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Reviewer's Choice
My Darling Boys: A Family at War, 1941-1947
Fred H. Allison
University of North Texas Press
www.untpress.unt.edu
9781574419061, $34.95, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/My-Darling-Boys-1941-1947-Biography/dp/1574419064
Synopsis: With the publication of "My Darling Boys: A Family at War, 1941-1947", Fred H. Allison presents the story of a New Mexico farm family whose three sons were sent to fight in World War II. All three flew combat aircraft in the Army Air Forces.
In 1973 one of the boys, Oscar Allison, a B-24 top turret gunner and flight engineer, wrote a memoir of his World War II experiences. On a mission to Regensburg, Germany, his bomber, ravaged by German fighters, was shot down. He was captured and spent fifteen months in German stalag prisons. His memoir, the core of this unique book and details his training, combat, and prisoner-of-war experience in a truthful, introspective, and compelling manner.
The author of "My Darling Boys", Fred H. Allison, is Oscar's nephew, and gained access to family letters that supplement Oscar's story and bring to light the experiences of Oscar's brothers. Harold Allison, (Fred Allison's father) was sidelined from combat as a bomber copilot due to a health condition. The letters also tell of the brother who did not come home, Wiley Grizzle Jr., a P-51 fighter pilot. Wiley's last mission brought his squadron of Mustangs into a pitched battle with German fighters bound for the front to attack American troops.
The letters also introduce the boys' family, who fought the battle of the home front on their farm in New Mexico. Allison reveals the burden home folks bore for their boys in combat and then the emotional trauma from the dreaded War Department letters announcing "missing in action" or "killed in action." Allison conducted extensive research in the official records and in secondary sources to give context to the memoir and letters.
"My Darling Boys" brings a new and important aspect to personal accounts of World War II combat, giving the reader a unique blend of first-person military action tied to the home front family.
Critique: Rescued from obscurity and a welcome contribution to the growing library of World War II histories and biographies, "My Darling Boys: A Family at War, 1941-1947" is an extraordinary accomplishment and unreservedly recommended for community, and college/university library Military History/Biography collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, military historians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in American World War II military aviation that "My Darling Boys: A Family at War, 1941-1947" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.99).
Editorial Note: Fred H. Allison (www.usni.org/people/fred-h-allison) is a retired Marine officer and aviator, served as the US Marine Corps oral historian from 2000 to 2020. He is the editor of We Were Going to Win, or Die There: With the Marines at Guadalcanal, Tarawa, and Saipan by Roy H. Elrod (UNT Press). Allison earned his PhD in military history at Texas Tech University.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
You've Got the Time
Ken Wachsberger
Azenphony Press
https://www.azenphonypress.com
9780945531135, $20.00, PB, 279pp
https://www.amazon.com/Youve-Got-Time-Write-Publish/dp/0945531133
Synopsis: Whether you are writing a book for credibility and back-of-the-room sales, to transform your life, or to prove to your high school principal that you can do it, with the publication of "You've Got the Time: How to Write and Publish That Book in You" by professional book coach Ken Wachsberger will guide aspiring writers step by step to publishing success.
Of special note are the chapters on: How to prepare your writing "space"; Finding time in a busy lifestyle; Labeling and organizing your digital files; Freewriting your way to a table of contents; Turning prose into poetry; Choosing your platforms; Getting the word out (publicity); Negotiating your contract; and more.
Critique: Packed from cover to cover with sound advice that include a wealth of invaluable tips, tricks, and techniques for any writer aspiring to become a successfully published author, "You've Got the Time: How to Write and Publish That Book in You" is a complete and comprehensive DIY instruction course on writing for publication. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "You've Got the Time: How to Write and Publish That Book in You" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Writing/Publishing collections and workshop/curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that "You've Got the Time: How to Write and Publish That Book in You" is presently available in a digital book format (Kindle, $0.99) from Amazon.
Editorial Note: Ken Wachsberger is an award-winning author/editor/book coach. He is an educator, member of National Speakers Association and National Writers Union, and renowned expert on negotiating book contracts. (https://kenthebookcoach.com/ken-wachsberger)
The American History Shelf
Hidden Alleyways of Washington, DC: A History
Kim Prothro
Georgetown University Press
www.press.georgetown.edu
9781647123925, $29.95, HC, 172pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Alleyways-Washington-DC-History/dp/1647123925
Synopsis: The alleyways of Washington, DC, have always been a fundamental part of the city's life and economy. Deliberately hidden from public view by the capital's early planners, DC's alleys were created to provide access to stables, carriage houses, and other utility buildings. But as the city grew and property values rose, the nature of some alleys and their buildings changed, resulting in a parallel world of residential , manufacturing, and artistic spaces.
With the publication of "Hidden Alleyways of Washington, DC: A History", architectural historian Kim Prothro Williams reveals this world in a fascinating and richly illustrated history.
In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the city's inhabited alleys were often unsanitary spaces that were home to its poorest residents. These conditions spurred Progressive Era campaigns to demolish alley dwellings, which in turn led to the displacement of minority and disadvantaged communities.
Today, many remaining alleyways, with their intimately scaled buildings, have been transformed into vibrant commercial and residential spaces. Yet this new wave of development raises questions about how spaces that were once reserved for the city's poorest residents now cater to the wealthy.
Critique: A unique lending of architectural and social history of Washington DC's multifaceted alleyways, "Hidden Alleyways of Washington, DC: A History" from the Georgetown University Press is essential reading and an informative history for students, academicians, historians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in Washington's social history, architecture, or historical preservation. While also available for in a digital book format (Kindle, $28.45), "Hidden Alleyways of Washington, DC: A History" is especially recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library American History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Kim Prothro Williams is an architectural historian with a particular interest in researching local history, neighborhoods, and urban planning developments in and around Washington, D.C. For the past ten years, she has been working in the D.C. Historic Preservation Office, where she is engaged in the research and historical designation of buildings, neighborhoods, and institutional districts. She is also the author of "Chevy Chase, A Home Suburb for the Nation's Capital" (1998) and "Pride of Place: Rural Residences of Fauquier County, Virginia" (2004)m and "Lost Farms and Estates of Washington, D.C." (2018).
Logging for the Company
Jack Losensky
Sweetgrass Books
https://www.sweetgrassbooks.com
c/o Farcountry Press
www.farcountrypress.com
9781591523376, $27.95, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Logging-Company-Marcus-Anaconda-1883-1917/dp/1591523370
Synopsis: Anaconda, Montana, in its earliest beginnings, was built and held together in no small measure by the enterprising flume loggers who worked and lived there -- as well as by the business moguls like Marcus Daly who employed them.
But the flume logging business was legally complex and frequently physically and financially demanding. To stay afloat, flume loggers employed technological innovations, lateral thinking, and (on occasion) a little legal creativity in order to stay profitable.
With the publication of "Logging for the Company: Marcus Daly and Flume Logging Near Anaconda, 1883-1917" author Jack Losensky takes deep dive into the most formative days of Anaconda contains the fruits of a wealth of historical research, as well as illustrative photographs, maps, excerpts from old newspaper articles, and much more.
Readers will fully enjoy this valuable, illustrated, and historical study the early days of flume logging in Anaconda that would help it grow into the political powerhouse that would soon change the fate of the Treasure State.
Critique: Profusely illustrated throughout with captioned B/W historical phonographs, "Logging for the Company: Marcus Daly and Flume Logging Near Anaconda, 1883-1917" is an extraordinary and inherently fascinating history of American logging in general, and early logging in Montana in particular. Exceptionally well organized and presented, this large format paperback edition of "Logging for the Company: Marcus Daly and Flume Logging Near Anaconda, 1883-1917" from Sweetgrass Books (an imprint of Far Country Press) is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library American History collections and supplemental curriculum lists.
Editorial Note: Brownie John 'Jack'; Losensky grew up in the historic southeastern portion of Pennsylvania, where he gained his love of local history. Moving west after graduating from Penn State with a master's degree in Forest Ecology, he spent the next thirty-five years of his life working for the National Forest Service. His specialty became historic vegetation and fire history. After retiring, he became interested in the Mt. Haggin history and spent the next 20 years tracing the old flume paths and cabin remains.
The Cookbook Shelf
Kitchen Sanctuary Quick & Easy
Nicky Corbishley
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Publishing
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781804191002, $26.99, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Sanctuary-Quick-Easy-Delicious/dp/1804191000
Synopsis: Making dinner from scratch can feel like a chore -- often half the battle is trying to find something that's, quick, healthy and, most importantly, delicious. But delicious doesn't have to mean demanding. "Kitchen Sanctuary Quick & Easy: Delicious 30-minute Dinners" focuses on quick and easy meals that are also budget friendly.
The individual recipes are thematically presented in CHAMPION CHICKEN (chicken is so versatile and so quick to cook, it merits a chapter of its own); MOREISH MEAT (covering pork, lamb and beef); FANTASTIC FISH (a quick and often healthy option, good for pescatarians; VITALLY VEGGIE (dedicated to veggie dinners, both for ease of use and to appeal to broad family tastes); PERFECT PASTA (super quick and easy); RICE, NOODLES, GRAINS AND BREAD (just what it says!); SNACK SUPPERS (for those occasions when you want something good to eat but not a full dinner - eg Chicken Quesadillas, Crispy Lamb Salad, Spicy Turkey Rice Wraps); SUPER SAUCES (game-changers that can be made ahead and frozen, and can be turned into a meal with the addition of some meat/pasta/veg);
Of special note is the inclusion of SMART SHORTCUTS featuring hints and tips for speeding up dinner, covering both ingredients and practical advice.
Around 80% of the recipes are new and haven't previously appeared on the brand's website or YouTube channel and as well as offering quick and easy dinner solutions, the book is budget-friendly, with most recipes low or medium cost, and around a quarter being fully vegetarian. This hardcover edition also includes QR codes linked to video content.
Critique: Comprised of 100 quick and easy, home-cooked family recipes, each one of which can be ready in 30 minutes or less, and drawn from the hugely popular blog and YouTube channel Kitchen Sanctuary, each showcased, step-by-step, kitchen cook friendly recipes is beautifully illustrated with a full page, full color photog of the finished dish ready to serve. A delight to browse through and plan menus with, "Kitchen Sanctuary Quick & Easy: Delicious 30-minute Dinners" is a very special pick for personal, professional, family, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that it is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Nicky Corbishley is an award-winning food blogger who lives in the UK with her husband Chris and their two children, Gracey and Lewis. After a 14-year career in corporate IT, Nicky wanted to do something more creative, whilst being able to spend more time with the children. With a life-long passion for cooking (and eating!), her blog Kitchen Sanctuary was born. Initially it was intended to be a place to diarise her recipes, but it quickly grew, and Nicky was able to turn it into a full-time career towards the end of 2015. Chris joined her in 2017 and they now spend their days doing what they love - creating recipes and doing food photography and videography both for the blog and as freelancers. For recipes, blogging tips and more, you can visit her at https://kitchensanctuary.com and https://livingtheblog.com.
The Biography Shelf
In the House of Rising Sounds
Stephen Copeland
Resource Publications
c/o Wipf and Stock Publishers
https://wipfandstock.com
9781666752410, $29.00, HC, 146pp
https://www.amazon.com/House-Rising-Sounds-Stephen-Copeland/dp/166675241X
Synopsis: Ancient Celts saw what they called "thin places" -- where heaven and earth came strangely close to touching. Stephen Copeland experienced something similar when his mentor took him to the Double Door Inn, an historic hole-in-the-wall blues venue in Charlotte, North Carolina.
This unassuming place invited Copeland further into a spiritual journey that calls out to each of us: to open our senses and "tune our ears" to thin places all around; to become aware of sacred spaces in everyday places.
When Copeland learned the half-century-old Double Door Inn would be tragically closing, he made the old white house of sound his home during its final year. What do thin places teach us about ourselves? What do they teach us about reality itself? And what do we do when they're gone?
Copeland's soul-searching journey (with the Double Door as his guide) will help readers become more present and attentive to the thinness of reality as we walk "with our feet on the ground and our soul in the stars".
Critique: A unique memoir/biography that will appeal to readers with an interest in R&B/Soul music, spiritual insights and personal growth, "In the House of Rising Sounds: A Boisterous Music Bar, a Faith in Transition, and the Thin Space They Inhabited" is an inherently fascinating, thoughtful and thought provoking read from start to finish. While also available for personal reading lists in both a paperback edition (9781666752403, $17.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), "In the House of Rising sounds" is a prized addition to community and college/university library collections.
Editorial Note: Stephen Copeland (www.ncronline.org/authors/stephen-copeland) is a writer and storyteller who writes regularly for Franciscan Media and the St. Anthony Messenger. He is the author of Where the Colors Blend and a collaborator on Franciscan Lectio.
If You Would Have Told Me: A Memoir
John Stamos
Henry Holt & Company
www.henryholt.com
9781250890979, $29.99, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/If-You-Would-Have-Told/dp/1250890977
Synopsis: If you would have told a young John Stamos flipping burgers at his dad's fast-food joint that one day he'd be a household name and that, at the height of his success, he'd be living alone, divorced, with no kids, high on a cocktail of forgetting, he might've asked, "You want fries with that?"
John burst onto the scene in General Hospital, propelling him into the teen idol stratosphere, a place that's often a point of no return. But Stamos beat the odds and over the past four decades has proved himself to be one of his generation's most successful and beloved actors. Whether showing off his comedic chops on Full House or his dramatic skills on ER, pushing the boundaries on Broadway or living out his youthful dreams as an honorary Beach Boy, John has surprised everyone, most of all himself.
A universal story about friendship, love, loss, and the courage to embrace love once more, John Stamos's autobiography, "If You Would Have Told Me: A Memoir" is filled with some of the most memorable names in Hollywood, both old and new. Funny, deeply poignant, and brutally honest, this is a portrait of a boy who went from believing in Disney magic to a man who learns that we have to create our own magical moments in life.
Critique: Fascinating, informative, and an absolute 'must read" for the legions of John Stamos fans, "If You Would Have Told Me: A Memoir" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library American Biography collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "If You Would Have Told Me: A Memoir" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781250891006, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: John Stamos (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stamos) is a three-time Emmy nominee who has earned his reputation as a highly regarded actor and producer throughout his over forty-year career in television, film, and on Broadway. His rise to fame began with his role in General Hospital and he has since captivated viewers with his diverse performances in Big Shot, You, ER, Grandfathered, Full House, and Fuller House and on stage in Cabaret, Bye Bye Birdie, and Gore Vidal's The Best Man. Beyond acting, Stamos is a skilled musician, collaborating with The Beach Boys since 1985. He also serves as an ambassador for Childhelp.
The General Fiction Shelf
Holiday Country: A Novel
Inci Atrek
Flatiron Books
https://www.flatironbooks.com
9781250889461, $28.99, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Holiday-Country-Novel-%C4%B0nci-Atrek/dp/1250889464
Synopsis: Ada adores spending every summer in a Turkish seaside town with her mother and grandmother at the family villa. The glittering waters, endless olive groves, and her spirited friends make it easy to leave her idle life in California behind. But no matter how much Ada feels she belongs to the country where her mother grew up, deep down, her connection to the culture feels as fleeting as the seasons.
When Levent, a mysterious man from her mother's past, shows up in their town, Ada can't help but imagine a different future for her mother -- one that promises a return to home, to love, to happiness. But while playing matchmaker, Ada has to come to terms with her own intensifying attraction to Levent. Does the future she's fighting for belong to her mother -- or to her alone?
Critique: Her debut as a novelist, "Holiday Country" by author Inci Atrek is lush, evocative, and a rapturous meditation about what it means to experience being of two worlds, the limitations and freedom of a life in translation, and the intricacies of a love triangle that stretches across generations and continents. Impressively original, exceptionally well crafted, thoroughly absorbing, and a memorable read from start to finish, "Holiday Country" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular pick for community library coming-of-age novel that will have a special and particular interest for fans of women's domestic/family life fiction. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Holiday Country" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Inci Atrek (https://www.inciatrek.com) holds a BA in English and creative writing from Wellesley College.
Like it Never Happened
Jeff Hoffmann
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781639106998, $28.99, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Like-Never-Happened-Jeff-Hoffmann/dp/1639106995
Synopsis: Thirty years ago, Tommy, Malcolm, Henry, and Kevin were best friends graduating high school, brothers almost, until the night they did something terrible. The decision to keep hidden what they did in that parking lot shattered their friendship and warped their lives. But when Kevin, struggling with a heroin addiction, drives his motorcycle into the side of a truck, the other three find themselves together again -- at Kevin's funeral.
When they meet Kevin's wife Naomi at the wake, they can tell that she knows everything, and when they learn that she's a reporter, they're terrified. When she sends them to visit one of their victims from that night (at the nursing home where he's been suffering for decades) they do as they're told, even though they know it won't stop there.
After watching her husband pay a steep price for keeping the friends' secret, Naomi has crafted a plan to make Tommy, Malcolm, and Henry pay their fair share. When the three men decide to fight back, they're forced to decide just how far they'll go this time.
Critique: A compelling and deftly crafted novel that will hold special appeal for readers with ani interest in psychological suspense thrillers, "Like It Never Happened" reveals author Jeff Hoffman's extraordinary flair for originality, the vivid creation of characters, the construction of unexpected plots twists and turns, and the kind of narrative driven storytelling style that makes for a great read from start to finish. While highly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Like It Never Happened" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).
Editorial Note: Jeff Hoffmann's debut novel was :Other People's Children", and his writing has been published in The Sun, Booth, Harpur Palate, and Publishers Weekly. He was the winner of the Madison Review's Chris O'Malley Prize in Fiction and a finalist for the Missouri Review's Jeffrey E. Smith Editor's Prize. (https://www.jeffhoffmannwrites.com)
Since She's Been Gone
Sagit Schwartz
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781639106271, $28.00, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Since-Shes-Been-Gone-Novel/dp/1639106278
Synopsis: Can we ever truly know the people we love?
Losing her mother to a hit-and-run at age 15 threw Beatrice "Beans" Bennett's life into turmoil. Bereft, she developed a life-threatening eating disorder, and went through a challenging recovery process which paved the way for her work as a clinical psychologist decades later.
When a new patient arrives at her office and insists that Beans's mother is still alive (and in danger) Beans is forced to revisit her past in order to uncover the truth. She learns the "patient" is a member of a notorious family that owns a drug company largely responsible for the national opioid epidemic, and that her mother was once tangled in their web. In a race against time (and her mother's assailants) while once again facing the disorder she thought she'd put behind her, Beans discovers that, like herself, her mother had a devastating secret.
Critique: "Since She's Been Gone" by the impressively talented storyteller Sagit Schwartz is an original, compulsive, action/adventure novel that is involves an intimate look at mental health and the corruption of the pharmaceutical industry. Of special attraction to readers with an interest in suspenseful and deftly crafted novels, "Since She's Been Gone" is one of those deftly crafted novels that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf.
Editorial Note: Sagit Schwartz (https://sagitschwartz.com) is a writer, producer, and licensed psychotherapist. Her work has been featured in Medium, Slate, The Atlantic, Reddit NoSleep, and Lifetime Television.
Aftershock: A Novel
Zhang Ling, author
Shelly Bryant, translator
Amazon Crossing
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662510373, $28.99, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Aftershock-Novel-Zhang-Ling/dp/1662510373
Synopsis: In the summer of 1976, an earthquake swallows up the city of Tangshan, China. Among the hundreds of thousands of people scrambling for survival is a mother who makes an agonizing decision that irrevocably changes her life and the lives of her children. In that devastating split second, her seven-year-old daughter, Xiaodeng, is separated from her brother and the mother she loves and trusts. All Xiaodeng remembers of the fateful morning is betrayal.
Thirty years later, Xiaodeng is an acclaimed writer living in Canada with a caring husband and daughter. However, her newfound fame and success do little to cover the deep wounds that disrupt her life, time and again, and edge her toward a breaking point. Xiaodeng realizes the only path toward healing is to return to Tangshan, find her mother, and get closure.
Spanning three decades of the emotional and cultural aftershocks of disaster, Zhang Ling's intimate epic explores the damage of guilt, the healing pull of family, and the hope of one woman who, after so many years, still longs to be saved.
Critique: Author Zhang Ling's gift for the kind of narrative driven storytelling style that raises "Aftershock" to an impressive level of literary excellence, is deftly translated into English for an American readership by Shelly Bryant. The result is an original novel that will have immense appeal to readers with an interest in parent/adult child relationships. An inherently interesting Chinese family saga, "Aftershock" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Aftershock" is also available in a paperback edition (9781662509025, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note #1: Zhang Ling is the author of ten novels and numerous collections of novellas and short stories, including A Single Swallow, translated by Shelly Bryant; Where Waters Meet, her first novel written in English; Gold Mountain Blues; and Aftershock, which was adapted into China's first IMAX movie with unprecedented box office success. Born in China, she moved to Canada in 1986 and, in the mid-1990s, began to write and publish fiction in Chinese while working as a clinical audiologist. Since then, she has won the Chinese Media Literature Award for Author of the Year, the Grand Prize of Overseas Chinese Literary Award, and Chinese Times's Open Book Award.
Editorial Note #2: Shelly Bryant divides her year between Shanghai and Singapore, working as a teacher, writer, researcher, and translator. She is the author of two volumes of poetry, Cyborg Chimera and Under the Ash. Her third volume of poetry, Voices of the Elders, and her travel memoir The End of the Line are slated for release in 2012. Her current projects include writing an updated guide to the city of Shanghai for Urbanatomy and translating Sheng Keyi's novel Northern Girls for Penguin Books. Shelly's poetry has appeared in journals, magazines, and websites around the world, as well as in several art exhibitions, including dark 'til dawn, Things Disappear, and Studio White Exhibition 2011.
The Academy
David Poyer
St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250273086, $29.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Academy-Dan-Lenson-Novel-Novels/dp/1250273080
Synopsis: In his final tour of duty after a remarkable career at sea, Dan Lenson is appointed Superintendent of the US Naval Academy at Annapolis. He begins at a difficult time: Congress is cutting military budgets in the wake of the devastating world war with China, calls for radical reform are upending traditions, and Dan himself faces legal jeopardy for his actions during the war. And when a Category 5 hurricane threatens to overwhelm the coast, Dan must fight to rescue the Academy itself.
Parallel to this narrative runs the dramatic story of Dan's years as a first class midshipman, 40 years ago. An Academy classmate commits suicide, and Dan is drawn into the investigation. The decisions he makes will affect his entire career and shape how he comes to lead troops in battle and at peace.
Critique: "The Academy" demonstrates that it is no accident that, as a novelist, David Poyer is compared to Herman Melville and Joseph Conrad. Original, deftly crafted, and a fun read from start to finish, "The Academy" will prove of immense interest to fans of sea stories and military themed thrillers. Raising his novel to the level of literary elegance with his distinctive style of narrative driven storytelling, David Poyer's "The Academy" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this edition "The Academy" from St. Martin's Press is also available in a digital book format as well (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: David Poyer (https://poyer.com) had a sea career that included service in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Arctic, Caribbean, and Pacific. He is the author of over forty novels and works of nonfiction including the War with China series: Tipping Point, Onslaught, Hunter Killer, and Deep War. Poyer's work has been required reading in the Literature of the Sea course at the U.S. Naval Academy, along with that of Joseph Conrad and Herman Melville.
The Historical Fiction Shelf
The Devil and Mrs. Davenport
Paulette Kennedy
Lake Union Publishing
c/o Amazon Publishing
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781662514883, $16.99, PB, 351pp
https://www.amazon.com/Devil-Mrs-Davenport-Novel/dp/1662514883
Synopsis: The first day of autumn brought the fever, and with the fever came the voices.
Missouri, 1955. Loretta Davenport has led an isolated life as a young mother and a wife to Pete, an ambitious assistant professor at a Bible college. They're the picture of domestic tranquility -- until a local girl is murdered and Loretta begins receiving messages from beyond. Pete dismisses them as delusions of a fevered female imagination. But Loretta knows they're real -- and frightening.
Defying Pete's demands, Loretta finds an encouraging supporter in parapsychologist Dr. Curtis Hansen. He sees a woman with a rare gift, more blessing than curse. With Dr. Hansen's help, Loretta's life opens up to an empowering new purpose. But for Pete, the God-fearing image he's worked so hard to cultivate is under threat. No longer in control of his dutiful wife, he sees the Devil at work.
As Loretta's powers grow stronger and the pleading spirits beckon, Pete is determined to deliver his wife from evil. To solve the mysteries of the dead, Loretta must first save herself.
Critique: An original, fun and fascinating read from start to finish, "The Devil and Mrs. Davenport" is a 'must' for fans of gothic fiction, magic realism, and historical thrillers. Author Paulette Kennedy reveals a genuine literary flair for creating memorable characters, as well as the kind of narrative driven storytelling style that fully engages the reader's attention from cover to cover. Certain to be an enduringly welcome pick for community library fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Devil and Mrs. Davenport" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Brilliance Audio, 9781501218750, $19.99, MP3-CD).
Editorial Note: Paulette Kennedy (www.paulettekennedy.com) is the author of The Witch of Tin Mountain and Parting the Veil, which received the prestigious HNS Review Editor's Choice Award.
The Literary Fiction Shelf
The Ark and the Dove
Jill Eileen Smith
Fleming H. Revell Company
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.revellbooks.com
9780800745721, $29.99, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ark-Dove-Story-Noahs-Wife/dp/0800745728
Synopsis: Zara and Noah have walked together with the Creator for their entire lives, and they have done their best in an increasingly wicked and defiant world to raise their three sons to follow in their footsteps. It has been a challenge -- and it's about to get much, much harder.
When the Creator tells her husband to build an ark to escape the coming wrath against the sins of humankind, Zara steps out with him in faith. But the derision and sabotage directed their way from both friends and extended family are difficult to bear, as is knowing that everyone she interacts with beyond her husband, her sons, and their wives is doomed to destruction.
When the ark is finally finished and the animals have been shut up inside, Zara and her family embark on an adventure that will test their patience and their faith as they await deliverance and dry ground.
Critique: A unique and deftly crafted re-telling of the biblical story of Noah and the flood, author Jill Eileen Smith showcases her impressive and narrative driven storytelling skills. A fun, memorable, and fascinating read from cover to cover, "The Ark and the Dove: The Story of Noah's Wife" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal and community library Biblical Fiction & Historical Fiction collections. It should be noted that "The Ark and the Dove" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9780800737658, $17.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Jill Eileen Smith (www.JillEileenSmith.com) is the author of the biblical fiction series The Wives of King David, Wives of the Patriarchs, and Daughters of the Promised Land, as well as The Heart of a King, Star of Persia: Esther's Story, Miriam's Song, The Prince and the Prodigal, and Daughter of Eden. She is also the author of the nonfiction books When Life Doesn't Match Your Dreams and She Walked Before Us. Her research has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in biblical times. Jill lives with her family in Michigan.
Journey by Moonlight
Antal Szergb, author
Len Rix, translator
Pushkin Press
www.pushkinpress.com
9781805330240, $16.99, PB, 304pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/journey-by-moonlight-antal-szerb/1100238734
Synopsis: Mihaly and Erzsi are on honeymoon in Italy. Mihaly has recently joined the respectable family firm in Budapest, but as his gaze passes over the mysterious back-alleys of Venice, memories of his bohemian past reawaken his old desire to wander.
When bride and groom become separated at a provincial train station, Mihaly embarks on a chaotic and bizarre journey that leads him finally to Rome, where he must reckon with both his past and his future. In this intoxicating and satirical masterpiece, Szerb takes us deep into the conflicting desires of marriage and shows how adulthood can reverberate endlessly with the ache of youth.
Critique: Ably translated into English for an American readership by Len Rix, and part of the Pushkin Press Classics series, "Journey by Moonlight" showcases author Antal Szergb's impressive flair for originality and the carefully crafted kind of narrative driven storytelling style that will immediately capture and hold the rapt attention of the reader from start to finish. This new edition of "Journey by Moonlight" from the Pushkin Press is especially and unreservedly recommended for readers with an interest in humorous, psychological, and literary fiction. While a welcome addition to community and college/university library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Journey by Moonlight" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
A Season of Harvest
Lauraine Snelling
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764235795, $29.99, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Season-Harvest-Christian-Historical-Nebraska/dp/0764235796
Synopsis: Larkspur Nielsen is determined to keep her family homestead running and to fulfill their dream of starting a seed catalog, with or without her siblings' help. With Isaac McTavish back in town, Lark finds herself at odds with her own heart and her determination to shoulder the burden of carrying her responsibilities alone. But Isaac is set on convincing her that he's here to stay and she doesn't have to carry everything by herself.
As a new romance blossoms between Lilac and an old schoolmate and the other Nielsen sisters are busy caring for their families, Lark bears more and more responsibility on the farm. When a long-feared threat returns and Lark approaches the breaking point, the life she has always dreamed of is in danger of disappearing forever.
Critique: A Christian historical romance and family saga set in Late 1860's Nebraska, "A Season of Harvest" is especially recommended to the attention of readers with an interest in a fun read from start to finish. Author Lauraine Snelling is a master of the genre and this, here latest novel, is certain to be an immediate and enduringly welcome addition to community library Romance Fiction collections, It should be noted for the personal reading lists of the legions of Lauraine Snelling fans that "A Season of Harvest" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9780764235788, $17.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Lauraine Snelling (www.LauraineSnelling.com) is the award-winning author of nearly one hundred books of fiction and nonfiction, for adults and young adults. Her books have sold more than five million copies.
The Quilt Room Secret
Lisa Jones Baker
Barbour Publishing
www.barbourbooks.com
9781636097756, $14.99, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Quilt-Room-Secret-Heart-Amish/dp/1636097758
Synopsis: As they took turns pushing each other on the swing that hung from a large tree, the mature (for a five-year-old) Jacob Lantz asked Trini Sutter to marry him. The nine-year-old thoughtfully responded that she'd consider his proposal when they were older.
Nearly two decades later, the Amish farmer returns to the beautiful countryside of Arthur, Illinois, to take the independent owner of The Quilt Room up on her promise. Quiet, handsome Jacob is truly in love with the spirited list maker, and Trini finds herself falling in love with Jacob, but the youngest of eleven has big plans of her own.
Jacob's long-held aspirations are put to the test when he learns that Trini has been holding a secret. He prays for a turnaround of events; however, when Trini moves away from her tight-knit community, he begins to realize that his dream of them being Mr. and Mrs. most likely won't happen.
Will Trini forfeit her own well-laid plan for the man of her dreams?
Critique: Amish romance novels are especially known as fun reads and written from a decidedly Christian perspective. A part of the 'Heart of the Amish' series from Barbour Publishing, "The Quilt Room Secret" by Lisa Jones Baker is a memorable and entertaining read from start to finish. Highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Romance Fiction collections, it should be noted that "The Quilt Room Secret" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.24).
Editorial Note: Lisa Jones Baker (www.lisajonesbaker.com) has a B.A. in French Education, and is a former school teacher who loves gardening, cooking, reading, positive thinkers, and every dog I meet.
Editorial Note #2: The 'Heart of the Amish Series' also includes The Flower Quilter by Mindy Steele, Ruth's Ginger Snap Surprise by Anne Blackburne, Courting the Amish Bishop by Mindy Steele, and Mary's Calico Hope by Anne Blackburne.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Hero: A Novel
Thomas Perry
The Mysterious Press
www.mysteriouspress.com
c/o Penzler Publishers
https://penzlerpublishers.com
9781613164778, $27.95, HC, 274pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hero-Novel-Thomas-Perry/dp/1613164777
Synopsis: Justine Poole provides security for wealthy and high-profile Hollywood stars, but that all changes when a job puts her in the limelight. When she prevents a brazen robbery at the Beverly Hills home of two of her clients (and killing two of the five armed robbers in the process) she is initially lauded in the media as a local hero. But the spotlight soon puts her in the crosshairs of the crime kingpin behind the burglaries.
Unable to stand the embarrassment of his lackeys having been defeated by a lone woman, Mr. Conger puts in a call to the one man who can make his problems disappear. Known for his swiftness and subtlety, Leo Sealy will kill anyone for a price. All he needs is a name and a face, and a starting point to pick up his victim's trail. Luckily for him, the local news is as eager as he is for any information about the heroic bodyguard -- and quick to broadcast their findings, regardless of what it might mean for her safety. But Sealy isn't prepared for just how quick and resourceful Justine can be.
So begins a cat and mouse game that only novelist Thomas Perry could devise, and featuring two characters who know more about deadly pursuit than anyone else in the business. As the hardened killer stalks her, Justine learns that the fickle media landscape can turn its celebration into condemnation at a moment's notice, and soon finds that public opinion can be every bit as fatal as organized crime.
Critique: A 'must' for fans of organized crime novels featuring an elite professional assassin coming up against a compelling female protagonist that can hold her own against anyone trying to kill her, "Hero" is an original, simply riveting, and a fun read from start to finish. Unreservedly recommended for community library Suspense/Thriller collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Hero" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Thomas Perry (https://www.thomasperryauthor.com) is the author of over twenty novels, including Murder Book, the critically acclaimed Jane Whitefield series, The Old Man, and The Butcher's Boy, which won the Edgar Award.
The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels
Janice Hallett
Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com
9781668023396, $28.99, HC, 432pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mysterious-Case-Alperton-Angels-Novel/dp/1668023393
Synopsis: Everyone knows the story of the Alperton Angels: the cult who brainwashed a teenage girl into believing her baby was the anti-Christ. When the girl came to her senses and called the police, the Angels committed suicide and mother and baby disappeared.
Now, true crime author Amanda Bailey is looking to revive her career by writing a book on the case. The Alperton baby has turned eighteen; finding them will be the scoop of the year. But rival author Oliver Menzies is just as smart, better connected, and also on the young man's trail.
As Amanda and Oliver are forced to collaborate, they realize that the truth about the Angels is much darker and stranger than they'd ever imagined, and in pursuit of the story they risk becoming part of it.
Critique: A masterpiece of dark mystery suspense thriller storytelling by author Janice Hallett, "The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels" is the stuff of which 'watch with the lights on' movies. A compulsively compelling read from start to finish, "The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels" is one of those novels that will linger in the mind and memory long after it has been finished and set back upon the shelf. While unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated murder mystery fans that "The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and in a paperback edition (9781668023402, $19.99 - August 2024).
Editorial Note: Janice Hallett (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janice_Hallett) is a former magazine editor, award-winning journalist, and government communications writer. She wrote articles and speeches for, among others, the Cabinet Office, Home Office, and Department for International Development. A playwright and screenwriter, she penned the feminist Shakespearean stage comedy NetherBard and cowrote the feature film Retreat. She lives in London and is the author of The Examiner, The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels, The Appeal, The Christmas Appeal, and The Twyford Code.
Death Comes Too Late
Charles Ardai
Hard Case Crime
http://www.hardcasecrime.com
9781803366265, $18.99, PB, 400pp
https://www.amazon.com/Death-Comes-Late-Charles-Ardai/dp/1803366265
Synopsis: Since debuting 20 years ago, Hard Case Crime has won acclaim for publishing the best in hardboiled crime fiction -- not least of all are the stories by founding editor Charles Ardai, which have won the Edgar, Shamus and Ellery Queen Awards, been selected for 'Best of the Year' anthologies, and earned praise from everyone from the Washington Post and Chicago Tribune to Megan Abbott and Stephen King.
"Death Comes Too Late" is a celebratory compendium of arguably the best of Ardi's hard case crime short stories -- including his Edgar-winning "The Home Front," about death and repentance during World War II; the Shamus Award finalist "Nobody Wins," about a brutal gangland enforcer searching for the woman he loves; and year's-best selections such as "A Bar Called Charley's," about a traveling salesman's most grueling night on the road.
From Brazil at Carnival to Times Square at midnight, from Tijuana, Mexico to history's first gunshot in 11th-century China, the stories comprising "Death Comes Too Late" will take you to some of the most dangerous places in the world -- and to the darkest corners of the human heart.
Critique: An absolute must for the legions of hard boiled crime fans and showcasing the short stories of one of the best writers in the genre today, "Death Comes Too Late" by Charles Ardai is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that "Death Comes Too Late" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Charles Ardai (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Ardai) is the founder and editor of Hard Case Crime and the Edgar Award-winning author of the acclaimed novels "Little Girl Lost" and "Songs of Innocence".
Nobody's Angel
Jack Clark
Hard Case Crime
http://www.hardcasecrime.com
9781803367477, $15.95, PB, 244pp
https://www.amazon.com/Nobodys-Angel-Jack-Clark/dp/1803367474
Synopsis: Eddie Miles is one of a dying breed: a Windy City hack who knows every street and back alley of his beloved city and takes its recent descent into violence personally. But what can one driver do about a killer targeting streetwalkers or another terrorizing cabbies? Precious little -- until the night he witnesses one of them in action!
Critique: With the publication of "Nobody's Angel", novelist Jack Clark is a master of the hard boiled detective mystery genre wether the P.I. is a professional or an amateur. Gritty, violent, memorable, a fun read from start to finish, and this paperback edition from Hard Case Crime features classic 1950's style cover art. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), "Nobody's Angel" will prove a popular pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: Jack Clark (www.bookseriesinorder.com/jack-clark) was nominated for the Shamus Award for his novel starring private eye Nick Acropolis, Westerfield's Chain. Nobody's Angel, the author's first novel, was originally self-published in an edition of only 500 copies that the author sold for five dollars apiece to passengers in the Chicago taxi he drove for a living.
The Unquiet Bones
Loreth Anne White
Montlake
Amazon Publishing
9781662518003, $28.99, HC, 351pp
https://www.amazon.com/Unquiet-Bones-Loreth-Anne-White/dp/1662518005
Synopsis: When human bones are found beneath an old chapel in the woods, evidence suggests the remains could be linked to the decades-old case of missing teen Annalise Jansen.
Homicide detective Jane Munro (pregnant and acutely attuned to the preciousness of life) hopes the grim discovery will finally bring closure to the girl's family. But for a group of Annalise's old friends, once dubbed the Shoreview Six by the media, it threatens to expose a terrible pledge made on an autumn night forty-seven years ago.
The friends are now highly respected, affluent members of their communities, and none of them ever expected the dark chapter in their past to resurface. But as Jane and forensic anthropologist Dr. Ella Quinn peel back the layers of secrets, the group begins to fracture. Will one cave? Will they turn on each other?
The investigation takes a sharp turn when Jane discovers a second body -- that of the boy long blamed for Annalise's disappearance. As the bones tell their story, the group learns just how far each will go to guard their own truth.
Critique: A deftly crafted and simply riveting read from fist page to last, "The Unquiet Bones" by Loreth Anne White will prove of particular interest to fans of psychological suspense murder mysteries with memorable characters and more unexpected twists and turns than an Oklahoma tornado. "The Unquiet Bones" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Unquiet Bones" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781542038577, $16.99) and in a digital book format ($5.99).
Editorial Note: Loreth Anne White (www.lorethannewhite.com) is the author of The Maid's Diary, The Patient's Secret, Beneath Devil's Bridge, In the Deep, In the Dark, The Dark Bones, and A Dark Lure. With more than three million books sold around the world and translations in over twenty languages, she is an ITW Thriller Awards nominee, a three-time RITA finalist, an overall Daphne du Maurier Award winner, an Arthur Ellis Award finalist, and the winner of multiple other industry awards.
Forgotten Sisters: A Novel
Cynthia Pelayo
Thomas & Mercer
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662513916, $16.99, PB, 303pp
https://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Sisters-Novel-Cynthia-Pelayo/dp/1662513917
Synopsis: Sisters Anna and Jennie live in a historic bungalow on the Chicago River. They are tethered to a disquieting past, and with nowhere else to go, nothing can part them from their family home. Not the maddening creaks and disembodied voices that rattle the old walls. Not the inexplicable drownings in the area, or the increasing number of bodies that float by Anna's window.
To stave off loneliness, Anna has a podcast, spinning ghostly tales of Chicago's tragic history. But when Anna captures the attention of an ardent male listener, she awakens to the possibilities of a world outside.
As their relationship grows, so do Jennie's fears. More and more people are going missing in the river. And then two detectives come calling.
They're looking for a link between the mysteries of the river and what's housed on the bank. Even Anna and Jennie don't understand how dreadful it is (and still can be) when the truth about their unsettled lives begins to surface.
Critique: Of special appeal to readers with an interest in deftly crafted gothic fiction, psychological suspense thrillers, "Forgotten Sisters" by novelist Cynthia Pelayo is a compelling, fascinating, and engaging read from start to finish. A welcome and highly recommended pick for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Forgotten Sisters" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).
Editorial Note: Cynthia Pelayo (www.cinapelayo.com) is a Bram Stoker Award - winning author. Her novels include Children of Chicago and The Shoemaker's Magician. In addition to writing genre-blending novels that incorporate elements of fairy tales, mystery, detective, crime, and horror, Pelayo has written numerous short stories and the poetry collection Crime Scene. The recipient of the 2021 International Latino Book Award, she holds a master of fine arts in writing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Not Your Crush's Cauldron
April Asher
Griffin
c/o St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250808035, $18.00, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Your-Crushs-Cauldron-Supernatural-Singles/dp/1250808030
Synopsis: Olive Maxwell much prefers teaching about the Supernatural world to taking part in it and leaves the magical shenanigans to her two sisters. After assigning her college students a project designed to nudge them outside their comfort zones, Olive realizes she's never once stepped a toe out of her own -- and it's about time that changed.
Her first trip into the unknown? Moving in with her longtime crush and friend -- tattooed, motorcycle-riding, and pleasantly pierced Baxter Donovan.
Bax Donovan, Guardian Angel not-so-extraordinaire, has acquired so many black marks on his record it looks like a Scantron test. He's been given one last chance to keep his Guardian wings -- a high-profile Assignment he knows all too well.
Olive is usually as low-risk as it gets. Hell, she wrote the safety manual. But something landed her on the Guardian Angel Affairs radar, and he guesses it has something to do with the heart-pounding stunts she's determined to check off her Dare I Docket list.
Keeping Olive out of trouble is about to be his toughest Assignment. He's at real risk of shattering the only Guardian Angel code of conduct rule he's yet to break: Don't fall in love with your Assignment. And he isn't so sure that's a bad thing.
If love doesn't play by the rules, why should they?
Critique: A brilliant, deftly crafted, and fun read from start to finish, "Not Your Crush's Cauldron" is the third title in author April Asher's 'Supernatural Singles' series. The first two are "Not The Witch You Wed" and "Not Your Ex's Hexes". As a novelist, Asher has a genuine flair for mixing humor with her distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style that is garnering her legions of fans having particular interest mixing romance and the supernatural, adventure with humor. While enthusiastically recommended, especially for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Not Your Crush's Cauldron" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: April Asher pens laugh-out-loud romantic comedies with a paranormal twist, but when she's not putting her characters into embarrassing situations with supernatural entities, she also writes high-octane romantic suspense under the pseudonym of April Hunt, her thrill-seeking alter ego who has written the Alpha Ops and Alpha Security series.
No Shelter But The Stars
Virginia Black
Bywater Books
www.bywaterbooks.com
9781612942797, $20.95, PB, 305pp
https://www.amazon.com/Shelter-But-Stars-Virginia-Black/dp/1612942792
Synopsis: Kyran Loyal is the last heir to the lost throne of a forgotten planet, the figurehead of a nomadic people fleeing the galactic tyranny of a brutal regime. Davia Sifane is the unrecognized daughter of an imperial despot. When happenstance pits them against each other in battle, neither expects the outcome: they are the only two people to survive. Marooned on a barren moon, their only hope of survival is to rely on each other, but what they learn will either kill them or change the galaxy forever.
Critique: Space opera at its entertaining best, "No Shelter But The Stars" by Virginia Black is a fun read from start to finish. Original, deftly crafted and compelling, "No Shelter But The Stars" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Science Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated science fiction fans that "No Shelter But The Stars" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.49).
Editorial Note: Virginia Black (www.virginiablackwrites.com) is the author of the short stories "Season Finale" and "Love Undaunted" in the Sapphire Books 'Fandom to Fantasy' series, "Constant" in the Golden Crown Literary Society Writing Academy anthology 'Writing Freedom, and "Reclamation" in the Bold Strokes Books anthology "In Our Words: Queer Stories from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Writers". Her first novel (introducing war witch Joan Matthews) was "Consecrated Ground" (Bywater Books 2023).
Shores of a New Horizon
N. Darusha Wehm
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
Tantor Media
https://tantor.com
9781839082757, $16.95, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Shores-New-Horizon-Terraforming-Novel/dp/1839082755
Synopsis: On Mars, terraforming breakthroughs leave citizens dreaming of a transformed planet. However, when a contaminated ice asteroid puts water supplies in peril, the dream quickly shatters.
Professor Zambrotta "Zammi" Kaspar is tasked to investigate a fatal crash on a remote ice asteroid, but he never expects to discover his missing sister there as an indentured worker for the Mining Guild. As the siblings reconnect and dig deeper into the mystery of the contaminated water, they both discover a personal legacy of secrets and loss over competing visions for the future of humanity.
Can they unite to reveal the truth behind the water contamination before their dream of a terraformed Mars evaporates into the newly formed atmosphere?
Critique: A part of novelist M. Darusha Whem's 'Terraforming Mars' series, "Shore of a New Horizon" is a fun read from start to finish. Original, deftly crafted, memorable, "Shore of a New Horizon" is especially recommended for the personal reading lists of dedicated science fiction fans, and will prove to be an enduringly popular pick for community library Science Fiction collections. It should be noted that "Shore of a New Horizon" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Tantor Audio, 9798212939270, $41.99, CD).
Editorial Note: M. Darusha Whem (https://darusha.ca/home) is the Nebula Award-nominated and Sir Julius Vogel Award-winning author of the interactive fiction game The Martian Job, as well as the science fiction novels Beautiful Red, Children of Arkadia, The Voyage of the White Cloud, and the Andersson Dexter cyberpunk detective series. Their mainstream books include the Devi Jones' Locker YA series and the humorous coming-of-age novel The Home for Wayward Parrots. Darusha's short fiction and poetry have appeared in many venues, including Terraform and Nature.
Space Holes
B. R. Louis
CamCat Books
www.camcatpublishing.com
9780744308129, $27.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Space-Holes-First-Transmission-1/dp/0744308127
Synopsis: Marcus Aimond, untrained tag-along aboard humanity's first intergalactic exploratory commerce vessel, has a singular mission: sell off-brand misprinted merchandise.
When the rookie and his crew encounter the Nerelkor, a frog-like civilization, he is thrust head-first into an alien civil war. The opposing factions, Rejault and Dinasc, are stuck in an ill-fated feud driven by deep-rooted ineptitude. To avoid the planet's total annihilation and establish a local sales office, Aimond and the crew must survive arena combat, reshape the very structure of the planet, establish world peace, and stay alive -- for the sake of positive branding, of course.
Saving an alien planet is nothing compared to meeting your sales quota!
Critique: The first volume of novelist B. R. Louis's new 'First Transmissions' science fiction series, "Space Holes" showcases the author's genuine flair for original and the blending humor with memorable characters and more plot twists and turns than an Kansas tornado or a Coney Island roller coaster. A fun read from start to finish (and certain to leave the reader looking eagerly toward the next volume in this unusual and entertaining series), "Space Holes" is a particularly recommended pick for community library Science Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated science fiction fans and librarians that "Space Holes" is also readily available in a large print paperback edition (9780744308181, $28.99, 482pp) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: B. R. Louis (https://brlouisauthor.com) is a pediatric critical care nurse, outdoor enthusiast, and tech nerd with a love for storytelling, writing, and making people laugh. Travels around the world have introduced him to different cultures and unique forms of storytelling. Through all of the exploration and time spent in countless discussions, he's found the one innate thing that ties all people together is our ability and desire to share laughter.
House of Open Wounds
Adrian Tchaikovsky
Head of Zeus
https://headofzeus.com/home
9781035901388, $27.99, HC, 608pp
https://www.amazon.com/House-Open-Wounds-Tyrant-Philosophers/dp/1035901382
Synopsis: City-by-city, kingdom-by-kingdom, the Palleseen have sworn to bring Perfection and Correctness to an imperfect world. As their legions scour the world of superstition with the bright flame of reason, so they deliver a mountain of ragged, holed and scorched flesh to the field hospital tents just behind the frontline.
Which is where Yasnic, one-time priest, healer and rebel, finds himself. Reprieved from the gallows and sent to war clutching a box of orphan Gods, he has been sequestered to a particularity unorthodox medical unit.
Led by 'the Butcher', an ogre of a man who's a dab hand with a bone-saw and an alchemical tincture, the unit's motley crew of conscripts, healers and orderlies are no strangers to the horrors of war. Their's is an unspeakable trade: elbow-deep in gore they have a first-hand view of the suffering caused by flesh-rending monsters, arcane magical weaponry and embittered enemy soldiers.
Entrusted (for now) with saving lives deemed otherwise un-saveable, the field hospital's crew face a precarious existence. Their work with unapproved magic, necromancy, demonology and Yansic's thoroughly illicit Gods could lead to the unit being disbanded, arrested or worse.
Beset by enemies within and without, the last thing anyone needs is a miracle!
Critique: A saga style action/adventure novel of dark fantasy, "House of Open Wounds" by Adrian Tchaikovsky is an original and compelling read from start to finish. The author's genuine flair for the kind of imaginative, complex, distinctive, and narrative driven storytelling style will keep the reader's rapt and compulsive page turning interest from cover to cover. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Fantasy collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated epic fantasy fans that "House of Open Wounds" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781035901371, $22.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Adrian Tchaikovsky's critically-acclaimed Elder Race was short listed for a Hugo Award, and for the inaugural Ursula K. Le Guin prize and he is the recipient of the 2023 Hugo Award for Best Series. Other notable works include The Expert System's Brother and Made Things. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_Tchaikovsky)
The Poetry Shelf
Yaguarete White: Poems
Diego Baez
University of Arizona Press
www.uapress.arizona.edu
9780816552191, $17.95, PB, 112pp
https://www.amazon.com/Yaguaret%C3%A9-White-Poems-Camino-del/dp/0816552193
Synopsis: With the publication of "Yaguarete White: Poems", (poet Diego Baez's debut collection from the University of Arizona Press), Yaguarete White, English, Spanish, and Guarani encounter each other through the elusive yet potent figure of the jaguar.
The son of a Paraguayan father and a mother from Pennsylvania, Baez grew up in central Illinois as one of the only brown kids on the block -- but that didn't keep him from feeling like a gringo on family visits to Paraguay. Exploring this contradiction as it weaves through experiences of language, self, and place, Baez revels in showing up the absurdities of empire and chafes at the limits of patrimony, but he always reserves his most trenchant irony for the gaze he turns on himself.
Notably, this raucous collection also wrestles with Guarani, a state-recognized Indigenous language widely spoken in Paraguay. Guarani both structures and punctures this collection of verse, surfacing in a sequence of jokes that double as poems, and introducing but leaving unresolved ambient questions about local histories of militarism, masculine bravado, and the outlook of the campos. Cutting across borders of every kind, Baez's poems attempt to reconcile the incomplete, contradictory, and inconsistent experiences of a speaking self that resides between languages, nations, and generations.
"Yaguarete White: Poems" is a lyrical exploration of Paraguayan American identity and what it means to see through a colored whiteness in all of its tangled contradictions.
Critique: This trade paperback (7 x 0.5 x 9 inches, 8 ounces) edition of "Yaguarete White: Poems" is as remarkable as it is memorable. Lines of freeform verse are laid out in visually interesting patterns that fit the cadence and rhythm of the word crafted imagery. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library Contemporary Poetry collections, it should be noted that "Yaguarete White: Poems" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.05) as well.
Editorial Note: Diego Baez (https://www.diegobaez.com) is a writer, educator, and abolitionist. He is a finalist for The Georgia Poetry Prize and a semi-finalist for the Berkshire Prize for Poetry. A recipient of fellowships from CantoMundo, the Surge Institute, the Poetry Foundation Incubator for Community-Engaged Poets, and DreamYard's Rad(ical) Poetry Consortium, Diego has served on the boards of the National Book Critics Circle, the International David Foster Wallace Society, and Families Together Cooperative Nursery School. His poems have previously appeared or are forthcoming in Freeman's, Poetry Northwest, and Latino Poetry: A New Anthology. Diego lives in Chicago and teaches poetry, English composition, and first-year seminars at the City Colleges, where he is an Assistant Professor of Multidisciplinary Studies.
The Audiobook Shelf
Legacy of Temptation
Larsissa Ione, author
Alex Knox, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781501242083, $19.99, MP3-CD (14 Hours 54 Minutes)
https://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Temptation-Demonica-Birthright-Novel/dp/1501242083
Synopsis: Eva Tennant, like everyone at The Aegis, hates demons. But she loves her job as Deputy Spokesperson for the global demon-slaying organization, and she's excited to be in the running for Chief Spokesperson. All she has to do is not screw up the two-week exchange program with The Aegis's rival agency, the Demon Activity Response Team. But things go horribly wrong when a murder turns her into a fugitive from justice and puts a demonic target on her back.
Logan, son of the Horseman of the Apocalypse known as Death, has dedicated his life to fighting demons alongside his colleagues at DART. He loves fighting, females, and his pet hellhound, Cujo. What he doesn't love is The Aegis, whose leadership attempted to slaughter him at birth. Understandably, he balks when he's ordered to protect an Aegis Guardian responsible for the deaths of his friends. Really, he'd rather feed her to Cujo.
But when an old enemy rises from the ashes, Eva and Logan find themselves giving into temptation even as they sacrifice the things (and people) they love the most.
Critique: Another unique and original fantasy in author Larissa Ione's superbly crafted 'Demonica Birthright' series, "Legacy of Temptation" is brilliantly narrated by the vocal storytelling talents of Alex Knox who brings the listener a true 'theatre of the mind' experience with this complete and unabridged audio book edition from Brilliance Audio. A 'must' for all dedicated action/adventure fantasy fans, "Legacy of Temptation" is unreservedly recommended for personal and community library fantasy fiction audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: Larissa Ione (www.larissaione.com) traded in a career in meteorology to pursue her passion of writing. She has since published dozens of books, hit several bestseller lists, including the New York Times and USA Today, and has been nominated for a RITA award.
Editorial Note #2: Alex Knox (https://www.alexknox.net) is a full-time voice actor and audio book narrator who records from his home studio.
The Music CD Shelf
The Way In
Mike Downes
mikedownes.com
Privately Published
$12.00 CD / $7.00 digital
https://mikedownes.bandcamp.com/album/the-way-in
The Way In is a contemporary jazz album of original, instrumental music composed by Mike Downes (plus one track by Ted Quinlan), featuring a drummerless trio (Mike Downes on bass, Ted Quinlan on electric and acoustic guitars, Robi Botos on piano and keyboards) plus guest percussion artists for certain tracks (Joaquin Nunez Hidalgo on cajon and percussion, and Davide Di Renzo on percussion). The Way In is a rich, fluid, meditative soundscape that encourages creative thought and soulful contemplation. Highly recommended, especially for connoisseurs of modern jazz. The tracks are Gratitude, The Way In, Monumental, Banff Nights, Before the Unknown, Disbelief, Call of the Sea, Crimson, Whisper, Portals, Sirilessly, and Beautiful Lie (by Ted Quinlan).
Lift
Last Ark Out
https://www.lastarkout.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $6.93 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMR49S4V
Lift is a jazz fusion album created through a collaboration between a multitude of music artists on guitar, keyboards, bass, drums, and more - each track features contributions from one or more additional guest artists with different instruments. The original, instrumental jazz songs have elements of groove, rock, and funk. Lift has a keenly modern or even futuristic feel to its adventurous melodies, and is highly recommended especially for jazz connoisseurs. The tracks are Brackish, Dyab, Late to the Game, Libra, Scorpio, Song Needs Title, and It's That Dream Again.
Bird's Eye
David Leon, DoYeon Kim, and Lesley Mok
davidleonsmusic.com
Pyroclastic Records
pyroclasticrecords.com
$18.00 CD / $12.00 digital
https://davidleon.bandcamp.com/album/birds-eye
Saxophonist and composer David Leon, gayagum player DoYeon Kim, and drummer/percussionist Lesley Mok present Bird's Eye, an original album that fuses Afro-Cuban rhythms and Korean traditional music into a vibrant, extraordinary, and captivating soundscape. Bird's Eye is a treasure for connoisseurs of world music and original artistry, highly recommended. The tracks are You wont' find it by yourself; Ay-ya; Nothing Urgent, Just Unfortunate; to speak in flowers; A Night For Counting Stars; Secret Footshake; Expressive Jargon I & III; Infatuation Station; Secret Handshake; and Palmetto.
Muagsician
Kristen R. Bromley
www.kristenbromley.com
Privately Published
$16.99 CD / $TBA digital
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CTBMPRBZ
https://music.apple.com/us/album/muagsician/1719152508
Muagsician is a 2-disc, 25-track solo jazz guitar album by Kristen R. Bromley, who also sings on eight tracks. A mix of original songs, covers of beloved jazz classics, and arrangements of traditional folk tunes or hymns, Muagsician is an eclectic selection and a rapturous listening experience. Muagsician is a treasure for connoisseurs of jazz guitar, and also makes an excellent gift. Highly recommended!
Falling Feels Like Flying
John Korbel
JohnKorbel.com
Privately Published
$15.00 CD
https://johnkorbel.com/product/973348
Falling Feels Like Flying is a jazz album of original compositions by John Korbel, featuring the performance artistry of Mark Falchook on keyboards, Steve Luciano on guitars, Ezra Henry on drums, Marco Bojorquez on bass, Alain Bradette on tenor and soprano sax, Sam Zambito on trumpet, Derrick Harris on trombone, Chris West on sax and woodwinds, Kyle Schroeder on sax and flutes, and Carmen Harrell and Sam Reckart performing background vocals. The result is a jazz-pop that echoes in the mind and the heart of the listener. Falling Feels Like Flying is a choice pick for connoisseurs of original jazz, highly recommended. The tracks are Wheels Up, Lizard Of Oz, New York All To Ourselves, The One Without Wings, Take A Ride With The Top Down, Sing, Natural Selection, Sweet Burning, Falling Feels Like Flying, First Christmas Loving You, and Wheels Up (Extended Version).
Exetastes
AurallaurA
www.aurallaura.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $7.00 digital
https://aurallaura.bandcamp.com/album/exetastes
Exetastes is an album featuring vocals and compositions by Laura Chu Wiens, also known as AurallaurA, with guest contributions from other music artists. All songs are composed by AurallauraA except for The Last Nostalgic Wait (by Miles Belknap) and Zapjevala Sojka Ptica (a traditional Balkan song). A weaving of jazz, blues, Latin, funk, waltz, and traditional folk music into a multidimensional soundscape, Exetastes is captivating, inspirational, and highly recommended. The tracks are But, You Know; Shelter Storm; Icarus; Second Summer; Mind the Gap; City Sister, Homestead Heart; The Last Nostalgic Wait; Zapjevala Sojka Ptica; Press the World; December Song; and Yuan Fen.
Dragonfly
Dave Eggar
Domo Music Group
www.domomusicgroup.com
$TBA CD / $8.99 digital
https://daveeggar.bandcamp.com/album/dragonfly
Cellist and string arranger Dave Eggar presents Dragonfly, co-written by drummer, percussionist, and songwriter Chuck Palmer. Dragonfly is an album steeped in the ideas of metamorphosis, self-realization, and the quest for clarity of vision. The original, flowing music inspires reflective thought and openness to new ideas. Dragonfly is an immersive, mind-expanding listening experience, highly recommended. The tracks are Prelude, The Darkness (for Andrew), Embark, Encircled, Dragonfly (for Gomeo), Soliloquy, Shards Of Light, Sorrows Return (for Ronnie), Memories Of NY (featuring Bristol Lightning), Lullaby Of Kingston, Coral, Road Trip (featuring Bristol Lightning), and Onwards.
Unwritten
Kaze
www.satokofujii.com
Libra Records
12 Euro CD / 5 Euro digital
https://circum-disc.bandcamp.com/album/unwritten
Unwritten lives up to its title as the first completely improvised album in the thirteen-year history of the quartet Kaze (composer-pianist Satoko Fuji, trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, trumpeter Christian Purvost, and drummer Peter Orins). An extraordinary work of multifaceted instrumental pieces that explore how musical improvisation can surprise, delight, and stimulate creative thought, Unwritten is a choice pick for connoisseurs of free-spirited music and highly recommended. The tracks are Thirteen Years (36:51), We Waited (17:26) and Evolving (8:30).
The Blu-ray Shelf
I've Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills Complete Collection
Sentai Film Works
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com
c/o RLJ Entertainment (distribution)
$69.98
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com/products/816726021164-ive-somehow-gotten-stronger-when-i-improved-my-farm-related-skills-complete-collection-blu-ray
Synopsis: Farmer Al thought he was a typical farmer. Then he came across a group of adventurers fighting a dragon and somehow killed the monster with a carrot. Okay, that was implausible, but then he also rescued a princess. Maybe he's a less typical farmer, he thought? One thing is sure: Even though all he really wants is to farm, fate and the kingdom won't let him plow in peace. Now he has to deal with ghosts, evil gods, and even more dragons as he works in quests between the chores in, I've Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills!
Critique: I've Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills Complete Collection is a 2-disc Blu-ray set with all 12 episodes of a fantasy-comedy-drama anime about Al, whose everyday farming skills seem to have augmented his combat power, as surely as if he had leveled up in role-playing game! All he wants to do is typical farming, yet somehow he ends up confronting ghosts, evil gods, cruel dragons, and more! It's not all bad, since he often befriends or grows close to the damsels he rescues. Fate forces Al to work quests in between his farm chores, but can he ever truly establish a peaceful life? I've Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills is a show with warmth and heart, although the threat of violence or worse from monsters like orcs earns the series a TV PG rating (parental guidance suggested for younger children). Special features include clean opening and closing animations. 300 min., Japanese and English audio, English subtitles.
Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible Complete Collection
Sentai Film Works
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com
c/o RLJ Entertainment (distribution)
$59.98
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com/products/816726023861-kubo-wont-let-me-be-invisible-complete-collection-blu-ray
Synopsis: Some people stand out in a crowd, but Junta Shiraishi can't get noticed even when he's standing in front of his teachers for attendance! He's invisible to his classmates as well, who consider him to be almost as mythical as Bigfoot. However, there is one glaring exception: Nagisa Kubo, who sits next to him in class. Not only can she see him, but it's like she also has Shiraishi -dar! And she's fixated on getting him to do things that might get other people's attention! Why? Shiraishi has no idea. But for some reason he keeps letting her have her way, even when the results could be totally mortifying in KUBO WON'T LET ME BE INVISIBLE!
Critique: Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible Complete Collection is a 2-disc Blu-ray set with all 12 episodes of a lighthearted comedy-drama anime about Junta Shiraishi, a boy so ordinary he may as well be invisible - and Nagisa Kubo, who sits next to him in class and has dedicated herself to making him get people's attention? Why won't she let him be invisible? Is she trying to utterly mortify him, or could she have another motive? Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible is delightful, charming, laugh-out-loud funny at times, and highly recommended. Special features include Japanese promo video, and clean opening and closing animations. Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible is rated TV-14. 300 min., Japanese audio with English subtitles.
Akiba Maid War Complete Collection
Sentai Film Works
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com
c/o RLJ Entertainment (distribution)
$69.98
https://www.sentaifilmworks.com/products/816726020662-akiba-maid-war-complete-collection-blu-ray
Synopsis: In an alternate past, the otaku paradise of Akihabara was an unsavory hive of scum and villainy. One thing, however, is sort of the same: Maid Cafes! Except maids are the enforcers and assassins for corporate corruption... which is unfortunate for new maid Nagomi, who was too blinded by the cutesy uniforms and clever waitressing tricks to understand the darker reality of the maid business until she'd already joined the seemingly sweet Oinky Doink Cafe with Ranko Mannen. Now that's not ketchup on table 5 as the carnage erupts in AKIBA MAID WAR!
Critique: Akiba Maid War Complete Collection is a 2-disc Blu-ray set with all 12 episodes of a violent dark comedy anime, set in an alternate past where the maid cafes of Akihabara, Japan operate like bloodthirsty organized crime cartels! New maid Nagomi only wants to dress up cute and serve customers, but from her first day on the job she discovers that her life is at risk amid the gruesome carnage of a gang war between competing cafes! A deadly balance of humor, merciless battles, and criminal intrigue featuring remorseless killer enforcers-in-maid-uniforms, Akiba Maid War is riveting to the very end. Akiba Maid War Collection is rated TV-MA (recommended for mature viewers) due to graphic violence. Special features include Japanese promos, web previews, and clean opening and closing sequences. 300 min., English and Japanese audio, English subtitles.
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
One Good Film Deserves Another
Michael B. Druxman
BearManor Media
www.bearmanormedia.com
9798887711324, $42.00, HC, 184pp
https://www.amazon.com/One-Good-Film-Deserves-Another/dp/B0CTK7WH3P
Synopsis: "One Good Film Deserves Another: A Pictorial Survey of the Film Sequels", a follow-up to author Michael B. Druxman's "Make It Again, Sam" (about movie remakes), and in a newly revised edition by BearManor Media is now back in print after many years.
This complementary volume deals with film sequels scanning five decades: Boys Town, Topper, Brother Rat, The Little Foxes, Here Comes Mr. Jordan, Mrs. Miniver, The Jolson Story, The Paleface, Broken Arrow, Cheaper by the Dozen, King Solomon's Mines, The Robe, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Peyton Place, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, The Curse of Frankenstein, Room at the Top, The Carpetbaggers, Harper, Hawaii, Planet of the Apes, Funny Girl, The Three Musketeers, The French Connection, and The Godfather.
Individuals involved with some of the productions are interviewed, such as Cary Grant, Walter Pidgeon, William Alland, Jimmy Sangster, Richard Carlson, Jane Bryan, Stirling Silliphant, Delmer Daves, Jose Ferrer, John Sturges, Edward Dmytryk, Robert Rosen, George Sherman, Sidney Skolsky, etc., and a long compendium, a listing of pictures and their sequels, concludes the volume.
Critique: A 'must' for all dedicated film buffs and cinema historians, this large format (8.25 x 0.61 x 11 inches, 1.59 pounds) hardcover edition of "One Good Film Deserves Another: A Pictorial Survey of the Film Sequels: Revised Edition" is profusely illustrated throughout with B/W images accompanying fascinating, informative, and thought-provoking descriptive commentaries of the selected films. An impressive nd unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/education Cinematic History/Criticism collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for film buffs, film students, and academia, that "One Good Film Deserves Another" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9798887711317, $27.00).
Editorial Note: Michael B. Druxman is a screenwriter, active primarily in the 1990s. His scripts for B-movie producer Roger Corman include Cheyenne Warrior (1994) with Kelly Preston, Dillinger and Capone (1995) starring Martin Sheen and F. Murray Abraham and The Doorway (2000) with Roy Scheider, which he also directed. His memoirs, My Forty-Five Years in Hollywood and How I Escaped Alive, were published in August 2010, by Bear Manor Media. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_B._Druxman)
Judy Canova: Singin' in the Corn!
Ben Ohmart
BearManor Media
www.bearmanormedia.com
9781593933166, $19.95, PB, 234pp
https://www.amazon.com/Judy-Canova-Singin-Ben-Ohmart/dp/1593933169
Synopsis: Judy Canova (November 20, 1913 - August 5, 1983), was an American comedienne, actress, singer and radio personality who appeared on Broadway and in films. She hosted her own self-titled network radio program, a popular series broadcast from 1943 to 1955.
"Judy Canova: Singin' in the Corn!" by Ben Ohmart is the first biography of a true American sweetheart and comedienne Judy Canova! Packed from cover to cover with family interviews and rare, unpublished photos, "Judy Canova: Singin' in the Corn!" rescue a true female pioneer comedian from an undeserved obscurity -- music/stage/film/radio star, Judy Canova!
Critique: BearManor Media is a premier publisher of biographies and studies of entertainment figures who performed in any or all of the major medias ranging from musical, burlesque, and stage play theaters, to radio broadcasts, movies, and television programming. One of their newest (and best) illustrated biographies showcases the 20th Century entertainment career of the one and only Judy Canova! While especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library American Actor/Entertainer Biography collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Singin' in the Corn" by Ben Ohmart is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95) and as a complete and unabridged audiobook (9781504670227, $19.95, MP3-CD).
Editorial Note: Ben Ohmart has written books on voice actors Paul Frees and Walter Tetley, as well as biographies of Don Ameche, the Bickersons, Disney composer Buddy Baker, playwright Tim Kelly, and others. He runs BearManor Media, a small publishing company specializing in books on old radio and old film actors. There is a comprehensive listing of his books online at https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/116144.Ben_Ohmart
Touring with Legends
Dennis Blair
BearManor Media
www.bearmanormedia.com
9781629336725, $24.00, PB, 250pp
https://www.amazon.com/Touring-Legends-comics-opening-Dangerfield/dp/1629336726
Synopsis: When he was in his mid-twenties, singer/songwriter/guitar player Dennis Blair parlayed a dreary, dead-end rut performing for inattentive bar patrons into a standup comedy career.
He took his newly-developed song parodies and comic banter to a late-night audition at Dangerfield's in New York City, hooked up with Rodney Dangerfield, and for the ensuing years became both a headliner in his own right as well as the opening act for such luminaries as Rodney, Joan Rivers, Garry Shandling, Norm MacDonald, Tom Jones, the Beach Boys, Gloria Estefan, the Four Tops, and many more, including an 18-year stint with the late, great George Carlin which lasted until his death in 2008.
"Touring with Legends: A comic's tale of opening for Rodney Dangerfield, Joan Rivers, George Carlin, Tom Jones and many more..." by Dennis Blair recounts in detail many of the not-seen-by-the-public "backstage" stories; the funny, the triumphant, the tragic, the weird, the close encounters, the nightmare gigs, the friendships forged, the good times and the bad times that Dennis experienced as a co-worker and a friend to many of the biggest names in show business during those years.
It is also a testament to how you can never really plan how things will turn out.
Critique: A very special 'insider's biography that will hold particular and special value for readers with an interest in the history and experience of being a professional stand-up comedian and opening act for some of the truly legendary comedians and musicians, "Touring with Legends: A comic's tale of opening for Rodney Dangerfield, Joan Rivers, George Carlin, Tom Jones and many more..." was originally published in hardcover by BearManor Media (2021). Now released in a trade paperback edition, it continues to be a singularly unique and highly recommended picks for personal, professional, community, and college/university library 'showbusiness' biography/memoir collections.
The Photography Shelf
Burlesque
Jane Briggeman
BearManor Media
www.bearmanormedia.com
9798887713991, $35.00, PB, 262pp
https://www.amazon.com/Burlesque-Photograph-Collection-Legendary-Richards/dp/B0CVLSGFN3
Synopsis: In 2021, after the death of talking woman and dancer Lorraine Lee, Jane Briggeman received the photograph collection of Lee's late husband, comic Dick Richards. Dick began working in burlesque in the late 1930s. The couple often worked together for Harold Minsky; they had been married for 35 years when Dick died. For nearly 30 years Lorraine moved these photographs around with her after his death. They meant a great deal to her. "Burlesque: The Photograph Collection of Legendary Comic Dick Richards" is a unique and very special memorial tribute to the age of Burlesque in a compendium of 287 photographs.
Critique: Each individual B/W photo is captioned with the name of the performer. The informative commentary is condensed into a nine page introduction (Burlesque: A Photographic Collection), with the photos segregated by gender -- 150 pages of the female performers, 56 pages of male performers. A treasury of nostalgia and a 'must' for dedicated Burlesque fans and historians, this large format (7 x 0.6 x 10 inche, 1.01 pounds) paperback edition of "Burlesque: The Photograph Collection of Legendary Comic Dick Richards" is a 'once in a lifetime' pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Burlesque Theatre collections and supplemental American Theatrical History curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Author and Burleque historian Jane Briggeman has a complete listing of her books online at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/447163.Jane_Briggeman
The Travel Shelf
Arctic Traverse
Michael Engelhard
Mountaineers Books
www.mountaineersbooks.org
9781680516784, $21.95 pbk / $16.49 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Arctic-Traverse-Thousand-Mile-Summer-Trekking/dp/1680516787
Synopsis: A lyrical memoir that interweaves wilderness, homeland, cultural connections, historical figures, humor, and gritty experiences across northern Alaska, "Arctic Traverse: A Thousand-Mile Summer of Trekking the Brooks Range" takes its readers along on a once-in-a-lifetime journey.
From the award-winning author Michael Engelhard, "Arctic Traverse: A Thousand-Mile Summer of Trekking the Brooks Range", is an intimate exploration of Alaska's northernmost mountain range with observations on Indigenous cultures, conservation, and intense cross-country travel, all shaped by respect for the land.
Readers will follow author and outdoors enthusiast Engelhard through tussock-studded tundra for a remarkable tale of bear encounters and white-knuckled river moments, as well as poetic reflections on a vast, untamed landscape.
A trained anthropologist, Engelhard evokes classic writers like Edward Abbey, Barry Lopez, and Ellen Meloy with profound dives into human and natural history and vivid meditations on Alaskan wildlife, flora, and geology. When he embarked on this thru-hike, fewer people had completed it solo in a single push than had dived to the floor of the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of Earth's oceans.
Much more than simply a captivating account of a human-powered solo thru-hike and float (which is very much is!), "Arctic Traverse" goes on to illuminates the spirit of Alaska, drawing on encounters with Indigenous elders, guided clients, scientists, and others as well as on Engelhard's long-held dream and his experiences of the land itself.
Critique: This compact paperback edition of "Arctic Traverse: A Thousand-Mile Summer of Trekking the Brooks Range" from Mountaineers Books is an inherently fascinating and informative read from start to finish. Especially and specifically recommended for community and college/university library Travel/Travelogue collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of those interested in mountain climbing, winter sports, and Arctic Polar exploration that "Arctic Traverse: A Thousand-Mile Summer of Trekking the Brooks Range" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.94).
Editorial Note: A cultural anthropologist and an outdoor instructor for twenty-five years, Michael Engelhard (https://michaelengelhard.com) specialized in land use, subsistence, and symbolic aspects of landscapes. He has edited four anthologies and is the recipient of several literary awards, including a Rasmuson Individual Artist Award and three Alaska Press Club Awards. His writing has been featured in Outside, Audubon, and National Parks. Engelhard is the author of several books, including Ice Bear, Where the Rain Children Sleep, and the forthcoming essay collections No Walk in the Park and What the River Knows.
The Music Shelf
Deep Inside the Blues: Photographs and Interviews
Margo Cooper, author
University Press of Mississippi
www.upress.state.ms.us
9781496847416, $45.00, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Inside-Blues-Photographs-Interviews/dp/1496847415
Synopsis: "Deep Inside the Blues: Photographs and Interviews" collects thirty-four of Margo Cooper's interviews with blues artists and is illustrated with over 160 of her photographs, many published here for the first time.
For thirty years, Cooper has been documenting the lives of blues musicians, their families and homes, neighborhoods, festivals, and gigs. Her photographic work combines iconic late-career images of many legendary figures including Bo Diddley, Honeyboy Edwards, B. B. King, Pinetop Perkins, and Hubert Sumlin with youthful shots of Cedric Burnside, Shemekia Copeland, and Sharde Thomas, themselves now in their thirties and forties.
During this time, the Burnside and Turner families and other Mississippi artists such as T-Model Ford, James "Super Chikan" Johnson, and L. C. Ulmer entered the national and international spotlight, ensuring the powerful connection between authentic Delta, Hill Country, and Piney Woods blues musicians and their audience continues.
In 1993, Cooper began photographing in the clubs around New England, then in Chicago, and before long in Mississippi and Helena, Arkansas. On her very first trips to Mississippi in 1997 and 1998, Cooper had the good fortune to photograph Sam Carr, Frank Frost, Bobby Rush, and Otha Turner, among others. "The blues come out of the field," Ulmer told Cooper. Seeing those fields, as well as the old juke joints, country churches, and people's homes, inspired her. She began recording interviews with the musicians, sometimes over a period of years, listening and asking questions as their narratives unfolded.
Many of the key blues players of the period have already passed, making their stories and Cooper's photographs of them all the more poignant and valuable.
Critique: This large format (11.27 x 1.13 x 10.28 inches, 5.1 pounds) hardcover edition of "Deep Inside the Blues: Photographs and Interviews" by author/photographer Margo Cooper is part of the University of Mississippi Press 'American Made Music Series' and will prove of immense interest to students and fans of the southern music genre called The Blues -- and the musicians that created it. Informative enhanced for the reader's benefit, "Deep Inside the Blues: Photographs and Interviews" includes a Foreword by William Ferris, a two page listing of Acknowledgments, twenty-four pages of Notes, and a twelve page Index.
A compendium of original B/W photos of performers supported by their informative and succinct biographies, "Deep Inside the Blues: Photographs and Interviews" is a very special and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Music History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that "Deep Inside the Blues: Photographs and Interviews" is also available for students, academia, music historians, dedicated Blues fans, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Deep Inside the Blues: Photographs and Interviews" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note #1: Margo Cooper (http://www.margocooper.com) is a photographer and oral historian working in the classic documentary tradition. She is a longtime contributing writer and photographer for Living Blues magazine. Her work has also appeared in the New York Times Lens blog.
Editorial Note #2: William R. Ferris is the Joel R. Williamson Eminent Professor of History Emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the senior associate director emeritus of its Center for the Study of the American South. The former chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities (1997-2001), Ferris has written or edited ten books, created fifteen documentary films, and his most recent work Voices of Mississippi won two Grammy Awards for Best Liner Notes and for Best Historical Album in 2019.
Rock Music, Authority and Western Culture, 1964-1980
James A. Cosby
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476693699, $39.95, PB, 296pp
https://www.amazon.com/Music-Authority-Western-Culture-1964-1980/dp/1476693692
Synopsis: The history of rock and roll music can be seen in a long arc of Western civilization's struggle for both greater individual expression and societal stability. In the 1960s, the West's relationship with authority ruptured, in part due to the rock revolution. The lessons and implications of this era have yet to be fully grasped.
With the publication of "Rock Music, Authority and Western Culture, 1964-1980", James A. Cosby examines the key artists, music, and events of the classic rock era (defined here as 1964 to 1980) through a virtual psychoanalysis of the West. Over these years, important truths unfold in the stories of British Invaders, hippies, proto-punks, and more, as well as topics to include drugs, primal scream therapy, the occult, spirituality, and disco and its detractors, to name just a few.
Through a narrative that is equal parts entertaining, scholarly, and even spiritual, readers will gain a greater appreciation for rock music, better understand the confusing world we live in today, and see how greater individuality and social stability may be better reconciled moving forward.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of thirty-six pages of Chapter Notes, an eight page Bibliography, and a seven page Index, "Rock Music, Authority and Western Culture, 1964-1980" is a seminal and ground-breaking study that will prove to be of immense value for readers with an interest in the history and cultural/social/political impact of rock music in American and around the world. Recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university collections, "Rock Music, Authority and Western Culture, 1964-1980" is especially commended for supplemental Popular Culture/Social Science curriculum studies lists. Of special note is that "Rock Music, Authority and Western Culture, 1964-1980" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.49) for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.
Editorial Note: James A. Cosby (www.popmatters.com/author/james_a_cosby) is an attorney and a regular contributor on pop culture matters for PopMatters.com and other outlets.
The Art Shelf
Manga Now!
Keeth Sparrow
Search Press Ltd.
https://www.searchpress.com
9781800920514, $19.95, PB, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Manga-Now-action-figures-graphic/dp/1800920512
Synopsis: Expressly designed for aspiring (and practicing) manga artists wanting to add more power, speed and drama to their drawings "Manga Now!: How to draw action figures for graphic novels" by Keith Sparrow is an action-packed DIY guide to drawing action manga and contains all the basics followed by 17 action-packed step-by-step pin-ups for the aspiring graphic novelist.
Written and illustrated by manga artist Keith Sparrow, "Manga Now!: How to draw action figures for graphic novels" is comprehensive and inspiring guide that starts with an introduction to manga basics, the continues by showing you how to create the ideal workspace, how to overcome fear of a blank page, and how to draw all the elements you will need, from hands and eyes to perspective and light and shade.. It guides you step by step through 17 exciting, action-packed pin-ups - allowing you to explore a range of poses, characters and perspectives.
Follow the step by steps and the basic techniques to build up your confidence and before you know it you'll be creating your own action drawings and characters!
Critique: This large format (8.56 x 0.53 x 11 inches, 1.44 pounds) paperback edition of Keith Sparrow's "Manga Now!: How to draw action figures for graphic novels" from Search Press is an ideal, comprehensive, and thoroughly 'user friendly' DIY instructional reference guide and 'how to' manual that is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, art school, and college/university library Art/Illustration Instruction collections and curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that "Manga Now!: How to draw action figures for graphic novels" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.95).
Editorial Note: Keith Sparrow is an artist, writer and performer living in the UK. He runs regular manga drawing clubs and workshops across Cornwall and Devon, and has written and illustrated several books on the art of manga. Keith is a passionate believer in the art of visual storytelling and through his workshops seeks to inspire young artists to express themselves and their ideas through the art of manga. He can be followed on Instagram: @sparrowmanga and Facebook: Ato-gami (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/965629.Keith_Sparrow)
Step-by-Step Manga
Gecko Keck
Search Press Ltd.
https://www.searchpress.com
9781800921733, $19.95, PB, 144pp
https://www.amazon.com/Step-Step-Manga-Gecko-Keck/dp/180092173X
Synopsis: With the publication of "Step-by-Step Manga" by Gecko Keck, aspiring manga artists can learn all the tricks they need to make their manga characters come alive!
An ideal DIY introductory course for anyone who wants to learn how to draw in the popular manga style, "Step-by-Step Manga" by manga artist and illustrator Gecko Keck guides the reader through clear, step-by-step instructions on how to draw manga, from representing hands and faces, depicting movement and proportion as well as how to portray different clothing and poses for male and female figures.
Of special note is the guidance on depicting shojos, chibis and shonen which are also included in "Step-by-Step Manga".
Critique: Thoroughly 'user friendly' in instruction, organization and presentation, "Step-by-Step Manga" will prove an immensely popular pick for personal, professional, community, art school, and college/university library Manga Art collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists -- as well as ideal for personal DIY 'how-to' studies for art students and aspiring manga artists.
Editorial Note: Gecko Keck (real name: Gerhard Worner) was born November 1967 in Stuttgart, Germany. He is a German artist, designer and author. Among other things, he was involved in the toy development of the FERRERO Kinder Surprise eggs.
The Ultimate Guide to Manga Fashion
Rabimaru
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805317532, $18.99, PB, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Manga-Fashion-Clothing/dp/4805317531
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Ultimate Guide to Manga Fashion: Learn to Draw Realistic Clothing--from Streetwear to High Fashion", manga artist and illustrated Rabimaru shows how to create realistic-looking outfits and one-of-a-kind looks for manga and anime characters, as well as designing amazing creations for any cosplay event.
Rabimaru is also Japan's leading fashion illustrator and with "The Ultimate Guide to Manga Fashion" shows how to develop a distinctively unique manga fashion vocabulary!
A comprehensive fashion sourcebook, aspiring artists will learn to create an array of stunning outfits including stylish separates and original ensembles. Rabimaru then shows how to add realistic details, folds, creases, contours and shadows that will make manga and anime characters truly come alive!
From casual classics to high fashion, "The Ultimate Guide to Manga Fashion" features: Streetwear and basics from T-shirts and hoodies to the frilliest of skirts; Business and formalwear for polished professionals and fashionistas; School uniforms and sailor suits for casual cosplay inspiration; Sneakers, shoes and accessories to complete each look.
Critique: With more than 1000 illustrations, "The Ultimate Guide to Manga Fashion: Learn to Draw Realistic Clothing -- from Streetwear to High Fashion" is the ideal DIY guide to developing an individually distinctive signature style or designing an eye-catching costume for a cosplay event. While a very highly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, art school, and college/university Pop Culture Art instructional reference collections, it should be noted that "The Ultimate Guide to Manga Fashion: Learn to Draw Realistic Clothing -- from Streetwear to High Fashion" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.49).
Editorial Note: Rabimaru is a fashion-focused illustrator who is known for her popular Twitter tips, which have received over 50,000 retweets. She also demonstrates clothing-drawing methods and techniques that beginners can easily learn on pixiv FANBOX or check her out at pixivID: 1525713 and on Twitter @rabimaru_t
The Gardening Shelf
Outside In: A Year of Growing and Displaying
Sean A. Pritchard
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Books
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781784728854, $39.99, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Outside-growing-displaying-Sean-Pritchard/dp/1784728853
Synopsis: With the publication of "Outside In: A Year of Growing and Displaying", garden designer Sean Pritchard shows aspiring and novice gardeners how to plan a garden so that every month of the year there's something to bring indoors and display in an engaging way and divided by season with additional chapters on vessels, scent, color, texture and how to plan for the gardening year.
From the cheery joy of early spring daffodils to the velvety richness of late-summer dahlias, the deep glow of golden autumn leaves to the optimism of late-winter catkins, Sean explains, step-by-step, how to grow, harvest, and arrange an abundance of nature's treasure -- whatever size your gardening plot or your level of previous horticultural experience.
Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated in full color throughout, this large format (7.9 x 0.81 x 9.6 inches, 2.53 pounds) hardcover edition from Mitchell Beazley of "Outside In: A Year of Growing and Displaying" is extraordinarily comprehensive and throughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation. Essential reading for the beginning gardener and flower arranger, "Outside In: A Year of Growing and Displaying" has a great deal of value for even the more experienced horticultural or home gardener. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99), "Outside In: A Year of Growing and Displaying" is a very special and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Contemporary Gardening & Flower Arranging instructional reference collections.
The Needlecraft Shelf
Tunisian Crochet - The Japanese Way
Nihon Voeue
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9780804857055, $19.99, HC, 96pp
https://www.amazon.com/Tunisian-Crochet-Japanese-Knitting-Japanese-style/dp/0804857059
Synopsis: Tunisian crochet is the knitwork style that combines the cast-on method of knitting with the hook method of crochet, resulting in fabrics that look woven as well as knitted. "Tunisian Crochet - The Japanese Way: Combine the Best of Knitting and Crochet Using Clear Japanese-style Charts & Symbols" gives knitting and crochet enthusiasts a chance to create beautiful patterns and textures using the clear chart-and-symbol method of visual notation pioneered in Japan and now popular worldwide.
Featured are step-by-step illustrations for 13 classic stitches are provided, along with the 20 stylish projects that include: Wave Stitch (used to create an intricate multi-colored shrug; Seed Stitch (perfect fun bags of all sizes, from a fabulous drawstring bucket bag (with a scallop stitch) to a beautifully patterned pencil case); Cube Stitch (you will enjoy using this to make a colorful vest and splashy tippet; Domino Stitch (a versatile stitch that can be used to create an elegant beret) -- and and a great many more!
Each individual project comes with complete instructions and schematics. A dedicated section at the end shows you in detail how to execute each stitch, providing visual references to help you perfect your skills.
Critique: This large format hardcover edition of "Tunisian Crochet - The Japanese Way: Combine the Best of Knitting and Crochet Using Clear Japanese-style Charts & Symbols" from Tuttle Publishing is an ideal addition to the needlecraft instructional reference collections of "technique collectors" and crochet needlecrafters looking for new angles and new challenges for their projects. Profusely illustrated and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, and also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99) "Tunisian Crochet - The Japanese Way" is a very special and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft. Folkcraft, and Fiber Arts collections.
Pocket Amigurumi Monsters
Sabrina Somers
Search Press Ltd.
https://www.searchpress.com
9781800922495, $19.95, PB, 112pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Amigurumi-Monsters-creatures-crochet/dp/1800922493
Synopsis: Amigurumi is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small, stuffed yarn creatures. Amigurumi vary in size and there are no restrictions about size or look. While the art of amigurumi has been known in Japan for several decades, the craft first started appealing to the masses in other countries, especially in the West, in 2003. By 2006, amigurumi were reported to be some of the most popular items on Etsy, an online craft marketplace, where they typically sold for $10 to $100. (Wikipedia)
These loveable little amigurumi monsters are so cute and quick to crochet, needlecrafters will want to make them all that are featured in "Pocket Amigurumi Monsters: 20 cute creatures to crochet and collect". At 4in high, these manga-inspired plushie creatures are perfect little companions that can peek out of your pocket.
Using just one size hook, crochet your partner or a whole team of beasts with unique powers, from a sprout-like sidekick and spiky wolf guardian, to a springy mouse and a fiery cat! Suitable for crocheters of all abilities, these tiny collectibles make awesome gifts and mini makes for any age.
"Pocket Amigurumi Monsters" features 20 mini monsters to crochet and collect. Only one size crochet hook needed. Easy to follow, step-by-step instructions with templates in a handy-sized book are provided.
Critique: An ideal DIY instruction guide and 'how-to' manual featuring 20 loveable little amigurumi monsters to crochet and collect, and which range from sprout-like sidekicks and spiky wolf companions, to leaf foxes and fiery cats, templates included are included in "Pocket Amigurumi Monsters" by Sabrina Somers is a unique and very special pick for personal, professional, community library Needlecraft instructional reference collections. It should be noted that "Pocket Amigurumi Monsters" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.05).
Editorial Note: Sabrina Smers first discovered amigurumi in 2014. After using a variety of different books and online videos, Sabrina taught herself how to crochet in two weeks. She now designs her own patterns and sells them on her website, Sabrina's Crochet, Etsy, Revelry and Love Knitting. She is the author of Pocket Amigurumi and Pokemon Crochet. She lives with her son and two cats in Amsterdam, Netherlands. For patterns and more information about the author, visit her website: www.sabrinasomers.com
The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Chinese Furniture: A Guide for Collectors
Karen Mazurkewich
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9780804857567, $24.99, PB, 244pp
https://www.tuttlepublishing.com/china/chinese-furniture-9780804857567
Synopsis: The international market for antique Chinese furniture is booming, and masterpieces from the Ming and Qing dynasties are now selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars. "Chinese Furniture: A Guide for Collectors" is a survey of these collectibles, ranging from the very best museum-quality hardwood pieces, to standard softwood specimens still available at reasonable prices on the international market.
Chinese carpenters from this era were artisans. They elevated furniture from the functional to the realm of the philosophical. By artfully aligning wood grain patterns, experimenting with spatial dimensions, and innovating new forms of joinery, simple tables and chairs came to represent something higher -- the harmony and union of man and nature.
Lavishly illustrated with over 300 color photographs, historical prints and detailed drawings, "Chinese Furniture: A Guide for Collectors" by Karen Mazurkewich presents an overview of: Carving Styles; Wood Types; Regional Variations; Class Distinctions; Restoration Techniques --
and so much more!
With its detailed historical overview and regional coverage, "Chinese Furniture: A Guide for Collectors" highlights the great diversity of antique Chinese furniture and serves as an indispensable guide to collectors, new and old.
Critique: This large format paperback edition of Karen Muzurkewich's "Chinese Furniture: A Guide for Collectors" is beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout in full color. The commentary is instructive and the book itself is a pleasure for collectors, dealers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject to to simply browse through. "Chinese Furniture: A Guide for Collectors" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Antiques/Collectibles collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Karen Mazurkewich is an Asian Wall Street Journal reporter who has covered Asian culture and the retail scene for three years from her base in Hong Kong. Mazurkewich has investigated art forgery, interviewed countless collectors, grilled innovative businessmen, and queried tradesmen -- all in a quest to better understand the business and culture of fine furniture collecting in Asia.
The Sports Shelf
Climbing Self-Rescue
Ian Nicholson
Mountaineers Books
www.mountaineersbooks.org
9781680516203, $24.95, PB, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Climbing-Self-Rescue-Essential-Technical-Improvised/dp/1680516205
Synopsis: The world of climbing self-rescue is ever-changing, but the constant is that self-rescuing techniques need to be something that climbers can use in the real world with the gear they already have with them.
With the publication of "Climbing Self-Rescue: Essential Skills, Technical Tips & Improvised Solutions", elite climber Ian Nicholson offers technical systems that follow patterns that are easy to remember and that can be applied to solve a wide range of problems. This lavishly illustrated guide teaches the skills a climbing team needs to execute a successful technical rescue on its own.
Of immense value for climbers with experience on multipitch routes, "Climbing Self-Rescue" also addresses key skills including escaping the belay, lowering a climber, dealing with a stuck rope, improvising ascenders and using aid-climbing techniques in rescues, rescuing an injured leader, and so much more!
Critique: Comprehensive and practical, thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, and an important, fundamental and essential addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Rock Climbing/Mountain Climbing instructional guide and 'how-to' manual collections, "Climbing Self-Rescue: Essential Skills, Technical Tips & Improvised Solutions" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.95).
Editorial Note: Ian Nicholson is an IFMGA/UIAGM mountain guide and has been guiding around the world for nearly 20 years. He is particularly passionate about self-rescue and has earned two Denali Pro Pin Awards for helping to save other climbers. Ian works on the National Instructor Team for both the AMGA and AIARE and is the author of SUPERTOPO: Washington Pass Climbing. (https://mountainmadness.com/about/people/ian-nicholson)
The Christian Studies Shelf
A Table in the Wilderness: A Study on God's Goodness
Lina Abujamra
Esther Press
https://www.estherpress.com
c/o Cook Communications
www.davidccook.org
9780830784233, $19.99, PB, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Table-Wilderness-Goodness-Mapping-Footsteps/dp/0830784233
Synopsis: Stories of God's tables of blessing are woven throughout Scripture. In addition to an introduction about why God chooses to feed us in order to teach us about His goodness, with the publication of "A Table in the Wilderness", Lina Abujamra offers in-depth Bible study on five tables that God offers as physical and spiritual reminders of His love, mercy, and overflowing kindness:
Salvation (Passover) - when you need to be rescued
Unexpected belonging (King David's table) - when you deserve to be punished
Overflowing satisfaction (the wedding at Cana) - when you feel empty
Remembrance (the Lord's Supper) - when you're likely to forget
Eternal celebration (the marriage supper of the Lamb) - when life is hard
This substantive, applicable, and richly spiritual study includes a QR code for quick access to streaming videos, spiritual exercises for contemplation and prayer, a self-reflection tool, and a leader's guide for small group study.
The underlying message throught "A Table in the Wilderness" is that even in the most unexpected places (our weaknesses, our sins, our doubts) God loves to invite us into His presence. You are invited! Come to the table.
Critique: Inspired and inspiring, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "A Table in the Wilderness: A Study on God's Goodness" is part of the Mapping the Footsteps of God series from Esther Press and unreservedly recommended reading for all members of the Christian community regardless of denominational affiliations. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of clergy, seminary students, and all devote Christians that "A Table in the Wilderness" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Lina AbuJamra (www.LivingWithPower.org) is a pediatric ER doctor, now practicing telemedicine, and the founder of Living with Power Ministries. A popular Bible teacher, podcaster, and conference speaker, Lina is the author of several books, including Through the Desert and Don't Tell Anyone You're Reading This.
The Business Shelf
The 12-Week MBA
Bjorn Billhardt, author
Nathan Kracklauer, author
Hachette Go
c/o Hachette Book Group
www.hachettebookgroup.com
9780306832369, $30.00, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/12-Week-MBA-Learn-Skills-Business/dp/0306832364
Synopsis: Getting an MBA takes a lot of time and serious money, making it inaccessible to many people who want to take charge in the business world.
With the publication of "The 12-Week MBA: Learn the Skills You Need to Lead in Business Today", co-authors Bjorn Billhardt and Nathan Kracklauer offers an alternative way to learn business essentials by focusing on the skills and knowledge required to succeed as both a manager and a business leader.
The unique premise of "The 12-Week MBA" is that business leaders in any industry, any function, and at any level need the same core knowledge, skills, and attitudes to effectively manage and lead. That core consists of working through and with other people to create value while using financial concepts and metrics to maximize the value created for all company stakeholders.
The timeless essence of managing numbers and leading people can be learned in less time and at a lower cost than in a traditional two-year MBA, where much of the curriculum may become obsolete by the time students graduate.
Co-authors Bjorn Billhardt and Nathan Kracklauer are senior executives at Abilitie, a global leadership development company that has served over 100,000 learners in fifty countries. Abilitie's clients include some of the world's most recognizable brands such as Coca-Cola, The New York Times, and Dell. Now the key lessons from Abilitie's 12- Week MBA curriculum are available in an accessible format and an engaging guide.
Critique: Providing an ideal and DIY approach, "The 12-Week MBA: Learn the Skills You Need to Lead in Business Today" is impressively comprehensive, exceptionally informative, and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation. "The 12-Week MBA" offers a seasoned wealth of practical tips for managers and aspiring business leaders that are firmly based on the corporate in-service training workshops by Abilitie, -- a business leadership program taught to professionals at global Fortune 500 companies. While unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, corporate, and college/university library business management, leadership, motivation, and education theory collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that "The 12-Week MBA" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
Editorial Note #1: Bjorn Billhardt is CEO and founder of Abilitie, a global leadership development company. Prior to launching Abilitie, Bjorn co-founded Enspire Learning, an early pioneer of e-learning programs and business simulations, in 2001. Bjorn holds a BA from the University of Texas and an MBA from Harvard Business School. A native of Hamburg, Germany, he came to the US as an exchange student in high school and now lives in Texas.
Editorial Note #2: Nathan Kracklauer leads Abilitie's research and development efforts as Chief Research Officer. Nathan has facilitated leadership seminars at leading companies and at executive education programs at IMD Business School. Nathan holds a BA and a BS from the University of Texas and an MA from the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat in Munich. Born in Falls Church, Virginia, Nathan now lives in Germany.
The Computer Shelf
Arduino for Arduinians
John Boxall
No Starch Press
www.nostarch.com
9781718502789, $39.99, PB, 488pp
https://www.amazon.com/Arduino-Arduinians-John-Boxall/dp/1718502788
Synopsis: Arduino is an Italian open-source hardware and software company, project, and user community that designs and manufactures single-board microcontrollers and microcontroller kits for building digital devices. Its hardware products are licensed under a CC BY-SA license, while the software is licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL) or the GNU General Public License (GPL), permitting the manufacture of Arduino boards and software distribution by anyone. Arduino boards are available commercially from the official website or through authorized distributors. (Wikipedia)
For Arduino programmers who've mastered the basics, "Arduino for Arduinians: 70 Projects for the Experienced Programmer" by John Boxall is the next step toward becoming an expert Arduinian. You wil be able tol build 70 complex and practical projects with this versatile microcontroller platform and gain advanced skills to design reliable, professional, user-friendly creations.
You will also be able to remote-control your Arduino via Bluetooth and instant messaging, improve the accuracy of clock projects with internet time servers, and automatically turn your Arduino off when it completes a task. You will also be able to safely control AC mains power and higher currents and conserve battery with low-power and sleep modes. Additionally, you will also learn to use Charlieplexing to control LED matrix displays, keep your Arduino running with a watchdog timer, communicate over longer wired distances with the RS232 and RS485 buses, and much more.
Along the way, you'll build fun and useful devices like:
A camera-enabled circuit to stream videos
An MP3 player to listen to audio of your choice
A CAN bus circuit to gather speed and engine data from your car
A web server to display data captured with an ESP32 board
A PS/2 keyboard to improve your user interfaces and easily enter and display data
Guided by Arduino master John Boxall, you will harness dozens of sensors, motors, displays, and techniques to bring your own expert inventions to life.
Critique: There is a basic requirement in that the "Arduino for Arduinians: 70 Projects for the Experienced Programmer" requires the reader to have mastered Arduino Uno and other Arduino-compatible microcontrollers and USBasp programmers. Some projects may require other inexpensive parts. Comprehensive, exceptionally well written, and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Arduino for Arduinians: 70 Projects for the Experienced Programmer" is a significant and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Computer Science & Software collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that "Arduino for Arduinians: 70 Projects for the Experienced Programmer" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.99).
Editorial Note: John Boxall, is the author of "Arduino Workshop" (No Starch Press), and has been an electronics enthusiast for over 30 years, spending much of that time in the electronics retail, wholesale, and consulting fields. He also spent several years writing Arduino tutorials, projects, and reviews of kits and accessories at www.tronixstuff.com
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Astrolations!
Jill Carr
O Books
c/o Collective Ink Books
https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
9781803414201, $34.95, PB, 736pp
https://www.amazon.com/Astrolations-Unique-Astrological-Guide-Relationships/dp/1803414200
Synopsis: Astrolations: The astrological elements that provide an in-depth insight into your astrological character.
The four main elements in the Western Zodiac are Fire, Earth, Air, and Water. Each element governs three signs: Fire governs Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. Earth governs Taurus,Virgo, and Capricorn. Air governs Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius. Water governs Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. If your Sun sign is different to your Zodiac sign, then you will have more elements influencing you. For example, a Capricorn with Sun in Sagittarius is influenced by both Earth and Fire.
There are five main elements in the Chinese Zodiac, and these are Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and
Earth. You will see that there is no Air element in Chinese astrology. This is represented by Metal, which shares many of the attributes of Air. The Wood element is important as a stabilizing influence in Chinese astrology, and you will see that it is in the middle of all the five elements for this reason.
"Astrolations!: A Unique Astrological Guide for You and All Your Relationships" is a fascinating and informative DIY guide for understanding relationships with friends, family, and colleagues, involving a unique blend of Western and Chinese astrology. "Astrolations!" covers the astrological attributes of your child and other children in your life, and enabling the discoveryu of how the elements influence astrological make-up and further an understanding of ourselves and those we encounter throughout life. The purpose and intent of "Astrolations! is to guide the reader in achieving a fuller self-knowledge, as well as a rounded understanding of the people in his or her life.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of an explanation of the sections comprising "Astrolations!: A Unique Astrological Guide for You and All Your Relationships" and how to use astrolations; an introduction to the author and her credentials, a one page listing of Notes to Readers, and a one page listing of Reference Sources. A complete and exhaustive course of instruction under one cover, "Astrolations!: A Unique Astrological Guide for You and All Your Relationships" is exceptionally thorough and unreservedly recommended for students and practitioners of Astrology and Metaphysics. A core addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library collections, it should be noted that "Astrolations!: A Unique Astrological Guide for You and All Your Relationships" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.49).
Editorial Note: Jill Carr (https://astrolations.co.uk) started studying astrology seriously, after buying "The Modern Text Book of Astrology" by Margaret Hone in a city bookshop. Since then, she has studied and worked in various locations with the UK, continuing to refine her research into all things astrological. She discovered Chinese Astrology in the 1980's, which she finds endlessly fascinating. Jill has degrees in Surface Pattern Design, Business Studies, and Philosophy. Her other interests include yoga, singing, walking, and painting.
Pagan Portals - The Irish Pagan Book of Rites
John Michael McLoughlin
Moon Books
c/o Collective Ink Books
https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
9781803414768, $12.95, PB, 168pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pagan-Portals-Rituals-Prayers-Festivals/dp/1803414766
Synopsis: With the publication of "Pagan Portals - The Irish Pagan Book of Rites: Rituals and Prayers for Daily Life and Festivals", John Michael McLoughlin reveals all the essential rites in an easy-to-follow format. "Pagan Portals" is presented in both the English and the Irish (Gaeilge) languages for those wishing to make their offerings in the beautiful indigenous Irish tongue.
"Pagan Portals" is a compendium of rites for regular use, blessings for water and the home, celebrations for the main Irish festivals, as well as in-depth explanations for the meaning, purpose, and lore behind each devotion.
Critique: Of immense interest to students and aspiring practitioners of pagan rites, rituals, and celebrations, "Pagan Portals - The Irish Pagan Book of Rites: Rituals and Prayers for Daily Life and Festivals" is exceptionally well written, usefully organized, and thoroughly 'user friendly' in presentation. A welcome and valued pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Paganism/Metaphysical collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that "Pagan Portals" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).
Pagan Portals - Hoodoo: Folk Magic
Rachel Patterson
Moon Books
c/o Collective Ink Books
https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
9781782790204, $12.95, PB, 101pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pagan-Portals-Hoodoo-Folk-Magic/dp/1782790209
Synopsis: With the publication of "Pagan Portals - Hoodoo", author Rachel Patterson provides the reader with an introduction to this magical art, detailing what Hoodoo is and how to work with it as well as offering recipes and other ideas. Patterson details her personal experiences with Hoodoo, deities, beliefs and the magical practices along with information on various Hoodoo crafts -- including bottle spells, foot track magic, crossroads magic, powders, spiritual washes and much more.
Critique: A fascinating, informative, and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Magick & Metaphysical Studies collections, it should be noted for students and practitioners of hoodoo magic that "Pagan Portals - Hoodoo" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.49).
Editorial Note: Rachel Patterson (www.rachelpatterson.co.uk) is High Priestess of the Kitchen Witch Coven, Team Leadership member of the Kitchen Witch School of Natural Witchcraft, Green/Kitchen Witch with an added dash of hedgewitch and folk magic.
Pagan Portals - Hedge Witchcraft
Harmonia Saille
Moon Books
c/o Collective Ink Books
https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
9781780993331, $12.95, PB, 87pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pagan-Portals-Witchcraft-Harmonia-Saille/dp/1780993331
Synopsis: As Aristotle said, 'For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.' Learning by experiencing is about trusting your instincts and connecting with your inner spirit.
There is no dogma attached to hedge witchcraft. There are no tenets to follow. The path of a hedge witch is very much an individual one, and it is a solitary practice.
Critique: With the publication of "Pagan Portals - Hedge Witchcraft", Harmonia Saille provides an fascinating and informative introduction to hedge witchcraft and is part of the 'Pagan Portal' series from Pagan Portals that also includes her books "Hedge Riding", and "Hedge Magic". Highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Metaphysical Studies collections, it should be noted that "Pagan Portals - Hedge Witchcraft" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.49).
Editorial Note: Harmonia Saille is a practicing Hedge Witch and a pagan for more than two decades now. Her pathway includes nature, trees, Celtic and Norse mythology, the Elder Futhark runes, scrying (and other forms of divination), and nature spirits. She also practices magic (folk and shamanic). She studied at the Irish Centre for Shamanic Studies. Hedge riding is a regular part of her practice. Harmonia holds workshops on hedge witchery, the runes, and other subjects both locally and at international spiritual events. Harmonia's articles have appeared in various spiritual magazines. She was a co-founder of Irish Pagan magazine Brigid's Fire. (https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/moon-books/authors/harmonia-saille)
Pagan Portals - The First Sisters: Lilith and Eve
Lady Haight-Ashton
Moon Books
c/o Collective Ink Books
https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
9781789040791, $12.95, PB, 114pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pagan-Portals-First-Sisters-Lilith/dp/1789040795
Synopsis: It was said in the beginning, in a garden called Eden, that woman was created at the same time as man, and not from his rib. Lilith, the first female, created equal to stand as a partner. But she proved to be a person so troublesome that she vanishes from her rightful place in civilization's mythological legends to be replaced by Eve as the first wife of Adam. With her younger sister Eve's story heralding the future of all womankind, Lilith and her story stands alone as a testament to the Sacred Feminine and man's fear of the mysteries that lie within her.
Critique: A part of the Pagan Portal series from Moon Books, "The First Sisters: Lilith and Eve" is a gateway to a provocative awakening and is a simply fascinating and iconoclastic read from start to finish. Of special value to readers with an interest in paganism, magic, New Age goddess worship and mythology, and also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99), "The First Sisters: Lilith and Eve" is a unique and recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Metaphysical Studies collections and supplemental curriculum lists.
Editorial Note: Lady Haight-Ashton (https://ladyhaight-ashton.com) is a Third Degree Gardnerian High Priestess, a Third Degree Cabot Witch within the Cabot Hermetic Temple and a Priestess of Selket within the Fellowship of Isis, where she was also honored with an Adepthood in Sacred Healing Dance. She is the High Priestess of Sacred Moon Coven and the Iseum of the Graceful Goddess, member of the Crossroads Lyceum and an elder within the Temple of Nine Wells in Salem, MA. She regularly publishes magazine articles Sacred Dance, The Goddess and Witchcraft.
The Handbook of Urban Druidry
Brendan Howlin
Moon Books
c/o Collective Ink Books
https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
9781782793762, $11.95, PB, 85pp
https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Urban-Druidry-Modern-All/dp/1782793763
Synopsis: A druid was a member of the high-ranking priestly class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. While they were reported to have been literate, they are believed to have been prevented by doctrine from recording their knowledge in written form. Their beliefs and practices are attested in some detail by their contemporaries from other cultures, such as the Romans and the Greeks and had disappeared from the written record by the 2nd century. (Wikipedia)
Reemerging in the late 19th Century and down to the present day, Druidry is continuing to exciting much interest but has an image that is not usually associated with urban life. With the publication of "The Handbook of Urban Druidry: Modern Druidry for All, author and practicing Druid Brendan Howlin presents Druidry to the non-specialist general reader in an easy-to-understand way, making the concepts open to everyone.
Critique: With a great deal of information packed into a slender 85 page compendium, "The Handbook of Urban Druidry: Modern Druidry for All" must be considered essential reading for anyone with an interest in, or curiosity about, the practice of Druidry in the present day -- especially for those who wish to explore Druidry in an urban setting. Impressively well written, organized and presented, "The Handbook of Urban Druidry: Modern Druidry for All" is an ideal addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Druidry collections and supplemental Metaphysical Studies curriculums. It should be noted that "The Handbook of Urban Druidry: Modern Druidry for All" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: Brendan Howlin is a Druid grade member of the order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD). He has been Senior International Tutor for Bards and Ovates for 13 years, and Science Correspondent for Touchstone, the journal of OBOD for 13 years. He is also co-founder of Surrey Druid Grove. He lives in the UK.
Southern Cunning
Aaron Oberon
Moon Books
c/o Collective Ink Books
https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
9781789041965, $14.95, PB, 152pp
https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Cunning-Folkloric-Witchcraft-American/dp/1789041961
Synopsis: With the publication of "Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft In The American South", Aaron Oberon takes his reader on a journey through the folklore of the American South and provides a look at the power these stories hold for modern witches.
Through the lens of folklore, animism, and bioregionalism "Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft In The American South" shows how to bring rituals in folklore into the modern day and presents a uniquely American approach to witchcraft born out of the land and practical application.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft In The American South" is the ideal introduction to folkloric witchcraft/wiccan practices, rituals, applications and usage as practiced over the last 300 years in the American South. An extraordinary and seminal study, "Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft In The American South" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99) and is a highly recommended contribution to personal, professional, community, and college/university library paganism, witchcraft, and magic collections.
Editorial Note: Aaron Oberon is a Southern folk witch with a passion for bringing witchcraft to people from different roots. Aaron writes about queer magic, bioregionalism, and witchcraft that gets down in the dirt. It is deeply important to Aaron that he helps to make witchcraft and magic more accessible to those from underprivileged areas. His goal in writing is to demonstrate that there is power in the stories of families and local land.
The Criminology Shelf
Midwest Vice
Gavin Schmitt
Exposit Books
c/o McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476690889, $19.99, PB, 198pp
https://www.amazon.com/Midwest-Vice-Midcentury-Trafficking-Murder/dp/147669088X
Synopsis: With the publication of "Midwest Vice: A Chain of Midcentury Sex Trafficking and Murder", historian Gavin Schmitt delves into four interconnected murders, each of them unsolved, in which the common denominator is the underground world of sex trafficking.
Using police and FBI records never before made public, underworld links are made between numerous vice centers in the Midwest. What does a small mining town in upper Michigan have to do with organized crime in Peoria, Illinois? More than you might think!
"Midwest Vice: A Chain of Midcentury Sex Trafficking and Murder" introduces the reader to corrupt night club owners, dancers who moonlight as callgirls, interstate burglary rings, Milwaukee Mafia members, bank robbers and more. All part of one giant web, they come together in a story that has remained largely untold -- until now.
Critique: A simply fascinating and informative read from start to finish, "Midwest Vice: A Chain of Midcentury Sex Trafficking and Murder" is a compendium of crime and criminals native to the American Midwest, Of particular note is the "Midwest Vice: A Chain of Midcentury Sex Trafficking and Murder" addendum 'Where Did They Go?". For readers with an interest in true crime stories and to academicians focused on crime/law enforcement studies, "Midwest Vice: A Chain of Midcentury Sex Trafficking and Murder" is solidly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library True Crime collections and supplemental curriculum Criminology studies lists.
Editorial Note: Gavin Schmitt (www.goodreads.com/author/show/6482180.Gavin_Schmitt) is a local historian working in northeast Wisconsin. He has previously written on Milwaukee organized crime, the Menominee tribe, as well as various film topics for Horrorhound magazine.
The Waltham Murders
Susan Zalkind
https://zalkind.info
Little A
www.apub.com
9781503903715, $28.99, HC, 366pp
https://www.amazon.com/Waltham-Murders-Unsolved-Homicide-National/dp/1503903710
Synopsis: In September 2011, Erik Weissman and two friends were murdered in a brutal triple homicide in Waltham, Massachusetts. The case went unsolved for months and then years, with no discernible leads. Erik's friend Susan Zalkind, an investigative journalist, needed closure and knew that finding it would be up to her. As Susan began digging, and as the Boston Marathon bombing exposed startling new leads, the case led her down a tangled and sometimes dangerous path to the truth.
With every person Susan interviewed came a new thread. She followed each one through a web of conspiracy theories, corruption, and crime until she eventually arrived at a decade-defining act of domestic terrorism.
A true-crime memoir and the culmination of more than ten years of reporting, "The Waltham Murders: One Woman's Pursuit to Expose the Truth Behind a Murder and a National Tragedy" is an in-depth probe into a dark American underworld by Susan Clare Zalkind, a journalist coming to grips with both personal grief and the collective anguish of a nation in her tireless pursuit of the truth.
Critique: A riveting read from start to finish, "The Waltham Murders: One Woman's Pursuit to Expose the Truth Behind a Murder and a National Tragedy" by Susan Clare Zalkind must be considered a high priority pick for community and college/university library True Crime collections and supplemental Criminology curriculum studies lists. Extraordinary, exceptional, memorable, and of special appeal to readers with an interest in the subject of organized crime and cold case law enforcement, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Waltham Murders: One Woman's Pursuit to Expose the Truth Behind a Murder and a National Tragedy" is also available in a paperback edition (9781503903708, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Susan Claire Zalkind (https://zalkind.info) is an investigative journalist based in the Boston area. Her work has appeared in This American Life, the Guardian, CityLab, VICE, the Daily Beast, The Irish Times, and Boston magazine. She also wrote and produced the 2022 Hulu docuseries The Murders Before the Marathon.
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