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Internet Bookwatch

Volume 26, Number 8 August 2016 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Cookbook Shelf Sports Shelf
Photography Shelf Fiction Shelf Poetry Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Audiobook Shelf Library CD Shelf
Library DVD Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf Needlecraft Shelf
Computer Shelf Fishing Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
Travel Shelf Automotive Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Antiques/Collectibles Shelf Homeowner's Shelf Graphic Novel Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Biography Shelf Jewelry Shelf
Wisconsin Shelf Parenting Shelf Education Shelf
Gun Shelf American History Shelf Science Shelf
Business Shelf Music Shelf Psychology Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Library Science Shelf Native American Studies Shelf
Art Shelf Judicial Studies Shelf International Studies Shelf
Autism Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Poison on Tap
By the Staff of Bridge Magazine
Edited by Bob Campbell
Mission Point Press
9781943995080 $19.95 www.missionpointpress.com

The Flint, Michigan water crisis is the disastrous result of governmental mismanagement. When the city of Flint switched water sources to Flint River as a cost-cutting measure, the river water corroded Flint's lead pipes, contaminating Flint's drinking water with poisonous lead. This corrosion cannot be undone by switching back to Flint's old water source; Flint's drinking water will likely remain unfit for human consumption until all its river-damaged pipes are replaced, an expensive endeavor unlikely to be completed anytime soon. Worst of all, the government refused to admit that the visibly foul drinking water was hazardous to human health for over a year. Poison on Tap: A Bridge Magazine Analysis is an in-depth account of the extreme, arguably criminal governmental negligence and cover-up that destroyed the drinking water of Flint, Michigan residents and poisoned their children with lead. Chapters describe how state-appointed "emergency managers" made a foolish cost-cutting decision to switch their water supply, without consulting experts; how federal regulators failed to warn the public for months about lead in the water; and how a few brave heroes refused to let the status quo lie, fighting back and sounding the alarm. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this "must-read", highly recommended especially for public and college library social issues shelves.

Big Data: Does Size Matter?
Timandra Harkness
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
9781472920058 $27.00 www.bloomsbury.com

Big Data: Does Size Matter? is expressly for readers of all backgrounds - no advanced mathematical or computer science knowledge is required to learn from this straight-talk introduction to what "big data" really is, and what it means both for individual people and society at large. Broadcaster and comedian Timandra Harkness reveals how Big Data enables greater efficiency than ever before possible, from predicting crimes to tailoring advertisements. But can big data grow so large as to infringe on individual rights, or even undermine a democratic society? "Many people have pointed to the hypocrisy of governments who want us to acquiesce to mass surveillance while trying to reduce their own accountability through Freedom of Information acts and the like. If we are to be watched and eavesdropped upon by the state, should we not by default be able to access data collected about us, or about the activities of the authorities themselves?" A thoughtful, reader-friendly assessment of an ongoing, revolutionary change, Big Data: Does Size Matter? is highly recommended especially for public and college library collections.

Hacked
Charlie Mitchell
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
9781442255210 $27.00 www.rowman.com

Cybersecurity journalist Charlie Mitchell presents Hacked: The Inside Story of America's Struggle to Secure Cyberspace, an insider's view of the growing threat of hacking and cybercrime, as well as the American government's laggard response. As cyberattacks from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, the Middle East, and places unknown intensify, how can leaders in politics, business, and technology fight back? Mitchell cross-examines the failures of the recent past, including but not limited to costly cyberattacks on Target, Home Depot, Neiman Marcus, and databases with information about millions of U.S. federal workers. Part modern history, part call-to-arms, Hacked places a timely focus on a cutting-edge issue with direct repercussions on America's economic and physical security. Highly recommended.

The Useful Book
Sharon and David Bowers
Workman Publishing Company
225 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014-4381
9780761171737 $19.95 www.workman.com

The Useful Book: 201 Life Skills They Used to Teach in Home Ec and Shop lives up to its title as a how-to omnibus of basic techniques for cooking, sewing, laundry, home improvement, woodworking/metalworking, plumbing, electrical (such as how to install a dimmer) and more. Simple, monochromatic sketches help illustrate the handy tips, tricks, and practical methods. The Useful Book is packed with so much information that even longtime jack-of-all-traders are likely to learn new things! "[When using a dishwasher] Scrape, but don't pre-wash! Your dishes need to be dirty in order for the detergent to clean them properly. (Enzymes in the detergent are made to cling to food particles.) Plus, pre-washing can waste up to 6,000 extra gallons of water per year." The Useful Book is a "must-have" for every household and an excellent resource for public and community library collections.

The Monster Book
Nick Redfern
Visible Ink Press
43311 Joy Rd., #414, Canton, MI 48187-2075
www.visibleinkpress.com
9781578595754, $19.95, PB, 400pp, www.amazon.com

Nick Redfern is the author of 30 books on Bigfoot, lake monsters, the Abominable Snowman, and other unexplained phenomena. His latest study and reference work is "The Monster Book: Creatures, Beasts and Fiends of Nature", an exhaustive compendium of beasts and creatures deftly organized into ten distinctive categories: Unearthly Cats, Deadly Dogs, Werewolves; Nature Gone Mad; Reptiles, Amphibians, Dinosaurs, and Worms; Lake, River, and Ocean Menaces; Cryptic Apes and Wild Men; Not So Human; Flying Beings; Vampires and Bloodsuckers; Monsters of Magic and Mind; UFO Creatures. "The Monster Book" deftly explores the history, mythology, pop culture, and the world of the supernatural. "The Monster Book" is a complete and comprehensive resource revealing and defining the monster menagerie from around the world, and drawn from every continent and culture. Of special note are the first-person accounts of bizarre freaks of nature and spine-tingling paranormal entities. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in content, organization and presentation, "The Monster Book" is unreservedly recommended for community library collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Monster Book" is also available in a Kindle edition ($18.99).

"Birds Are People Too"
Kate Davis
Mountain Press Publishing Company
PO Box 2399, Missoula, MT 59806
9780878426690 $18.00 www.mountain-press.com

Featuring splendid photography on every page, "Birds Are People Too": Humor in the Avian World is a unique humor book pairing striking images of wild birds with funny, all-too-human quotes. For example, one page shows a woodpecker bringing berries to feed its child, with the caption "Berries?! What happened to the juicy caterpillars with their zesty flavor and lovely internal organs?" "Birds Are People Too" can be fully appreciated for its incredible photography or its chuckle-inducing quips alone; the unique combination makes it stand out as an excellent giftbook for bird lovers everywhere!

The View from the Cheap Seats: Selected Nonfiction
Neil Gaiman
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
www.harpercollins.com
9780062262264, $26.99, www.harpercollins.com

The View from the Cheap Seats: Selected Nonfiction will both attract and surprise readers who have held a prior affection of Gaiman's fictional productions. This audience receives a collection of essays - over sixty - covering various topics, gathering speeches, articles, and critical writings that explore a wide range of topics; from literary themes and travel to re-reading books in his teens and ways in which superheroes are used in modern fiction. The result is a literary piece that's highly recommended for any prior Gaiman fan and for newcomers interested in science fiction, literature, and cultural analysis.


The Cookbook Shelf

Betty Crocker Fresh from the Freezer
Betty Crocker
c/o Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
www.hmhco.com
9780544816244, $19.99 PB, $9.99 Kindle, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Most homemakers today are strapped for time and in need of all the time saving 'tips, tricks and techniques' they can employ when it comes to preparing meals for their families that will be as nutritious as they are delicious. That's where "Betty Crocker Fresh from the Freezer" comes into play. Beautifully and profusely illustrated, this culinary compendium is comprised of easy to prepare meals that can be put into the freezer until needed. The thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes are deftly organized into six major chapters: Breakfast & Brunch; Beef & Pork; Chicken & Turkey; Fish & Seafood; Meatless; and Desserts. The dishes themselves range from Frozen Blueberry Breakfast Bars; Beef Enchiladas; Maple-Dijon Pork Chops; and Slow-Cooker Rotisserie Spiced Chicken; to Pecan-Crusted Fish Fillets; Corn and Shrimp Chowder; Apple-Cinnamon Butternut Squash Soup; and Brown Sugar Refrigerator Cookies. Each individual recipe provides an estimated serving size, prep time, and 'start to finish' time. Of special note is the inclusion of a Metric Conversion Guide. As much fun to browse through as it is inspiring to plan menus with, "Betty Crocker Fresh from the Freezer" is certain to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

Naturally Sweet
Editorial Staff
America's Test Kitchen
17 Station Street, Brookline, MA 02445
www.americastestkitchen.com
9781940352589, $26.95, PB, 309pp, www.amazon.com

Health experts and professional nutritionists are universal in recommending that Americans lower the sugar levels that they consume every day. America's Test Kitchen has now published an extraordinary cookbook that will allow America's kitchen cooks to prepare popular desserts that will contain 30% to 50% less sugar than conventional recipes. Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout, these thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes are organized into six major sections: Muffins, Quick Breads, and Breakfast Treats; Cookies and Bars; Cakes; Pies and Tarts; Puddings, Custards, and Frozen Treats. Beginning with an informative 'Getting Started' section that covers How Sugar Is Processed; Choosing Alternative Sweeteners; Substituting Sweeteners, and more!, "Naturally Sweet" is enhanced further with the inclusion of 'Nutritional Information for Our Recipes'; 'Conversions and Equivalents; and an Index. With recipes ranging from Anise-Poppy Seed Muffins; Pecan Shortbread Cookies; Red Velvet Cupcakes; and Peach Pie; to Cherry-Hazelnut Crisp; Summer Berry Gratin; Toasted Coconut-Banana Pudding; and Striped Fruit Popsicles, "Naturally Sweet" is a delight to browse and inspiring to plan menus with. Simply stated, "Naturally Sweet" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, family, and community library cookbook collections.

The Fly Creek Cider Mill Cookbook
Brenda and Bill Michaels
Surrey Books
c/o Agate Publishing
1328 Greenleaf Street, Evanston, IL 60202
9781572841949 $22.95 www.agatepublishing.com

An assortment color photographs enriches The Fly Creek Cider Mill Cookbook: More than 100 Delicious Apple Recipes, a user-friendly cookbook that would make Johnny Appleseed proud. Created in celebration of the 160th anniversary of The Fly Creek Cider Mill, this cookbook features apple- and cider-based recipes from mill workers, friends, and associates, including sauces, drinks, breads, soups, starters, and main courses. A few sample delicacies are "Puffy Apple Pancakes", "Easy Bacon-Apple Pizza", "The Official New York State Apple Muffin", "The Fly Creek Cider Mill All-Time Favorite Beef Pot Roast", "Apple Pie with Caramel Sauce", and much more. Thoroughly accessible to cooks of all skill and experience levels, The Fly Creek Cider Mill Cookbook is a treasure for connoisseurs and a welcome addition to specialty cookbook shelves!

Picnics, Potlucks, & Porch Parties
Aimee Broussard
Quail Ridge Press
PO Box 123, Brandon, MS 39043
www.quailridge.com
9781938879166, $24.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com

A popular food blogger, Aimee Broussard is the 2013 Dixie Crystals Cookie Bake-Off Champion. In 2014, she co-hosted several Taste of Home Cooking School Live shows spanning from Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi, while showcasing her Honey Garlic Meatballs. Now in the pages of "Picnics, Potlucks, & Porch Parties: Recipes & Ideas for Outdoor Entertaining" she draws upon her years of experience and expertise to create what is basically a 'how to' manual for novice kitchen cooks and homemakers on how to create truly memorable dishes for informal entertainment at home, at the park, or at church. Beautifully illustrated and offering complete party and menu plans that include: Country Cozy Fried Chicken Picnic; Lovely Little Lunch on the Porch; Muffins for Moms Recipe Exchange; Backyard BBQ Family Reunion; Easter Bunny Brunch; Patriotic Porch party; Neighborhood Potluck Gathering; It's Tailgate Time!; Friendsgiving Feast; and Home for the Holidays. Of special note are the recipes for unforgettable beverages suitable for each and any occasion, from Tipsy Peach Tea and Cran-Orange Memosas, to Southern Sweet Lemonade to Early Kickoff Bloody Marys. Thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and presentation, "Picnics, Potlucks, & Porch Parties: Recipes & Ideas for Outdoor Entertaining" will prove to be an enduringly popular and highly valued addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

Katie Chin's Everyday Chinese Cookbook
Katie Chin, author
Masano Kawana, photographer
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9780804845229, $24.95, HC, 160pp, www.amazon.com

Katie Chin learned to cook as a young girl in her mother's kitchen. Her mother was Leeann Chin who, born in China, came to American and became an award-winning restaurateur and cookbook author with a special knack for demystify Chinese cooking for the American homemaker. When Leeann passed away in 2010, her daughter Katie was determined to see her mother's recipes and food legacy would be passed on to new and appreciative generations of kitchen cooks. The result is "Katie Chin's Everyday Chinese Cookbook: 101 Delicious Recipes from My Mother's Kitchen", a compendium of family recipes that includes many unique dishes that Leeann developed during a six-decade career in the food business, including time-honored classics that she herself learned from her own mother back in China. Some dishes reflect Leeann's Chinese-American childhood or are recipes which Katie and Leeann developed while together. Others are creations that Katie has developed more recently. Woven throughout the book are fond memories and anecdotes from Katie's childhood, always involving cooking and eating with her mom. With dishes that range from Beef with Rice Stick Noodle Soup; Chicken with Salted Black Beans, Tomatoes and Green Peppers; Stir-Fried Pork with Asian Eggplant; and Chinese-Style Parchment Fish; to Baby Bok Choy with Ginger and Garlic; Crystal Shrimp Dumplings; Honey Barbecued Pork; and Napa Cabbage and Tofu Salad, "Katie Chin's Everyday Chinese Cookbook" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to any personal, family, professional, or community library Chinese Cuisine cookbook collection.

Dishing Up Minnesota
Teresa Marrone
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
www.storey.com
978161212584, $19.95, PB, 282pp, www.amazon.com

Minnesota cuisine draws from ethnically diverse generations of Minnesotans including Scandinavian, German, Native American, Mexican, and Hmong culinary cultures. Beautifully and profusely illustrated with full color photography throughout, the recipes reflect Minnesota's lakes, pastures, woodlands, and festivals, featuring contributions from local farmers, foragers, and fishermen. These thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes comprising "Dishing Up Minnesota: 150 Recipes from the Land of 10,000 Lakes" range from Maple-Cinnamon Applies; Grilled Venison Loin with Honey, Juniper, and Black Pepper Gaze; Iron Skillet Pizza with Sweet Peppers, Red Onions, and Salami; Lamb and Pork Breakfast Sausages; and Big Woods Blue Cheesecake; to Heirloom Beans and Squash with Smoked fish and Balsam Broth; Busy-Day Pho - Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup; Mardi Garden Salad; Blue Ribbon Honey Pecan Pie; and Thai Peanut-Caramel Popcorn. A pleasure to browse and inspiring to plan menus with, "Dishing Up Minnesota" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library regional cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Dishing Up Minnesota" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

The Complete Book of Pork Butchering, Smoking, Curing, Sausage Making and Cooking
Philip Hasheider
Voyageur Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
9780760349960 $24.99 www.QuartoKnows.com

The Complete Book of Pork Butchering, Smoking, Curing, Sausage Making and Cooking transcends the domain of a standard cookbook to include detailed, step-by-step instructions for butchering pork, using pork byproducts, and making sausage and bacon, as well as a discussion of pork's storied history as a relatively inexpensive, healthy and versatile food. The butchering instructions are illustrated with full-color photography, although most of the pork recipes are not. The basics of raising pigs are also discussed, and strong emphasis is placed on treating pigs humanely, especially when the time comes to kill them for food. A "must-read" for aspiring pig farmers and pork connoisseurs alike!

Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com

Eleanora Galasso's As the Romans Do: Authentic and Reinvented Recipes from the Eternal City (9781784721602, $29.99) narrows the usual Italian recipe focus to Rome, comes from a Roman native, and offers a satisfying blend of travelogue and recipe book as it considers some 100 recipes new and old, for all meals. The focus is on a typical Roman diet, with holiday traditions supplementing daily foods form breakfasts to dinners. From a Spaghetti Omelet and Pasta with Amatriciana Sauce to an unusual Imperial Style Sweet Golden Bread with Clementine Gelatin, this provides an exceptional coverage of a wide range of Roman fare and stands out from your usual general Italian cookbook by featuring many regional specialties. Cyrus Todiwala's Mr. Todiwala's Spice Box: 120 recipes with Just 10 Spices (9781784721619, $29.99) comes from a UK chef renowned for blending flavors and spices in unique new ways. Todiwala likes blending Indian and Western flavors and this book is filled with new ideas for blending spices and applying them to world dishes. From Philippine Belly of Pork with Shrimp Paste and Coconut Cream to Goan Coconut Rice with Ginger and Fillet of Salmon in Fresh Green Chutney, access to the ten basic spices and some specialty ingredients will assure success for cooks seeking original recipes and a spice-based focus. Eric Lanlard's Afternoon Tea (9781784721466, $24.99) comes from a master patissier who focuses on small sweets and savory bites suitable for afternoon tea, and outlines various recipes that lend to serving with tea. Color photos lavishly illustrate such recipes as Tequila King Prawn Sliders, Mini Upside-Down Pineapple Cakes, and Lemon Posset, adding not only visual embellishment but insights into serving using eye-catching dishes and presentations. The result is a 'must' for any who would produce small dishes to pair with tea.


The Sports Shelf

The 1966 Green Bay Packers
George Bozeka
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
9781476662039, $35.00, PB, 315pp, www.amazon.com

The Green Bay Packers is a unique football franchise. It is the only one owned by the people and not vulnerable to be moved elsewhere in the country by a greedy owner. One of the consequences of this guaranteed permanency is an absolute and enduring loyalty on the part of Green Bay Packer fans. Interest in the history of the Green Bay Packers, its players and its coaches, has always been very high. Now the latest contribution to the growing library of Green Bay Packer literature is "The 1966 Green Bay Packers: Profiles of Vince Lombardi's Super Bowl I Champions" which is compiled and edited by George Bozeka (who is the Assistant Executive Director and Assistant Publications Director of the Professional Football Researchers Association). Focusing on a particular and single 'Golden Age' season of Packer history, "The 1966 Green Bay Packers" the 60 articles are deftly organized into five major section: The Organization; The 1966 Season; The Team; The Stadium; The Press. Enhanced with a two page listing of the contributors and their credentials, and a two page Index, "The 1966 Green Bay Packers" is an absolute 'must', both for the legions of Packer fans and inclusion into all Wisconsin community, college, and university libraries.


The Photography Shelf

Within the Frame, second edition
David duChemin
New Riders
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
9780134288628 $49.99 www.newriders.com

Now in a second edition with new images and exercises, updated chapters, a streaming companion video, and more, Within the Frame: The Journey of Photographic Vision is an in-depth guide and how-to book for intermediate to advanced photographers. The primary focus is on techniques for taking pictures that serve one's creative vision. Chapters delve into the fine nuances of photographing people, locations, or aspects of human culture; using photographs to tell stories and provoke questions; and more. Within the Frame is essentially about the "why" and "what" of photography, rather than the technical "how" of utilizing elaborate photography equipment. "Before diving into technical things, it's important to remember that the heart of a great image seldom has anything to do with the technical... No one should have to tell us we need to understand focus and exposure. But we often need reminding that it is not those things that carry a photograph, tell a great story, or hook us emotionally... In order to remind ourselves of this, it's helpful to go out now and then (often, even) with only the most basic of cameras." An excellent resource and inspirational guide for intermediate to advanced and even professional photographers, Within the Frame is highly recommended.

Austin: A Photographic Journey
Mike Cox, author
John R. Rogers, photographer
Rob Greebon, photographer
Farcountry Press
PO Box 5630, Helena, MT 59604
www.farcountrypress.com
9781560376637, $12.95, PB, 80pp, www.amazon.com

The full color images of photographers John R. Rogers and Rob Greebon fully capture the beauty and unique culture of Austin, the capital city of Texas. Also known as "The Live Music Capital of the World", with captions by Mike Cox, "Austin: A Photographic Journey" is a superbly presented photographic tribute showcases the city's striking skyline, bridges, lakes, parks and nature trails-a city famous for Longhorns of both the university and bovine varieties, and its beloved weird side with vibrant festivals, a passion for music, and hipster art scene. Ideal for armchair travelers and a delight to browse through by anyone who has ever had the privilege of visiting this vibrant city, "Austin: A Photographic Journey" is unreservedly recommended.

Manhattan Shop Window Mannequins
Roy K. Iwaki
Outskirts Press, Inc.
10940 S. Parker Road, #515, Parker, CO 80134
9781478753018 $19.95 www.outskirtspress.com

Manhattan Shop Window Mannequins: Crossroads of the World is a full-color photographic showcase of sometimes lifelike, sometimes cartoonish, always striking mannequins found in the shop windows of Manhattan. No text distracts from the visuals; each page features a single, up-close and personal photograph of a different mannequin. Some invoke the "Uncanny Valley" shock response in full force; others exude high-class glamor; and still others are nonhuman (two standout examples are a mannequin of stitched teddy bears, and a mannequin of a Chinese dragon). Manhattan Shop Window Mannequins is an irresistible curiosity, and makes a unique giftbook for photography connoisseurs intrigued by the unusual.


The Fiction Shelf

Shootout at Clearwater Springs
Aaron Adams
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
9781444826425 $6.98 www.ulverscroftusa.com

Part of the "Linford Western Library" of large-print novels set in the Old West, Shootout at Clearwater Springs is a fierce saga of pride and determination. Mark Merkel's beloved River Bow Ranch is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy; Mark owes the bank so much, has so little collateral, that he just might have to give River Bow Ranch to his greedy neighbor, Connor MacPherson. But Mark's son David won't surrender the ranch as easily as that! David has a daring plan to turn around the family fortunes, but an unknown murderer wants the Merkels to fail at any cost, no matter how bloody! A gripping, high-stakes adventure, Shootout at Clearwater Springs is a choice pick for western connoisseurs and sure to prove a popular in community library collections.

Schopenhauer's Maxim
Joe Formichella
Livingston Press
University of West Alabama
Station 22, Livingston, AL 35470
www.livingstonpress.uwa.edu
9781604891706, $30.00, HC, 274pp, www.amazon.com

Joe Formichella is a Hackney Literary Award winner and Pushcart Prize nominee whose work has appeared in Grassland Review, Red Bluff Review, and anthologized in "Stories from the Blue Moon Cafe II" and "Climbing Mt. Cheaha". He is the author of the novel "The Wreck of the Twilight Limited", and "Here's to You, Jackie Robinson", an historical account of the all-black Prichard Mohawks, an amateur baseball team formed in the 1950s, that shows how those young players succeeded despite the degradations and persecutions of the Jim Crow South. In "Schopenhauer's Maxim", Formichella has deftly crafted a novel of the religious right wing of the America that is part political intrigue, part fairy tale, and all humor at its darkest and most noir. An inherently and consistently compelling read from beginning to end, "Schopenhauer's Maxim" is unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library Literary Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that Schopenhauer's Maxim" is also available in a paperback edition (9781604891690, $18.95).

The Shadow of Nanteos
Jane Blank
Y Lolfa
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, 124 Byers Road, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
www.dufoureditions.com
9781784611712, $17.00, PB, 285pp, www.amazon.com

When William Powell and his headstrong wife Elizabeth inherit the glorious Nanteos estate in Cardiganshire, it seems their new life is everything they could wish for. Yet, as her debt-ridden husband is snared by the land disputes and violence of the 1750s lead wars, Elizabeth is increasingly drawn to the mysterious figure of Cai, the estate's handsome bailiff. Superstition, tales of haunting, and the powerful Nanteos grail cast their shadow over the house and soon the family is caught up in a vicious political and legal battle that will end in tragedy. An impressively presented and consistently compelling novel, "The Shadow of Nanteos" is a an inherently fascinating read that showcases author Jane Blank's exceptional storytelling skills. "The Shadows of Nanteos" is especially recommended for community library Historical Fiction collections, and would prove to be an enduringly popular addition the personal reading lists of anyone who appreciates a deftly crafted work of truly entertaining originality.

Tough Luck Hero
Maisey Yates
HQN Books
c/o Harlequin Books
225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada, M3B 3K9
9780373789818, $7.99, PB, 384pp, www.amazon.com

Ranching heir Colton West knew his wedding would be the talk of the town. But he didn't expect to get left at the altar -- or to escape on the next flight to Vegas with Lydia Carpenter, the woman who gets under his skin like no one else. The only thing crazier than honeymooning with Lydia is waking up married to her. So why does he find himself entertaining his new wife's desire to stay married -- and fantasizing about a real wedding night? As Copper Ridge's prospective mayor, Lydia can't risk a divorce scandal so close to election time. But pretending to be blissfully in love with her new husband is more confusing than she'd thought. For a man who's always rubbed her the wrong way, Colton suddenly seems to know exactly what to do with his hands. And his lips. Now Lydia's wildest mistake could turn out to be her luckiest move, if they're both willing to take the ultimate gamble. "Tough Luck Hero" is another terrific read from Maisey Yates who is a true master of the romance fiction genre. "Tough Luck Hero" is enthusiastically recommended for community library Romance Fiction collections in general, and Maisey Yates fans in particular.

The Alliance
Jolina Petersheim
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188
www.tyndale.com
9781496413994, $22.99, HC, 384pp, www.amazon.com

When Leora Ebersole sees the small plane crash in her Old Order Mennonite community, she has no idea it's a foreshadowing of things to come. Soon after the young pilot, Moses Hughes, regains consciousness, they realize his instruments were destroyed by the same power outage that killed the electricity at the community store, where Englischers are stranded with dead cell phones and cars that won't start. Moses offers a sobering theory, but no one can know how drastically life is about to change. With the only self-sustaining food supply in the region, the Pacifist community is forced to forge an alliance with the handful of stranded Englischers in an effort to protect not only the food but their very lives. In the weeks that follow, Leora, Moses, and the community will be tested as never before, requiring them to make decisions they never thought possible. Whom will they help and whom will they turn away? When the community receives news of a new threat, everyone must decide how far they're willing to go to protect their beliefs and way of life. In "The Alliance", author Jolina Petersheim demonstrates an original and exceptional storytelling talent as novelist. A riveting and thoroughly entertaining read from beginning to end, "The Alliance" is unreservedly recommended and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Alliance" is also available in a paperback edition (9781496402219, $14.99) and in a Kindle format ($8.46).

Escape To Redemption
Peter M. Parr
Roundfire Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing, Ltd.
Laurel House, Station Approach, Alresford, Hants, SO24 9JH, UK
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781785352270, $16.95, 273pp, www.amazon.com

Josie only had the gun to frighten Curtis Rook, but his son disturbed her. One startled reflex and now he's dead. Josie flees to Poland leaving her boyfriend Snaz to take the rap. A reformed criminal offers her refuge from the police and the chance to begin a new life, but she cannot hide from her guilt. As the stakes rise, Josie begins to realize that only her own forgiveness can set her free. Fast-paced and original, Peter M. Parr's contemporary take on Crime and Punishment challenges traditional ideas about guilt and redemption, and the meaning of forgiveness. "Escape To Redemption" is an original and compelling read from beginning to end. Clearly demonstrating author Peter M. Parr as an exceptionally talented novelist, "Escape To Redemption" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Escape To Redemption" is also available in a Kindle edition ($6.15).

The Turbulent Trail
Mike Thompson
Five Star Books
10 Water Street, Suite 310, Waterville, ME 04901
http://gale.cengage.com/fivestar
9781432831783, $25.95, HC, 287pp, www.amazon.com

Former soldier and Army sharpshooter turned brawler and drunk. Charlie Deegan finds himself winding up in the Yuma Territorial Prison. Knowing he can't last the remaining nine years of his sentence, Charlie escapes and is determined to change his life. Charlie heads north hoping to become a cowboy. Beaten down by the harsh Sonora Desert, he discovers a mummified miner whose hoard of supplies gives Charlie a new chance at life. He befriends a cowboy, Creed McCall, who agrees to help him get a job on a north bound cattle drive. Untested as a cowboy, Charlie must start as the cook's helper. As the herd heads out on the long trail drive, will he be able to prove that he has what it takes to become a real cowboy? "The Turbulent Trail" is another terrifically entertaining western novel from Mike Thompson and once again demonstrates the author's total mastery of the western action/adventure genre. Unreservedly recommended for community library Western Fiction collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of western novel fans that "The Turbulent Trail" is also available in a Kindle edition ($3.99).


The Poetry Shelf

Then Come Back: The Lost Neruda Poems
Pablo Neruda, author
Forrest Gander, translator
Copper Canyon Press
PO Box 271, Port Townsend, WA 98368
www.coppercanyonpress.org
9781556594946, $23.00, HC, 160pp, www.amazon.com

Pablo Neruda (1904 - 1973) is one of the world's most beloved and best-selling poets. He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971. Pablo Neruda's lost poems (recently discovered in his archive to the delight of readers and scholars) comprise this remarkable and essential volume. Originally composed on napkins, playbills, receipts, and notebooks, Neruda's lost poems are full of eros and heartache, complex wordplay and deep wonder. Presented with the Spanish text, full-color reproductions of handwritten poems, and dynamic English translations, "Then Come Back: The Lost Neruda Poems" simultaneously completes and advances the oeuvre of the world's most beloved poet. Unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library Poetry collections in general, and Pablo Neruda supplemental studies reading lists in particular, here is a sample of what has been recovered and published in the pages of "Then Come Back: The Lost Neruda poems" for the benefit of future generations: Crossing the sky I near / the red ray of your hair. / Of earth and wheat I am and as I close-in / your fire kindles itself / inside me and the rocks / and flour ignite. / That's why my heart / expands and rises / into bread for your mouth to devour, / and my blood is wine poured for you. / You and I are the land with its fruit. / Bread, fire, blood and wine / make up the earthly love that sears us.

Into A New Country
Deborah Fleming
Cherry Grove Press of Cincinnati
c/o WordTech Communications LLC
9781625491718, $19.00, 106pp, www.amazon.com

A good poet is more than just a word smith able to fashion memorable and deftly attractive phrases, a good poet must be able to have their word images resonate with the mind, the imagination, the memory, the life experiences, the emotional state of their reader. "Into A New Country" is an impressive compendium of poetry by Deborah Fleming (Professor of English, Ashland University, Ashland, Ohio, and the Editor of the Ashland Poetry Press) that clearly demonstrates her mastery of free verse poetry and is a consistently compelling and reflective read from beginning to end. "Into A New Country" is a body of work that is very highly for personal, community and academic library Contemporary American Poetry collections. 'Anniversary: 2013' - In springtime wind the branches gesture / while purpose martins gurgle their mating songs. / Twenty years ago we came here. / In springtime wind the branches gesture. / I planted spruces that very year. / Twenty years ago we both were young. / In springtime wind the branches gesture / while purple martins gurgle their mating song.

American Western Love Song
Victor Pearn
Indian Paintbrush Poets
c/o Pearn & Associates, Inc.
9780989724234, $34.95, PB, 295pp, www.amazon.com

Now in a newly revised edition, "American Western Love Song" is a comprehensive compendium of the free verse poetry of Victor Pearn. Here is a poet exhibiting an impressive mastery of language who is able to deftly craft images that touch the emotions of his readers. A collection of verse to be browsed through time and time again, "American Western Love Song" is unreservedly recommended for the personal reading lists of poetry enthusiasts and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community, college, and university library Contemporary American Poetry collections. VW Heaven: all the volkswagens / died and went to / Mexico reborn as / blue taxies in one / place green in another / then on the road / red orange yellow and black love bugs / slim sexy bodies easy on / the gas no dents no rust / they look brand new / polished and clean / waiting to take you / anywhere you say


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Chenoo
Joseph Bruchac
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
www.oupress.com
9780806152073, $16.95, 224pp, www.amazon.com

The latest addition to the outstanding University of Oklahoma Press series 'American Indian Literature and Critical Studies', "Chenoo: A Novel" by Abenaki writer, poet, and storyteller Joseph Bruchac is the story of Jacob Neptune, a wise-cracking, two-fisted Penacook private investigator with a checkered past, lives in upstate New York, some four hundred miles from his tribal community on Abenaki Island. Then one night the phone rings with a call from his cousin Dennis that sets off a series of events beginning with an attack on Jacob by bikers before he can even board his plane. Guided by his sense of duty to his homeland, Jacob agrees to help protect Dennis and other Penacooks as they stage a takeover of a state campground on land that should have reverted to their tribe. But encroaching developers, government operators, and even fellow Penacooks eager to build a casino each pose a threat to the Abenaki lands -- and all have reasons to want Jacob Neptune out of the picture. As Jacob and Dennis contend with hired guns, police, and security, a far greater threat appears: someone, or something, is brutally killing people in the woods. It will take all of Neptune's skills as a martial artist and the wisdom gained from tribal elders to battle the forces that threaten the sacred land, as well as his and his people's lives. Author Joseph Bruchac is a master storyteller who is able to blend comedy into a solidly compelling action/adventure with underlying themes of corporate greed, environmental destruction, cultural erosion, and Native American values. The result is an exceptional and highly recommended addition to community library General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Chenoo" is also available in a Kindle edition ($16.10).

The Semi-Sweet Hereafter
Colette London
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street, Floor 21, New York, NY 10018-2522
www.kensingtonbooks.com
9781617733499, $7.99, PB, 352pp, www.amazon.com

The third volume in Colette London's outstanding 'Chocolate Whisperer' mystery series, "The Semi-Sweet Hereafter" find Hayden Mundy Moore in London to lend her expertise to high-street chocolaterie-patisserie Primrose. Nothing more. Really! But when a famous culinary bad boy is found dead under suspicious circumstances (in her lodgings!), Hayden's eagerness not to be involved (this time) makes her the prime suspect in the ensuing investigation. "The Semi-Sweet Hereafter" is another terrific and original mystery from the pen of Colette London, a writer who has become a master of the mystery/suspense genre. While unreservedly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs in general, and Colette London fans in particular, that "The Semi-Sweet Hereafter" is also available in a Kindle edition ($5.99). Also very highly recommended are the first two titles in this outstanding series: "Criminal Confections" (9781617733451, $7.99 PB, $5.99 Kindle) and "Dangerously Dark" (9781617733475, $7.99 PB, $5.99 Kindle).

Heart of Stone
James W. Ziskin
Seventh Street Books
c/o Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228
www.prometheusbooks.com
9781633881839, $15.95, PB, 290pp, www.amazon.com

In the waning days of a lazy August holiday, Ellie Stone is enjoying a bright Adirondack-lake morning. Nearby, two men plummet to their deaths on the rocks below, just a few feet short of the water of a dangerous diving pool. A tragic accident, it seems. But the state police quickly establish that the two victims (one who is a stranger to the lake and the other who is a teenaged boy from a nearby music camp) surely didn't know each other. That anomaly is strange enough, but what really perplexes Ellie is the out-of-place station wagon parked twenty yards from the edge of the cliff. Wading into a slippery morass of fellow travelers, free-love intellectuals, rabid John Birchers, and charismatic evangelicals, Ellie must navigate old grudges and Cold War passions, lost ideals and betrayed loves. She sticks her nose where it's unwanted, rattling nerves and putting herself in jeopardy. But this time, it's her heart that's at risk. "Heart of Stone" is another terrific read from the pen of James Ziskin and continues the mystery adventures of Ellie Stone. While very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery fans that "Heart of Stone" is also available in a Kindle edition ($2.99). Ziskin is a true master of the mystery genre; his first three Ellie Stone novels are: "Styx & Stone" (9781616148195, $15.95 PB, $9.99 Kindle), "No Stone Unturned" (9781616148836, $15.95 PB, $9.99 Kindle), and "Stone Cold Dead" (9781633880481, $15.95 PB, $11.99 Kindle).

The Hanged Man
Gary Inbinder
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10004
www.pegasusbooks.com
9781681771649, $25.95, HC, 352pp, www.amazon.com

It is Paris in July, 1890, as Police Inspector Achille Lefebvre and his wife Adele are enjoying their stay at a seaside resort -- until a body found hanging from a bridge in a public park demands the Inspector's attention. Is it suicide or murder? A twisted trail of evidence draws Inspector Lefebvre into a shadowy underworld of international intrigue, espionage, and terrorism. Time is of the essence; pressure mounts on the Surete to get results. Achille's chief orders him to work with his former partner, Inspector Rousseau, now in charge of a special unit in the newly formed political brigade. But can Achille trust the detective who let him down in another case? Inspector Lefebvre uses innovative forensics and a network of police spies to uncover a secret alliance, a scheme involving the sale of a cutting-edge high explosive, and an assassination plot that threatens to ignite a world war. "The Hanged Man" is another terrifically original mystery from the fertile mind of Gary Inbinder. Deftly crafted and consistently compelling from beginning to end, "The Hanged Many" is unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. For the personal reading lists of dedicated Inspector Lefebvre fans it should noted that "The Hanged Man" is also available in a Kindle edition ($12.99).

Written Off
E. J. Copperman
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
31 Mistletoe Road, Ashland, OR 97520
www.BlackstoneAudio.com
9781629535999, $25.99, HC, 336pp, www.amazon.com

Rachel Goldman writes mysteries in which Duffy Madison, consultant to the county prosecutor's office, helps find missing persons. Rachel is busy finishing up her next book, when a man calls out of the blue asking for help in a missing persons case. The caller's name? Duffy Madison. Is this real or has she lost her mind? She doesn't have much time to find out because a serial killer is on the loose, kidnapping and murdering mystery authors. And Rachel may just be the next target. Author E. J. Copperman is a master of the mystery/suspense genre and the publication of "Written Off" is launching his new 'Mysterious Detective' series. Another terrific read from a exceptionally skilled storyteller, "Written Off" is certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. For the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs it should be noted that "Written Off" is also available in a Kindle edition ($10.69). Librarians should noted that "Written Off" is also available in a complete and unabridged Audio CD format (Blackstone Audiobooks, 9781504717946, $90.00).

Knit to Be Tied
Maggie Sefton
Berkeley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
9780425282502, $26.00, www.penguin.com

Knit to Be Tied joins others in the Knitting Mystery series and tells of the Lambspun Knitters, friends at a knitting shop who welcome a new member: pregnancy Nancy, who wants to knit baby clothes. As they learn more about their new addition, the women's knitting group comes to believe Nancy's baby's father is not a good man; but when he comes to an untimely end, it's up to the knitting group to uncover the truth about his actions in this engrossing mystery, especially recommended for fans of knitting and intrigue.


The Audiobook Shelf

The Writing Game
David Lodge
Performed by Ian Abercrombie, Michael Brandon, Christine Estrabrook, et. al.
L.A. Theatre Works
681 Venice Boulevard, Venice, CA 90291
9781682660331 $29.95 www.latw.org

The Writing Game is a full-cast performance audiobook, recorded before a live audience, of David Lodge's play about what it truly means to be a writer. Set in 17th century England, The Writer's Game features a group of writers at a creative writing seminar. Once of them is an strong-willed, opinionated American novelist, who quickly discovers that he has far more to learn about writing and love than he ever could have imagined. Vivacious, witty, and inspirational, The Writing Game is the next best thing to witnessing a performance of this exceptional play in person, and highly recommended especially for personal and public library audiobook collections. 2 CDs, 1 hour 38 min.

Scouting for Boys
Robert Baden-Powell
Read by Hugh Dennis
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28, Franklin, TN 37064
9781843799825 $17.98 www.naxosaudiobooks.com

Scouting for Boys is the audiobook rendition of the classic handbook "Scouting for Boys: A Handbook for Instruction in Good Citizenship", first published in1908 and credited for inspiring the scouting movement as a supplementary educational activity for children. In the handbook, Baden-Powell drew upon material from a wide variety of sources (including his own military experience) to cover important lessons about Tracking and Observation, Woodcraft, Camp Life, First Aid, and much more. Highly recommended, especially for public library audiobook collections. 2 CDs, 2 hours and 20 min.

The Aspern Papers
Henry James
Read by Adam Sims
Naxos of America, Inc.
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28, Franklin, TN 37064
9781843799863 $28.98 www.naxosaudiobooks.com

The Aspern Papers is an unabridged audiobook presentation of Henry James classic novella, first published in 1888. When a literary biographer travels to Venice in search of the love letters of the deceased American poet Jeffrey Aspern, he learns that the letters' owner is an unpleasant elderly woman, living alone save for her emotionally neglected niece. To what lengths will the biographer go to obtain the Aspern papers? Will he lie to, bribe, or steal from either of the women? A moral parable grappling with the quandary of whether the deceased have the same rights to privacy as the living, The Aspern Papers is as relevant today as it was over a century ago. Highly recommended, especially for public library audiobook collections. 3 CDs, 3 hours 46 min 52 sec.

Dragon Friend
Marc Secchia
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
www.tantor.com
9781515900511, $42.99, CD, www.amazon.com

Complete and unabridged, "Dragon Friend" is the first audio book volume in author Marc Sechia's action/adventure fantasy 'Dragonfriend' series. "Hualiama" is the young 15 year old King's ward who is stabbed and thrown overboard an air ship by the traitor Ra'aba. Saved by a dragonet named Flicker, burned by a an evil orange dragon, saved by good blue dragon, "Dragon Friend" is the story of courageous girl who refuses to die. But only extraordinary interspecies friendships will save Hualiama's beloved kingdom of Fra'anior and restore the king to the Onyx Throne. Deftly narrated by Erin Bennett, this extraordinary action/adventure fantasy is brought vividly to live in a true 'theatre of the mind' listening experience, making "Dragon Friend" an extraordinary and highly recommended addition to personal and community library audio book collections. (14 CDs, 17 Hours).

Learning to Ride
Erin Knightly, author
Read by Courtney Patterson
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9781478967590 $10.00 www.HachetteAudio.com

Part of the "James Patterson's Bookshots: Flames" series created especially for connoisseurs short yet sweet original romance novels, Learning to Ride is the salaciously sexy story of rodeo king Tanner Callen and New York beauty Madeline Harper. She never wanted to fall in love with a cowboy, and he never wanted more than a casual fling... at first. But sometimes, love and longing can blossom when they're the least expected! This unabridged audiobook edition is superbly performed by Courtney Patterson, and enthusiastically recommended for fans of burning, passionate romance. 3 hours on 3 CDs.

North By Northwest: Paula Poundstone Live!
Paula Poundstone
Highbridge Audio Books
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
www.highbridgeaudio.com
9781681682228, $22.95, CD, www.amazon.com

"North By Northwest: Paula Poundstone Live!" is a two disc CD featuring two of stand-up comedian Paula Poundstone's live performances. CD #1 is a recording of her improve ad-lib style humor in an event in Bayfield, Wisconsin. CD #2 is a recording of her improve ad-lib style humor in Portland, Oregon. Each performance, with the exception of a single joke (what it's like to try and sleep with 14 cats coughing hairballs throughout the night) both performances are unique and feature Paula's distinctive comedic stylings as she plays off members of her audiences. Laugh-out-loud hilarious, "North By Northwest: Paula Poundstone Live!" is a must for the legions of Paula Poundstone fans and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library audio book humor collections.

Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
www.hachetteaudio.com

Joel Salatin's The Marvelous Pigness of Pigs (9781478909132, $30.00) is narrated by the author and appears in an unabridged audio that captures a unique blend of Biblical faith and autobiography as Joel Salatin uses allegory and example to review different aspects of God's creations and design. From Biblical discussions of ethics that apply to modern scenarios to his discussions of how Christians hold responsibility for the earth and how this should direct actions and decisions, this is a powerful survey that is compelling, direct, and especially lively listening for any who would receive a different vision of faith and its responsibilities. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's Beyond the Ice Limit (9781478909118, $30.00) receives the experienced voice of narrator David W. Collins, a L.A. actor whose voice can be heard on TV and in commercials as well as on video games, and who brings to life the story of a mission to uncover a giant meteorite off the coast of South America which ends in disaster. The meteorite is not just a rock, but holds an alien life form that is growing - and it's up to Glinn and his team to destroy it in this powerful thriller. James Patterson and Maxine Paetro's 15th Affair (9781478928133, $35.00) is narrated by January LaVoy, a New York-based actress who has performed on other audios as well as screen and stage, and comes to life in an audio story that tells of detective Lindsay Boxer, who chases her latest subject - her husband - when a brutal murder points in his direction. Add a tragedy that immerses San Francisco in danger and a battle that involves the Women's Murder club in the case of their life and you have a thriller that's especially winning in audio. Sebastian Junger's Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging (9781478936879, $25.00) is read by the author, who brings to life his own account that blends history, psychology and anthropology in an exploration of tribal societies and the meaning they hold for modern man. Tribe explores group effectiveness, preservation, loyalty, and belonging and provides many powerful keys for understanding human cultures and communities. Noah Hawley's Before the Fall (9781478987598, $35.00) is narrated by Robert Petkoff, who has appeared on film, TV and Broadway. His deft and evocative voice lends to this thriller surrounding a plane crash, a few survivors, and a series of coincidences that indicate the crash may not have been an accident. A powerful story emerges in this engrossing and tense story, perfect for audio listeners who like fast-paced action and more than a few subplots and character explorations. Elin Hilderbrand's Here's to Us (9781478909392, $35.00) is narrated by Erin Bennett, whose smooth and compelling voice lends quiet power to the unabridged story of three women who love their men as much as they dislike one another. Each is very different, and each faces intense challenges and changes after the one man they all were married to at one time dies tragically. A powerful listen perfect for summer leisure evolves in a story that's hard to put down.


The Library CD Shelf

Lucky To Be Alive
Confederate Railroad
confederaterailroad.net
$7.99 CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com

Lucky To Be Alive is a new album from the award-winning country music group Confederate Railroad, their first release in nine years. Showcasing all-new songs as well as a revamped version of their popular hit "Trashy Women" (featuring Willie Nelson, John Anderson, and Colt Ford), Lucky To Be Alive is all in the moment; music that exults in the freedom of being true to one's own desires. Confederate Railroad's rousing, energetic, and sometime edgy style comes through as proud and strong as ever. Lucky To Be Alive is a "must" for fans of this beloved band! The tracks are "Lucky To Be Alive", "Played the Game", "The Man I Am Today", "If I Ever Cross That Line", "Trashy Women (20th anniversary)", "Goodbye Song", "Somebody Like You", and "Whiskey and Women".

Harlan Road
NewTown
thenewtownband.com
Mountain Home Music Company
mountainhomemusiccompany.com
$10.99 CD / $8.99 MP3 amazon.com

Kentucky-based bluegrass band NewTown presents Harlan Road, a music album embodying the salt-of-the-earth drive to persevere through both good times and bad. Award-winning fiddler Kati Penn and her banjo-playing husband Jr. Williams reveal their talent with both instruments and vocals. Band members Travis Anderson (bass), Mitchell Cannon (mandolin) and Hayes Griffin (guitar) add a rich, multi-layered quality to these country-spirit songs. Harlan Road is a "must" for bluegrass connoisseurs! The tracks are "All That I Can Take" (2:42), "Can't Let Go" (3:08), "Harlan Road" (3:06), "The Heart You've Been Tending" (2:26), "Hard Times" (2:29), "The Feast of the Gryphon" (3:10), "The Crows and the Jakes" (2:37), "Drifter Blues" (3:00), "Wildfire" (3:52), "Castaway" (3:11), and "Come Back to Me" (3:10).

Secret Garden
Monica Logani
www.monicalogani.com
$9.99 CD / Download cdbaby.com

Secret Garden is a piano album by classically-trained music artist Monica Logani. New Age piano music is enhanced with vintage acoustic and electric guitar, in these soothing and emotionally uplifting songs. Secret Garden evokes visions of a magnificent journey, and is highly recommended. The tracks are "The Gardener", "Anthem", "Autumn Sky", "Amber Rust (solo piano)", "Starboard", "Carousel", "Butterfly (solo piano)", "Bali Bells", "Nonlinear Love", "Second Hand", "Journey's End", and "Between Two Worlds". 34 min. 12 sec.

Life Sometimes
Sarah Dukes, composer
Yaron Gershovsky, performer
www.sarahdukesmusic.com
$14.99 CD / $9.49 MP3 www.amazon.com

Life Sometimes is a solo piano composed by Sarah Dukes and performed by Yaron Gershovsky. The notes glide with a smooth, ethereal quality stirs the heart and mind. Expressive and evocative, Life Sometimes blends elements of serenity and New Age into a soundscape treasure. The tracks are "Stargaze", "Violet Beams", "Rainbows and Crystals", "As the Wind Blows", "Just Because", "Life Sometimes", "Black Rose", "Closer", "An Angel Returns", "Falling Up", "The Road Up Ahead", "Dancing in the Dark", "Moving Forward", and "One".

Summer Breeze
Greg Murphy
Whaling City Sound
www.whalingcitysound.com
c/o Naxos of America, Inc. (dist.)
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28, Franklin, TN 37064
www.naxosaudiobooks.com
$13.99 CD / $8.99 amazon.com

Summer Breeze is a jazz album brimming with vibrant warmth. Music artists Greg Murphy (piano, keyboards), Eric Wheeler (acoustic and electric bass), and Kush Abadey (drums), supported by additional skilled players of the trumpet, saxophone, trombone, and more, have created an intense listening experience sure to thrill and delight. Highly recommended! The tracks are "Solar" (4:59), "Sophisticated Lady" (6:49), "No One in Particular" (6:33), "A Reason to Smile" (5:10), "Cedar Salad" (8:41), "Fall" (5:03), "Expectations" (5:55), "Summer Breeze" (4:47), "Solid" (6:44), "Leo's Lullaby" (4:47), "Tsk" (5:45), and "Suspended Times" (7:41).

Dedication to Sylvia Rexach
Miramar
Barbes Records
$10.99 CD / $7.99 MP3 amazon.com

Puerto Rican singer Reinaldo Alvarez and the group Miramar (their name roughly translates to "Look at the sea") present Dedication to Sylvia Rexach, a captivating album in which they perform songs created by the vivacious and multi-talented Syvlia Rexach (1922-1961). Rexach was born and raised in Puerto Rico, yet during the dark days of World War II she joined the United States Army as a member of the WACS (Women's Army Corps Service) and served as an office clerk. Joyous, creative, and beautiful, Dedication to Sylvia Rexach is a "must" for Latin- American music collections. The tracks are "Tus Pasos", "Alma Adentro", "Sin Ti", "Nuestra Luna", "Di Corazon", "Estatua", "Por Siempre", "Y Entonces", "En Mis Suenos", and "Como Tu Eres".

Awaken Me: Songs from the Heart of a Seeker
Kimberly Haynes
Kimberly Haynes Music
MusicMedicineWoman.com
$17.99 amazon.com

New Age singer/songwriter Kimberly Haynes presents her debut album Awaken Me: Songs from the Heart of a Seeker, a gentle, heart-touching collection of original songs revealing her mellifluous vocal talent. A handful of guest performances enrich this treasury of spiritually uplifting songs. Highly recommended! The tracks are "Awaken Me" (7:18), "The Dream" (4:46), "Light of my Soul" (4:52), "My Heart Knows the Way" (5:31), "Pathless Path" (6:32), "The Jewel" (4:32), "Great Divide" (4:24), "Do I Dare" (7:45), "You're The One That I Want" (7:18), "Come Come" (4:24), and "Do I Dare (Earth Mix)" (7:45).

The Best of Bossacucanova
Bossacucanova
Six Degrees Records
$11.72 CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com

The Best of Bossacucanova is an album of songs that Brazilian band Bossacucanova feel best represent their artistic expression, including two brand new compositions. Their high-energy music showcases Portuguese culture, Brazilian anthems, electronic beats, multipart rhythms and harmonies, and more. The Best of Bossacucanova is a must-have for world music collections! The tracks are "Berimbau" (4:39), "Consolacao" (3:51), "Meditacao" (4:12), "Bye Bye Brasil" (5:36), "Agua de Beber" (5:12), "Brasilidade" (5:23), "Essa Moca ta Diferente" (4:22), "Previsao" (3:00), "Aguas de Marco" (4:43), "Adeus America" (3:58), "E Preciso Perdoar" (4:15), "Balanca (Nao Pode Parar!)" (3:35), "Indio Quer Apito" (3:13), and "Waldomiro Pena (Dalata Remix)" (3:46).

Mara
Aditya Prakash Ensemble
$TBA www.akpmusic.com

Mara is a music steeped in South Indian tradition, culture, and stylings. The title refers to the demon Mara, who tempted the Buddha and sought to keep him from attaining Enlightenment. Mara represents the shadow self, the darkness of the mind in every human being, the inner struggle to improve as a person. The music follows an individual as she braves this dangerous psychological maze, flowing with vocalizations and rhythm to weave a soundscape story, ranging in flavor from reflective to all-out dance. Mara is unique, experimental, and highly recommended.


The Library DVD Shelf

The Professor: Tai Chi's Journey West
A film by Barry Strugatz
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036
$24.95 www.firstrunfeatures.com

The Professor: Tai Chi's Journey West is a documentary about the martial art of Tai Chi and one of its great masters, Cheng Man-Ching (1902-1975), who brought Tai Chi and other aspects of Chinese culture to the Western world in the 1960's. A wealth of vintage archival footage enriches this extraordinary and captivating history. The Professor: Tai Chi's Journey West is enthusiastically recommended for public and college library DVD collections. DVD extras include a 37 Movement Form done by Cheng Man-Ching, "The Origin of Tai Chi", and an interview with Harvard Medical School Ph.D. holder Peter M. Wayne about "Medical Science & Tai Chi". 72 min., optional English subtitles.

Jack Irish: Season 1
Starring Guy Pearce and Marta Dusseldorp
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
$39.99 www.us.RLJEntertainment.com

Available in both DVD and Blu-ray formats, Jack Irish: Season 1 collects the first season adapting Peter Temple's award-winning crime novels to the television screen. Jack Irish is an Australian misanthrope and former criminal lawyer who sometimes works as a private investigator, when he's not engaged in collecting debts, carpentry, or questionable love affairs. Series 1 is a six-part drama in which Jack becomes entangled in a messy, potentially murderous conflict involving Muslim extremists and born-again Christians; meanwhile, his sometimes (and sometimes-not) girlfriend Linda Hillier pursues her journalistic career as a foreign correspondent in Manila. Their respective challenges eventually connect, leading them to a reunion under difficult circumstances. A modern-day noir of complex characters and hard choices, Jack Irish: Season 1 is a "must" for connoisseurs of the genre, although viewer discretion is advised due to the presence of violence, strong language, and sexual situations. Bonus features include a ten- minute behind-the-scenes featurette and a photo gallery. 6 episodes on 2 DVDs, 346 min., widescreen.

Murdoch Mysteries Season 9
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$59.99 www.acornonline.com

Available in both DVD and Blu-ray formats, Murdoch Mysteries Season 9 collects 18 episodes of this acclaimed Canadian mystery series, set in Toronto during the early 1900's. Murdoch (played by Yannick Bisson) and his associates are put to the test against serial killers, bank robbers, opium sellers, and more. They also cross paths with historical luminaries such as Lucy Maud Montgomery (author of "Anne of Green Gables"), temperance advocate Carrie Nation, and legendary American author/satirist Mark Twain (played by William Shatner). Wry, witty, intense, and tightly plotted, Murdoch Mysteries Season 9 is a highly recommended for mystery connoisseurs. Bonus features include making-of featurettes (43 min.) and a photo gallery. 18 episodes on 5 DVDs or 4 Blu-ray discs, 792 min., widescreen, SDH subtitles.

Attack the Attack
Jeff Burger
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
www.ymaa.com
9781594393952 $29.95 amazon.com

Attack the Attack: Split-Second Counterattacks is a martial arts DVD by Jeff Burger, who holds a fifth-degree black belt in both Shito-ryu karate and Matsukaze-ryu ju jitsu. The primary focus is on learning how to effectively defend oneself and counter attacks, especially by improving one's response time. Both physical blocking techniques and psychological strategies such as the OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act) are discussed. Dozens of drills are included to hone one's body and mindset. Attack the Attack is a superb supplementary resource for anyone practicing martial arts, whether for self-defense or sport fighting, and highly recommended. 135 min.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Tarot
Anthony Louis
Llewellyn Publications
2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125
www.llewellyn.com
9780738749082, $24.99, PB, 336pp, www.amazon.com

With occasional black-and-white illustrations, "Llewellyn's Complete Book of Tarot" is a complete course of instruction under one cover and contains everything a tarot reader needs to know about this arcane art. Readers will join with tarot expert Anthony Louis as he explores tarot history, shares card meanings and spreads, and provides detailed guidance that educates and inspires, whether you're a beginner or an advanced reader. "Llewellyn's Complete Book of Tarot" includes basic reading techniques for a wide variety of systems, including Marseilles, Rider-Waite, and Thoth. "Llewellyn's Complete Book of Tarot" identifies the meaning of associations, correspondences, reversals, and dignities, and experience the ways that tarot interacts with astrology and personal spirituality. "Llewellyn's Complete Book of Tarot" will enable tarot practitioners to combine tarot reading with Kabbalah, numerology, Jungian psychology, journaling, and storytelling while exploring card selection, creativity, tarot ethics, and specialized spreads. Focusing on the use of tarot for insight, empowerment, self-understanding, and fortunetelling, "Llewellyn's Complete Book of Tarot" provides centuries of accumulated wisdom that will enable you to make optimal use of one of the most powerful spiritual tools ever developed. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in tone, content, commentary, organization and presentation, "Llewellyn's Complete Book of Tarot" is unreservedly recommended for personal, profession, academic, and community library Metaphysical Studies collections in general, and Tarot supplemental studies reading lists in particular.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Cozy Stash-Busting Knits
Jen Lucas
Martingale & Company
19021 - 120th Avenue NE, Suite 102, Bothell, WA 98011
9781604687407, $24.99, www.shopmartingale.com

Cozy Stash-Busting Knits: 22 Patterns for Hats, Scarves, Cowls & More teaches the basics of how to incorporate knit accessories into a wardrobe and comes from a designer well known for lacy knits and light yarns. Knitters may not realize they can apply the same techniques to heavier yarns to create delicate-looking hats, shawls, and more; but this book offers a wide range of patterns and projects that feature textured stitches and different yarn weights. Experienced and intermediate-level knitters will find much to attract in this excellent survey of knit projects that can be produced from yarn stashes and leftovers.

The Encyclopedia of Sewing Techniques
Wendy Gardiner
Search Press USA
c/o Publishers Group West
1700 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
9781903975664, $19.95, www.searchpress.com

The Encyclopedia of Sewing Techniques uses a visual dictionary approach to cover basic sewing techniques, reviewing the tricks and tips of the sewing world through a focus on finished pieces and how they were cut, assembled, or sewed. Chapters discuss all the options in each project, from putting together collars and using facing and bands for a smooth finish to sewing curtains and other home furnishings. The result is an excellent compendium of techniques recommended not just for reference consultation, for but browsing to learn new methods and ideas.

Stitches from the Garden
Kathy Schmitz
KathySchmitz.com
Martingale
19021 - 120th Avenue NE, Suite 102, Bothell, WA 98011
9781604687767 $24.99 www.shopmartingale.com

Expert quilter Kathy Schmitz (founder of the pattern company Kathy Schmitz Studio) presents Stitches from the Garden: Hand Embroidery Inspired by Nature, a medley of embroidery projects inspired by charm and wonder of nature. Filled with full-color photography, traceable embroidery patterns based on Schmitz's hand-drawn artwork, reader-friendly step-by-step instructions, and supplemented with a helpful diagram of embroidery stitches, Stitches from the Garden is a treasure trove of inspiration for needlecrafters! Highly recommended.

Celtic Threads: A Journey in Cape Breton Crafts
Eveline MacLeod & Daniel W. MacInnes
Cape Breton University Press
P.O. Box 5300, Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, B1P 6L2
www.cbupress.ca
9781897009796, $19.95, PB, 170pp, www.amazon.com

For more than sixty years, Eveline MacLeod's life has been inextricably woven into the art and craft of weaving in Cape Breton. An avid weaver herself, Eveline became an ardent student of the art and a teacher of the craft, tracing its roots from the glens of Cape Breton to the Highlands of Scotland and beyond. In "Celtic Threads: A Journey in Cape Breton Crafts", Eveline draws upon her years of experience and expertise, and with the material assistance of Daniel MacInnes (Professor of Sociology, St. Francis Xavier university) whose research on rural life was invaluable, has produced a beautifully illustrated, exceptionally well written, and impressively organized and presented historical study on Cape Breton needlecrafts. Deftly blending personal memoir with a history that ranges from the Highlands of Scotland down to present day Cape Breton, "Celtic Threads: A Journey in Cape Breton Crafts" is an inherently fascinating and consistently compelling read from beginning to end. Simply stated, "Celtic Threads: A Journey in Cape Breton Crafts" is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library collections, and will prove of special interest for non-specialist general readers with an interest in Cape Breton contributions to fibre arts and crafts in general, and weaving in particular.

Applique for Modern Beginners
Eva Birch, Nancy Gano, Jodi Robinson
American Quilter's Society
PO Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
www.americanquilter.com
9781683390053, $24.95, PB, 95pp, www.amazon.com

Applique Quilts take on a modern twist with quilting experts Eva Birch, Nancy Gano, and Jodi Robinson in "Applique for Modern Beginners". Complete with modern and fresh patterns, "Applique for Modern Beginners" features bold and graphic applique shapes are perfect for beginner and novice quilters. Profusely illustrated step-by-step directions are clear and easy to follow -- and do-it-yourself quilts can be made using a variety of different applique methods. "Applique for Modern Beginners" is unreservedly recommended for personal and community library Needlecraft instructional quilting reference collections.


The Computer Shelf

Murach's SQL Server 2016 for Developers
Bryan Syverson & Joel Murach
Mike Murach & Associates
4340 North Knoll Avenue, Fresno, CA 93722
www.murach.com
9781890774967, $57.50, PB, 672pp, www.amazon.com

A newly updated and expanded edition, "Murach's SQL Server 2016 for Developers" is a complete and comprehensive instructional specifically designed for application developers. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in tone, content, organization and presentation, "Murach's SQL Server 2016 for Developers" presents all of the SQL statements needed to retrieve and update the data in a database. These are the SQL statements that you'll use every day. "Murach's SQL Server 2016 for Developers" also shows how to design a database, how to implement that design, and how to work with database features like views, scripts, stored procedures, functions, triggers, transactions, security, XML data, BLOB data with FILESTREAM storage, and the CLR integration feature. With "Murach's SQL Server 2016 for Developers" even the most novice application developers will quickly be able to create database applications that are thoroughly professional. "Murach's SQL Server 2016 for Developers" covers the DBA-related issues that let application development work be done efficiently and effectively. "Murach's SQL Server 2016 for Developers" is a handy instruction manual and reference that is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, college, and university Computer Science reference collections in general, and application development supplemental study reading lists in particular.

CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com

Two excellent college-level computer guides are top picks for any collection appealing to game designers and programmers. Eric Lengyel edits Game Engine Gems 3 (9781498755658, $89.95), the third volume in the Game Engine Gems series which offers over twenty new chapters on techniques, tricks, and game engine specifics. Each chapter synthesizes the approaches of a range of professionals working in the academic and computer worlds, and discussions range from general programming and graphics to artificial intelligence and game construction. A companion website supports this book with updates, more information, and downloadable source code. Wolfgang Engel edits GPU Pro7 (9781498742535, $89.95), covering the latest edition of a game reference that tackles advanced rendering techniques and special effects that can be used by beginners and graphics programmers alike. New developments in real-time rendering and the latest graphics advancements are covered in a book that surveys DirectX or OpenGL runtimes, different approaches to creating games that run on different consumer platforms, and how to integrate mobile devices and video into the creation. The result is a powerful survey that is highly recommended for any game programmer.


The Fishing Shelf

Buoy 10: The Largest Salmon Run in the World!
Larry Ellis
Frank Amato Publications
PO Box 82112, Portland, OR 97282
www.amatobooks.com
9781571885302, $24.95, PB, 112pp, www.amazon.com

"Buoy 10: The Largest Salmon Run in the World!" by outdoor writer and accomplished angler Larry Ellis is a comprehensive study on the Columbia River's world-famous Buoy 10. "Buoy 10" features ten detailed maps, boat launches, techniques, rigs, safety, timing, species, weather, tides, boats, accommodations, campgrounds tackle shops, marinas, and everything else an angler needs to know to find success at Buoy 10 -- the home of the world's largest salmon run. Profusely illustrated throughout, informed and informative, exceptionally well organized, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in presentation, and featuring a brief history of Buoy 10 by Frank Amato, "Buoy 10: The Largest Salmon Run in the World!" is a 'must read' for anyone contemplating taking advantage of what Buoy 10 has to offer by way of truly memorable salmon fishing for both the novice and the experienced angler.


The Christian Studies Shelf

A Shorter Guide to the Holy Spirit
Anthony C. Thiselton
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
2140 Oak Industrial Drive, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
www.eerdmans.com
9780802873491, $24.00, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com

The seventeen chapters comprising "A Shorter Guide to the Holy Spirit: Bible, Doctrine, Experience" by Anthony C. Thiselton (Professor Emeritus of Christian theology at the University of Nottingham, England) is deftly organized into three major sections: The Spirit in the Biblical Writings; Doctrinal Themes; Experience and Global Origins and Current issues among Pentecostals. An inherently compelling read that is as informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "A Shorter Guide to the Holy Spirit" is especially commended to both clergy and non-specialist general readers with an interest in Christian theology and biblical doctrine. Enhanced with the inclusion of a fourteen page Bibliography; a five page Index of Authors; a nine page Index of Subjects; and a twenty page Index of Scriptures and Other Ancient Sources, "A Shorter Guide to the Holy Spirit" is unreservedly recommended for personal, church, seminary, community, and academic library Christian Theology reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.

First Fruits
Susan Butler
Morgan James Publishing
11815 Fountain Way, Suite 300, Newport News, VA 23606-4448
www.morganjamespublishing.com
9781630477486, $48.99, HC, 496pp, www.amazon.com

Many Christians desire a deeper walk with God, but feel they are too busy to add one more thing to their personal schedules. Because time is valuable and reading God's Word consistently takes strong discipline, "First Fruits: Giving God Your Best 365 Days of the Year " by Susan Butler offers a condensed explanation of specific Scripture passages for all 365 days of the year. The Scripture and the Scripture reference is printed on each page. It's easy to open up to a single one to share a moment with God, and perhaps, change the course of our day. "First Fruits" is written in the first person of God, allowing ordinary Christians to understand Scripture as if in conversation with Him. God wants nothing more than to have a personal, intimate relationship with each soul He created. This relationship is achieved through faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, and then believing in and depending upon the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In "First Fruits", Christian readers delve into not only the grace of God, but everyday issues thought by some to be too mundane for God. Christian readers will learn what God's desires are for speech, attitude, faith, obedience, discipline, stewardship, acts of love, and trust in Him. Christian readers will understand the security they have as a Believer, the power and sovereignty of God, the End Times, what to expect in Heaven, and so much more! Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "First Fruits" is unreservedly recommended for personal, church, seminary, community, and academic library Christian Studies reference collections and reading lists. For students and all members of the Christian community, it should be noted that "First Fruits" is also available in a paperback edition (9781630477462, $24.99) and in a Kindle format ($10.69).

Lord Willing?: Wrestling with God's Role in My Child's Death
Jessica Kelley
Herald Press
1251 Virginia Avenue, Harrisonburg, VA 22802
www.heraldpress.com
9781513800196 $16.99 / $9.99 Kindle amazon.com

Author Jessica Kelley wrestles with a conundrum as old as faith itself: why does God allow innocent lives to suffer and die? She writes not only as a Christian philosopher and theologian, but also as a mother who lost her young son to incurable brain cancer. Her journey to understand offers a new perspective drawn from Scripture and the teachings of Jesus Christ. For example, in seeking wisdom from the book of Job (in which Job loses everything to tragedy, including his family, and rails against God), Kelley states, "Job had started with the assumption that God had single-handedly determined everything that came to pass... Because God understood Job's flawed assumptions, he knew Job's accusations were not only logical but, more importantly, honest. He therefore praised his servant for speaking rightly. And when Job responds, we find him repenting from his misguided presumptions, not from the candidness of his rants." Lord Willing? offers profound insight and is highly recommended for Christian spirituality shelves, church library collections, and personal study.


The Travel Shelf

London Cycling Guide, updated edition
Tom Bogdanowicz
IMM Lifestyle Books
www.IMMLifestyleBooks.com
c/o Fox Chapel Publishing Company (dist.)
1970 Broad Street N., East Petersburg, PA 17520
9781504800198 $14.99 www.FoxChapelPublishing.com

Now in an updated edition with new routes and photographs, London Cycling Guide: More than 40 Great Routes for Exploring the Capital is an excellent resource for cyclists looking to make the most of their visit to London. Detailed information and full-color maps fill this practical- minded, user-friendly reference. The extensive photography and descriptions of landmarks make London Cycling Guide a fine browse for armchair travelers as well!

Perth: A Guide for the Curious
Terri-Ann White, editor
UWA Publishing
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR, 97213
www.isbs.com
9781742587554, $26.99, PB, 330pp, www.amazon.com

Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth-most populous city in Australia, with an estimated population of 2.02 million living in Greater Perth. Compiled and edited by Terri-Ann White and featuring a Foreword by Perth's Lord Mayor Lisa-M. Scaffidi, "Perth: A Guide for the Curious" is comprised of twenty-four informed and informative articles contributed by an eclectic group of Perth people sharing their insights. From an architect's perspective on heritage to a historian's ruminations on Perth's swampy origins; from a walk down streets that don't exist to Noongar place names; from the union movement to public art to criminal Perth to conversational Perth, "Perth: A Guide for the Curious" encourages new encounters with the city. Indeed, "Perth: A Guide for the Curious" traverses social, cultural and political spaces as the reader traverses the streets, kindling a sense of curiosity about a city by unearthing buried treasure. "Perth: A Guide for the Curious" is not a book of nostalgia. It doesn't posit a golden age or list a series of laments. Rather it is a compendium about continuities and unfolding narratives. "Perth: A Guide for the Curious" situates the present in the past and illuminates possible futures. This is an informed and informative volume that is meant to be thumbed through in cafes, stuffed into satchels and walked around the city like a tireless companion, delighting and inspire both visitor and local alike. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, commentary, organization and presentation, "Perth: A Guide for the Curious" is unreservedly recommended for another living in and/or anticipating visiting the ever-evolving city of Perth, Australia.

The Last Road North
Robert Orrison and Den Welch
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
9781611212433 $14.95 www.savasbeatie.com

The Last Road North: A Guide to the Gettysburg Campaign, 1863 is especially for anyone who wants to experience the ultimate Civil War road trip. Historians Robert Orrison and Dan Welch invite the reader to follow the patch of the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac, describing historical sites and monuments with an intensity that recreates history. Individual chapters pay especial attention to The Confederate Advance, The Union Response, Jeb Stuart's Ride, The Battle, and The Retreat from Gettysburg. Black-and-white maps or photography illustrate almost every page of this excellent guide, which will also appeal to armchair travelers.


The Automotive Shelf

The Definitive Barracuda & Challenger Guide 1970-1974
Scott E. Ross
CarTech Inc.
39966 Grand Avenue, North Branch, MN 55056
9781613252369 $39.95 www.cartechbooks.com

Featuring 336 full-color photographs, The Definitive Barracuda & Challenger Guide 1970-1974 is a gorgeous in-depth showcase of these compact, lightweight, and powerful muscle cars, which remain valued treasures to this day. Packed cover to cover with facts, figures, and history of these cars, The Definitive Barracuda & Challenger Guide 1970-1974 does not shy from technical details for the hardcore automotive enthusiast's reference. Casual connoisseurs will enjoy browsing the photographic display, as well as the history behind these cars' creation, modification, options, marketing, and sales. "The Oil Shock of 1973 had a devastating impact on new-car sales at the time it hit in early October of that year, barely anything was moving off a dealer's lot, regardless of how good its gas mileage was." The Definitive Barracuda & Challenger Guide 1970-1974 is fascinating to page through, and makes an excellent giftbook for muscle car fans.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Identifying Birds of Prey
Laura Erickson
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-6921
www.stackpolebooks.com
9780811716185 $9.95 amazon.com

Easy to use and concise at 60 pages, Identifying Birds of Prey: Quick Reference Guide for Eastern North America is a user-friendly guide for birdwatchers of all skill and experience levels. Habitat distributions and a silhouette of each species (when gliding with wings outstretched) accompany a full-color photograph of each species. A one-page "quick index" rounds out this excellent resource for quickly and accurately identifying these fierce and majestic avians!


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

The Book of Great American Firecrackers
Jack Nash
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764351426 $24.99 www.schifferbooks.com

The Book of Great American Firecrackers: Cherry Bombs, M-80s, Cannon Crackers, and More is a collector's dream catalog, showcasing a vast assortment of American firecrackers and associated items, illustrated with 183 color and black-and-white images with vintage photographs and packaging, and enhanced with price/value estimates. The text is a thoughtful history of the use, sale, and regulation of firecrackers (which initially became popular as a replacement for more dangerous celebrations of gun and cannon fire) throughout American history. Particular attention is spent detailing all the types of firecrackers produced in the US. Anyone curious about American fireworks is sure to enjoy paging through The Book of Great American Firecrackers from cover to cover!


The Homeowner's Shelf

The Complete Outdoor Builder, updated edition
Black + Decker
Cool Springs Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
9781591866671 $35.00 hc / $16.99 Kindle www.quartoknows.com

Now in an updated edition, The Complete Outdoor Builder is a hands-on guide to more than 150 backyard construction projects, compiled and presented by the experts of the well-known tool brand Black + Decker. Each step of every project is illustrated with full-color photographs as well as descriptive text, making The Complete Outdoor Builder extremely user-friendly. Undertakings include how to build a Sandset Brick Patio, a Stone Retaining Wall, a Lean-To Tool Bin, a Do-It-Yourself Playset, and much more. Vivid images of the finished creations make The Complete Outdoor Builder an excellent "catalog" of beautiful and functional property improvements one can choose from, then personally create! Highly recommended.


The Graphic Novel Shelf

To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts 2
Presented by MAYBE
Vertical, Inc.
451 Park Avenue South, 7th floor, New York, NY 10016
9781942993421 $10.95 www.vertical-inc.com

To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts 2 continues the black-and-white manga (Japanese graphic novel) series set in a world where human soldiers were transformed into virtually mythological monsters. Now that their long war has ended, these ferocious "Incarnates" have been losing their humanity. Hank, a former Incarnate and once the leader and teacher of these soldiers, has taken the sober duty to execute his former brothers-in-arms whenever they endanger or kill innocent people. Schaal, the daughter of an Incarnate that Hank killed, has suspended her quest for vengeance to travel with him and learn more about the Incarnates. Together, they arrive in Whitechurch, following a report on the whereabouts of Cain Madhouse, the man who "loosed the Beasts upon the world". But at least one other Beast is also present within the city! A strong gothic atmosphere surrounds this thoughtful saga of morality and humanity, highly recommended.

Devil's Line 2
Ryo Hanada
Vertical, Inc.
451 Park Avenue South, 7th floor, New York, NY 10016
9781942993384 $12.95 www.vertical-inc.com

Devil's Line 2 is the second volume of a black-and-white manga (Japanese graphic novel) set in a Japan where vampiric, blood-thirsting "devils" walk among human beings. Most devils appear ordinary at first glance, but exposure to human blood can drive them to insane madness, giving theme extreme power and the psychotic urge to kill or rape. Anzai is a half-devil (presumably...) and can also lose control after tasting blood. A mysterious blond devil (who might also be a half- breed?) saves Anzai from a sniper's bullet by giving Anzai blood, but can Anzai learn to control the madness that bloodthirst brings? Is it even possible for a woman and devil-halfbreed to fall in love, or maintain any kind of happiness together? Exacerbating the situation is a mysterious organization that appears hell-bent on unleashing blood madness in devils, beginning with a horrific incident live on broadcast TV! Devil's Line 2 is a mature story for readers ages 13+ due to scenes of violence.

Immortal Hounds 1
Ryo Yashohachi
Vertical, Inc.
451 Park Avenue South, 7th floor, New York, NY 10016
9781942993599 $12.95 www.vertical-inc.com

Immortal Hounds 1 is the debut volume of a violent black-and-white manga (Japanese graphic novel) set in a bizarre reality where humans never die. Whenever humans become sick or injured, they can simply "kill" themselves and immediately be brought back to life in perfect health. Even drowning at the bottom of the ocean will cause them to "revive" on the shore! But a bizarre disease, Resurrection Deficience Syndrome, has begun to creep through the population. Those afflicted with RDS lose the ability to resurrect and will die for real when killed. All cases of RDS are traced to mysterious "Vectors" that carry false ID cards and knowingly spread the disease. Law enforcement agencies try to seek out and kill Vectors - but whenever a Vector is captured, disguised men and women known as Hounds inevitably seek to free the prisoner at any cost! A balance of mystery, sci-fi, and shocking violence, Immortal Hounds is recommended for readers ages 16+ due to scenes of violence.

Wolfsmund 7
Mitsuhisa Kuji
Vertical, Inc.
451 Park Avenue South, 7th floor, New York, NY 10016
9781942993049 $12.95 www.vertical-inc.com

Wolfsmund 7 continues a black-and-white manga (Japanese graphic novel) series in 14th century St. Gotthard Pass between Switzerland and Italy, an area of land also known as the Wolf's Maw. All who seek to escape the rule of the Habsburg monarchy must flee through the pass; yet the unspeakable atrocities of the pass' ruler has prompted a peasant uprising. In volume 7, the peasants have seized control of Wolf's Maw, but for how long? Their former tormentor's master, Duke Leopold, will not suffer the rebellion, and has come with an army to put it down! Although the Wolfsmund series takes some liberties with historical events, it features a vividly (and gruesomely) accurate depiction of medieval warfare, politics, and technology. Wolfsmund is also a series known for savage violence and a high body count, fully reflecting the cruelty of medieval wars. Recommended for readers ages 16+ due to scenes of violence.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

World of Warcraft: Illidan
William King
Del Rey
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com
9780399177569 $27.00 hc / $13.99 Kindle amazon.com

World of Warcraft: Illidan is a fantasy novel about one of the most memorable anti-heroes from the popular, massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft. Illidan is the first Demon Hunter, a ruthless night elf who chose to spearhead the resistance against the demonic, world-destroying Burning Legion by seizing the demons' power for his own use. But Illidan's power came at a terrible price, transforming him inside and out. He became something no longer elven, no longer mortal. World of Warcraft: Illidan recounts the violent saga of Illidan's life, his lost chance at love, and how he came to be called "the Betrayer" by his former people... or was it they who betrayed him? Yet when the demons return hungry for blood, Illidan is well-prepared to fight back! The story directly ties into the upcoming World of Warcraft game expansion "Legion", as well as the new "Demon Hunter" player class that will be made available. Fans of the game, or of high fantasy with a dark twist, will find World of Warcraft: Illdan a must- read!

The Pitchfork of Destiny
Jack Heckel
Harper Voyager Impulse
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
www.harpercollins.com
9780062359322, $6.99, PB, 389pp, www.amazon.com

Life in the Kingdom of Royaume has been happily ever for King William Pickett and his fiancee, Lady Rapunzel. But when Volthraxus, the Great Dragon of the North, returns looking for the love of his life, the Great Wyrm of the South, it becomes clear that some fairy tales never end. After Volthraxus discovers his love was slain by the newly crowned king, he seeks his revenge by kidnaping Rapunzel. Once again, Will teams up with Edward Charming, the only man in all the kingdom with the skill, ego, and dashing good looks to fight a dragon. Our heroes fates depend on finding a weapon re-forged in dragon blood the Pitchfork of Destiny. But as the two set off after the dragon, Charming's bride, Lady Elizabeth, falls into the clutches of a mysterious sorcerer known as the Dracomancer, who has his own plans for Royaume. A riveting great read for action/adventure fantasy fans, "The Pitchfork of Destiny" is the second volume of author Jack Heckel's outstanding 'Charming Tales' series that began with "A Fairytale Ending" (9780062420695, $6.99 PB, $2.99 Kindle). Laced through and through with wit and whimsey, "The Pitchfork of Destiny" is unreservedly recommended and like "A Fairytale Ending" is also available for personal reading lists in a Kindle edition ($2.99).


The Biography Shelf

Sign Talker
Hugh Lenox Scott
Edited by R. Eli Paul
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806153544 $29.95 www.oupress.com

First published in 1928, Sign Talker: Hugh Lenox Scott Remembers Indian Country is the autobiography of Hugh Lenox Scott (1853-1934), a member of the Seventh Cavalry, the same regiment as George Armstrong Custer. His career began at Little Big Horn, where he aided in the reburial of Custer's fallen soldiers. However, Scott held to dramatically different principles than Custer. Scott earned his reputation by avoiding violence and peacefully resolving disputes as much as possible. He respected American Indians, and became one of the most skilled and successful peacemakers ever to serve the U.S. Army. Sign Talker is an extensively annotated edition of Scott's original writings, enhanced with a bibliography and index, and highly recommended for public and college library biography collections.

Horseback Schoolmarm
Margot Liberty
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
9780806153889 $24.95 www.oupress.com

Horseback Schoolmarm: Montana, 1953-1954 is the memoir of Margot Liberty during the year when, as a new graduate of Cornell University, she worked as a rural teacher in a one-room school in eastern Montana. With no experience or supplies, she taught her class of six boys and one girl through activities of her own devising, including field trips into the plains; lessons on science and history; and plays at Halloween and Christmas that helped students practice their reading and writing skills. In the meantime, she lived in a remote "teacherage" with electricity but no phone, plumbing, or running water; she had to park her car so far away that she made use of a saddle horse ("Orphan Annie") in the schoolyard. Horseback Schoolmarm reveals a spunky and creative teacher, offering both funny and heart-touching moments, and serves as a window through time. Highly recommended, especially for public library biography collections and personal or book club reading lists!

Otto Binder
Bill Schelly
North Atlantic Books
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA 94704-2607
www.northatlanticbooks.com
9781623170370 $19.95 pbk / $14.99 Kindle amazon.com

Otto Binder: The Life and Work of a Comic Book and Science Fiction Visionary is a thoughtful biography of Otto Binder (1911-1974), an American immigrant and writer whose success in pulp magazines of the 30's and 40's eventually led to his creation of some of the most popular and enduring characters in American comic books, including Supergirl, Bizarro, and the Legion of Super-Heroes. His incredible life story is one of hard work, survival during the dark times of the Great Depression, family tragedy, and cultural legacy. Highly recommended!


The Jewelry Shelf

Gemstone Buying Guide, third edition
Renee Newman
www.reneenewman.com
International Jewelry Publications
9780929975511 $19.95 amazon.com

Now in an updated third edition, Gemstone Buying Guide lives up to its title as a user-friendly, comprehensive guide to assessing the quality of colored gemstones. Full-color photographs on virtually every page illustrate this no-nonsense introduction to gem valuation, from the four C's (color, cut, clarity, and carat weight) to a working knowledge of gem treatments, transparency, geographic origin, optical effects, brilliance and more. A "must" for anyone who buys, sells, or studies precious gemstones!


The Wisconsin Shelf

Wisconsin Supper Clubs: Another Round
Ron Faiola
Midway
c/o Agate Publishing
1328 Greenleaf Street, Evanston, IL 60202
9781572841932 $35.00 www.agatepublishing.com

Illustrated with captivating photography on virtually every page, Wisconsin Supper Clubs: Another Round is a sumptuous tour of fifty loved and frequented supper club restaurants that help make Wisconsin's culinary scene unique, despite the ubiquitous encroachment of chain restaurants across America. Author Ron Faiola, the award-winning filmmaker who directed an produced the documentary "Wisconsin Supper Clubs", writes with the skill and passion of an expert gourmand. The next best thing to visiting and tasting what these wonderful eateries have to offer in person, Wisconsin Supper Clubs: Another Round is enthusiastically recommended for tourists in search of palate-pleasing treasures and armchair travelers alike!


The Parenting Shelf

Strategies for a Successful Mealtime
Maureen Flanagan, MA, CCC-SLP
AAPC Publishing
11209 Strang Line Road, Lenexa, KS 66215
9781942197133, $27.95, www.aapcpublishing.net

Strategies for a Successful Mealtime: A Program for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Related Disabilities Who Have Eating Difficulties is a specific guide to structured oral movement and feeding designed for parents with kids who struggle with food textures and utensils. By treating such problems as a feeding disorder and offering solutions that help identify and alleviate such habits, parents learn valuable keys to coping that move beyond dietary adjustment to activities supporting different behaviors and choices. The result is a fine model for success recommended for any parent with a child struggling with food and feeding.


The Education Shelf

LGBTQ Voices in Education
Edited by Veronica E. Bloomfield and Marni E. Fisher
Routledge
711 - 3rd Avenue, Floor 8, New York, NY 10017-9209
9781138187092 $49.95 www.routledge.com

LGBTQ Voices in Education: Changing the Culture of Schooling is an anthology of essays by education professionals about how teachers can serve the needs of LGBTQ students and address issues of gender, sexuality, and identity, as well as practical considerations for students' safety and well-being. Ideas and principles discussed are applicable to K-12, college, and graduate educational settings. Individual writings include "Breaking the Conspiracy of Silence: Creating Spaces at the Intersection of Diversity and Controversy", "Searching for Self and Society: Sexual and Gender Minority Youth Online", "Out of the Closet and Into the Classroom: LGBTQ Issues and Inclusive Classroom Practice", and more. LGBTQ Voices in Education is a "must-have" for modern educators and college library Education and LGBTQ shelves, highly recommended. "When opponents of gay marriage say, 'We don't hate gay people. We are just trying to protect marriage.' We can firmly say, 'We don't hate the church. We are just trying to protect our rights as American citizens."

Online Teaching in K-12
Sarah Bryans-Bongey & Kevin J. Graziano, Editors
Information Today Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055-8750
www.infotoday.com
9781573875271, $65.00, www.infotoday.com

Online Teaching in K-12: Models, Methods, and Best Practices for Teachers and Administrators provides a key handbook directed for educational professionals involved in the design and teaching of K-12 online courses, and brings together some two dozen experts who discuss different educational models and approaches, best practices, and tools involved in the online teaching goal. From organizing student collaboration and interaction in an online environment to flipped learning and special education's online possibilities, essays provide all the tools, backed by research and real-world experience, to enable educators to foster a truly effective online teaching environment.

Corwin Press, Inc.
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
www.corwin.com

Calvalyn G. Day's Authentically Engaged Families: A Collaborative Care Framework for Student Success (9781506327068, $25.00) shows how to create a plan for all families to work with educators, and provides not just theory but a step-by-step approach to building stronger relationships for K-12 educators and administrators alike. Chapters provide plenty of examples for family engagement including agendas for meetings and plans of action, and clarify the process of defining goals and communicating both in person and through social media and email. The result outlines a different kind of engagement process that will prove central to any serious educator's involvement with the student's entire family. Ronald A. Beghetto's Big Wins, Small Steps: How to Lead For and With Creativity (9781483385464, $21.00) introduces a new framework for school-wide change through the SAL (Small-Steps Approach to Instructional Learning), showing how major progress can stem from small, easy steps of change and how instructional leaders can remove barriers to success through a few creative efforts. From cutting back on possibilities to recognize an achievable, more positive path to tactics to change assumptions and encourage applied principles with measurable outcomes, this is a solid guide recommended for educators and school leaders who want to adopt a different approach to refining the bigger picture both in classroom and school-wide systems. The third updated edition of Rleanor Renee Rodriguez, James Bellanca and Deborah Rosalia Esparza's What Is It About Me You Can't Teach? Culturally Responsive Instruction in Deeper Learning Classrooms (9781506345642, $37.00) is based on a simple concept: every child has the right to an equitable education process that prepares him or her for the world's challenges. While the concept may sound simple, the actual process of translating it to classroom standards and proficiency can be challenging. This book provides teachers with lessons and approaches for elementary through secondary grades, showing how to integrate an individualized learning program with overall classroom needs and educational requirements. Case history examples compliment lessons presented at different school levels which use projects to cement learning processes, and include instruction on how to check for prior knowledge and how to structure tasks for maximum effect. Terrance M. Scott's Teaching Behavior: Managing Classrooms Through Effective Instruction (9781506337494, $39.95) explores connections between learning and classroom behavior management, and provides teachers with discussions, checklists, management approaches, and details on how to set up an effective classroom and how to understand the difference between positive and negative reinforcement practices and their influence on learning. Chapters are particularly strong in their use of example conversations between teachers and students, and which ones do a better job of reinforcing better behaviors. Solid research backs these examples and approaches. Barbara J. Levin and Lynne Schrum's Every Teacher a Leader: Developing the Needed Dispositions, Knowledge, and Skills for Teacher Leadership (9781506326436, $28.95) offers a range of key skills teachers will need to cultivate in the course of their profession. From running meetings and working with colleagues to handling new technology and problem-solving, chapters show how teachers can influence school culture and the learning process through applying these leadership skills. Jenni Donohoo and Moses Velasco's The Transformative Power of Collaborative Inquiry (9781483383897, $28.95) advocates collaboration between teachers and school leaders to produce more effective educational systems, and promotes the concept of collaborative inquiry as a tool for achieving results. More so than most coverages of the topic, this book offers keys to such applications and moves beyond theory and into the process of developing effective inquiry questions and applying their results to better learning processes.

Redleaf Press
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul, MN 55117-1065
www.redleafpress.org

Lisa Daly and Miriam Beloglovsky's Loose Parts 2: Inspiring Play with Infants and Toddlers (9781605544649, $32.95) provides a sequel to the original Loose Parts and offers new ideas and fine photos to reinforce the concept of early learning play opportunities and strategies. From clothespins and hollow blocks to understanding locomotion in a process that can carry infants and toddlers into more social worlds, each loose part and play opportunity is paired with a child's learning process to provide both lesson plans and learning reinforcement based on a range of loose everyday materials. Stacey York's third edition of Roots and Wings: Affirming Culture and Preventing Bias in Early Childhood (9781605544557, $44.95) adds to multicultural coverages of early childhood process by teaching educators how to work with children using new activities based on the latest research. From developing culturally appropriate programs and handling cultural conflicts to games, songs, and learning opportunities that hold specific objectives, teachers receive a wide range of approaches designed to prevent bias in early childhood education and play processes.


The Gun Shelf

Blue Book of Tactical Firearms Values, seventh edition
S.P.Fjestad
Blue Book Publications
8009 34th Avenue South, Suite 250, Minneapolis, MN 5542
9781936120833, $34.95, www.bluebookofgunvalues.com

The seventh updated edition of Blue Book of Tactical Firearms Values is a 'must' for any firearms collector interested in tactical weaponry, and holds nearly 700 pages of the latest values, identification, and descriptions of a wide range of tactical firearms. This reference assumes some prior knowledge in identifying such firearms: its focus is on updating tactical terminology, references to models and their features, and the latest market values associated with these guns.


The American History Shelf

Powder River
Paul L. Hedren
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
www.oupress.com
9780806153834 $34.95 hc /$16.17 Kindle amazon.com

Powder River: Disastrous Opening of the Great Sioux War is an in-depth analysis of the beginning of the Great Sioux War of 1876-77. Colonel Joseph J. Reynolds and six cavalry companies attacked a village of Northern Cheyennes (a Native American tribe allied with the Sioux) near Powder River, inciting bloody conflict that lasted eighteen months, involved over twenty battles and skirmishes, and resulted in a death toll of hundreds of lives on both sides. The conflict marked the last significant resistance of the Sioux against Anglo-American settlement of what was once their homeland. Due to the Anglo-Americans' higher population of the continent as a whole, their eventual victory was likely foregone... in spite of the pervasive military incompetence displayed in the war's beginning. Officers failed to take proper positions, ignored orders to save provisions, did not cooperate effectively, abandoned the dead and at least one wounded soldier, and more. The conflict at Powder River was ultimately a predecessor to the military catastrophe that would later take place at Little Big Horn. Powder River is a fascinating dissection of failure, enhanced by forty black-and-white photographs (many previously unpublished), five new maps, exhaustive notes, and an index. Highly recommended for public and college library American History collections.

Too Great a Burden to Bear
Christopher B. Bean
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue, University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
9780823271764 $40.00 pbk
9780823268757 $140.00 hc www.fordhampress.com

Established in 1865, and lasting for seven years (technically - draconian budget cuts reduced its impact as the years went on), the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands - popularly known as the "Freedmen's Bureau" - was an agency created especially to help former African-American slaves adapt to life during and after the Reconstruction. Tragically, political opposition, violence from the Ku Klux Klan, insufficient funds and more severely undermined the bureau's work. Too Great a Burden to Bear: The Struggle and Failure of the Freedmen's Bureau in Texas examines the character, qualifications, ideals and principles of those agency members who worked in Texas. Of particular interest is how these men championed the former slaves' right to an education and their right of mobility. Extensive notes, a bibliography, and an index round out this nuanced, complex, heavily researched, and utterly invaluable addition to American History and Texas History collections. Highly recommended.

Major Problems in Asian American History
Lon Kurashige & Alice Yang, editors
Cengage Learning, Inc.
20 Channel Center Street, Boston, MA 02210
www.cengageptr.com
9781285433431, $145.00, 529pp, www.amazon.com

Collaborative compiled and co-edited by the academic team of Lon Kurashige (Associate Professor of History at the University of Southern California) and Alice Yang (Assistant Professor of History at the University of California-Santa Cruz), this newly updated and expanded second edition of "Major Problems in Asian American History" is an ideal and highly recommended primary anthology that will serve as an informed and informative textbook for courses in Asian American history. An extraordinary and impressive collection of scholarly essays and original source documents covers the entire chronological span of Asian American history's, This American history compendium presents a carefully selected group of readings that puts readers on the front lines of Asian American history, as they evaluate primary sources, test the interpretations of distinguished historians, and draw their own conclusions. While unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library American History collections in general, and Asian American History supplemental studies lists in particular, it should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Major Problems in Asian American History" is also available in a Kindle edition ($58.79 Rent / $96.49 Purchase).

The Fluid Boundaries of Suffrage and Jim Crow
Edited by Damaris B. Hill
Lexington Books
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.rowman.com
9780739197875 $75.00 hc / $71.25 Kindle amazon.com

The Fluid Boundaries of Suffrage and Jim Crow: Staking Claims in the American Heartland is an anthology of scholarly essays by learned authors discussing racial and gender oppression in the American heartland during the twentieth century. Individual writings include "From Mexican to Mexican-American in Kansas City, 1914-1940", "Singing and Swinging in the Heartland: Black Women Musicians Making Music in the Midwest during the Jazz Age", "No Place Like Home: Chicago's Black Metropolis and the Johnson Publishing Offices, 1942-1975", and more. A thoughtful and extensive exploration of connections between the suffrage movement and the Civil Rights movement, The Fluid Boundaries of Suffrage and Jim Crow is a welcome contribution to college library American History and Sociology collections.

The Jefferson Highway
Lyell D. Henry Jr.
University of Iowa Press
100 Kuhl House, 119 West Park Road, Iowa City, IA 52242-1000
9781609384210, $29.95, www.uiowapress.org

The Jefferson Highway: Blazing the Way from Winnipeg to New Orleans provides a history of a highway not as well known as the Lincoln Highway: the Jefferson Highway, which followed several routes through Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Texas and other states. It's surprising to note that this is the first book to provide an in-depth history on the Jefferson road, tracing its history, construction, and why it faded in importance compared to the Lincoln. Three chapters trace the route, for those who would embark on a driving trip following it, while the history provides numerous insights into the evolution of car culture as a whole.


The Science Shelf

Complexity
William C. Burger
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
9781633881938, $26.00, www.prometheusbooks.com

Complexity: The Evolution of Earth's Biodiversity and the Future of Humanity belongs in any college-level collection strong in natural history titles in general and biodiversity in particular, and comes from a biologist who examines symbiosis and complimentary structures that have contributed to increasing complexity of life forms on Earth. How these cooperative relationships established new resources and new building blocks leading to more advanced creatures, and what these studies imply for human evolution and ongoing efforts of human communities to form symbiotic, cooperative relationships lends to a title that takes the macrocosm of scientific analysis and expands it into the social questions of our times on new technologies and their ultimate impact on human evolution. The result is a lively discourse that will involve science students and general-interest readers alike.


The Business Shelf

Create Your Own Website the Easy Way
Alannah Moore
Ilex
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
www.ilex-press.com
9781781572900, $19.99 www.amazon.com

Create Your Own Website the Easy Way: The Complete Guide to Getting You or Your Business Online differs from most website guides in that it's directed not to the computer book reader, but to a small business owner or operator who needs a simple guide to the basics of web design, provided here by an expert web design teacher who assumes no prior knowledge in the subject. Chapters directed to novices cover everything from how to choose a domain name and how to work with images and build a site both functional and attractive to how to begin with WordPress and how to avoid the usual pitfalls novices face. Any who would do their own websites but who seek polished results will find Create Your Own Website the Easy Way an essential introduction, filled with color screen shots and step-by-step specifics that leave little room for confusion.


The Music Shelf

Composing Music for Games
Chance Thomas
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
9781138021419, $59.95, www.crcpress.com

While computer collections will likely find the most of value in this discussion of video game composing, Composing Music for Games is featured here because any in the music business who want to know more about video game composition will find it an intriguing approach to the subject, pairing projects and simulations with basic discussions of common practices in producing music scoring for video games. Case studies, tutorials, and real-world applications blend in a survey that uses applied learning to illustrate how game music composition works.


The Psychology Shelf

The Sleep Revolution
Arianna Huffington
Harmony Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
9781101904008 $26.00 www.randomhouse.com

Arianna Huffington (cofounder, president, and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group) presents The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life One Night at a Time, about the America's sleep-deprivation cultural crisis. Thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds, The Sleep Revolution draws upon vetted, scientific research to show why sleep is so vital to human health and happiness. Today's modern world seems to demand around-the-clock work or availability, and the health consequences include weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, even increased risk of cancer and Alzheimer's. Insufficient sleep also undermines decision making skills and even one's sex life. So-called sleeping pills have their own hazards as well. The Sleep Revolution offers recommendations from expert scientists for engaging in properly restorative sleep, and is highly recommended both for personal reading lists and public library collections.

Adult ADHD
Thom Hartmann
Inner Traditions
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781620555750, $14.95, www.parkstreetpress.com

Adult ADHD: How to Succeed as a Hunter in a Farmer's World offers an intriguing discussion any diagnosed with or working with ADHD adults should have: a survey that shows how hunter-gatherer humans found ADHD traits key to their survival. The more methodical traits accepted and touted today actually come from a different approach to life - that of the farmer - and while modern life is based on this personality skill set, Hunter behaviors should not be forgotten or neglected, but celebrated. After making a case for the importance of these skills, Adult ADHD: How to Succeed as a Hunter in a Farmer's World provides a clear discussion using a blend of science and psychology to show adults how to make the most of their ADHD traits in the workplace. The result is a powerful exploration that sees opportunities in traits often deemed undesirable or challenging.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Medicare For Dummies
Patricia Barry
For Beginners LLC
155 Main Street, Suite 211, Danbury, CT 06810
www.forbeginnersbooks.com
9781119293392, $19.99, PB, 408pp, www.amazon.com

Patricia Barry is features editor of AARP Media as well its online "Ms. Medicare" columnist. A recognized authority on Medicare and Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage who has written extensively for consumers, Patricia has answered thousands of questions sent by Medicare beneficiaries across the nation and in this newly updated and expanded second edition of "Medicare For Dummies" draws upon her years of experience and expertise to present a thoroughly 'reader friendly' compendium of exceptionally well written, organized, presented, reliable, and practical information. Very highly recommended for personal, senior citizen center, and community library collections, "Medicare For Dummies" proves invaluable tips on how to avoid costly mistakes, how and when to enroll, and how to navigate the 'Medicare maze'. Of special note is the insightful advice about Medicare's 'Part D Plan', and how Medicare works with other healthcare benefits. It should be noted that "Medicare For Dummies" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.99).


The Library Science Shelf

Digital Library Programs for Libraries and Archives
Aaron D. Purcell
Neal-Shuman Publishers
c/o American Library Association
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
www.alastore.ala.org
9780838914502, $85.00, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com

Digital publishing is now a major part of the American publishing industry and every public, academic, corporate, and governmental library and library system must be able to include digital publication as an integral part of their collections. For that purpose, "Digital Library Programs for Libraries and Archives: Developing, Managing, and Sustaining Unique Digital Collections" has been created by Aaron D. Purcell (Professor and Director of Special Collections at Virginia Tech) who drew upon his previous experience and expertise as a university archivist at the University of Tennessee to provide library science students and practicing librarians with a complete course of instruction on the creation and maintenance of library-based digital collections. "Digital Library Programs for Libraries and Archives" traces the historical growth of digital libraries and the importance of those digital foundations; summarizes current technological challenges that affect the planning of digital libraries, and how librarians and archivists are adapting to the changing information landscape; uses examples to lay out the core priorities of leading successful digital programs; covers the essentials of getting started, from vision and mission building to identifying resources and partnerships; emphasizes the importance of digitizing original unique materials found in library and archives collections, and suggests approaches to the selection process; addresses metadata and key technical standards; discusses management and daily operations, including assessment, enhancement, sustainability, and long-term preservation planning; provides guidance for marketing, promotion, and outreach, plus how to take into account such considerations as access points, intended audiences, and educational and instructional components; and includes exercises designed to help readers define their own digital projects and create a real-world digital program plan. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, commentary, organization and presentation, "Digital Library Programs for Libraries and Archives" is an essential and unreservedly recommended addition to professional, college, and university Library Science collections in general, and Digital Library Materials supplemental studies reading lists.


The Native American Studies Shelf

Spirit in the Stone
Mark Bahti
Rio Nuevo Publishers
PO Box 5250, Tucson, AZ 85703
www.rionuevo.com
9781933855974, $16.95, PB, 144pp, www.amazon.com

A fetish is an object believed to have supernatural powers, or in particular, a man-made object that has power over others. Native American fetishes can be viewed as charming animal carvings, indigenous art, or objects of power. Fetishes have different meanings to different Native American peoples and cultures. Behind each individual carving are traditional stories and beliefs. In Now in a new revised and expanded second edition of "Spirit in the Stone: A Handbook of Southwest Indian Animal Carvings and Beliefs", professional dealer and scholar of Native American art Mark Bahti deftly explores the roles these carvings play, the artists who create them, the history of fetish carvings through the twentieth century, the stories about the animals and other objects, as well as the materials favored by carvers. Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout, "Spirit in the Stone" is as informed and informative as it is 'reader friendly' in tone, commentary, organization and presentation. Simply stated, "Spirit in the Stone" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Native American Studies reference collections in general, and Native American Fetish supplemental studies reading lists in particular.


The Art Shelf

Spalted Wood
Sara C. Robinson, Hans Michaelsen, and Julia C. Robinson
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
9780764350382 $60.00 www.schifferbooks.com

Spalting is wood coloration produced by fungi; even though spalted wood is usually lighter and weaker, it often has a striking visual quality prized by woodworkers. Spalted Wood: The History, Science and Art of a Unique Material is not primarily a how-to book, although it does contain a brief "DIY Guide to Controlled Spalting". Instead, Spalted Wood is an exhaustive chronicle of the history and use of spalted wood, from the fifteenth century to the modern day. Full-color photography on almost every page showcases an immense variety of vintage woodworking treasures, some featuring complex artistic portraits crafted with spalted wood. Spalted Wood is an excellent addition to personal and public library art history shelves, and an inspirational treasure trove to simply page through.


The Judicial Studies Shelf

Lloyd Gaines and the Fight to End Segregation
James W. Endersby and William T. Horner
University of Missouri Press
113 Heinkel Bldg., 201 S. 7th St., Columbia, MO 65211
9780826220851 $36.95 www.umsystem.edu/upress

Lloyd Gaines and the Fight to End Segregation is the true-life saga of a turning point in the legal and social battle to end segregation in America, and also a chilling tragedy. Eighty-years ago, African-American Lloyd Gaines (1911-1939?) was rejected entry to the University of Missouri Law School because of his race. Aided by the NAACP, Gaines successfully sued the University of Missouri for the right to attend; the decision, "Missouri ex. rel Gaines v. Canada" (1938) was the first in a profound succession of decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court concerning equal opportunity in higher education. Gaines received death threats, and moved to Chicago for his own safety; yet before Gaines could attend law school, he vanished. The prevalent opinion is that Gaines was murdered. Lloyd Gaines and the Fight to End Segregation scrutinizes the Gaines case, especially the role played by the NAACP and its lawyers (including Charles Houston, also known as "the man who killed Jim Crow"). Extensive notes, a list of references, and an index round out this excellent, erudite, and accessible addition to American History and Judicial Studies shelves.

Forging the Star
David S. Turk
University of North Texas Press
1155 Union Circle #311336, Denton, TX 76203-5017
9781574416541 $29.95 www.unt.edu/untpress

U.S. Marshals Service Historian David S. Turk presents Forging the Star: The Official Modern History of the United States Marshals Service, an in-depth chronicle and analysis of the United States Marshals in the modern era, from the 1960's to the twenty-first century and the aftermath of the September 11th attacks. The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) is America's oldest law enforcement agency; today, it is responsible for prisoner transport, the protection of officers of the court, the Witness Protection Program, serving federal level arrest warrants, and more. Forging the Star is drawn heavily from current primary source material such as interviews from active or retired management, deputy U.S. marshals who were present for major events, and involved administrative personnel. Exhaustive endnotes, a bibliography, and an index round out this "must-have" resource for public and college library Judicial Studies or American History shelves.


The International Studies Shelf

Cuba: What Everyone Needs to Know, third edition
Julia E. Sweig
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4314
www.oup.com/us
9780190620370 $16.95 amazon.com

Cuba: What Everyone Needs to Know is now in an updated third edition with a new foreword and a new final chapter examining the historic developments of President Barack Obama's and Raul Castro's announced intentions to reshape US-Cuba relations. Written by Julie E. Sweig (Senior Research Fellow at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin), Cuba: What Everyone Needs to Know discusses Cuban history with an emphasis upon recent years, as well as Cuba's role in the world and diplomatic relations between Cuba and the US. Chapters are subdivided into a question-and-answer format, with the questions listed in the table of contents; they include "How did the September 11, 2001, attacks affect US- Cuban relations?", "How did Cuba react to the war in Iraq?", "What is the status of Cuba's deep- water oil exploration and what foreign governments and companies became involved?" and much more. An index rounds out this superb addition to public and college library International Studies shelves.


The Autism Shelf

The Aspie College, Work & Travel Survival Guide
J.D. Kraus
Future Horizons, Inc.
721 West Abram Street, Arlington, TX 76013
www.fhautism.com
9781941765128 $19.95 amazon.com

The Aspie College, Work & Travel Survival Guide is an award-winning resource created especially for college students with Asperger's Syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism. College life is stressful enough for anyone; those with Asperger's have additional problems, such as an aversion to eye contact, difficulty socializing, and trouble adapting to noisy or chaotic environments. The Aspie College, Work & Travel Survival Guide discusses special considerations when preparing for college, applications and scholarships, why friendships and downtime are important while at school, the advantages and disadvantages of living on campus, the difficult transition from college to career, and much more. The Aspie College, Work & Travel Survival Guide is an excellent resource for public and college libraries, and a "must-have" for any prospective college student diagnosed with Asperger's!


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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
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