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Library Bookwatch

Volume 16, Number 8 August 2021 Home | LBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Education Shelf Parenting Shelf
Social Issues Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf Biography Shelf
Science Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf Cookbook Shelf
American History Shelf World History Shelf Civil War Shelf
General Fiction Shelf Literary Fiction Shelf Romantic Fiction Shelf
Western Fiction Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Art Shelf Language Studies Shelf Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
Library CD Shelf Jobs/Careers Shelf LGBT Studies Shelf
Genealogy Shelf Economic Studies Shelf Poetry Shelf
Criminology Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice


The Art and Humor of John Trever: Fifty Years of Political Cartooning
John Trever
University of New Mexico Press
unmpress.com
9780826362391, $24.95 Paperback

https://www.amazon.com/Art-Humor-John-Trever-Cartooning/dp/0826362397

Synopsis: As the Albuquerque Journal's editorial cartoonist for nearly fifty years, John Trever provides insights into New Mexico's unique cartooning environment and the techniques and humor involved in the craft as he also shares his experiences covering local and national events and issues of the twenty-first century. The Art and Humor of John Trever: Fifty Years of Political Cartooning features the best, funniest, and most significant cartoons of Trever's career--showcasing his unique style, method, and voice--that captivated readers in New Mexico as well as readers throughout the United States through syndication. In addition, Trever provides anecdotes of how these drawings came to be and what kind of reactions they provoked, offers his thoughts about the state of editorial cartooning, and gives a frank account of what it takes to achieve, and sustain, a long career as a political mirror and as the political conscience of the Southwest.

Critique: The Art and Humor of John Trever of the Albuquerque Journal showcases the black-and-white editorial cartoons of John Trever, which have been run in the Albuquerque Journal since 1976. Each cartoon is adjacent to a paragraph of text explaining relevant political or social issues connected to the message of Trever's work. Witty, insightful, thought-provoking, and brilliantly capturing the foibles of modern political history, The Art and Humor of John Trever: Fifty Years of Political Cartooning is highly recommended for both personal and public library collections.

Editorial Note: John Trever has been the Albuquerque Journal's editorial cartoonist since 1976. His cartoons have been syndicated to more than 350 daily and college newspapers and reprinted in major news and business publications and textbooks. Honored by the Society of Professional Journalists, the Free Press Association, the New Mexico Legislature, and the Albuquerque Arts Alliance, Trever continues creating a weekly cartoon for the Journal's Sunday edition.

Race Talk in a Mexican Cantina
Tatcho Mindiola
Michigan State University Press
msupress.org
9781611863994, $34.95
B093Y524MK, $19.22

https://www.amazon.com/Mexican-Cantina-Latinos-United-States/dp/1611863996

Synopsis: People avoid speaking about race in the presence of another racial group for fear of saying something wrong and creating friction. This was not the situation at JB's, a small Mexican cantina located in one of Houston's oldest Mexican barrios. Mexicans made up most of the regular patrons, but a small number of whites also visited the bar on a regular basis. This situation created the circumstances for race talk in which the Mexican patrons needled and criticized the white patrons because of their whiteness. The white patrons likewise criticized the Mexican patrons, but their remarks were not as strident in comparison to those they received.

When Tatcho Mindiola visited the bar and heard the race talk, he realized that it was a unique situation. He thus became a regular patron, and over a three-year period kept notes on the racial exchanges he observed and heard, which form the basis of this insightful volume.

Critique: Race Talk in a Mexican Cantina is an ethnographic study drawn from conversations gathered from a neighborhood bar in Houston, Texas primarily patronized by Mexican-American and white men. Chapters examine both camaraderie and hostility in race-related talk among both groups, noting that the Mexican-Americans tended to be more aggressive and strident than the whites. A final chapter also notes race-related talk regarding the bar's few African- American customers. Although Race Talk in a Mexican Cantina is very much a microcosm case study, its insights are a welcome contribution to ethnic and race-related social studies in America. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Race Talk in a Mexican Cantina is also available in a Kindle edition ($19.22).

Editorial Note: Tatcho Mindiola is professor emeritus of sociology and the former director of the Center for Mexican American Studies at the University of Houston. He is coauthor of Black-Brown Relations and Stereotypes.


The Education Shelf

Culturally Responsive Teaching in Gifted Education
C. Matthew Fugate, author
Wendy A. Behrens, author
Cecelia Boswell, author
Prufrock Press
www.prufrock.com
c/o Taylor & Francis Group
https://taylorandfrancis.com
9781646320899, $39.95, PB, 300pp

https://www.amazon.com/Culturally-Responsive-Teaching-Gifted-Education/dp/1646320891

Synopsis: "Culturally Responsive Teaching in Gifted Education: Building Cultural Competence and Serving Diverse Student Populations" is a professional learning tool specifically designed and intended for practitioners who are working to create more culturally responsive school and classroom environments.

"Culturally Responsive Teaching in Gifted Education": Focuses on gifted and talented students from special populations, including those who are culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse; Is presented as a collection of essays written by educational advocates; Aims to increase the cultural competence of teachers and school leaders; Is organized in three sections (Culturally Responsive Practices; Race, Ethnicity, and Culture; and Gender, Sex, and Sense of Self); Provides readers with personal insights into the implicit biases that exist within the educational system and gifted programs.

Each individual chapter comprising "Culturally Responsive Teaching in Gifted Education" deftly illustrates the lived experiences of students from special populations and includes reflection questions for continued conversations and planning. Of special note is the provision of an 'Educator Inventory' that tasks educators with reflecting on their own personal implicit biases and classroom practices related to the diverse populations of gifted and talented students in our schools.

Critique: Essential reading and study for education policy makers, administrators, and classroom instructors, "Culturally Responsive Teaching in Gifted Education: Building Cultural Competence and Serving Diverse Student Populations" must be considered a core and essential addition to personal, professional, school district, college, and university library Gifted Student Education, Contemporary Educational Philosophy, and Academic Development instructional reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.


The Parenting Shelf

A Parent's Guide to Virtual Learning
Felicia Durden EdD
Ulysses Press
ulyssespress.com
9781646041848, $16.95 paperback
B08LDX7HGD, $10.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Parents-Guide-Virtual-Learning-Classroom/dp/1646041844

Synopsis: Every parent wants to help their child succeed, but it can be difficult when online platforms and teaching methods seem to be constantly changing. Now, A Parent's Guide to Virtual Learning takes the mystery out of digital education and gives you the tools that you can immediately implement at home, no matter your district, school, or distance learning model.

Written by a fellow parent and experienced educator, Dr. Felicia Durden breaks down how virtual learning works and simple strategies for reinforcing classroom instruction, all with the busy parent in mind. In this book, parents will learn how to:
Create an inspiring at-home workspace
Make the most out of virtual platforms
Understand core topics like math and reading
Set up remote learning pods with other kids
Support various online, hybrid, and distance learning models
Avoid burnout (for students and parents!)

Adapting to a virtual environment will be challenging and the role that parents play is crucial in student success. This book will be a tool that you will go to again and again to stay prepared and energized each day to help your child reach their learning goals.

Critique: A Parent's Guide to Virtual Learning: How to Help Your Child Thrive in an Online Classroom is an absolute "must-have" for parents of school-age children in the modern era besieged by the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote learning is very likely here to stay for a wide variety of other situations as well, including but not limited to online job training. A Parent's Guide to Virtual Learning discusses how to prepare an environment conducive to virtual learning, why routines matter and how to set up an effective routine, how to communicate with teachers and deal with technical difficulties, strategies for helping one's child specifically with math, reading, and writing, how to keep a positive attitude, and much more. A Parent's Guide to Virtual Learning is worthy of the highest recommendation for both personal and public library collections! It should be noted for personal reading lists that A Parent's Guide to Virtual Learning is also available in a Kindle edition ($10.99).

Editorial Note: Dr. Felicia Durden is an accomplished educator with over 20 years of experience. She has taught grades K - 12 in her role as a reading specialist, served as an assistant director of reading and writing, and is a successful school principal of a K - 6 school in Phoenix, Arizona. A Parent's Guide to Virtual Learning is Dr. Felicia's fourth book in education. She has a strong desire to provide families with tools to help their children succeed in school. She believes that as their child's first teacher it is important that they are given tools and tips that will help them on their journey. Dr. Felicia enjoys traveling with her family and reading.

Tiny But Mighty Baby
Erin Zinkhan, MD
Robert Reed Publishers
https://rdrpublishers.com
www.tinybutmightybaby.com
9781944297978, $14.95 Paperback
B093LWLV9C, $7.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Tiny-But-Mighty-Baby-Intrauterine/dp/1944297979

Synopsis: Every year in the United States alone, more than 200,000 babies are born smaller than they should be. Their parents are left adrift amid multiple tests and complex medical interventions for their tiny baby. Written by a board-certified Neonatologist for parents of growth-restricted babies, "Tiny But Mighty Baby: A Parents' Guide to Navigating Your Child's Diagnosis of Intrauterine Growth Restriction" ushers parents through the complex medical terminology, technology, and loss of normalcy associated with a diagnosis of growth restriction.

"Tiny But Mighty Baby" guides parents through how growth restriction is diagnosed and what to expect from their growth-restricted baby after delivery and throughout life. Intimate stories of parents' experiences of growth restriction complement each medically focused chapter and include stories of miscarriage, infant loss, and childhood development. "Tiny But Mighty Baby" encompasses the latest research about growth restriction to empower parents along their journey to help their child live the healthiest life possible.

Critique: "Growth Restriction" is a term to describe an infant with a smaller body than expected. This can be caused by a wide variety of problems, and while growth-restricted children can and often do lead full, happy lives, they are often at higher risk for a number of problematic medical conditions. Written by a medical doctor with years of experience caring for growth-restricted, premature, and sick infants, Tiny But Mighty Baby: A Parents' Guide to Navigating Your Child's Diagnosis of Intrauterine Growth Restriction presents the complexities of this medical issue in plain terms that prospective parents can readily understand. The true anecdotes of parents and children intersperse this candidly honest "must-read" for any parents confronting a troubling diagnosis of growth restriction for their baby. Tiny But Mighty Baby is highly recommended especially for public library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Tiny But Mighty Baby is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.99).

Editorial Note: Erin Zinkhan, MD, is a doctor who cares for growth-restricted, premature, and sick babies in the newborn intensive-care unit. She dedicated her research to unveiling the reasons why growth-restricted babies are more likely to have health problems throughout life. Dr. Zinkhan published multiple research articles and presented her research at international conferences to further the medical community's understanding of growth restriction. Now, she also focuses her time on educating the general public about growth restriction.


The Social Issues Shelf

All Societies Die: How to Keep Hope Alive
Samuel Cohn
www.SamuelCohn.net
Cornell University Press
https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu
9781501755903, $26.95 Hardcover
B09542FP4Q, $9.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/All-Societies-Die-Keep-Alive/dp/1501755900

Synopsis: In All Societies Die, Samuel Cohn asks us to prepare for the inevitable. Our society is going to die. What are you going to do about it? But he also wants us to know that there's still reason for hope.

In an immersive and mesmerizing discussion Cohn considers what makes societies (throughout history) collapse. All Societies Die points us to the historical examples of the Byzantine empire, the collapse of Somalia, the rise of Middle Eastern terrorism, the rise of drug cartels in Latin America and the French Revolution to explain how societal decline has common features and themes. Cohn takes us on an easily digestible journey through history. While he unveils the past, his message to us about the present is searing.

Through his assessment of past and current societies, Cohn offers us a new way of looking at societal growth and decline. With a broad panorama of bloody stories, unexpected historical riches, crime waves, corruption, and disasters, he shows us that although our society will, inevitably, die at some point, there's still a lot we can do to make it better and live a little longer.

His quirky and inventive approach to an "end-of-the-world" scenario should be a warning. We're not there yet. Cohn concludes with a strategy of preserving and rebuilding so that we don't have to give a eulogy anytime soon.

Critique: Sociologist Samuel Cohn presents All Societies Die: How to Keep Hope Alive, a scholarly examination of societal decay from the collapse of the Byzantine empire to the proliferation of drug cartels and criminal gangs in Latin America. What can be done to counter the looming threat of societal death, and the mass misery that societal collapse brings? All Societies Die is not entirely grim; its final chapters examine how lasting, meaningful societal reform can improve people's lives. All Societies Die is judiciously researched and expertly written, and its philosophical insights could potentially make the difference between utopia and dystopia in both the present and the future. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library Social Issues collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that * is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Editorial Note: Samuel Cohn is Professor of Sociology at Texas A & M University. He is the Founder and First President of the American Sociological Association Section on Development He is author of The Process of Occupational Sex-typing and Employment and Development under Globalization.

More Than Our Pain
Edited by Beth Hinderliter and Steve Peraza
State University of New York Press
http://www.sunypress.edu
9781438483115, $95.00 Hardcover
B08FBGKZZR, $32.95 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/More-Than-Our-Pain-American/dp/1438483112

Synopsis: Covering rage and grief, as well as joy and fatigue, examines how Black Lives Matter activists, and the artists inspired by them, have mobilized for social justice.

Confronted by a crisis in black American leadership, state-sanctioned violence against black communities, and colorblind laws that trap black Americans in a racial caste system, Black Lives Matter activists and the artists inspired by them have devised new forms of political and cultural resistance. More Than Our Pain explores how affect and emotion can drive collective political and cultural action in the face of a new nadir in race relations in the United States. This foregrounding of affect and emotion marks a clear break from civil rights - era activists, who were often trained to counter false narratives about protesters as thugs and criminals by presenting themselves as impeccably groomed and disciplined young black Americans.

In contrast, the Black Lives Matter movement in the early twenty-first century makes no qualms about rejecting the politics of respectability. Affect and emotion has moved from the margin to the center of this new human rights movement, and by examining righteous rage, black joy, as well as grief and fatigue among other emotions, the contributors celebrate the vitality of black life while documenting those who have harmed it. They also criticize the ways in which journalism has commercialized and sold black affect during coverage of the Black Lives Matter movement and point to strategies and modes-of-being needed to overcome the fatigue surrounding conversations of race and racism in the United States.

Critique: More Than Our Pain: Affect and Emotion in the Era of Black Lives Matter is an anthology of essays by a variety of authors about the Black Lives Matter movement and the call for racial justice in twenty-first century, particularly focusing on how emotional states have become a key aspect of the movement. Individual writings include "The New Nadir: Decline and Despair in U.S. Race Relations", "The Uses of Anger: Wanda Coleman's Poetry of Black Rage and #blacklivesmatter", "Black Joy in the Time of Ferguson", and much more. Writings also cross-examine systemic violence perpetuated against black people throughout American history, from slavery to lynching to modern-day crimes. More Than Our Pain is a thought-provoking compilation, highly recommended especially for college library social issues collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that More Than Our Pain is also available in a Kindle edition ($32.95).

Editorial Note: Beth Hinderliter is Assistant Professor of Art History and Director of the Duke Hall Gallery of Fine Art at James Madison University. Her books include Antagonizing White Feminism: Intersectionality's Critique of Women's Studies and the Academy (coedited with Noelle Chaddock). Steve Peraza is Assistant Professor of History and Social Studies Education at Buffalo State College, State University of New York.

Recast Your City
Ilana Preuss
Island Press
www.islandpress.org
9781642831924 $30.00 pbk / $28.50 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Recast-Your-City-Small-Scale-Manufacturing/dp/1642831921

Synopsis: Too many U.S. cities and towns have been focused on a model of economic development that relies on recruiting one big company (such as Amazon), a single industry (usually in technology), or pursuing other narrow or short-term fixes that are inequitable and unsustainable. Some cities and towns were changing, even before the historic retail collapse brought on by COVID-19. They started to shift to a new economic model that works with the community to invest in place in an inclusive and thoughtful way, with short-term wins that build momentum for long-term growth. A secret ingredient to this successful model is small-scale manufacturing.

In Recast Your City: How to Save Your Downtown with Small-Scale Manufacturing, community development expert Ilana Preuss explains how local leaders can revitalize their downtowns or neighborhood main streets by bringing in and supporting small-scale manufacturing. Small-scale manufacturing businesses help create thriving places, with local business ownership opportunities and well-paying jobs that other business types can't fulfill.

Preuss draws from her experience working with local governments, large and small and illuminates her recommendations with real-world examples. She details her five-step method for recasting your city using small-scale manufacturing: (1) light the spark (assess what you can build on and establish goals); (2) find and connect (get out of your comfort zone and find connectors outside of your usual circles); (3) interview (talk to people and build trust); (4) analyze (look for patterns and gaps as well as what has not been said); and (5) act (identify short-term actions to help build long-term change). This work is difficult and sometimes uncomfortable, but necessary and critical for success. Preuss supports and inspires change by drawing from her work in cities from Knoxville, Tennessee, to Columbia, Missouri, to Fremont, California.

Critique: Recast Your City: How to Save Your Downtown with Small-Scale Manufacturing lives up to its title by presenting an alternative to relying on the presence of a single big business for the economic livelihood of a small town. Small-scale manufacturing offers a robust, viable, and practical method to bring jobs, commerce, and economic resilience to downtown streets. Real-world examples demonstrate how this strategy has transformed small cities for the better. Recast Your City is highly recommended especially for mayors, city planners, community leaders, and anyone passionate about urban revitalization! It should be noted for personal reading lists that Recast Your City is also available in a Kindle edition ($28.50).


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Lyme Disease, Ticks and You
Shelley Ball, PhD
Firefly Books
www.fireflybooks.com
9780228103202 $19.95

https://www.amazon.com/Lyme-Disease-Ticks-You-Navigating/dp/0228103207

Synopsis: Lyme disease has been steadily on the rise since the 1990s, and the threat is expected to grow as warmer global temperatures potentially prolong the tick season. Recent estimates suggest that approximately 475,000 people may get Lyme disease each year in the United States (as noted on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website) and the Government of Canada reported 1,487 cases in 2018. Lyme, if not treated early, can develop into a debilitating disease, with symptoms that can be felt for months or even years. Lyme Disease, Ticks and You is an easy-to-follow and essential guide to understanding, detecting and treating Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.

Dr. Shelley Ball, a trained freshwater insect ecologist, is a long-term Lyme sufferer who has been infected multiple times, including with various other tick-borne diseases. Drawing from years of experience advocating for her own health, Dr. Ball has gathered together the information and resources the reader needs to not only understand the science, prevent tick bites and recognize Lyme, but also get treatment for this complex and often misdiagnosed disease.

Lyme Disease, Ticks and You is capped off with an extensive list of references and resources that will further equip each reader with the information they need to deal with ticks, Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.

Critique: Written to be thoroughly accessible to lay readers and health professionals alike, Lyme Disease, Ticks and You: A Guide to Navigating Tick Bites, Lyme Disease and Other Tick-Borne Infections lives up to its title as an invaluable reference and resource about Lyme disease and other tick-borne maladies. Chapters discuss the biology of Lyme disease, how to reduce the risk of a tick bite, what to do if bitten by a tick, the stages and symptoms of Lyme disease, how Lyme disease is diagnosed and treated, and much more. Lyme Disease, Ticks and You is a "must-have" for anyone who lives in tick country or engages in activities like outdoors hiking that have risk of tick bites, and is a welcome addition to public library Health/Medicine collections.

Handbook of Cannabis for Clinicians: Principles and Practice
Dustin Sulak D.O.
W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
https://wwnorton.com
9780393714180, $45.00 hardcover
B08D1M2MVF, $22.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Cannabis-Clinicians-Principles-Practice/dp/0393714187

Synopsis: Despite thousands of years of medical use and an impressive record of safety, versatility, and efficacy, Cannabis sativa has existed outside the modern pharmacopeia since the 1940s. Primarily driven by popular demand, this botanical has returned to health care, but most clinicians lack the knowledge essential for identifying candidates for treatment, guiding patients, maximizing benefit, and minimizing harm.

Dustin Sulak provides health care professionals including physicians, psychologists, pharmacists, and nurses with an accessible and evidence-based reference that empowers them to intelligently discuss cannabis with their patients and implement cannabis and cannabinoid therapies with confidence. Based on over a decade of clinical experience and an extensive review of the literature, this detailed and scientifically accurate guide includes the history of cannabis in medicine, the foundations of endocannabinoid physiology, the pharmacological effects of cannabis' myriad active constituents, the clinical utility of its various preparations, and specific strategies and cautions for treating the most common conditions presenting to a cannabis clinician. This guide is an essential resource for practitioners of any specialty field or experience level who wish to improve their patients' outcomes, harness the healing potential of the endocannabinoid system, and wield a powerful solution to many of healthcare's challenges.

Critique: Author and Doctor of osteopathic medicine Dustin Sulak presents Handbook of Cannabis for Clinicians: Principles and Practice, a reference and resource grounded in both a decade of clinical experience and a thorough analysis of medical literature. Chapters scrutinize in depth the physiology behind how cannabinoids can be used for medicine or therapy; cannabis pharmacology; clinical preparation and delivery methods of cannabis; cautions against potential adverse effects and how to mitigate them; and much more. An extensive list of references and an index round out this "must-have" compendium created especially for aspiring and practicing professionals. Handbook of Cannabis for Clinicians is also highly recommended for college library Health/Medicine collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Handbook of Cannabis for Clinicians is also available in a Kindle edition ($22.99).

Editorial Note: Dustin Sulak, D.O., is an internationally acclaimed medical cannabis expert, author and educator. His clinical practice serves adults and children with a wide range of refractory conditions, drawing on his background in integrative medicine and skills in traditional osteopathy and the healing arts. He lives in Durham, Maine.


The Biography Shelf

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave
Frederick Douglass, author
Scott C. Williamson, introduction
Mercer University Press
https://www.mupress.org
9780881467925, $16.00 paperback

https://www.amazon.com/Narrative-Frederick-Douglass-American-Diaspora/dp/0881467928

Synopsis: "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass" is a memoir on abolition written by Frederick Douglass. It is held to be the most famous of a number of narratives written by former slaves during the 19th century. In factual detail, the text describes the events of his life and is considered to be one of the most influential pieces of literature to fuel the abolitionist movement of the early 19th century in the United States.

Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) was an African-American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. After escaping from slavery in Maryland, he became a national leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York, gaining note for his dazzling oratory and incisive antislavery writings.

Critique: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave is the autobiography of Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) an African-American slave who escaped bondage and became a leader of the abolitionist movement. Frederick Douglass expressed his condemnation of slavery particularly from bitter personal experience, and was well- known for his talented oratory and his fierce antislavery writings. His testimony is as vivid and profound today as it was when first written in 1845, and remains an enduring American classic work. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave is a "must" for both college and public library biography collections, highly recommended.


The Science Shelf

The Secret Life of Stars
Lisa Harvey-Smith
Thames & Hudson
https://thamesandhudson.com
9781760761585 $19.95 hc / $9.99

https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Life-Stars-Astrophysics-Everyone/dp/1760761583

Synopsis: In The Secret Life of Stars, award-winning astronomer Lisa Harvey-Smith takes us on a cosmic journey to meet some of the weirdest, most extreme, and enigmatic stars in the universe.

We all know the Sun, the powerhouse of our solar system, but what about Luyten's Flare, the Rosino-Zwicky Object, or Chanal's variable star? For those whose curiosity takes them far beyond Earth's atmosphere, The Secret Life of Stars offers a personal and readily understood introduction to some of the Galaxy's most remarkable stars.

Written by award-winning astronomer Lisa Harvey-Smith, each chapter explains various different and unusual stars and their amazing characteristics and attributes, from pulsars, blue stragglers, and white dwarfs, to cannibal stars and explosive supernovae. With beautiful chapter illustrations by Eirian Chapman, this book brings to life the remarkable personalities of these stars, reminding readers what a diverse and unpredictable universe we live in and how fortunate we are to live around a stable star, our Sun.

Critique: Written for readers of all ages and backgrounds, The Secret Life of Stars: Astrophysics for Everyone lives up to its title as a thoroughly accessible introduction the amazing and astonishing cosmic phenomena that are stars in the sky. From the Sun that sustains life on Earth, to red dwarfs, giant stars, self-destructors, black holes, and much more, The Secret Life of Stars is an extraordinary, enlightening, and utterly fascinating tour of the cosmos. The Secret Life of Stars is highly recommended, especially for school and public library science collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that The Secret Life of Stars is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Selecting and Training Your Service Dog
Jennifer Cattet, PH. D.
Dogwise Publishing
www.dogwise.com
https://medicalmutts.org
9781617812798, $19.95 Paperback
B094Q7J1LT, $18.95 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Selecting-Training-Your-Service-Dog-ebook/dp/B094Q7J1LT

Synopsis: Watching a service dog and her handler working as a team in a busy public space is a thing of beauty. Not every dog has the temperament or genetic make-up to do service work, but with the proper reward-based training, many dogs can succeed in public areas. Succeeding in Public Access Work is the subject of Jennifer Cattet's new book, which is especially important given some of the controversies surrounding poorly or un-trained service dogs being brought into public areas. Jennifer prepares you and your dog to meet the standards of the Public Access Test developed by Assistance Dogs International. While the book focuses on training, it also covers in detail a number of other important questions including:

How much time, effort and cost are involved in acquiring and training a service dog?
Can you train a shelter dog for service work and are there breeds of dogs you should avoid?
What are your rights and the laws relating to service dogs?
How do you deal with the public when working with your service dog?

Critique: Written by an expert in the field, Selecting and Training Your Service Dog: How to Succeed in Public Access Work is a "must-have" guide for anyone interested in training a service dog for themselves or for others. Written in plain terms accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Selecting and Training Your Service Dog covers both obvious and less relevant pitfalls to properly training a service animal. One of the first hurdles to clear is selecting an animal that is suitable for such training. "If at any time the dog doesn't give you the behaviors you are looking for, or instead presents traits that are concerning, stop the test and move on to the next dog. It's also important to not cause harm while you're testing the dog. If the dog becomes fearful and doesn't immediately bounce back, stop the test and help the dog recover." Even those who are already relying upon aid from a trained service dog will find Selecting and Training Your Service Dog insightful, practical-minded, and utterly invaluable. Highly recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Selecting and Training Your Service Dog is also available in a Kindle edition ($18.95).

Editorial Note: Jennifer Cattet, Ph.D., CPDT-KA, is the Executive Director of Medical Mutts, an Indiana based non-profit service dog organization, and the founder of the Center for the Study of Medical Assistance Canines (CMAC).


The Cookbook Shelf

Cyprus Cuisine: Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Cooking
Christina Loucas
Whitecap Books
c/o Fitzhenry & Whiteside
www.fitzhenry.ca
9781770503373, $34.95, HC, 274pp

https://www.amazon.com/Cyprus-Cuisine/dp/1770503374

Synopsis: Though Cyprus is a small country, its cuisine features a large variety of dishes due to the many different cultural influences affecting the island's history. There is also a substantial variation in climate around the country ranging from sunny beaches to snow-capped mountains. Cyprus cuisine has a Mediterranean allure, mixing Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors and ingredients.

Many Cypriot families still make home-made olive oil every year, and neighbors regularly exchange excess bounty of homegrown fruits and vegetables, including pomelo, grapes, carobs, figs, oranges, lemons, cantaloupe, bergamot, medlars, almonds, kumquats, cactus pears, and, of course, olives.

Most Cypriot dishes are not particularly hot or spicy, though there is ample use of local herbs such as wild oregano, rosemary, mint, parsley, basil, cinnamon and coriander. Spices such as allspice, cloves, mastic and mahleb powders can be found in many sweets and baked goods.

"Cyprus Cuisine" showcases 68 thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes featuring all of these Cypriot culinary delights and more! Illustrated throughout in full color, "Cyprus Cuisine" offers a wide variety of Cypriot dishes, ranging from drinks to desserts, to soups, salads, small bites, breads and pastries, pickles, dips and main courses.

Critique: Exceptionally well organized and presented, as well as a mouth-watering delight to simply browse through and ideal for planning truly memorable, palate pleasing, appetite satisfying menus with, "Cyprus Cuisine: Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Cooking" will prove to be an extraordinary and welcome addition to personal, professional, family, and community library collections.


The American History Shelf

Determined: The 400-Year Struggle for Black Equality
Dr. Karen A. Sherry & Rev. Grady W. Powell
GILES
c/o D Giles Limited
gilesltd.com
9781911282990 $22.50

https://www.amazon.com/Determined-400-Year-Struggle-Black-Equality/dp/1911282999

Synopsis: Determined presents a concise overview of Black history in Virginia from the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in Virginia in 1619 through the groundswell of racial justice protests of 2020. These four centuries encompass slavery and emancipation, segregation and the civil rights movement, the election of the first Black president and the rise of Black Lives Matter. Throughout this complex history, Black people have fought for freedom, justice, and opportunity and against oppression, discrimination, and dehumanization. Their efforts have brought meaningful changes to American society by forcing the nation to define the meaning of its highest ideals of democracy and universal equality.

A few of the individuals featured include John Punch, whose punishment for attempting to escape bondage in 1640 began the codification of a system of slavery that spread throughout the original Thirteen Colonies, and Nat Turner, who shocked the nation with a slave revolt in 1831 that challenged the institution of slavery. John Mitchell, Jr. was a journalist-editor who championed Black pride and civil rights in the Jim Crow era, and Barbara Johns led a student protest that became part of Brown v. Board of Education (1954), the landmark Supreme Court decision dismantling legalized segregation. A new generation of activists like Zyahna Bryant continues the fight for racial equity today. Illustrations of historical artifacts and images bring to life these and other stories of Black determination and resistance.

Determined focuses on Virginia, yet it tells an American story. Black people have shaped the nation's economic, political, and cultural identity, and Virginia has played a formative and central role in national race relations. This book provides a timely reckoning with America's fraught history with race and systemic racism. It fosters a greater understanding of the legacies of slavery, segregation, and white supremacy to meet the challenges of today and forge a better tomorrow.

Critique: Featuring photographs, artwork, or images of historic documents on virtually every two-page spread, Determined: The 400-Year Struggle for Black Equality chronicles the history of Black people in Virginia. The text chronicles slavery, war, discrimination, and the arduous struggle for civil rights in plain terms thoroughly accessible to lay readers and historians alike. Endnotes and an index round out this sober chronicle of a centuries-long struggle against injustice. Highly recommended especially for public library American History collections.

Editor's Note: Dr. Karen A. Sherry is a curator specializing in American history and material culture with twenty years of museum experience. Since 2017, she has served as a curator at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, where she organized the exhibitions Determined: The 400-Year Struggle for Black Equality and Agents of Change: Female Activism in Virginia from Women's Suffrage to Today.

The Rev. Grady W. Powell, a native of Brunswick County, Virginia, has had a varied career in education and the professional ministry. Along with his brief teaching career, he has served as pastor of rural and urban churches. His most extensive pastoral work was in Petersburg, Virginia, at the historic Gillfield Baptist Church, where he retired after thirty-six years of service. He has also worked on national and state boards, including the Virginia Historical Society, for twenty years and has been active in civil rights causes since his college days and an active participant in improving racial harmony among all groups.

The Road to Yorktown: The French Campaigns in the American Revolution, 1780-1783
Louis-Francois-Bertrand du Pont d'Aubevoye, comte de Lauberdiere, author
Edited and annotated by Norman Desmarais
Savas Beatie
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611214833, $32.95

https://www.amazon.com/French-Campaigns-American-Revolution-1780-1783/dp/1611214831

Synopsis: The fate of the American Revolution had yet to be decided when a remarkable 21-year-old Frenchman arrived in America. Louis-Francois-Bertrand, the Count of Lauberdiere, belonged to an old noble family that traced its heritage back to the Crusades. His father, Francois-Charles-Mathieu, was musketeer of the guard of King Louis XV. More important, his uncle was General Rochambeau, the commander of all French forces in America. The Count of Lauberdiere kept one of the most remarkable diaries of the entire war, and it is published here for the first time as The Road to Yorktown: The French Campaigns in the American Revolution, 1780-1783, by Louis-Francois-Bertrand du Pont d'Aubevoye, comte de Lauberdiere, translated and edited by Norman Desmarais.

Serving as aide-de-camp on General Rochambeau's staff, the young and well-educated Lauberdiere enjoyed a unique perspective of the war. He rubbed shoulders with some of the Revolution's most important personalities (including George Washington and Lafayette), and was in the epicenter of many of the war's momentous events. His journal covers a host of topics in remarkable detail, including descriptions of the French army's camp in Newport, Rhode Island, the long march to Yorktown, the siege, and capture, and a fascinating examination of the people and their distinctive colonial culture.

His keen eye and sharp descriptions of the Army's daily activities and movements provide a wealth of information for inquisitive readers and historians - details found only in this diary. For example, nearly all French diaries mention the army's arrival and landing at Newport, but only Lauberdiere's identifies exactly where it occurred. Anti-French prejudices were common, and the nephew recorded how Rochambeau dispelled them and won over the locals. Culture fascinated the young Count, who keenly observed how the colonials attempted to imitate European manners and styles, marveling at how Philadelphia adopted Parisian fashions in the brief time between his visits there. He even visited Washington's home at Mount Vernon and made pointed comments about his wife, Martha.

With its expertly crafted footnotes, maps, and illustrations, The Road to Yorktown offers a fresh and invigorating firsthand account that will satisfy even the most demanding student of the American Revolution.

Critique: The Road to Yorktown: The French Campaigns in the American Revolution, 1780-1783 is an invaluable primary source of the American Revolutionary War. Originally a diary kept by the nephew (who served as an aide-de- camp) of General Rochambeau, the commander of all French forces in America, who played a key role in helping the American Continental Army fight against the British. This diary is translated into English and extensively annotated by historian Norman Desmarais. Black-and-white photographs, maps, and an index enhance this window into history rendered thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds. The Road to Yorktown indispensable resource for public and college library collections, highly recommended.

Editorial Note: Norman Desmarais is professor emeritus at Providence College and an active reenactor. He is a member of Le Regiment Bourbonnais, the 2nd Rhode Island Regiment and the Brigade of the American Revolution. He is the author of Guide to the American Revolutionary War series (six volumes about the war on land and seven volumes about the war at sea and overseas), as well as America's First Ally: France in the American Revolutionary War, and is the editor-in-chief of The Brigade Dispatch, the journal of the Brigade of the American Revolution. Mr. Desmarais translated the Gazette Francoise, the French newspaper published in Newport, Rhode Island by the French fleet that carried the Count of Rochambeau and 5,800 French troops to America in July 1780. It is the first known service newspaper published by an expeditionary force.


The World History Shelf

Conquering Jerusalem
Stephen Dando-Collins
Turner Publishing Company
https://turnerbookstore.com
9781684425471, $18.99 Paperback
B08M7DD62B, $12.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Conquering-Jerusalem-Stephen-Dando-Collins/dp/1684425476

Synopsis: Dando-Collins details the conflict from both sides of the 7-year campaign. His examination of the revolt draws upon numerous archaeological and forensic discoveries made in recent years to illuminate the people and events as never before.

Neither side emerges from the conflict unscathed. Both were at times equally heroic and barbaric. In the end, the Jewish freedom fighters lost the war and lost Jerusalem, their holy city - the focus of the campaign by both sides. Yet today, Jerusalem is once more the heart of the Jewish faith, while, thanks to Christianity - an offshoot of Judaism - the Roman Empire and its gods are long gone. Conquering Jerusalem illustrates that faith can have its rewards, and the tables can be turned, if you wait long enough.

Critique: Conquering Jerusalem: The AD 66-73 Roman Campaign to Crush the Jewish Revolt scrutinizes a seven-year span of history in the city of Jerusalem. Compiling evidence from archaeological and forensic finds, author and historian Stephen Dando-Collins vividly portrays a concentrated Jewish rebellion against occupying Roman forces. A bibliography and an index round out this fascinating historical study, thoroughly accessible to lay readers and scholars alike. Conquering Jerusalem is highly recommended, especially for public and college library World History collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Conquering Jerusalem is also available in a Kindle edition ($12.99).

Editorial Note: Stephen Dando-Collins is the author of 44 books. Australian-born, he is an acknowledged authority on the legions of ancient Rome. In all his books, Dando-Collins aims to travel roads others have not, to unearth new facts and open new perspectives on overlooked figures and events. The majority of his works deal with military history, ranging from Greek, Persian and Roman times to American 19th-century history and World War I and II.

The Viking Great Army and the Making of England
Dawn M. Hadley & Julian D. Richards
Thames & Hudson
https://thamesandhudson.com
9780500022016 $34.95 hc / $16.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Viking-Great-Army-Dawn-Hadley/dp/0500022011

Synopsis: When the Viking Great Army swept through England between 865 and 878 CE, the course of English history was forever changed. The people of the British Isles had become accustomed to raids for silver and prisoners, but 865 CE saw a fundamental shift as the Norsemen stayed through winter and became immersed in the heart of the nation. The Viking army was here to stay. This critical period for English history led to revolutionary changes in the fabric of society, creating the growth of towns and industry, transforming power politics, and ultimately leading to the rise of Alfred the Great and Wessex as the preeminent kingdom of Anglo-Saxon England.

Authors Dawn Hadley and Julian Richards, specialists in Anglo-Saxon and Viking Age archaeology, draw on the most up-to-date scientific techniques and excavations, including their recent research at the Great Army's camp at Torksey. Together they unravel the movements of the Great Army across England like a detective story, while piecing together a new picture of the Vikings in unimaginable detail. Hadley and Richards unearth the swords and jewelry the Vikings manufactured, examine how they buried their great warriors, and which everyday objects they discarded. These discoveries revolutionized what is known of the size, complexity, and social make-up of the army. Like all good stories, this one has plenty of heroes and villains, and features a wide array of vivid illustrations, including site views, plans, weapons, and hoards. This exciting volume tells the definitive account of a vital period in Norse and British history and is a must-have for history and archaeology lovers.

Critique: Exhaustively researched and engagingly presented, The Viking Great Army and the Making of England examines the historical impact that Viking settlers had on English civilization. Viking raids were a regular occurrence by the late 700's, but in the winter of the year 865, Vikings remained in England throughout the winter and became intertwined with English communities. The Viking Great Army and the Making of England gathers information from modern archaeological discoveries to reveal the legacy of Scandinavian influence upon English civilization. Occasional black-and-white photographs, notes, a bibliography, and index round out this excellent contribution to public and college library history collections, highly recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that The Viking Great Army is also available in a Kindle edition ($16.99).

Jews and the Mediterranean
Edited by Matthias B. Lehmann and Jessica M. Marglin
Indiana University Press
https://iupress.org
9780253047984, $20.00

https://www.amazon.com/Mediterranean-Indiana-Sephardi-Mizrahi-Studies/dp/0253047986

Synopsis: What does an understanding of Jewish history contribute to the study of the Mediterranean, and what can Mediterranean studies contribute to our knowledge of Jewish history? Jews and the Mediterranean considers the historical potency and uniqueness of what happens when Sephardi, Mizrahi, and Ashkenazi Jews meet in the Mediterranean region.

By focusing on the specificity of the Jewish experience, the essays gathered in this volume emphasize human agency and culture over the length of Mediterranean history. This collection draws attention to what made Jewish people distinctive and warns against facile notions of Mediterranean connectivity, diversity, fluidity, and hybridity, presenting a new assessment of the Jewish experience in the Mediterranean.

Critique: Jews and the Mediterranean is anthology of scholarly essays by a variety of learned authors about the history of Jews in the Mediterranean region. Individual writings include "Jews and the Early Modern Mediterranean Slave Trade", "Religious Boundaries in Italy during an Era of Free Trade, 1550-1750", "Soap and the Making of a Short-Distance Network in the Nineteenth Century Adriatic", and much more. An index rounds out this studious, erudite, and highly recommended addition to public and college library World History collections.

Editorial Note: Matthias Lehmann is Associate Professor of History and Teller Family Chair in Jewish History at the University of California, Irvine where he holds the Teller Family Chair in Jewish History.

Jessica M. Marglin is assistant professor of religion and the Ruth Ziegler Early Career Chair in Jewish Studies at the University of Southern California. Marglin lives in Los Angeles, CA.

Two Revolutions and the Constitution
James D.R. Philips
Hamilton Books
c/o Rowman & Littlefield
https://rowman.com
9780761872689 $19.99 pbk / $18.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Two-Revolutions-Constitution-American-Produced/dp/076187268X

Synopsis: Why and how did Americans conceive a republic built on individual liberty, in an era of oppressive monarchies? Two Revolutions and the Constitution describes how the British revolutions and constitution shaped the political values which were the foundation of the American Constitution.

The author explains how British colonial government, the innovations in the first American constitutions (the State constitutions), and the failure of the States' first attempt to unite, all influenced the Framers in drafting the final Constitution.

The book tells how developments in England since Magna Carta had enabled liberty and representative government to develop in England and in colonial America. The charges against George III in the Declaration of Independence mirrored the charges against Charles I at the founding of the English republic. The English replaced two kings in their revolutions of the 1600s. Those revolutions led to enduring constitutional changes in Britain and in colonial America.

Philips also considers how the founding charters of the American colonies contained the seeds of American rebellion in the 1760s and 1770s.

Critique: Two Revolutions and the Constitution: How the English and American Revolutions Produced the American Constitution is an analysis of a crucial turning point in history. How did the principle of a republic arise in two nations amid an era of monarchies, and how were those principles codified into a founding document? Written with meticulous attention to detail, yet thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Two Revolutions and the Constitution is an utterly fascinating chronicle of advances in liberty and representative government in both England and its New World colonies, from the Magna Carta onward. Two Revolutions and the Constitution is highly recommended for both public and college library history collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Two Revolutions and the Constitution is also available in a Kindle edition ($18.99).


The Civil War Shelf

From Arlington to Appomattox
Charles R. Knight
Savas Beatie
https://www.savasbeatie.com
9781611215021, $39.95 Hardcover
B097713917, $17.21 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Arlington-Appomattox-Robert-Civil-1861-1865/dp/1611215021

Synopsis: Douglas S. Freeman's Pulitzer Prize-winning four-volume study on Robert E. Lee remains the most thorough history of the man. After spending so many years with his subject, Freeman claimed he knew where Lee was every day of his life, from West Point until his death. In fact, there are many gaps in Freeman's Lee, and hundreds of sources have been discovered in the decades since that have changed many of the accepted "facts" about the general. In From Arlington to Appomattox: Robert E. Lee's Civil War, Day by Day, 1861-1865 author Charles Knight does for Lee and students of the war what E. B. Long's Civil War Day by Day did for our ability to understand the conflict as a whole. This is not another Lee biography, but it is every bit as valuable as one, and perhaps more so.

Lost in all of the military histories of the war, and even in most of the Lee biographies, is what the general was doing when he was out of history's "public" eye. We know Lee rode out to meet the survivors of Pickett's Charge and accept blame for the defeat, that he tried to lead the Texas Brigade in a counterattack to save the day at the Wilderness, and took a tearful ride from Wilmer McLean's house at Appomattox. But what of the other days? Where was Lee and what was he doing when the spotlight of history failed to illuminate him?

Focusing on where he was, who he was with, and what he was doing day by day offers an entirely different appreciation for Lee. Readers will come away with a fresh sense of his struggles, both personal and professional, and discover many things about Lee for the first time using his own correspondence and papers from his family, his staff, his lieutenants, and the men of his army.

General Lee intended to write a history of the Army of Northern Virginia but died before he could complete his work. Based on hundreds of first-person accounts, From Arlington to Appomattox recreates, as far as such a thing is now possible, a Lee-centric study of what the man experienced on a daily basis. It is a tremendous contribution to the literature of the Civil War.

Critique: Exhaustively researched with an extensive bibliography and index, From Arlington to Appomattox: Robert E. Lee's Civil War, Day by Day, 1861-1865 lives up to its title as a daily accounting of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's life for the duration of the American Civil War. The main text consists of paragraphs assigned to each day listing Lee's known actions; these paragraphs are expounded upon at extreme length with highly detailed footnotes concerning uncertainties, clarifying context, referring to sources, and much more. From Arlington to Appomattox is a welcome addition to Civil War literature, highly recommended especially for college library American History collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that From Arlington to Appomattox is also available in a Kindle edition ($17.21).

Editorial Note: Charles R. Knight is a native of Richmond, Virginia. He is a former Historical Interpreter at New Market Battlefield State Historical Park, and currently serves as the curator of the Douglas MacArthur Memorial. Charlie has written articles for various Civil War and railroad publications, including Blue & Gray, Classic Trains, and NRHS Bulletin. He lives in Norfolk, Virginia, with his wife and son.

Matchless Organization: The Confederate Army Medical Department
Guy R. Hasegawa
Southern Illinois University Press
www.siupress.com
9780809338290, $26.50 paperback

https://www.amazon.com/Matchless-Organization-Confederate-Department-Engaging/dp/0809338297

Synopsis: Despite the many obstacles it had to overcome - including a naval blockade, lack of a strong industrial base, and personnel unaccustomed to military life - the Richmond-based Confederate Army Medical Department developed into a robust organization that nimbly adapted to changing circumstances. In the first book to address the topic, Guy R. Hasegawa describes the organization and management of the Confederate army's medical department. At its head was Surgeon General Samuel Preston Moore, a talented multitasker with the organizational know-how to put in place qualified medical personnel to care for sick and wounded Confederate soldiers.

Hasegawa investigates how political considerations, personalities, and, as the war progressed, the diminishing availability of human and material resources influenced decision-making in the medical department. Amazingly, the surgeon general's office managed not only to provide care but also to offer educational opportunities to its personnel and collect medical and surgical data for future use, regardless of constant and growing difficulties.

During and after the war, the medical department of the Confederate army was consistently praised as being admirably organized and efficient. Although the department was unable to match its Union counterpart in manpower and supplies, Moore's intelligent management enabled it to help maintain the fighting strength of the Confederate army.

Critique: Part of the "Engaging the Civil War" series, Matchless Organization: The Confederate Army Medical Department is an extensively researched, eye-opening examination of the Confederate Army Medical Department during the American Civil War. Chapters examine the roles of medical directors, medical inspectors, and medical purveyors; the importation of medical supplies; general hospitals and prison hospitals; and much more. Particular attention is paid to how the reduced availability of trained people and supplies as the war went on affected triage and medical decision- making. Extensive notes, a bibliography, and an index round out this studious, detailed, and seminal addition to public and college library Civil War shelves. Highly recommended.

Editorial Note: Guy R. Hasegawa, a retired pharmacist and editor, is the author of Villainous Compounds: Chemical Weapons and the American Civil War and Mending Broken Soldiers: The Union and Confederate Programs to Supply Artificial Limbs.


The General Fiction Shelf

The Show Girl
Nicola Harrison
St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250200150, $27.99, HC, 400pp

https://www.amazon.com/Show-Girl-Novel-Nicola-Harrison/dp/1250200156

Synopsis: In 1927 Olive McCormick moved from Minneapolis to New York City. She was determined to become a star in the Ziegfeld Follies. Extremely talented as a singer and dancer, it takes every bit of perseverance to finally make it on stage. And once she does, all the glamour and excitement is everything she imagined and more -- even worth all the sacrifices she has had to make along the way.

Then she meets Archie Carmichael. Handsome, wealthy and the only man she's ever met who seems to accept her modern ways, her independent nature and passion for success. But once she accepts his proposal of marriage he starts to change his tune, and Olive must decide if she is willing to reveal a devastating secret and sacrifice the life she loves for the man she loves.

Critique: A masterfully crafted work of historical fiction and a genuine flair for creating memorable characters deftly embedded in an inherently fascinating narrative, "The Show Girl" by novelist Nicola Harrison is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Show Girl" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).


The Literary Fiction Shelf

Chola Salvation
Estella Gonzalez
Arte Publico Press
www.artepublicopress.com
9781558859142 $18.95 pbk / $9.99

https://www.amazon.com/Chola-Salvation-Gonz%C3%A1lez/dp/1558859144

Synopsis: In the title story of this collection, Isabela is minding her family's restaurant, drinking her dad's beer, when Frida Kahlo and the Virgen de Guadalupe walk in. Even though they're dressed like cholas, the girl immediately recognizes Frida's uni-brow and La Virgen's crown. They want to give her advice about the quinceanera her parents are forcing on her. In fact, their lecture (don't get pregnant, go to school, be proud of your indigenous roots) helps Isabela to escape her parents' physical and sexual abuse. But can she really run away from the self-hatred they've created?

These inter-related stories, mostly set in East Los Angeles, uncover the lives of a conflicted Mexican-American community. In "Sabado Gigante," Bernardo drinks himself into a stupor every Saturday night. "Aqui no es mi tierra," he cries, as he tries to ease the sorrow of a life lived far from home. Meanwhile, his son Gustavo struggles with his emerging gay identity and Maritza, the oldest daughter, is expected to cook and clean for her brother, even though they live in East LA, not Guadalajara or Chihuahua. In "Powder Puff," Mireya spends hours every day applying her make-up, making sure to rub the foundation all the way down her neck so it looks like her natural color. But no matter how much she rubs and rubs, her skin is no lighter.

Estella Gonzalez vividly captures her native East LA in these affecting stories about a marginalized people dealing with racism, machismo and poverty. In painful and sometimes humorous scenes, young people try to escape the traditional expectations of their family. Other characters struggle with anger and resentment, often finding innovative ways to exact revenge for slights both real and imagined. Throughout, music traditional and contemporary accompanies them in the search for love and acceptance.

Critique: Chola Salvation is an anthology of interconnected short stories by Latina author Estella Gonzalez, about Hispanic-American life in her native East LA. A recurring theme is the burdens the younger generation suffer as they come of age while coping with an environment marred by racism, rampant machismo, and poverty. The candid storytelling brings the vibrancy, beauty, flaws, and hope within a thriving culture to unforgettable life. Chola Salvation is a choice pick for public library Literary Fiction collections, highly recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Chola Salvation is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).


The Romantic Fiction Shelf

When a Duke Loves a Governess
Olivia Drake
St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250174499, $8.99, PB, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/When-Duke-Loves-Governess-Duchesses/dp/125017449X

Synopsis: Tessa James has worked and planned tirelessly to open her own millinery shop. All she needs now is a loan from the lord who sired and abandoned her. The only problem is, she doesn't even know his name. What's a woman to do to find him but enter the aristocratic world by becoming a governess?

Guy Whitby, the new Duke of Carlin, has returned to London after years abroad to discover that his young daughter Sophy has become a wild-child known for scaring away every governess who's crossed his doorstep. When Tessa James applies for the job, he hires her in desperation despite his misgivings that she's too bold and beautiful - and that she might be fibbing about her qualifications.

Their blooming attraction leads them on a completely unexpected path to love that neither wants to deny. But when an old enemy threatens Guy's family, their forbidden romance goes up in flames. Can they still learn to love and trust each other as forces try to tear them apart?

Critique: "When a Duke Loves a Governess" is the third volume in author Olivia Drake's simply outstanding regency romance series 'Unlikely Duchesses', and once again showcases her genuine flair for and mastery of the genre. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Romance Fiction collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated regency romance fans that "When a Duke Loves a Governess" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).

Her Child to Protect
Delores Fossen
Mills & Boon
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
https://www.ulverscroft.com
9780263293401, $61.99, HC, Large Print, 384pp

https://www.amazon.com/Her-Child-to-Protect/dp/0263293408

https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9780263293401

Synopsis: Arriving at a murder scene, Deputy Della Howell is not pleased to find her recent ex already on the job. She'll work with Sheriff Barrett Logan but will keep her secret -- that she is pregnant with his child. But as the dueling cops investigate, familiar sparks reignite between them -- just as they fall prey to a very tenacious killer. Nothing can stop Deputy Howell from saving two lives.

Critique: A master piece of original storytelling in which author Delore Fossen (who maintains an informative website at www.deloresfossen.com) deftly weaves a western romance with elements of police procedure and suspense, this large print edition of "Her Child To Protect" from Mills & Boone will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to both personal reading lists and community library collections.

The Man She Should Have Married
Louise Fuller
Mills & Boon
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
https://www.ulverscroft.com
9780263288568, $61.99, HC, Large Print, 283pp

https://www.amazon.com/Man-She-Should-Have-Married/dp/0263288560

Synopsis: The Scottish billionaire is back. Are they ready to rewrite the past? Breaking her engagement to Farlan Wilder was the hardest decision Lady Antonia Elgin had to make, but their love simply wasn't built for reality. Now, thanks to her irresponsible parents, she's made her second hardest decision: renting out their beloved Highland manor. Worse still, is the realization that Farlan is staying there! Famed movie director Farlan has come a long way from the penniless boy Nia rejected. But their reunion proves there's one thing he'll never be able to relinquish...their dangerously electric connection!

Critique: Louise Fuller is one of the most accomplished romance writers working today. "The Man She Should Have Married" is her latest and unreservedly recommended reading for all dedicated contemporary romance fans. This large print edition from Mills & Boone is particularly appropriate for community library collections.


The Western Fiction Shelf

Whiteout!
Jay D. West
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
https://www.ulverscroft.com
9781444847109, $22.50, PB, Large Print, 185pp

https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781444847109

Synopsis: Henry Mullins, a young cowboy from Southern California, sits back and watches the woman he loves marry someone else. That's when he decides to leave this part of the country and ride off into the great unknown in search of adventure. Intending to get to Los Angeles, he is forced inland by marauding Mexican bandits and eventually into the Sierra Nevadas, where he starts to trap wild animals to stay alive. Coming across a bi-annual meeting of trappers, he begins to learn the tricks of the trade and takes up trapping seriously. Attacked by wolves, bears, and the elements, Henry gradually learns the art of survival. And then he comes across a teepee with a beautiful squaw and her dying grandfather inside. Henry's life begins to change. Winter sets in high in the mountains, Henry's first. And it turns out to be the biggest battle Henry has ever faced.

Critique: One of those singular western novels about man vs. nature, "Whiteout!" by novelist Jay D. West is an inherently fascinating and fully entertaining read from cover to cover. This large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library series is certain to be an enduringly popular addition to the personal reading lists of all western action/adventure fans, as well as a unique and recommended contribution to community library Western Fiction collections. collections.

Houston's Story
Abe Dancer
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
https://www.ulverscroft.com
9781444847154, 22.50, PB, Large Print, 224pp

https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781444847154

Synopsis: Man hunting for a bounty, George Houston's line of work, carries with it a degree of infamy (a presage of danger) and it's not long before his peaceable ride through Utah is cut dramatically short. After a rare bank robbery and the killing of one of its leading businessmen, the town of Bullhead is angry and wound up. But Agnes Jarrow believes it's not the work of the young hothead named Billy Carrick -- who breaks free of the town jail. She shares personal misgivings, thoughts that Houston can't ignore, and offers a contract that's hard to turn down. With his movements being documented by a man with his sights on becoming a diarist and storyteller, up against a band of seemingly law-abiding townsmen, Houston has to find a way to satisfy more than one protagonist. When he sets off on a perilous search for Billy, he has to decide if he is making the affair a personal issue, collecting payment for a completed assignment, or assisting the town sheriff to carry out a lawful duty.

Critique: A simply riveting and original action adventure set in the Old West by an author with a genuine flair for the genre, this large print paperback edition of "Houston's Story" by Abe Dancer from the Linford Western Library collections will prove to be an outstanding and enduringly popular addition to both personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.

The Valerons - Retribution!
Terrell L. Bowers
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
https://www.ulverscroft.com
9781444847192, $22.50, PB, Large Print, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Valerons-Retribution-Terrell-L-Bowerseng/dp/1444847198

Synopsis: Not all criminals wear masks and carry guns. Some hide behind respectability and employ others to wield a weapon. In "The Valerons - Retribution!", the Valerons seek justice for an attack and theft that killed one of their hands and severely wounded one of their oldest companions -- but they find no smoking gun, no gunmen, not a single piece of evidence against the perpetrators. They realize they are dealing with clever and careful criminals. As Jared and Shane's investigation alone can't expose the guilty party, Wendy Valeron and a new Valeron recruit named Julyis are assigned to explore an alternative means. While trying not to risk Wendy's life, there is always great danger when attempting to expose an organized criminal enterprise. With fear of exposure, the nervous culprits summon help and react violently. How many lives on both sides will the Valerons' retribution claim?

Critique: Once again western author and novelist Terrell L.Bowers has written a compelling and original story adding to the expanding legacy of the Valeron clan with a riveting read complete with cliff hanger suspense. A 'must' for the legions of Valeron western fans, this large print edition of "The Valerons - Retribution!" from the Linford Western Library collection is highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Murder at the Lakeside Library: A Lakeside Library Mystery
Holly Danvers
authorhollyquinn.com
Crooked Lane Books
crookedlanebooks.com
9781643856322, $26.99 hardcover
B08L5VF4X5, $13.99 Kindle
9781666502183, $22.99 audio CD

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Lakeside-Library-Mystery/dp/B091MBFTPB

Synopsis: After the untimely death of her husband, Rain Wilmot has returned to her family's waterfront log cabin in Lofty Pines, Wisconsin. The cabin is peaceful compared to Rain's corporate job and comes with an informal library that Rain's mother, Willow, used to run. But as Rain prepares for the reopening of the library, all hopes for a peaceful life are shattered: She discovers the body of Thornton Hughes, a real-estate buyer, on the premises.

The community of Lofty Pines starts pointing fingers at Willow since she has been unusually absent from the library this summer. A fishy rumor surfaces when Rain learns that Willow had been spending a lot of time with Thornton. The town even thought they were having an affair.

While theories swirl about Thornton's death, Rain takes it upon herself to solve the case to exonerate her mother. As more clues surface, she will have to piece together the mystery. But if she isn't careful, she may be the next to end up dead in the water.

Critique: Part of the Lakeside Library Mystery series set within an idyllic Wisconsin waterfront, Murder at the Lakeside Library follows recent widow Rain Wilmot, who hopes to re-open the humble library that her mother Willow used to run. When Rain discovers the body of a dead real estate buyer, her plans for a peaceful life are strained to the breaking point. Rain learns that her mother and the murder victim was rumored to have an affair, and sets to work trying to clear her mother's name - but the killer just might have be targeting Rain next! Deftly written, and skillfully evoking both the charm and the gossip-mongering of a small town, Murder at the Lakeside Library is a choice pick for connoisseurs of cozy mysteries and lending libraries alike, highly recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Murder at the Lakeside Library is also available in a Kindle edition ($13.99).

Editorial Note: Holly Danvers grew up devouring every mystery novel on the shelf of her local library. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and 3 chickens, where she's already plotting her next novel.

Murder in Piccadilly
Charles Kingston
Charnwood Large Print
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444846959, $38.50, PB, Large Print, 372pp

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Piccadilly-Charles-Kingstoneng/dp/1444846957

Synopsis: When Bobbie Cheldon falls in love with a pretty young dancer at the Frozen Fang night club in Soho, he has every hope of an idyllic marriage. But Nancy has more worldly ideas about her future: she is attracted not so much to Bobbie as to the fortune he expects to inherit.

Bobbie's miserly uncle Massy stands between him and happiness: he will not relinquish the ten thousand a year on which Nancy's hopes rest. When Bobbie falls under the sway of the roguish Nosey Ruslin, the stage is set for murder in the heart of Piccadilly and for Nancy's dreams to be realised.

When Chief Inspector Wake of Scotland Yard enters the scene, he uncovers a tangled web of love affairs, a cynical Soho underworld, and a motive for murder.

Critique: Originally published in the 1930s, "Murder In Piccadilly" by Charles Kingston is a rivetingly good vintage mystery novel. Featuring an informative introduction by crime writer Martin Edwards (who is perhaps the leading expert on inter-war detective fiction), this large print paperback edition is very highly recommended for both the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs and an enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections.

Editorial Note: Charles Kingston (1884-1944) wrote over twenty crime novels in the golden age of British crime fiction between the two world wars. Many of his books (including Poison in Kensington and The Highgate Mystery) are set in London.

The Creak On The Stairs
Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir
Isis Large Print
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781785419843, $TBA, PB, Large Print, 378pp

https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781785419843

Synopsis: When a body of a woman is discovered at a lighthouse in the Icelandic town of Akranes, it soon becomes clear that she's no stranger to the area. Chief Investigating Officer Elma, who has returned to Akranes following a failed relationship, and her colleagues S‘var and H”r ur, commence an uneasy investigation, which uncovers a shocking secret in the dead woman's past that continues to reverberate in the present day. But as Elma and her team make a series of discoveries, they bring to light a host of long-hidden crimes that shake the entire community. Sifting through the rubble of the townspeople's shattered memories, they have to dodge increasingly serious threats, and find justice before it's too late.

Critique: A compulsive page turner of a read from beginning to end, "The Creak On The Stairs" is author Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir debut as a novelist. A truly riveting read and a 'must' for the personal reading lists of all dedicated mystery buffs. This large print paperback edition from Isis Large Print is especially and unreservedly recommended for all community library Mystery/Suspense collections.

A Trick of the Light
Ali Carter
Charnwood Large Print
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444845099, $68.01, PB, Large Print, 408pp

https://www.amazon.com/Trick-Light-Ali-Carter/dp/1444845098

Synopsis: Struggling with long-buried family secrets and her own heartbreak, artist and pet portraitist Susie Mahl hopes her brief sojourn as art tutor at a Scottish mansion will prove a distraction. Can she get her mix of students to behave long enough to draw a Highland cow? Can her hosts the Earl and Countess of Muchton save their family estate and its prize art collection? Will Susie's pupils actually manage to survive the week? Scotland has an air of mystique about it, with mist-covered glens and beautiful rivers and hills, but it also has a darker side, soon discovered by Susie. She must look towards her craft for the answers. But can anyone be trusted, or is she in this alone?

Critique; With beautifully descripted images of rural Scotland and an aging mansion, distinctive characters and evocative circumstances, "A Trick of the Light" by Canadian author Ali Carter (who has won numerous awards, including a CWA Dagger and the Agatha Award some seven times, and was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Novel) is an inherently fascinating read from cover to cover. This large print paperback edition from Charnwood Large Print publishing is an extraordinary and highly recommended addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections and an unfailingly entertaining story for all dedicated Contemporary English Mystery buffs.

Present Tense: A Schalk Lourens Mystery
Natalie Conyer
Aurora Large Print
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781787827028, $68.01, PB, Large Print, 330pp

https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781787827028

Synopsis: Retired police chief Piet Pieterse has been murdered. The method used wasa tyre placed round his neck, doused with petrol, set alight -- a classic South African 'necklace' execution from the apartheid era and one generally confined to collaborators. Who would target Pieterse this way, and why now? Veteran cop Schalk Lourens is trying to forget the past. But Pieterse was his old boss and when Schalk is put on the case, he finds the past has a way of infecting the present. Meanwhile, it's an election year. People are pinning their hopes on charismatic ANC candidate Gideon Radebe but there's opposition and in this volatile country, unrest is never far from the surface. Schalk must tread a difficult path between the new regime and the old, between the personal and the professional, between justice and revenge. This investigation will change his life, and could alter his country's future.

Critique: A deftly crafted and complex mystery set in Capetown, South Africa, and replete with memorable characters and cliff hanger twists and turns, this large print paperback edition from Aurora Large Print of "Present Tense" by mystery author Natalie Conyer is an extraordinarily memorable and recommended addition to community library collections and dedicated mystery lover's reading lists.

A Racing Murder
Frances Evesham
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
https://www.ulverscroft.com
9781801629720, $31.86, HC
9781800480728, PB, Large Print, 268pp

https://www.amazon.com/A-Racing-Murder/dp/1801629722

https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781800480735

Synopsis: Belinda Sandford thrills to the cheers of the crowd as her beautiful grey racehorse, 'Butterfly Charm', thunders past the finishing post first at Wincanton Racecourse. She feels like the luckiest girl in the world. But joy soon turns to despair as a stewards' enquiry overturns the result and awards the race to her long-time rival, Alexandra Deacon. When Alex is found dead in suspicious circumstances, a host of accusing eyes turn to Belinda and her distraught mother begs Adam Hennessy, her neighbour, retired police officer and publican, to help clear her daughter's name. As Adam, and local hotelier Imogen Bishop, dig deep into the murky and powerful undercurrents of the horse racing world, they lay bare the lives and loves of local jockeys, grooms, trainers and owners. They soon uncover a web of secrets hidden within the spectacular Somerset countryside as they strive to find the killer in time to prevent more murders.

Critique: A winning horse. A fierce rivalry. A sudden death. These are the elements that author/storyteller Frances Evesham so deftly weaves into an inherently fascinating murder mystery that fully engages the rapt attention of his readers from first page to last in "A Racing Murder. This large print edition of "A Racing Murder" from Boldwood Books is an extraordinary and especially recommended addition to the personal reading lists of all dedicated mystery buffs and will prove to be a welcome and enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections.

Where The Dead Men Go
Liam McIlvanney
Aurora Large Print
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
https://www.ulverscroft.com
9781787824447, $13.86, PB, Large Print, 354pp

https://www.amazon.com/Where-Dead-Men-Liam-McIlvanney/dp/0571239862

https://www.ulverscroft.com/title.php?sqlCmd=isbn%3D9781787824447

Synopsis: After three years in the wilderness, hardboiled reporter Gerry Conway is back at his desk at the Glasgow Tribune . But three years is a long time on newspapers and things have changed - readers are dwindling, budgets are tightening, and the Trib 's once rigorous standards are slipping. Once the paper's star reporter, Conway now plays second fiddle to his former protege, crime reporter Martin Moir. But when Moir goes AWOL as a big story breaks, Conway is dispatched to cover a gangland shooting. And when Moir's body turns up in a flooded quarry, Conway is drawn deeper into the city's criminal underworld as he looks for the truth about his colleague's death. Braving the hostility of gangsters, ambitious politicians and his own newspaper bosses, Conway discovers he still has what it takes to break a big story. But this is a story not everyone wants to hear as the city prepares to host the Commonwealth Games and the country gears up for a make-or-break referendum on independence.

Critique: In the pages of "Where The Dead Men Go, (which is the second book in the author's 'Conway Trilogy'), author Liam McIlvanney explores the murky interface of crime and politics in the new Scotland in an original, riveting, and fully entertaining novel of mystery and suspense. This large print edition of "Where The Dead Men Go" is an especially recommended addition to both personal reading lists and community library collections.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Rich Man's Sky
Wil McCarthy
Baen
www.baen.com
9781982125295, $25.00 hardcover
B08YZ4JBQM, $9.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Rich-Mans-Sky-Wil-McCarthy/dp/1982125292

Synopsis: Space: a tycoon's playground. From a space station full of women to a monastery on the Moon, from a Martian reality-TV contest to a solar shade large enough to cool the Earth, the dreams of a handful of trillionaires dictate the future of humanity. Outside the reach of Earthly law and with the vast resources of the inner solar system at their disposal, the "Four Horsemen" do exactly as they please.

The governments of Earth are not amused; an international team of elite military women, masquerading as space colonists, are set to infiltrate and neutralize the largest and most dangerous project in human history. But nothing is that simple when rich men control the sky, as everyone involved is about to discover.

Critique: When contemporary billionaires make headline news by sponsoring their own trips into space, Rich Man's Sky seems more like a window into the future than a science fiction novel. Set in a future where the mega-wealthy exercise control over all the resources of the inner Solar System, Rich Man's Sky follows an international team of skilled military women serving the governments of Earth on an elite undercover mission. Yet the odds are stacked against the team, when their antagonists control space and sky itself! A deftly written saga that brings the all-too-near future of space travel to vivid life, Rich Man's Sky is thoroughly compelling and highly recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Rich Man's Sky is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Editorial Note: Engineer/novelist/journalist/entrepreneur Wil McCarthy is a former contributing editor for WIRED magazine and science columnist for the SyFy channel (previously SciFi channel), where his popular "Lab Notes" column ran from 1999 through 2009. A lifetime member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, he has been nominated for the Nebula, Locus, Seiun, AnLab, Colorado Book, Theodore Sturgeon, and Philip K. Dick awards, and contributed to projects that won a Webbie, an Eppie, a Game Developers' Choice Award, and a General Excellence National Magazine Award.


The Art Shelf

Windows on Worlds: International Collections at Indiana University
Patrick O'Meara, Leah K. Peck
Indiana University Press
iupress.org
9780253054937, $30.00 Hardcover
B085SX7BYV, $19.08 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Windows-Worlds-International-Collections-University/dp/0253054931

Synopsis: Indiana University Bloomington houses exceptional materials from nearly every continent. Windows on Worlds: International Collections at Indiana University takes readers on a visual journey through IU's collections like never before. Ranging in works as diverse as painting, sculpture, costume, rare manuscripts, musical instruments, and much more the museums, institutes, collections, and other holdings on IU's flagship campus provide unique engagement opportunities for students, researchers, and members of the public.

Windows on Worlds showcases the unique and unexpected items from collections across the Bloomington campus, such as the Boulle clock in the Federal Room of the Indiana Memorial Union; the Burmese headdresses in the Mathers Museum of World Culture (now the IU Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology); the fish-shaped coffin in the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art; the rare manuscripts and puzzles of the world-famous Lilly Library; and, finally, new additions on campus like the IU Metz Carillon.

Brimming with beautiful photographs, this book offers readers insight into an extraordinary number of cultures and societies through IU's collections.

Critique: Windows on Worlds: International Collections at Indiana University is an extraordinary showcase of world- spanning, multicultural art displayed in collections at Indiana University's Bloomington campus. From clothing and jewelry, to literature (including a copy of Shakespeare's First Folio), statues, music and instruments, cinematic memorabilia and more, Windows on Worlds embraces myriad forms of art, and accompanies each full-color exhibit photograph with a descriptive passage of text. Windows on Worlds is a wondrous and captivating browse, highly recommended for both personal and public library artbook collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Windows on Worlds is also available in a Kindle edition ($19.08).

Editorial Note: Patrick O'Meara is Special Advisor to the Indiana University President, Vice President Emeritus, and Professor of Public and Environmental Affairs and Political Science. O'Meara greatly expanded the range and depth of international involvement at IU over the years, and has published extensively in global and international affairs.

Leah K. Peck worked with Patrick O'Meara while she earned her Ph.D. at Indiana University. Before coming to IU, she had several years of experience in university administration in Minnesota. Her research focuses on international development in higher education and various aspects of university internationalization efforts.


The Language Studies Shelf

The Origin of Language
Henry Kellerman, PhD.
American Mental Health Foundation
americanmentalhealthfoundation.org
9781590566091, $135.00 Hardcover
9781590566107, $30.00 paperback

https://www.amazon.com/Origin-Language-Henry-Kellerman-PhD/dp/1590566092

Synopsis: In this book, language is seen as embedded in the infant's universe of emotion. Thus, language is seen as innate and is understood as representing prototype emotions implemented at birth, and connected to a brain-wired attachment-need. The overarching power-theme of it all - including primacy of emotion with respect to language, along with the importance of attachment-need - is identified and defined in detail, especially as it concerns the organizational power of a person's basic-wish. This is where the center, the core of the interaction between emotion, attachment, and language-origin, is revealed - that is, with respect to the relative success-index of the person's basic-wish. Such a basic-wish is what gives shape and meaning to the person's entire personality. Thus, the psycho/biological underpinning of The Origin of Language is that of an evolutionary view of the entire arena of the origin of language and its suffusion in the primary emotions and primary behavioral prototypes found at all phylogenetic levels.

Critique: The Origin of Language presents psychologist Dr. Henry Kellerman's theories concerning the preverbal language of infants, and the acquisition of language during brain development in young children. The core themes revolve around the connections between the development of language and the development of emotions. The specific emotions of Joy, Sorrow, Expectation, Surprise, Anger, and Fear and their interplay with language development are especially scrutinized. A list of references, an index of authors, and an index of subjects round out this highly technical treatise, written especially for researchers and practitioners in the field. The Origin of Language is especially recommended for college library Psychology and Language Studies collections.

Editorial note: Spanning a 60-year career in the field of mental health, Dr. Henry Kellerman has held professional academic appointments in the psychology doctoral programs at several universities and clinical appointments at mental hospitals. In addition, he was the director of the psychology internship program at the Postgraduate Center for Mental Health in New York City, where he was also a training analyst and senior supervisor in the center's Psychoanalytic Institute. He holds fellow status in the American Psychological Association, the American Group Psychotherapy Association, and the Academy of Psychoanalysis, and is a Diplomate in Clinical Psychology and Psychoanalysis, of the American Board of Professional Psychology. Dr. Kellerman's books published by the American Mental Health Foundation include: Personality: How it Forms; Anatomy of Delusion; There's No Handle on My Door: Stories of Patients in Mental Hospitals; Psychotherapeutic Traction: Uncovering the Patient's Power-Theme and Basic-Wish; Group Psychotherapy and Personality: A Theoretical Model; and Curing Psychological Symptoms.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

The Truth at Twenty-Four Frames per Second
Anthony Slide
BearManor Media
bearManormedia.com
9781629337401, $24.00

https://www.amazon.com/Truth-Twenty-Four-Frames-Second-Anthology/dp/1629337404

Synopsis: Collected together here are Anthony Slide's writings on film and television history from the 1960s through the present. Subjects and individuals discussed are varied, including Lillian Gish, Val Guest, Vivienne Segal, Wendy Richard, Elisabeth Welch, Lawrence Welk, and Betty White. All illustrate the author's scholarship, dedication to the serious study of the history of popular culture, and also his unique sense of humor.

The book is a reminder of a career that has included time spent as resident film historian of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and associate archivist of the American Film Institute. It complements Anthony Slide's work as the author or editor of more than 200 books on the history of Popular Entertainment.

Critique: The Truth at Twenty-Four Frames per Second: An Anthology of Writings on Film History collects author and film historian Anthony Slide's insights into film and television history from the 1960's to the present day. From ruminations on horror films and the production code in the 1930's and 40's, to contemplations of specific films such as "Giuseppina" and "Thursday's Children", to candid thoughts on actors and directors, and more, The Truth at Twenty-Four Frames per Second is a treasure for cinephiles to browse. Highly recommended!


The Library CD Shelf

Over. Above. Beyond.
Jeeyoon Kim
www.JeeyoonKim.com
Namus Classics
$26.41 CD / $20.00 digital / $9.49 MP3

https://www.jeeyoonkim.com/product-page/over-above-beyond

https://www.amazon.com/Over-Above-Beyond-Jeeyoon-Kim/dp/B07LBB63GW

Classical pianist Jeeyoon Kim presents Over. Above. Beyond., an extraordinary music CD performance of timeless tracks by master composers including Frederic Chopin, Johannes Brahms, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and more. Here is music as art in its purest and most evocative form, ideal for immersion, meditation, or inspiring creativity. An enduring treasure for connoisseurs of classical piano, Over. Above. Beyond. is a joy to experience, a welcome addition to public library music CD collections, and also makes an excellent gift.

10 More Minutes
Jeeyoon Kim
www.JeeyoonKim.com
Namus Classics
$19.81 CD / $20.00 digital / $9.49 MP3

https://www.jeeyoonkim.com/product-page/10-more-minutes

https://www.amazon.com/10-More-Minutes-Jeeyoon-Kim/dp/B01MA3KE80

Classical pianist Jeeyoon Kim selected the timeless songs of 10 More Minutes specifically to evoke treasured memories, such as the desire to spend just ten more minutes with a loved one. The individual pieces performed included works by Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Schubert, and more; the final, titular piece "10 More Minutes" is Jeeyoon Kim's own composition. Lofty, wondrous, and inviting, 10 More Minutes is highly recommended for connoisseurs of classical music performance and public library music CD collections, and also makes a delightful gift.


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

How To Fast-Track Your Academic Career
Edited by Adam Lindgreen, C. Anthony Di Benedetto, Joelle Vanhamme, & John Nicholson
Edward Elgar Publishing
www.e-elgar.com
9781839101779 $175.00

https://www.amazon.com/How-Fast-Track-Your-Academic-Career/dp/1839101776/

Synopsis: This insightful book considers the challenges faced by researchers pursuing an academic career. From applying for grants to supervising PhD students, it utilises practical research and real experiences to illustrate how marketing scholars can strike a healthy working balance between teaching and research to find success in academia.

Experienced scholars outline the key stages towards building an effective and varied academic portfolio, incorporating pragmatic insights into generating ideas, building research groups, and drafting funding applications. The book describes the processes involved in both collaborating with peers and engaging with research students, paying close attention to the ways in which scholars translate research into teaching. Offering crucial advice based on practical knowledge, the book guides early- to mid-career scholars to publication success and highlights the most effective ways to maintain relevance, impact and societal value throughout one's career.

Providing a holistic view of research culture, this cutting-edge book is critical reading for early- to mid-career scholars. The book will also be useful for recent graduates planning their careers in academia.

Critique: How To Fast-Track Your Academic Career: A Guide for Mid-Career Scholars lives up to its title as an in-depth career guide by professional scholars, for professional scholars. Chapters address how to build research groups and apply for funding, guiding PhD students and translating research into teaching, the nuances of writing articles for premier academic journals, how to get one's research cited, and much more. An index rounds out this thoughtful, in-depth, "must- have" for any college or university academic professional seeking to progress their career. Highly recommended.

Next Job, Best Job
Rob Barnett
RobBarnettMedia.com
Citadel
9780806541488, $27.00 Hardcover
B08R5BN7HW, $13.77 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Next-Job-Best-Headhunters-Strategies-ebook/dp/B08R5BN7HW

Synopsis: Rob Barnett is an innovator, a two-time entrepreneur, and a senior executive with five decades inside legendary media companies. As an advisor to thousands of job seekers and company heads, he is uniquely positioned to disrupt the job search industry. His inclusive platform is a life-saving escape hatch during the darkest hours of unemployment and an expert guide to the work you deserve.

With humor, compassion, and a healthy dose of tough love, Barnett covers everything from the essentials of a modern job search to ageism, ghosting, navigating LinkedIn and Zoom, and mastering the voodoo of social media.

Pivot from worrying to winning with inspired steps to:

Score perfect job interviews
Negotiate like a pro and get to "yes"
Rebrand yourself with a unique resume, digital profile, and killer cover letter
Ignite focus and restore motivation
Identify the best career path
Define the right job title
Get immediate replies and callbacks
Master networking
Banish self-defeating thoughts
Embrace success
Pay it forward

New strategies replace ancient job search rules that lead nowhere. Rise above every other candidate with an empowering, easy method that finally works.

Critique: Next Job, Best Job: A Headhunter's 11 Strategies to Get Hired Now lives up to its title with job-hunting strategies devised by professional headhunter, management executive, and entrepreneur Rob Barnett. Tips, tricks, and techniques for presenting an optimal interview, mastering the art of networking, rebranding ones' digital profile, and much more make Next Job, Best Job an invaluable reference and resource not only for unemployed job-seekers, but also for anyone who knows they're worth more than what they're currently being paid. "Your first step to get social media working for you is to take an oath. Swear that you'll never let a single day of job search go by without making at least one professional, relevant, online post. the best way to build your online audience is by committing to regular, daily posting at the same time each day." Next Job, Best Job is an absolute "must-have" in today's economy when almost no one works for the same employer or company during their whole life. Highly recommended! It should be noted for personal reading lists that Next Job, Best Job is also available in a Kindle edition ($13.77).

Editorial Note: Rob Barnett is a headhunter, management executive, podcaster, author, and entrepreneur. He founded Rob Barnett Media in 2018, an inclusive platform for thousands of job-seeking professionals and industry leaders placing the right people in the best jobs.


The LGBT Studies Shelf

Outlove: A Queer Christian Survival Story
Julie Rodgers
1517 Media
https://www.1517.media
9781506464046, $24.99 hc / $16.59 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Outlove-Queer-Christian-Survival-Story/dp/1506464041

Synopsis: After decades of bouncing between hope and despair, Evangelical, Baptist-raised Julie Rodgers found herself making a powerful public statement that her former self would have never said: "I support same-sex marriage in the church."

When Rodgers came out to her family as a junior in high school, she still believed that God would sanctify her and eventually make her straight. Wanting so intensely to be good, she spent her adolescent and early adult years with an ex-gay ministry, praying for liberation from her homosexuality. In Outlove Rodgers details her deeply personal journey from a life of self-denial in the name of faith to her role in leading the take-down of Exodus International, the largest ex-gay organization in the world, to her marriage to a woman at the Washington National Cathedral. Through one woman's intimate story, we see the larger story of why many have left conservative religious structures in order to claim their truest identity.

Outlove is about love and losses, political and religious power-plays, and the cost to those who sought to stay in a faith community that wouldn't accept them. Shedding light on the debate between Evangelical Christians and the LGBTQ community--a battle that continues to rage on in the national news and in courtrooms across the country--this book ultimately casts a hopeful vision for how the church can heal.

Critique: Outlove: A Queer Christian Survival Story is a profound, personal testimony of a deeply religious woman and her call for the need to support same-sex marriage. Author Julie Rodgers spent years as an adolescent and an adult trying to change her own sexuality by associating with an ex-gay ministry. She learned that prayer could not change her sexual orientation. All denial could do was destroy any opportunity of finding love and happiness with a partner. Her story of leaving the ex-gay ministry, and of the harm that anti-LGBT sentiment and policies cause Evangelical Christians, holds out an inspirational ray of hope - hope that one day the church can reform and accept same-sex love. Outlove is a choice pick for personal and public library LGBT Studies collections, highly recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Outlove is also available in a Kindle edition ($16.59).

Editorial Note: Julie Rodgers is a writer, speaker, and leader in the movement working for full inclusion for LGBTQ people in Christian communities. She played a significant role in shutting down Exodus International, the largest conversion therapy organization in the world, and she was also the first openly gay person to be hired by an evangelical Christian college. She is featured in Pray Away (2020), a documentary about the movement to pray the gay away. Her writing has been featured in Sojourners, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Time.


The Genealogy Shelf

The Founding Mothers of Mackinac Island
Theresa L. Weller
Michigan State University Press
http://msupress.org
9781611863956, $32.95

https://www.amazon.com/Founding-Mothers-Mackinac-Island-Agatha/dp/1611863953

Synopsis: Drawing on a wide array of historical sources, Theresa L. Weller provides a comprehensive history of the lineage of the seventy-four members of the Agatha Biddle band in 1870. A highly unusual Native and Metis community, the band included just eight men but sixty-six women. Agatha Biddle was a member of the band from its first enumeration in 1837 and became its chief in the early 1860s. Also, unlike most other bands, which were typically made up of family members, this one began as a small handful of unrelated Indian women joined by the fact that the US government owed them payments in the form of annuities in exchange for land given up in the 1836 Treaty of Washington, DC.

In this volume, the author unveils the genealogies for all the families who belonged to the band under Agatha Biddle's leadership, and in doing so, offers the reader fascinating insights into Mackinac Island life in the nineteenth century.

Critique: The Founding Mothers of Mackinac Island: The Agatha Biddle Band of 1870 lists genealogical information about the Agatha Biddle band, a community of Native American and Metis (people who were of mixed indigenous and European ancestry) of eight men and sixty-six women, many of whom were not family. One common factor among members of the band was that the US government owed them annuity payments for land yielded in the 1836 Treaty of Washington DC. The text of The Founding Mothers of Mackinac Island is concise, yet clearly details major life events to members of the band and their offspring. Notes and a bibliography round out this welcome addition to genealogy collections.

Editorial Note: Theresa L. Weller has been published in Michigan's Habitant Heritage, St. Ignace News, and the Mackinac Island Town Crier. She is a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.


The Economic Studies Shelf

Why Trust Matters
Benjamin Ho
Columbia University Press
https://cup.columbia.edu
9780231189606, $35.00 Hardcover
B08L9QBKTZ, $19.24 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Why-Trust-Matters-Economists-Guide/dp/0231189605

Synopsis: Have economists neglected trust? The economy is fundamentally a network of relationships built on mutual expectations. More than that, trust is the glue that holds civilization together. Every time we interact with another person - to make a purchase, work on a project, or share a living space - we rely on trust. Institutions and relationships function because people place confidence in them. Retailers seek to become trusted brands; employers put their trust in their employees; and democracy works only when we trust our government.

Benjamin Ho reveals the surprising importance of trust to how we understand our day-to-day economic lives. Starting with the earliest societies and proceeding through the evolution of the modern economy, he explores its role across an astonishing range of institutions and practices. From contracts and banking to blockchain and the sharing economy to health care and climate change, Ho shows how trust shapes the workings of the world. He provides an accessible account of how economists have applied the mathematical tools of game theory and the experimental methods of behavioral economics to bring rigor to understanding trust. Bringing together insights from decades of research in an approachable format, Why Trust Matters shows how a concept that we rarely associate with the discipline of economics is central to the social systems that govern our lives.

Critique: Why Trust Matters: An Economist's Guide to the Ties That Bind Us is a scholarly treatise on a nebulous yet crucial aspect of economic studies - the unquantifiable quality of trust, sometimes also known as social capital. The ability to trust that an institution will continue to function, that the bank will safely hold one's money, that employees will not sabotage their employers, and more is critical to continued economic function. Why Trust Matters scrutinizes the invisible glue of trust in fine detail, drawing upon decades of research to make salient points. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library Economic Studies collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Why Trust Matters is also available in a Kindle edition ($19.24).

Editorial Note: Benjamin Ho is an associate professor of economics at Vassar College and a faculty affiliate for the Center for Global Energy Policy at Columbia University. He was also lead energy economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisers.


The Poetry Shelf

Bull
David Elliott
www.davidelliottbooks.com
HMH Books
https://www.hmhbooks.com
9781328596338, $17.99 Hardcover
B01I4FPLV0, $9.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Bull-David-Elliott/dp/0544610601

Synopsis: Much like Lin-Manuel Miranda did in Hamilton, the New York Times best-selling author David Elliott turns a classic on its head in form and approach, updating the timeless story of Theseus and the Minotaur. A rough, rowdy, and darkly comedic young adult retelling in verse, which NPR called "beautifully clever," Bull will have readers reevaluating one of mythology's most infamous monsters. See the story of theseus and the minotaur in a whole new light.

Minos thought he could
Pull a fast one
On me,
Poseidon!
God of the Sea!
But I'm the last one
On whom you
Should try such a thing.
The nerve of that guy.
The balls. The audacity.
I AM THE OCEAN!
I got capacity!
Depths! Darkness! Delphic power!
So his sweet little plan
Went big-time sour
And his wife had a son
Born with horns and a muzzle
Who ended up
In an underground puzzle.
What is it with you mortals?
You just can't seem to learn:
If you play with fire, babies,
You're gonna get burned.

Critique: Bull is a unique novel written entirely in lyrical, sometimes rhyming verse, retelling the classic Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur from the Minotaur's point of view. Sometimes bawdy, sometimes violent, always audacious, Bull is an eyebrow-raising spin on a timeless tale, and a swift yet thoroughly engaging read to the very last page. Highly recommended! It should be noted for personal reading lists that Bull is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Editorial Note: David Elliott is a NY Times bestselling children's author whose many titles include And Here's to You!, The Evangeline Mudd books, In the Wild, On the Wing, and Nobody's Perfect. David has worked as a singer, a cucumber washer, and a popsicle stick maker.


The Criminology Shelf

Giovanni's Ring
Giovanni Rocco with Douglas Schofield
Chicago Review Press
chicagoreviewpress.com
9781641603508 $27.99 hc / $14.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Giovannis-Ring-Life-Inside-Sopranos/dp/164160350X

Synopsis: Giovanni's Ring is the story of "Giovanni Rocco," a New Jersey police officer, known undercover as "Giovanni Gatto," who was the mysterious agent at the epicenter of Operation Charlie Horse, a federal undercover operation that ultimately brought down ten members and associates of New Jersey's DeCavalcante Mafia family, the criminal organization known as "the real Sopranos."

Giovanni spent nearly three years working his way into the DeCavalcante hierarchy. That lethal assignment brought the undercover operation to an end in March 2015, and the resulting string of high-profile arrests eviscerated the criminal organization.

Giovanni's Ring is not simply a chronicle of Giovanni Rocco's adventures in the murky and dangerous Mafia world he inhabited, but also a fascinating window into the psychological struggles that such a life inevitably entails.

Critique: Giovanni's Ring: My Life Inside the Real Sopranos is extraordinary story of an undercover police officer who infiltrated New Jersey's DeCavalcante Mafia crime family, colloquially known as "the real Sopranos". He spent nearly three years among them, and was crucial to a string of arrests that crippled the organization. Afterward, he retired from law enforcement and moved to a hidden location with his family. Giovanni's Ring is intense, stressful, and an eye- opening glimpse into a dark world of contraband goods, warehouse robberies, truck hijackings, drug trafficking, and more. Thoroughly accessible to lay readers and criminology scholars alike, Giovanni's Ring is an invaluable addition to public and college library collections, highly recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that Giovanni's Ring is also available in a Kindle edition ($14.99).

What Happened to Paula
Katherine Dykstra
W. W. Norton & Company
https://wwnorton.com
9780393651980, $26.95
B08L6YYFVN, $9.32

https://www.amazon.com/What-Happened-Paula-Death-American/dp/0393651983

Synopsis: July 1970. Eighteen-year-old Paula Oberbroeckling left her house in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Four months later, her remains were discovered just beyond the mouth of a culvert overlooking the Cedar River. Her homicide has never been solved.

Fifty years cold, Paula's case had been mostly forgotten when journalist Katherine Dykstra began looking for answers. A woman was dead. Why had no one been held responsible? How could the powers that be, how could a community, have given up? Tracing Paula's final days, Dykstra uncovers a girl whose exultant personality was at odds with the Midwest norms of the late 1960s. A girl who was caught between independence and youthful naivete, between a love that defied racially segregated Cedar Rapids and her complicated but enduring love for her mother, and between a possible pregnancy and the freedoms that had been promised by the women's liberation movement but that still had little practical bearing on actual lives. The more Dykstra learned about the circumstances of Paula's life, the more parallels she saw in the lives of the women who knew Paula and the women in Paula's family, in the lives of the women in Dykstra's own family, and even in her own life.

Captivating and expertly crafted from interviews with Paula's family and friends, police reports, and on-the-scene investigation, What Happened to Paula is part true crime story, part memoir, a timely and powerful look at gender, autonomy, and the cost of being a woman.

Critique: What Happened to Paula: On the Death of an American Girl examines the true crime story behind a young woman whose 1970 homicide was never solved. Paula single, estranged from her impoverished mother, and possibly pregnant when she died. Her body was too decayed to determine the cause of death when discovered, but evidence of bindings on the corpse made it clear that foul play was involved. What Happened to Paula is not only the story exploring theories about the crime that ended Paula's life; it also reflects on other true crime stories with women as their victims, including rape and rape-murder stories, and on the burdensome costs of being born in a female body. What Happened to Paula is sobering, insightful, and a highly recommended addition to both true crime and women's issues collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that What Happened to Paula is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.32).

Editorial Note: Katherine Dykstra is a writer, editor, and teacher. Her essays have been published in the Washington Post, Poets & Writers, and Real Simple, among other periodicals. She lives with her husband and two children in New Jersey.


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
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