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Wisconsin Bookwatch

Volume 16, Number 1 January 2021 Home | WBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Writing/Publishing Shelf Education Shelf
Parenting Shelf Science Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
Judaic Studies Shelf Islamic Studies Shelf Graphic Novel Shelf
Audiobook Shelf Music CD Shelf Political Science Shelf
General Fiction Shelf Romantic Fiction Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Psychology Shelf Gaming Shelf
Biography Shelf Martial Arts Shelf Cookbook Shelf
Automotive Shelf Computer Shelf Photography Shelf
Needlecraft Shelf Beer/Wine/Spirits Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Health/Medicine Shelf Travel Shelf Poetry Shelf
Self-Help Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Novel Advice
Jay Bushman
www.JayBushman.com
Tiller Press
9781982156299, $19.99, HC, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/Novel-Advice-Practical-Favorite-Characters/dp/1982156295

Synopsis: What would happen if your favorite literary characters wrote in to ask for help from an advice columnist? What suggestions would Hester Prynne need to cope with the judgmental neighbors? What if Mrs. Bennett from Pride and Prejudice asked for tips about managing her financial woes? In "Novel Advice: Practical Wisdom for Your Favorite Literary Characters", Emmy Award winning writer Jay Bushman imaginatively considers those scenarios and dozens more as Aunt Antigone, the "agony aunt" who dishes practical advice, along with a fair dose of snark.

Grouped by theme, "Novel Advice" features favorite and most beloved literary characters from all genres as they write in to Aunt Antigone for help with their "real-world" problems. Readers will enjoy discovering what Aunt Antigone has to say when Ophelia and Ishmael ask about their dating woes, when Dr. Jekyll searches for the perfect work/life balance, or when Scarlett O'Hara wants tips about the best way to handle stress.

Perfect for fans of Texts from Jane Eyre, Tequila Mockingbird, and booklovers everywhere, this book is a hilarious and thought-provoking look at our favorite literary characters seeking help from an advice column with her own dramatic background.

Critique: Written with an impressively entertaining, humorously insightful, and literarily inspiring flair by author Jay Bushman, "Novel Advice: Practical Wisdom for Your Favorite Literary Characters" is a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university library collections. It should be noted for dedicated bibliophiles and any creative fiction novelist that "Novel Advice: Practical Wisdom for Your Favorite Literary Characters" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).

Editorial Note: Jay Bushman has a long history of chopping up classic works of literature into new and surprising formats. He won an Emmy Award as a writer and transmedia producer on The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, the hit transmedia modernization of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and was the co-creator/show runner of its sequel interactive series Welcome To Sanditon. Jay wrote one of the first Twitter novels, The Good Captain, a scifi adaptation of Herman Melville's Benito Cereno, and his blog reimagining of Spoon River Anthology was honored in the International Symposium on Electronic Art. Jay has written interactive experiences for stories like Disney's Haunted Mansion, Game of Thrones, 13 Reasons Why, Terminator, and Arrival. He maintains a personal/professional website at: www.JayBushman.com

The Sherlock Holmes Quiz Book
Kathleen Kaska
The Globe Pequot Press
246 Goose Lane, Suite 200, Guilford, CT 06437
www.globepequot.com
9781493053155, $21.95, PB, 312pp

https://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Quiz-Book/dp/1493053159

Synopsis: Now with "The Sherlock Holmes Quiz Book" the legions of Sherlock Holmes fans can metaphorically step out of a hansom cab and onto the foggy streets of Edwardian London with this original and comprehensive collection of fun and challenging fun facts, puzzles and trivia bout the adventures of the inimitable detective who intellectual feats overwhelmed criminals and Scotland Yard alike.

Author and Sherlock Holmes fan Kathleen Kaska offers brainteasers on each story about the detective and his associate Dr. Watson, as well as the background on how Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's own experiences contributed to his literary work. She covers all of the different ways Holmes has been adapted including the recent Robert Downey Jr. films, and TV shows featuring Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Lee Miller.

Critique: Offering hours and hours of wonderfully entertaining fun and ideal for bar trivia contests, "The Sherlock Holmes Quiz Book" is very highly recommended for community, college, and university library collections. It should be noted for personal reading and game-playing lists that "The Sherlock Holmes Quiz Book" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.49).

Editorial Note: Kathleen Kaska is the author of What's Your Agatha Christie I.Q.? and The Alfred Hitchcock Triviography and Quiz Book.

The Nature of Desert Nature
Gary Paul Nabhan, editor
University of Arizona Press
1510 E. University Boulevard, P.O. Box 210055, Tucson, AZ 85721-0055
www.uapress.arizona.edu
9780816540280, $16.95, PB, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/Nature-Desert-Southwest-Center/dp/0816540284

Synopsis: Expertly compiled, and edited by Gary Paul Nabhan, "The Nature of Desert Nature" is refreshing collection of twenty-six erudite observational essays that challenge traditional notions of the desert.

Beautiful, reflective, and at times humorous, Nabhan's extended essay also called "The Nature of Desert Nature" reveals the complexity of what a desert is and can be. He passionately writes about what it is like to visit a desert and what living in a desert looks like when viewed through a new frame, turning age-old notions of the desert on their heads.

Nabhan invites a prism of voices of friends, colleagues, and advisors from his more than four decades of study of deserts to bring their own perspectives to bear. Scientists, artists, desert contemplatives, poets, and writers bring the desert into view and investigate why these places compel us to walk through their sands and beneath their cacti and acacia. We observe the spines and spears, stings and songs of the desert anew. Each essay offers renewed vocabulary and thoughtful perceptions.

Critique: As thoughtful and thought-provoking as it is impressively well written, organized and presented, "The Nature of Desert Nature" is an extraordinary contribution to community, college, and university library Nature Writing, Ecology, Deserts Ecosystems collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, environmental advocates, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Nature of Desert Nature" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Gary Paul Nabhan is the Kellogg Endowed Chair at the University of Arizona's Southwest Center. He is author or editor of more than thirty books, including Enduring Seeds, Gathering in the Desert, and Food from the Radical Center. Honored with a MacArthur "Genius" Award, a Lannan Literary Fellowship, the John Burroughs Medal for nature writing, and other awards, Nabhan has lived in the desert for more than forty years.


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

Charitable Writing
Richard Hughes Gibson, author
James Edward Beitler III, author
InterVarsity Press
PO Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
www.ivpress.com
9780830854837, $22.00, PB, 248pp

https://www.amazon.com/Charitable-Writing-Cultivating-Virtue-Through/dp/0830854835

Synopsis: Written words carry weight. Unfortunately, in today's cultural climate, what we and others write (especial in a social media format) is all too often laced with harsh judgments and vitriol rather than careful consideration and generosity. But might the Christian faith transform how we approach the task of writing? How might we love God and our neighbors through our writing?

"Charitable Writing: Cultivating Virtue Through Our Words " is not a style guide that teaches you where to place the comma and how to cite your sources (as important as those things are). Rather, it offers a vision for expressing one's faith through writing and for understanding writing itself as a spiritual practice that cultivates virtue. Under the guidance of two experienced Christian writers who draw on authors and artists throughout the church's history, we learn how we might embrace writing as an act of discipleship for today -- and how we might faithfully bear the weight of our written words.

Critique: Words can have the impact of a sledge hammer, the cutting edge of a surgeon's scalpel, the lethal consequence of a gun shot. They can also heal a hurt, restore dignity, invoke hope, give life meaning, purpose, direction and resolve. Anyone who writes and wants or has a readership for what they have written should give a close and attentive read to "Charitable Writing: Cultivating Virtue Through Our Words". While especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library Writing/Publishing collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Charitable Writing: Cultivating Virtue Through Our Words" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.51).

Editorial Note: Richard Hughes Gibson (PhD, University of Virginia) is associate professor of English at Wheaton College. He is the author of Forgiveness in Victorian Literature: Grammar, Narrative, and Community. With designer Jeremy Botts, he codirects Manibus Press, an occasional publisher of artists' books.

James Edward Beitler III (PhD, University of Michigan) is associate professor of English at Wheaton College, where he is the director of First-Year Writing and also coordinates the Writing Fellows Program. He is the author of Seasoned Speech: Rhetoric in the Life of the Church and Remaking Transitional Justice in the United States: The Rhetorical Authorization of the Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission.


The Education Shelf

Eat That Frog! for Students
Brian Tracy & Anna Leinberger
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
1333 Broadway, Suite 1000, Oakland CA, 94612
www.bkconnection.com
9781523091256, $16.95, PB, 168pp

https://www.amazon.com/Eat-That-Frog-Students-Procrastinating/dp/1523091258

Synopsis: Like adults, students of all ages struggle with how to manage their time. Encountering the necessity of time management for the first time, high schoolers juggle classes, extracurricular activities (all but mandatory for college admissions), jobs, internships, family responsibilities, and more. College brings even more freedom and less structure, making time management even more critical.

"Eat That Frog! for Students: 22 Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Excel in School" by Brian Tracy has helped millions around the world get more done in less time. Now this life-changing global bestseller has been adapted to the specific needs of students. Tracy offers readers tips, tools, and techniques for structuring time, setting goals, staying on task (even when you're not interested), dealing with stress, and developing the skills to achieve far more than you ever thought possible.

Critique: Timely and timeless, "Eat That Frog! for Students: 22 Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Excel in School" should be considered mandatory reading for any student wanting to maximize their scholastic success and acquire the kind of self-management/time-management skills that will serve them well throughout their adult life. While especially and unreservedly recommended for highschool, school district, community, college, and university library collections Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Eat That Frog! for Students: 22 Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Excel in School" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).


The Parenting Shelf

Compost Makes the Strawberries Grow
Lolita L. Jardeleza
Resource Publications
c/o Wipf and Stock Publishers
199 West 8th Avenue, Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401-2960
http://wipfandstock.com
9781725270152, $18.00, PB, 148pp

https://www.amazon.com/Compost-Makes-Strawberries-Grow-Celebration/dp/1725270153

Synopsis: Even though countless "how-to" parenting books are on the market, with "Compost Makes the Strawberries Grow: A Mother's Celebration of Parenting - Its Challenges, Humor, and Rewards" by parent and author Lolita L. Jardeleza relates that after many years of parenting, it suddenly dawned on her that a mother's primary function is to help her children discover just how wonderful they are. She also took on the task of sharing her story at the behest of her eleven children, who are now parents themselves and want to cherish their children just as they were cherished.

But "Compost Makes the Strawberries Grow" is not all saccharine sweet talk. It gets down to the brass tacks of everyday family living as Jardeleza tackles a wide range of real-life issues with an impressive honesty, heart, and humor. The real world issues she deals with include sibling power, fighting the good fight, honesty, being kind to others, obedience, values, and cultural literacy. Above all, "Compost Makes the Strawberries Grow" is a book that treats parenting with gratitude and grace.

Critique: Inspired and inspiring, thoughtful and thought-provoking, informed and informative, and exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Compost Makes the Strawberries Grow: A Mother's Celebration of Parenting - Its Challenges, Humor, and Rewards" is an extraordinary, quality of family life enhancing and highly recommended reading for all parents seeking the best for the children in today's troubled world of pandemic, economic stress, social isolation, and political unrest. Simply stated, no community library's Parenting collection should be without a copy of "Compost Makes the Strawberries Grow: A Mother's Celebration of Parenting - Its Challenges, Humor, and Rewards"!


The Science Shelf

How to Astronaut
Terry Virts
Workman Publishing Company
225 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014-4381
www.workman.com
9781523509614, $27.95, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/How-Astronaut-Insiders-Leaving-Planet/dp/1523509619

Synopsis: "How to Astronaut: An Insider's Guide to Leaving Planet Earth" enables reader to
metaphorically 'ride shotgun' on a trip to space with astronaut Terry Virts who is a born storyteller with a gift for the surprising turn of phrase and eye for the perfect you-are-there details. Terry captures all the highs, lows, humor, and wonder of an experience few will ever know firsthand as he presents stories covering survival training, space shuttle emergencies, bad bosses, the art of putting on a spacesuit, time travel, and so much more!

Critique: An inherently fascinating, thoroughly engaging, impressively entertaining, informed and informative read from cover to cover, "How to Astronaut: An Insider's Guide to Leaving Planet Earth" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community, college, and university library Astronautics & Space Flight collections and supplemental curriculum Aeronautics & Astronautics studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, astronautics fans, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject of space flight that "How to Astronaut: An Insider's Guide to Leaving Planet Earth" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.44) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781664494664, $39.99, CD).


The Christian Studies Shelf

Brotherhood of Saints: Daily Guidance and Inspiration
Melanie Rigney
Franciscan Media
28 West Liberty Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
9781632533050, $16.99, PB, 382pp

https://www.amazon.com/Brotherhood-Saints-Daily-Guidance-Inspiration/dp/1632533057

Synopsis: In a page-a-day format, "Brotherhood of Saints: Daily Guidance and Inspiration" by Melanie Rigney gives her readers a panoply of widely known and more obscure saints who show the way to be better disciples of Christ. They offer compelling examples of how to meet the challenges of daily life, be strengthened in your faith, and become the man God created you to be.

While no such book would be complete without entries on Peter, Paul, the Francises, Anthony of Padua, Augustine and the other Doctors of the Church, Ignatius of Loyola, Benedict, John, John Paul, and so on, "Brotherhood of Saints: Daily Guidance and Inspiration" also includes many of the men canonized in the past fifty years, including Oscar Romero, Louis Martin, Francisco Marto, Jose Gabriel del Rosario Brochero, Junipero Serra, and the martyrs of Otranto, Natal, Korea, and the Spanish Civil War.

Critique: Inspired and inspiring, "Brotherhood of Saints: Daily Guidance and Inspiration" is especially and unreservedly recommended to the attention of seminary students, clergy, and all members of the Roman Catholic community. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Brotherhood of Saints: Daily Guidance and Inspiration" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Melanie Rigney enjoys listening to the saints and sharing their stories. In addition to Brotherhood of Saints (and Sisterhood of Saints), her previous books include Radical Saints: 21 Women for the 21st Century and Blessed Are You: Finding Inspiration from Our Sisters in Faith (both Franciscan Media). She also writes for Living Faith, CatholicMom, and other Catholic blogs and publications. Melanie maintains a website at www.rejoicebeglad.com

My Other Self
Clarence J. Enzler
Ave Maria Press
PO Box 428, Notre Dame, IN 46556
www.avemariapress.com
9780870612480, $13.95, PB, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/My-Other-Self-Conversations-Christ/dp/0870612484

Synopsis: Modeled on the fifteenth-century classic "The Imitation of Christ", this new edition of a little-known 1956 Clarence Joseph Enzler masterwork, "My Other Self: Conversations with Christ on Living Your Faith" is revived in a new edition for modern Christians. This new edition of "My Other Self: Conversations with Christ on Living Your Faith" includes an introduction from the author's son, Msgr. John Enzler, pastor of the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Washington, D.C.

In this intimate guide to the spiritual life, Christ speaks directly to the reader, whom Christ admonishes to be his presence of love and service in the world. Through this creative mode of dialogue, Enzler leads the reader through the journey of the Christian life, beginning with the call to live in friendship with Christ and fulfill Christs desire. He then examines the means of the Christian life: detachment, virtue, prayer, avoidance of sin, and the Eucharist.

Finally Enzler explores the goal of the journey: a life of union with Christ as his disciple and complete joy with him in eternity. Each individual chapter is divided into short, eloquent sections based on scripture and with beautiful prayers for meditation. These convenient divisions make "My Other Self" ideal for use as a daily devotional, or a guide to prayer.

Critique: Profoundly and spiritually inspiring, "My Other Self: Conversations with Christ on Living Your Faith" is unreservedly recommended for a new generation of Catholic readers and is particularly commended to the attention of clergy and seminary students. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all members of the Catholic community that "My Other Self: Conversations with Christ on Living Your Faith" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.49).

Editorial Note: Clarence Joseph Enzler (1910-1976) is best known for his classic Lenten devotional booklet Everyone's Way of the Cross, first published in 1970. He worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 1937-1972, except from 1943-1945 when he served as the feature editor with the National Catholic Welfare Conference News Service (now known as Catholic News Service).

Sanctuary: Being Christian in the Wake of Trump
Heidi B. Neumark
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
4035 Park East Court SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546
www.eerdmans.com
9780802878397, $24.99, HC, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/Sanctuary-Being-Christian-Wake-Trump/dp/0802878393

Synopsis: Throughout her nearly forty years in ministry, Heidi Neumark has strived to make communities of faith into sanctuaries amid the turmoils of life. Now, with the social and political upheaval of the years since Donald Trump was elected president, Neumark believes the true Christian calling is to live out a counterpoint to today's prevailing spirits of exclusion and hatred. In "Sanctuary: Being Christian in the Wake of Trump" and using her own bilingual, multicultural congregation as a model, she moves through the seasons of the church calendar to reflect on what it looks like to live out essential Christian convictions in community with others.

"Sanctuary: Being Christian in the Wake of Trump" is an amplifier for the many voices crying out against policies and rhetoric that are cruel, dehumanizing, and dangerous. Neumark begins each chapter with a quote from Donald Trump that she defies and dismantles with the power of her own stories -- anecdotes about offering shelter for queer youth in her city, supporting immigrants and asylum-seekers being harassed by ICE, and embracing her church's diversity with a Guadalupe celebration, to name a few. Timely, but also timeless, "Sanctuary: Being Christian in the Wake of Trump" speaks to the deep wounds of this era, inflicted before and during the Trump presidency, which will remain long past its end.

Critique: In an era that has left so many wondering why dedicated Christians supported a man for the presidency who was responsible for separating and confining children from their families at the southern boarder, who constantly lied about things trivial and important alike, who's personal life was rife with adultery and sexual depredations, neglected to lead the nation in a time of pandemic and economic hardship, who fanned the flames of racial hatred and white supremacy, and so much more in violation of the moral rules and commandments of the New Testament, "Sanctuary: Being Christian in the Wake of Trump" will prove to be a welcome and appreciated read -- and a worth attempt to help heal the wounds of a deeply troubled nation that led to the election of a Donald Trump and were sorely exacerbated during his administrative tenure.

While also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.72), "Sanctuary: Being Christian in the Wake of Trump" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community, church, college, and university library Religious/Political Ethics collections in general, and Church/State Religious Studies supplemental curriculum lists in particular.

Editorial Note: Heidi Neumark is an author, speaker and Lutheran pastor who has served congregations in the South Bronx and presently in Manhattan. Her experiences in congregational and community leadership in the Bronx led to a highly acclaimed book, "Breathing Space: A Spiritual Journey in the South Bronx" (Beacon Press 2003), winner of the 2004 Wilbur Award given by the Religion Communicators Council. She has chapters and sermons in numerous other books and writes regularly for the Christian Century and other journals. In her present position, Pastor Neumark also serves as the executive director of a shelter for homeless LGBTQ youth. She holds an honorary doctorate of divinity from Muhlenberg College.

I Love, Therefore I Am
Nicholas V. Sakharov
SVS Press
575 Scarsdale Road, Yonkers, NY 10707
www.svspress.com
9780881414554, $20.00, PB, 253pp

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Therefore-Am-Theological-Archimandrite/dp/0881414557

Synopsis: "I Love, Therefore I Am: The Theological Legacy of Archimandrite Sophrony" by Nicholas V. Sakharov (who is a member of the Monastery of St. John the Baptist, Essex, UK) is critical exposition of the theology of Archimandrite Sophrony Sakharov (1896-1993), an outstanding Christian ascetic, monk, and mystic of the twentieth century.

"I Love, Therefore I Am" conveys the message that Christianity is not just an academic discipline but very reality, life itself. This reality imprints a mark of indisputable authenticity upon each of Fr Sophrony's writings. Strange to abstract scholasticism, his words breathe the inspiration of the living tradition, where Christ is the Divine Absolute, 'the same yesterday, today and forever' (Heb 13:8).

Because Fr Sophrony traversed the major religious and intellectual movements of our time, his spiritual make-up is enriched by various currents of thought. Notwithstanding this diversity, never does his theology transcend the boundaries set out by the Orthodox tradition. The patristic heritage has for him indubitable authority. He absorbed the legacy of the Fathers in its living depth. This came not by way of an academic research, but through his ascetic strivings on Mount Athos. His wide spiritual and intellectual background elevates the Orthodox tradition to an authentic level where it opens up to universal dimensions.

Critique: Erudite, insightful, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "I Love, Therefore I Am: The Theological Legacy of Archimandrite Sophrony" is a seminal study that is enhanced for academia with a ten page Bibliography and a four page Index of Names. While an especially and unreservedly recommended acquisition to church, seminary, community, college, and university library Orthodox Christian Theology collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of seminarian students, clergy, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "I Love, Therefore I Am" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Rekindled
Mallory Smyth
Ave Maria Press
PO Box 428, Notre Dame, IN 46556
www.avemariapress.com
9781646800094, $15.95, PB, 160pp

https://www.amazon.com/Rekindled-Jesus-Called-Catholic-Church/dp/1646800095

Synopsis: Mallory Smyth has been where many young Catholics are today. But the difference between her and other fallen-away Catholics is that she figured out that when she overlooked the shortcomings of the Church as an institution, she fell in love with Jesus and rediscovered the beauty and truth of her faith.

In "Rekindled: How Jesus Called Me Back to the Catholic Church and Set My Heart on Fire", Smyth's raw, relatable account of her own disillusionment and departure is sure to resonate with anyone who has struggled to feel at home in the Church. For anyone who has left the faith or has one foot out the door, this powerful book just might illuminate a path back home -- to a Church that is both holy and in need of perfection.

Shallow homilies. Hypocritical authority figures. Trite answers to pressing questions. These and other shortcomings of the Church have led plenty of Catholics to question their faith -- or to abandon it entirely.

"Rekindled" is for those who have left the Church and those with one foot out the door. Smyth's account of her own disillusionment and departure is relatable and honest. She understands and validates the pain and doubt that many Catholics and former Catholics feel.

Smyth also provides you with practical guidance for keeping your faith even when what you encounter in the Church falls short including: How to recognize Christ's presence even in the most mediocre Mass experiences; Strategies for finding faithful role models when authority figures let you down; Where to turn when the answers and pastoral guidance you receive don't reach the heart of the issue; How to find fulfillment in Christ and in the community of the saints even when joy seems to be in short supply in the Church.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Rekindled: How Jesus Called Me Back to the Catholic Church and Set My Heart on Fire" is a timely and timeless contribution to helping those who are struggling with their Roman Catholic faith in an era where the Church as an institution has been corrupted by the perceived evils and hypocrisy of priests, bishops, cardinals, and even popes. With its underlying message of faith driven hope in the redemptive power of God and the value of community to living a Christian life, "Rekindled: How Jesus Called Me Back to the Catholic Church and Set My Heart on Fire" is especially recommended reading to all members of the Catholic community. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of clergy, seminary students, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Rekindled: How Jesus Called Me Back to the Catholic Church and Set My Heart on Fire" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

Editorial Note: Mallory Smyth is the content manager at Walking with Purpose. She previously worked as director of program growth for ENDOW and as a recruitment manager, development officer, and missionary for FOCUS. Smyth earned a bachelor's degree in marketing from Louisiana State University. She has spoken at ENDOW and FOCUS conferences, including SEEK. Smyth has been a guest on EWTN and her writing has appeared in Radiant magazine.

Hope When Your Heart Is Breaking
Ron Hutchcraft
Harvest House Publishers
PO Box 41210, Eugene, OR 97404-0322
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
9780736981415, $13.99, PB, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/Hope-When-Your-Heart-Breaking/dp/0736981411

Synopsis: You've lost someone you love. Or you're on the brink of losing your marriage. Your dreams. Your health. Or perhaps the trauma of your past pursues you into the present. What is certain is that your life's going to change. Which way it goes won't be decided by your loss, but by the choices you make. At the crossroads of grief, one road will lead to hope and healing. The other, to more hurt.

"Hope When Your Heart Is Breaking: Finding God's Presence in Your Pain" is an honest look at both roads from a Christian perspective, and how your greatest loss can lead to your greatest gain. Author Ron Hutchcraft writes from the deep well of his own devastating loss and grief, and points you to the practical steps that lead to peace and wholeness. "Hope When Your Heart Is Breaking" is a pathway to hope and a roadmap through the pain of grief and loss. The reader will discover new strength through a new closeness to others and to God -- and make the decisions that lead to comfort, growth, and life.

Critique: Inspired and inspiring, "Hope When Your Heart Is Breaking: Finding God's Presence in Your Pain" will prove to be especially comforting for all members of the Christian community with respect to death, dying, and the grieving process. Particularly timely in this present time of the COVID -19 pandemic, "Hope When Your Heart Is Breaking: Finding God's Presence in Your Pain" is especially and unreservedly recommended for church and community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Hope When Your Heart Is Breaking: Finding God's Presence in Your Pain" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.49).

Editorial Note: Himself a widower with three children and nine grandchildren, Ron Hutchcraft is a veteran ministry leader, speaker, founder and president of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries and On Eagles' Wings Native American youth outreach. He is the author of A Life That Matters, Peaceful Living in a Stressful World, The Battle for a Generation, and more. His popular radio feature, A Word with You, is heard daily on over 1,300 outlets, and in the five most spoken languages of the world.

On Wealth and Poverty
St. John Chrysostom
SVS Press
575 Scarsdale Road, Yonkers, NY 10707
www.svspress.com
9780881410396, $19.00, PB, 140pp

https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Poverty-Saint-John-Chrysostom/dp/088141039X

Synopsis: John Chrysostom (c. 347 - 14 September 407), was an important Early Church Father who served as archbishop of Constantinople. He is known for his preaching and public speaking, his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders, the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, and his ascetic sensibilities. Chrysostom was among the most prolific authors in the early Christian Church, exceeded only by Augustine of Hippo in the quantity of his surviving writings. He is honoured as a saint in the Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches, as well as in some others.

The sermons of St. John Chrysostom are noted as classical commentaries on the Christian life. Knowing well the realities of life in the world, the temptation of rich and poor alike, this great orator (nicknamed "the golden-mouthed") addresses the questions of wealth and poverty in the lives of people of his day. And yet, as the modern reader is confronted with his words, it becomes apparent that he too is being addressed. Chrysostom's words are words proclaiming the truth of the Gospel to all people of all times. The message of the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) is brought home to every person in these six sermons of Chrysostom with clarity, insight into the human dilemma, compassion and judgment.

Critique: Inspired and inspiring, "On Wealth and Poverty" should be considered essential reading for all members of the Christian community, regardless of their denomination affiliation. While highly recommended for church, seminary, college, and university library Christian Theology collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "On Wealth and Poverty" is also readily available from SVS Press in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).

The Business of War
James McCarty, editor
Matthew Tapie, editor
Justin Bronson Barringer, editor
Cascade Books
c/o Wipf and Stock Publishers
199 West 8th Avenue, Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401-2960
http://wipfandstock.com
9781532641046, $33.00, PB, 278pp

https://www.amazon.com/Business-War-Theological-Reflections-Military-Industrial/dp/1532641044

Synopsis: Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by the team of James McCarty, Matthew Tapie, and Justin Bronson Barringer, the contributors (Pamela Brubaker Stan Goff Christina McRorie Logan Mehl-Laituri Kara Slade Won Chul Shin David Swartz Jonathan Tran Myles Werntz Matthew Whelan Tobia Winright) to "The Business of War: Theological and Ethical Reflections on the Military-Industrial Complex" incisively interrogates the development and contemporary implications of the military-industrial complex. They expose the moral dangers of life in neoliberal economies dependent upon war-making for their growth and brings the Christian tradition's abundance of resources into conversation with this phenomenon.

In doing so, "The Business of War" invite us to rethink the moral possibilities of Christian life in the present day with an eye toward faithful resistance to "the business of war" and its influence in every aspect of our lives. In combining biblical, historical, theological, and ethical analyses of "the business of war," the authors invite us to better understand it as a new moral problem that demands a new, faithful response.

Critique: An impressive study in the ethics arising from a Christian Theology framework with respect to the operations of a military/industrial complex, "The Business of War" is an extraordinary study deserving of the widest possible readership. While resolutely recommended for community, college, and university library Contemporary Social Issues and Christian Ethics collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of political activists, seminary students, clergy, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Business of War" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: James McCarty is Director of the Center for Equity and Inclusion and Affiliate Professor of Education at the University of Washington Tacoma. He has published essays on racial justice, restorative justice, and peacebuilding in journals including the Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics, Theology and Sexuality, and the Journal of Law and Religion.

Matthew A. Tapie is Assistant Professor of Theology and Director of the Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies at St. Leo University. He is the author of Aquinas on Israel and the Church: The Question of Supersessionism in the Theology of Thomas Aquinas.

Justin Bronson Barringer is a PhD candidate in Religious Ethics at Southern Methodist University. He is coeditor of A Faith Not Worth Fighting For: Addressing Commonly Asked Questions about Christian Nonviolence and Practicing the Kingdom: Essays on Hospitality, Community, and Friendship in Honor of Christine Pohl (forthcoming).

Soul Training with the Peace Prayer of Saint Francis
Albert Haase, O.F.M.
at www.AlbertOFM.org
Franciscan Media
28 West Liberty Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
9781632533494, $16.99, PB, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/Training-Peace-Prayer-Saint-Francis/dp/1632533499

Synopsis: From the introduction of "Soul Training with the Peace Prayer of Saint Francis" by Albert Haase -- "The Peace Prayer gets you in the zone where God's grace shapes and stretches your soul, transforming you into a saint who shimmers and shines."

"Soul Training with the Peace Prayer of Saint Francis" reveals why readers ranging from pontiffs, presidents, politicians, to paralegals, plumbers, and proofreaders keep turning to the Peace Prayer. This simple prayer can train the soul and keep a Christian in good spiritual shape until crossing the finish line into eternal life.

Essentially,"Soul Training with the Peace Prayer of Saint Francis" is a spiritual workout manual that offers encouragement to condition all the muscles of the virtues to help a dedicated Christian stay spiritually fit: faith, hope, love, forgiveness, joy, consolation, understanding, and selflessness.

Critique: Throughly 'reader friendly' in commentary, organization and presentation, "Soul Training with the Peace Prayer of Saint Francis" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.49) and especially recommended reading for clergy, seminary students, and all members of the Christian community.

Editorial Note: Albert Haase, OFM, is a popular preacher, teacher, and spiritual director. A former missionary to mainland China for over eleven years, he is the author of twelve books on popular spirituality and the presenter on five bestselling DVDs. He has trained spiritual directors for ten years and is currently chaplain at Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center in the diocese of Austin, Texas. He maintains an informative website at www.AlbertOFM.org

Christ versus Caesar: Two Masters, One Choice
Connor Boyack
Cedar Fort, Inc.
2373 West 700 South, Springville, Utah 84663
www.cedarfort.com
9781462138883, $15.99, PB, 200pp

https://www.amazon.com/Christ-versus-Caesar-Masters-Choice/dp/1462138888

Synopsis: No man can serve two masters, yet both Christ and Caesar demand our allegiance. The prince of this world, and the political institutions he supports and controls, entice us to rely on the arm of flesh as a means of solving our problems. But God seems to want something different to us and His commandments carry political implications that we ignore at our own spiritual peril.

Christians seem to find themselves torn between Christ and His counterfeit, looking for ways to compromise and satisfy both. Jesus tells us to love one another, yet His disciples routinely intermingle with Caesar's mortal institutions, seduced by their promises of power and wealth that inherently violate God's foundational commandment.

Because we cannot serve two masters, any loyalty to Caesar entails a rejection of Christ. Those who would be disciples of Jesus must therefore, once and for all, choose whose side we are on.

Critique: Exceptionally well written and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Christ versus Caesar: Two Masters, One Choice" is eloquently informative, compellingly thought-provoking, and demonstratively inspiring -- making it especially and unreservedly recommended reading for all members of the Christian community. It should be noted for the personal reading lists that "Christ versus Caesar: Two Masters, One Choice" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).

Editorial Note: Connor Boyack is founder and president of Libertas Institute, a free market think tank in Utah. Named one of Utah's most politically influential people by The Salt Lake Tribune, Connor's leadership has led to dozens of legislative victories spanning a wide range of areas such as privacy, government transparency, property rights, drug policy, education, personal freedom, and more. A public speaker and author of over two dozen books, Connor is best known for The Tuttle Twins books, a children's series introducing young readers to economic, political, and civic principles.

Finding Quiet
Jamie Grace
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton Road, Ada, MI 49301
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764236075, $24.99, HC, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Quiet-Journey-Peace-Anxious/dp/0764236075

Synopsis: Whether it's the criticism of others, the clamor of injustice, or the voice of anxiety from within, we are constantly being bombarded with emotional and distracting noise.

So what does it mean to find peace in the midst of all the noise? Is there a way to acknowledge the struggles we face and learn how to manage the stressors and voices that trigger us while believing in the promises and goodness of God?

Jamie Grace has lived in the middle of noise for most of her life. Many know her as a singer with radio hits who has spent the last decade on stages and in front of the camera, but behind the scenes, she has struggled with Tourette Syndrome, ADHD, and an anxiety disorder for most of her life. But in the middle of both inner and outer noise, Jamie has learned how to manage the negative effects of her diagnoses, make the most of her strengths, and lean into the journey God has led her on. -- A journey of Finding Quiet.

Critique: "Finding Quiet: My Journey to Peace in an Anxious World" is more than just another self-help memoir, it is an example and a showcase of what is available to us all in terms of achieving peace of mine in these especially troubled times. While also readily available in a paperback edition (9780764238239, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.32), "Finding Quiet" is a timely and timeless addition to personal reading lists as well as community, college, and university library Contemporary American Biography, Christian Personal Growth, and Self- Help/Self-Improvement collections.


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Ezekiel: From Destruction to Restoration
Tova Ganzel
Maggid / The Toby Press
c/o Koren Publishers Jerusalem Ltd.
PO Box 8531, New Milford, CT 06776-8531
www.tobypress.com
9781592645206, $29.95, HC, 344pp

https://www.amazon.com/Ezekiel-Destruction-Restoration-Tova-Ganzel/dp/1592645208

Synopsis: Ezekiel is the central protagonist of the Book of Ezekiel in the Hebrew Bible. In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Ezekiel is acknowledged as one of the Hebrew prophets. In Judaism and Christianity, he is also viewed as the 6th-century BCE author of the Book of Ezekiel, which reveals prophecies regarding the destruction of Jerusalem, and the restoration to the land of Israel.

As a prophet, Ezekiel speaks from a unique perspective: he resides in Babylonia, yet laments the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem; his prophecies range from furious messages of rebuke to comforting depictions of the future redemption of the Jewish people. "Ezekiel: From Destruction to Restoration" by Tova Ganzel is a deep and methodical study of the book of Ezekiel: its literary style, its historical context, and the progression of its prophecies from visions of destruction to promises of restoration.

Critique: Ably translated into English for an American readership by Kaeren Fish, "Ezekiel: From Destruction to Restoration" is enhanced by Tova Ganzel (a lecturer in Bible and Halakha at Bar-Ilan University and a certified women's halakhic advisor) for academia with the inclusion of a informative Introduction (Ezekiel, Prophet of Exile) and Conclusion (A Unique Prophet, a Unique Prophecy), as well as a five page Bibliography.

Impressively informative, well written, and throughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Ezekiel: From Destruction to Restoration" will prove to be an outstanding contribution to personal, professional, synagogue, community, college, and university library Judaic Studies and Biblical Studies collections. It should be note for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Ezekiel: From Destruction to Restoration" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).

Judaism Straight Up
Moshe Koppel
Maggid / The Toby Press
c/o Koren Publishers Jerusalem Ltd.
PO Box 8531, New Milford, CT 06776-8531
www.tobypress.com
9781592645572, $24.95, HC, 218pp

https://korenpub.com/products/judaism-straight-up

Synopsis: In the pages of "Judaism Straight Up", author Moshe Koppel deftly explores the central differences between traditional societies (including traditional Judaism) and contemporary cosmopolitan ones. Koppel explains everything you always wanted to know about the subtleties of Jewish morality, tradition, and belief, and how these have unfolded to beat cosmopolitanism at its own game: advancing cooperation, fairness, and freedom. Written with incisiveness and droll wit and a scientific sensibility that draws on economics, game theory, and other thematically appropriate disciplines, "Judaism Straight Up" reveals the secret of Jewish traditionalism's endurance down through the centuries to the present day.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Judaism Straight Up" is expertly organized into four main sections: What is the Right Way to Live?; How Do We Decide What is Right and What is Wrong?; What is the Connection between Belief and Commitment?; Where are We Headed? Informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Judaism Straight Up" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to synagogue, community, college, and university library Contemporary Judaic Studies collections. It should be noted for the personal reading list of rabbinical students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Judaism Straight Up" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).

Editorial Note: Moshe Koppel is professor of computer science at Bar-Ilan University and the author of over 100 articles in leading academic journals and proceedings in mathematics, computer science, linguistics, law, economics, political science and other disciplines. He is the author of three books on Jewish thought and founding director of Dicta, a research institute devoted to developing tools for computational analysis of Jewish texts. Koppel is also founding director of Kohelet, Israel's leading conservative-libertarian think tank, and he frequently advises members of Israel's Knesset regarding legislative matters.


The Islamic Studies Shelf

Concise Guide to the Quran
Ayman S. Ibrahim
Baker Academic
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
9781540963857, $39.99, HC, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/Concise-Guide-Quran-Ayman-Ibrahim/dp/1540963853

Synopsis: What is so unique about Islam's basic scripture known as the Quran? Who wrote it, and when? Can we trust its statements to be from Muhammad? Why was it written in Arabic? Does it command Muslims to fight Christians? These are a few of the thirty questions answered in this clear and concise guide to the history and contents of the Quran.

Ayman Ibrahim grew up in the Muslim world and has spent many years teaching various courses on Islam. Using a question-and-answer format, Ibrahim covers critical questions about the most sacred book for Muslims. He examines Muslim and non-Muslim views concerning the Quran, shows how the Quran is used in contemporary expressions of Islam, answers many of the key questions non-Muslims have about the Quran and Islam, and reveals the importance of understanding the Quran for Christian- Muslim and Jewish-Muslim interfaith relations.

This introductory guide is written for anyone with little to no knowledge of Islam who wants to learn about Muslims, their beliefs, and their scripture.

Critique: An ideal introduction to the history and basic tenets of the Islamic faith, "Concise Guide to the Quran" is deserving of the widest possible readership and is a timely and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university library Islamic Studies collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, clergy, seminarians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that the "Concise Guide to the Quran" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781540962928, $22.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note: Ayman S. Ibrahim (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary; PhD, Haifa University) is Bill and Connie Jenkins Professor of Islamic Studies and director of the Center for the Christian Understanding of Islam at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He was born and raised in Egypt and has taught in various countries in the Muslim world and in the West. His articles on Islam and Christian-Muslim relations have appeared in the Washington Post, Religion News Service, and First Things, among others. Ibrahim is the author of The Stated Motivations for the Early Islamic Expansion.


The Graphic Novel Shelf

Assassin's Creed: Origins Special Edition
Anthony Del Col, author
P. J. Kaiowa, illustrator
Neil Edwards, illustrator
Ivan Nunes, illustrator
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781787731554, $19.99, PB, 128pp

https://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Creed-Omnibus/dp/1787731553

Synopsis: Based on the popular game series, "Assassin's Creed: Origins Special Edition" is an omnibus that follows a fresh inductee into the modern-day Assassin Brotherhood -- as they uncover a conspiracy in their DNA that stretches back hundreds of years! Compiles the first three volumes of the Assassin's Creed comic and for the first time collected together in a special omnibus edition, Assassin's Creed fans will enjoy following the rise of Charlotte De La Cruz as she's thrown into the world of the Assassin Brotherhood in their generation-spanning war with the Templar Order!

Critique: As riveting an memorable a read as it is fully entertaining, no dedicated Assassin's Creed fan will want to miss "Assassin's Creed: Origins Special Edition". Certain to be an enduringly welcome addition to personal and community library graphic novel collections, it should be noted that "Assassin's Creed: Origins Special Edition" is also readily available to Assassin's Creed fans in a digital book format (Kindle/comiXology, $18.99).

Assassin's Creed: Bloodstone Vol. 2
Guillaume Dorison, author
Ennio Bufi, illustrator
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781787734593, $9.99, HC, 48pp

https://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Creed-Bloodstone-Guillaume-Dorison/dp/1787734595

Synopsis: Continuing the riveting story begun with "Assassin's Creed: Bloodstone Vol. 1", this second volume of the epic new Assassin's Creed adventure is set in the Vietnam War! Tomo, one of the youngest members of the Japanese Assassin cell, has uncovered a conspiracy. In this thrilling sequel, what secrets will Tomo uncover in his ancestor's memories? What horrific experiments took place secretly during the Vietnam War?

Critique: The imaginative storytelling of author Guillaume Dorison is perfectly showcased through the artwork of illustrator Ennio Bufi resulting in a riveting graphic novel that is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of the legions of Assassin's Creed fans that "Assassin's Creed: Bloodstone Vol. 2" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle/comiXology, $9.49).

Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious: Defender of the Daleks
Jody Houser, author
Roberta Ingranata, illustrator
Titan Comics
https://titan-comics.com
9781787733114, $17.99, PB, 112pp

https://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Who-Time-Lord-Victorious/dp/1787733114

Synopsis: After awaking in an alternate reality where the Time War never took place, the Tenth Doctor Who is recruited by his deadly nemeses, the Daleks, to defeat a terror that even they fear. Can the Doctor make peace with his enemies in order to stop this unknown monster from the Dark Times as it seeks to extinguish all life in the universe?!

Critique: An inherently entertaining graphic novel by the team of author/storyteller Jody House and artist/illustrator Roberta Ingranata, "Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious: Defender of the Daleks" is an absolute 'must read' for the legions of Doctor Who fans and will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library graphic novel collections. It should be noted that "Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious: Defender of the Daleks" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle/comiXology, $8.99).

Editorial Note: This brand new time-travelling tale is part of the BBC's multi-platform event that connects across all Doctor Who publishing media, including books, audio dramas, an escape room and much more!

Wyoming Doll
Franz Drappier , author/illustrator
Cinebook Ltd.
www.cinebook.com
c/o National Book Network (dist.)
www.nbnbooks.com
9781849184502, $16.95, PB, 68pp

https://www.amazon.com/Wyoming-Doll-Franz/dp/184918450X

Synopsis: Two families en route to Wyoming are ambushed by Crow warriors. The result is a massacre and and two little girls missing. Logan is a young man who served as scout to the small two family convoy who was out scouting when the ambush took place. Upon his return to the tragic scene he brings the only other survivor, old Giuseppe, back to civilization, and makes him a promise that he will find and recover the girls. Meanwhile, Salmon Leap, a young Lakota warrior turned away by the father of the woman he loves and now seeking a glorious death finds finds little blond haired Sharon, one of the two missing girls and determines to help her at any cost.

Critique: With a storyline worth of Louis L'Amour, Zane Gray or Max Brand, "Wyoming Doll" is a fitting memorial to the life and work of the late western author and graphic novelist Franz Drappier. The story stretches over a decade with riveting and unexpected plot twists and turns. Pure and compelling entertainment from cover to cover and a true treat for dedicated western fans, "Wyoming Doll" is certain to be an immediate and lastingly popular addition to personal and community library Graphic Novel collections.

Editorial Note: Franz Drappier (1948-2003) was an extremely prolific Belgian artist. Political cartoons, comics, even scriptwriting. He created or took over several prominent adventure series set in various times and locations: Jugurtha in Ancient Rome, Poupee d'Ivoire in 12th century Central Asia, Lester Cockney and the British Empire of the 19thcentury. A taste for History only equaled by his passion for horses was fertile soil for an original Western graphic novel like "Wyoming Doll"!

Distant Worlds - Episode 5
Leo, author
ICAR, illustrator
Cinebook Ltd.
www.cinebook.com
c/o National Book Network (dist.)
www.nbnbooks.com
9781849183857, $11.95, PB, 48pp

https://www.amazon.com/Distant-Worlds-Episode/dp/1849183856

Synopsis: The Stepanerks, those strange aliens who sometimes mingle with Humans, have contacted another and as yet undiscovered and more powerful alien species that has been guarding Altair for centuries. Those guardians want to forcefully evict Humans, who are doing terrible damage to the ecosystem. But Paul, unwitting 'guest' at their meeting, defended Humanity's right to a second chance. It now falls to him to convince the Human colonial authorities to change everyone's behavior -- all while having to inform his mother and sister that his father is alive and had another family.

Critique: The conclusion to Brazillian storyteller and author's five part science fiction saga that is so expertly illustrated by artist ICAR, "Distant Worlds - Episode 5" is a highly entertaining and solidly recommended addition to personal and community library graphic novel collections. It should be noted for all dedicated science fiction fans that "Distant Worlds - Episode 5" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle/comiXology, $5.99).

The Legacy of the Sorcerer
Marc Vedrines, author/illustrator
Cinebook Ltd.
www.cinebook.com
c/o National Book Network (dist.)
www.nbnbooks.com
9781849184526, $13.95, PB, 52pp

https://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Sorcerer-Islandia-Marc-Vedrines/dp/1849184526

Synopsis: Jacques is dead, burned at the stake for sorcery by terrified villagers. The truth, however, is that Jacques never existed, and was merely the reincarnation of all-powerful Icelandic sorcerer Grimu. His soul, freed at the moment of his second death, has possessed the local magistrate, and his thirst for vengeance makes him commit terrible deeds. The island's authorities are after him, though, and far worse than that: God himself has turned his eye towards the man who defies him.

Critique: A story of a man driven to sorcery and rage-driven evil, who ultimately (with the help of another sorcerer) comes to be redeemed and a force for progressive good over succeeding centuries, "Islandia: The Legacy Of The Sorcerer" is the third and concluding volume of a simply outstanding graphic novel trilogy by author and illustrator Marc Vedrines. While especially recommended for personal and community library graphic novel collections, it should be noted that "Islandia: The Legacy Of The Sorcerer" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle/comiXology, $5.99).

Editorial Note: Marc Vedrines is a comic lover who made his first bande dessinee age six! After studying art in college, he worked in advertisement and illustration (for magazine, or designing playing cards), before finally achieving his dream in 1995 when he met Jeremie Kaminka, with whom he'd go on to publish Phenomenum. Other series would follow, such as La Main de Dieu and Forces Speciales.


The Audiobook Shelf

Name of the Wind
Patrick Rothfuss, author
Nick Podehi, narrator
Brilliance Audio
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781469203812, $19.99 , CD
9781491515013, $19.99, MP3-CD

https://www.amazon.com/Name-Wind-KingKiller-Chronicles-audio-cd/dp/1491515015

Synopsis: My name is Kvothe. I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep. You may have heard of me.

So begins "The Name of the Wind", the story of a hero told in his own voice. It is a tale of sorrow, a tale of survival, a tale of one man's search for meaning in his universe, and how that search, and the indomitable will that drove it, gave birth to a legend.

Critique: An original action/adventure fantasy tale by novelist Patrick Rothfuss that is vividly narrated by Nick Podehi, "Name of the Wind" is a story of vivid complexity and a literary richness that will keep the reader's rapt attention from beginning to end. Certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to personal and community library Science Fiction & Fantasy audio book collections, it should be noted that this complete and unabridged recording is available in both a standard CD and an MP3-CD format. (28 Hours, 2 minutes).

In an Instant
Suzanne Redfearn, author
Jesse Vilinsky, narrator
Brilliance Audio
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781978682962, $24.99, CD
9781978682979, $14.99, MP3-CD

https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Suzanne-Redfearn/dp/1978682972

Synopsis: Life is over in an instant for sixteen-year-old Finn Miller when a devastating car accident tumbles her and ten others over the side of a mountain. Suspended between worlds, she watches helplessly as those she loves struggle to survive.

Impossible choices are made, decisions that leave the survivors tormented with grief and regret. Unable to let go, Finn keeps vigil as they struggle to reclaim their shattered lives. Jack, her father, who seeks vengeance against the one person he can blame other than himself; her best friend, Mo, who bravely searches for the truth as the story of their survival is rewritten; her sister Chloe, who knows Finn lingers and yearns to join her; and her mother, Ann, who saved them all but is haunted by her decisions. Finn needs to move on, but how can she with her family still in pieces?

Critique: Emotionally compelling, deftly crafted, "In An Instant" is an inherently riveting read by novelist Suzanne Redfearn that is brought vividly to life in a true 'theatre of the mind' listening experience by the narrative skills of Jesse Vilinsky -- making it a very highly recommended addition to community library audio book collections. It should be noted that a complete and unabridged edition of "In An Instant" is readily available in both a standard CD and an MP3- CD formats. (10 Hours, 45 Minutes).

Savage Wars
Jason Anspach, author
Nick Cole, author
Stephen Lang, narrator
Brilliance Audio
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781713572688, $28.99, MP3-CD

https://www.amazon.com/Savage-Wars-Galaxys-Edge/dp/1713572680

Synopsis: They were the Savages. Raiders from our distant past. Elites who left Earth to create tailor-made utopias aboard the massive lighthuggers that crawled through the darkness between the stars. But the people they left behind on a dying planet didn't perish in the dystopian nightmare the Savages had themselves created: they thrived, discovering faster-than-light technology and using it to colonize the galaxy ahead of the Savages, forming fantastic new civilizations that surpassed the wildest dreams of Old Earth. -- Until the Savages came in from the Darkness!

When a Savage hulk lands on glittering New Vega, one of the crown jewels of the post-Earth galaxy, a coalition of planetary governments amasses their forces to respond to the post-human Savage Marines who've come to sack and enslave. But what the coalition forces find is something far more sinister than the typical Savage hit-and-run: this time, the Savages have come to stay.

This is the intense beginning of The Savage Wars, an epic conflict built into the lore of Galaxy's Edge, that will encompass over a thousand years of brutal fighting. Only the greatest military force in the galaxy can bring this war to an end -- and the galaxy will never again be the same.

Critique: Ably performed by Stephen Lange, "Savage Wars" debuts the 'Galaxy's Edge' action/adventure science fiction series from the collaborative efforts of Jason Anspach and Nick Cole. In a new series that will rival the scope and diversity of Star Wars, this complete and unabridged audio book edition of "Savage Wars" is unreservedly recommended for community library audio book collections and all dedicated science fiction fans. (1 Disc, 12 Hours, 35 Minutes).


The Music CD Shelf

Who I Am
Tim Atwood
timatwood.com
Privately Published
$20.00

https://timatwood.com/product/who-i-am

Vocalist, keyboard player, composer, and devout Christian Tim Atwood presents Who I Am, an album of original compositions and unique twists on classic favorites. Emotional, passionate, and touching on topics ranging from love and loss to the joy of party days, appreciating the sunrise, and spiritual grace. Who I Am is memorable, wondrous, and highly recommended. The tracks are "Come On If You're Comin'", "Sending Me Angels", "Migraine Heartache", "Throwback Man", "She Treats Me Like A Dog", "Monkey Around", "Blue Umbrella", "Just Because She Always Has", "It Don't Matter To The Sun", "Somewhere Stoned Playin' Pinball", "Shortnin' Bread Rock", "Saved By Grace", "You First", "Put Your Hand In The Hand", and "One Pair of Hands".

Beethoven's Egmont Overture for Guitar, Actor and Symphony Orchestra
The Great Kat
greatkat.com
Privately Published
$9.98 CD / $0.99 MP3

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GTMK45N

Beethoven's Egmont Overture for Guitar, Actor and Symphony Orchestra is a single in which The Great Kat showcases her mastery of guitar and violin shredding at unbelievable speeds. The Great Kat performs music that Beethoven composed for Goethe's revolutionary play "Egmont", and narrates Egmont's final words with screams from Goethe's original text. An extreme, intense, and utterly unforgettable way to experience classical music, Beethoven's Egmont Overture for Guitar, Actor and Symphony Orchestra is shocking, provocative, enthralling, and highly recommended.


The Political Science Shelf

Empire of Resentment
Lawrence Rosenthal
The New Press
120 Wall Street, floor 31, New York, NY 10005
www.thenewpress.com
9781620975107, $27.99, HC, 272pp

https://www.amazon.com/Empire-Resentment-Populisms-Embrace-Nationalism/dp/1620975106

Synopsis: Since Donald Trump's presidential election victory and the UK's Brexit vote, much of the commentary on the populist epidemic has focused on the emergence of populism. But in "Empire of Resentment: Populism's Toxic Embrace of Nationalism" Professor Lawrence Rosenthal argues that what is happening globally is not the emergence but the transformation of right-wing populism.

Professor Rosenthal, (who is the founder of UC Berkeley's Center for Right-Wing Studies), suggests right-wing populism is a protean force whose prime mover is the resentment felt toward perceived cultural elites, and whose abiding feature is its ideological flexibility, which now takes the form of xenophobic nationalism. In 2016, American right-wing populists migrated from the free marketeering Tea Party to Donald Trump's "hard hat," anti-immigrant, America-First nationalism. This was the most important single factor in Trump's electoral victory and it has been at work across the globe. In Italy, for example, the Northern League reinvented itself in 2018 as an all-Italy party, switching its fury from southerners to immigrants, and came to power.

Professor Rosenthal also paints a vivid sociological, political, and psychological picture of the transnational quality of this movement, which is now in power in at least a dozen countries, creating a de facto Nationalist International. In America and abroad, the current mobilization of right-wing populism has given life to long marginalized threats like white supremacy. The future of democratic politics in the United States and abroad depends on whether the liberal and left parties have the political capacity to mobilize with a progressive agenda of their own.

Critique: A timely, substantial, and eloquent contribution to our national dialogue with respect to the rise of an American attempt at authoritarian rule as evidenced in the Republican support of Donald Trump's corrosive effect on the institutions and norms of American Democracy, "Empire of Resentment: Populism's Toxic Embrace of Nationalism" should have the widest possible readership -- making it an essential, high priority addition to community, college, and university library Contemporary Political Science collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, political scientists, governmental policy makers, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Empire of Resentment: Populism's Toxic Embrace of Nationalism" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.39).

Editorial Note: Dr. Lawrence Rosenthal is chair and lead researcher of the Berkeley Center for Right-Wing Studies. He has taught at the University of California, Berkeley, in the sociology and Italian studies departments and was a Fulbright Professor at the University of Naples in Italy.


The General Fiction Shelf

Whispering Hearts
V. C. Andrews
Gallery Books
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl., New York, NY 10020
www.simonandschuster.com
9781501162626, $26.99, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Whispering-Hearts-House-Secrets-Andrews/dp/1501162624

Synopsis: The English countryside is beautiful, but for Emma Corey it cannot compare with the bright lights of New York City. Tired of performing only in pubs and at church, she announces she's moving to America -- and her conservative father disowns her on the spot.

Distraught but undeterred, Emma will become a Broadway star or die trying! Leaving the comforts of her youth is a thrilling adventure. The largeness of the city, her new friends, the boundless opportunities make everything shine with promise. However, New York has a way of chipping away at a newcomer's resolve. First a robbery. Then a low-wage job. Then the realization that such a city attracts the young and the talented -- competitors all.

Just when it seems like Emma might have to admit defeat and return to the UK, she is introduced to a peculiar couple: a wife that cannot bear children of her own, and a husband who would pay Emma to solve that problem.

Emma's father once told her, "Money is life." But when Emma trades one for the other and moves into the couple's remote estate to participate in an elaborate ruse, there's no telling what kind of life she'll have once she's taken the money.

Critique: Another deftly crafted and inherently fascinating read from the pen of V. C. Andrews, "Whispering Hearts" is the third volume in the 'House of Secrets' series and will have a very special appear to gothic fiction fans. While also readily available for personal reading lists in a paperback edition (9781501162602, $16.00), in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99), and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Simon & Schuster Audio, 9781508280279, $39.99, CD), "Whispering Hearts" is unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections.

Forbidden Fruits
Joscelyn Godwin & Guido Mina Di Sospiro
Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781644111574, $19.95, PB, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Forbidden-Fruits-Occult-Joscelyn-Godwin/dp/1644111578

Synopsis: Amid the European refugee crisis, with the background of Southern Europe having become the point of arrival for hundreds of thousands of desperate migrants, Monica Bettlheim, an American archaeologist, is trying to recapture her former fame. She has a mission to uncover prehistoric cultures that conventional archaeology and history both fear and deny. Her search is sponsored by an eccentric aristocrat, the larger-than-life Maltese billionaire Sebastian Pinto.

On an underwater expedition off the coast of Malta, Monica finds a mysterious golden pomegranate that dates back to prehistoric times. Within it, she discovers ancient remnants of the Kykeon, the hallucinogenic sacrament of the Eleusinian mysteries, which offers those who drink it a direct experience of God. As the discovery leads to blackmail and murder, Monica uncovers a secret ritual right at the heart of Christianity, knowledge of which was passed on underground by Gnostics and alchemists for centuries.

Reluctantly, Monica teams up with the elusive and troubled Rafael, Pinto's son, who for some years has been deeply immersed in esoteric studies. Driven by the need to avenge a murder and uncover the activities of an international crime syndicate, they risk their lives by reviving the sacred ritual -- and are confronted by the most terrifying revelation of all.

Critique: A deftly crafted, impressively original, and simply riveting read from cover to cover, "Forbidden Fruits: An Occult Novel" is a compelling and unreservedly recommended addition to community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Forbidden Fruits: An Occult Novel" is readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).

Editorial Note #1: Educated at Cambridge and Cornell, Joscelyn Godwin, Ph.D., is the author, editor, and translator of more than 30 books, including The Greater and Lesser Worlds of Robert Fludd, and was a professor of music at Colgate University for more than 40 years until his retirement in 2016.

Editorial Note #2: Guido Mina di Sospiro was raised in Milan, Italy. An award-winning novelist and essayist, he has written several books, including The Forbidden Book, coauthored with Joscelyn Godwin. He maintains a blog on Reality Sandwich and for New English Review.

The Lady in Residence
Allison Pittman
Barbour Publishing
P.O. Box 719
1810 Barbour Drive, Uhrichsville, OH 44683
www.barbourbooks.com
www.oasisaudio.com
9781643527482, $12.99, PB, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Residence-Doors-Past/dp/1643527487

Synopsis: Young widow Hedda Krause checks into the Menger Hotel in 1915 with a trunk full of dresses, a case full of jewels, and enough cash to pay for a two-month stay, which she hopes will be long enough to meet, charm, and attach herself to a new, rich husband. Her plans are derailed when a ghostly apparition lures her into a long, dark hallway, and Hedda returns to her room to find her precious jewelry has been stolen. She falls immediately under a cloud of suspicion with her haunting tale, but true ghost enthusiasts bring her expensive pieces of jewelry in an attempt to lure the ghost to appear again.

In 2017, Dini Blackstone is a fifth-generation magician, who performs at private parties, but she also gives ghost walk tours, narrating the more tragic historical events of San Antonio with familial affection. Above all, her favorite is the tale of Hedda Krause who, in Dini's estimation, succeeded in perpetrating the world's longest con, dying old and wealthy from her ghost story. But then Dini meets Quinn Carmichael, great-great-grandson of the detective who originally investigated Hedda's case, who's come to the Alamo City with a box full of clues that might lead to Hedda's exoneration. Can Dini see another side of the story that is worthy of God's grace?

Critique, An original, deftly crafted, and inherently riveting read from cover to cover, "The Lady In Residence" showcases author Allison Pittman's impressive talents as a novelist in general and her impressive narrative driven storytelling skills in particular. Holding particular interest for Christian Mystery & Suspense Romance fans, and highly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted that "The Lady In Residence" is also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Oasis Audio, 9781640914766, $14.99, CD).


The Romantic Fiction Shelf

The Princess and the Rogue
Kate Bateman
St. Martin's Press
www.stmartins.com
9781250306098, $7.99, PB, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Princess-Rogue-Street-Bachelors-Novel/dp/1250306094

Synopsis: Bow Street agent Sebastien Wolff, Earl of Mowbray, doesn't believe in love -- until a passionate kiss with a beautiful stranger in a brothel forces him to reconsider. When the mysterious woman is linked to an intrigue involving a missing Russian princess, however, Seb realizes her air of innocence was too good to be true.

Princess Anastasia Denisova has been hiding in London as plain 'Anna Brown'. With a dangerous traitor hot on her trail, her best option is to accept Wolff's offer of protection (and accommodation) at his gambling hell. But living in such close quarters, and aiding Wolff in his Bow Street cases, fans the flames of their mutual attraction. If Anya's true identity is revealed, does their romance stand a chance? Could a princess ever marry a rogue?

Critique: Another deftly crafted and inherently compelling historical romance novel by Kate Bateman, "The Princess And The Rogue" once again showcases the author's impressive flair for the kind of narrative storytelling style that completely engages her readers from beginning to end. While certain to be an immediately popular addition to community library Historical Romance Fiction collections, it should be noted for the growing legions of Kate Bateman fans that "The Princess And The Rogue" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

The Red Ribbon
Pepper Bashman
Barbour Publishing
P.O. Box 719, 1810 Barbour Drive, Uhrichsville OH 44683
www.barbourbooks.com
9781643526492, $12.99, PB, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Red-Ribbon-True-Colors/dp/1643526499

Synopsis: In Carroll County, a corn shucking is the social event of the season, until a mischievous kiss leads to one of the biggest tragedies in Virginia history.

Ava Burcham isn't your typical Blue Ridge Mountain girl. She has a bad habit of courting trouble, and her curiosity has opened a rift in the middle of a feud between politicians and would-be outlaws, the Allen family. Ava's tenacious desire to find a story worth reporting may land her and her best friend, Jeremiah Sutphin, into more trouble than either of them planned.

The end result is known as The Hillsville Courthouse Massacre of 1912.

Critique: In her novel, "The Red Ribbon", author Pepper Bashman blends elements of romance, mystery, suspense, and Christianity into an inherently fascinating and impressively entertaining read from beginning to end. While very highly recommended, especially for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Red Ribbon" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.82).

A Galway Epiphany
Ken Bruen
The Mysterious Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
154 West 14th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10011
www.groveatlantic.com
www.dreamscapeab.com/audiobooks
9780802157034, $26.00, HC, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Galway-Epiphany-Taylor-Novel-Novels/dp/0802157033

Synopsis: Jack Taylor has finally escaped the despair of his violent life in Galway in favor of a quiet retirement in the country with his friend Keefer, a former Rolling Stones roadie, and a falcon named Maeve. But on a day trip back into the city to sort out his affairs, Jack is hit by a truck in front of Galway's Famine Memorial, left in a coma but mysteriously without a scratch on him.

When he awakens weeks later, he finds Ireland in a frenzy over the so-called "Miracle of Galway." People have become convinced that the two children spotted tending to him are saintly, and the site of the accident sacred. The Catholic Church isn't so sure, and Jack is commissioned to help find the children to verify the miracle or expose the stunt.

But Jack isn't the only one looking for these children. A fraudulent order of nuns needs them to legitimatize its sanctity and becomes involved with a dangerous arsonist. Soon, the building in which the children are living burns down, with one of the children and the nuns inside, and the doors bolted. Jack recognizes the arsonist's stamp and begins to suspect that the surviving girl is more sinister than miraculous. He sends her to live on the farm but is troubled over the manipulative control she soon seems to exert over Keefer.

Jack's plan to intervene is derailed by traumatic memories of his deceased daughter, which send him into one of his characteristic Jameson benders. He comes to days later to find a nightmarishly gruesome scene on the farm. His quest to find the girl is now personal, and the stakes could not be higher.

Critique: A deftly crafted, impressively original, and inherently compelling page turner of a read from beginning to end, "A Galway Epiphany" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Suspense/Thriller Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs and fans of the Irish crime novel that "A Galway Epiphany" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.09) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Dreamscape Media, 9781662052514, $22.99, CD).

Girl Gone Mad
Avery Bishop
Lake Union Publishing
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781542018715, $14.95, PB, 411pp

https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Gone-Mad-Avery-Bishop/dp/1542018714

Synopsis: Emily Bennett works as a therapist in Pennsylvania, helping children overcome their troubled pasts -- even as she struggles to forget her own. Once upon a time, Emily was part of a middle school clique called the Harpies -- six popular girls who bullied the new girl to her breaking point. The Harpies took a blood oath: never tell a soul what they did to Grace Farmer.

Now, fourteen years later, it seems karma has caught up to them when one member of that vicious circle commits suicide. But when a second Harpy is discovered dead shortly after, also from apparent suicide, the deaths start to look suspicious. And when Emily starts seeing a woman who looks a lot like Grace Farmer lurking in the shadows, she's forced to wonder: Is Grace back for revenge? Or is Emily's guilt driving her mad? Sticks and stones may break your bones, but the Harpies are about to find out just how much words can hurt you.

Critique: A deftly penned and impressively original suspense thriller of a read from beginning to end, "Girl Gone Mad" by novelist Avery Bishop is certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of Avery Bishop fans that "Girl Gone Mad" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $1.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Brilliance Audio, 9781799759805, $14.99, CD).

The Color of Wounds
Frank Martorana
BookBaby
c/o Vincharo Ventures, LLC
9780998932644, $13.99, PB, 266pp

https://www.amazon.com/Color-Wounds-Kent-Stephenson-Thriller/dp/0998932647

Synopsis: Kent Stephenson is a veterinarian and lifelong resident of a small Upstate New York town. Through his work with animals and their owners, he gets drawn into cases of murder, bombings, arson, and other mayhem. He and his constant companion, a hound dog named Lucinda, unravel the crime, which is never as it appears, and bring justice.

It's been years since Kent helped an old classmate expose inhumane animal testing at the research center of a prominent university. But now, after all that time, his good intentions are coming back to haunt him. Ex-members of the US military-industrial complex have Kent in their crosshairs. When threats and blackmail don't stop him, they bring on the bombs.

Critique: The third and latest addition to the Kent Stephenson series by novelist Frank Martorana, "The Color Of Wounds" once again plays out against a backdrop of veterinary medicine and as a kind of bonus provides the reader a little insight into veterinary medicine and animal welfare as it continues to showcase that author's genuine flair for originality, his mastery of the suspense/thriller genre, the development of memorable chartacters, and the kind of narrative storytelling style that keeps his reader's full attention with following along the unexpected plot twists and unforseen turns.

An inherently riveting read from beginning to end, "The Color Of Wounds" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated suspense/thriller fans (and animal rights supporters!) that "The Color Of Wounds" is also handily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).

Also very highly recommended are the two previous volumes in Frank Martorana's 'Kent Stephenson' series: "Taking On Lucinda" ( 9780998932606, $13.99 PB, $3.99 Kindle, 294pp) and "Simpatico's Gift" (9780998932620, $13.99 PB, $3.99 Kindle, 280pp).

Burying Daisy Doe
Ramona Richards
Kregel Publications
2450 Oak Industrial Drive, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
www.kregel.com
9780825446528, $15.99, PB, 264pp

https://www.amazon.com/Burying-Daisy-Doe-Star-Cavanaugh/dp/082544652X

Synopsis: It seems that every small town has one unsolved case that haunts its memory, festering for generations below the surface with the truth of humanity's darkness. In "Burying Daisy Doe" by Ramona Richard, a woman named Star Cavanaugh is obsessed with the one that tore her own family apart.

Over sixty years ago, Daisy Doe was murdered and discarded outside Pineville, Alabama, buried without a name or anyone to mourn her loss. When Star's father tried to solve the case, he was also killed. Now a cold-case detective with resources of her own, Star is determined to get to the bottom of both crimes. But she'll have to face an entire town locked in corruption, silence, and fear--and the same danger that took two other lives.

The only people in town she can trust are her grandmother and the charming Mike Luinetti, and both of them trust a God that Star isn't sure she believes in. Can Christians so focused on the good really help her track down this evil?

Critique: A deftly written novel by an author with a full mastery of the genre, "Burying Daisy Doe" will especially appeal to Cold Case mystery fans with novelist Ramona Richards' general flair for combining a sharp suspense, faith, and humor, with an authentic and accurately detailed regional flavor. While especially recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated mystery buffs that "Burying Daisy Doe" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Bone Canyon
Lee Goldberg
Thomas & Mercer
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781542042710, $24.95, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Bone-Canyon-Eve-Ronin-Goldberg/dp/1542042712

Synopsis: A catastrophic wildfire scorches the Santa Monica Mountains, exposing the charred remains of a woman who disappeared years ago. The investigation is assigned to Eve Ronin, the youngest homicide detective in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, a position that forces her to prove herself again and again. This time, though, she has much more to prove.

Bones don't lie, and these have a horrific story to tell. Eve tirelessly digs into the past, unearthing dark secrets that reveal nothing about the case is as it seems. With almost no one she can trust, her relentless pursuit of justice for the forgotten dead could put Eve's own life in peril.

Critique: A deftly crafted 'cold case' mystery, "Bone Canyon" is a simply riveting read from cover to cover and showcases author Lee Goldberg's total mastery of the genre. Original, entertaining, and especially recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Bone Canyon" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781542042772, $15.95), in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99), and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Brilliance Audio, 9781799764496, $24.99, MP3-CD).

A Stranger at the Door
Jason Pinter
Thomas & Mercer
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781542005944, $15.95, PB, 362pp

https://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Door-Rachel-Marin-Thriller/dp/1542005949

Synopsis: Rachel Marin is in a good place. After years of struggle, the single mother has found both a stable, loving relationship and a new purpose: putting her investigative skills to work solving crimes for the local PD. But just as the pieces of her life are finally starting to fall into place, her teenaged son's teacher is gruesomely murdered, starting a domino effect that shatters her peaceful existence.

When Rachel discovers an ominous email the teacher sent to her just before his death, she knows she must help bring his killer to justice. But soon a figure from her past reappears, threatening to expose Rachel's darkest secrets if she doesn't tread lightly. And when her son is recruited by a shadowy businessman who may be connected to the murder, Rachel knows this has just gotten very, very personal.

Someone out there is dead set on keeping this grisly cover-up good and buried, which means if Rachel's not careful, it's only a matter of time before her dream life becomes her worst nightmare.

Critique: A psychological thriller of a suspense novel, "A Stranger At The Door" by Jason Pinter is a simply riveting read from cover to cover and will prove to be an extraordinary and popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "A Stranger At The Door" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99) as well as a complete and unabridged audio book (Brilliance Audio, 9781713506249, $14.99, MP3-CD).

Footsteps in the Night / Beat Back the Tide
Dolores Hitchens
Stark House Press
1315 H Street, Eureka, CA 95501
www.starkhousepress.com
9781944520939, $19.95, PB, 284pp

https://www.amazon.com/Footsteps-Night-Beat-Back-Tide/dp/1944520937

Synopsis: Stark House Press has brought back into print two classic mystery/suspense short stories by Dolores Hitchens (December 25, 1907 - August 1, 1973) who was an American mystery novelist that wrote prolifically from 1938 until her death. She also wrote as D. B. Olsen (a version of her first married name) and under the pseudonyms Dolan Birkley and Noel Burke.

FOOTSTEPS IN THE NIGHT: The Southern California land had been in Dronk's family for years, but he sold most of it to developers, and that's how Dellwood came to be. Once a few new houses went up, they flocked to buy... Miss Silverter, the repressed spinster with a hidden passion. The brash, young Arthur family, including their stubborn old grandfather. The Holdens, a curious couple who feed off each other's weaknesses. And the tightly-wound Bartletts, with their beautiful young daughter, who immediately befriends Dronk's crippled teenage son. When she disappears one evening, the Bartletts naturally assume that the son is involved. But Dellwood is so full of secrets that the son is only one of Sheriff Ferguson's suspects. They're all guilty of something...

BEAT BACK THE TIDE: Glazer hires Francesca Warne as governess to his young son without realizing that she has a history with his cliff house. Her husband Adam had been shot to death on the beach below, back before Glazer bought it. Now she is asking Glazer to help her find out what really happened two years ago. So Glazer begins questioning the people involved: lovely, sensuous Mary Shelton, who married one of the men who used to own his house; the sadistic cop, Byronson, who still thinks Francesca was involved; pugnacious Conway, the other former owner, who knows more than he is telling; and Tremaine, Adam's only friend. Glazer quickly learns that Adam Warne was a self-hating drunk who had been despised by most of the town -- but who hated him enough to have killed him?

Critique: Another couple of 'time lost' suspense gems by an author who was a master of the genre, "Footsteps In The Night / Beat Back The Tide" is especially and unreservedly recommended reading for all dedicated mystery buffs. While certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Footsteps In The Night / Beat Back The Tide" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Curse of Honor
David Annandale
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
9781839080173, $16.95, PB, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Curse-Honor-Legend-Rings-Novel/dp/1839080175

Synopsis: Striking Dawn Castle defends the mountains between the Rokugan empire and the demon-haunted Shadowlands. When a mythical city is discovered in the forbidding peaks, Hida Haru, heir and sore disappointment to his family, seizes the opportunity to prove himself. His rash expedition ends in disaster -- just one samurai returns alive, and Haru is lost. Before a power struggle can break out, Striking Dawn's battle-hardened commander, Ochiba, is dispatched to rescue Haru. She succeeds against supernatural horrors, but Haru has changed. Now, mysterious deaths and ill fortune plague his family. Something evil is loose and must be stopped, at any cost.

Critique: Debuting author David Annadale's new fantasy action/adventure series 'Legend of the Five Rings', "Curse of Honor" is a deftly crafted and inherently riveting read from first page to last. Clearly showcasing Annadale's genuine flair for originality and the kind of narrative storytelling style that is as entertaining as it is compelling, "Curse of Honor" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists of all dedicated historical fantasy fans that "Curse of Honor" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).

The Head of Mimir
Richard Lee Byers
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
9781839080548, $16.95, PB, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/Head-Mimir-Marvel-Legends-Asgard/dp/183908054X

Synopsis: It is a dark time for Asgard. The All-Father is trapped in a bewitched Odin sleep, inspiring an all-out assault from the Frost Giants. They evade the gods' defenses with uncommon ease, as if guided by augury. Heimdall, a quick-witted young warrior still finding his place amongst Asgard's defenders, believes it no coincidence that Odin lies enchanted and that the Giants are so well-informed. Sneaking into Odin's inner chambers, he discovers that the severed head of Mimir (a great source of wisdom) is missing. Accompanied by his sister, Lady Sif, Heimdall must quest across the Nine Realms to retrieve it, lest mighty Asgard fall.

Critique: An absolute 'must' for the legions of Marvel Universe fans, "The Head of Mimir" debuts 'Legends of Asgard', a new action/adventure fantasy series by Richard Lee Byers -- who is the author of over thirty-five fantasy and horror novels, including a dozen set in the Forgotten Realms universe. With many an unexpected plot twist and turn, "The Head of Mimir" is a wonderfully entertaining, impressively entertaining, and highly recommended addition to community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Head of Mimir" is available from Aconyte Books in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).

The Autobiography of Kathryn Janeway
Una McCormack, editor
Titan Books
https://titanbooks.com
9781789094794, $24.99, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/Autobiography-Kathryn-Janeway-Una-Mccormack/dp/1789094798

Synopsis: In "The Autobiography of Kathryn Janeway", Captain Janeway of the U.S.S. Voyager reveals her career in Starfleet, ranging from her first command to her epic journey through the Delta Quadrant, to her rise to the top as vice-admiral in Starfleet Command. Her fans will discover the story of the woman who travelled further than any human ever had before, stranded decades from home, encountering new worlds and species.

Her memoir explores how Captain Janeway brought together Starfleet and the Maquis as part of her crew, forged new alliances with species across the galaxy and overcame one of Starfleet's greatest threats (the Borg) on their own remote and hostile territory. Fans will get Captain Janeway's personal take on key characters such as Seven of Nine, her trusted friend Tuvok, new arrivals like Neelix and her second-in-command, Chakotay.

Critique: "The Autobiography of Kathryn Janeway" by Una McCormack is a superbly written and novel contribution to the every growing Star Trek universe and will be an immediately and enduringly welcome addition to community library Science Fiction collections. An absolutely 'must read' for the legions of dedicated Star Trek fans, is should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Autobiography of Kathryn Janeway" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781789095333, $15.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Una McCormack is the author several Star Trek novels including: The Lotus Flower (part of The Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Hollow Men, The Never-Ending Sacrifice, Brinkmanship, The Missing, The Fall: The Crimson Shadow, and Enigma Tales, as well as the Doctor Who novels The King's Dragon, The Way Through the Woods, and Royal Blood.


The Psychology Shelf

Embodied Healing
Jenn Turner, editor
North Atlantic Books
2526 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA 94704-2607
www.northatlanticbooks.com
9781623175344, $22.95, PB, 368pp

https://www.amazon.com/Embodied-Healing-Survivor-Facilitator-Trauma-Sensitive/dp/1623175348

Synopsis: Knowledgeably compiled and deftly edited by Jenn Turner, "Embodied Healing: Survivor and Facilitator Voices from the Practice of Trauma-Sensitive Yoga" is a collection of erudite and informative essays which collectively explores the applications of TCTSY (Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga) as a powerful evidence-based modality to help clients heal in the aftermath of trauma. Written by a range of contributors including yoga facilitators, survivors, and therapists, the first-hand accounts in "Healing with Trauma-Sensitive Yoga" examine real-life situations and provide guidance on how to act, react, and respond to trauma on the mat. Each individual essay centers the voices, wisdom, and experiences of survivors and practitioners who work directly with trauma-sensitive embodiment therapies.

From navigating issues of touch and consent to avoiding triggers, practitioners and readers will learn how to support survivors of trauma as they reintegrate their bodies and reclaim their lives. Organized into sections based on principles of trauma-sensitive yoga (experiencing the present moment, making choices, taking effective action, and creating rhythms) the essays will prove invaluable for yoga teachers, therapists, survivors, and mental health professionals and trauma healers.

Critique: Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Embodied Healing: Survivor and Facilitator Voices from the Practice of Trauma-Sensitive Yoga" is a seminal body of work that is especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library Neuropsychology, Psychopathology, and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder collections and supplemental curriculum reading lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students, academia, and practitioners that "Embodied Healing" is also readily available in a digital book format (eTextbook, $16.99).

Editorial Note: Jennifer Turner has been working in the field of trauma and yoga for over 15 years. She is a co-founder of the Center for Trauma and Embodiment at Justice Resource Institute (JRI) where she currently serves as Director of Training. In her role, she leads a global network of leaders in the field of embodiment and trauma. She leads trainings to other mental healthcare providers and embodiment practitioners throughout the US. Turner also has a private psychotherapy practice in Boston where she works to support survivors of trauma to reclaim and reintegrate their lives and bodies in the aftermath of trauma.


The Gaming Shelf

Barbara's Bridge Tips
Barbara Seagram
Master Point Press
www.masterpointpress.com
9781771400619, $19.95, PB, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/Barbaras-Bridge-Tips-Barbara-Seagram/dp/1771400617

Synopsis: Residing in Toronto, Canada, Barbara Seagram travels around the world teaching bridge. She is the author or co-author of dozens of well-known books, the most popular being 25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know (written with Marc Smith).

Whether you have been playing bridge for a while or you re not very experienced, "Barbara's Bridge Tips" will help dedicated players to move their game up to the next level. The tips cover all aspects of bridge including bidding, play and defense. Advice and examples are drawn from material Barbara Seagram has developed for her students over the last twenty years -- it's the next best thing to having a personal bridge coach sitting beside you as you improve your game!

Critique: Drawing upon her years of experience and expertise, Barbara Seagram's thoroughly 'user friendly' instructional guide, "Barbara's Bridge Tips" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Bridge gaming collections.


The Biography Shelf

Polly Bemis
Priscilla Wegars
Caxton Press
312 Main Street, Caldwell, ID 83605-3299
www.caxtonpress.com
9780870046407, $29.95, PB, 530pp

https://www.amazon.com/Polly-Bemis-Chinese-American-Pioneer/dp/0870046403

Synopsis: Polly Bemis (September 11, 1853 - November 6, 1933), the mistakenly named Lalu Nathoy of books and film, was forcibly brought to the United States, and to Idaho Territory, in 1872 when she was just eighteen. In 1894 she married a Euroamerican man, Charlie Bemis, and they moved to a mining claim on the remote Salmon River; Charlie died in 1922 and Polly died in 1933. Since her death, Polly Bemis' life has been greatly romanticized. Supposedly, she was a prostitute, Hong King was her Chinese owner, and Charlie Bemis won her in a poker game. Not one of these statements is true. Polly's life was genuinely fascinating, and it is time to both celebrate the known facts about her and allow the stereotypical, undocumented legends to die out.

Imagine a child with feet permanently deformed by a cultural fetish, raised in destitution; a teenager discarded by her parents, sold to a slaver, pressed into a trans-ocean voyage to a country and language entirely foreign, enduring a horseback journey for hundreds of miles through a wilderness to an isolated mining camp, consigned a new name, never to see or communicate with friends or family again, yet somehow still composing a vigorous life that endeared her to all.

"Polly Bemis: The Life and Times of a Chinese American Pioneer" is her true story as definitively and meticulously captured by astute historian Dr. Priscilla Wegars. More than that, it is the story of an era on a river where people sustained each other with shared work and food, words and kind considerations.

Critique: Enhanced for the reader and for academia with the inclusion of black/white illustrations, an appendix, 118 pages of endnotes, a 20 page listing of cited references, and a 26 page Index, "Polly Bemis: The Life and Times of a Chinese American Pioneer" is an impressively informative and meticulously researched biography that is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community, college, and university library American Biography collections and Women's Studies supplemental curriculum reading lists.

Editorial Note: Priscilla Wegars is an Affiliate Assistant Professor and Volunteer Curator, Asian American Comparative Collection for the University of Idaho. Her professional areas of academic interest include historical Archaeology of Asian-Americans in the West, specifically Chinese-American and Japanese-American sites, artifacts and history; Chinese women, specifically Polly Bemis; 19th and 20th Century American material culture.

Harry Dean Stanton: Hollywood's Zen Rebel
Joseph B. Atkins
The University Press of Kentucky
663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40508-4008
www.kentuckypress.com
9780813180106, $34.95, HC, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Harry-Dean-Stanton-Hollywoods-Classics/dp/0813180104

Synopsis: The late Harry Dean Stanton (1926 - 2017) got his start in Hollywood in TV productions such as Zane Grey Theater and Gunsmoke. After a series of minor parts in forgettable westerns, he gradually began to get film roles that showcased his laid-back acting style, appearing in Cool Hand Luke (1967), Kelly's Heroes (1970), The Godfather: Part II (1974), and Alien (1979). He became a headliner in the eighties starring in Wim Wenders's moving Paris, Texas (1984) and Alex Cox's Repo Man (1984), but it was his extraordinary skill as a character actor that established him as a revered cult figure and kept him in demand throughout his career.

In "Harry Dean Stanton: Hollywood's Zen Rebel", author and biographer Joseph B. Atkins unwinds Stanton's enigmatic persona in the first biography of the man Vanity Fair memorialized as "the philosopher poet of character acting".

"Harry Dean Stanton: Hollywood's Zen Rebel" sheds light on Stanton's early life in West Irvine, Kentucky, explores his difficult relationship with his Baptist parents, his service in the Navy, and the events that inspired him to drop out of college and pursue acting. Also chronicled are Stanton's early years in California, describing how he honed his craft at the renowned Pasadena Playhouse before breaking into television and movies.

In addition to examining the actor's acclaimed body of work, "Harry Dean Stanton: Hollywood's Zen Rebel" also explores Harry Dean Stanton as a Hollywood legend, following his years rooming with Jack Nicholson, partying with David Crosby and Mama Cass, jogging with Bob Dylan, and playing poker with John Huston. "HD Stanton" was scratched onto the wall of a jail cell in Easy Rider (1969) and painted on an exterior concrete wall in Drive, He Said (1971). Critic Roger Ebert so admired the actor that he suggested the "Stanton-Walsh Rule," which states that "no movie featuring either Harry Dean Stanton or M. Emmet Walsh in a supporting role can be altogether bad."

Critique: An impressive work of meticulous, definitive, and seminal research, "Harry Dean Stanton: Hollywood's Zen Rebel" is deftly written, extraordinarily informative, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library American Biography and American Film History collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of the legions of Harry Dan Stanton fans that this simply outstanding biography is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $26.49).

Widowish: A Memoir
Melissa Gould
Little A
https://widowish.com
9781542018784, $24.95, HC, 220pp

https://www.amazon.com/Widowish-Memoir-Melissa-Gould/dp/1542018781

Synopsis: When Melissa Gould's husband, Joel, was unexpectedly hospitalized, she could not imagine how her life was about to change. Overwhelmed with uncertainty as Joel's condition tragically worsened, she offered him the only thing she could: her love and devotion. Her dedication didn't end with his death.

Left to resume life without her beloved husband and raise their young daughter on her own, Melissa soon realized that her and Joel's love lived on. Melissa found she didn't fit the typical mold of widowhood or meet the expectations of mourning. She didn't look like a widow or act like a widow, but she felt like one. Melissa was widowish.

Melissa's personal journey through grief and beyond includes unlikely inspiration from an evangelical preacher, the calming presence of some Real Housewives, and the unexpected attention of a charming musician.

A modern take on loss, "Widowish: A Memoir" illuminates the twists of fate that break our world, the determination that keeps us moving forward, and the surprises in life we never see coming.

Critique: An impressively eloquent, deftly written, exceptionally candid personal story of love and loss and adaptation, "Widowish: A Memoir" and a truly memorable read from cover to cover. While especially recommended for community library Contemporary American Biography collections, and unreservedly commended to the attention of anyone who has suffered the loss of a loved one in this age of pandemic, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Widowish: A Memoir" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781542018760, $14.95), in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99), and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Brilliance Audio, 9781713542643, $24.99, MP3-CD).

Editorial Note: Melissa Gould's essays have appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, and more. She's an award-winning screenwriter whose credits include Bill Nye, the Science Guy; Party of Five; Beverly Hills, 90210; and Lizzie McGuire. Interested readers can find out more about Melissa at her website: https://widowish.com


The Martial Arts Shelf

Tai Chi Push Hands: The Martial Foundation of Tai Chi Chuan
David W. Grantham, author
Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming, author
YMAA Publications
PO Box 480, Wolfeboro, NH 03894-0480
www.ymaa.com
9781594396458, $29.95, PB, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Tai-Chi-Push-Hands-Foundation/dp/1594396450

Synopsis: Tai chi is an internal Chinese martial art practiced for defense training, health benefits, and meditation.

Tai chi push hands practice is a necessary next step for tai chi practitioners who wish to make their art come alive. Push hands practice requires two people to engage in a variety of "light touch" moving and walking routines. By practicing these movements, practitioners begin to develop tai chi's sensing, listening, and yielding skills. Combined, these skills are the first step for developing your tai chi as a martial art.

The Dao De Jing classic reminds us that knowing others (an opponent) is important for knowing ourselves. By develop tai chi push hand skills, one begins to obtain a profound sense of feeling of your own body and mind. This ability aids greatly in regulating and controlling body, balance, health, perseverance, compassion, and overall spirit.

It is no mistake that tai chi offers a lifetime of continued learning and progress; the goal is a deep understanding of yourself and your role in nature.

Critique: With profusely illustrated instructions throughout, "Tai Chi Push Hands: The Martial Foundation of Tai Chi Chuan" is an ideal DIY instruction manual and guide for novice Tai Chi enthusiasts and experienced practitioners alike. While very highly recommended, especially for martial arts studio, community, college and university library Martial Arts instructional reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Tai Chi Push Hands: The Martial Foundation of Tai Chi Chuan" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.59).


The Cookbook Shelf

The Tahini Table
Amy Zitelman
Agate Surrey
c/o Agate Publishing
1328 Greenleaf Street, Evanston, IL 60202
www.agatepublishing.com
9781572842892, $29.00, HC, 248pp

https://www.amazon.com/Tahini-Table-Beyond-Hummus-Recipes/dp/157284289X

Synopsis: Tahini is a condiment made from toasted ground hulled sesame. It is served by itself (as a dip) or as a major ingredient in hummus, baba ghanoush, and halva. Tahini is used in the cuisines of the Levant and Eastern Mediterranean, the South Caucasus, as well as parts of North Africa. Sesame paste (though not called tahini) is also used in some East Asian cuisines.

Most people who know about tahini understand the sesame paste as simply one of the building blocks of hummus. But for Amy Zitelman (CEO and cofounder of woman-owned Soom Foods -- the leading purveyor of tahini and tahini products in the American market) the culinary potential of tahini goes far beyond hummus. In her cookbook compendium "The Tahini Table: Go Beyond Hummus with 100 Recipes for Every Meal", tahini is introduced to home cooks as a new pantry staple that can be used in recipes from dips to desserts.

Tahini, made from pressed roasted sesame seeds, is a healthy, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, and low-sugar superfood rich in Omega fatty acids, protein, and calcium. Although tahini's historical roots are in the Middle East, Zitelman aims to stretch the culinary borders of tahini outside of traditional Middle-Eastern fare. "The Tahini Table" beautifully showcases 100 recipes that showcase tahini's wide range of uses. This "cult condiment" is mild enough to step in as an inspiring replacement for the eggs, cheese, mayo, and cream called for in recipes that American home cooks are making for their families every day. "The Tahini Table" also provides tahini hacks for reimagined American classics, including vegan "queso," eggless mayonnaise, and gluten-free brownies.

From Vegan Mac and "Cheese" and Tahini Chicken Schnitzel, to Chocolate Halvah French Toast and Tahini Flan, Zitelman writes with the home cook in mind, incorporating tahini into everyday cooking in delicious and unexpected ways. With beautiful color photos, contributions from top restaurant chefs, and easy substitutions for a variety of diets, "The Tahini Table" proves that tahini is the next must-have pantry staple for home cooks everywhere.

Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout, "The Tahini Table: Go Beyond Hummus with 100 Recipes for Every Meal" is a very special and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library Middle Eastern Cuisine cookbook collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Tahini Table: Go Beyond Hummus with 100 Recipes for Every Meal" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.70).


The Automotive Shelf

Don "The Snake" Prudhomme: My Life Beyond the 1320
Don Rudhomme & Elana Scherr
CarTech Inc.
838 Lake Street South, Forest Lake, MN 55025
www.cartechbooks.com
9781613255186, $42.95, HC, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/Don-Snake-Prudhomme-Life-Beyond/dp/1613255187

Synopsis: "Don "The Snake" Prudhomme: My Life Beyond the 1320" reveals for the first time ever an incredible life and career on and off of the drag strip.

This profusely illustrated memoir is the next best thing to spending a year with Don "The Snake" Prudhomme, having coffee together and talking about his life, his racing, his friends, and his family. There is the story of how he rose from being a high school drop-out who was painting cars to a respected Top Fuel dragster driver and successful businessman. There's the story of how he toured the country with Tommy Ivo and "The Hawaiian" Roland Leong, racing all the legends from "Big Daddy" Don Garlits to "The Golden Greek" [Chris] Karamesines.

Then there's how he met Tom McEwen and recall how they became the Snake and the Mongoose, leading to a career in Funny Cars that netted him four championships in a row. The thrill of first wins and owning his own teams but also the struggles of bad seasons, crashes and fires, broken parts, and broken contracts. There are also fascinating stories about the people in his life, such as engine-builder Keith Black and NHRA president Wally Parks, and those who were killed in the wild and unpredictable sport of nitro racing.

"Don "The Snake" Prudhomme: My Life Beyond the 1320" isn't only about racing, but includes the sharing of lessons learned about business and life from such varied sources as a neighbor in Granada Hills to Ford GT40 driver Dan Gurney. Plus observations about the importance of family: how his wife, Lynn, and daughter, Donna, changed his world and how finding out about his African-American roots opened his eyes to a culture and inheritance he'd always wanted.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, profusely illustrated throughout, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Don "The Snake" Prudhomme: My Life Beyond the 1320" is a 'must' for the legions of Prudhomme fans and certain to be a welcome addition to community library automotive racing history and memoir collections.

Porsche 911
Lance Cole
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526756800, $28.95, PB, 64pp

https://www.amazon.com/Porsche-911-CarCraft-Lance-Cole/dp/1526756803

Synopsis: The aim of the Pen & Sword Books innovative CarCraft series is to provide model makers and car enthusiasts with a new standard of primarily visual reference of both full-size cars and their scale models. The newest addition to this outstanding series, "Porsche 911" by Lance Cole contains detailed technical information imparted through drawings and photographs while the meticulously researched full-color profiles provides a complete reference for paint schemes and markings. Also featured is a summary of its design history and operational career.

Recognized as one of the most important sports cars in the history of the automobile, Porsche's 911 represents a vital story in the annals of the design and driving of the motor car. Profuselly and beautifully illustrated in full color throughout, "Proche 911" delivers an innovative format to the car enthusiast by covering the engineering, design, and modeling of Porsche's 911 series.

A true icon, 911 is the designer legend - and a driving tool par excellence: the 911 stemmed from the Porsche 356 yet created a new era and a new international definition of style amid a global motor sport record of success across race and rally events

Here in CarCraft title Number Two, experienced automotive writer, industrial designer and Porsche enthusiast Lance Cole pays tribute to the car in a detailed yet engaging commentary. New photography, the design story, and full coverage of the modeling options in synthetic materials and die cast metals, create a narrative of vital interest.

Critique: An inherently fascinating and impressively informative tour-de-force with respect to the legendary car, "Porch 911" by Lance Cole is a truly extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library Automotive Studies collections in general, and the personal reading lists of all dedicated Porch 911 fans in particular.

Editorial Note: Lance Cole has been an automotive and aviation writer for over 25 years and is internationally published and syndicated. A former Sir William Lyons Scholar, and national press columnist, Lance is the author of over a dozen books and is also a trained designer, photographer and illustrator.


The Computer Shelf

Learn to Program with App Inventor
Lyra Blizzard Logan
No Starch Press
245 - 8th Street, San Francisco, CO 94103-3910
www.nostarch.com
9781593279684, $24.95, PB, 200pp

https://www.amazon.com/Learn-Program-Inventor-Lyra-Logan/dp/159327968X

Synopsis: You've swiped and tapped your way through countless apps, but have you ever created one? Now you can, thanks to Learn to Program with App Inventor. The promise of Lyra Blizzard Logan is that with her instructional guide "Learn To Program With App Inventor" that in less than an hour, you'll be able to build and run your first app!

"App Inventor" is a free software for making Android apps. All you need is a PC with an Internet connection to build your app, and a mobile phone for testing. You'll use a simple drag-and-drop interface, which minimizes errors and avoids too much typing.

As a certified App Inventor Master Trainer, in "Learn To Program With App Inventor" Logan breaks down each project into logical steps, lists the components you'll need, and then shows you how to create screen designs, control program flow with conditionals and loops, and store data in variables and lists. Once you've tested the app on your phone, you can test what you learned with challenges at the end of each chapter.

With "Learn To Program With App Inventor" you will be able to build cool apps like: Hi, World!: Use your voice to send a text message; Practice Makes Perfect: Rehearse a speech or dance routine with this video recording app; Fruit Loot: Catch randomly failing fruit in this exciting game; Beat the Bus: Track a friend's journey using location services and maps; Virtual Shades: Take a selfie, then try on some virtual sunglasses.

With "Learn To Program With App Inventor" even the most novice of computer users will be able to join the 6 million people who have tried App Inventor, and make the journey from app user to app inventor.

Critique: The perfect DIY instruction manual and guide for creating apps, "Learn To Program With App Inventory" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, highschool, college, and university library Computer Science & Technology collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Learn To Program With App Inventory" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note: Lyra Blizzard Logan is a certified Perl, JavaScript and Database Design Specialist and Web Development Professional, who develops web applications using PHP and MySQL. She is an MIT Master Trainer in Educational Mobile Computing (App Inventor) and holds graduate certificates in Instructional Technology: Web Design and in Online Teaching and Learning. She earned her BA from Fisk University and JD from Harvard. Currently, Logan is Executive Vice President & General Counsel of the Florida Education Fund (FEF), a non-profit that creates and implements educational programs for underrepresented groups. In addition, Logan directs FEF's pre-college programs, which include after-school and summer coding camps for middle and high school students in Florida.

Data Structures and Program Design Using Python
D. Malhotra & N. Malhotra
Mercury Learning
c/o Stylus Publishing, Inc.
22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166-2012
www.styluspub.com
9781683926399, $79.95, PB, 376pp

https://www.amazon.com/Structures-Program-Design-Using-Python/dp/1683926390

Synopsis: Data structures provide a means to managing huge amounts of information such as large databases, using SEO effectively, and creating Internet/Web indexing services. "Data Structures and Program Design Using Python: A Self-Teaching Introduction" is specifically designed to present fundamentals of data structures for beginners using the Python programming language in a friendly, self-teaching, format. Practical analogies using real world applications are integrated throughout the text to explain technical concepts.

"Data Structures and Program Design Using Python: A Self-Teaching Introduction" also includes a variety of end-of-chapter practice exercises, e.g., programming, theoretical, and multiple-choice. It's features include: Covering data structure fundamentals using Python; Numerous tips, analogies, and practical applications enhance understanding of subjects under discussion; "Frequently Asked Questions" integrated throughout the text clarify and explain concepts; A variety of end-of-chapter exercises, e.g., programming, theoretical, and multiple choice.

Critique: Recommended as a classroom textbook or as a DIY instructional guide and manual, "Data Structures and Program Design Using Python: A Self-Teaching Introduction" is exceptionally well written, organized and presented. While highly recommended for community, college, and university library Computer Programming instructional guides and manuals, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of Python users that "Data Structures and Program Design Using Python: A Self-Teaching Introduction" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $59.95).

Editorial Note: D. Malhotra, PhD is a professor in information technology and has published numerous research articles with international publishers such as ACM, Springer, Elsevier, and IEEE. N. Malhotra, PhD is a professor of computer applications including data structures, big data analytics, business intelligence, and distributed programming. She has research publications with numerous international publishers such as Emerald, Taylor and Francis, and Springer.


The Photography Shelf

Richard S. Buswell: Fifty Years of Photography
Richard S. Buswell
University of New Mexico Press
MSC05 3185, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM 87131-0001
www.unmpress.com
9780826361790, $29.95, HC, 112pp

https://www.amazon.com/Richard-S-Buswell-Fifty-Photography/dp/082636179X

Synopsis: Richard S. Buswell has been photographing Montana's ghost towns and homesteads for five decades. The photographs comprising "Richard S. Buswell: Fifty Years of Photography" fully illustrate the range and variety of his work from his earliest days to his most recent projects.

Beautifully crafted, sometimes unnerving, and always thought-provoking, Buswell's photographs showcase his love for Montana and the American West. From panoramic sweeps of abandoned buildings to tightly framed depictions of natural and man-made objects, "Richard S. Buswell: Fifty Years of Photography" celebrates wide-open skies and a landscape that moves forward in time even when places and objects are forgotten. This stunning collection features seventy-two duotone photographs, a reflective essay by Buswell, and a foreword by Barbara Koostra (who is the former director of the Montana Museum of Art and Culture).

Critique: A striking, thought-provoking, and photography-as-art volume is an entertaining and memorable collection that will prove to be of immense interest to all dedicated photographers, especially those working in a black-and-white medium. A visual tour-de-force, "Richard S. Buswell: Fifty Years of Photography" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Contemporary American Photography collections.

Editorial Note: Richard S. Buswell's photographs are in more than two hundred museum collections and have been published in five previous books, including What They Left Behind: Photographs and Close to Home: Photographs (both from UNM Press). His complete oeuvre is housed within Yale University's Collection of Western Americana.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Weekend Makes: Punch Needle
Sara Moore
GMC Publications
c/o The GMC Group
www.gmcbooks.com
9781784945893, $22.95, PB, 144pp

https://www.amazon.com/Weekend-Makes-Needle-Sarah-Moore/dp/1784945897

Synopsis: Punch Needle is one of the hottest trends in needlecraft right now. It's fun and its fast! With 25 quick and easy punch needle designs, "Weekend Makes: Punch Needle" by experienced needlecrafter Sara Moore is great way to learn the craft or challenge yourself with a new design idea. "Weekend Makes: Punch Needle" introduces you to the basics of the craft, including the materials you need, marking your fabric, and the basic stitches and techniques. There are also tips for successful stitching, guiding you through the process of making some stunning projects in very little time.

Critique: Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "Weekend Makes: Punch Needle" is an ideal and practical introduction to Punch Needle work and will prove to be an immediately appreciated and enduringly valued addition to personal, professional, and community library illustrated needlecraft instructional reference collections.

Editorial Note: Sara Moore is a modern punch needle artist, teacher, and the owner of Whole Punching, a needle punching on-line shop. Based in Bristol, United Kingdom, Sara has been teaching the craft since 2018 throughout the South West. Sara is passionate about encouraging others to engage in the craft through teaching in person and with her online presence. Aspiring and practicing needlecrafters can access more of her work and instructive commentary at https://www.wholepunching.co.uk/blogs/news, or follow her on Instagram @wholepunching.

Punch Needle Embroidery for Beginners
Luch Davidson
Search Press Ltd.
www.searchpressusa.com
9781782218647, $17.95, PB, 80pp

https://www.amazon.com/Punch-Needle-Embroidery-Beginners-Davidson/dp/1782218645

Synopsis: Punch needle embroidery is a simple technique that involves nothing more than a punch needle - like a normal sewing needle, but with a handle and an aperture at the tip. It can be used on any fabric using either yarn or thread, and creates a textured, raised finish that's soft to the touch and beautiful to look at.

The easy-to-learn technique and repetitive action makes punch needlework the perfect, mindful pursuit, and projects from wall hangings and cushions to children's toys, bags and purses can be worked up quickly and easily with minimal effort.

In "Punch Needle Embroidery for Beginners", expert and experienced needlcrafter Lucy Davidson's imaginative designs are stunning, and will appeal to anyone with an eye for clean, modern design. All the techniques you need are described at the start of this instructive 'how to' manual and guide, with information on how to hold the needle, how to start and finish a thread and how to achieve a variety of interesting textures and colour combinations. There are then 12 projects to try, all accompanied by charts, written instructions and beautiful photographs of the finished pieces.

Critique: Profusely and beautifully illustrated throughout, the easy step-by-step instructions comprising "Punch Needle Embroidery for Beginners" will enable even the most novice of needlecrafters to swiftly can expertise in the use of the punch needle for even the most sophisticated of embroidery projects -- making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library needle crafting collections.

Editorial Note: Lucy Davidson is a freelance graphic designer who teaches punch needle, weaving and macrame in workshops across the UK and in Europe. She also runs her own craft and lifestyle blog, Peas & Needles, which has led to her writing tutorials for numerous craft and interiors magazines - from Mollie Makes and 91 Magazine to Elle Decoration and KOEL. Lucy was featured on Kirstie's Handmade Christmas 2018, teaching Kirstie how to create natural dyes, and in 2018 published 40 Knots and How to Tie Them (Pavilion).

Love to Sew
Various Authors
Search Press Ltd.
www.searchpressusa.com
9781782217923, $16.95, PB, 208pp

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Sew-stunning-accessories-make/dp/1782217924

Synopsis: Packed from cover to cover with 60 gorgeous projects from the Search Press Love to Sew series, this specifically designed instructional guide and manual by expert needle crafters will give the aspiring needle crafter all the inspiration they will need to get creative in creating wonderful items for home, friends, and family.

Aspiring needle crafters can choose from a roster of practical items such as coasters, a wall tidy, a door stop and a tablet case, to beautiful, decorative pillows, cosy, warm quilts and practical, stylish bags.

Each individual project is clearly explained step by step, with supporting photographs and illustrations. "Love to Sew" also contains all the templates needed, along with a handy techniques section at the start to make sure you have all the information you need to get going.

Editorial Note: The talented designers who comprise this specific Search Press Studio project, "Love to Sew" are: Saskia Abel, Debbie von Grabler-Crozier, Cecelia Hanselann, Alistair Macdonald, Christa Rolf, Rachael Rowe, Debbie Shore, and Claudia Schmidt. These author designers have selected a best of series of projects for this wonderfully practical and creative compilation.

Lace Reimagined
Elizabeth Healey
www.elizabethsquarters.blogspot.co.uk
Search Press Ltd.
www.searchpressusa.com
9781782217428, $19.95, PB, 128pp

https://www.amazon.com/Lace-Reimagined-Inspiring-Projects-Creatively/dp/1782217428

Synopsis: Typically associated with frilly hankies and flouncy collars that are time-consuming to make and invariably white, the 30 projects comprising "Lace Reimagined: 30 Inspiring Projects for Making and Using Lace Creatively" by Elizabeth Healey span the color spectrum and range from those that can be made in an afternoon to those that are more involved.

This original and exciting guide to lace making is a visual feast of inspiring step-by-step projects and galleries; it includes in-depth features and fascinating asides relating to the history of lace; it will encourage you to experiment, inspire you with handy tips, and provide sources for further inspiration.

Projects include using needle lace, needle weaving and drawn-thread work on fabric, paper, and in conjunction with found items. Some projects feature techniques such as using self-hardening clay and papier mache; some feature ready-made lace, either entirely, or as something that can be added to.

Critique: Beautifully, profusely, and effectively illustrated throughout, "Lace Reimagined: 30 Inspiring Projects for Making and Using Lace Creatively" is an extraordinary and thoroughly 'user friendly' instructional guide for novice beginners and holds great and enduring value for even the more experienced lace maker and needle crafter. While very highly recommended for personal, professional, and community needlecraft collections, it should be noted for personal reading and reference lists that "Lace Reimagined: 30 Inspiring Projects for Making and Using Lace Creatively" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.95).

Editorial Note: Elizabeth Healey originally trained as a graphic designer at the London College of Printing, after which she worked in various design groups. She is particularly interested in utility stitching and tries to use recycled textiles wherever possible, in a way that looks fresh, modern and urban rather than old and fusty. Elizabeth has contributed articles to the following magazines: Knitting, Making, Crafty, Felt Matters and Pretty Patches. Her first book, Stitch, Fabric & Thread, was published in 2016. Needle crafters can see examples of her work on her blog: www.elizabethsquarters.blogspot.co.uk


The Beer/Wine/Spirits Shelf

Wisconsin Cocktails
Jeanette Hurt
University of Wisconsin Press
728 State Street, Suite 443, Madison, WI 53706-1418
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299328801, $29.95, HC, 257pp

https://www.amazon.com/Wisconsin-Cocktails-Jeanette-Hurt/dp/0299328805

Synopsis: Although Wisconsin is best known for its cheese and beer, The cocktail has always had a stronghold in America's Dairyland. "Wisconsin Cocktails" by Jeanette Hur is a profusely illustrated volume that is comprised of cocktail recipes and the true stories behind the state's obsession with brandy, ice cream drinks, and a smorgasbord of garnishes.

Beyond delving into mythic origins of several classic creations, "Wisconsin Cocktails" introduces a new generation of cocktails that offer a spin on standard concoctions as it explores the state's unique farm-to-table ethos influenced by an abundance of locally sourced ingredients.

Also included are a wealth of interviews with notable mixologists, sharing numerous favorite recipes for specialty pick-me-ups that connoisseurs and home bartenders alike will be clamoring to try. A definitive account of the beverages we love, "Wisconsin Cocktails" insists we order our Old Fashioneds the right way -- with brandy!

Critique: A cocktail connoisseur's pure delight from cover to cover, "Wisconsin Cocktails" is exceptional 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, making it an ideal and enduringly popular addition to personal, professional bar tender, community, college, and university library Food & Beverage collections.

Editorial Note: An award-winning food and beverage writer, Jeanette Hurt is the drinking culture columnist for Forbes and the cheese and spirits contributor for Milwaukee Public Radio's Lake Effect. Her books include Drink Like a Woman, The Joy of Cider: All You Ever Wanted to Know about Drinking and Making Hard Cider, and The Cheeses of Wisconsin: A Culinary Travel Guide.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

The Astrology Fix
Theresa Cheung
www.theresacheung.com
White Lion Publishing
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
100 Cummings Center, Suite 265D, Beverly, MA 01915
www.quartoknows.com
9780711255258, $19.99, HC, 176pp

https://www.amazon.com/Astrology-Fix-Modern-Guide-Cosmic/dp/0711255253

Synopsis: "The Astrology Fix: A Modern Guide to Cosmic Self Care" by Theresa Cheung is specifically for those who feel themselves stressed and overwhelmed, who are lost and seeking direction, who are yearning safety, connection and joy in their lives.

The underlying message of "The Astrology Fix" is that the universe is here to help us. By decoding the heavens and our soul, we can begin a transformative journey to self-discovery, growth and fulfilment. That modern astrology is a form of spiritual psychology -- one that can help us become the person we were born to be.

Part illuminating life-coach, part contemporary cosmic guide, "The Astrology Fix" helps to reconnect with our innermost self. Tune into our astrological personality in terms of who we are and our general approach to life. Then try over the 50 astrological fixes comprising this nicely illustrated instructional manual to transform our emotional, physical and spiritual life.

Two indexes (one general and one organized by specific needs) enables the reader to quickly address any question or issue that confronts them.

Critique: Especially 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Astrology Fix: A Modern Guide to Cosmic Self Care" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library Metaphysical Studies collections in general, and Astrology instructional references in particular. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Astrology Fix" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Theresa Cheung is an acknowledged expert in divine healing, dreams, rituals, and astrology and has published widely on these subjects. Her metaphysical titles have been translated into more than 30 different languages. Her books include Touched By An Angel. She has over 120k Facebook fans and strong media connections. Cheung has featured in the Daily Mail and the Express, and on ITV. She maintains a website at www.theresacheung.com.

Without Reservation
Randy Kritkausky
Bear & Company
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781591433842, $20.00, PB, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Without-Reservation-Awakening-Spirituality-Ancestors/dp/1591433843

Synopsis: We are but a few generations removed from millennia spent living in intimate contact with the natural world and in close commune with ancestral spirits. Who we are and who we think we are is rooted in historical connections with those who came before us and in our relationships with the land and the sentient natural world. When we wander too far from our roots, our ancestors and kin in the natural world call us home, sometimes with gentle whispers and sometimes in loud voices sounding alarms.

"Without Reservation: Awakening to Native American Spirituality and the Ways of Our Ancestors" is a powerful story of spiritual awakening in which Randy Kritkausky shares his journey into the realm of ancestral Native American connections and intimate encounters with Mother Earth and shows how anyone can spiritually reconnect with their ancestors and Nature.

Like 70 percent of those who identify as Native American, Kritkausky grew up off the reservation. As he explains, for such "off reservation" indigenous people rediscovering ancestral practices amounts to a reawakening and offers significant insights about living in a society that is struggling to mend a heavily damaged planet.

Kritkausky reveals how the awakening process was triggered by his own self-questioning and the resumption of ties with his Potawatomi ancestors. He details his encounters with ancestral spirits and animal teachers, such as Coy-Wolf. He shares moments of direct connection with the natural world, moments when the consciousness of other living beings, flora and fauna, became accessible and open to communication.

Through his profound storytelling, Kritkausky shows how ancestral connections and intimate communications with Nature are not unique or restricted to those with indigenous cultural roots. Offering a bridge between cultures, a path that can be followed by Native and non-Native alike, the author shows that spiritual awakening can happen anywhere, for anyone, and can open the gateway to deeper understanding.

Critique: Impressively well written, organized and presented, "Without Reservation: Awakening to Native American Spirituality and the Ways of Our Ancestors" is an especially informative and ultimately inspiring personal account that has universal ramifications for his readers. While recommended as a core addition to personal, community, college, and university library Metaphysical Studies collections in general, and Native American Spirituality supplemental curriculum reading lists in particular, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that 'Without Reservation: Awakening to Native American Spirituality and the Ways of Our Ancestors" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).

Editorial Note; Currently residing in Vermont, Randy Kritkausky is an enrolled tribal member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. He is a founder of ECOLOGIA, an international environmental organization that works on the planet's more extreme challenges, and formerly professor at Keystone College, research scholar at Middlebury College, and Erasmus Mundus Scholar at the Central European University in Budapest and Lund University in Sweden.

Secrets of the Druids
Teresa Cross
Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781644111284, $19.99, PB, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Druids-Indo-European-Origins-Practices/dp/1644111284

Synopsis: Druids and their magic, lore, and rituals have fascinated all those who encounter them, from the ancient Greeks and Romans onward. Even today, the mere mention of their name evokes pictures of standing stones, mistletoe, golden sickles, white-robed priests, and powerful sorcerers. But were they really as we picture them in contemporary popular culture?

Drawing on comparative mythology and linguistics, archaeological evidence, and etymology, Teresa Cross offers readers a comprehensive course in the history and development of the Celtic spiritual tradition and its lore, reconstructing the Druidic faith from the remnants that have survived and dedicated study of scholarly sources. She also reveals parallels with other Indo-European traditions, such as the similarities between Celtic and Vedic Hindu beliefs and practices. She chronicles the ethics and spiritual teachings of Druidism and the Celtic faith and examines what happened to these beliefs during centuries of Christianization.

Moving from history to practice, Cross details magical rites and ceremonies as practiced by modern-day followers of Druidactos. She explores the structure of the Touta, which roughly corresponds to "tribe," methods for consecrating a nemeton, the outdoor temple that offers the optimum sacred space for the meeting of heaven and earth, and the rites and customs associated with important festivals such as Beltaine and Samhain. She also explores the rules of firecraft, the sacred art of giving to the cosmos, making offerings to deities and spirits, sacred food and beverages, and the ancient Coligny calendar, including the names of the months in old Gaulish.

Offering an authentic handbook for starting your own Celtic group led by Druids, Cross reveals the meanings and metaphysics behind the Celtic and Druidic customs and traditions, reuniting the fragmentary remains of long-lost Druid culture with the still-living practices of the Celtic faith.

Critique: Now in a fully updated and expanded second edition, "Secrets of the Druids: From Indo-European Origins to Modern Practices" is a truly exceptional and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Metaphysical Studies collections in general, and Druidic Studies & History supplemental curriculum reading lists in particular. It should be noted for students, academics, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Secrets of the Druids: From Indo-European Origins to Modern Practices" is also readily available in a digital book format (eTextbook, $13.99).

Editorial Note: Teresa Cross has been a Celtic scholar since 1982 and was a member of numerous Celtic cultural organizations, including the Scottish Society of Dallas, Southwest Celtic Music Association, Clan MacKenzie Society, and the Irish P.E.C. She is also the author of The Truth about the Druids and a frequent contributor to The Independent Celt.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Probably Someday Cancer
Kim Horner
University of North Texas Press
1155 Union Circle #311336, Denton, TX 76203-5017
www.untpress.unt.edu
9781574417517, $22.95, HC, 208pp

https://www.amazon.com/Probably-Someday-Mayborn-Literary-Nonfiction/dp/1574417517

Synopsis: After learning that she inherited a BRCA2 genetic mutation that put her at high risk for breast and ovarian cancer, Kim Horner's doctors urged her to consider having a double mastectomy. But how do you decide whether to have a surgery to remove your breasts to reduce your risk for a disease you don't have and may never get?

Horner shares her struggle to answer that question in her medical memoir "Probably Someday Cancer". The mother of a one-year-old boy, she wanted to do whatever would give her the best odds of being around for her son and protect her from breast cancer, which killed her grandmother and great-grandmother in their 40s. Which would give her the best chance at a long healthy life: a double mastectomy or frequent screenings to try to catch any cancer early? The answers weren't that simple.

Based on extensive research, interviews, and personal experience, Horner writes about how and why she ultimately opted for a double mastectomy (the same decision actress Angelina Jolie made for a similar genetic mutation) and the surprising diagnosis that followed. "Probably Someday Cancer" explores difficult truths that get overshadowed by upbeat messages about early detection and survivorship -- the fact that screenings can miss cancers and that even early-stage breast cancers can spread and become fatal.

"Probably Someday Cancer" is also about Horner's efforts to push past her fear and anxiety. This candid medical memoir can help anyone facing hereditary risk of breast and ovarian cancer feel less alone and make informed decisions to protect their health and end the devastation that hereditary cancer has caused for generations in so many families.

Critique: Kim Horner worked as a journalist for 21 years at newspapers including The Dallas Morning News. She received a Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism and awards from the Texas Medical Association and Public Health Association for her coverage of the increased use of genetic testing for breast cancer risk.

Exceptionally well written, emotionally candid, impressively informative, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Probably Someday Cancer" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university library Women's Health & Medicine collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Probably Someday Cancer" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).

What Dumbass Doctors Tell You: A Patient's Perspective
Theresa Errante-Parrino
Atlantic Publishing
1405 SW 6th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471-0640
www.atlantic-pub.com
9781620238189, $19.95, PB, 114pp

https://www.amazon.com/What-Dumbass-Doctors-Tell-You/dp/1620238187

Synopsis: From a young age we are taught to seek guidance from those who are more knowledgeable than ourselves. Doctors, surgeons, and nurses have all been educated in their specific fields, but this doesn't always make them experts.

Over the past five years, Theresa Errante-Parrino has dealt with cancer. In "What Dumbass Doctors Tell You: A Patient's Perspective" she records her breast cancer story, sharing behind-the-scenes details of her personal experiences. From dealing with difficult doctors to adjusting to a new lifestyle and new routines, Theresa gives insight into what having cancer is really like.

Having learned from her own trials, Theresa hopes to encourage others to take control of their medical situations as their own advocate, speaking out when they believe something isn't going to help them. With formal medical training as a certified medical assistant, pharmacy technician, paramedic, and X-ray technician, Theresa has the knowledge to recognize when medical conclusions are not truthful or correct. Educate yourself and raise your voice, because no one knows your body like you do.

Critique: Specifically written for the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the subject, "What Dumbass Doctors Tell You: A Patient's Perspective" also has a great deal of relevance, value and interest for any and all medical professionals who deal one-on-one with patients. Exceptionally well organized and presented, "What Dumbass Doctors Tell You: A Patient's Perspective" is unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library Health/Medicine collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "What Dumbass Doctors Tell You: A Patient's Perspective" is also available from Atlantic Publishing in an eBook format (9781620238395, $19.95).

The Green Elephant
Matthew Fogel, FNP, author
Elizabeth Fogel, FNP, author
Jean-Paul Dedam, MD, author
Hatherleigh Press
c/o The Hatherleigh Foundation
62545 State Highway 10, Hobart, NY 13788
www.hatherleighpress.com
9781578268733, $15.95, PB, 208pp

https://www.amazon.com/Green-Elephant-Healthcare-Understanding-Prescribing/dp/1578268737

Synopsis: Delving into the history, biology, chemistry, and pharmacological effects of cannabis and CBD-based therapy, "The Green Elephant: The Healthcare Provider's Essential Guide to Understanding and Addressing Medical Cannabis and CBD" also explores in detail and in depth the equally important areas of ethics in practice, cannabis' legal history, and current regulatory status -- all to enable healthcare professionals to better serve their patients.

"The Green Elephant" also provides healthcare professionals with much-needed information on dosing instructions, potential drug interactions, long term and short term treatment plans, and so much more. Cannabis therapy has the exciting potential to help millions of patients better manage their symptoms and enjoy a higher quality of life. The time has come for all healthcare professionals to discuss this green "elephant in the room."

Critique: Backed by extensive research and medical expertise, "The Green Elephant: The Healthcare Provider's Essential Guide to Understanding and Addressing Medical Cannabis and CBD" is a comprehensive guidebook that is especially appropriate for healthcare professionals and non-specialist general readers looking to educate themselves on cannabis therapy to better provide guidance for patients and their families.

Especially well written and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Green Elephant: The Healthcare Provider's Essential Guide to Understanding and Addressing Medical Cannabis and CBD" is unreservedly recommended for community, health/medical center, college, and university library Health/Medicine collections in general, and Cannabis Medicine supplemental studies lists in particular. It should be noted for personal and professional reading lists that "The Green Elephant: The Healthcare Provider's Essential Guide to Understanding and Addressing Medical Cannabis and CBD" is also readily available in a digital book format (eTextbook, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Matthew Fogel is a Family Nurse Practitioner and a part of the Society of Cannabis Clinicians. He graduated with an associate's degree in nursing from Pima Medical Institute in New Mexico, and graduated from Simmons University in Boston with a Master's degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner. He spent his nursing career on a Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) specializing as an open-heart surgery recovery nurse. As a fierce medical cannabis advocate, he wrote a petition for adding patients who suffer from neurodegenerative diseases to the accepted list for medical cannabis conditions that was approved by the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Advisory Board.

Elizabeth Fogel is a Family Nurse Practitioner and patient advocate. She graduated from Central New Mexico Community College with her associate's degree in nursing and graduated with her Master's degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Simmons University in Boston. Elizabeth has spent most of her nursing career at the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH), a level one trauma center. She has worked at UNMH as a mother/baby and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) nurse, as well as a charge nurse in their rheumatology and pulmonary clinics. Elizabeth's focus is on patient autonomy and the importance of using all available medical research in the advancement of patient care.

Jean-Paul Dedam is the in-patient medical physician at the Lovelace Heart Hospital of New Mexico in Albuquerque. He graduated with a B.A. in Biochemistry at Dartmouth and an M.D. through their medical school. He practiced Family Medicine in Lawrence, MA, then worked four years in Indian Health Services as the primary care physician. Jean-Paul is also a board certified Medical Acupuncturist.


The Travel Shelf

Arizona's Scenic Roads and Hikes
Roger Naylor
University of New Mexico Press
MSC05 3185, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM 87131-0001
www.unmpress.com
9780826359278, $21.95, PB, 184pp

https://www.amazon.com/Arizonas-Scenic-Roads-Hikes-Unforgettable/dp/0826359272

Synopsis: In the pages of "Arizona's Scenic Roads and Hikes: Unforgettable Journeys in the Grand Canyon State", author and travel writer Roger Naylor directs his readers and Arizona visitors toward the very best that state has to offer from sun-kissed deserts to the summits of snow-capped mountains, from the cosmic abyss of the Grand Canyon to the red rocks of Sedona and the soaring monoliths of Monument Valley, visiting ancient Native American villages, chase Old West legends, and get their kicks on Route 66!

"Arizona's Scenic Roads and Hikes" is a captivating new guide that features all twenty-seven of Arizona's state-designated scenic and historic roads, including five National Scenic Byways. The stunning drives are arranged by region and include starting and ending points, mileage, photos, full descriptions, and suggestions on locally owned places to eat and sleep. Each road trip is paired with attractions and activities including nearby hiking trails. Create a lifetime of memories while exploring the details of Arizona's endlessly diverse and amazing scenery.

Critique: An exceptional well written, organized and thoroughly 'user friendly' travel guide to the scenic highways and byways of Arizona, travel expert Roger Naylor's "Arizona's Scenic Roads and Hikes: Unforgettable Journeys in the Grand Canyon State" is unreservedly recommended for community library American State Travel Guide collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of armchair travelers and on-site state visitors that "Arizona's Scenic Roads and Hikes: Unforgettable Journeys in the Grand Canyon State" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).

Editorial Note: Roger Naylor is an award-winning travel writer, an avid hiker, and a road-trip junkie. He is a member of the Arizona Tourism Hall of Fame and the author of several Arizona guides, including "Arizona State Parks: A Guide to Amazing Places in the Grand Canyon State" (UNM Press).


The Poetry Shelf

Funeral Diva
Pamela Sneed
City Lights Publishers
261 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94133
www.citylights.com
9780872868113, $16.95, PB, 160pp

https://www.amazon.com/Funeral-Diva-Pamela-Sneed/dp/0872868117

Synopsis: "Funeral Diva" is a compilation of personal essays and poetry by poet and performer Pamela Sneed detailing her coming of age as a member of the gay community in New York City during the late 1980s. "Funeral Diva" captures the impact of AIDS on Black Queer life, and highlights the enduring bonds between the living, the dying, and the dead. Sneed's poems not only converse with lovers past and present, but also with her literary forebears (like James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Audre Lorde) whose aesthetic and thematic investments she renews for a contemporary American landscape.

Offering critical focus on matters from police brutality to LGBTQ+ rights, "Funeral Diva" confronts today's most pressing issues with acerbic wit and audacity. The collection closes with Sneed's reflections on the two pandemics of her time, AIDS and COVID-19, and the disproportionate impact of each on African American communities.

Critique: An absorbing and inherently engaging read from first page to last, "Funeral Diva" is one of those collections of thoughtful introspection and observation that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf. Also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99), "Funeral Diva" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library LBGTQ collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.


The Self-Help Shelf

The Journey
Cathy Trinh
Balboa Press
c/o Hay House, Inc.
PO Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
www.balboapress.com
9781982246860, $28.95, HC, 212pp

https://www.amazon.com/Journey-Mastering-Slowing-Beautiful-Existence/dp/1982246863

Synopsis: "The Journey: Mastering the Art of Slowing Down Into a Beautiful Existence" by Cathy Trinh is the real life story of a Vietnamese-born mother, cancer survivor and advocate for mental health who has recovered from drug use, alcohol abuse, emotional dependency and self-abandonment. In "The Journey", Cathy explores the hardships faced finding her place in the world as a child of refugees and the challenges faced growing up in a blue-collar immigrant household in the heart of gang-infested territory in Southern California.

She also explores in depth her struggles with addiction, lost loves and deep-seated pain. She personifies strength in her own power, finding that grace, mercy and healing can only come from true self-love. Cathy uses her painful past to tell stories of how anyone can overcome trauma to create a brighter future for themselves - one of hope, inner peace and prosperity.

As a self-proclaimed, "Multi-potentialite," Cathy is insatiably curious, not just about human potential and entrepreneurship, but spirituality, fitness and philanthropy. She continues to be invested in efforts that better the human condition, individually and collectively.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Journey: Mastering the Art of Slowing Down Into a Beautiful Existence" is an inherently absorbing, memorable, and ultimately celebrator read that is unreservedly recommended for community library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Journey" is also readily available in a paperback edition, (9781982246846, $18.00) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $0.99).


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


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