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Small Press Bookwatch

Volume 11, Number 12 December 2012 Home | SPBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Christmas Shelf Political Science Shelf
Judaic Studies Shelf Literary Studies Shelf Gaming Shelf
Pets/Wildlife Shelf Travel Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Fiction Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Poetry Shelf Memoir Shelf
Biography Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
American History Shelf World History Shelf Buddhist Studies Shelf
Business Shelf Gardening Shelf LGBT Shelf
Language Studies Shelf Sports Shelf Psychology Shelf
Self-Help Shelf Cookbook Shelf Architecture Shelf
Women's Studies Shelf Environmental Studies Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Writing/Publishing Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Autism Shelf
Needlecraft Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

12 Army Wives Gives the Best Advice They Never Got
Sheridan Scott
Arundel Publishing
36 Crystal Farm Rd., Warwick, NY 10990
9781933608310, $15.95, www.arundelpublishing.com

Marrying into the military has its benefits, but there's a whole gauntlet of things that complicate the process. "Now You Tell Me!: 12 Army Wives Give the Best Advice They Never Got" is a compilation of practical advice and wisdom from many wives of modern servicemen as they advise readers on how to best live their lives to the fullest, dealing with the resources ahead of them, navigating the bureaucracy when you hear the potential terrible news, and much more. For any wife of a serviceman, "Now You Tell Me!" is a strong addition and shouldn't be overlooked.

Dear Teen Me
Miranda Kenneally and E. Kristin Anderson, editors
Zest Books
35 Stillman Street, Suite 121
San Francisco, CA 94107
9781936976218, $14.99, www.zestbooks.net

Young and foolish, we often look back on our teen selves with humor and shame in equal parts. "Dear Teen Me: Authors Write Letters to Their Teen Selves" is a humorous take on growing up as many writers of young adult fiction come together and reflect on their own childhoods, the bad decisions made, and what, if anything, they may have done differently. With a good dose of humility and humor and much more wisdom about going up, "Dear Teen Me" is a fun and much recommended addition to literary studies and inspirational collections.

Yes, I Would Love Another Glass of Tea
Katharine Branning
Blue Dome
345 Clifton Avenue, Clifton, NJ 07011
9781935295068, $18.95, www.turkishhan.org

Another era, another life. "Yes, I Would Love Another Glass of Tea: An American Woman's Letters to Turkey" is a series of fictionalized letters in which author Katharine Branning addresses Lady Mary Montagu, famed author of many embassy letters of her era. Tackling the culture and arts of the day, Branning tries to put a personal face on history and offers much insight into the lives of the times. "Yes, I Would Love Another Glass of Tea" is worth considering for those seeking historical writing with an original twist, much recommended.


The Christmas Shelf

Saving Shallmar
James Rada, Jr.
Legacy Publishing
315 Oak Lane
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325
9780971459977 $17.95 www.jamesrada.com

Saving Shallmar: Christmas Spirit in a Coal Town tells of a little-known, true-life Christmas Miracle that took place in the fall of 1949. The residents of the remote coal mining town of Shallmar, Maryland were gradually starving to death - the coal mine that was their only source of income had closed in March, and they had no cars or other means to drive to another town and look for work. When their unemployment benefits and lines of credit ran out, so did their ability to obtain food. Their children began to faint from hunger at public school. Principal J. Paul Andrick decided to take action, writing letters and making telephone calls in search of help. As Shallmar's plight became more well-known, people responded with kindness, and the spirit of Christmas giving that saved lives. As a municipality, Shallmar could not ultimately be saved - attempts to reopen the mine had limited success at best, and the town's population slowly eroded over the course of the next two decades. But Shallmar's Christmas story is a tale of compassion and charity, and the will to help fellow human beings not only survive, but also be ready to spring into action when a new opportunity presents itself. Bittersweet yet heartwarming, Saving Shallmar is a wonderful Christmas season story for readers of all ages and backgrounds, highly recommended.


The Political Science Shelf

How Our Government Really Works
Daniel R. Rubin
Bardolf & Company
5430 Colewood Pl., Sarasota, FL 34232
9780983618492, $19.95, www.bardolfandcompany.com

Government is a tangled mess that few people truly understand. "How Our Government Really Works: Despite What They Say" discusses how the United States Government works on many levels as Daniel R. Rubin advises readers on how to understand what's going on in the confusing jungle of power in America. From checks and balances, the role of the three branches, why government is as it is today, "How Our Government Really Works" is a fine and insightful addition to political science and history collections, much recommended.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Understanding Onkelos
Stanley M. Wagner & Israel Drazin
Targum Press
www.jewish-e-books.com/publishers/targum-press-1.html
c/o Stuart Schnee PR
9781568717524, $33.99, www.amazon.com

Targum means a translation or paraphrase in Aramaic of a book or division of the Old Testament. "Targum Onkelos" is the official eastern (Babylonian) targum (Aramaic translation) to the Torah. However, its early origins may have been western, in Israel. Its authorship is attributed to Onkelos, a famous convert to Judaism in Tannaic times (c.35 - 120 a.D). The collaborative work of Biblical scholars Rabbi Dr. Stanley M. Wagner (Professor Emeritus, University of Denver) and Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin (who was the first to recognize that the Targum took hundreds of items from the Tannaitic Midrashim as they were edited around 400 CE), the Targum is a five volume translation with a running English commentary. "Understanding Onkelos" is a 401 page distillation derived from that five volume work and is meant to be a study guide for Rabbis, teachers and students of the Torah. Of special note is the opening section, 'Helpful Ways to use This Study Guide'. Enhanced with the inclusion of an extensive glossary, a selective bibliography, and a comprehensive index, "Understanding Onkelos" is a work of impressive, exhaustive, comprehensive, and detailed scholarship, making it an ideal and highly recommended addition to personal and academic library Judaic Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Literary Studies Shelf

Westward I Go Free
Corinne Hosfeld Smith
Green Frigate Books
417 Haney Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3R 0Y5
www.greenfrigatebooks.com
9270433013, $28.95, www.amazon.com

Henry David Thoreau (July 12, 1817 - May 6, 1862) was an American author, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, and leading transcendentalist. He is best known for his book Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay Civil Disobedience, an argument for individual resistance to civil government in moral opposition to an unjust state. Thoreau's books, articles, essays, journals, and poetry total over 20 volumes. "Westward I Go Free: Tracing Thoreau's Last Journey" by Corinne Hosfeld Smith (William P. and Hazel B. White Professor of English, University of Notre Dame) is a 456 page compendium that focuses upon Thoreau's travels throughout New England, the American Northwest, and the Quebec area of Canada. Of particular note is the descriptive commentary on Thoreau's traveling with Horace Mann, Jr. in 1861. A work of impressive scholarship, "Westward I Go Free: Tracing Thoreau's Last Journey" is superbly organized chronologically and is enhanced with a comprehensive index, making it an ideal and highly recommended addition for personal, community, and academic library Henry David Thoreau reference collections and supplemental reading lists.


The Gaming Shelf

Gal Pal Poker
Char Luther, et al.
Plain & Simple Books
66513 Schoolhouse Road
North Bend, OR 97459
www.plainandsimplebooks.com
9781478255086, $14.95, www.amazon.com

Poker is inherently a sociable game when played by friends and colleagues. Such is the case for a group of women who have met regularly twice a month for more than a decade to play poker, socialize, and support their community charities. This last item is the motivation for the creation of "Gal Pal Poker", a book of poker strategies, facts, and poker party recipes. The proceeds will go to support 'The Women's Safety and Resource Center' in North Bend, Oregon. This slender, 82 page compendium is packed with nuggets of poker such as 'You cannot have a straight of any kind without having a 5 or a 10' and 'The odds of winning a Texas Hold'em game with pocket aces is only 31 percent (with 8 players).' The recipes include one for 'The Best Rum Cake Ever!'. Of special note is the 'History of the Poker Chip'. Included are the game's 'House Rules', variations, and a succinct list of highly relevant web site addresses. For the sheer fun of browsing through its pages, "Gal Pal Poker" is highly recommended reading and an excellent addition to any poker book reference collection.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

How to Raise & Train Your Peppermint Shrimp, second edition
April Kirkendoll
Lysmata
7635 SW 56 Avenue #D, Miami, FL 33143-5652
978096678441, $14.95, www.lysmatapublishing.com

Shrimp have more to them than becoming a meal. "How to Raise & Train Your Peppermint Shrimp: A Hobbyist's Guide to Raising Saltwater Aquarium Shrimp From Egg to Adult" is a comprehensive guide for those who want to make the most out of their shrimp aquarium, with quick and easy to follow advice that brings a conversational flavor to something that can often come to readers as very boring. "How to Raise & Train Your Peppermint Shrimp" is a must for hobbyist and pet collections, highly recommended.

Cat Sayings
Bradford G. Wheler
BookCollaborative.com
PO Box 403, Cazenovia, NY 13035
9780982253847, $24.95, www.bookcollaborative.com

Cats become such a central part of our lives. "Cat Sayings: Wit & Wisdom from the Whiskered Ones" is a collection of photography, art, and much more surrounding the favored pet of many people all over the world, touching on the unique bond that one can form with their cat, and more importantly, why they are superior to dogs. "Cat Sayings" is a strong addition to pet collections, highly recommended.


The Travel Shelf

Art Travel Guide
Connie Terwilliger
ArtNetwork Press
10655 Park Ave Ext., Nevada City, CA 95959
9780940899568, $16.95, www.arttravelguide.info

Art always changes, and keeping up with the latest twists can prove difficult at times. "Art Travel Guide: Must-See Contemporary Art Sites Across the USA" is a guide to modern art throughout America for those who love art and want to see more of it throughout their country. From events all over, exhibits, architectural art, using nature as an assist, major celebrations and much more, "Art Travel Guide" is a must those who are expression junkies and want to see more in their nationwide wanderings.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Dragons Away!
K.D. Berry
Bluewood Publishing
PO Box 16-749
Christchurch, 8441 New Zealand
9781927134603 $13.95 www.bluewoodpublishing.com

Dragons Away! is a fantasy novel filled with rivalry, intrigue, and of course, fearsome dragons! When the fate of half the kingdom is wagered on a race between two mysterious contenders, Dewdrop the Illusionist dares to question the validity of the bet. For his presumptiveness, Dewdrop is tasked with uncovering the truth behind the allegedly invincible racing champion repressing the cunning, ruthless, and possibly mad King Davkosh! Yet Davkosh's conquest-hungry queen Gunora is even more frightening, for she is amassing an army to attack regardless of the great race's outcome. Dewdrop and his half-ogre bodyguard have their work cut out for them, as does one of Davkosh's bravest messengers, who is determined to be the world's first and only dragon rider not slain by his own steed! Witty and vibrant, Dragons Away! is a whirlwind fantasy adventure, fun to the very last page.

Annals of the Omega Project
Thomas A. Cahill
EditProse
423 F Street, Suite 206
Davis, CA 95616-4144
9781937317034, $19.95, www.editprose.com

The discovery of telepathic power comes with the terror that there have been those who have known the power for much longer than you have. "Annals of the Omega Project" is a fantasy exploring how a Professor and a Flight Attendant discover their unusual bond of minds, and find that others around them have this potential too. But their revelation of this ability leads them to be targeted by those who have kept the secret for nefarious purposes...and aren't afraid to do whatever they need to keep it that way. "Annals of the Omega Project" is a riveting thriller that blends in science fiction and fantasy all too well.


The Fiction Shelf

Hills Of Fire
Frank Larnerd, editor
Woodland Press, LLC
118 Woodland Drive, Chapmanville, WV 25508
9780985264048, $14.95, www.woodlandpress.com

There's a grit that just comes from living in the mountains of Appalachia. "Hills of Fire: Bare-Knuckle Yarns of Appalachia" is a collection of short fiction surrounding the rugged and dangerous lives of those who live throughout these mile high lawless lands, and the people who reside them. Taking a heavy dose of pulp of life that comes through it all, "Hills of Fire" is a riveting collection of work that readers of adventure won't be able to put down. Also of interest for those seeking mountain inspired writing, "Fed From the Blade: Tales and Poems from the Mountains" (9780985264055, $14.95) collecting more stories surrounding Appalachia, with a less noir-inspired twist of tales.

The Other Side of the World
Jay Neugeboren
Two Dollar Radio
131 East Town St., Suite 200
Columbus, OH 43215
9781937512026, $16.50, www.twodollaradio.com

The world is there to be experienced, you just have to make time for it. "The Other Side of the World" is an offbeat novel following Charlie Eisner as he visits Singapore and Borneo, only to have the friend who opened the way for him die and leave him on a voyage of tribute, making many new friends along the way. A story of life, living, and learning, "The Other Side of the World" is an enticing and literary work of fiction.

In His Stead
Judith Sanders
Iron Word Press
Suite 200, 1115 Willow Pond Lane
Leland, NC 28451
9781938573835, $15.99, www.ironwordpress.com

War can break families with the threat of death looming over them. "In His Stead" is a novel of a family facing deployment to the Afghanistan conflict, after losing one of their own. The youngest son of the Lane family may be deployed with the National Guard, but the old veteran of a father wants to go in his place, fearing losing another son. Facing the bureaucracy of the military and the family's struggle to stick together and the hard choices they face, "In His Stead" is a strong addition contemporary fiction collections.

All the Lights That Have Shone
Paul McCormack
Ichabod Dozer Press
PO Box 1221, Minot, ND 58702
9780985462048, $12.00, www.amazon.com

Normal is an absurd concept. "All the Lights That Have Shone" is a collection of simple, poignant, yet offbeat stories from Paul McCormack as he derives from his life and the countless people he's met that try to be more real than reality by emphasizing the parts that are forgotten but ultimately serve as the glue that keeps it all together. "All the Lights That Have Shone" is a strong addition to general short fiction collections, highly recommended.

Have You Seen Her?
Rich Silvers
Conure Press
145 Hitching Post Lane
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
9780985494407, $13.99, www.Richsilvers.com

Deserted by tragedy in his life, Jack Logan doesn't know where to turn next in his life. "Have You Seen Her?" is a novel following Logan as he copes with the loss of his wife and daughter, as a runaway enters his life. Trying to do what he can for her, he faces the tattered remains of her life, and realizes that it isn't just her problems he's facing. A psychological thriller that should prove hard to put down, "Have You Seen Her?" is a must for contemporary fiction collections, recommended.

Spark
Courtney Elizabeth Mauk
Engine Books
PO Box 44167, Indianapolis, IN 46244
9781938126048, $14.95, www.enginebooks.org

Family is often a difficult burden for us to shoulder. "Spark" is a novel following Andrea, who has her pyromaniac brother released into her care after twenty years in prison. Trying to help her brother get his life back on track, she takes him under his care, but in return, her life seems to fall apart. A life of family and coping with a troubled love one and his demons, "Spark" is a riveting read that will keep the pages turning, highly recommended.

The Colors Will Change
Louis N. Jones
Conquest Publishers
PO Box 611, Bladensburg, MD 20710-0611
9780965662550, $13.95, www.amazon.com

For survival, we will do anything, even if it marginalizes us as human beings. "The Colors Will Change" is the story of Carline Lissade, a Haitian woman who must turn to prostitution in her native land, for she has lost all else. When a helping hand offers her to bring her to America, she learns that there is no easy answer to her problems, and her decisions may yet cost her life. "The Colors Will Change" is a riveting read, not to be overlooked.

A Familiar Shore
Jennifer Fromke
Write Integrity Press
130 Prominence Point Pkwy., #130-330
Canton, GA 30114
9781938092022, $14.99, www.writeintegrity.com

Someone's last will is something we often seek to honor, but it can be difficult. "A Familiar Shore" follows young lawyer Meg Marks, who becomes embroiled a family dispute over an aging man's will, and she is charged with mediating it...but has her own reservations about getting involved and making decisions. "A Familiar Shore" is a strong pick for those seeking a novel of feuding families and finding something better than spite to live on.

The Five O'Clocks Follies
Theasa Tuohy
Calliope Press
PO Box 2408, New York, NY 10108-2408
9780984779918, $14.99, www.thefiveoclockfollies.com

Women emerged to more prominent roles in society in recent years, but the struggle was long. "The Five O'Clock Follies: What's a Woman Doing Here Anyway?" is a novel about a woman war correspondent in Saigon during the violent and controversial Vietnam War. Author Theasa Tuohy draws on her own journalistic experience to tell the story of women daring to make their way through a male dominated world. "The Five O'Clock Follies" is a riveting and insightful look at a tumultuous time for America and women's rights.

Southern Fried Lies
Susan Snowden
Archer Hill Publishing
PO Box 23341, Columbia, SC 29224-3341
9780985330101, $16.95, www.archerhillpublishing.com

What appears to be perfect is often not. "Southern Fried Lies" is a novel of a family's struggles in Atlanta in the 1960s, as the city and the country begins to face social turmoil throughout the country. Sarah Clairborne and her family have what seems to be paradise, but when long standing grudges and dysfunctions come to the surface, she struggles to piece it all back together. "Southern Fried Lies" is a riveting read of family and the period, highly recommended.

Each Rising Tide
Arianna Snow
Golden Horse
PO Box 1002, Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-1002
9781620505786, $13.99, www.ariannaghnovels.com

Our family's troubles can quickly become our own troubles. "Each Rising Tide" is the eleventh addition to the Lochmoor Glen Series from Arianna Snow, telling of the continuing drama that goes on surrounding Mercedes Stockdale and the men throughout the upper society. For those who have enjoyed previous entries into the series or dramas surrounding socialites, "Each Rising Tide" is a fine pick, not to be overlooked.

Montlake Romance
PO Box 400818
Las Vegas, NV 89140

Former high-school teacher and ice cream shop owner Laura Landon showcases her longstanding talent with the pen in three of her latest historical romances. In "The Most to Lose" (9781612184784, $12.95), Jonah Armstrong is an earl determined to restore his tarnished family name returns to London after three years' effective exile - only to be taken aback by the striking beauty and character that has developed in Cecilia, the younger sister of his deadliest rival! Meanwhile, Cecilia herself is caught at cross-purposes; despite her strong feelings for Jonah, she knows all too well that he craves revenge upon her brother, and perhaps the opportunity to pocket her sizeable dowry. "Intimate Deception" (9781612184791, $12.95) is the story of Lady Grace Warren, betrothed to the worst possible man in London. She resolves to escape the misery of marriage the only way available - by surrendering her chastity before the wedding. She disguises herself as a courtesan and encounters a handsome nobleman, but an unexpected pregnancy results from the best-laid plans! What she does not know is that Vincent Germaine, the Duke of Raeborn, has lost his previous two wives to childbirth; when he learns that his night of passion with an enchanting and mysterious woman could have resulted in another high-risk pregnancy, he tries to find the identity of the expecting mother, only to discover that she is a woman of extraordinary courage and allure. "Silent Revenge" (9781612184777, $12.95) is the story of two people who married for convenience, not love - Lady Jessica Stanton needed a husband who could protect her inheritance from her greedy stepbrother, while Simon Warland, Earl of Northcote wanted to return the squandered family legacy of his father to greatness. Neither intended to become emotionally involved with the other, yet as they live together, they begin to see the one another's hidden sides - Jessica holds a sparkling intellect and enduring strength, while Simon has a kind soul beneath his fierce temper. Simon's true motive for the marriage threatens to devastate whatever bond could be forming between them, a bond that neither of them wants... but that both of them may need. All three are highly recommended as choice picks for fans of the romance genre, especially period pieces.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Five Days of Fear
David Kovach
Light Messages
5216 Tahoe Drive, Durham, NC 27713
9781611530285, $16.95, www.lightmessages.com

When a heinous crime is visited upon us, we try to best understand why. "Five Days of Fear" follows the harrowing pain faced by Jessica Britton with the murder of her father and the kidnapping of her mother. As the FBI's search doesn't reveal immediate answers, Jessica learns she cannot wait for the authorities to save her mother...and her mother's life is not the only life on the line. "Five Days of Fear" is a fast paced thriller that should prove hard to put down.

Someone Has to Die
Jim Baton
Creation House
c/o Charisma Media Company
600 Rinehart Road, Lake Mary, FL 32746
9781616389222, $14.99, www.charismamedia.com

Christianity and Islam are the two most dominant faiths in the world, and to many, seem to be locked in many conflicts. "Someone Has to Die" is a novel surrounding faith and the rising conflict between the two dogmas. A peacemaking effort is gaining ground, and worldwide, there may be a way to build a bridge, but there are those who relish the violence and fear, and seek to perpetuate it. "Someone Has to Die" is a riveting spin on a very vital modern issue.

A For Argonaut
Michael J. Stedman
Clipper Trade Press
45 Main Street, Suite 806
Brooklyn, NY 11201
9780985647704, $14.95, www.michaeljstedman.com

Revenge can be a powerful calling. "A For Argonaut" is a spy thriller that follows Mack Maran, operative spurned, as he is forced from his career, but doesn't let that stop him as he creates his own team and hunts down those who have wronged them in the corrupt depths of Africa. "A For Argonaut" is riveting reading that should prove hard to put down, highly recommended.

The Spy Lover
Kiana Davenport
Thomas & Mercer
PO Box 400818, Las Vegas, NV 89140
9781612183411, $14.95, www.amazon.com

There are many tales throughout a conflict, with many goals. "The Spy Lover" tells the story of three such individuals throughout the American Civil War. A Chinese soldier fights for his citizenship; his daughter enlists as a spy; and another man tempts her from her duties. Author Kiana Davenport presents an intriguing tale of suspense and personal stories that made up the battles of the Civil War. "The Spy Lover" is not to be missed for historical fiction collections, much recommended.

The Litigators
Lindsay G. Arthur, Jr.
Scarletta Press
10 South Fifth Street, Suite 1105
Minneapolis, MN 55402
0976520109, $14.95, www.scarlettapress.com

The advancement of science always has some unfortunate drawbacks. "The Litigators" is a legal thriller from Lindsay G. Arthur as a single mother faces a neurological disease, and a hotshot young lawyer in Dillon Love tries to rush to her defense, believing that the experiments held in an abandoned gas station may have spurred it. But the pursuit of justice has consequences, and those responsible may be holding the keys to something for the greater good. Is victory for one worth the loss for all? "The Litigators" is a strong pick for general fiction collections.

Devil in Disguise
Heather Huffman
Booktrope.com
c/o News & Experts (publicity)
3478 Turman Loop, Suite 101
Wesley Chapel, FL 33544
9781935961567, $14.95, www.booktrope.com

Slavery lives on in the most tragic of ways. "Devil in Disguise" follows reporter Rachel Cooper as she digs into the corruption of the underground, faced with human trafficking, armed with the more and more tempting Conrad Langston at his side. A thriller with plenty of adventure and mystery blended in through it all, "Devil in Disguise" is a read worth considering for general fiction collections, highly recommended.

The Delivery Cut
Joseph Rakowski
Black Rose Writing
PO Box 1540
Castroville, TX 78009
9781612961156, $16.95, www.blackrosewriting.com

Just because you're in a terrible, corrupt industry doesn't mean you need to be crabby about it. "The Delivery Cut" is a novel from Joseph Rakowski, delving into the activities of the underworld, being the delivery face that connects the upper class buyers to there much desired drug supplies. Meeting a wide array of characters in the process and getting a vivid shot of the underbelly of society, "The Delivery Cut" is a strong pick for general fiction readers for those seeking something with a certain twist on the dark side of life.

The Legend of Rachel Petersen
J. T. Baroni
Damnation Books, LLC
PO Box 3931, Santa Rosa, CA 95402
9781615725434, $14.75, www.damnationbooks.com

What we may think is fantasy may show up as all too true. "The Legend of Rachel Petersen" is a novel from J.T. Baroni, as writer Christian Kane embarks on his fiction writing career by drawing on a local legend, and gains blockbuster success. But the legend he disturbed doesn't want to be quietly exploited, as it snaps back against him in ways he never thought imaginable. "The Legend of Rachel Petersen" is an exciting take on horror and urban legend, much recommended.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Crystals, Jewels, Stones, Magic, & Science
Isidore Kozminsky
IBIS Press
PO Box 540206
Lake Worth, FL 33454-0206
9780892541713, $24.95, www.ibispress.net

Mankind has been fascinated with nature's crystals and their beauty for millennia. "Crystals, Jewels, Stones, Magic, & Science" explores the history and mythology behind these crystals and their reverence throughout history, and how they are being approached in the new surge of the new age movement in recent years. A comprehensive reference for followers of the philosophy or those who are simply curious, "Crystals, Jewels, Stones, Magic, & Science" is a much recommended addition to metaphysical studies collections,.

The Path of a Reluctant Metaphysician
Michael Mayer
Body Mind Healing Publications
2029 Durant Ave., Suite 202, Berkeley, CA 94704
9780983966500, $27.50, www.reluctantmetaphysician.com

The metaphysical is not taken lightly. "The Path of a Reluctant Metaphysician: Stories and Practices for Troubled Times" is a spiritual guide from Michael Mayer, who presents an exploration of metaphysical concepts for all, as he suggests how to better piece together one's place and soul for the ones who don't delve into the ideas that the stars determine our destiny. With much to ponder on the spiritual world and how to better understand it, "The Path of a Reluctant Metaphysician" is worth considering for spirituality and metaphysical collections.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Me Tarzan...You Train ! Without Pain!
Denny Miller
To Health With You Publishers
9612 Gavin Stone Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89145
9780975391723, $25.00, www.denny-miller.com

Denny Scott Miller (born April 25, 1934, in Bloomington, Indiana) is an American actor, perhaps best known for his regular role as Duke Shannon on Wagon Train, his guest-starring appearances on Gilligan's Island, and his 1959 role as Tarzan. Denny has had a life-long interest in keeping physically fit. "Me Tarzan...You Train ! Without Pain!" is a spiral bound, 142 page compendium of illustrated exercises ideal for all ages, but most especially for older men and women. Enhanced with illustrations by Mike Royer and photography by Steve Cooper, "Me Tarzan...You Train ! Without Pain!" begins with an informed and informative commentary on the myths of physical fitness, 'Ten Fattest Countries', making healthy choices and changes in life styles. The exercises range from instructions for bike riding, to exercising to music, all manner of stretching exercises for every part of the human body, to swimming and walking, to strengthening various muscle groups, to the impact of mental activity (happiness) on physical health, and a great deal more. Of special note are the sections on diabetes and osteoarthritis. Enhanced with an excellent bibliography, "Me Tarzan...You Train ! Without Pain!" is thoroughly user friendly and a highly recommended addition to personal and family physical exercise and health reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

The Tick Slayer
Perry Louis Fields
Zippy Publishing LLC
110 Liberty Drive, Suite 202, Clemson, SC 29631
9780982986073, $24.95, www.zippypublishing.com

Lyme disease affects many, and many are fighting back against it strongly. "The Tick Slayer: Battling Lyme Disease and Winning" is a health guide for those who are afflicted with the ailment, as track and field athlete Perry Louis Fields discusses how good health and fitness among other things allowed her to overcome chronic Lyme disease and embrace better health for the long term. "The Tick Slayer" is a strong pick for general health and wellness collections, highly recommended.

The Thin in 10 Weight-Loss Plan
Jessica Smith & Liz Neporent
Sunrise River Press
39966 Grand Avenue, North Branch, MN 55056
9781934716359, $24.95, www.sunriseriverpress.com

Good health can start very quickly. "The Thin in 10 Weight-Loss Plan: Transform Your Body (and Life!) in Minutes a Day" is a health guide complete with DVD from Jessica Smith & Liz Neporent as she outlines an easy to follow guide to getting the most out of one's health and exercise with a short time everyday, to help anyone get on the fast path to greater fitness even in our busy and troublesome world. "The Thin in 10 Weight-Loss Plan" presents much practical advice for health and wellness with photographs and resources to follow throughout, highly recommended.

Your Natural Medicine Cabinet
Burke Lennihan
GreenHealing Press
777 Concord Ave., Suite 301, Cambridge, MA 02138
9780983443025, $14.95, www.yournaturalmedicinecabinet.com

Drugs shouldn't be the first response to every problem. "Your Natural Medicine Cabinet: A Practical Guide to Drug-Free Remedies for Common Ailments" is a guide to better health and wellness from Burke Lennihan, as she advises potential solutions to many symptoms of health, from the pains of age, to bad habits to curb in young people such as thumb sucking. "Your Natural Medicine Cabinet" is well worth considering for those who want to consider potential solutions to many everyday ailments, recommended.

The Amateur's Guide To Death And Dying
Richard Wagner
The Nazca Plains Corporation
c/o Brickman Marketing
395 Del Monte Center, #250
Monterey, CA 93940
9781610981996, $19.95, www.amazon.com

Psychotherapist Richard Wagner draws upon his more than 30 years of experience and expertise working with terminally ill, chronically ill, elder, and dying people in hospital, hospice, and home settings to write "The Amateur's Guide To Death And Dying", a 343 page compendium specifically designed for the non-professional general reader confronted with their own impending end-of-life issues. Those issues include the difficulties encountered in our modern culture with respect to confronting and accepting our mortality, making the end of our lives a time of enriched transitional life experience. "The Amateur's Guide To Death And Dying" offers a wealth of practical information and advice on how to successfully live out our final days and avoid leaving our survivors with unresolved issues and problematic decisions. Of special note is what "The Amateur's Guide To Death And Dying" has to offer on the subject of sexuality and intimacy with respect to sick, elder, and dying people. Highly rewarding reading, "The Amateur's Guide To Death And Dying" has special value for breaching the subject of advanced directives and end of life care. Simply stated, "The Amateur's Guide To Death And Dying" should be on the shelves of every community and counseling service 'Death & Dying' reference collection. For interested individuals, it should also be noted that "The Amateur's Guide To Death And Dying" is also available as an ebook (9781610982009, $12.95).


The Poetry Shelf

Conjuro
Xanath Caraza
Mammoth Publications
1916 Stratford Rd.
Lawrence, Kansas 66044
9780983799566 $18.00 www.mammothpublications.com

Conjuro is a collection of original poetry firmly grounded in the traditions of Mexico and the native Nahua people. Poet Xanath Caraza speaks to the strength of women in her verses, which are often (but not always) translated into Spanish and Nahuatl alongside the English. The free-verse poems tell of gods and goddesses, warriors, legendary places, tribute to memorable artists, and much more. Conjuro is an extraordinary addition to Native American poetry collections, highly recommended. "At the Fountain of the Alcazar of Cordoba": At the round fountain / Runs the water // Reflecting lemons / And oranges // Waves of light / In the shade of the garden // A coin in the fountain / A lost wish // Fleeting hope / In waves of light on water.

Congress of Strange People
Stephanie Lenox
Airlie Press
PO Box 434, Monmouth, OR 97361
9780982106662, $15.00, www.airliepress.org

Anyone interesting has to have at least something offbeat about them. "Congress of Strange People" is a collection of poetry from Stephanie Lenox who explores the unusual cast of our life, with a combination of renown and curiosity. "Congress of Strange People" is fine reading very much worth considering for poetry collections, not to be missed. "Little Song": Star, I cannot feel you. I have no sense/to wonder why, lost as I am in my own haze/with no room for magnitude.//At my feet the dark earth feeds and spins/into life's various exhalations./Here, duckweed's green, diminutive leaves/unfurl nightly, bearing invisible fruit.//Of such fruit I cannot taste or see or even dream.//Hidden one, If I were you, I'd stay hidden./Trapped on both sides by what I cannot see,/between unfelt radiance and smallest duckweed,/I think of you, my nebulous never-nothing--/not even in this light do you think of me.

Rudiments of Flight
Frances Hatfield
Wings Press
627 E. Guenther, San Antonio, TX 78210
9781609402563, $16.00, www.wingspress.com

The soul is not so easily understood, but some continue to attempt to do so. "Rudiments of Flight" is a collection of poetry from Frances Hatfield who provides introspection of life and living with her own brand of knowledge and poignancy. "Rudiments of Flight" is an excellent addition to any poetry collection, not to be missed. "Birthday": The sun falls/so slowly/from a midpoint/I failed to notice//through a distance/measureless/to my eye/yet finite//I twill ignite/the ground/that buries it//and then/this land/I love so well/will cool/and darken,//the stars--/like candles lit/at my birth--//gutter out/in the gathering/wind

If
Leonard Schwartz
Talisman House
PO Box 896, Greenfield, MA 01302
9781584980926, $15.95, www.amazon.com

If is a state of questionable certainty, and can hold many potential possibilities. "If" is a collection of couplet driven poetry from Leonard Schwartz who provides an insightful take on our world, using his vast experience to provide much to ponder, his work crafting a story and narrative all throughout. "If" is not to be missed for fans of thoughtful and thought provoking verse, much recommended.

The Way of All Flux
Sharon Suzuki-Martinez
New Rivers Press
1104 7th Ave. South, Moorhead, MN 56563
978989232615, $13.95, www.newriverspress.com

The absurdity of humor sheds a very clean light on things we may not fully understand. "The Way of All Flux" is a collection of poetry from Sharon Suzuki-Martinez as she presents her off kilter take on humor and life through poetry. With much opinion and excellent verse, "The Way of All Flux" is a fine addition to any modern poetry collection, recommended. "Postcard, 8 Miles from Carefree, Arizona": I rode out the storm into an afternoon for dogs/and a night reminiscent of the sleepwear of cats./The high seas called to me/but the hills, the hills were alive!/Later, I consecrated the changing of the winds/and praised a woman with teeth of great length./I couldn't ask for more,/rats because I had firmly closed my trap./Fortunately, the horse got a clean bill of health/and my eyes bore you apples of gold.

Grazing on Stars
Steven Sher
Presa Press
PO Box 792, Rockford, MI 49341
9780983125174, $15.95, www.presapress.com

We search for the meaning of life in many ways. "Grazing on Stars" is a collection of memoir, poetry, and knowledge from Steven Sher, presenting its own life's truth and much to think about. "Grazing on Stars" is well worth considering for modern poetry collections. "Winter Fog on the Hudson": Today the fog won't burn away./The hand over this screaming world//won't ease its grip./The shuttered river shuns/a curious crowd./Drifting from shore, the lights//chancing the crossing here like dogged paparazzi/steal a peek beneath this widow's veil.

Battle for Athens
Anna Faktorovich
Anaphora Literary Press
163 Lucas Rd., #I-2, Cochran, GA 31014
9781937536312, $9.99, www.anaphoraliterary.wordpress.com

What we left behind is not always what we return to. "Battle for Athens" is a collection of poetry from Anna Faktorovich, who uses her poetry to tell the story of World War II veterans returning to Athens, Ohio, to a city run by a corrupted government. Telling of the veterans rising up politically, then arming themselves violently, "Battle for Athens" is a riveting twist of poetry with an enticing premise, much recommended. "Military Control": Commander Duggan was inside organizing the detainees/When he heard the explosions, fires and riots outside,/Coming out, he approached/A group of older vets who were watching the riot./Under his command, they spread through the town,/And pacified the rioters, ordering them to disperse,/Explaining that the fair election goal was in jeopardy./The crowds listened to the old-timers,/And went home, letting the fires die out.


The Memoir Shelf

Journey Man
William Claassen
Cornel & Williams
PO Box 1964
Columbia, Missouri 65205-1964
9780615608488 $15.95 www.williamclaassen.com

Journey Man: A World Calling is the memoir of a man called to wander. Beginning on an Israeli collective farm in 1974, Journey Man follows author William Claassen through nine countries on four continents, and past a couple brushes with death! Claassen had to think on his feet to survive in venue to venue, from unexpectedly encountering a dangerous revolution, to reinventing himself as a merchant seaman, witnessing the devastation of an earthquake. His lifelong journey eventually reaches a Native American reservation, where he experiences spiritual awakening and renewal through his participation in rituals sacred to indigenous culture. Journey Man is an extraordinary true-life adventure, highly recommended especially for armchair travelers everywhere.

Letters to a Young Madman
Paul Gruchow
Levins Publishing
2300 Kennedy St., NE, Ste 160
Minneapolis, MN 55413
9780985397234, $14.99, www.LevinsPublishing.com

Crazy, nuts, insane, the labels one takes on when their mental illness becomes known. "Letters to a Young Madman" is a collection of notes and thoughts of Paul Gruchow, as he ponders the nature of mental illness, the challenges those with these disorders, what we can learn from their endeavors of life, and much more. With plenty to ponder about life and living around these illnesses, "Letters to a Young Madman" is a must for memoir and psychology collections, highly recommended.

Going Full Circle
Mike Link & Kate Crowley
Lake Superior Port Cities
PO Box 16417, Duluth, MN 55816-0417
9780942235234, $18.95, www.LakeSuperior.com

Life's epic journeys are still there for those who seek to take them. "Going Full Circle: A 1,555-mile Walk Around the World's Largest Lake" is a true adventure memoir as Mike Link and Kate Crowley come together in their twilight to hike around Lake Superior, a massive journey crossing many states and even into Canada. They share their journey, and is food for thought for anyone else who'd like to take such a trip themselves. "Going Full Circle: A 1,555-mile Walk Around the World's Largest Lake" is a choice and much recommended addition to hiking and true adventure memoir collections.


The Biography Shelf

In Mortica's Shadow
James Pylant
Jacobus Books
PO Box 1587, Stephenville, TX 76401
9780984185795, $18.95, www.jacobusbooks.com

Carolyn Sue Jones (April 28, 1930 - August 3, 1983) was an American stage and screen actress who began her film career in the early 1950s, and by the end of the decade had achieved recognition with a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for The Bachelor Party (1957) and a Golden Globe Award as one of the most promising actresses of 1959. Her film career continued for another 20 years. In 1964 she began playing the role of Morticia Addams in the television series The Addams Family, receiving a Golden Globe Award nomination for her work. Researched and written by James Pylant, "In Morticia's Shadow: The Life & Career Of Carolyn Jones" provides a complete and comprehensive account of Jones' highly successful, yet at times problematic career. After being an acclaimed stage and movie actress (she appeared in more than 30 films), the overwhelming success of her role as Morticia in 'The Addams Family' television show threatened to stereotype her. Of special note are the chapters 'Reinventing Carolyn Jones' and 'Escaping Morticia'. Enhanced with the inclusion of a filmography of her work, a wealth of notes and references, and a comprehensive index, "In Morticia's Shadow" is a 'must read' for her legions of fans, and a highly prized addition to academic library Cinematic Studies & 20th Century Biography reference collections.

Wallace Stevens
Alison Johnson
Cumberland Press
4 Wren Drive, Topsham, ME 04086
www.wallacestevensbiography.com
9780967561936, $15.00

Wallace Stevens (October 2, 1879 - August 2, 1955) was an American Modernist poet. He was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, educated at Harvard and then New York Law School, and he spent most of his life working as an executive for an insurance company in Hartford, Connecticut. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for his Collected Poems in 1955. Some of his best-known poems include "Valley Candle", "Anecdote of the Jar", "Disillusionment of Ten O'Clock", "The Emperor of Ice-Cream", "The Idea of Order at Key West", "Sunday Morning", "The Snow Man", and "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird". Compiled with extensive commentary by academician and author Alison Johnson, "Wallace Stevens: A Dual Life As Poet And insurance Executive" is a 332 page compendium showcasing the life and work of a remarkable American poet whose 'day job' was in no way related to his literary merits. He was also a very private man who refused interviews and studiously avoided public attention. Biographer Alison Johnson draws upon a variety of sources that include Steven's school records, journals and letters (much of which are previously unpublished), firsthand accounts by those who knew him, scholarly criticism, and of course, Stevens' own poetry and prose. The result is an informed and informative portrait of an accomplished 19th Century American poet. A masterpiece of biographical scholarship, "Wallace Stevens" is a strongly recommended addition to academic library 20th Century Literature reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Ghetto Medic
Rachel Hennick
BrickHouse Books
306 Suffolk Road, Baltimore, MD 21218
9781938144028, $22.00, www.rachelhennick.com

Trying to make a difference in one's hometown is all some really want to do. "Ghetto Medic: A Father in the 'Hood" is a dedicated biography of the author's father Bill Hennick, a man who joined the segregated fire departments of Baltimore and faced the civil rights upheaval, serving his city as a paramedic as well, trying to do what he could for a city always in turmoil. "Ghetto Medic" is a strong addition to any memoir or everyday-person-biography collection.


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

The Shaman & Ayahuasca
Don Jose Campos
Divine Arts Media
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111
Studio City, CA 91604
9781611250039, $16.95, www.divineartsmedia.com

To see the world of spirits around us that are unseen. "The Shaman & Ayahuasca" discusses the Shamanistic discipline behind Ayahuasca, an Amazonian plant that has been used by natives in ritual for tens of thousands of years, providing unique visions and offering a certain method of healing of its users. Exploring this concept along with interviews with visionary painter shaman Pablo Amaringo. "The Shaman & Ayahusca" provides intriguing views on the spiritual world, deftly translated by Alberto Roman.

The Adventure of Being Human
Jerry Lane
Origin Press
PO Box 151117, San Rafael, CA 94915
9781931254243, $14.95, www.Evolving-Souls.org

A life of imperfection is a life of just living. "The Adventure of Being Human: Lessons on Soulful Living from the Heart of the Urantia Revelation" is a spiritual guide from Jerry lane, touching on our search through life for something divine and facing the very human problems we face within such a search. With plenty to consider for those of any faith, "The Adventure of Being Human" is very spiritually charged and much recommended reading.


The Christian Studies Shelf

The Journey to the Undiscovered Country
William Powell Tuck
Energion Publications
PO Box 841, Gonzalez, FL 32560
9781938434099, $9.99, www.energionpubs.com

What lies beyond our deaths? "The Journey to Undiscovered Country" is a book of Christian metaphysical ideas as author William Powell Tuck offers his own interpretations on the ideas of Christian thought on the many topics such as life and death, our judgment, offering his thoughts on many popular ideas about faith, and much more. "The Journey to Undiscovered Country" offers plenty to think about and is a choice and recommended addition to metaphysical studies collections, highly recommended.

How to Survive The End of the World
Bob Hostetler
Leafwood Publishers
1626 Campus Court, Abilene, TX 79601
9780891123255, $14.99, www.leafwoodpublishers.com

The end times are often something used as fear, but for the faithful, it brings them closer to God's will. "How to Survive the End of the World" is a Christian guide from Bob Hosteler discusses the end of the world through the perspective of the Christian faith, empowering readers for when they believe the end comes, and how to live what time is left to its fullest. A unique perspective on doomsaying, "How to Survive the End of the World" is a very faithful twist, much recommended reading for Christian collections.

Nothing is Impossible With God
Rose Marie Miller
New Growth Press
c/o Liffuse Publicity
19011 8th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98155
9781936768684, $15.99, www.liffusegroup.com

Strength is something we all seek for whatever purpose, but not all of us have it. "Nothing is Impossible with God: Reflections on Weakness, Faith, and Power" is a Christian inspirational guide from Rose Marie Miller as she encourages people to understand their weakness and find their strength in faith to make all the difference in their lives. "Nothing is Impossible with God" is a strongly recommended addition to Christian spirituality collections, not to be missed.

A Faith Brief
Patrick M. Garry
Kirk House Publishers
PO Box 390759, Minneapolis, MN 55439
9781933794471, $14.00, www.kirkhouse.com

Faith and intellectualism are not enemies, as they are often presented to be. "A Faith Brief: A Lawyer's Argument for Why Faith Prevails Over Doubt" is an attorney's analysis of God and the doubt of God, trying to defend his own faith by presenting a new light on the doubt of God and his presence in it all. "A Faith Brief" is an insightful take on intellectualism, logic, and God, and how they all can get along quite well.

Adventuring Through the Bible
Ray C. Stedman
Discovery House Publishers
PO Box 3566, Grand Rapids, MI 49501
9781572935716, $44.99, www.dhp.org

The Bible's tale is an epic one, stretching over countless books. It can be quite daunting to fully understand. "Adventuring Through the Bible" is a comprehensive read that covers the vast story of the Bible, presenting a comprehensive study of the legends behind the stories. With well over nine hundred pages of information that touches on timelines, color images, and much more, Ray C. Stedman has compiled a more than thorough companion guide for those who want to gain a better understanding of what lies behind the world's bestseller. "Adventuring Through the Bible" is a fine addition to any Christian reference collection, highly recommended.


The American History Shelf

The Political Trial of Benjamin Franklin
Kenneth Lawing Penegar
Algora Publishing
222 Riverside Drive, 16th FL
New York, NY 10025-6809
9780875868493 $23.95 www.algora.com

Author and law professor Kenneth Lawing Penegar presents The Political Trial of Benjamin Franklin, a historical chronicle of pivotal events surrounding Benjamin Franklin in the years prior to the American Revolution. In late 1772, Franklin opted to reveal to Massachusetts a cache of personal letters (known as the "Hutchinson letters") he'd acquired in London. The political context of these letters set off a firestorm of intrigue and conflict between the American colonies and the British government. Not only does The Political Trial of Benjamin Franklin explain the international historical maneuvers in terms accessible to readers of all backgrounds, a lengthy set of appendices offer verbatim transcripts of a variety of important documents from the era, and speculation about Franklin's source for the Hutchinson letters. The Political Trial of Benjamin Franklin shines a spotlight upon a little-discussed yet critical facet of the buildup to the American Revolution, and is highly recommended especially for public and college library American History collections.

Aunt Phil's Trunk: Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4
Phyllis Downing Carlson
Laurel Downing Bill
Aunt Phil's Trunk, LLC
6831 Viburnum Drive, Anchorage AK 99507
www.auntphilstrunk.com www.amazon.com

Alaska is a state in the United States, situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with the international boundary with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait. Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area, the 4th least populous and the least densely populated of the 50 United States. Approximately half of Alaska's 722,718 residents live within the Anchorage metropolitan area. Alaska was purchased from Russia on March 30, 1867, for $7.2 million ($120 million adjusted for inflation) at approximately two cents per acre ($4.74/km squared). The land went through several administrative changes before becoming an organized (or incorporated) territory on May 11, 1912, and the 49th state of the U.S. on January 3, 1959. Compiled and written by the team of Phyllis Downing Carlson and Laurel Downing Bill, the four volume series "Aunt Phil's Trunk" offers an impressive compendium of superbly presented stories, tales, anecdotes and reminisces of the people, places, events, and history of Alaska, profusely illustrated throughout with black and white historical photos. Although each informed and informative volume can be acquired individually (Volume 1, 9781578333301, $19.95; Volume 2, 1-578333431, $19.95; Volume 3, 1578333733, $19.95; and Volume 4, $19.95), personal, community, and academic libraries would be well advised to acquire the entire set directly from the publisher at www.auntphilstrunk.com.

Unions for Beginners
David Cogswell
For Beginners
155 Main Street, Suite 211, Danbury, CT 06810
9781934389775, $16.99, www.forbeginnersbooks.com

Organized labor surged in the twentieth century, but not everyone understands their purpose in the modern day. "Unions for Beginners" discusses the role of unions in the American workforce as well as its history. David Cogswell provides a comprehensive introduction of what unions do for the modern worker, telling their history, and their place in today's corporate world that may be leading to their decline. "Unions for Beginners" is an intriguing modern history lesson, well worth considering for history and social issues collections.


The World History Shelf

Our Man in Haiti
Joan Mellen
Trine Day
PO Box 577, Walterville, OR 97489
9781936296521, $19.95, www.trineday.com

The CIA has done many things, and not all of them for the glory of America. "Our Man in Haiti: George de Mohrenschildt and the CIA in the Nightmare Republic" tells the story of the CIA's involvement in Haiti throughout recent history, and how men from the CIA, out of greed and special interest for America's corporations, engineered the downfall of Haiti's government. Drawing from many sources to tell the story, Joan Mellen presents an insightful and thoughtful addition to world history collections with "Our Man in Haiti: George de Mohrenschildt and the CIA in the Nightmare Republic", recommended.

First Templar Nation
Freddy Silva
Invisible Temple
176 Danforth St., Portland, ME 04102
9780985282431, $24.95, www.invisibletemple.com

The Knights Templar have formed an iconic image as Holy Knights, a fighting force driven by its piety, loyal to God over any other nation. "First Templar Nation: Their Greatest Accomplishment is the One Never Told" explores the history behind the Knights Templar and their founding of their own Nation State, founding the roots of modern Portugal, and how it fed into their more well known causes. "First Templar Nation" is a fascinating delve into history, highly recommended.


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

Mushotoku Mind
Taisen Deshimaru
Hohm Press/Kalindi Press
PO Box 4410
Chino Valley, AZ 86323
9781935387275, $16.95, www.hohmpress.com

To live selflessly is something very few people can fully accomplish. "Mushotoku Mind: The Heart of the Heart Sutra" is a Zen Buddhist manual focusing on the Mushotoku mind, encouraging a more self-less existence, where one's actions do not offer advancement to the self, choosing to live for others and the thoughts that extend from it. With much to ponder on Buddhist texts and philosophy, "Mushotoku Mind" is a strong addition to Buddhist Studies collections, especially those with a focus on Zen Buddhism and its philosophy.


The Business Shelf

Selling Saturdays
Jeff Beals
Keynote Publishing
PO Box 540663
Omaha, NE 68154
9780979743825 $19.95 www.selfmarketingpower.com

Award-winning author Jeff Beals presents Selling Saturdays: Blue-Chip Sales Tips from College Football, a solid guide to achieving success in the competitive realm of sales, couched in terms readily accessible to readers of all backgrounds, especially football fans. Chapters discuss how personal branding can aid in marketing, how to develop a sales strategy, delivering one's message through venues ranging from postcards to telephone to social media, how to close a deal, and much more. "There are an infinite number of possible objections a prospect could throw at you, and there are countless ways of responding. That said, you will probably have a list of five to ten most common objections. Have answers and rationale ready to go for each of the most likely ones. Preparation means you know what to say and also allows you to be more relaxed and confident as you sell." Highly recommended.

Kill the Company
Lisa Bodell
Bibliomotion, Inc.
33 Manchester Road, Brookline, MA 02446
9781937134020, $27.95, www.bibliomotion.com

We form companies because we've always formed companies. "Kill the Company: End the Status Quo, Start an Innovation Revolution" discusses how to revolutionize the centuries old business model in favor of one that destroys complexity and complacency. In its place, she presents an intriguing replacement that is more fluid in its role, and that she believes that will lead to greater success in spite of conventional wisdom. "Kill the Company" is an intriguing and new way to do business, and a read very much worth considering, highly recommended.


The Gardening Shelf

Building Soils, Naturally
Phil Nauta
Acres, USA
P.O. Box 301209, Austin, Texas 78703-0021
9781601730336, $19.95, www.acresusa.com

Soil is an organism like much of everything else in agriculture, and must be cared for as well. "Building Soils, Naturally: Innovative Methods for Organic Gardeners" is a collection of gardening advice from Phil Nauta, who advises readers on how to better care for their soil in their organic garden, on how to improve the health of the soil, choosing the right compost and how to maim the weeds that may cause the process to be troublesome. "Building Soils, Naturally" is not to be missed for those who want their gardens to flourish more effectively, highly recommended.

Conscious Food
Jim Pathfinder Wing
Findhorn Press
9781844095964, $16.95, www.findhornpress.com

The world has less connection to its agriculture than ever before. "Conscious Food: Sustainable Growing, Spiritual Eating" is a blend of spiritual health and eating and gardening from Jim Pathfinder Wing as he criticizes many modern farming methods and encourages a more spiritual approach to gardening, channeling the spirit of the plants we work with. A spiritual and metaphysical approach to organic gardening, "Conscious Food" is a valuable alternative take on gardening and agriculture.


The LGBT Shelf

Irresistible Revolution
Urvashi Vaid
Magnus Books
PO Box 1849, New York, NY 10025
9781936833290, $21.95, www.magnusbooks.com

Equality is a fight worth fighting, and that fight comes forth in many forms. "Irresistible Revolution: Confronting Race, Class, and the Assumptions of LGBT Politics" discusses the push for equal rights worldwide, with the LGBT movement as the central focus. Urvashi Vaid analyzes modern movements and encourages them to go further for social progress and how progress for the LGBT individuals around the world is progress for us all. "Irresistible Revolution" is an inspiring read that holds much optimism for the world's future, highly recommended.

Shades of Gray
K. A. Kron
Lethe Press
118 Heritage Ave, Maple Shade, NJ 08052
9781590213278, $15.00, www.lethepressbooks.com

From beyond what we truly understand, we may find something truly worth understanding. "Shades of Gray" is a lesbian romance from K. A. Kron, writing of Gray Edwards, flight trainer working closely with the government at Fort Carson with experimental aircraft, and developing a powerful partnership with Dani Brown. When things get violent in ways she never knew, she learns worlds about what she never knew. "Shades of Gray" is a strong addition to general fiction collections, very much recommended reading.


The Language Studies Shelf

Rocket English Grammar
Carl W. Hart
Two Harbors
212 3rd Avenue North, Suite 290
Minneapolis, MN 55401
9781938690211, $26.99, www.twoharborpress.com

English is becoming a vital language, no matter where you are in the world. "Rocket English Grammar: Learn English Fast!" is a guide to better understanding the often difficult syntax of English grammar, and misunderstanding them can often make one's speaking seem tilted and unintelligent. Carl W. Hart provides an excellent gauntlet of exercises for English learners, and makes "Rocket English Grammar" a fine activity book for polishing one's skill with the language, highly recommended.


The Sports Shelf

It's Game Time Somewhere
Tim Forbes
Bascom Hill Publishing
212 3rd Avenue North, Suite 290
Minneapolis, MN 55401
9781938008122, $15.95, www.bascomhillpublishing.com

The world of sports attracts many to related careers, but when you make something a job, it's easy to suddenly hate it. "It's Game Time Somewhere: How One Year, 100 Events, and 50 Different Sports Changed My Life" tells the story of Tim Forbes, who had a corporate job who he started to become ambivalent to, finding a job in the industry. To keep up his spirits in his pastime, he looks at fifty different sports and finds what he loves about all of them. "It's Game Time Somewhere" is an enticing memoir of working in the sports world and keeping that passion alive.


The Psychology Shelf

Mentoring the Near-Death Experience Survivor
Carolyn M. Matthews
Cove House Publications
PO Box 1058, Lunenburg, NS B0J 2C0, Canada
9780988026001, $18.95, www.quarterbooks.com

Pushed close to death, one's entire perspective on life and living can change. "Mentoring the Near-Death Experience Survivor: Addressing the Need to Find the Mission in Life" explores the spiritual and emotional elements that can come from the near death experience. The traumatic situation often leaves life in question, as Carolyn M. Matthews presents an intriguing study and plenty to consider on the topic, making for a fascinating and practical read. "Mentoring the Near-Death Experience Survivor" is a strong addition to spirituality and psychology collections.


The Self-Help Shelf

Freedom of Mind
Steven Hassan
Freedom of Mind Press
716 Beacon Street, #590443
Newton, MA 02459
9780967068817, $16.95, www.freedomofmind.com

To dominate others is easier than we believe...and we often see it in those around us. "Freedom of Mind: Helping Loved Ones Leave Controlling People, Cults and Beliefs" is an inspirational read from Steven Hassan as he advises readers who have loved ones who may be in relationships against their own best interests. From abusive relationships devoid of romance, to the dangers of cults, to phobias and beliefs that control our lives and affect our health and the health of those around us, "Freedom of Mind" is filled with solid and practical wisdom, not to be overlooked.


The Cookbook Shelf

Food & Wine: Best Of The Best
Dana Corwin, editor
American Express Publishing
c/o Imagine Publishing
85 Main Street, Watertown, MA 02472
www.charlesbridge.com
9781932624427, $2.95, www.amazon.com

Knowledgeably compiled from the pages of 'Food & Wine' magazine by its editor-in-chief Dana Corwin, "Food & Wine: Best Of The Best" is a 280 page compendium showcasing more than 150 gleaned from 25 elegant cookbooks. With every recipe tested for it culinary quality, and beautifully illustrated in full color throughout, "Food & Wine: Best Of The Best" truly lives up to its title with dishes ranging from Chocolate Mashed Potato Cake; Silken Tofu & Pork Soup; Banana Bread with Nutty Streusel; and Blue Cheese Guacamole; to Pan-Roasted Striped Bass; Korean-Style Short Ribs; Roast Jerusalem Artichoke, hazelnut & Goat Cheese Salad; and Apricot-Bourbon-Glazed Grilled Chicken. Featuring recipes from superstar chefs like Molto Batali and Bobby Flay, to diverse ethnic cuisines from Mexico to Japan to Italy and beyond, "Food & Wine: Best Of The Best" is an ideal resource for planning and executing truly memorable meals that will please any palate and satisfy any appetite. Simply stated, "Food & Wine: Best Of The Best" is an enthusiastically recommended addition for personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections!

The Essential Cook
Charles Delmar
Cooking Coach Corp., LLC
2035 Englewood Avenue, Durham, NC 27705
www.MyCookingCoach.com
9781475227130, $25.95, www.amazon.com

In earlier generations, girls were taught the culinary arts by their mothers and grandmothers. Sadly, with our current generation of fragmented families, working mothers, microwave dinners, and fast food restaurant take-out, that is no longer the case for most families. That's way "The Essential Cook: My Cooking Coach" will prove to be such a valued addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections. Compiled and written by culinary expert Charles Delmar, "The Essential Cook: My Cooking Coach" is a 500 page compendium that comprises a complete course of comprehensive instruction for the success in the kitchen. This do-it-yourself instruction manual offers the definitions for more than one thousand cooking terms; detailed descriptions of foods, basic ingredients, and cooking methods; instructions on planning, selecting, storing, preparing, cookings, and serving eggs, poultry, fish, shellfish, meats, and vegetables; and a culinary wealth of step-by-step master recipes for cooking all manner of foods by all manner of cooking methods. Of special note are details most cookbook recipes simply assume the novice kitchen cook to already of have mastered. Superbly organized, nicely presented, and thoroughly 'user friendly', "The Essential Cook: My Cooking Coach" would also prove to be an ideal textbook for highschool Home Economics/Cooking Class curriculums, as well as a valued addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

The Wild and Free Cookbook
Tom Squier
Loompanics Unlimited
PO Box 1197
Port Townsend, WA 98368
1559501286 $30.00 www.loompanics.com

Outdoorsman, former Special Forces survival-school instructor, and self-described "earth steward" Tom Squier presents The Wild and Free Cookbook, a recipe book packed with unorthodox ways to supplement one's diet. Packed with ways to prepare and serve wild game, plants that are commonly considered weeds, fresh-caught fish, and even roadkill, The Wild and Free Cookbook lives up to its title with recipes such as "Mexican Style Cactus Leaves", "Chinese Style Snake Soup", "Baked Crow", "Tender Fried Rabbit", "Nettle Pudding", and much more. Black-and-white photographs and a wealth of anecdotes, tips, tricks, techniques, and musings round out this excellent enrichment for truly adventurous cooks. Highly recommended.

101 Farmhouse Favorites
Gooseberry Patch
2500 Farmers Dr., #110, Columbus, OH 43235
c/o National Book Network (publicity)
4270 Boston Way, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.nbnbooks.com
9781620930076 $14.95 www.gooseberrypatch.com

Spiral-bound to lay flat or allow pages to wrap around the back of the book, 101 Farmhouse Favorites is a cookbook packed with crowd-pleasing recipes submitted by readers across America. Full-color photography illustrates every dish, from Paprika Chicken to Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie, Amish Hot Pepper Rings, Marvelous Mexican Meatloaf, Cow-Country Beans and much more. A treasury for anyone who enjoys country-style cuisine, 101 Farmhouse Favorites is an excellent, easy-to-follow resource for cooks of all skill and experience levels.

Chic Made Simple
Esther Deutsch
Philipp Feldheim
c/o Stuart Schnee PR
Nachal Micha 11/10 Beit Shemesh, Israel
9781598260212 $36.99

Chic Made Simple is a gorgeous hardcover cookbook showcasing over 185 artful kosher recipes, each of which can be prepared in just minutes. The 210 full-color photographs reveal the dazzlingly beautiful culinary displays that cooks of all skill and experience levels can learn to make for everyday meals or special get-togethers. Side anecdotes enhance this treasury especially recommended for cookbook collectors, but also ideal for anyone short on time but not tastebuds! Dishes include "Garlic Teriyaki Roast", "Creamy Roasted Tomato Vodka Soup", "Warm Chocolate Souffle with a Hint of Chili", "Stuffed Eggplant Canapes with Veal" (chopped chuck beef can be substituted for the veal if desired), and much more. Highly recommended especially for cuisine connoisseurs!


The Architecture Shelf

The American Grain Elevator
Linda Laird
Grain Elevator Press
502 E. Sherman Street
Hutchinson, KS 67501
9780984759101 $23.00 www.grainelevatorpress.com

The American Grain Elevator: Function and Form is an architectural celebration of these historic agricultural buildings, accessible to readers of all backgrounds. Striking full-color photography as well as black-and-white diagrams fill this showcase of venerable structures; almost every single page features an illustration. Brief captions describe the materials used in the creation of grain elevators, their purpose and usage, the basics of how they were built and how they work, and even efforts to preserve some grain elevators as pieces of history and cultural legacy. The result is a captivating compendium that will prove especially delightful to connoisseurs of agricultural architecture! Highly recommended especially for lay readers, since The American Grain Elevator is not an excessively wordy or technical showcase.


The Women's Studies Shelf

Not Your Mother's Book...
Created by Dahlynn McKowen and Ken McKowen
Publishing Syndicate
PO Box 607, Orangevale,CA 95662
www.PublishingSyndicate.com
9781938778001 $16.95 print
9781938778018 $8.99 ebook

Not Your Mother's Book... On Being a Woman kicks off a brand new anthology series of real-life stories from women, about the trials, tribulations, and eyebrow-raising moments of girlhood and womanhood. Each tale is by a different person (and readers are encouraged to submit their own stories for consideration in future anthologies!), and offers wry insight on everything from keeping one's skin smooth, to the struggle to stay slim, to managing mammaries, figuring out a boat's privy that was designed for men only, the confusion of a Catholic girl learning sex-ed from fellow eleven-year-olds, and much more. Raucously funny, endearing, and unabashedly tackling the crudities of everyday life head-on, Not Your Mother's Book... On Being a Woman is just plain fun to read, regardless of one's gender!


The Environmental Studies Shelf

Damming the Osage
Leland & Crystal Payton
Lens & Pen Press
4067 S. Franklin
Springfield, MO 65807
9780967392585 $35.00 www.dammingtheosage.com

Damming the Osage: The Conflicted Story of Lake of the Ozarks and Truman Reservoir is an in-depth history of how human development permanently transformed the upper Osage watershed. Two great dams have changed parts of the river into reservoirs, and the impact of this change upon the land and the people who call it home has been phenomenal. Lavishing illustrated with striking color photographs or historic black-and-white photographs on practically every page, Damming the Osage is part American history and part environmental history, yet retells true events and individual stories with the flair and excitement of an adventure novel. An altogether enthralling and seminal contribution to both public and college library shelves, highly recommended.


The Audiobook Shelf

God's Eye
A.J. Scudiere, author
Performed by Kathe Mazur, Stefan Rudnicki, Joe Barrett, & Ed Asner
Griffyn Ink
www.griffynink.com
9781937996116 $44.99 www.AJScudiere.com

God's Eye is a thrilling audiobook with a vivid, multiple-actor voice acting performance worthy of a movie. A demon and an angel are gripped in mortal conflict; caught in the middle is a mortal woman, who must choose between them. But how is she to tell which is which? Both hide secrets from her, and both crave her soul; her choice between them will ultimately prompt a final and terrifying judgment. A razor's edge story filled with dramatic twists and turns, God's Eye is highly recommended to audiobook connoisseurs in search of a new and exciting "theatre of the mind" experience! 14 CDs, 15.5 hours.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

The Positively Productive Writer
Simon Whaley
Compass Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing Ltd.
Laurel House, Station Approach, Alresford
Hampshire, SO24 9JH, United Kingdom
9781846948510, $19.95, www.amazon.com

Simon Whaley draws upon his many years of experience and expertise as a creative writing tutor, workshop facilitator, and featured speaker at writer's circles to crate "The Positively Productive Writer: How To Reject Rejection and Enjoy Positive Steps To Publication", a 198 page instructional compendium for helping aspiring writers and novice authors whose work has been rejected for publication any number of times and are therefore struggling to continue their literary efforts. More than just a 'think positive' exhortation, "The Positively Productive Writer" is deftly organized and eminently practical. Comprised of four major sections (Setting Achievable Writing Goals; Learn To Look On The Bright Side of Life; Putting It Into Practice; and A Positive Writer's Year - Strategies To Succeed), Whaley addresses a wide spectrum of writing tools and tips ranging from having a 'writing buddy', to booster cards, to creating lists, to workshops and seminars. Every writer will experience rejection. That's why every writer should have their own personal copy of "The Positively Productive Writer"!

How To Write And Sell Great Short Stories
Linda M. James
Compass Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing Ltd.
Laurel House, Station Approach, Alresford
Hampshire, SO24 9JH, United Kingdom
9781846947162, $22.95, www.amazon.com

In "How To Write And Sell Great Short Stories", Linda M. James draws upon her many years of experience, expertise, and success as a published author to create a 211 page instructional compendium that covers ever element of a publishable short story. Ranging from the creation of memorable characters, to the importance of grammar, to 'showing vs. telling', to the role of research in writing, to common faults to avoid, to the art and craft of manuscript revision, the advice and commentary is unfailingly practical and 'user friendly'. Of special note are the concluding three chapters having to do with marketing the story, tips for writing stories that will stand out in the highly competitive field of publishing, as well as diverse and accessible writing outlets. Enhanced with the inclusion of three classic short story examples, a list of recommended readings, and some concluding remarks by Linda James, "How To Write And Sell Great Short Stories" is informed, informative, and strongly recommended reading by anyone aspiring to write in the short story format -- and have those stories published!

Love and the Art of Bookstore Signing
P.A. Ritzer
Seven Ox Press
PO Box 472467
Aurora, Colorado 80047-2467
9781933363042 $9.95 sevenoxpress.com

Love and the Art of Bookstore Signing is a practical guide for authors (especially self-published and independent authors!) to engaging in successful bookstore-based book signings, with the goal of promoting one's book and earning good publicity. Author P.A. Ritzer has personally signed copies of his debut novel, "Seven Ox Seven, Part One: Escondido Bound" at over 175 bookstore events, and some stores have hosted him over fifteen times; he draws upon this wealth of personal experience to give a practical run-down of what to expect, what to prepare for, and the right attitudes for success. From the four most essential virtues of a successful book signer (Humility, Flexibility, Tenacity, and Gratitude) to humorous anecdotes to solid, essential advice (including how important it is to be able to take "no" for an answer), Love and the Art of Bookstore Signing is a "must-read" for any author about to plunge into the book-signing scene.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Encyclopedia of the Commemorative Coins of the United States
Anthony J. Swiatek
KWS Publishers
1516 North State Parkway
Chicago, IL 60610
9780981773674 $150.00 www.kwspub.com

Encyclopedia of the Commemorative Coins of the United States is an exhaustive reference, history, and price guide of commemorative coins. Full color illustrations of various coins and historical coin-related documents, easy-to-use price charts, meticulous descriptions of the coins, chronicles of the history behind each coin, and much more make Encyclopedia of the Commemorative Coins of the United States an invaluable resource especially for collectors, hobbyists and currency historians. An index for quick cross-reference rounds out this in-depth guide packed with fascinating little-known facts about the origin, popularity, and sales of commemorative American coinage.


The Autism Shelf

I Never Told My Son He Couldn't Dance
Kathie Harrington, M.A., CCC-SLP
Ink & Quill Publishers
6955 N. Durango Dr., Suite 1115-717
Las Vegas, NV 89149
9781936525973 $29.99

I Never Told My Son He Couldn't Dance: Stories & Strategies for Parents & Professionals of Adolescents & Adults with Autism & ASD lives up to its title with a wealth of lighthearted true stories, insights, and vignettes about people on the autism spectrum. Each story is fairly brief, usually no more than a couple pages, and each story is complemented by advice for parents and professionals who work with ASD individuals. Topics covered include ASD individuals' command of language, sensory issues, and their adaptation to social environments. "My Impressions" passages also allow the reader to write down his or her thoughts in response to various stories. Author Kathie Harrington draws on both her personal and professional experience to create a user-friendly supplementary resource ideal for anyone who parents or teaches ASD individuals on a regular basis. "Autism is a reason, never an excuse. Adolescents and adults with autism have been autistic all of their lives. They don't know any other way. That doesn't mean they wouldn't change if they could, but to accept who we are is one of the most valuable lessons in life. Limitations are not exclusive to persons with autism." Also highly recommended is Harrington's "Tears of Laughter, Tears of Pain" (9781936525980, $29.99), which is filled cover to cover with more insightful and true short stories, supplemented with invaluable advice - the primary distinction is that "Tears of Laughter, Tears of Pain" is specifically about young children with autism and ASD, while "I Never Told My Son He Couldn't Dance" focuses upon older children and adults.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Quick-Knit Flower Frenzy
Annie's
306 East Parr Road, Berne, IN 46711
9781592174645, $9.95, www.amazon.com

Knitted flowers can serve as a brooch, a barrette, a ring, to decorate a hat, shoes, scarf, shawl, or even a lampshade. "Quick-Knit Flower Frenzy" is a slender, 48 page compendium of knitted flower patterns hallmarked by easy-to-follow, step-by-step, color illustrated tutorial instructions that will allow even the most novice knitter to turn out quality work. Offering a total of seventeen 'mix & match' projects, "Quick-Knit Flower Frenzy" will prove to be a highly prized addition to any personal or community library needlecraft instructional reference collection.


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


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