28), "Oneness" (5:02), "Salvation/Redemption" (4:51), "Where Do We Go" (4:07), "Guns Off the Street (Wedda Man)" (3:29), "Don't Count Me Out" (4:31), "Don't Count Me Out (Dub Version)" (4:33), "Inna Di Ghetto" (3:52), "Sorry" (3:55), and "Shooting" (3:34).


The DVD Shelf

Delicious, Series 1
Starring Dawn French, Emilia Fox, and Iain Glen
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$34.99 www.acornonline.com

Delicious, Series 1 is a television drama on DVD following the glamors and tribulations of interpersonal relationships. Professional chef Leo Vincent's current wife begins to fear that Leo is having an affair, and she turns to Leo's first wife for advice - an act that kicks off a gathering storm of dark secrets and scandals. Is there any hope of reconciliation or friendship in the wake of harsh words and emotional devastation? World-class cuisine and gorgeous Cornwall scenery enrich this enjoyable drama-comedy series, highly recommended. Bonus materials include a brief (7 min.) behind-the-scenes featurette and photo gallery. 4 episodes, 185 min. plus bonus, widescreen, SDH subtitles.

Dominion Creek Series 2
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$39.99 www.acornonline.com

Set in Yukon's remote yet beautiful Klondike Valley during the 1890s gold rush, Dominion Creek Series 2 continues the television series following the endeavors of the Connolly clan. In Series 2, eldest brother Tom resolves to build a family empire at any price; Padraig proposes marriage to his sweetheart; and hot-blooded Seamus realizes that Tom's ambition is the key to success. But all is not well; a crooked judge may prevent justice from being served to Captain Pat, in spite of the callous murder that Pat committed. As lawlessness rises and typhoid extracts a deadly toll, Padraig must make a terrible choice between his family and the needs of the community. Gripping and unforgettable, Dominion Creek Series 2 is highly recommended both for personal and public library DVD collections. It should be noted that Dominion Creek Series 2 contains coarse language, graphic violence, nudity, and sexual situations. 4 episodes on 2 DVDs, 215 min., widescreen, SDH subtitles.

The Heart Guy, Series 1
Starring Rodger Corser
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$49.99 www.acornonline.com

The Heart Guy, Series 1 kicks off a medical dramedy series set in rural Australia. Gifted yet arrogant heart surgeon Hugh Knight (played by Rodger Corser) has his world upended when an incident involving alcohol and drugs results in probation and a ban on performing surgery. Now working as a general practitioner at an underfunded hospital, Hugh precariously adjusts to rural life and his thrice-complicated family situation (for example, Hugh's ex-girlfriend is now married to his younger brother). Witty and winsome, The Heart Guy, Series 1 is a "must" for connoisseurs of medical drama! Although The Heart Guy is not rated, it does contain scenes with strong language, sexual situations, graphic medical situations, nudity, and drug use, and is therefore recommended for mature viewers. 10 episodes on 3 DVDs, 489 min., widescreen.


The Self-Help Shelf

An Invitation to Self-Care
Tracey Cleantis, LMFT
Hazelden Publishing
c/o Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation
RW 9 PO Box 176, Center City, MN 55012-0011
www.hazelden.org/bookstore
9781616496791, $15.95, PB, 200pp, www.amazon.com

"An Invitation to Self-Care: Why Learning to Nurture Yourself Is the Key to the Life You've Always Wanted, 7 Principles for Abundant Living" by licensed marriage and family therapist Tracey Cleantis uncovers seven principles for care that are rooted in self-empowerment and self-knowledge. Through personal stories and observations, exercises and quizzes, and interviews with experts and everyday people, Tracey invites you to consider self-care across your relationships, finances, spiritual and professional life -- and more. By accepting who we are, what we need, and how those needs evolve over time, we create space for self-care's transformational magic in our lives. In fact, an authentic self-care practice is the secret to the life you've always wanted. As 'real world' practical as it is 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "An Invitation to Self-Care" is unreservedly recommended, especially for community and academic library Self-Help/Self-Improvement instructional reference collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "An Invitation to Self-Care" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).


The Business Shelf

Digital @ Scale
Jurgen Meffert & Anand Swaminathan
Wiley
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
9781119433743, $29.95, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com

Value in the next phase of the digital era will go to those companies that don't just try digital but also scale it. The collaborative work of Jurgen Meffert and Anand Swaminathan (both of whom are senior partners in Digital McKinsey and McKinsey New Ventures helping companies leverage their technology and digital capabilities), "Digital @ Scale: The Playbook You Need to Transform Your Company" examines what it takes for companies to break through the gravitational pull of their legacy organizations and capture the full value of digital. Digging into more than fifty detailed case studies and years of McKinsey experience and data, the authors, along with a group of expert contributors, show how companies can move beyond incremental change to transform the business where the greatest value is generated -- at its core. "Digital @ Scale" provide practical insights into the three pillars of digital transformations that successfully scale: reinventing the business model, building out a business architecture from the customer back into the organization, and establishing an 'amoeba' IT and organizational foundation that learns and evolves. An ideal guide for all leaders who recognize the power and promise of a digital transformation, "Digital @ Scale" is unreservedly recommended for corporate, community, and academic library Contemporary Business Management collections and supplemental studies reading lists. It should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Digital @ Scale" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

The Think Big Movement
Jon Dwoskin with A. J. Reilly
Waldorf Publishing
2140 Hall Johnson Road 102-345, Grapevine, TX 76051
www.waldorfpublishing.com
9781945173479, $16.95, PB, 350pp, www.amazon.com

In "The Think Big Movement", readers will follow Jacob, the main character in this business book told as a fable, as he experiences the ups and downs of business like most business owners. He discovers a mentor in Marc Gardner, a wildly successful, humble man who built a thriving dental practice using true grit and tenacity. Marc takes Jacob under his wing and leads him down the path of, not only what success means, but how to achieve it, maintain it and grow it. As Jacob grows as a business man and as a human being, he begins to realize that the one thing he never realized is the secret sauce of every company in the world. "The Think Big Movement" is a unique, impressively written, accessibly organized, instructional guide filled from cover to cover with invaluable insight on how to grow a business. It gives entrepreneurs the tools, best practices and step-by-step guidance vital for moving a business forward, at any stage in its growth. Real world practical, inspiring, effective, and one of the most entertaining approaches to business education, "The Think Big Movement" is unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and academic library Business Management collections and supplemental studies lists.


The Travel Shelf

Vacation on Location, Midwest
Joey Green
Chicago Review Press
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
www.chicagoreviewpress.com
9781613737255, $16.99, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com

"Vacation on Location, Midwest: Explore the Sites Where Your Favorite Movies Were Filmed" is the perfect guidebook for planning trips to places in the American Midwest where movies were made. Travel author and movie buff Joey Green gives his readers detailed, chronological, scene-by-scene breakdowns, complete with addresses and maps, for visiting sites throughout the Midwest where some of the most popular films of all time were shot. With "Vacation on Location, Midwest" as a guide, anyone can turn these 'visit the movie site' excursions into full-scale vacations or making quirky side trips to enhance an appreciation of favorite movies. The filming sites showcased include: The Blues Brothers, Home Alone, The Breakfast Club, Hoosiers, A Christmas Story, A League of Their Own, Fargo, Paper Moon, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Purple Rain, Field of Dreams, The Shawshank Redemption, The Fugitive, The Untouchables, Groundhog Day, and 29 more! While very highly recommended for both community and academic library Travel Guide collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated movie buffs that "Vacation on Location, Midwest" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.97).

Take a Paddle Finger Lakes
Rich Freeman & Sue Freeman
Burford Books, Inc.
101 East State Street, #301, Ithaca, NY 14850
www.burfordbooks.com
9781580801843, $18.95, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com

Rich and Sue Freeman are long-time outdoor enthusiasts and authors of many other guides to outdoor activities in the upstate New York. In "Take a Paddle Finger Lakes: Quiet Water for Canoes and Kayaks in New York's Finger Lakes" they have created is a thoroughly 'user friendly' map-filled guide for beginning and intermediate paddlers, as well as anyone else who enjoys the unique pleasures of flat-water paddling. "Take a Paddle Finger Lakes" covers 64 specific locations throughout the beautiful Finger Lakes region of New York, with 35 ponds and lakes and over 370 miles of streams and rivers to explore. Comprehensively detailed and 'real world' practical, "Take a Paddle Finger Lakes" includes locations of launch and take-out sites, difficulty level of each waterway, nearby campsites, canoe and kayak rental locations, even websites for current water conditions, and much more. Paddle the historic Erie Canal, inlets to the majestic Finger Lakes themselves, the broad Susquehanna River and many other classic paddles in this region. Ideal for family paddles or a quiet day on the water, "Take a Paddle Finger Lakes" is an indispensable guide for any canoer or kayaker in the region, highly recommended for personal and community library Travel Guide collections, and an invaluable resource for planning day trips or extended vacations in New York's Finger Lakes area.


The Education Shelf

The Best 382 Colleges: 2018 Edition
Robert Franek, Kristen O'Toole, David Soto
The Princeton Review
c/o Random House Inc.
1745 Broadway, New York NY 10019
www.PrincetonReview.com
9781524710224, $24.99, PB, 880pp, www.amazon.com

The Princeton Review's college rankings started in 1992 with surveys from 30,000 students. Over 25 years and more than a million student surveys later, it is clear that there is no single "best" college, only the best college for a particular student. This updated 2018 Edition of "The Best 382 Colleges" is the single best guide available to graduating high school students and their parents. "The Best 382 Colleges" features 382 in-depth school profiles based on candid feedback from 137,000 students, covering academics, administration, campus life, and financial aid, while offering insights on unique college character, social scene, and more. Featured are: Lists of the top 20 colleges in 62 categories based on students' opinions of academics, campus life, facilities, and much more; Ratings for every school on Financial Aid, Selectivity, and Quality of Life; Bonus list of the 200 "best-value" schools featured in Colleges That Pay You Back; The "Inside Word" on competitive applications, test scores, tuition, and average indebtedness; Comprehensive information on selectivity, freshman profiles, and application deadlines at each school. Simply stated, "The Best 382 Colleges: 2018 Edition" is unreservedly recommended as a core and essential college reference guide for highschool, community, and academic library collections.

No Kidding About Bullying
Naomi Drew
Free Spirit Publishing
6325 Sandburg Road, Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55427-3674
www.freespirit.com
9781631981807, $39.99, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com

With new lessons, an added foreword, and a revised introduction, this updated edition of "No Kidding About Bullying: 126 Ready-to-Use Activities to Help Kids Manage Anger, Resolve Conflicts, Build Empathy, and Get Along" by Naomi Drew (who is an expert on conflict resolution and peacemaking) gives classroom teachers, school administrators, and youth leaders hands-on activities to prevent bullying in schools and help children in grades 3 - 6 cope with the effects of bullying when it does occur. Based on a nationwide survey of more than 2,000 students and teachers, "No Kidding About Bullying" is a flexible resource can be used alone or as a complement to anti-bullying and character education programs already in place. Each of the 126 lessons may be completed in 20 minutes or less and include games, role-plays, group discussions, art projects, and language arts exercises that build respect, empathy, and kindness. Digital content includes student handouts from the book and bonus materials. Thoroughly 'real world practical' and user friendly in organization and presentation, "No Kidding About Bullying" is unreservedly recommended for school district, college, and university library Teacher Education collections in general, and Anti-Bullying supplemental studies reading lists in particular.

Renew!
Shawna Coppola
Stenhouse Publishers
480 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101-3451
www.stenhouse.com
9781625311047, $21.33, PB, 113pp, www.amazon.com

The basic premise of "Renew!: Become a Better and More Authentic Writing Teacher" by K - 6 literacy specialist Shawna Coppola is that students are ever-changing, and so is the global landscape. While there is nothing inherently wrong with relying on instructional strategies that have worked in the past, "Renew!" challenges writing teachers to revise and renew their professional practice regularly. By looking at whether a practice matches students' needs and interests and examining whether it fits into what we know about children and learning and then adjusting our teaching accordingly, we can nurture students to become critical thinkers, problem solvers, and risk takers in the writing classroom and beyond. "Renew!" uses a framework of Rethinking, Revising, and Renewing to examine the most pervasive educational practices in writing instruction and to help ask the questions necessary in order to revise those practices so that they are effective for all students. "Renew!" instructively examines some of the most ubiquitous practices, including what it means to write, the tools used to teach writing, and how writing is assessed. "Renew!" also offers 'real world practical' ideas for how teachers can nurture their own writing lives and thus reinvigorate their instructional practice. Impressively informative, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Renew!" is unreservedly recommended for school district, college, and university library Teacher Education instructional reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.

Educational Freedom
Neal McCluskey & Jason Bedrick, editors
Cato Institute
1000 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001-5403
www.cato.org
9781944424527, $12.46, PB, 152pp, www.amazon.com

Though his life was cut tragically short in 2016, Andrew Coulson had a remarkable impact on education policy. As director of the Cato Institute's Center for Educational Freedom from 2005 to 2015, he consistently advocated for free-market reforms that would make schools more flexible, innovative, and responsive to parents and students. "Educational Freedom: Remembering Andrew Coulson - Debating His Ideas" is newly published volume from the Cato Institute in which prominent education thinkers commemorate his legacy with explorations, expansions, and critiques of his ideas. While very highly recommended for both community and academic library Educational Policy collections and supplemental studies reading lists, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Educational Freedom: Remembering Andrew Coulson - Debating His Ideas" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Fata Morgana
Steven R. Boyett & Ken Mitchroney
Blackstone Publishing
31 Mistletoe Road, Ashland, OR 97520
www.BlackstoneAudio.com
9781504757447, $26.99, HC, 384pp, www.amazon.com

At the height of the air war in Europe, Captain Joe Farley and the baseball-loving, wisecracking crew of the B-17 Flying Fortress Fata Morgana are in the middle of a harrowing bombing mission over East Germany when everything goes sideways. The bombs are still falling and flak is still exploding all around the 20-ton bomber as it is knocked like a bathtub duck into another world. Suddenly stranded with the final outcasts of a desolated world, Captain Farley navigates a maze of treachery and wonder -- and finds a love seemingly decreed by fate -- as his bomber becomes a pawn in a centuries-old conflict between remnants of advanced but decaying civilizations. Caught among these bitter enemies, a vast power that has brought them here for its own purposes, and a terrifying living weapon bent on their destruction, the crew must use every bit of their formidable inventiveness and courage to survive. An epic and original science fiction novel of love and duty at war across the reach of time, "Fata Morgana" is an extraordinarily entertaining read from cover to cover and unreservedly recommended, especially for community library Science Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated science fiction fans that "Fata Morgana" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.68). Librarians should note that there is a complete and unabridged audio book edition of "Fata Morgana" (Blackstone Audio, 9781504750622, $29.95, MP3 CD).


The Biography Shelf

The Million Dollar Man
Thomas Brennan
Regent Press
2747 Regent St., Berkeley, CA 94705
9781587904011 $19.95 www.regentpress.net

The Million Dollar Man: Jack Dempsy is a sports-focused biography of American heavyweight boxer Jack Dempsy (1895-1983). Dempsy left home at age fifteen, worked grueling jobs as a miner, and got into fights with anyone and everyone before he found his calling as a professional boxer. His success and savagery drew attention - and ticket sales. In 1921, Dempsy made history with the first "million dollar gate", i.e. the first boxing event to earn over a million dollars in revenue. Chronicling the turbulent and sometimes controversial life of a truly extraordinary fighter, The Million Dollar Man is utterly fascinating and highly recommended.

ALBRIGHT: The Life and Times of John J. Albright
Mark Goldman
Buffalo Heritage Press
266 Elmwood Avenue, Suite 407, Buffalo, NY 14222
www.buffaloheritage.com
9781942483359, $45.95 HC, 149pp, www.amazon.com

John Joseph Albright (1 January 1848 Buchanan, Virginia - 20 August 1931 Buffalo, New York) was a businessman, philanthropist, and one of Buffalo's leading socialites at the turn of the 20th century. "ALBRIGHT: The Life and Times of John J. Albright " is the inherently fascinating story of the elusive man who brought steel to Buffalo, harnessed the power of Niagara Falls, and gave Buffalo its most treasured gift, the Albright Art Gallery. To uncover and relate the personal history of this remarkable individual required a long and circuitous journey by biographer Mark Goldman that would range from small town archives, to big city libraries, to tracking down Albright descendents in New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts, to sifting through the many layers of mystery which have for so long shrouded this enigmatic man. The result is a beautiful, illustrated biography of industrialist and philanthropist John J. Albright that reveals the memorable story of a man and the turn-of-the-century city in which he lived. Exquisite photographs by Susan Fuller Albright enhance this outstanding biography that is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library American Biography collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "ALBRIGHT: The Life and Times of John J. Albright" is also available in a paperback edition (9781942483342, $35.95).


The Railroading Shelf

Steam at Work
Fred Kerr
Pen & Sword Books
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
Casemate (distributor)
1940 Lawrence Road, Havertown, PA 19083
www.casematepublishers.com
9781473896574, $39.95, HC, 127pp, www.amazon.com

Fred Kerr was introduced to the world of industrial railways in 1956 when his parents moved from Edinburgh to Corby in Northamptonshire, where the local steelworks offered a mix of locomotives from several manufacturers. When steam traction finished on BR in August 1968, Fred's interest in railways continued with diesel and electric traction, whilst retaining a passing interest in industrial locomotives through his visits to the heritage lines which were initiated in the post-Beeching era. When Fred converted to digital photography in 2001, he visited many heritage lines as he sought to gain experience in the digital world. When he looked back after a decade of digital photography, he noted that industrial locomotives were still at work on many heritage lines throughout the UK. He also noted that during the 1960s the effort to preserve mainline steam traction had overlooked the availability of industrial locomotives, leading to the scrapping of many locomotives with both a story to tell and an incomplete working life. The result is "Steam at Work: Preserved Industrial Locomotives " is a beautifully and profusely illustrated compendium that pays tribute to industrial locomotives which are still at work by detailing the manufacturers of these workhorses and the locomotives which they built; identifying their working lives where possible; showing their entry into preservation and paying tribute to those heritage lines which appreciated the value of these unsung heroes of the Industrial Revolution by buying the 'scrap' locomotives then restoring and preserving them for the benefit of future generations. A unique and highly recommended addition to both community and academic library History of Railroading collections and supplemental studies lists, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated railroading buffs that "Steam at Work: Preserved Industrial Locomotives" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.97).


The Gardening Shelf

Gardens of the High Line
Piet Oudolf & Rick Darke
www.rickdarke.com
Timber Press
133 S.W. Second Avenue, Suite 450, Portland OR 97204-3527
www.timberpress.com
9781604696998, $40.00, PB, 320pp, www.amazon.com

A knowledgeable field ecologist and horticulturist, Rick Darke heads RICK DARKE LLC (www.rickdarke.com) a Pennsylvania USA-based consulting firm specializing in landscape ethics, photography, and contextual design. Darke's work blends art, ecology, horticulture, and cultural geography in the creation, conservation, and management of broadly functional living landscapes. Piet Oudolf is an innovative garden designer of some thirty years standing and a leading exponent of naturalist planting. With the publication of "Gardens of the High Line: Elevating the Nature of Modern Landscapes" Darke and Oudolf collaboratively draw upon their decades of experience and expertise to present the story of the High Line rail corridor that was an untouched, abandoned landscape overgrown with wildflowers. Today it is much more than that; it has become a central plaza, a cultural center, a walkway, and a green retreat in a bustling city that is free for all to enjoy. But above all else, it is a beautiful, dynamic garden with plantings designed by Piet Oudolf. Beautifully and profusely illustrated from cover to cover, "Gardens of the High Line" offers an in-depth view into the planting designs, plant palette, and maintenance of this landmark achievement. It reveals a four-season garden that is filled with native and exotic plants, drought-tolerant perennials, and grasses that thrive and spread. It also offers inspiration and advice to home gardeners and garden designers looking to recreate its iconic, naturalistic style. A unique and impressively informative study, "Gardens of the High Line" is unreservedly recommended and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to both community and academic library Gardening and Landscaping collections and supplemental studies lists. It should be noted for personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Gardens of the High Line" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.55).


The Computer Shelf

Procedural Generation in Game Design
Tanya X. Short & Tarn Adams, editors
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781138743311, $149.95, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com

Making a computer based video game is an intensive process that if not planned accurately can easily run over budget. The use of procedural generation in game design can help with the intricate and multifarious aspects of game development; thus facilitating cost reduction. This form of development enables games to create their play areas, objects and stories based on a set of rules, rather than relying on the developer to handcraft each element individually. Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Tanya X. Short (Director of Kitfox Games, the indie game studio behind Moon Hunters and Shattered Planet) and Tarn Adams (wo is best known as the developer of Dwarf Fortress since 2002 with his older brother Zach), aspiring game designers will learn to create randomized maps, weave accidental plotlines, and manage complex systems that are prone to unpredictable behavior. Comprehensive, informative, and exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Procedural Generation in Game Design" offers a wide collection of chapters contributed by an impressive variety of game design experts that cover the implementation and enactment of procedural generation in games. Designers from a variety of studios provide concrete examples from their games to illustrate the many facets of this emerging sub-discipline. Highly recommended for academic library Game Design instructional reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists, it should be noted that "Procedural Generation in Game Design" is also available in a paperback edition ( 9781498799195, $59.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $47.36).

Murach's Java Programming, fifth edition
Joel Murach, author
Anne Boehm & Mary Delamater, editors
Mike Murach & Associates
4340 North Knoll Avenue, Fresno, CA 93722
www.murach.com
9781943872077, $59.50, PB, 800pp, www.amazon.com

Now in a fully revised and updated fifth edition, "Murach's Java Programming" continues to be a complete and comprehensive course of instruction in programming with Java under one cover. "Murach's Java Programming" presents: Object-oriented features like inheritance, interfaces, and polymorphism in a way that's both understandable and useful in the real world; New coverage of JavaFX, the date/time API, lambdas, and working with SQLite databases; Uses a self-paced approach that works whether you're a beginner or have years of programming experience; Provides a wealth of practical coding examples that enhance training and that provide starting code for new applications; Allows aspiring Java programmers to practice what they have just learned at the end of every chapter, to solidify your skills. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Murach's Java Programming" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Computer Science collections in general, and Java Programming supplemental studies reading lists in particular.


The Music Shelf

Billy Joel: America's Piano Man
Joshua S. Cuchan
Rowman & Littlefield
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.rowman.com
9781442242050, $40.00, HC, 216pp, www.amazon.com

William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist who released his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, and became the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States. In "Billy Joel: America's Piano Man", music historian Joshua S. Duchan (who currently teaches courses on music history and ethnomusicology at Wayne State University) looks at the career and music of this remarkable singer-songwriter, exploring the unique ways Joel channels and transforms the cultural life of a changing America over four decades into bestselling song after song and album after album. Original interviews with Billy Joel blend with Duchan's engaging analysis to provide readers of all backgrounds and ages a new look at Billy Joel's unforgettable songs. Music lovers and historians of both the academic and armchair variety will find this exploration of Joel's work a rewarding adventure into America's social, cultural, political, economic, and contemporary American popular music history. While unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library American Music History collections in general, and Billy Joel supplemental studies reading lists in particular, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of fans, students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Billy Joel: America's Piano Man" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $30.40).

The Rickenbacker Electric Bass, second edition
Paul D. Boyer
Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing
33 Plymouth St, Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042
www.halleonardbooks.com
9781495095214, $27.99, PB, 162pp, www.amazon.com

With the introduction of the two-pickup 4001 model in 1961, the Rickenbacker bass became a phenomenon among musicians and their audiences. The Beatles's use of Rickenbacker instruments was pivotal: teen groups everywhere wanted to have the same instruments the Beatles used so they could achieve the "right" sound. With its ultra-modern design that made the classic Fender precision bass look downright old-fashioned, the Rick quickly became a darling of progressive bands that loved its look as much as its different sound. "The Rickenbacker Electric Bass: 50 Years as Rock's Bottom" by Paul D. Boyer (a journalist, photographer, Rickenbacker bass player and collector) is the first book history of this iconic guitar, from its prototypes through its explosion of popularity in such bands as the Beatles, Yes, Deep Purple, and Motorhead, and so many others. Lavishly illustrated with archival shots, "The Rickenbacker Electric Bass" is a must-have for anyone who plays the Rick as well as anyone who plays the bass guitar. Now in a newly revised and expanded second edition, "The Rickenbacker Electric Bass" now features 16 bonus pages with up-to-date information on Rickenbacker's latest electric bass models, more photo coverage of artists playing Ricks, and some eye-popping custom-built iterations of the classic Rickenbacker electric bass. "The Rickenbacker Electric Bass" will prove to be a seminal and core addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Contemporary American Music History collections.


The Automotive Shelf

1964 Pontiac GTO
David Bonaskiewich
CarTech Inc.
838 Lake Street South, Forest Lake, MN 55025
www.cartechbooks.com
9781613253205, $18.95, PB, 96pp, www.amazon.com

By the mid-1960s, the American automotive market was yearning for faster, more responsive, and sportier cars, and a crew of high-performance enthusiasts at Pontiac recognized this. Large V-8s were commonly installed in full-size cars, but performance was hampered by pure chassis weight. Under the guidance of Bunkie Knudsen, John DeLorean, Bill Collins, and others, Pontiac installed the high-performance 389 V-8 into the nimble and lightweight intermediate-size LeMans chassis. It was a watershed moment for Pontiac; the 1964 GTO delivered astounding performance and created the muscle car blueprint that the Detroit manufacturers followed in the 1960s and 1970s. Profusely illustrated and exceptionally informative, "1964 Pontiac GTO" by David Bonaskiewich is the latest in the Muscle Cars In Detail Series and delivers a comprehensive review of this trend-setting and historic car. The GTO housed a 389 V-8 engine with a single Carter AFB 4-barrel carburetor, and along with dual exhaust and a standard 3-speed or optional 4-speed manual transmission, it supplied extraordinary performance. To improve traction and handling, the GTO was fitted with stiffer springs, larger-diameter front sway bar, and wider wheels. And to give it panache, the GTO was adorned with distinctive badges and hood scoops. The 1964 GTO is a landmark car, and this book goes well beyond the glossy overview of other books about this car. "1964 Pontiac GTO" will prove to be of immense interest to automative historian and fans, making it an enduringly popular addition to personal reading lists and community library Automotive History collections and supplemental studies reading lists. Also very highly recommended in the CarTech 'Muscle Cars In Detail' series is Dan Burill and Denny Aldrige's "1969-1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429" (9781613253168, $18.95, PB, 96pp).


The Civil War Shelf

Horses in Gray: Famous Confederate Warhorses
J. D. R. Hawkins
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053-2246
www.pelicanpub.com
9781455623273, $27.95, PB, 208pp, www.amazon.com

"Horses in Gray: Famous Confederate Warhorses" is a unique and informative contribution to the growing library of American Civil War literature. For the first time, civil war buffs are provided with a comprehensive look at Confederate military horses in the Civil War -- and their lives before, during, and after battle. "Horses in Gray" explains why particular breeds or colors were chosen for specific tasks, what the life expectancy of military horses was, why they died, and the distinct challenges of caring for horses in wartime conditions. Individual chapters focus on how these horses were acquired by their owners, their lineages, the stories behind their names, and the ways in which they were immortalized. Robert E. Lee's Traveller, Stonewall Jackson's Little Sorrel, Forrest's thirty horses, Ashby's Tom Telegraph, and many more are included in this unusual and truly exceptionally history that is unreservedly recommended for the personal reading lists of civil war buffs, as well as both community and academic library American Civil War collections and supplemental studies reading lists.


The Money/Finance Shelf

Solve Your Money Troubles, 16th edition
Amy Loftsgordon & Cara O'Neill
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.nolo.com
9781413321708, $24.99, PB, 392pp, www.amazon.com

For anyone who is facing wage garnishment, car repossession, foreclosure, lawsuits, or collection calls, "Solve Your Money Troubles: Strategies to Get Out of Debt and Stay That Way" provides the legal and practical information needed, plus sample letters and budgeting worksheets, so that they can get out of debt and make a fresh start. Readers will learn how to: prioritize debts and create a budget; understand your options; negotiate with creditors; stop harassment by debt collectors; deal with wage garnishment, car repossession, and foreclosure; reduce student loan payments; know what to expect if a creditor sues you; rebuild credit; decide if bankruptcy is right for you. This newly expanded 16th edition of "Solve Your Money Troubles" is fully updated with changes to federal student loan repayment programs, new foreclosure protections, legal information specific to specific states, and the latest legal developments in the world of debt, credit, and bankruptcy. Of special note is that this edition of "Solve Your Money Troubles: Strategies to Get Out of Debt and Stay That Way" has a supportive website where readers can stay current with legal updates and have access to podcasts and online calculators. While essential reader for anyone struggling to get out of debt, "Solve Your Money Troubles: Strategies to Get Out of Debt and Stay That Way" should be a part of every community and academic library Money Management & Finances collection. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Solve Your Money Troubles: Strategies to Get Out of Debt and Stay That Way" is a available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.50).


The Art Shelf

How to Draw Manga in Simple Steps
Yishan Li
Search Press USA
www.searchpressusa.com
c/o Publishers Group West
1700 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781782214724 $19.95 www.pgw.com

Comic creator Yishan Li presents How to Draw Manga in Simple Steps, a how-to drawing book featuring characters, animals, mythical beasts, and extra-cartoony "chibi" characters in the style of manga (Japanese comics). How to Draw Manga in Simple Steps has almost no text; each page is devoted to showing the step-by-step creation of a figure in eight or more stages - from simple shapes and sketches to the details, and for the final image, the addition of color. How to Draw Manga in Simple Steps is enthusiastically recommended for budding artists of all ages, especially for those who excel at visual-based learning.


The Psychology Shelf

Existential Psychology and the Way of the Tao
Mark C. Yang, editor
Routledge
711 - 3rd Avenue, Floor 8, New York, NY 10017-9209
www.routledge.com
9781138686991, $155.00, HC, 214pp, www.amazon.com

In ancient China, a revered Taoist sage named Zhuangzi told many parables. Compiled and edited by licensed clinical psychologist Mark C. Yang, "Existential Psychology and the Way of the Tao: Meditations on the Writings of Zhuangzi" is comprised of fourteen erudite articles providing insightful and informative commentary on a selection of these parables. Following each parable, the contributing existential psychologist shares a personal and scholarly reflection on the meaning and relevance of the parable for psychotherapy and contemporary life. All of the major tenets of Zhuangzi's philosophy are featured, including: Taoist concepts of emptiness, stillness, Wu Wei (i.e. intentional non-intentionality), epistemology, dreams and the nature of reality, character building in the midst of pain, meaning and the centrality of relationships, authenticity, self-care, the freedom that can come from one's willingness to confront death, spiritual freedom, and gradations of therapeutic care. A unique compendium of outstanding scholarship that is very highly recommended for academic library Taoist Studies and Psychology collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Existential Psychology and the Way of the Tao" is also available in a paperback edition (9781138687004, $52.95) as well as in a digital book format (Kindle, $42.36).


The Interior Design Shelf

Celebrating Canada
Peter E. Baker
The Dundurn Group
3 Church Street, Suite 500, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5E 1M2
www.dundurn.com
9781459740327, $65.00, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com

Inspired by the 150th anniversary of Canadian confederation (the same year recognizing 375 years of settlement in Montreal) Quebec antiques professional Peter E. Baker draws upon his years of experience and expertise to bring life to Canadian history and demonstrates how antiques and folk art can successfully be incorporated into a contemporary lifestyle, providing a home with a unique identity in "Celebrating Canada: Decorating with History in a Contemporary Home". Drawing from a single collection, Baker selects and showcases objects spanning three centuries of Canadian history ranging from the early days of French settlement to the creative boom of late-20th-century folk artists. Amply and beautifully illustrated, deftly and informatively written in a conversational, easy-to-read style, "Celebrating Canada" is not a traditional technical study of antiques representing a specific type or region, rather it is a coffee-table style volume that impressively showcases the story and the artistic merits of each object. An ideal reference for amateur and professional interior design reference collections, "Celebrating Canada" is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Celebrating Canada" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.24).


The Martial Arts Shelf

Tai Chi for Depression
Dr. Aihan Kuhn, CMD, OBT
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
www.ymaa.com
9781594395208 $16.95 pbk / $7.99 Kindle amazon.com

Depression is a serious mental health problem, and requires the care of a trained medical professional. With that understanding in mind, Tai Chi for Depression is a guide to a unique tai chi form combining elements of qigong and meditation, thoroughly accessible to practitioners of all skill and experience levels, and especially invaluable as a supplementary program to help combat depression. Detailed instructions and photographs depict the forms step by step, and suggest a 10-week plan to help readers incorporate Tai Chi into their journey to wellness. An index for ease of use rounds out this highly recommended program for both mental and physical fitness.


The Wisconsin Shelf

The Wisconsin Capitol
Michael Edmonds
Wisconsin Historical Society Press
816 State Street, Madison, WI 53575
www.wisconsinhistory.org
9780870208423, $25.00, HC, 144pp, www.amazon.com

A state capital building is not just the seat of state government, it is an architectural symbol and a memorial of all that the state stands for and aspires to. On the occasion of the Wisconsin state capitol's centennial in 2017, "The Wisconsin Capitol: Stories of a Monument and Its People" by Michael Edmons tells the remarkable story of the building in all its incarnations over the centur, as well as the people who made history beneath its dome. "The Wisconsin Capitol" covers the creation of the territorial capitol in 1837, the construction of the second capitol in the 1860s (and the fire that almost completely destroyed it in 1904), the eleven-year construction project that completed the third capitol in 1917, and the extensive conservation project of the 1990s that restored the building to its grandeur. Supporting the framework of this architectural history are colorful stories about the people who shaped Wisconsin from within the Capitol including attorneys, senators, -- and especially the governors (ranging from Henry Dodge to Scott Walker), as well as protesters, reformers, secretaries, tour guides, custodians, and even Old Abe, the Capitol's resident eagle. Combining historical photographs with modern, full-color architectural photos, "The Wisconsin Capitol" provides fascinating details about the building, while also emphasizing the importance of the Capitol in Wisconsin's storied history. While unreservedly recommended as an essential and core addition to every school and community library throughout Wisconsin, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Wisconsin Capitol" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).


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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