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Internet Bookwatch

Volume 26, Number 2 February 2016 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Music Shelf Cookbook Shelf
Graphic Novel Shelf Audiobook Shelf Library CD Shelf
Library DVD Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf Education Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Crafts Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf
Autism Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Needlecraft Shelf Sports Shelf Photography Shelf
Nautical Shelf American History Shelf World History Shelf
Economic Studies Shelf Woodworking Shelf Antiques/Collectibles Shelf
Social Issues Shelf Jobs/Careers Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf
Agriculture Shelf Business Shelf Fiction Shelf
Biography Shelf Poetry Shelf Travel Shelf
Art Shelf Computer Shelf Beer/Wine Shelf
Automotive Shelf Christian Studies Shelf Buddhist Studies Shelf
Humor Shelf Money/Finance Shelf Science Shelf
Reference Shelf Gardening Shelf Library Science Shelf
Relationship Shelf African-American Studies Shelf Literary Studies Shelf
Folktale/Fairytale Shelf Military Shelf Religion/Spirituality Shelf
Theatre/Cinema Shelf Wisconsin Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

The Well-Armored Child
Joelle Casteix
River Grove Books
www.rivergrovebooks.com
www.WellArmoredChild.com
9781632990396 $12.95 pbk / $6.99 Kindle www.amazon.com

The Well-Armored Child: A Parent's Guide to Preventing Sexual Abuse is a book that absolutely every parent, caregiver, or professional who works with children must read. Child predators are not always strangers who abduct children off the street; sometimes they are charming sociopaths respected within a community, who "groom" children with gifts and psychologically pressure them not to talk about their abuse. Chapters discuss how to talk to young children about human sexuality in ways that will teach them how to protect themselves without destroying their innocence; how to communicate effectively with preteens and teens; common myths and stereotypes to beware of; child pornography; problems unique to the modern digital era, such as how "sexting" can all too easily morph into abuse; and more. "Tell your child that doors should always be open, unless he or she is alone in the bathroom or changing clothes. Explain to your child that he or she should never be in a room alone with another adult when the door is closed. Then tell your child that if anyone does or says anything that is definitely wrong or does not feel right, it's okay to say no and to call home right away." The Well-Armored Child is worthy of the highest recommendation, especially for public and community library collections.

Before the Scramble: A Scottish Missionary's Story
James Sutherland, journal author
Roderick Sutherland Haynes, commentary
Highlander Press
www.highlanderpress.com
9781515380795 $11.95 pbk / $2.99 Kindle www.amazon.com

Thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Before the Scramble: A Scottish Missionary's Story is the collected journal writings of James Sutherland, an agriculturist who worked at the Livingstonia Mission in British Central Africa from 1880 to 1885. The area in which Sutherland served is today known as the African nation of Malawi. Enhanced with extensive notes and commentary by Roderick Sutherland Haynes (James Sutherland was Haynes' mother's great uncle), Before the Scramble: A Scottish Missionary's Story is a fascinating primary source and a descriptive window through time - for example, a section in which Sutherland describes an encounter with slave trade operations in Lake Nyasa reveals how allegations of the slave trade's demise were premature, even decades after the American Civil War removed the U.S. from the international slave market. Before the Scramble: A Scottish Missionary's Story is a welcome addition to firsthand historical testimonies about Africa, and highly recommended for both college library collections and casual browsing.

Les Miserables
Victor Hugo, author
Isabel F. Hapgood, translator
Kenneth C. Mondschein, introduction
Canterbury Classics
c/o Printer's Row Publishing Group
www.printersrowpublishinggroup.com
9781626864641 $24.95 www.amazon.com

A leather-bound volume with gilded page edges and an inset ribbon bookmark, Les Miserables is a collector's edition of Victor Hugo's classic novel, and an excellent addition to both personal and public library collections. Set in France during the early 1800's, Hugo's story of the extreme hardships of poverty, the consequences of an unjust penal system, and human desperation so great it erupts into violent revolution is both a gripping, character-driven drama and an eloquent plea for the downtrodden and disenfranchised. Superbly translated into English by Isabel F. Hapgood, and enhanced with a thoughtful introduction by Kenneth C. Mondschein, Les Miserables is a "must-read" work of great literature.

Uncle John's Weird Weird World Epic
By the Bathroom Readers' Institute
c/o Portable Press
PO Box 1117, Ashland, OR 97520
c/o Printer's Row Publishing Group
www.printersrowpublishinggroup.com
9781626864283 $29.95 http://bathroomreader.com

A deluxe, coffee-table book illustrated with full-color illustrations or photography on almost every two-page spread, Uncle John's Weird Weird World Epic is an eye-popping compendium of fantastic facts, unbelievable true stories, and just plain weirdness - on an epic scale! From the world's ugliest dogs (chosen in an official competition), to the weirdest crimes (such as a quadriplegic drunk driver erratically controlling his motorized bed on a freeway), to the origin of the white wedding dress (in 1840, Queen Victoria was the first royal whose wedding photos were widely published, and women throughout England wanted to get married in a white dress like hers), Uncle John's Weird Weird World Epic will amaze and edify. Uncle John's Weird Weird World Epic also makes an unforgettable gift for the person who has everything!

Magical Geometrics Coloring Book: Magical Designs
Samantha Snyder
AKA Associates Inc.
6007 North Sheridan Road, Apt. 15A, Chicago, IL, 60660
9780997102116, $9.95, 104pp, www.akabooks.com

"Magical Geometrics Coloring Book: Magical Designs" is another one of Samantha Snyer's outstanding coloring books for adults of all ages (and kids as well!). This edition showcases 50 fun doodle designs that are sure to inspire the spirit and relax the mind. These geometrics have been organized from simple to more intricate so that you can design your own beautiful pictures from rectangles, curves, and other geometric shapes. You can choose your own color combinations and see what patterns they create, and in the process. let the magical designs take shape before your eyes, experience greater focus, dedication, and patience that coloring can bring, slow down and enjoy the colors and patterns coming to life in front of you, take a deep breath, sit down, and color. Each doodle design has been carefully selected to provide plenty of enjoyment, inspiration, and relaxation. "Magical Geometrics Coloring Book: Magical Designs" is a very highly recommended do-it-yourself entertainment. For those new to these Doodle Art titles, please visit the AKA Associates web site at www.akabooks.com for a complete listing of adult coloring books by Samantha Snyder.

Brooklyn: A Personal Memoir
Truman Capote
The Little Bookroom
435 Hudson Street, Suite 300, New York NY 10014
9781936941117, $29.95, www.littlebookroom.com

Brooklyn: A Personal Memoir features the lost photos of David Attie as it provides a new take on the 2001 classic reprint of Truman Capote's tribute to Brooklyn - and some fifty years after the original book's appearance, this tribute is finally complete. These are the original photos commissioned to illustrate the essay discovered by the late photographer's son, along with previously unknown photos of Capote. By including these images and the words, the production is finally complete and is highly recommended for any fan of either Capote or Brooklyn.


The Music Shelf

Kickstart My Heart
Martin Popoff
Backbeat Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
33 Plymouth Street, Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042-2677
www.halleonard.com
9781617136108, $39.99, www.amazon.com

Kickstart My Heart: A Motley Crue Day-by-Day provides a daily detail of the career of Vince Neil, Mick Mars, Nikki Sixx, and the other members of the rock group, following the evolution of their career from their early 1970s days to their successes in the 1980s and their changes in the 1990s. The band reunited in the 2000s, and their experiences form the basis for an account which uses interviews from the author's own work with members of the group with wider-ranging considerations of the group's evolution. Fans seeking a definitive guide with something new to offer will relish the format of this saga, which juxtaposes many interview results with a visual exploration packed with color photos, sidebars of information, and advertising pieces. The result is a book that lends to browsing and at-a-glance information as well as cover-to-cover reading: a 'must' for any prior enthusiast who wants a clear coverage of the band's many contributions and evolutionary process.


The Cookbook Shelf

Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, 16th edition
Better Homes & Gardens
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
www.hmhco.com
9780544714465, $21.99, Spiral Bound, 644pp, www.amazon.com

Now in a newly updated and expanded sixteenth edition, the "Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book" continues to be one of the best "starter cookbooks" for personal and family cookbook collections. Every recipe, ranging from all-time favorites to modern classics, has been reviewed, revised, and revamped for today's kitchen. Included is a new Holiday chapter, increased coverage of canning and grilling, and expanded information on fruits and vegetables. The "Secrets to Success" feature focuses on teaching techniques, such as making artisanal bread, while the "8 Ways With..." feature shows how to add flavor to basic items like boneless chicken breasts. With a redesigned cover to give the book a fresh, new look, over 1,200 recipes and more than 1,000 photographs, this comprehensive edition of "Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book" is the one reference every home cook needs and no community library cookbook collection should be without a copy for the benefit of its patrons. It should be noted that this new edition of "Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book" is also available in a Kindle format ($19.99).

The Big Book of Pasta
Betty Crocker
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
www.hmhco.com
9780544579989, $19.99, PB, 336pp, www.amazon.com

Pasta is the perfect dinnertime solution for busy, budget-conscious families, and "The Big Book of Pasta" from the Betty Crocker cookbook collection delivers with more than 175 delicious, creative, and foolproof recipes and more than 125 beautiful full-color photos. Information on mix-and-match recipes, working with non-wheat pastas and different cooking methods for fresh versus dried pastas helps home cooks find perfect noodle and sauce combinations for every night of the week with recipes ranging from Oven-Baked Moroccan Spinach Lasagna or Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs to simmering one-pot soups featuring tortellini and orzo. Special icons highlight Fast, Make-Ahead, and Meatless recipes. "Betty Crocker's" even includes information on making fresh pasta and gnocchi, for those cooks looking to take their pasta prep to the next level. Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout, "The Big Book of Pasta" will easily become a family favorite and an enduringly popular addition to any community library cookbook collection.

Cook It in Cast Iron
Cook's Country, editor
America's Test Kitchen
17 Station Street, Brookline, MA 02445
www.americastestkitchen.com
9781940352480, $26.95, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com

The cast-iron skillet is a sturdy, versatile, traditional kitchen workhorse that 85% of us own but far fewer of us reach for daily, mostly because we have one or two recipes we use it for and otherwise it stays in the back of the cabinet. In "Cook It in Cast Iron: Kitchen-Tested Recipes for the One Pan That Does It All", the editors of Cook's Country will show you everything you need to know about cast-iron cookware and the many (and often surprising) dishes you can cook and bake in this multitasker of a pan, from the classic dishes everyone knows and loves like steak, perfect fried eggs, and cornbread, to innovative and inspiring recipes like skillet apple pie, pizza, and cinnamon swirl bread. Learn about this cast iron's history and what makes it uniquely American and let us show you how to shop for, season, care for, and clean this perfect pan. Beautifully illustrated in full color throughout, the recipes range from Green Chili Cheeseburger Sliders; Boneless Turkey Breasts with Cranberry Chutney; Southwestern-Style Chicken and Biscuits; and Crispy Pan-Fired Pork Chops with Succotash; to Italian-Style Sausage and pepper Subs; Fluffy Cornmeal Pancakes; Glazed Peaches with Pistachios; Hot Fudge pudding Cake; and Cinnamon Swirl Bread. A delight to browse through and an ideal reference for menu planning, "Cook It in Cast Iron: Kitchen-Tested Recipes for the One Pan That Does It All" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Cook It in Cast Iron" is also available in a Kindle edition ($15.99).

Blue Ribbon Baking
Linda J. Amendt
Pelican Publishing Company
1000 Burmaster Street, Gretna, LA 70053-2246
www.pelicanpub.com
9781455619559, $26.95, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com

Showcasing more than two hundred palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, kitchen cook friendly recipes for dishes that would grace any dining occasion, "Blue Ribbon Baking" by culinary expert Linda Amendt provides beautifully illustrated instructions for baking everything from cookies, cakes, and pies, to breads, scones, and pastries. Enhanced with chapters on baking ingredients, pans, equipment, tools, and techniques, of special note is the section on 'The World of Fair Competitions and Baking Contests' which is truly unique. The recipes in this outstanding cookbook collection range from Pumpkin Cranberry Cookies; Coconut Cake; Brown Sugar Pecan Coffee Cake; Dutch Apple Pie; and Layered Pumpkin Cream Cheese; to Apricot Muffins; Cheese and Chive Biscuits; Buttermilk Bread; Cheddar Onion Rolls; and Cream Cheese Danish. A delight to browse through and a joy to plan menus with, "Blue Ribbon Baking" is very highly recommended for personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

The Perfect Portion Cookbook
Anson Williams, Bob Warden, Mona Dolgov
Partners In Publishing
http://theperfectportion.com
9781495179211, $29.95, 344pp, www.amazon.com

The collaboration of the culinary team of Anson Williams, Bob Warden, and Mona Dolgov, "The Perfect Portion Cookbook" showcases one hundred and fifty outstanding recipes for comfort foods using a simple 100 Calorie counting system. Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout, the thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes range from a Southwestern Skillet Scramble; a Chunky Chicken Salad; Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Gravy; and Oven-Fried Green Tomatoes; to Homemade Hummus; Spinach Pie; Strawberry Rhubarb Jam; and Chocolate Chip Cookies. Every recipes provides prep time, serving amount recommendation, a calorie count, a list of ingredients, and clear step-by-step directions. Whether watching one's weight or simply wanting some comfort cooking to deal with the ordinary stresses of daily life, "The Perfect Portion Cookbook" will prove to be an ideal menu planner and an enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

The Italian Diabetes Cookbook
Amy Riolo
American Diabetes Association
1701 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311
http://www.diabetes.org
9781580405652, $18.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com

A diagnosis of diabetes does not mean having to give up an Italian cuisine that is as palate pleasing as it is appetite satisfying. "Italian Diabetes Cookbook: Delicious and Healthful Dishes from Venice to Sicily and Beyond" is a collection of wonderful dishes compiled by award-winning author, chef, cooking show host, cooking instructor, and Mediterranean expert Amy Riolo. Of special note are the chapters on 'How to Cook like an Italian'; 'The Italian Pantry'; and Amy's 'Where to Buy Guide'. The thoroughly 'kitchen book friendly' and diabetes appropriate recipes range from Spaghetti with Fresh Tuna and Fennel; Roasted Chicken with Grapes and Chestnuts; Calabrian-Style Roasted Potatoes; and Arugula Salad with Pears, Parmesan, and Cocoa Nibs; to Emilia-Romagna-Style Green Herb Sauce; Pomegranate-Orange Spice Pudding; Cinnamon-Infused Apple Cake; and Tuscan Fig, Walnut, and Fennel Seed Torte. "The Italian Diabetes Cookbook" is ideal for families having to deal with diabetes with respect to one or more of their loved ones. Certain to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections, it should be noted that "The Italian Diabetes Cookbook" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Pillsbury The Big Book of More Baking with Refrigerated Dough
Pillsbury Editors
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
www.hmhco.com
9780544648708, $19.99, PB, 336pp, www.amazon.com

For more than 140 years, the Pillsbury name has been synonymous with creating memories and wows in the kitchen. This ubiquitous brand, famous for the Pillsbury Bake-Off started in 1949, has helped generations of home cooks to make and create. Profusely illustrated throughout, this latest Pillsbury cookbook is one of their best. Pillsbury's "The Big Book of More Baking with Refrigerated Dough" showcases an amazing variety of delicious recipes accessible grouped into Appetizers; Sandwiches; Pizzas; Casseroles and Savory Pies; Bake-Shop Favorites; Cookies and Bars. From Chinese Pancakes with Ponzu Marmalade Sauce; Razzle-Dazzle Beef Bites; Potato and Sausage Crescent Burritos; and Spicy Grilled Thai Pizzas; to Ham and Cheddar Crouton Frittata; Gluten-Free Easy Pumpkin Pie; Maple-Bacon Breakfast Rolls; and Coconut-Filled Chocolate Delights, Pillsbury's "The Big Book of More Baking with Refrigerated Dough" is as much fun to browse through as it is inspiring to plan menus with. No personal, family, or community library cookbook collections should be without a copy of the Pillsbury's "The Big Book of More Baking with Refrigerated Dough"!

The Stevia Solution Cookbook
Caleb Warnock
Familius
1254 Commerce Way, Sanger, CA 93657
www.familius.com
9781942934066, $19.95, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com

Stevia is the only all-natural, calorie-free, non-glycemic herbal sweetener. Stevia is a leafy green herb with a strong, sugary flavor. Most people don't believe it until they taste it. The health benefits of Stevia are diverse. Stevia has no calories, chemicals, or carbs. Stevia protects against type-II diabetes. Stevia is an anti-inflammatory. Stevia helps prevent cavities. "The Stevia Solution Cookbook" provides practical information on how to cultivate, grow, purchase, and use stevia in everyday cooking and includes more than 60 full-color images and recipes. The recipes range from Perfect Sugar-Free Jam; Chocolate Chip Snow Cookies; Raspberry Chocolate Pudding Cake; and Homemade Vanilla Yogurt; to Stevia Lavender Chamomile Tea; Quick Peanut Butter Stevia Sandwiches; Sweet & healthy Powdered Sugar Substitute; and Rich Chocolate Frosting. If you are looking for an alternative to today's high-calorie, inflammatory, and health-debilitating sweeteners, you need go no further than The Stevia Solution Cookbook! Very highly recommended for personal, family, and community library Specialty Cookbook collections.

Brownies, Blondies and Bars
Stephanie Brubaker
Cedar Fort, Inc.
2373 West 700 South, Springville, Utah 84663
www.cedarfort.com
9781462116942, $19.99, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com

Compiled and presented by expert baker Stephanie Bruaker, "Brownies, Blondies and Bars" is a compendium of beautifully illustrated recipes for truly memorable desserts with recipes that range from Coconut Almond Fudge Brownies; Nutella Brownies with a pretzel Crust; Peanut Butter Cinnamon Blondies; and Snickerdoodle Blondies; to Cannoli Cream Cookie Bars; No Bake Oreo Peanut butter Cheesecake Bars; Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Bars; and White Chocolate Dipped Molasses Bars. A pure pleasure to simply browse through, "Brownies, Blondies and Bars" is a "must" for all do-it-yourself dessert lovers and is a truly extraordinary addition to any and all personal, family, and community library collections. Of special note is that "Brownies, Blondies and Bars" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.99).

The Cookie Companion: A Decorator's Guide
Georganne Bell
Cedar Fort, Inc.
2373 West 700 South, Springville, Utah 84663
www.cedarfort.com
9781462116959, $21.99, HC, 160pp, www.amazon.com

Georganne Bell is the sugar artist behind the popular cookie decorating blog LilaLoa. In "The Cookie Companion: A Decorator's Guide" she shows kitchen cooks and homemakers how to craft the ultimate cookie creations for holidays and parties! "The Cookie Companion: A Decorator's Guide" is a comprehensive, wonderfully illustrated, step-by-step guide in which Bell shares all her insider tips and inspiring ideas. "The Cookie Companion: A Decorator's Guide" shows just how to create decadent designs and colorful cookies that look and taste amazing! With a wealth of resources not found elsewhere, "The Cookie Companion: A Decorator's Guide" is perfect for beginning decorators and seasoned pros alike. With "The Cookie Companion: A Decorator's Guide" even the most novice of cookie makers will be able to turn out professional bakery quality cookies for every celebratory occasion. "The Cookie Companion: A Decorator's Guide" will prove to be a unique and enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community cookbook collections. It should be noted that "The Cookie Companion: A Decorator's Guide" is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.99).

V is for Vegetables
Michael Anthony
Little, Brown & Company
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
www.hachettebookgroup.com
9780316373357, $40.00, www.amazon.com

V is for Vegetables: Inspired Recipes & Techniques for Home Cooks from Artichokes to Zucchini comes from an executive chef who packs in over 150 recipes for cooking simple vegetable-based dishes, and pairs an A-Z encyclopedic format with a survey that pairs color photos throughout with how-to techniques and recipes. From a celery root and chestnut soup and ginger tea or picked ginger to a Leek Quiche and Sugar Snap Salad with Quinoa, recipes are accompanied by clear instructions on how to prepare each vegetable. The result is an appealing array that offers a wide range of uses and possibilities for each vegetable, often presenting new ideas with the flair and appeal of a chef used to translating professional-style dishes to a home cook's skill set.

Maple Syrup Cookbook, third edition
Ken Haedrich
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
www.storey.com
9781612126647, $14.95, www.amazon.com

Maple Syrup Cookbook offers some 100 recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner and expands the possibilities of maple flavoring far beyond the usual emphasis on sweets and carbohydrates. The syrup can enhance fish, be used in soups and salad dressings, and can even appear in fondue and on roasts. While an assortment of cookies and sweet fare is part of the presentation, the cookbook's real strength lies in its focus on breakfast, lunch and dinner applications to a syrup commonly associated with pancakes and waffles. Appearing in its third edition, this is a delicious 'must' for any fan who wants to expand maple syrup's possibilities.

Saveur: Soups and Stews
Editors of Saveur
Weldon Owen, Inc.
415 Jackson Street, San Francisco, CA 94111
www.weldonowen.com
9781616289652, $35.00, www.amazon.com

Saveur: Soups and Stews comes from the editors of Saveur food magazine who gather over a hundred recipes for soups and stews from around the world, pairing these with color photos throughout which display recipes for seasonal fare and regional world cuisines. Recipes such as Veal and Sour Plum Stew, Scottish Crab Bisque, and Lentil Stew with Coconut are only a few examples of the wide-ranging dishes which take the soup and stew format and enhance them with new flavors and tastes. The result is a wonderful cookbook packed with fresh approaches to soups and stews: a special recommendation for those looking for something hearty, foolproof, tested, and different.


The Graphic Novel Shelf

Rosario + Vampire Complete Box Set
Akihisa Ikeda
Viz Media LLC
1355 Market Street, Suite 200, San Francisco CA 94103
9781421583714 $185.99 www.viz.com

Rosario + Vampire Complete Box Set is a grand collection of the entire Rosario + Vampire manga (Japanese comics) series, gathering all ten volumes of Season 1 and all 14 volumes of Season 2 in a single convenient carrying and storage case, embellished with striking art. Exclusive to this special edition is a Rosario + Vampire full-color minicomic previously unreleased in English. The saga of Rosario + Vampire follows the more-or-less ordinary high school student Tsukune Aono, who is accidentally accepted to a school that youkai (monsters and demons) attend in order to learn how to be human! On his very first day, a beautiful young vampire with a split personality sucks his blood; things only become more chaotic from there. Humans are forbidden in the monster world, potentially on pain of death; can Aono keep his identity as a natural human under wraps among creatures who strive to secretly pass for human? And why do cute monster girls seem so attracted to him? (Perhaps his compassion for others is part of his natural charm). Shifting in tone from light comedy to a darker mix of comedy and drama as the plot unfolds, Rosario + Vampire is best experienced in its entirety, making the Complete Box Set a "must-have" for manga connoisseurs! Highly recommended for older teens and adults.

Naruto: The Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Spring
Masashi Kishimoto
Viz Media LLC
1355 Market Street, Suite 200, San Francisco CA 94103
9781421584935 $9.99 www.viz.com

Naruto: The Seventh Hokage and the Secret Spring is a graphic novel in the long-running Naruto manga (Japanese comics), set in a world recovering from war and destruction amplified by the supernatural powers of ninja. The heroic Naruto has finally earned the honor and duty of serving as Hokage (lord and chief protector of his home village); although he plays a major role in the story, the primary protagonist of "The Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Spring" is Uchiha Sarada, the teenage daughter of Sasuke and Sakura. Sarada is a serious-minded young woman, troubled by the fact that she has no concrete memories of her father, who has spent years away from the village on missions. When Sarada comes across a group photograph that includes her father and a glasses-wearing woman who physically resembles her more closely than her mother Sakura does, Sarada decides that the only way to find out about her ancestry is to track Sasuke down herself! To further complicate matters, a mysterious, threatening being appears, bearing similar powers to those of the Uchiha clan, as well as the ability to create permanent clones! An action-packed adventure that also explores the issues of identity and family bonds, The Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Spring is highly recommended. The Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Spring is a complete, self-contained story; familiarity with the extensive chronicles of Naruto and his comrades enhances the experience but is not required to fully enjoy the tale.

Idol Dreams
Arina Tanemura
Viz Media LLC
1355 Market Street, Suite 200, San Francisco CA 94103
9781421582566 $9.99 www.viz.com

Idol Dreams is a black-and-white shojo manga (Japanese comics focusing more on relationships, intended especially for a female audience) that connects the "magical girl" genre with the trials and tribulations of the adult world. Protagonist Chikage Deguchi is a lonely, 31-year-old office worker, unhappy with her life. She feels that she squandered the opportunity to find love and success in her youth. When she takes an experimental drug that changes her body to look like it did when she was 15, she decides to pursue all the dreams she once abandoned - including the dream of becoming an "idol" pop star! But being an "idol" is hard work, and the co-stars she meets have their own interpersonal problems. Idol Dreams is delightfully reflective, and highly recommended.

Witchcraft Works 8
Ryu Mizunagi
Vertical, Inc.
451 Park Avenue South, 7th floor, New York, NY 10016
9781941220962 $12.95 www.vertical-inc.com

The eighth volume of Witchcraft Works continues the tangled saga of Takamiya, a (mostly) ordinary young high school student who lives among women with tremendous magical powers. Takamiya is especially close to Kagari, the "Princess" of his school and a talented fire witch; their bond amplifies Kagari's magic, and Takamiya has been making his own efforts to become a stronger and better person. In Witchcraft Works 8, Takamiya and Kagari learn that their connection goes back further in the past than either of them knew - someone or something has barricaded their childhood memories. Kagari follows clues to relive the day they first met! Volume 8 also has more about Takamiya's younger sister, including a story of how her refusal to be bullied paved the way to a new friendship (although she is still unbalanced by a somewhat unhealthy obsession over her big brother). A fine balance of humor and character-driven drama, Witchcraft Works is suitable for teen and adult readers, and especially recommended for connoisseurs of magical fantasy.

My Neighbor Seki 6
Takuma Morishige
Vertical, Inc.
451 Park Avenue South, 7th floor, New York, NY 10016
9781942993094 $10.95 www.vertical-inc.com

A treat for readers of all ages, My Neighbor Seki 6 continues the hilarious black-and-white manga (Japanese comics) anthology of short stories about Seki, a brilliant young man who amuses himself during the humdrum school day by creating fantastic games, and Rumi, a white-haired girl whose desk is next to Seki's. No matter how much Rumi wants to focus on her studies, she inevitably gets caught up in Seki's incredible projects - whether he's fixing children's toys in a somewhat unscrupulous manner, playing foosball on his desk, or sneaking bits of food to a hidden animal(?) during cooking class. Even when Seki is away from school, Rumi becomes distracted by the amazing artistic escapades he scribbled into his textbook! Will poor Rumi ever be able to earn good grades? Lighthearted and carefree, My Neighbor Seki is just plain fun.

Tokyo ESP 2
Hajime Segawa
Vertical, Inc.
451 Park Avenue South, 7th floor, New York, NY 10016
9781941220610 $15.95 www.vertical-inc.com

Tokyo ESP 2 continues the action-packed manga (Japanese comics) set in a modern-day Tokyo where extra-sensory psychic powers have been awakened in seemingly random people. Some are like students Rinka and Kyotaro, who use their powers to be heroes and protect the innocent; others are criminals who use their powers to steal, hurt people, or worse. The violent threat of a psychically-empowered minority swells when the mysterious "Professor" shows himself. The Professor is a psychic master of illusion, who knows the secret behind the ESP proliferation; he openly incites riots and murders, and preaches that he will remake the world to serve the "Chosen Ones" who join his destructive efforts. Yet barely a year ago, the Professor rescued Kyotaro from certain death - why? In their efforts to stop the Professor, Rinka and Kyotaro are tested to their limits, but they also find new allies with ESP: the (slightly perverted) martial arts teacher who trained Rinka's father, the talented young son of a prominent politician, and perhaps even a measure of camaraderie in an aggressive, thieving rival. Tokyo ESP 2 deconstructs the darker side of "superpowers" by showing the carnage and destruction such abilities can potentially unleash, but the noble drive to serve and protect is as much a part of the story as the tragedy of human nature. Volume 2 also depicts Rinka's growing feelings for Kyotaro, even if she isn't completely sure how to act on them - yet! Tokyo ESP is highly recommended for older teen and adult readers.

Toyko ESP 3
Hajime Segawa
Vertical, Inc.
451 Park Avenue South, 7th floor, New York, NY 10016
9781942993001 $15.95 www.vertical-inc.com

In Tokyo ESP 3, the saga of heroes Rinka, Kyotaro, and their allies against the violent machinations of the Professor come to a turning point. Rinka's ordinary life at school is shattered forever when her enemies storm the building by force and beat her so brutally that she loses her extra-sensory power! Without ESP, what can Rinka do to fight back against the tyrants who came so close to killing her, and who continue to murder innocent people without remorse? The Professor accelerates his plans for world domination - or does he have another motive for holding Japan's most influential politicians hostage? Tokyo ESP 3 also reveals the events in the Professor's past that warped him to near-madness. An intense blend of furious fighting action, deep characterization, and mysterious psychic powers, Tokyo ESP is a "must-read" series for manga connoisseurs!

Cruising Through the Louvre
David Prudhomme
NBM Publishing
160 Broadway, Ste. 700, East Wing, New York, NY 10038
www.nbmpub.com
9781561639908, $22.99, HC, 80pp, www.amazon.com

"Cruising Through the Louvre" by author, artist, and graphic novelist David Prudhomme meanders through the Louvre museum of Paris, France. In this immense institution, all manner of people from all over the world rub elbows quietly while examining the exhibits. So Prudhomme decides to cruise through the museum, not to look at the world famous art, but to observe the people and their interaction with it. As he wanders, he discovers a group of students somehow stuck together just as in the shipwreck on the Raft of the Medusa; a man standing behind the Seated Scribe, as if attempting to read over his shoulder; and in the hall of antiquities, a woman placing her head in a lion's mouth. "Cruising Through the Louvre" presents readers a strange, silent, and casual choreography, danced in the midst of one of the most prestigious museums in the world. An absorbing and silently thoughtful read from first page to last, "Cruising Through the Louvre" is very highly recommended for community and academic library Graphic Novels collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Cruising Through the Louvre" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Red Baron: Dungeons and Dragons
Pierre Veys and Carlos Puerta
Cinebook Ltd.
56 Beech Ave., Canterbury, Kent, CT4 7TA, UK
www.cinebook.com
c/o National Book Network (dist.)
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.nbnbooks.com
9781849182522 $15.95 www.amazon.com

Red Baron: Dungeons and Dragons is the third graphic novel in a historical fiction series inspired by the life of Manfred von Richthofen and events of the First World War. Illustrated in full color in a vividly realistic style, Red Baron: Dungeons and Dragons reveals how Richthofen's skill and bloodthirst in airplane combat earned him the right to transfer Western Front and test himself against the finest British fighters. But one of his new colleagues is his old enemy Prince Friedrich, who is as ruthless as he is cunning! The Baron's iconic Fokker airplane makes an unforgettable appearance in this evolving story of war, intrigue, and murder most foul. Also highly recommended for connoisseurs of graphic novel historical fiction are "The Adventures of Blake & Mortimer: Plutarch's Staff" (9781849182645, $15.95) by Yves Sente and Andre Juillard, the 21st in a long-running period piece set during the dark days of World War II, and "The Marquis of Anaon: The Black Virgin" (9781849182652, $11.95) by Fabien Vehlmann and Matthieu Bonhomme, a dark murder mystery in which Jean-Baptiste Poulain must uncover who is cruelly murdering young women and leaving their corpses by a holy statue - a task made more difficult by stark tensions between the French commoners and the local gypsies, who are openly suspected of perpetrating the gruesome crimes.

Legend of the Mantamaji
Eric Dean Seaton & Brandon Palas
And Action Entertainment
10061 Riverside Drive, Suite 296, Toluca Lake, CA 91602
www.legendofthemantamaji.com
www.AndActionEntertainment.com
Volume 1: 9781930315341, $14.99 PB, $9.99 Kindle, 216pp
Volume 2: 9781930315372, $14.99 PB, $9.90 Kindle, 188pp
Volume 3: 9781930315563, $14.99 PB, $9.97 Kindle, 188pp

This three volume saga is an absolutely absorbing read that combines heroic fantasy with a compelling series of unexpected plot twists and surprising turns. More than just another superhero adventure, "Legend of the Mantamaji" is genuinely original and focuses upon a reluctant hero with incredible gifts having to deal with an ancient foe that was once vanquished but has now been resurrected to rule the world which he will remake in his own image even though it means the global genocide of the human race. Certain to be an enduringly popular addition to personal and community library graphic novel collections, it should be noted that "Legend of the Mantamaji" will have a very special attraction for African-American readers of all ages. If you only have time for one graphic novel saga that is destined to be a true classic, make it Eric Dean Seaton and Brandon Palas' "Legend of the Mantamaji"!

Cinebook Ltd.
56 Beech Ave., Canterbury, Kent, CT4 7TA, UK
www.cinebook.com
c/o National Book Network (dist.)
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.nbnbooks.com

Cinebook publishes a wealth of full-color, serial graphic novels spanning a broad diversity of genres. "Leo Antares: Episode 6" (9781849182584, $13.95) continues a science-fiction saga about a spacefaring young woman's journey across the exotic, wondrous, and dangerous planets colonized by mankind. "Lament of the Lost Moors: Lady Gerfaut" (9781849182706, $13.95) is a dark gothic saga of royal intrigue, masterminded by a singularly ruthless noblewoman who intends to place her son in power at any cost. "Insiders: Takeover Bid on the Kremlin" (9781849182713, $11.95) is a modern spy thriller following the beautiful and talented White House agent Najah, sent undercover to pretend to serve global mafia members even as she works to bring them to justice. In "Wayne Shelton 3: The Contract" (9781849182690, $13.95), the titular hero must undertake the unfortunate duty of the heirs of his deceased team members their rightful shares of the pay for a foreign mission that ended in a debacle. But when hitmen target him in South America, Wayne quickly learns that there is a sky-high price on his own head! "Spooks 5: Megan" (9781849182614, $13.95) is a historical spy thriller, set in the very early 1900's, about a crack team of operatives who cross paths with a young girl who driven catatonic when she saw her father shoot her delusional mother; it's the first half of a story arc to be concluded in the forthcoming volume 6. All are brimming with action and excitement, and recommended for older teen or adult readers due to mature situations and scenes of violence.


The Audiobook Shelf

Judgment at Nuremberg
Abby Mann
L.A. Theatre Works
681 Venice Boulevard, Venice, CA 90291
www.latw.org
9781682660003, $29.95, www.amzon.com

At the end of World War II, The Nuremberg trials held in Nuremberg, Germany by the allied command brought to public attention the worst of the Nazi atrocities inflicted upon the Jews, Romani (also known as "Gypsies"), Slavs, disabled people, homosexuals, political dissidents, and others. Now in a dramatic multicast performance, "Judgment at Nuremberg" brings those trials to life in Abby Mann's riveting drama. "Judgment at Nuremberg" is only rivaled by Elie Wiesel's "Night" and Anne Frank's "Diary of a Young Girl", as one of the twentieth century's most important records of the Holocaust. Originally written as a 1957 television play, later made into an Academy Award winning 1961 film, and available now for the first time in print (using the text of Mann's recent Broadway adaptation), this theatrically produced audio book edition of "Judgment at Nuremberg" is as potent and relevant as ever. To this day the Nuremberg trials stand as a model for international criminal tribunals, due in large measure to the spotlight thrown on them by Mann's dramatic interpretation of the historic events. Mann's overwhelming compassion strikes at the heart of human suffering and his achievement has been a reaffirmation of humanity and justice. Flawlessly produced, this production of "Judgment at Nuremberg" is an absolute "must" for community and academic library audio book collections. 2 CDs; 2 hours, 2 minutes.

The Things We Keep
Sally Hepworth, author
Read by Therese Plummer and Barrie Kreinik
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
9781427267863 $39.99 www.macmillanaudio.com

The Things We Keep is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of a turbulent novel about coping with one's own mental degeneration. Ann Foster is only thirty-eight, but her mind and memories are gradually eroding. Her well-meaning family places her in Rosalind House, an assisted-living facility, but Anna has no intention of living out the rest of her life within its walls. An unexpected flame of love arises between her and the only other resident in her age range, Luke. Yet how can she make her own life worth living when her mind and memory steadily unravel? A compassionate single mother at Rosalind House, Eve, sympathizes with Anna and Luke; still, Eve depends heavily on her job to support herself and her daughter. A bittersweet story of love, loss, and confronting the unthinkable, The Things We Keep is highly recommended. 8 CDs, 10 hours.

Once a Crooked Man
David McCallum
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
9781427271709 $39.99 www.macmillanaudio.com

Now available as an unabridged audiobook read by author David MCallum, Once a Crooked Man is an exciting blend of dry wit, thriller, and violent action. Criminal trio Sal, Max, and Enzo Bruschetti have earned a lifetime's worth of ill-gotten gains; now, they plan to retire and "clean house". When actor Harry Murphy overhears their plans to eliminate a London man who knows too much, he tries to warn the intended victim - an act that turns the Bruschetti brothers' neat, orderly plans into blood-spattered chaos! Packed with excitement, betrayal, and dark humor, Once a Crooked Man comes afire with the same, wicked charm that McCallum brought as an actor in the popular television series, "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." 10 CDs, 12 hours.

Bran New Death
Victoria Hamilton, author
Read by Margaret Storm
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
9781515900337 $37.99 www.tantor.com

Bran New Death is the unabridged audiobook rendition of a cozy murder mystery. Merry has inherited a mansion from her late uncle, Melvyn, with a restaurant-quality kitchen. She plans to make a fresh start with a baking business, and the local retirement home is her first client. But Uncle Mel had enemies who turn their ire upon her - rival bakers Binny Turner and her crazed brother Tom, who blame Melvyn for their father's death. Is one of them responsible for giant dug-up holes on Merry's new property? When one of those holes is unexpectedly filled with a corpse, Merry must find the killer and prove her innocence before her muffin-making career deflates! Bran New Death is a tasty treat for connoisseurs of the genre. 9 CDs, 11 hours.

Dragon Marked
Jaymin Eve
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781511327435, $14.99, CD, www.amazon.com

As a wolf shifter with razor-sharp senses, Jessa Lebron can perceive the slightest change in the air. And her lupine instincts go into overdrive right before her mother, who abandoned her years ago, returns to the pack bearing secrets that change everything. The biggest secret of all: Jessa is dragon marked, a designation that places her in grave danger. The dragon marked are destined to resurrect the dragon king, a fearsome ancient warmonger. And they must be eliminated. Soon Jessa is locked up in Vanguard, the notorious paranormal prison that houses criminal vampires, feys, and magic users. Thankfully, she's not alone: Braxton Compass, her best friend and a dragon shifter, has her back. Jessa and Braxton must find a way to free themselves and the rest of the dragon marked. But can her pack mates help her stop the dragon king before his deadly return? "Dragon Marked" is a whole new take on shape shifters, magic users, vampires, and the whole supernatural community. A riveting and unabridged audio book production, Dara Rosenberg brings a very special dramatic narration to this outstanding first volume of Jaymin Eve's original fantasy sage, and will leave immensely entertained readers looking forward to the Brilliance Audio production of the second title in this new series "Dragon Mystics"!

Born of Betrayal
Sherrilyn Kenyon
Macmillan Audio
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.macmillanaudio.com
9781427261182, $44.99, www.amazon.com

Years ago, family loyalty caused Fain Hauk to give up everything he loved: His military career. His planet. His fiancee. Even his name. Now decades later, everything has changed. He's built a new life out of the ashes of his old, and he's vowed to never let anything threaten his loved ones again. But when old enemies align themselves with new ones, he's caught in the middle of a brutal war. And when fate throws his former fiancee back into his world and she has her own agenda that includes taking his head for what he did to her years ago, more than just his life is at stake. The fate of the Ichidian universe and that of his brothers-in-arms hangs in the balance. Winner take all. It's killed or be killed, and never has the battle been more fierce or has Fain Hauk had so much more than his life to lose! Very ably and skillfully narrated, "Born of Betrayal" is the sequel to "Born of Defiance". A is solid entertainment from beginning to end and very highly recommended listening for all science fiction enthusiasts (11 CDs, Complete & Unabridged), "Born of Betrayal' will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal and community library Science Fiction audio book collections.

Even Dogs in the Wild
Ian Rankin, author
ianrankin.net
Read by James MacPherson
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9781478905134 $35.00 www.HachetteAudio.com

Award-winning and internationally popular crime fiction author Ian Rankin presents Even Dogs in the Wild, now in an unabridged audiobook edition skillfully performed by James MacPherson. Three policemen - Detective Inspector Siobhan Clarke, ostracized cop Malcolm Fox, and chafing-in-retirement John Rebus must work together to track down the man who murdered a senior government prosecutor. An old gangster and former nemesis of Rebus may be the killer's next target, and their best lead into a nightmarish conspiracy! Even Dogs in the Wild is sure to prove a popular library lends for connoisseurs of intricate mysteries. 10 CDs, 11 hours.

The Witches: Salem, 1692
Stacy Schiff
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
www.HachetteAudio.com
9781611137156, $35.00, www.amazon.com

The Witches: Salem, 1692 takes the relatively well-known events of the Salem witchcraft trials and brings them to life in a story about a crisis that changes a town when a minister's niece seems possessed. In the year that followed, a resident's safety lie in joining the furor over witches in the community, and nobody - no family member, no neighbor - was free of suspicion. A year later nearly twenty men and women had been hanged, and adolescent girls gained power as they identified witches and participated in ensuing trials. Stacy Schiff approaches the Salem events from a different angle than most, using archive materials to recreate the trials and tensions of the times, and to offer new insights on religious and social changes. Its audio rendition, read by Eliza Foss, brings events to vivid life and adds a depth and perspective of 1692 society and women's roles in it, making for a recommendation for history buffs and audio listeners alike.


The Library CD Shelf

Kindred Spirits Live at Chan's
Greg Abate & Phil Woods with the Tim Ray Trio
Whaling City Sound
1310 Tucker Road, North Dartmouth, MA 02747
c/o Naxos (dist.)
1810 Columbia Avenue, Suite 28, Franklin, TN 37064
$17.99 www.whalingcitysound.com

Kindred Spirits Live at Chan's is a glorious, 2 CD set showcasing beloved saxophone players Greg Abate and Phil Woods. The enormously skilled and talented Woods passed on in September of 2015, making this one of his final performances captured in audio. Supporting the performance of Abate and Woods is the Tim Ray Trio (world-class music artists Ray on piano, Mark Walker on drums, and John Lockwood on bass). Soulful and captivating, Kindred Spirits Live at Chain's is an unsurpassed treasury for jazz enthusiasts, highly recommended. The tracks of Disc 1 are "Steeplechase (Thriving on a Riff)" (11:34), "A Sleepin' Bee" (11:36), "The End of a Lova Affair" (9:43), "Angel Eyes" (8:28), "Cedar's Blues" (9:12), "Willow Weep For Me" (11:47), "Steeplechase (short version)" (4:39), "Fried Clams With Bellies (spoken)" (1:34), "Phil and Sequel (spoken" (2:09), "Emotionally Involved (spoken)" (0:57), "Different Keys (spoken)" (0:14). The tracks of Disc 2 are "I'll Remember April" (9:21), "Moonlight in Vermont" (9:45), "Speak Low" (8:55), "Strollin'" (7:48), "Yardbird Suite" (9:25), "Moonlight in Vermont (short version)" (5:09) and "The First One's Free (spoken)" (1:34).

Keepsakes in the Attic
Jeff Bjorck
Pure Piano Music
purepiano.com
$14.99 CD / $TBA digital www.cdbaby.com

The sixth CD by musician, photographer, poet, and psychologist Jeff Bjorck, Keepsakes in the Attic is a solo piano performance of original compositions. Bjorck's deep spiritual convictions, love of beauty, and high-flying passion for life shine through this soul-stirring, inspirational collection. Highly recommended, especially to connoisseurs of piano playing at its finest. The tracks are "Afternoon Reverie" (3:49), "Returning Home" (4:19), "Mother's Hymnal" (4:37), "Grandad's Rocker" (4:02), "Unrequited" (4:43), "Hearts Far Apart" (4:25), "Groom's First Waltz" (3:33), "Midnight in Moscow" (4:26), "Hope in the Heartache" (4:45), "Tryggare Kan Ingen Vara" (3:30), "Playing Catch With Dad" (3:41), "Justine of County Clare" (5:26), and "Nana's Music Box" (1:48).

At the Edge of the Beginning
Idan Raichel
Cumbancha
413 Carpenter Road, Charlotte, VT 05445
www.cumbancha.com
$11.99 CD / $7.99 MP3 www.amazon.com

At the Edge of the Beginning is the latest music CD by prestigious music artist Idan Raichel. Sung entirely in Hebrew (an included booklet offers both handwritten Hebrew renditions and complete English translations of the lyrics), At the Edge of the Beginning contemplates the turning points of life, and timeless values of love and family. Most songs are performed by Raichel himself; Dana Zalah is the only guest singer, and she contributes beautifully to "Longing". At the Edge of the Beginning reveals Raichel's talents in a wide variety of instruments, and is the first album in which he personally recorded all the drums. A far-reaching composite, At the Edge of the Beginning is perhaps best represented by its final song "Before It Ends", which celebrates the fullness of life by reflecting on the experience of the last five seconds before passing on. Highly recommended. The tracks are "To Wait" (3:06), "The Warm Hand" (2:48), "In the Wilderness" (2:26), "Looking at the Moon" (2:51), "Circles" (3:16), "Lonely Island" (2:15), "Little Girl of Mine" (2:14), "Revolving Door" (2:44), "Longing" (2:44), "In Five Seconds" (3:14), and "Before It Ends" (4:05).


The Library DVD Shelf

Getting Into Grammar
Lynne Dorfman & Diane Dougherty
Stenhouse Publishers
480 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101-3451
9781625310552 $195.00 www.stenhouse.com

Getting Into Grammar is a DVD by professional educators, for professional educators, created to demonstrate techniques for teaching English grammar and literacy to students in grades 1-6. Viewers witness Lynne Dorfman and Diane Dougherty in second and fifth-grade classrooms, engaging students with techniques that stimulate their comprehension of essential language skills. They also confer with student writers and discuss the lessons with other teachers. The specific lessons involve an explanation of prepositional phrases in the first half of the program, and exploring the ramifications of paragraph breaks in the second half of the program. A study session is worth a thousand words; Getting Into Grammar is highly recommended as an invaluable resource for teachers, and a "must-have" for college School of Education DVD collections, professional study groups, and staff development programs. Getting Into Grammar can be used by itself or along with Dorfman's and Dougherty's book "Grammar Matters" (9781571109910 $24.00 pbk / $15.39 Kindle). 1 DVD, 1 hour 40 minutes runtime.

Scorpions Forever and a Day
MVD Entertainment Group
203 Windsor Road, Pottstown, PA 19464
www.scorpions-derfilm.de
$19.95 DVD / Blu-ray www.MVDb2b.com

Available in both DVD and Blu-ray formats, Scorpions Forever and a Day is a documentary about the legendary German rock band (originally formed in 1965), showcasing their final three-year tour begun in 2010. Including never-before-seen Super 8 films from the Scorpions' personal archive, Scorpions Forever and a Day reveals the strong personal ties between members of the band, and their love for their fans. Bonus features include a trailer and an excerpt over ten minutes long from a classic interview from "Night Flight" in June of '85. A "must-see" for anyone with a passion for rock 'n' roll! 100 min., color with some black & white footage segments, German language, English and French subtitles.

The Irish RM: The Complete Collection
Starring Peter Bowles
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
$59.99 www.acornonline.com

The Irish RM: The Complete Collection is an upbeat, witty drama series on DVD, based on the turn-of-the-century stories by Somerville and Ross. Major Sinclair Yeates is a retired English army officer turned Resident Magistrate in pre-independence West Ireland. Living in a run-down country house, surrounded by a quixotic community, Yeates tries to make lawful sense of one illogical situation after another! Shot entirely on location in the beautiful County Kildare in Ireland, this drama (originally shown on PBS "Masterpiece Theatre") vividly recreates life in rural Ireland at the dawn of the 20th century. A 26-minute bonus "making of" featurette is also included. Quirky and charming, The Irish RM: The Complete Collection is a treasure for connoisseurs and an excellent addition to public library DVD collections. 18 episodes on 6 DVDs, 16 hours plus bonus, full screen, SDH subtitles.

Black Work
Starring Sheridan Smith
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
9781621724445 $34.99 www.acornonline.com

Black Work is a dark miniseries on DVD of suspense and corruption. Police constable Jo Gillespie (played by BAFTA award-winning actress Sheridan Smith) is devastated when her husband, an undercover officer, is killed in the line of duty. She tries to remain strong for her daughter and stepson, but when the inquiry into her husband's murder begins to reveal dangerous secrets, she suspects darkness in the hearts of her loyal police comrades. With the aid of her friend and colleague Jack Clark (played by Matthew McNulty) she tries to get to the bottom of a conspiracy that could jeopardize her entire family! Tense and gripping to the very end, Black Work is a "must-see" for connoisseurs of British police drama. Black Work is not rated, but does contain violence, coarse language, and sexual situations. 3 episodes, 141 min., widescreen, SDH subtitles.

Heritage Unit Roundup
Pentrex
2652 East Walnut Street, Pasadena, CA 91107
HUR-DVD, $29.95, DVD, www.pentrex.com

Mergers have been a part of railroading even before the driving of the golden spike in 1869. In recent years, several railroads have started to recognize the importance of paying respect to their past. In this fascinating show, you'll join us as we pay tribute to the fallen flags whose identities were lost after the larger roads merged their systems together. In "Heritage Unit Roundup" viewers will see how each railroad pays tribute. The Union Pacific gave the major players from the previous quarter century a unique paint scheme that was applied to half a dozen SD70ACe locomotives. While Norfolk Southern painted 10 GE and 10 EMD locomotives from its fleet, each one for a smaller road that merged with it. Amtrak honored its past by painting several P42's in a scheme previously used by Amtrak in its 40-plus year history. In "Heritage Unit Roundup", Pentrex has gathered a colorful collection of footage of Heritage Units from Amtrak, Union Pacific, and even a few Norfolk Southern units as they visited Southern California. Enjoy scenes along the BNSF Needles and Cajon Subs, as well as UP's Yuma and Mojave Subs, and more. "Heritage Unit Roundup" includes breathtaking runbys and pacing, passenger specials, manifest and intermodal trains, as well as plenty of narration describing each unit. With a running time of one hour, forty-five minutes, "Heritage Unit Roundup" includes chapter menus and the option of watching the program with or without narration. Very highly recommended for personal and community library Railroading collections, "Heritage Unit Roundup" is presented in a Widescreen Standard Definition Format; featuring beautiful color filming with stereo sound and an informative narration. This exciting show is a must-have for any railfan's collection.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Practical Astrology for Witches and Pagans
Ivo Dominguez, Jr.
Red Wheel/Weiser/Conari
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950
www.redwheelweiser.com
9781578635757 $18.95 / $13.47 Kindle www.amazon.com

Practical Astrology for Witches and Pagans: Using the Planets and the Stars for Effective Spellwork, Rituals, and Magickal Work is a handbook describing how astrology can be used with rituals, herbalism, crystals, and more. Chapters discussions include Using Glyphs for Magick; The Astrology of Time; The Astrology of the Aura; The Astrology of Spirit Work; The Great Year (which is approximately the length of 25,920 standard years); and other keynotes. A handful of black-and-white diagrams aid in clarifying specific points. "...I recommend using just one planetary glyph at a time in your initial foray into the use of astrological glyphs in Magick. If you do this, you'll gain a deeper appreciation of the qualities of the Planets, and you will have time to awaken the Planets within yourself so that you can better summon and direct their forces." Practical Astrology for Witches and Pagans is a welcome addition to metaphysical studies collections.

The Kabbalistic Mirror of Genesis
David Chaim Smith
Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781620554630, $19.95, www.amazon.com

The Kabbalistic Mirror of Genesis: Commentary on the First Three Chapters provides an analysis that takes each line of Genesis 1-3 and uses esoteric methods derived from the oral teachings of the kabbalah to find meanings different from traditional interpretations of the work. Smith's approach seeks to explain how the Divine is revealed through these alternative interpretations, and chapters discuss different references, allusions, organic symbols, variations and meaning, and sources of alternate interpretation. The result is especially recommended for readers who have a prior interest in the Bible and kabbalastic symbolism.

The Omniverse
Alfred Lambremont Webre
Bear & Company
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
www.bearandcompanybooks.com
9781591432159, $16.00, www.amazon.com

The Omniverse: Transdimensional Intelligence, Time Travel, the Afterlife, and the Secret Colony on Mars is for new age collections strong in UFO analysis and thinking, and maintains that everyone belongs to the Omniverse, a matrix blending spirit, energy and intelligence that embraces all living and spiritual dimensions of God. Surprisingly, the discussion adopts a scientific approach in gathering replicable evidence about extraterrestrial life, intelligent civilizations created by souls in the afterlife, alien technology, and more. By drawing together ideas about the key technologies of the wider Omniverse, the author explains much about telepathic communications between dimensions, teleportation, time travel, and government secrets, making this a fitting add to any new age collection,.

The Aztec UFO Incident
Scott Ramsey, et.al.
New Page Books
c/o Career Press Inc.
12 Parish Drive, Wayne, NJ 07470
www.newpagebooks.com
9781632650016, $17.99, www.amazon.com

The Aztec UFO Incident: The Case, Evidence, and Elaborate Cover-Up of One of the Most Perplexing Crashes in History provides surprising new evidence and witnesses surrounding the Aztec UFO crash and the secret recovery of the ship, and exposes a conspiracy that will educate and delight UFO enthusiasts already convinced that Roswell wasn't the first - or last - UFO crash site on the planet. The Aztec incident was actually the first ever widely publicized report of a recovered flying saucer, even though it was deemed a hoax for decades - but the authors here offer more research and specifics, not generalities, around the incident. Any UFO enthusiast will find this a compelling read about a notorious covert UFO operation.


The Education Shelf

Well Played
Linda Dacey, Karen Gartland, & Jayne Bamford Lynch, authors
Kassia Omohundro Wedekind, foreword author
Stenhouse Publishers
480 Congress Street, P.O. Box 11020, Portland, ME 04104
9781625310347, $25.00, www.stenhouse.com

"Well Played: Building Mathematical Thinking Through Number Games and Puzzles, Grades K-2" is a clever new math educational method that uses special math games and puzzles as integral learning components for teachers of students grades K-2. "Well Played" begins with criteria for a learning definition of games, puzzles or activities, suggesting the following criteria to identify good educational games and puzzles: " It addresses important mathematical ideas. It is engaging. It offers a range of difficulty levels. It requires and stimulates mathematical insight. It supports the habits of mind essential for success with mathematics and real-world problem solving (p. 3)." Chapter 2 of the book, Supporting Learning Through Games and Puzzles, addresses approaches to help organize students' participation in games and puzzles for learning success. The remaining chapters 3 though 7 address different math concepts as follows: counting and ordering, base ten numeration, addition, subtraction, and addition and subtraction. Each chapter game summary has a highlighted section that lists the math focus, materials needed, and directions, plus a description of how it looks in the classroom, tips from the classroom, and what to look for. Also added are variations, exit question choices, and extensions, plus occasional online games and apps suggestions. A handy Appendix provides copies of game materials, puzzle solutions, and game directions. Additional suggestions for explanations to parents, and working with families to further their children's math education and learning. In summary, "Well Played" offers innovative yet tried and true approaches to math education through creative use of games and puzzles to further learning and also cooperation and social skills. (129 pages plus 83 pages of appendix and references)

The Motivated Brain
Gayle Gregory & Martha Kaufeldt
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
www.ascd.org
9781416620488, $24.95, PB, 168pp, www.amazon.com

What really motivates students to learn? What gets them interested and keeps them interested in pursuing knowledge and understanding? Recent neuroscientific findings have uncovered the source of our motivation to learn. Informed by new findings on the nature of the brain s seeking system, internationally renowned educators Gayle Gregory and Martha Kaufeldt have identified key brain-friendly strategies for improving student motivation, knowledge acquisition, retention, and academic success. In the pages of "The Motivated Brain: Improving Student Attention, Engagement, and Perseverance", readers will learn: The science behind the motivated brain and how it relates to student learning; Strategies for preparing a motivational environment and lesson; Strategies for creating engaging learning experiences that capitalize on the brain s natural ways of learning; Strategies for improving depth of knowledge, complex thinking, and synthesis to get students into the ever-desired state of flow; How attention to the neuroscience of motivation will improve the classroom environment and student learning. "The Motivated Brain" shows classroom teachers how they can harness the power of their students intrinsic motivation to make learning fun, engaging, and meaningful for them. An invaluable and highly recommended addition to student teacher curriculums, as well as having a great deal of value for even the more experienced classroom instructors, "The Motivated Brain" is especially recommended for academic library Educational Studies collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Motivated Brain" is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.39).

In Praise of American Educators
Richard DuFour
Solution Tree
555 North Morton Street, Bloomington, IN 47404
www.solution-tree.com
9781942496571, $34.95, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Richard DuFour, EdD, was a public school educator for 34 years, serving as a teacher, principal, and superintendent. Dr. DuFour wrote a quarterly column for the Journal of Staff Development for nearly a decade. He was the lead consultant and author of ASCD's video series on principalship . "In Praise of American Educators: And How They Can Become Even Better" Dr. DuFour draws upon his many years of experience and expertise to critique the commonly presented media messages about schooling in America; consider the evidence for why the present generation of American educators has accomplished more than previous generations; evaluate the assumptions driving policies set up to improve schooling; reveal the four essential pillars of the PLC foundation; and present the essential elements of the PLC process and common mistakes in implementing that process. "In Praise of American Educators" explores the state of education today and presents a compelling case for why contemporary American educators are the greatest generation in history. Dr. DuFour carefully explains why current national reform policies have failed and presents specific steps policymakers, administrators, and teachers must take to transform American schools to meet student needs in the 21st century. "In Praise of American Educators" is a seminal contribution to academic library Educational Studies reference collections and highly recommended to the attention of academia and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in reforming and improving both public and private school systems and classrooms. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "In Praise of American Educators" is also available in a Kindle edition ($22.93).

Metaliteracy in Practice
Trudi E. Jacobson and Thomas P. Mackey, editors
Neal-Schuman
c/o American Library Association
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
www.alastore.ala.org
9780838913796 $70.00 www.amazon.com

Metaliteracy in Practice is an anthology of scholarly essays by expert authors discussing metaliteracy - a term designed to encompass all "new literacies" in a single word. These "new literacies" reach beyond traditional print literacy to include media literacy (the ability distill information from hype as well as think critically about perspectives presented in modern media), digital literacy (the ability to navigate and rationally evaluate claims and statements on the Internet, such as social media messages and web videos), and more. In today's world, when lies and rumors abound online, fostering the skills to process the information contained in new media formats is more important than ever. Individual writings of Metaliteracy in Practice include "Revising for Metaliteracy: Flexible Course Design to Support Social Media Pedagogy", "Empowering Learners to Become Metaliterate in a Digital and Multimodal Age", "Promoting Empowerment through Metaliteracy: A Case Study of Undergraduate Learning Outcomes", and more. Notes and an index round out this cutting-edge resource especially recommended for educational professionals and literacy curriculum planners.

How to Succeed at Medical School, second edition
Dason Evans and Jo Brown
BMJI Books
c/o Wiley Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
www.wiley.com/wileyblackwell
9781118703410, $35.95, www.amazon.com

The second updated edition of How to Succeed at Medical School: An Essential Guide to Learning is written by experienced medical school teachers and offers case studies, quotes from other students, sidebars of tips, exercises, portfolios and more to teach the basics of how to overcome common obstacles in medical school. It's been completely updated to include new chapters on professionalism and teaching and new insights into medical school standards and operations; but the heart of the account lies in a roadmap that discusses the pros and cons of various strategies and methods for obtaining answers, asking questions, and applying life lessons to medical school routines. This should be the gift of choice for any just entering medical school: it will pinpoint and help students overcome many potential barriers to success.

Engage Every Family
Steven M. Constantino
Corwin Press, Inc.
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
www.corwinpress.com
9781506303994, $31.00, www.amazon.com

Engage Every Family: Five Simple Principles provides a tutorial on basic family engagement and blends theory and practice to show how to shift a school's traditional approaches to connect with families who don't participate in its structure. The meat of the discussion lies in a focus on how and where family and school interactions break down, and how to create an atmosphere where participation is not just encouraged, but rewarded. Case studies from special education and regular classroom teachers accompany notes from an administrator's background and survey techniques for reaching out to the 'hard to reach'. The result is a workbook on how to welcome every family, packed with revealing inspiration.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Sherlock Holmes The Missing Years: Timbuktu
Vasudev Murthy
http://vmurthy.blogspot.com
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave., #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
www.poisonedpenpress.com
9781464204524 $26.95 hc
9781464204548 $15.95 pbk / $9.99 Kindle www.amazon.com

In Arthur Conan Doyle's classic detective stories starring Sherlock Holmes, little is ever said of how the master sleuth spent his days between his alleged demise at Reichenbach Falls in 1891, and his reappearance in 1894. Sherlock Holmes The Missing Years: Timbuktu is an original novel by set during these years - a time when the world thought Holmes was dead and gone - penned by Delhi native and superb storyteller Vasudev Murthy. In Sherlock Holmes The Missing Years: Timbuktu, Holmes has faked his death in order to pursue an undercover quest to track down the missing half of an ancient parchment, which carries a cryptic note written by legendary explorer Marco Polo. Holmes journey takes him from Venice to the Sahara desert to Timbuktu and beyond. A shocked yet steadfastly reliable Dr. Watson aids Holmes, and the callous hand of Moriarty manipulates enemies in the shadows. Sherlock Holmes The Missing Years: Timbuktu is enthusiastically recommended to mystery connoisseurs in general, and fans of the quintessential detective in particular!

Murphy's Law
Ethan J. Wolfe
Gale Cengage Learning, Inc.
200 First Stamford Place, Stamford, CT 06902
9781432831394 $25.95 www.cengage.com

Murphy's Law: The Regulator Book Two blends elements from both the western and forensic mystery genres. Murphy, also known as "the Regulator", has to interrupt his semi-retirement with the woman he loves to aid in a brewing national crisis. Counterfeit money is appearing in banks all across the west, a threat that could potentially bring the American economy to its knees. Murphy must spend months tracking down the bad money's source, aided by his old friends Apache Chief Ten Moons and his son, Two Bears. Gritty and exciting, Murphy's Law keeps the reader hooked to the very end! Also highly recommended is author Ethan Wolfe's previous novel featuring Murphy, "The Regulator".

Passenger 19: A Jammer Davis Thriller
Ward Larsen
Oceanview Publishing
595 Bay Isles Road, 120-G, Longboat Key, FL 34228
9781608091676 $26.95 www.oceanviewpub.com

Passenger 19: A Jammer Davis Thriller is an exciting novel of suspense featuring Jammer Davis, whose career involves the investigation of aircraft accidents. His job becomes personal when a small regional jet vanishes in the Columbian jungle; one of the passengers was his young daughter. The grim wreckage site dashes any hope of finding survivors. But two pilots and a passenger were shot before the crash; was the flight hijacked? And why can't the remains of two passengers who boarded the plane be found? The threads of a sinister conspiracy corrupting the United States government entangle this tense mystery, highly recommended especially for connoisseurs of the genre.

Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. First Ave., #103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
www.poisonedpenpress.com

Zoe Burke's No Gun Intended (9781464204845, $26.95) presents an Annabelle Starkey mystery, returning a protagonist introduced in Jump the Gun to a blossoming audience. Annabelle flies to Oregon to visit her newly relocated parents, who are experiencing many changes in their lives, and is looking forward to a visit far from her New York detective agency intrigues. When she discovers her backpack has been switched for one holding a gun linked to a murder, she questions whether she's being framed, whether the switch was an accident, or something more. And when the gun's owner appears, the mystery deepens. A satisfying set of interactions and twists keeps the story fast-paced, ever-changing, and fun; all cemented by a believably feisty young protagonist. Frederick Ramsay's The Vulture (9781464204760, $26.95) begins when a powerful bomb ends the life of ex-CIA small town sheriff Ike Schwartz, prompting both mourning and a manhunt the tiny town's never experienced before. Former CIA colleague Charlie Garland enters the picture and joins other investigators hot on the trail of the perp - and a mercurial picture emerges as radical militias, big businesses, and dubious interests emerge, all with reason to have caused Ike's death. Triss Stein's Brooklyn Secrets (9781464204104, $26.95) tells of Brooklyn grad student Erica Donato, who is researching the 1930s when Brownville was home to a group of organized criminals called Murder, Inc. - but her field research becomes too real when a young college-bound student is beaten and left for dead. As events escalate from her 1930s research to her present-day life, Erica finds her questions reveal a cast of dubious characters and the very real possibility of a long-ago crime re-emerging to threaten her world. A satisfying blend of history and crime makes for an unusual, winning approach mystery genre readers will relish as something compellingly different.


The Crafts Shelf

Beautiful Elements
Heather Powers
Kalmbach Books
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612
www.kalmbachbooks.com
www.JewelryandBeadingStore.com
9781627002059, $22.99, PB, 112pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Beautiful Elements: Creative Components to Personalize Your Jewelry", is fully illustrated, mixed-materials jewelry-making project and technique instructional guide and manual that teaches simple step-by-step techniques using wire, metal, and polymer clay to enhance and personalize beaded jewelry. With thirty projects readers will learn how to create natural shapes from metal, "sketch" with a hammer to create clever designs, and transform bits of polymer clay and wire into adornments. "Beautiful Elements" covers how to make simple findings like handcrafted earring wires, chain, and toggle clasps. Of special note is that in the pages of "Beautiful Elements", author Heather Powers shares her secrets from her own successful jewelry making business. Thoroughly 'user friendly' throughout, "Beautiful Elements" is very highly recommended for personal and community library jewelry craft making reference collections.

Beautiful Elements
Heather Powers
Kalmbach Publishing
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612
www.kalmbachbooks.com
www.jewelryandbeadingstore.com
9781627002059, $22.98, www.amazon.com

Beautiful Elements: Creative Components to Personalize Your Jewelry focuses on wire and metal techniques to blend mixed media for various jewelry projects, from pendants to clasps and links, and shows how to build skills while creating professional-quality pieces. The focus here is on blending metal and wire with polymer and on using different methods that include variations. Sidebars of supplies and tools accompany simple three- and four-step instructions that promise clear direction and quick results. Beginners new to working with wire and links will find this a great starting point.

Chain Mail Elegance
Sue Ripsch
Kalmbach Publishing
21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612
www.kalmbachbooks.com
www.jewelryandbeadingstore.com
9781627001229, $21.99, www.amazon.com

Chain Mail Elegance: Jewelry Projects with Crystals, Pearls, and More comes from the author of other chain mail books who provides a new array of projects incorporating crystals, glass beads, and pearls, and is especially recommended for those who want to blend other mediums into their metal-working chains. Over thirty projects use the classic chain mail weaves to produce necklaces, earrings and more, with many featuring design alternates and customization options. Both the small and larger-sized color photos are clear and bright, leaving nothing to guess in the finer art of incorporating embellishments into chain mail productions. Jewelers will find this a great 'next step' in the process of learning their craft.


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Practical Guide to Canine and Feline Neurology, third edition
Curtis W. Dewey and Ronaldo C. da Costa
Wiley Blackwell
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148
www.wiley.com/go/veterinary
9781119946113, $149.99, www.amazon.com

The third updated edition of Practical Guide to Canine and Feline Neurology appears in full color and is a powerful 'must have' veterinary reference, representing a complete update to a reference on managing neurology cases in small animal practice. There are many new chapters on differential diagnosis and movement disorders, new images have been added, and tables, charts and references convert data to graphic representation for easier consultation. In addition, there is access to supporting video clips of specific disorders plus a how-to video online. Add new surgical drawings and in-depth discussions based on the latest scientific research and veterinary applications and you have a top pick highly recommended for any clinical veterinary practice and for reference libraries that cater to vets.


The Autism Shelf

Ketchup is My Favorite Vegetable
Liane Kupferberg Carter
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
400 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
www.jkp.com
9781849057158, $18.95, www.amazon.com

Ketchup is My Favorite Vegetable: A Family Grows Up With Autism departs from the usual medical community or educator approach to autism to bring a mother's autobiography about living with autism to life. Mickey's memoir is about the two decades of struggle which occur after he is diagnosed with autism and epilepsy. His rocky road to adulthood and the specifics of growing a child with autism make for informative as well as lively reading, highly recommended for any parent of an autistic child.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

100 Questions & Answers About HIV And AIDS, third edition
Joel Gallant, MD
Jones & Bartlett Learning
5 Wall Street, Burlington, MA 01803
www.jblearning.com
9781284089868, $19.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com

Despite there having been major advances in the diagnosis and treatment of HIV infections resulting in AIDS, it continues to be a serious health issue in this country and around the world. Whether you're a newly diagnosed patient or a friend or relative of someone suffering from HIV or Aids, this newly updated and expanded third edition of "100 Questions & Answers About HIV And AIDS" can be of substantial help. Offering both doctor and patient perspectives, :100 Questions & Answers About HIV and Aids" by Dr. Joel Gallant (Medical Director of Specialty Services, Southwest CARE Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico) provides authoritative and practical answers to the most commonly asked questions by patients and their loved ones. "100 Questions & Answers About HIV And AIDS" covers such concerns as: What is the difference between HIV and Aids?; How can HIV infection be prevented?; How do I find the right medical care?. Along with the answers to these and other questions, "100 Questions & Answers About HIV And AIDS" provides information on diagnosis, treatment, living with HIV and more. Written by experts in the field "100 Questions & Answers About HIV and Aids" is an invaluable resource for non-specialist general readers having to cope with the physical and emotional uncertainty of this critically serious and infectious disease. Simply stated, a copy of "100 Questions & Answers About HIV And AIDS" should be a part of every community and academic library, health care center, and HIV/AIDS outreach program's reference collection.

Stay Healthy During Chemo
Mike Herbert, ND
Conari Press
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950-4600
www.redwheelweiser.com
9781573246750, $18.95, PB, 264pp, www.amazon.com

Chemotherapy works to beat cancer, but it also takes its own toll on the cancer patient's body and health. During treatment, it is more important than ever to do what can and must be done to keep cancer patients strong and healthy. The best way of doing that is to work with the body's innate healing powers. "Stay Healthy During Chemo: The Five Essential Steps" by Mike Herbert (a naturopath with more than 15 years in practice as a wellness consultant, with a particular emphasis on nutrition and natural healing) offers a treasure chest of practical guidance for feeling good during chemo and beyond. And it does so through 5 basic steps to: Change your thinking and develop an attitude focused on healing; Detoxify with therapeutic baths to promote healing from the inside out; Eat the best foods to create a healing chemistry in your body; Supplement your diet to support healing momentum; Exercise and rest to speed the healing process. It should be noted that "Stay Healthy During Chemo" is enhanced with the inclusion of more than a hundred simple recipes, as well as a menu-planning guide. Packed from cover to cover with relevant, practical, insightful, useful, and effective information that is specifically written for the benefit of the non-specialist general reader having to deal with cancer within themselves or a loved one, "Stay Healthy During Chemo" should be considered an essential instructional guide and reference. Simply stated, "Stay Healthy During Chemo" should be a part of every community and academic library's Health & Medicine collection. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Stay Healthy During Chemo" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Safety in Medication Use
Mary P. Tully and Bryony Dean Franklin, Editors
CRC Press
6000 NW Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487
www.crcpress.com
9781482227000, $79.95, www.amazon.com

Safety in Medication Use is recommended for college-level health sciences readers in biomedical science, and is authored by medical professionals around the world who contribute chapters based on their expertise. The coverage addresses common problems in medication use, their resolution, and how to put into place routines and approaches that prevent problems from happening. From common measurement errors in medication to safety testing, patient education, dispensing changes, and the design of health systems, this is a powerful reference that should be on the shelves of any definitive medical collection concerned with drug treatments and medication management processes.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
Quirk Books
215 Church Street, Philadelphia PA 19106
9781594748899 $14.95 www.quirkbooks.com

What if Jane Austen's classic novel about love, marriage, upperclass culture, and respectability in Victorian England took place amid a savage zombie attack? Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a tongue-in-cheek re-imagining of Austen's "Pride and Prejudice", in which a horrific plague has descended upon the English village of Meryton, and the dead rise from their graves to devour the living! Peppered with swordfights and zombie-cannibalism as well as courtship and willful egos, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has become a major motion picture; this movie tie-in edition of the ghoulishly fun novel features a handful of inset color plates that vividly portray key movie scenes. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a "must-read" for zombie fans, and a new way to experience Austen's beloved work of literature.

Naruto: Kakashi's Story
Original story by Masashi Kishimoto
Written by Akira Higashiyama
Translated by Jocelyne Allen
Viz Media LLC
1355 Market Street, Suite 200, San Francisco CA 94103
9781421584409 $10.99 www.viz.com

Naruto: Kakashi's Story is a text novel set in the dangerous world of the popular manga series Naruto. In this world, formidable ninjitsu powers resembling magic are used to protect the peace - or wage horrific war. Kakashi was once Naruto's instructor; now, he is on the verge of being named the next Hokage, a prestigious title that also carries the heavy burden of responsibility for protecting the people. Kakashi undertakes a perilous mission to rescue hostages from a top-secret airship, and confronts an enemy who is like ice in deed and in thought. Lives and souls hang in the balance of this harrowing adventure, which offers a rare glimpse of insight into one of the Naruto saga's most mysterious and reserved characters! Naruto: Kakashi's Story is a complete and self-contained saga; familiarity with the manga series enriches the reading experience, but is not required to enjoy the tale.

Storm Front
Robert Conroy
Baen Books
PO Box 1188, Wake Forest NC 27588
www.baen.com
9781476780870, $25.00, www.amazon.com

Storm Front takes place in Michigan and tells what happens when a storm evolves into a natural disaster, stretching resources to their breaking point as Sheridan police office strives to keep the town safe. More than snow and ice are lucking: there's something deadly that's about to affect the town and something that will involve escaped convicts and a host of characters who face the storm of their lives. A powerful story line takes a common natural phenomena and elevates it into a novel of suspense and unexpected drama making this a recommendation for a wide audience.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Moda All-Stars All in a Row
That Patchwork Place
Martingale
19021 - 120th Avenue NE, Suite 102, Bothell, WA 98011
www.shopmartingale.com
9781604687293, $26.99, PB, 112pp, www.amazon.com

With "Moda All-Stars All in a Row: 24 Row-by-Row Quilt Designs", needlecraft enthusiasts will discover the mix-and-match possibilities for fabulous quilts with row patterns by their favorite Moda designers, including Lynne Hagmeier of Kansas Troubles Quilters, Camille Roskelley of Thimble Blossoms, Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts, Pat Sloan, Carrie Nelson, Sandy Gervais of Pieces from My Heart, and many more. Twenty-four row designs are presented in three appealing categories: Classic Patchwork (tried-and-true favorites), Well Seasoned (fresh quilts for every season), and A Bit of Whimsy (playful, carefree designs), plus nine blender rows to help tie them all together. Perfect for a row-robin quilt-along with friends, the rows can be put together in many different combinations. "Moda All-Stars All in a Row: 24 Row-by-Row Quilt Designs" includes step-by-step instructions and illustrations, plus a quilt gallery that provides inspiration for various combinations and using stand-alone rows in your decor. Profusely and usefully illustrated throughout, "Moda All-Stars All in a Row" will prove a welcome and much appreciated addition to personal and community library Needlecraft reference collections in general, and quilting instructional guide book collections in particular. It should be noted that "Moda All-Stars All in a Row" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Building Blocks
Diane Califano
American Quilter's Society
PO Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
www.americanquilter.com
9781604601435, $22.95, PB, 80pp, www.amazon.com

"Building Blocks: Back To Quilt Basics" by quilting expert Diane Califano is an impressive compilation of illustrated, step-by-step quilting projects that includes detailed instructions for making quilt blocs such as Log Cabin, Pinwheel, Flying Geese, and more, as well as general quilt making techniques that will prove invaluable for the novice quilt maker. Indeed, "Building Blocks: Back To Quilt Basics" will prove to be immensely useful for quilt makers at all skill and experience levels. Simply stated, "Building Blocks: Back To Quilt Basics" should be considered a core addition to personal and community library Needlecraft instructional reference collections in general, and quilting supplemental studies lists in particular.

10 Granny Squares 30 Bags
Margaret Hubert
Creative Publishing International
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9781589238947, $19.99, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com

The granny square is the crocheter's foundation for countless projects and is unparalleled for its portability, versatility, and endless variety. With "The Granny Square Book", Margaret Hubert draws upon her many years of experience and expertise to show how the humble granny makes the transition from tried-and-true blankets to all kinds of fashionable garments and accessories. Now, using only 10 granny squares selected from The Granny Square Book and Granny Square Flowers, Margaret shows how you can crochet 30 completely different bags. Each square is used three times with different yarns, color schemes, motif arrangements, and finishing treatments to create a wide assortment of handbags, totes, and carriers. You'll be amazed at the versatility of these squares! From retro shoulder bags to contemporary messenger bags, there are styles to suit every purpose and design preference. 10 Granny Squares 30 Bags will keep you crocheting bags for everyone and every reason for years to come. Featuring profusely illustrated, step-by-step instructions for every do-it-yourself crocheting project, "10 Granny Squares 30 Bags: Purses, Totes, Pouches, and Carriers from Favorite Crochet Motifs" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal and community library Needlecraft instructional reference collections in general, and Crocheting supplemental studies list in particular.

Broomstick Lace Crochet
Donna Wolfe
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-6921
www.stackpolebooks.com
9780811716154, $21.95, www.amazon.com

Broomstick Lace Crochet: A New Look at a Vintage Stitch with 20 Stylish Designs covers a type of lace crochet made using a huge needle ("broomstick") and a crochet hook - and this means that projects can be completed in hours rather than days. The author's step-by-step discussions of these techniques includes the basics of how to increase and decrease so newcomers to crochet can access the projects, wile those seeking a particular focus on the broomstick lace style will find hats, skirts, tops and more that represent an array of patterns and approaches. The result is a fine survey that offers many new options to crochet workers at all stages of craft.


The Sports Shelf

One Goal
Bill Beswick
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61820-5076
www.HumanKinetics.com
9781450465788, $19.95, www.amazon.com

One Goal: The Mindset of Winning Soccer Teams comes from a performance psychologist and author who provides an inspection of mental facilities that can be cultivated by coaches seeking to supplement physical education with mental support. It provides a sequential arrangement filled with insights on how to assess and develop such a mindset, with theory supported by tested techniques and tools, and discussions including tournaments and team management. The result is a key survey of the mental developments essential to soccer team and sports success: just as important as the many strategy and management books on the market that support physical development.


The Photography Shelf

Seven Continents
Mohan Bhasker
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764349805, $50.00, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Los Angeles-based Mohan Bhasker is a landscape photographer and practicing physician. He owns a gallery in Los Angeles where he exhibits his photography work from all over the world, including remote regions where few travelers venture. Showcasing the truly exceptional photography of Mohan Bhasker, "Seven Continents: Photography of Mohan Bhasker" takes the armchair traveler on a round-the-world journey to some of Earth's most exquisite sites. Browsing through Bhasker's full color images, readers will vicariously traverse a Laos jungle, kayak among Antarctica's icebergs, trek through Nepal's Himalayan mountain range and Brazil's scorching sand dunes, and come upon impossibly blue lagoons tucked into the rugged Argentine terrain. Interspersed with the images are adventure travel stories about close calls with nature, opportunities missed, serendipitous timing, and the payoff of persistence. The camera lens lingers on everything from pristine panoramas to quiet coves and closeups of penguin chicks. Very highly recommended for personal, community and academic library Photography collections, "Seven Continents: Photography of Mohan Bhasker" is a fifteen-year collection of more than 220 photographs, visually celebrating the beauty, history, and significance of some of the most remote places on Earth.

Picturing Migrants
James R. Swensen
University of Oklahoma Press
2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069
www.oupress.com
9780806148274, $34.95, www.amazon.com

Picturing Migrants: The Grapes of Wrath and New Deal Documentary Photography links a classic novel with photos produced for the New Deal's Farm Security Administration, offering a dual discussion of the novel and the photos which, together, provided a definitive exploration of migrant experience in the 1930s. It's the intersection between the two which has proved pivotal and revealing: this provides new insights into both Steinbeck's novel and the photos and how they both became definitive representations of the Depression. Chapters refute the notion that Steinbeck's portrait of Oklahoma migrants in California stemmed from fantasy: Lee traveled to Oklahoma to prove they were real, and his documentary pictures illustrate the many realities that Steinbeck so grippingly portrayed in Grapes of Wrath. Having Lee's works and these images appear alongside the portraits of other photographers makes for a key discussion and new perspective which should be required reading for any studying 1930s immigrant history, Steinbeck's novel, or documentary photos of the Depression.

Amherst Media
175 Rano Street, Suite 200, Buffalo, NY 14207-2176
www.amherstmedia.com

Laurie Klein and Kyle Klein's Infrared Photography: Artistic Techniques for Brilliant Images (9781608959259, $37.95) provides a powerful survey of the special techniques and technical aspects of infrared productions, and offers photographers new to these methods a step-by-step guide that shows how to take advantage of infrared's special attributes. From creating digital infrared images and understanding how the capture and representation of tones is changed in that medium to producing landscapes, portraits, and more, the book reviews common problems, shows how to overcome them, and discusses postproduction techniques that can correct or enhance infrared shots. The result is a 'must' for any photographer new to infrared's special approaches. Pierre Stephenson's Foundations of Posing (9781608959457, $34.95) discusses the myriad of techniques needed to create better portraits through posing one's subject, and focuses on the design of portraits through a better approach to the idea of posing. Chapters seek to blend in discussions of background, angles, lighting, and special effects with an overall survey of how posing choices change results, leading to a more in-depth approach than many would offer. No portrait photographer should proceed without consulting this discussion of how to adopt different techniques. Jim Cornfield's The Soft Touch: A Photographer's Guide to Manipulating Focus (9781608959495, $34.95) reveals the possibilities and artistry involved in purposeful application and manipulation of soft visual effects, and shows how soft focus can dramatically change and affect results. From handling depth of field and bokeh and using haze and halos to enhance moods to using flash and filters, a number of photographers contribute their expert approaches to this guide, making it a fine recommendation of not one but a range of opportunities.


The Nautical Shelf

Voyaging With Kids
Behan Gifford, Sara Dawn Johnson, Michael Robertson
L&L Pardey Publications
www.voyagingwithkids.com
9781929214334, $35.95, www.landlpardey.com

Voyaging With Kids: A Guide to Family Life Afloat goes where few other nautical 'how to' books go, providing depth and details on how to choose a boat that lends to family voyaging. From keeping children of all ages sage on a boat to contemplating journeys of thousands of miles with infants to teens, Voyaging with Kids is one of the few discussions to consider both nautical concerns and family psychology, and comes from both the authors' experiences and interviews with dozens of voyaging parents. A bonus chapter written by a dozen former cruiser kids considers the child's perspective, rounding out adult insights and experiences. Packed with color photos and sidebars of information, the result is a survey of cruising that embraces the educational opportunities of voyaging abroad with kids, and considers the cautions and pluses involved in making short- or long-term cruising a positive family experience for all involved.


The American History Shelf

Eighty-Eight Years: The Long Death of Slavery in the United States, 1777-1865
Patrick Rael
University of Georgia Press
Main Library, Third Floor
320 South Jackson Street, Athens, Georgia 30602
www.ugapress.org
9780820348391, $32.95, www.amazon.com

Eighty-Eight Years: The Long Death of Slavery in the United States, 1777-1865 poses a simple but striking question not by considering slavery's rise and fall in this country; but asking why it took longer here than anywhere else in the world. It gathers a variety of perspectives and analytical ideas in the process, considering the evolution and efforts of different states in abolishing slavery laws, blending economic, geographic and local social concerns into its examination of politics and processes, and offering a variety of different perspectives. Both Afro-American and white efforts in the process are well detailed, making this a revealing and thought-provoking study that adopts no singular path as it considers the various influences on slavery's abolishment and persistence.


The World History Shelf

Transnational Encounters between Germany and Japan
Joanne Miyang Cho, Lee M. Roberts, and Christian W. Spang, editors
Palgrave Macmillan
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10001
9781137573902 $100.00 www.palgrave-usa.com

Transnational Encounters between Germany and Japan: Perceptions of Partnership in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries is an anthology of scholarly essays by diverse authors discussing intersections and common themes between German and Japanese cultures over the past one hundred and fifty years. Individual writings include "The Myth of 'Familiar Germany': German-Japanese Relationships in the Meiji Period Reexamined", "When Jiu-Jitsu was German: Japanese Martial Arts in German Sport- and Korperkultur, 1905-1933", "A 'Penologic Program' for Japanese and German War Criminals, 1945-58", and much more. An index enhances this erudite, meticulously researched and presented compilation, highly recommended especially for college library World History or International Studies collections. "The revival of German-Japanese trade benefited particularly from the Korean War of 1950-1953, which is said to have triggered an economic boom in both countries. During this early Cold War period, the creation of two blocs in Europe was cemented, and, furthermore, West Germany's integration into the collective security system of NATO was finalized in 1954."

The Chinchaga Firestorm
Cordy Tymstra
University of Alberta Press
Ring House 2, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2E1
978177210035, $34.95, www.uap.ualberta.ca

The Chinchaga Firestorm: When the Moon and Sun Turned Blue documents the biggest firestorm in North America, during which some 3,500,000 acres of forest burned in northern Alberta and British Columbia. The result was the world's largest atmospheric smoke layer - and the author not only describes the fire and its impact, but adds technical details and history to survey forest fires at other times and how people handled them. Though the 1950 fire changed how fires are fought in Alberta and elsewhere, they also affected scientific research, forest management, and ecological studies, making this survey of western Canadian history a far-ranging examination holding much more of interest beyond its Canadian boundaries.


The Economic Studies Shelf

How to Thrive in the Next Economy
John Thackara
Thames & Hudson
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110-0017
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
9780500518083, $29.95, www.amazon.com

How to Thrive in the Next Economy: Designing Tomorrow's World Today focuses on how communities around the world are creating replacement economies, and stems from the author's travels looking at real-world alternatives that aren't just ideals, but which are already in place as working systems. It's more than just a money system: these are alternative systems of economics, lifestyle, arts, and values that focus on systems that grow versatile communities, better environments, and small systems that support nature and people alike. From discussions on how small actions can lead to big, transformative outcomes to how non-money-based economies thrive, this is a top recommendation for a range of readers; from college-level students of social systems and psychology to economics students and those interested in better human systems for managing and interacting with the world.


The Woodworking Shelf

Basic Marquetry and Beyond
Ken Horner
Linden Publishing
2006 South Mary, Fresno, CA 93721-9875
www.woodworkerslibrary.com
9781610352499, $24.95, www.amazon.com

Basic Marquetry and Beyond: Expert Techniques for Crafting Beautiful Images with Veneer and Inlay is a 'must' crafts guide for avid woodworkers who want keys to putting the final touches on projects. Veneers can offer a relatively inexpensive but professional touch to wood projects, and this guide is for the woodworkers already versed in basics who seek specific keys to using veneer and inlays in designs. Over two hundred photos accompany projects that include patterns, step-by-step instructions, and a wide array of projects both simple and complex, from a chess set to frames and furniture.


The Antiques/Collectibles Shelf

Cherrypickers' Guide to Rare Die Varieties of United States Coins, sixth edition
Bill Fivaz and J.T. Stanton
Whitman Books
4001 Helton Drive, Florence, Alabama, 35630
www.whitman.com
0794843182, $39.95, www.amazon.com

The sixth updated edition of Cherrypickers' Guide represents a vastly expanded, updated 25th-anniversary volume of a classic coin collector's reference, and shows how to locate and value half, large and small cents, two- and three-cent pieces, and nickels. Die-variety specialist Mike Ellis joins the book's original authors to provide an authoritative collector's reference that includes over a thousand close-up photos of coins, text descriptions, notes on changing market values and influences, and grading specifics for over 680 varieties. Those who have used the prior edition will discover this volume olds 48 more pages than its predecessor and includes well over a hundred new varieties, along with expanded references to Lincoln cents and Buffalo and Jefferson nickels. The result blends the expertise of over 15 die-variety specialists from around the country and represents a major revision that shouldn't be missed by any avid coin collector.


The Social Issues Shelf

Educating Milwaukee
James K. Nelsen
Wisconsin Historical Society Press
816 State Street, Madison, WI 53575
www.wisconsinhistory.org
9780870207204 $24.95 pbk / $12.99 Kindle www.amazon.com

Educating Milwaukee: How One City's History of Segregation and Struggle Shaped its Schools examines the educational history of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the birthplace of the school voucher movement, and an innovator in programs that offer school choice. Paradoxically, a wider range of options does not guarantee a better education for children, an especially corrosive problem given Milwaukee's problems of concentrated poverty and de facto segregation. Author, teacher, and urban history expert offers a close examination of the many different school choice initiatives that have been attempted in Milwaukee from 1967 to 2013, and explains why Milwaukee's children as a whole continue to struggle with academic achievement today. Educating Milwaukee discusses why constructing new schools in the inner city has sometimes compounded its educational woes (the burdensome cost often leads to harsh budget cuts forced upon existing schools, without addressing many of their biggest problems), how "magnet schools" attracting the best and brightest students compounds declining enrollment in general public schools, the problems of outright incompetence and scandals in underperforming charter schools, and more. "...magnet schools and private schools may want to enroll only the intelligent, motivated students and may try to prevent students with disabilities, behavior problems, and low test scores from enrolling... These practices also raise questions about the fairness of setting up a hierarchy of schools - a hierarchy that runs counter to the notion of equal educational opportunity - and about the political motivations behind choice. Surely that was not what reformers intended." Extensive notes and an index round out this thought-provoking, sharply critical history.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

The Job Search Navigator
Matt Durfee
B2 Books
c/o Agate Publishing
1328 Greenleaf Street, Evanston, IL 60202
9781572841857 $17.95 www.agatepublishing.com

The Job Search Navigator: An Expert's Guide to Getting Hired, Surviving Layoffs, and Building Your Career lives up to its title as a practical, accessible, "must-read" for virtually everyone in the workforce today. Chapters cover how to cope with sudden job loss, the art and science of networking, interview and negotiation skills, and tips, tricks, and techniques for adapting to the "new reality" in which being laid off not due to poor performance, but solely because one's employer is "downsizing" or "rightsizing" is more common than ever. "...most Americans have to move quite fast to find gainful employment before the financial toll [of sudden unemployment] wreaks havoc on their savings and lifestyle. If you fall into this category, begin developing your job search skills so you will be ready to deal with any unexpected periods of unemployment without delay." An excellent gift especially for college graduates or anyone else entering or re-entering the workforce, The Job Search Navigator is a "must-read" no matter how secure one thinks one's job is!

21 Days to Success with LinkedIn
Ron Sukenick & Ken Williams
CyberAge Books
c/o Information Today, Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055-8750
9781937290054 $15.95 www.infotoday.com

21 Days to Success with LinkedIn: Business Social Networking the Gnik Rowten Way is a guide to using the popular and widespread LinkedIn website for professional networking, job searches, connecting with potential mentors or clients, and more. The daily step-by-step regimen is especially accessible to people unfamiliar with social media, but regardless of one's personal online savvy, 21 Days to Success with LinkedIn is packed cover to cover with valuable tips, tricks, techniques, and insights! 21 Days to Success with LinkedIn is written in an informal, storytelling style featuring a (presumably fictional?) person named Gnik and his quest to make the most out of what LinkedIn has to offer. "Gnik quickly recognized the power of a LinkedIn job search. A searcher could enter keywords, job titles, and even search for specific companies and geographic locations. Running a couple of experimental searches, he discovered that LinkedIn not only made it easy for him to see available jobs, but he could also see any connections he had to the employer or job poster". A "must-read" for job-seekers and career-builders!


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Making Nonfiction from Scratch
Ralph Fletcher
Stenhouse Publishers
480 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101-3451
www.stenhouse.com
9781625310125, $18.50, PB, 134pp, www.amazon.com

In "Making Nonfiction from Scratch" children's book author Ralph Fletcher draws upon his many years of experience and expertise to offer a candid critique of how nonfiction writing is often taught in schools and gives teachers the inspiration and strategies they need to help their students write authentic nonfiction. Skilled nonfiction writers draw on strategies, techniques, and craft found in other genres: poetry, comedy, even mystery. Without those elements, nonfiction would be dry and dull. "Making Nonfiction from Scratch" helps bring all of those aspects together and shows how each genre can enrich nonfiction writing. Ralph emphasizes the power of choice, mentor texts, and nonfiction read-alouds in making nonfiction an everyday part of classrooms. The "Classroom Connection" sections throughout "Do you have students whose nonfiction writing is formulaic, devoid of energy and voice?" suggest immediate, practical strategies for putting the ideas in the book to use. Two case studies and a chapter on the dos and don'ts of nonfiction writing instruction round out this short, practical book. Any informational writing should be insightful, accurate, and well organized - but it doesn't have to be boring. Ralph invites you to make your classroom a place where students can create delicious nonfiction full of passion, voice, and insight. Although primarily intended as an instructional resource and reference for classroom teachers, "Making Nonfiction from Scratch" is also very highly recommended to the attention of aspiring authors seeking to write non-fiction articles or books. Simply stated, "Making Nonfiction from Scratch" should be a part of every school and community library instructional guide or curriculum manual reference collection. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Making Nonfiction from Scratch" is also available in a Kindle edition ($16.19).

Novel & Short Story Writer's Market 2016
Rachel Randall, editor
Writer's Digest Books
c/o F+W Media
10151 Carver Road, Suite 200, Blue Ash, OH 45242
www.WritersDigest.com
9781599639383, $29.99, PB, 508pp, www.amazon.com

For thirty-five consecutive years the Writer's Digest Press has published a unique reference and resource for authors seeking publication of their novels and short stories. "Novel & Short Story Writer's Market 2016" truly lives up to its subtitle as being 'The Most Trusted Guide to Getting Published'. Featuring more than 1,200 listings of book publishers, literary agents, magazines, contests and conferences, this fully updated 35th edition for 2016 includes a one year access to the Writer's Digest Press publisher database at www.WritersMarket.com. Simply stated, the "Novel & Short Story Writer's Market 2016: The Most Trusted Guide to Getting Published" should be a part of every fiction writer's personal reference collection and will prove to be a critically appreciated addition to both community and academic library Writing/Publishing reference collections. It should be noted that the "Novel & Short Story Writer's Market 2016" is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.99).


The Agriculture Shelf

The Chicken Health Handbook, second edition
Gail Damerow
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
www.storey.com
9781612120133, $24.95, PB, 496pp, www.amazon.com

Healthy chickens are happy chickens. Now in a newly updated and expanded second edition "The Chicken Health Handbook" by chicken expert Gail Damerow continues to be an invaluable, one-of-a-kind, and thoroughly 'user friendly' instruction and reference guide that covers the health problems that plague chickens of all breeds and ages. Practical charts identify common symptoms and causes of infection, while an alphabetic listing of diseases provides advice on treatment. Professionals and amateurs alike will find helpful descriptions of troublesome ailments of all types, from poor egg production to crooked toe syndrome. Practical remedies and gentle preventative care measures will help flocks stay happy, healthy, safe -- and profitable. Very highly recommended for community and agricultural school Animal Husbandry reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this edition of "The Chicken Health Handbook" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).


The Business Shelf

101 Crucial Lessons They Don't Teach You in Business School
Chris Haroun
Business Career Coaching
www.BusinessCareerCoaching.com
9781518830501 $9.99 pbk / $9.99 Kindle www.amazon.com

Award winning business school professor and venture capitalist Chris Haroun presents 101 Crucial Lessons They Don't Teach You in Business School, a guide that lives up to its title with brief yet invaluable pieces of advice gathered from the author's decades of experience. "Lesson #43: How to Protect Your Family. Don't set your company up as a sole proprietorship. Rather, set it up as a Limited Liability Company (LLC). Setting up an LLC is not expensive and if for some crazy reason your company gets sued, then the liabilities are limited to the assets of the company and not your house." Candid, accessible, and absolutely vital, 101 Crucial Lessons They Don't Teach You in Business School is a "must-read" for anyone in the business world, especially for anyone going into business for themselves!

Home Business Tax Deductions, 12th edition
Stephen Fishman, J. D.
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.nolo.com
9781413322071, $34.99, PB, 488pp, www.amazon.com

This fully updated and expanded 12th edition of "Home Business Tax Deductions: Keep What You Earn" is an indispensable instruction guide for any home business. Claiming all the tax deductions you are entitled to is essential to your home-based business's financial success. "Home Business Tax Deductions" will show how to deduct start-up costs; home office expenses (using new IRS rules); operating costs; vehicles and travel expenses; entertainment and meals; business losses; medical and retirement expenses. "Home Business Tax Deductions" includes detailed information on the new federal Affordable Health Care law (Obamacare) and how it affects small business owners, including the health insurance mandate for individuals and businesses with employees, credits and deductions under the new law, IRS penalties for noncompliance, and Obamacare's impact on HRAs (Health Reimbursement Arrangements) and HSAs (Health Savings Accounts). "Home Business Tax Deductions" will also explain how to keep accurate, thorough records in case the IRS ever comes calling. Easy to read and full of real-life examples, "Home Business Tax Deductions" can help you take advantage of all the valuable deductions you are entitled to when establishing and operating a home-based business of any kind. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Home Business Tax Deductions" should be considered as an essential addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Small Business Management instructional reference collection.

Decoding the Workplace
John Ballard
Praeger Publishers
c/o ABC-CLIO
PO Box 1911, Santa Barbara, CA 93116-1911
www.abc-clio.com
9781440838262, $37.00, HC, 184pp, www.amazon.com

In "Decoding the Workplace: 50 Keys to Understanding People in Organizations", business manager and consultant John Ballard has published a thoroughly 'user friendly' career development instructional guide that reveals dynamic aspects of the workplace that are hidden to many, ignored by others, and exposes factors that can make or break professional careers. "Decoding the Workplace" provides easy-to-read information that allows readers to better understand the workplace around them, the behavior of others, and even themselves; offers proven advice that can help readers be more effective, regardless of what stage they are in their careers; discusses 50 keys for unlocking the workplace and illustrates key concepts through dozens of stories and practical examples; and presents insights grounded in what management scholars know about human behavior, management, and the workplace. Simply stated, "Decoding the Workplace" should be a part of ever MBA program as a curriculum supplement and would prove to be of practical and valuable instruction for anyone seeking to advance their career in a highly competitive corporate environment. Very strongly recommended for community, corporate, and academic library Business Management and Jobs/Careers reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Decoding the Workplace" is also available in a Kindle edition ($29.60).


The Fiction Shelf

Union Pacific: A Western Story
Zane Grey
Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
www.skyhorsepublishing.com
9781634504348 $14.99 pbk / $9.99 Kindle www.amazon.com

Union Pacific: A Western Story is a classic western novel by enduringly popular author Zane Grey (1872-1939). Set in the era of the historic construction of the Union Pacific Railroad, the story features Warren Neale, a brilliant civil engineer plagued with construction problems; his Texas gunfighter friend Larry Red King; and Allie Lee, the sole survivor of an Indian raid in the Black Hills, whose mind has nearly shattered from the terror. In the wild town of Benton, which sprang up to serve the vices of the railroad workers, the only law is what the soldiers impose - and all they care about is ensuring the supply trains run on time. Intrigue, violence, and adventure abound in this sweeping odyssey, sure to prove a popular library lend to fans of the genre!

Powder River
Jack Edwardes
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444825718, $20.99, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com

Throughout Wyoming the days of the bounty hunter are coming to a close. For hired gun Brad Thornton, this spells the end of an era. The men in government badges aren't yet everywhere, though, and rancher Moreton Frewen needs immediate action: rustlers are stealing his stock, and Thornton is just the man to make the culprits pay. But these are no run-of-the-mill cattle thieves. The Morgan gang are ruthless killers, prepared to turn their hands to anything from bank robbery to murder. When the grandson of a cattle baron is kidnapped by the same ruthless outlaws that were stealing cattle, the stakes for Thornton only get more desperate. This large print edition of "Powder River" is a truly riveting read with solid western adventure action thorough out. Clearly, Jack Edwardes is a master of the genre and "Powder River" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal reading lists and community library Large Print western fiction collections.

Return Of The Bandit
Roy Patterson
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444825749, $20.99, PB, 184pp, www.amazon.com

Villainous and blood-crazed bounty hunter Hume Crawford is well-known for his brutal slayings of both the guilty and the innocent: he will do anything to get his hands on those he seeks. Out to find and kill the legendary bandit Zococa, despite reports of the good-natured rogue's death at the hands of Commancheros, Crawford proceeds to shoot his way across the Mexican border then back up into Texas trailing Zococa's trusted Indian companion Tahoka in an effort find Zococa and kill him. But Crawford has attracted the attention of Marshal Hal Gunn and his deputy Toby Jones. As Crawford follows Zococa's trail, there are two Texas star riders on his trail. But can they or Zacoca stop bounty hunter's lethal evil before he can kill the ones the lawmen and the Mexican bandito love the most? In "Return Of The Bandit" author Roy Patterson delivers still another terrifically crafted western action/adventure novel that will hold the reader's rapt attention from beginning to end. This large print edition of Patterson's "Return Of The Bandit" is very highly recommended for the personal reading lists of western buffs and community library collections alike.

The Yellow Claw / The Golden Scorpion
Sax Rohmer
Stark House Press
1315 H Street, Eureka, CA 95501
www.starkhousepress.com
9781933586816, $19.95, PB, 350pp, www.amazon.com

Arthur Henry Sarsfield Ward, writing under the pen name of Sax Rohmer, was born in Birmingham on February 15, 1883 to a working class Irish Catholic family. He started his career writing songs and comedy sketches for Music Hall revues, selling his first story to Pearson's Weekly in 1903. His first novel, The Mystery of Dr. Fu-Manchu, originally serialized in 1912, introduced the world to this mysterious and elusive villain, eventually featured in twelve subsequent novels. Rohmer took painstaking care in his arcane research, with many mysteries featuring such occult investigative characters as Gaston Max, "Red" Kerry, Morris Klaw and Paul Harley. Now two 'time lost classics' featuring the adventures of Rohmer's Gaston Max character have been republished by Stark House Press for the appreciative benefit of a new generation of readers. "The Yellow Claw" and "The Golden Scorpion" are true Golden Age of Pulp Fiction adventure stories that will well serve to introduce Sax Rohmer's exceptional storytelling talents and prompt thoroughly entertained readers to seek out more of his work as well as other pulp magazine writers of yesteryear (many of whom are only available through the courtesy of Stark House Press). "The Yellow Claw / The Golden Scorpion" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and academic library collections.


The Biography Shelf

Vincent van Gogh: His Spiritual Vision in Life and Art
Carol Berry
Orbis Books
Price Building, Box 302, Maryknoll NY 10545-0302
www.orbisbooks.com
9781626981522 $22.00 pbk / $18.50 Kindle www.amazon.com

Vincent van Gogh: His Spiritual Vision in Life and Art is a different type of biography of the classic and beloved painter Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890). The focus here is upon the deep spiritual vision that motivated him throughout his life; first through his efforts to become a missionary and minister, and later (after he became strongly disillusioned with organized religion) through his art. His religious and spiritual convictions are especially evident in the letters he wrote to his brother Theo. Author Carol Berry, an expert in art, psychology, and art education, has prepared her own translations of Van Gogh's original writings in Dutch and French, the better to understand and share the connection with the Divine that influenced him so profoundly. Featuring numerous excerpts of Van Gogh's correspondence and a handful of black-and-white illustrations, Vincent van Gogh: His Spiritual Vision in Life and Art is a welcome contribution to biography, spirituality, and art history collections.

Love Imagined: A Mixed Race Memoir
Sherry Quan Lee
Modern History Press
www.ModernHistoryPress.com
c/o Loving Healing Press
5145 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
www.lovinghealing.com
9781615992348, $29.95, HC, 158pp, www.amazon.com

Sherry Quan Lee, the author of "Love Imagined: A Mixed Race Memoir", is a Distinguished Alumni of North Hennepin Community College. She is also the former Program Associate for the Split Rock Arts Program summer workshops and the Online Mentoring for Writers Program at the University of Minnesota where she also earned her MFA in Creative Writing. Quan Lee is a community instructor at Metropolitan State University, Saint Paul, Minnesota, and she facilitates community workshops at Intermedia Arts, Minneapolis, MN, and elsewhere. She was a first year, 1996, participant of Cave Canem, a writing retreat for Black poets. "Love Imagined" is her personal and candid memoir of what it was like to be a woman of color and mixed race parentage living in Minnesota during the years of the Cold War, the Women's Liberation/Sexual Revolution social movements, and, of course, the always present conditions of racial segregation and discrimination. Impressively well written, organized and presented, "Love Imagined: A Mixed Race Memoir" is very highly recommended for both community and academic library American Biography collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Love Imagined" is also available in a paperback edition (9781615992331, $17.95) and in a Kindle format ($5.95).


The Poetry Shelf

A Girl From There
Chava Nissimov
KTAV Publishing House
527 Empire Blvd, Brooklyn, NY 11225
c/o Independent Publishers Group (dist.)
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
www.ipgbook.com
9789655242218 $19.95 www.ktav.com

Enriched with simple, color illustrations by prize-winning artist Ofra Amit, A Girl From There is a poetry book describing a young girl's adolescence amid war and persecution. Author Chava Nissimov was born in 1939 in Warsaw, Poland, and miraculously escaped the ghetto with her mother during World War II; today, one of her callings is to work in an organization that helps Holocaust survivors claim their reparations. Harsh yet poignant, A Girl From There is unforgettable. "Skates: I am very thin and refuse to eat. / Because my face is pale and greenish, some call me, 'Green Frog'. / When I don't eat, Aunt curses and hits me. / Uncle takes me to bed and consoles me / and promises me a shilling for every slice of bread that I eat. / I eat. I save up money for skates. / I race on my skates over the hill-sides of the city for days on end. / When I return home Aunt curses me and hits me."

The Multitude
Hannah Faith Notess
www.hannahnotess.com
Southern Indiana Review Press
University of Southern Indiana
Orr Center #2009, 8600 University Boulevard, Evansville, IN 47712
https://www.usi.edu/sir
9781930508330, $14.95, 76pp, www.amazon.com

Hannah Faith Notess is the author of Ghost House, a chapbook of poems (Floating Bridge Press, 2013), and Jesus Girls: True Tales of Growing Up Female and Evangelical (Wipf and Stock, 2009). Her poems have appeared in Rattle, Slate, Los Angeles Review, and Image, among other journals. She is the managing editor of Seattle Pacific University's Response magazine. We move through life haunted by a multitude of people and places that exist only in memory, by ancestors we never knew, and by myths we're not sure we can believe. Even our video game avatars are chased by ghosts. The poems comprising "The Multitude" are Hannah's exploration spaces of everyday life that intersect with both sacred places and fantastical realms. "The Multitude" is an absorbing read throughout and very highly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as the Contemporary Poetry collections of community, college, and university libraries. 'Compliment': You said my naked back looked strong to you. / My sloped, hunched shoulders flickered in my brain, / but then I thought of the junior high girl / I briefly became -- who cut the pictures out / of her ballet books, who rewound the tape / of Fonteyn draping her back like silk across / Nureyev's arm, then turned her own small back / to the bathroom mirrors. Every variation / of that shape she could think of, she practiced, / till her muscles tensed like twisted swing chains / on the playground. Unwound, stretched to her limit, / she pushed against the future and reached me, / her future. I arched my back, a bridge to her, / and said, half to her, half to you. Thank you.

Finding Home
Michael Finch
Westbow Press
c/o Thomas Nelson Publishers
PO Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214
www.westbowpress.com
9781512705072, $9.95, PB, 60pp, www.amazon.com

Michael Finch has spent his life working in the nonprofit field trying to preserve America's freedom and liberties. He has been published widely in a number of journals and is a frequent speaker. "Finding Home" is his debut book of poetry and is comprised of deftly crafted verse about home, nature, love, places in America, as well as a compelling view of the plight of Christians in the secular world today. "Finding Home" is especially recommended to anyone whose heart has ever hearkens back to a simpler time and home. Wisconsinites in particular will find "Finding Home" an exceptionally interesting read. Very highly recommended and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to both community and academic library Contemporary American Poetry collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Finding Home" is also available in a Kindle edition ($3.99).

I Dream of Empathy
Marianne Szlyk
Flutter Press
http://flutterpress2009.blogspot.com
9781517160678, $8.00, PB, 46pp, www.amazon.com

Marianne Szlyk is a professor of English at Montgomery College, an associate poetry editor for "Potomac Review", and a member of the DC Poetry Project. She also edits "The Song Is...", a blog-zine for poetry and flash fiction inspired by music, especially jazz. Marianne Szlyk's poetry chapbook, "I Dream of Empathy", revolves around the themes of empathy for the earth, other people (including her mother and her first husband), and even herself. Her style is graceful, her approach is erudite, and her verse memorable. If you only have time to browse through the pages of a single volume of poetry in your busy daily life, you would be well advised to make it Marianne Szlyk's "I Dream of Empathy".

Imperfect Echoes
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781515232490, $9.95, PB, 148pp, www.amazon.com

Accepted for inclusion in Poets & Writers prestigious list of published poets, multi award-winning novelist and poet Carolyn Howard-Johnson is widely published in journals and anthologies. With the publication of "Imperfect Echoes: Writing Truth and Justice with Capital Letters, Lie and Oppression with Small" Carolyn has showcased the best of her free verse poetry to date. An exceptionally skilled wordsmith, her poetry will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf. Very highly recommended for community and academic library Contemporary American Poetry collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Imperfect Echoes" is also available in a Kindle edition ($2.99). 'Utah's Song': Snow hums a quiet melody, rhythmic drifts, / polar staccato on cheeks and nose. / Quiet harmony here. / Solace in the pulse of canyon winds, / hush of gurgling creeks / sway of clouds moving high. / Symphony of silence / in thin mountain air. / Bars, staffs, and whole notes. / Tranquil self-destruction.


The Travel Shelf

Archipelago: A Journey Across Indonesia
Ian Burnet
www.ianburnetbooks.com
Rosenberg Publishing Pty Ltd.
www.rosenbergpub.com.au
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR, 97213
9781925078602 $39.95 www.isbs.com

Interspersed with stunning, full-color photography, Archipelago: A Journey Across Indonesia is an armchair traveler's delight. Author Ian Burnet recounts his journey across this archipelago nation, as well as the heritage and culture of peoples who have made it their home across the centuries. The next best thing to touring Indonesia in person, Archipelago: A Journey Across Indonesia is a "must-read" for travel literature connoisseurs, and highly recommended for public and community library collections.

Lonely Planet Discover Europe
Catherine Le Nevez, et al.
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
www.lonelyplanet.com
9781743214008, $29.99, PB, 800pp, www.amazon.com

Lonely Planet Publications is the premier publisher of reliable, comprehensive, and 'off the beaten track' travel guides. Inside One of their newest guides, the "Lonely Planet Discover Europe" is enhanced with full-color maps and images throughout; highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests; insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots; essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices; honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss; cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - including give you a richer and more rewarding travel experience (including history, art, architecture, family travel, food & drink and landscapes); and more than 74 full color maps. "Lonely Planet Discover Europe" covers Austria, Belgium, Britain, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland . Simply stated, no one planning to travel anywhere in western Europe for business or for pleasure, should be without their own personal copy of "Lonely Planet Discover Europe" for planning their itinerary and getting the most out of their excursion. "Lonely Planet Discover Europe" has the very highest recommendation for personal, community, and academic library Travel Guide reference collections.


The Art Shelf

Uzumaki Naruto Illustrations
Masashi Kishimoto
Viz Media LLC
1355 Market Street, Suite 200, San Francisco CA 94103
9781421584393 $19.99 www.viz.com

Uzumaki Naruto Illustrations is a full-color artbook featuring standout artwork of the immensely popular, long-running, action-packed shonen manga "Naruto", named after its ninja protagonist. Most of the illustrations are cover illustrations from "Shonen Jump" manga collections that serialized Naruto. There is no text, except for brief comments that manga creator Kishimoto has about his favorite artworks at the very end; the illustrations of characters in poses and scenes ranging from dynamic to idyllic speak for themselves. The Naruto series is well known for its gigantic cast of unique characters; nearly all of Naruto's most standout comrades and foes appear in the different artworks. A fold-out poster and a colorful sheet of "manga illustration stickers" round out this must-have for fans of the series!


The Computer Shelf

Practical Software Architecture
Tilak Mitra
IBM Press
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.mcp.com
9780133763034, $49.99, PB, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Also available in a Kindle edition ($31.99), "Practical Software Architecture: Moving from System Context to Deployment" by Tilak Mitra (Chief Technology Officer at IBM, Global Business Services) address such issues as: Using architecture to promote communication, enable planning, and support functional as well as nonfunctional capabilities (such as scalability, performance, maintainability, and security); Focusing on the architectural problem at hand and avoiding overreliance on theory and generalization; Capturing "just enough" about system context, architecture overview, architecture decisions, functional models, and operational models. Also featured is an architectural introduction to analytics, integration patterns and their usage in architecture design, infrastructure matters in any software architecture, and a real-world case study and its software architecture. Very highly recommended, "Practical Software Architecture" is impressively well written, organized and presented, making it an ideal instruction manual for novice developers of computer software architecture.

Discovering Modern C++
Peter Gottschiling
Addison Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.mcp.com
9780134383583, $49.99, PB, 480pp, www.amazon.com

Peter Gottschling is founder of SimuNova, a company that works on developing the Matrix Template Library (MTL4) and offers C++ training. He is a member of the ISO C++ standards committee, vice-chair of Germany's programming language standards committee, and founder of the C++ User Group in Dresden. In "Discovering Modern C++: An Intensive Course for Scientists, Engineers, and Programmers", Gottschling has created a complete course of instruction that is as comprehensive and detailed as it is informative and 'user friendly' in organization and presentation. Of special note is the opening Preface that begins with the reasons for learning C++ and for the value of this particular instruction manual, as well as a four page Bibliography and a fifty-seven page Index. Also available in a Kindle edition ($31.19), no personal, professional, community, or academic library instructional computer language collection can be considered complete or up to date without the inclusion of Peter Gottschiling's "Discovering Modern C++: An Intensive Course for Scientists, Engineers, and Programmers".

Sams Teach Yourself Java in 21 Days, seventh edition
Rogers Cadenhead
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.mcp.com
9780672337109, $44.99, PB, 720pp, www.amazon.com

Providing a complete do-it-yourself course of instruction, "Sams Teach Yourself Java in 21 Days" by Java expert Rogers Cadenhead is an ideal addition to personal, community, and academic library computer language reference collections. This newly updated and revised seventh edition presents Java 8 and how to use it to create applications for any computing environment and Android apps. "Sams Teach Yourself Java in 21 Days" provides a well-rounded knowledge of Java and the Java class libraries essential to develop programs for tasks such as web services, database connectivity, XML processing, and mobile programming. It should be noted that no previous programming experience required. By following the 21 carefully organized lessons aspiring Java programmers can learn at their own pace; work through each chapter sequentially to make sure of a thorough understanding all the concepts and methodologies; or simply focus on specific lessons to learn the techniques that interest you most. Impressively 'user friendly' in content, organization, and presentation, "Sams Teach Yourself Java in 21 Days" is very highly recommended and also available in a Kindle edition ($19.79).

Core Java Volume I: Fundamentals, tenth edition
Cay S. Horstmann
Addison Wesley
c/o Pearson Technology Group
801 East 96th Street, #300, Indianapolis, IN 46240-3759
www.mcp.com
9780134177304, $59.99, PB, 1040pp, www.amazon.com

Now in a fully updated tenth edition, "Core Java Volume I: Fundamentals" by Java expert Cay S. Horstmann is a no-nonsense tutorial and practical reference specifically designed for experienced programmers who want to write robust Java code for real-world applications, including the new Java SE 8 features, idioms, and best practices. "Core Java Volume I: Fundamentals" contains hundreds of example programs which are all carefully crafted for easy understanding and practical applicability. "Core Java Volume I: Fundamentals" will enable programmers to: Leverage existing programming knowledge to quickly master core Java syntax; Understand how encapsulation, classes, and inheritance work in Java; Master interfaces, inner classes, and lambda expressions for functional programming; Improve program robustness with exception handling and effective debugging; Write safer, more readable programs with generics and strong typing; Use pre-built collections to collect multiple objects for later retrieval; Master concurrent programming techniques from the ground up; Build modern cross-platform GUIs with standard Swing components; Deploy configurable applications and applets, and deliver them across the Internet; Simplify concurrency and enhance performance with new functional techniques. A complete course of instruction under one cover "Core Java Volume I: Fundamentals" is very highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library computer instructional reference collections in general, and Java instructional reference shelves in particular. It should be noted that "Core Java Volume I: Fundamentals" is also available in a Kindle edition ($27.99).


The Beer/Wine Shelf

Make Mead Like a Viking
Jereme Zimmerman
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
85 North Main Street, Suite 120
White River Junction, VT 05001
www.chelseagreen.com
9781603585989 $24.95 pbk / $14.72 Kindle www.amazon.com

Make Mead Like a Viking: Traditional Techniques for Brewing Natural, Wild-Fermented, Honey-Based Wines and Beers lives up to its title as a practical, hands-on guide to the traditional Nordic culture and rituals involved in crafting, flavoring, and fermenting mead. Whether one seeks to try alcohol akin to what the Vikings used to drink, or simply infuse a little bit of Nordic quintessence into one's homemade brew, Make Mead Like a Viking is a one-of-a-kind, reader-friendly resource! Chapters discuss sweet, semi-sweet, and dry meads, melomels (fruit meads), metheglins (spiced meads), bragots (honey beers), grog, using herbs and wild botanicals in brews, why modern homebrewing chemicals work but aren't necessary, and more. A "must-have" for adventurous brew and spirits enthusiasts!


The Automotive Shelf

Practical Engine Airflow
John Baechtel
CarTech Inc.
39966 Grand Avenue, North Branch, MN 55056
www.cartechbooks.com
9781613251577, $29.95, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com

John Baechtel is a former editor of Car Craft and Hot Rod magazines and was a founding partner of the Westech Performance Group engine dyno-testing facility. With more than 34 years of high-performance engine and vehicle testing under his belt, he is a veteran author of many books, including "Performance Automotive Engine Math" and "Competition Engine Building". In the pages of "Practical Engine Airflow: Performance Theory and Applications", Baechtel draws upon his experience and expertise to deftly explain airflow dynamics through an engine in layman's terms so even the most novice of mechanics and car buffs can easily absorb it and apply it. The principles of airflow are explained; specifically, the physics of air and how it flows through major engine components, including the intake, heads, cylinders, and exhaust system. Profusely illustrated and exceptionally well organized and presented, "Practical Engine Airflow: Performance Theory and Applications" is very highly recommended for personal, school auto shop, and community library automotive reference collections.


The Christian Studies Shelf

Introducing Biblical Hermeneutics
Craig G. Bartholomew
Baker Academic
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
9780801039775, $44.99, HC, www.amazon.com

Hermeneutics is the theory and methodology of text interpretation, especially the interpretation of biblical texts, wisdom literature, and philosophical texts. "Introducing Biblical Hermeneutics: A Comprehensive Framework for Hearing God in Scripture" by Craig G. Bartholomew (H. Evan Runner Professor of Philosophy, Redeemer University College, Ancaster, Ontario, Canada) is a 640 page compendium deftly organized into five major sections: Approaching Biblical Interpretation; Biblical Interpretation and Biblical Theology; The Story of Biblical Interpretation; Biblical interpretation and the Academic Disciplines; The Goal of Biblical Interpretation. An impressive work of sound scholarship from beginning to end, "Introducing Biblical Hermeneutics" is enhanced with the inclusion of a forty-five page Bibliography; a ten page Subject Index; a five page Scripture Index; and a thirty-two page Author Index. A seminal contribution to Biblical Studies curriculums and supplemental reading lists for both academia and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in Biblical hermeneutics, "Introducing Biblical Hermeneutics" is very strongly recommended for church, seminary, community, and academic library collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Introducing Biblical Hermeneutics" is also available in a Kindle edition ($26.49).

Holy Spirit I Pray
Paraclete Press
PO Box 1568, Orleans, MA 02653
9781612616834 $13.99 www.paracletepress.com

Holy Spirit I Pray is a collection of simple prayers to the Holy Spirit, each paired with an inspirational passage of scripture. Prayers are sorted according to their suitability for morning, nighttime, discernment, and moments of crisis. An index of first lines and an index of scripture round out this inspirational resource for affirming one's faith. "The audacity to argue- / We ask for this. // The fearlessness to fight- / We plead for this. // The daring to debate- / We beg for this. // The courage to compromise- / We pray for this. // Above all, Holy Spirit, / We pray for this. // Amen."


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

The Art and Skill of Buddhist Meditation
Richard Shankman
New Harbinger Press
5674 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
www.newharbinger.com
9781626252936 $16.95 pbk / $8.99 Kindle www.amazon.com

The Art and Skill of Buddhist Meditation: Mindfulness, Concentration, and Insight is a reader-friendly guide to embarking on and improving one's meditation practice. Author Richard Shankman, a guiding teacher of the Metta Dharma Foundation and cofounder of the Sati Center for Buddhist Studies and of Mindful Schools, walks the reader though meditation and concentration techniques. Neither previous experience in meditation nor extensive knowledge of Buddhist teachings are required to understand and learn from The Art and Skill of Buddhist Meditation. Highly recommended, especially for public library collections.


The Humor Shelf

"Who Screwed Up and Made You Single?"
M.A. Borders
Happily Ever After
9780692453407 $14.95 keyboardcome-ons.com

"Who Screwed Up and Made You Single?" ...and Other Keyboard Come-Ons is a compendium of classic pick-up lines circulated among men on the internet dating scene. Each line is paired with a full-color photograph of a handsome (and often shirtless) man! A guilty pleasure to linger upon during Valentine's Day or any day, "Who Screwed Up and Made You Single?" is as delightfully funny as it is sensationally sexy. "Is your name WIFI? Because I'm definitely feeling a connection."


The Money/Finance Shelf

Wedding Bliss on a Budget
Ethan Baron
Self-Counsel Press Inc.
4152 Meridian Street, Suite 105-471
Bellingham, WA, 98226
www.self-counsel.com
9781770402225 $14.95 pbk / $8.99 Kindle www.amazon.com

Weddings in America are notoriously expensive, and today's newlyweds can ill afford a gigantic bill for a single day of ceremony - especially younger couples who may be shouldering student loan debt! Wedding Bliss on a Budget lives up to its title as a "must-have" resource for making the big day special without breaking the bank. Packed with practical-minded tips, tricks, techniques, and checklists, Wedding Bliss on a Budget is a both thoroughly accessible and invaluable. Even comfortably well-off newlyweds will benefit from preserving more of their wealth for a down payment on a house! Chapters cover how to choose an appropriate venue, minimizing catering and wedding cake costs, how to select a photographer, florist, and music provider, and much more. Highly recommended. Free access to an exclusive download kit of forms is included!


The Science Shelf

How the Brain Processes Multimodal Technical Instructions
Dirk Remley
Baywood Publishing Company, Inc.
26 Austin Avenue, Box 337, Amityville, NY 11701
9780895038937, $54.95 hc
9780985038944, $46.95 pbk
9780895038951, $TBA ePub
9780895038968, $TBA ePDF http://baywood.com

Written especially for communication scholars, cognitive psychologists, cognitive neuroscientists, and instructional designers/information architects (including Web designers!), How the Brain Processes Multimodal Technical Instructions is an interdisciplinary examination that draws upon multimodal rhetorical theory, multisensory neural processing theory, and case studies. At stake is the core question: exactly how does the human brain make sense of complex or technical instructions, and how can user interfaces (such as websites) be made more accessible to the human minds attempting to figure them out? A handful of black-and-white illustrations help illuminate the key principles in this thoughtful, extensively researched and meticulously presented resource. "A slide show presented as a stand-alone tool without narration assumes that the viewer will be able to fill in some blanks about the information and how it is to be 'read' or interpreted. However, a website that includes text and graphic images can better convey the instructional message." Highly recommended, especially for college library communications and neuroscience collections.


The Reference Shelf

Webster's International Atlas, third edition
Encyclopedia Britannica Editors
Federal Street Press
25-13 Old Kings Highway North, #277, Darien, CT 06820
www.federalstreetpress.com
9781596951372, $8.99, PB, 389pp, www.amazon.com

Webster's is an established and trusted name in connection with dictionaries and atlases. Now in a newly updated and expanded third edition in a mass market paperback book format, "About Your World" features full-color maps, flags and flag histories, plus the most current political, economic and social data. Offering an easily accessible and highly portable volume that includes a wealth of information the compact format of "About Your World" makes it particularly ideal for students. Maps of the 195 countries of the world, plus US States, territories and the District of Columbia Listing of dependencies and areas of special sovereignty Maps appear in alphabetical order by country Locator maps pinpoint each country on the globe Data includes GNP per capita, major exports, population, area, monetary unit and much more. "Webster's International Atlas" is very highly recommended for personal, community, and academic library reference collections.

Texas Almanac 2016-2017
Texas State Historical Association
3001 Lake Austin Blvd., Suite 3.116, Austin, TX 78703
9781625110329 $39.95 www.TSHAonline.org

Illustrated with a wealth of color maps and photography throughout, Texas Almanac 2016-2017 is the latest updated edition of the complete reference book of the Lone Star State. Covering everything from Texas environment and weather to counties and government, agriculture, sports (including college and professional teams), crime, foreign trade zones and much more, Texas Almanac 2016-2017 is a welcome addition to public library reference collections. A pronunciation guide and an index round out this thoroughly "user-friendly" resource.


The Gardening Shelf

How to Plant a Garden
Matt James
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781845339845, $34.99, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com

Matt James is a garden designer, broadcaster and senior lecturer teaching on horticulture degree programs at Duchy College, Cornwall, where he also runs an HND in Garden & Landscape Design. This follows five years of teaching on the renowned Garden Design degree course at University College, Falmouth (now Falmouth University). With "How to Plant a Garden: Design Tricks, Ideas and Planting Schemes for Year-Round Interest", he has created a complete and profusely illustrated course of instruction in the designing of gardens that will enable even the most novice of aspiring gardens to successfully produce gardens of style, elegance, imagination, complexity, variety, utility, and joy. Of special note is the chapter dedicated to 'A Design for Life'. An inherently fascinating browse, as well as a thoroughly practical instruction manual and guide, "How to Plant a Garden" is certain to be an enduringly popular addition to personal and community gardening collections, and an ideal textbook for college and university Gardening & Agricultural Studies collections and supplemental studies reading lists.

Gardening with Less Water
David A. Bainbridge
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
www.storey.com
9781612125824, $14.95, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com

"Gardening with Less Water: Low-Tech, Low-Cost Techniques; Use up to 90% Less Water in Your Garden" by gardening and irrigation expert David A. Bainbridge will prove of immense practical value for any gardener facing drought or water shortages. "Gardening with Less Water" offers simple, inexpensive, low-tech techniques for watering your garden much more efficiently -- using up to 90% less water for the same results. With illustrated step-by-step instructions, "Gardening with Less Water" shows how to install buried clay pots and pipes, wicking systems, and other porous containers that deliver water directly to a plant's roots with no or minimal evaporation. These systems are available at hardware stores and garden centers; are easy to set up and use; and work for garden beds, container gardens, and trees. No personal, professional, community, or academic library Gardening instructional reference collection should be without a copy of "Gardening with Less Water"! It should be noted that "Gardening with Less Water" is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.69).


The Library Science Shelf

Foundations of Library and Information Science, fourth edition
Richard E. Rubin
Neal-Schuman
c/o American Library Association
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
www.alastore.ala.org
9780838913703 $85.00 www.amazon.com

Now in a "reorganized, rewritten, and extensively updated" fourth edition, Foundations of Library and Information Science is the quintessential resource for library science students and professionals alike. Chapters cover the history and mission of libraries; the impact of digital devices, social networking, and digital publishing including ebooks; policy issues connected to broadband access and net neutrality; the real-world implementation of intellectual freedom; initiatives to integrate libraries, archives, and museums; and much more. An index rounds out this excellent resource for students or professionals in the field, especially recommended for college library information science collections.

Digital Photo Magic
Ernest Perez
Information Today, Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055-8750
www.infotoday.com
9781573875134, $49.50, PB, 320pp, www.amazon.com

In "Digital Photo Magic: Easy Image Retouching and Restoration for Librarians, Archivists, and Teachers", longtime news librarian Ernest Perez (Houston Chronicle, Chicago Sun- Times) draws upon his many years of experience and expertise to showcase the best of easy-to-use, free, and inexpensive software products for retouching, restoring, and manipulating digital photo images. "Digital Photo Magic" is specifically designed for librarians, educators, curators, and archivists who want to enhance photographic images without the steep costs and learning curves associated with high-end graphic software packages such as Adobe Photoshop. Whether for use online or in print-based collections, exhibits, and archives, you'll learn to easily bring images up to acceptable quality without wasting time or money. Perez provides step-by-step guidance for a range of programs he has personally vetted, highlighting their best features and offering tips and shortcuts you can put to immediate use. A primer on graphic image formats, a guide to image scanning tools and techniques, and an extensive listing of specialized websites, blogs, user forums, and other author-recommended resources are also included. Absolutely 'user friendly' in content and presentations, no public, private, corporate, academic, or governmental library of informational archive should be without a copy of "Digital Photo Magic" in their instructional reference collection.


The Relationship Shelf

Confused Woman
Melanie Reitz
Privately Published
9780692567609 $15.99 www.confusedwoman.com

Confused Woman: Tales & Advice on Love, Dating & Relationships is a cozy collection of practical relationship lessons learned the hard way. As a divorced single mother, author Melanie Ritz faced an uphill battle in her search for love. She shares her experiences in "The Bubonic Plague of Online Dating"; matchmaker websites tended to generate one disaster after another... until she was fortunate enough to connect with a genuinely good, kind, and honest boyfriend. Confused Woman blends practical tips with slice-of-life wisdom and a heaping helping of humor. Insightful, at times acerbic, and always just plain funny, Confused Woman is highly recommended for readers of all walks of life. One doesn't have to be looking for love in all the right-or-wrong places to enjoy Confused Woman from cover to cover! "How to Avoid Less-than-Desirable Guys Online #4: Profiles with pictures of him with his shirt off, with other women, or in a bar drinking. Party boy is not looking for the wedding march and more than likely, likes the horizontal mambo."


The African-American Studies Shelf

Between Fetters and Freedom
Edward R. Crowther and Keith Harper, editors
Mercer University Press
1400 Coleman Avenue, Macon, GA 31207-0001
9780881465402 $35.00 www.mupress.org

Between Fetters and Freedom: African-American Baptists Since Emancipation is an anthology of scholarly essays by learned authors scrutinizing life among the Baptists after the Civil War, a time when their ranks swelled with newly freed slaves. But life after the war was far from easy, and resources were strictly limited, and racism remained widespread, especially in the South. Individual writings include "From Cary to Colley: The Ethiopian Factor in the Formation of the Baptist Foreign Mission Convention", "'The Holy Spirit Come to Us': Black Baptist Organizations and Cultural Practices from Reconstruction to the Rise of Gospel Music", "'That the Rules be Suspended': Denominational Political Culture and Schism within the National Baptist Convention, 1895-1962", and more. Extensive footnotes and an index round out this welcome contribution to African-American History and Religious Studies shelves.

Black Freemasonry
Cecile Revauger
Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
9781620554876 $29.95 www.innertraditions.com

Black Freemasonry: From Prince Hall to the Giants of Jazz is a studious, in-depth history of black members of the Freemasonry organization. In the early 18th century, black Freemasons were not eligible for membership in existing American lodges; meanwhile, 18th century Paris had integrated memberships, and the Grand Lodge of England was the first chapter to grant an official charter for an exclusively black lodge. African-Americans eventually had greater opportunity to become Freemasons, including many of the most notable jazz musicians of the 20th century such as Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, and Cab Calloway. Author and historian Cecile Revauger (professor at the University of Bordeaux) draws upon privileged access to archives maintained by Grand Lodges, Masonic libraries, and museums in both the United States and Europe to craft this meticulous, in-depth, and amazingly insightful history. Black Freemasonry is especially recommended for public and college library World History and African-American studies shelves.


The Literary Studies Shelf

Agamemnon
Aeschylus
Introduction, notes, & translation by David Mulroy
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
9780299306342 $12.95 www.uwpress.wisc.edu

Agamemnon is a new verse translation of the first play in the classic trilogy of Greek tragedies known as "Orestia", written by Aeschylus (525/524 - 456/455 BC). Skilled translator David Mulroy (professor emeritus of classics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) enhances the accessible English verse with a thoughtful introduction, a pronunciation guide for proper names, and extensive notes that clarify historical or cultural references. Particularly notable is Mulroy's use of end rhyme and meticulous metrics to recreate the oscillating lyricism of the original Greek text, without sacrificing the material's accessibility to readers (or performers!) of all backgrounds. The play itself is a dark work about revenge and fatalism, set during King Agamemnon's return from the Trojan War. Yet all is not well at home; the King's wife Clytemnestra is bitter that the King previously sacrificed their daughter Iphigenia for the fair winds that would enable the Greeks to sail to Troy. The King's concubine Cassandra foretells both his and her own murder at the hands of Clytemnestra, but will anyone believe her? Agamemnon is a "must-have" for college library collections of classic literature.


The Folktale/Fairytale Shelf

Yurei: The Japanese Ghost
Zack Davisson
Chin Music Press
1501 Pike Place #329, Seattle, WA 98101
www.chinmusicpress.com
9780988769342 $22.95 hc / $13.77 Kindle www.amazon.com

Thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Yurei: The Japanese Ghost is a treasury for connoisseurs of horror, Japanese mythology, or ghost stories. Author Zack Davisson shares his lifelong fascination with Japanese folklore about these (often female) vengeful spirits. Yurei: The Japanese Ghost includes Davisson's suspenseful retellings of more than a dozen ancient, never-before-translated Japanese ghost stories, and a handful of striking color plates of classic Japanese artwork portraying ghosts and spirits. A brief glossary and a list of references round out this superb addition to folklore shelves, and highly recommended for public and college library collections.


The Military Shelf

An American Solider In The Great War
Elmer O. Smith, author
John DellaGiustina, editor
Hellgate Press
c/o L & R Publishing LLC
PO Box 3531, Ashland, OR 97520
www.hellgatepress.com
9781555718213, $21.95, PB, 356pp, www.amazon.com

In 1917, U.S. military forces deployed to France and contributed significantly to the Allied defeat of Imperial Germany along the Western Front in 1918. World War I (which at the time was called "The War to End All Wars") was the largest, most destructive war in human history up to that point. More than a century later, as the country looks back, it is important to develop a deeper connection to the hearts and minds of the two million American soldiers sent overseas to fight in this major conflict. Private First Class Elmer O. Smith of Michigan was one of those brave soldiers. United States Army Private Elmer O. Smith kept a diary and wrote letters home about what he and his military unit saw, heard and did in combat against the Germans and the devastation and carnage of the Western Front. "An American Soldier in the Great War: The World War I Diary and Letters of Elmer O. Smith" is an edited compilation of Private Smith's writings and is a welcome and much appreciated contribution to the growing library of World War I literature. Very highly recommended, especially for academic library 20th Century American Military reference collections in general, and World War I supplemental studies reading lists in particular, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "An American Solider In The Great War" is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.06).


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

Peter in Early Christianity
Helen K. Bond and Larry W. Hurtado, editors
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
2140 Oak Industrial Drive, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
9780802871718 $40.00 www.eerdmans.com

Peter in Early Christianity is an anthology of studious essays by a variety of learned authors about the apostle Peter, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ and a leader of the early Christian Church. Overshadowed by the apostle Paul, and perhaps best known for denying Jesus three times (presumably because he was afraid of being arrested and possibly executed), Peter nonetheless played a major role in early Christian communities, and very likely suffered martyrdom for his faith. Individual writings include "Was Peter behind Mark's Gospel?", "Moving the People to Repentance: Peter in Luke-Acts", "Peter in Noncanonical Traditions", "Traces of Peter Veneration in Roman Archaeology", and more. A close scrutiny of both scriptural and historical sources, Peter in Early Christianity is a welcome addition to scholarly Religious Studies shelves.


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

Tips on Auditioning: Ideas for Actors
Jon Jory
Smith & Kraus Publishers
177 Lyme Road, Lyme NH 03755-6610
9781575258959 $19.95 www.smithandkraus.com

Jon Jory shares wisdom from his fifty-year career as a playwright, director, producer, teacher and theater commentator in Tips on Auditioning: Ideas for Actors. Though written especially to be accessible to younger or beginning actors, Tips on Auditioning is filled with valuable material for aspiring performers of all ages and backgrounds, whether pursuing a cherished role in community theater or a professional career in Hollywood. Audition recommendations specific to television/movie roles, plays, and musical theater roles are all discussed. In addition to a wealth insights into the competitive process of "audition acting", Tips on Auditioning also offers 75 new audition pieces, with suggestions on ways to perform each. "It is a kindness to mention your name as in 'Hi, I'm Carla' because your auditioners are desperately trying to locate you on their list. Keep in mind that most people don't shake hands anymore, but if a hand is offered steel yourself and shake it." Tips on Auditioning: Ideas for Actors is a "must-have" for anyone contemplating breaking into the business, highly recommended.

Sci-Fi Scenes and Monster Dreams
Jan Peterson Ewen
Meriwether Publishing
c/o Pioneer Drama Service
PO Box 4267, Englewood, CO 80155
www.pioneerdrama.com
9781566081979 $17.95 www.amazon.com

Sci-Fi Scenes and Monster Dreams: 16 Comedy Scenes for Student Actors is an anthology of brief yet delightfully funny theater scenes that parody popular sci-fi movies, television shows, and books. From mad scientists to superheroes to socially awkward robots, the characters in these easy-to-stage scenes are ideal for encouraging student actors to develop their talent. Drama instructors or community theater actors on a budget will be happy to know that "The rights to unlimited amateur performances of these scenes at one location are granted with the purchase of this book. For performances at another location, a royalty fee of $10 per scene per location must be remitted to Pioneer Drama Service, Inc (address above). Permission to reproduce copies of individual scenes included in this text is granted to amateur groups with the purchase of this book." Sci-Fi Scenes and Monster Dreams is an excellent, user-friendly resource of silly scenarios that are just plain fun to act out! Also highly recommended especially for budding and ambitious actors and anyone working with them are Gavin Levy's "112 Acting Games, second edition" (9781566082006, $19.95) and Mick Napier's "Behind the Scenes: Improvising Long Form" (9781566081993, $19.95).


The Wisconsin Shelf

The Cheesehead Bible
Art Starr
Alexander Baker
www.cheeseheadbible.net
9780692537671, $14.99, PB, 132pp, www.amazon.com

"The Cheesehead Bible" by Art Starr is the enthusiastic story of Wisconsin's Green Bay Packers football fans -- those men and women of the Badger State who turn a kind of sports based gladiatorial combat into ritual. Presented in a biblical style, "The Cheesehead Bible" will hold immense appeal to all those who ascribe to or are fascinated by the unique phenomenon of Wisconsin's 'cheesehead' popular culture. "The Cheesehead Bible" is an unique approach to showcasing the history of the people who have created the only fan-owned team there ever was or ever will be in the NFL because of the NFL owner's ban on there ever being another one. "The Cheesehead Bible" covers such issues as: Cheesehead sin and redemption; The miracle of the humble enclave that became Titletown; The centrality of Vince Lombardi's faith to the success of the Packers; Curly Lambeau's contribution, glory and fall from grace; Why it's important to keep the Packers in Green Bay; The glory and pride of being a 'cheesehead'. Enhanced with the inclusion of 44 illustrations, "The Cheesehead Bible" must be considered a mandatory read for anyone and every one claiming allegiance to the Green Bay Packers. Indeed, no Wisconsin library should be without a copy of "The Cheesehead Bible" for the benefit of any and all Packer fans in the Wisconsin communities they serve!


James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
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