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Reviewer's Choice
Emergency Management for Law Enforcement
James F. Prescott Jr.
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
https://www.ccthomas.com
9780398094300, $55.95, PB, 374pp
https://www.amazon.com/Emergency-Management-Law-Enforcement-Strategies/dp/0398094306
Synopsis: With renewed interest in both emergency management and homeland security, disproportionate attention and resources have been focused on terrorist threats. However, natural hazards pose a far greater risk of death, injury, and property damage to the typical American jurisdiction.
Hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes cause billions of dollars in damage and substantial numbers of deaths and injuries each year. The purpose of "Emergency Management for Law Enforcement: Strategies, Operations, and Tactics " by James F. Prescott Jr. is to focus on these natural hazards and the linkage between law enforcement and emergency management.
"Emergency Management for Law Enforcement" draws from criminal justice, psychology, public administration, emergency management, public health, meteorology, leadership, and management in an effort to synthesize a wealth of knowledge to better prepare police officers to respond to the complete range of emergencies and disasters they encounter on the job.
"Emergency Management for Law Enforcement" will help to better integrate law enforcement officers with other first responder agencies as they work together to resolve critical incidents. It pulls together important information obtained from empirical research and disaster experience. This knowledge is designed to help law enforcement officers deal with disasters and emergencies more effectively as important players in emergency management.
Learning these evidence-based practical applications will assist police officers and law enforcement agencies in making better decisions in order to take more effective actions at critical incident scenes.
Critique: Comprehensive, up-to-date, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Emergency Management for Law Enforcement: Strategies, Operations, and Tactics" is an ideal choice for personal, professional, police academy, governmental, and college/university library Law Enforcement & Disaster Management collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
Writing Beyond Writing
Tim Brookes
Percentage Possibility Publications
9780990442813, $49.95, HC, 172pp
https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Beyond-Tim-Brookes/dp/0990442888
Synopsis: The outcome of a life's work as a successful writer and a dozen years of researching the world's indigenous and minority writing systems, "Writing Beyond Writing: Lessons from Endangered Alphabets" by Tim Brookes is an entirely original exploration of writing itself.
As the world's leading investigator of rare alphabets, Brookes examines the world's fascinating and often stunning disappearing minority scripts and shows that writing can and often does have qualities we have forgotten -- iconic qualities, community values, spiritual qualities, even magical qualities.
Brookes considers the ways in which we in the West have increasingly defined writing as something abstract, purely symbolic, merely a mechanical tool for representing the sounds of speech, and asks what is lost when writing is reduced to such a narrow and colorless definition.
Brookes also shows that just as many cultures around the world are reviving their embattled traditional alphabets, even in the West the old division between writing and art is being healed in surprising ways -- and right under our noses!
Critique: A fascinating, informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking study that will have a particular and special value for readers with an interest in the history and evolution of the alphabet and written languages, as well as the cultural implications of diverse writing styles from antiquity down to the present day. A bibliographer's delight and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university History of Writing collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, this large format hardcover edition of Tim Brookes seminal and ground-breaking work, "Writing Beyond Writing: Lessons from Endangered Alphabets" from Percentage Possibility Publications is also readily available for students academia, and non-specialist general readers in a paperback edition (9780990442882, $32.50).
Editorial Note: Tim Brookes (https://www.timbrookesinc.com) has acted as a publisher or publishing consultant for more than 75 books. Offering editing and publishing services, he is also the creator of endangered alphabet games.
The Social Issues Shelf
Black Lives, American Love
D. B. Maroon
Lawrence Hill Books
c/o Chicago Review Press
www.chicagoreviewpress.com
9781641609326, $27.99, HC, 248pp
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Lives-American-Love-Resilience/dp/164160932X
Synopsis: With the publication of "Black Lives, American Love: Essays on Race and Resilience", a collection of commentaries by D.B. Maroon, readers are presented with a personal biography of America, Blackness, and racial politics in unflinching, unapologetic style, as he delivers a relentless truth-telling on some of the country's fiercest debates and most profound challenges with respect to race relations in America..
From the birthplace of the Black Lives Matter movement to the murders of unarmed Black people, this compelling essay collection invites readers to ask questions as much as it asks for accountability. Moving through debates on the 1619 Project to the rippling impact of resurgent white nationalism, the golden thread of each essay is the hopeful continuance of the Black community, as well as a call to greater truth as the first step toward reconciliation.
Intersectional, personal, and ultimately centered on truth, love, and perseverance, "Black Lives, American Love" details and tends to the fractures in American culture. It is a meditation on how we can all do more to secure America's vastly beautiful possibilities for all its citizens, rather than a few.
Critique: Eloquent, informative, insightful, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Black Lives, American Love: Essays on Race and Resilience" is comprise of eighteen erudite essays that are especially and unreservedly recommended for readers with an interest in African American History, biography, and demographic studies. While a welcome and timely addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Black Studies collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, political activists, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Black Lives, American Love: Essays on Race and Resilience" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note: D.B. Maroon (https://dbmaroon.com) is an expert on American culture, an anthropologist, and CEO of an urban research institute. Her essays have been published in The Themed Space: Locating Culture, Nation, and Self and Spirited: Affirming the Soul and Black Gay/Lesbian Identity. A committed public scholar, she's appeared in Bustle, Shape, Healthline, and Women's Health. She holds a PhD in anthropology from UC Santa Cruz.
The Algorithm
Hilke Schellmann
Hachette Books
c/o Hachette Book Group
www.hachettebookgroup.com
9780306827341, $30.00, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Algorithm-Decides-Hired-Monitored-Promoted/dp/0306827344
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Algorithm: How AI Decides Who Gets Hired, Monitored, Promoted, and Fired and Why We Need to Fight Back Now", Hilke Schellmann delivers a shocking and illuminating expose on one of the most pressing civil rights issues of our time: how AI has quietly, and mostly out of sight, taken over the world of work.
Schellmann takes his readers on a journalistic detective story, meeting job applicants and employees who have been subjected to these technologies, playing AI-based video games that companies use for hiring, and investigating algorithms that scan our online activity to construct personality profiles -- including if we are prone to self -harm.
Schellmann also convinces whistleblowers to share results of faulty AI -tools, and tests algorithms that analyze job candidates' facial expressions and tools that predict from our voices if we are anxious or depressed. Schellmann finds employees whose every keystrokes were tracked and AI that analyzes group discussions or even predicts when someone may leave a company. Her reporting reveals in detail how much employers already know about us and how little we know about the technologies that are used on us.
"The Algorithm" tells an even bigger story with Schellmann discovering faulty algorithms and systemic discrimination of women and people of color, which may have already harmed thousands of job seekers and employees. It advocates to go beyond these tools to more thoughtfully consider how we hire, promote, and treat human beings -- with or without AI. As Schellmann emphasizes, we need to decide how we build algorithmic tools in any industry and what protections we need to put in place in an AI-driven world.
Critique: A seminal and ground-breaking study of a new technological that will continue to have a profound impact on humanity, "The Algorithm: How AI Decides Who Gets Hired, Monitored, Promoted, and Fired and Why We Need to Fight Back Now" will be of immense importance to readers with an interest in artificial intelligence (AI), semantics, the social/cultural/workplace impact of technology. Exceptionally well written, exhaustively researched, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Algorithm: How AI Decides Who Gets Hired, Monitored, Promoted, and Fired and Why We Need to Fight Back Now" is a timely and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, corporate, governmental, and college/university library Artificial Intelligence collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, corporate executives, governmental policy makers, political activists, and non-specialist general readers that "The Algorithm: How AI Decides Who Gets Hired, Monitored, Promoted, and Fired and Why We Need to Fight Back Now" is also available in a paperback edition (9780306835148, $25.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
Editorial Note: Hilke Schellmann (https://pulitzercenter.org/people/hilke-schellmann) is an Emmy-award winning investigative reporter and journalism professor at NYU. Her work covering artificial intelligence has been published in The New York Times, The Guardian, the MIT Technology Review, and The Wall Street Journal, where she led a team investigating how AI is changing our lives. She has also reported for NPR's Planet Money podcast on fake online reviews and her investigation for VICE on HBO was a finalist for a Peabody Award. Her PBS Frontline documentary Outlawed in Pakistan premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was honored with an Emmy.
The Environmental Studies Shelf
Land, Water, Air and Freedom
Joan Martinez-Alier
Edward Elgar Publishing
www.e-elgar.com
9781035312764, $230.00, HC, 798pp
https://www.amazon.com/Land-Water-Air-Freedom-Environmental/dp/103531276X
Synopsis: Simply stated, "Land, Water, Air and Freedom: The Making of World Movements for Environmental Justice" by Joan Martinez-Alier is seminal and ground-breaking study that makes visible the global counter-movement for environmental justice, combining ecological economics and political ecology. Using 500 in-depth empirical analyses from the Atlas of Environmental Justice, environmental activist and academician Martinez-Alier deftly analyses the commonalities shared by environmental defenders and offenders respectively.
Each individual narrative emphasizes the diverse vocabularies, iconographies, and valuation languages of poor and Indigenous activists without losing sight of the global scale of climate action and biodiversity loss. Revealing the circularity gap at the centre of the industrial economy, the book focuses on the frontiers of commodity extraction and waste disposal. Alongside exploring protagonists and geographies of resistance, chapters delve into corporate irresponsibility, unequal trade, and feminist neo-Malthusianism. Although grassroots movements for socio-economic sustainability are deeply diverse, there are global patterns of action and empowerment.
Critique: While "Land, Water, Air and Freedom: The Making of World Movements for Environmental Justice" by Professor Joan Martinez-Alier must be considered essential reading for students and scholars of environmental social sciences and humanities, anthropology, geography, international relations, and ecology, it will also help environmental activists engaged in the diverse movements advocating for environmental justice, preservation, and restoration. Exceptionally well organized and presented, and comprised of 30 erudite and informative contributions by experts in the field, "Land, Water, Air and Freedom: The Making of World Movements for Environmental Justice" is a core and essential addition to personal, professional, community, governmental, and college/university library Environmental Policy and Political Advocacy collections, as well as supplemental Public Policy curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Joan Martinez-Alier (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Martinez_Alier) is Professor of Economics and Economic History, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain, as well as the recipient of the Balzan Prize in 2020 and the Holberg Prize in 2023.
The Urban Planning Shelf
City Science: Performance Follows Form
Ramon Gras, author
Jeremy Burke, author
Actar D
c/o Actar Publishers
https://actar.com
9781638409908, $49.95, HC, 400pp
https://www.amazon.com/City-Science-Performance-follows-Form/dp/1638409900
Synopsis: The Aretian team, a spin off company from the Harvard Innovation Lab, has developed a city science methodology to evaluate the relationship between city form and urban performance. With the publication of "City Science: Performance Follows Form" co-authors Ramon Gras and Jeremy Burke illuminate the relationship between a city's spatial design and quality of life it affords for the general population.
By measuring innovation economies to design Innovation Districts, social networks and patterns to help form organization patterns, and city topology, morphology, entropy and scale to create 15 Minute Cities are some of the frameworks presented in this illustrated and ground-breaking volume.
Therefore, urban designers, architects and engineers will be able to successfully tackle complex urban design challenges by using the authors' frameworks and findings in their own work. Case studies help to present key insights from advanced, data-driven geospatial analyses of cities around the world in an illustrative manner.
"City Science: Performance Follows Form" is an inaugural publication by Aretian Urban Analytics and Design and will provide readers a new set of tools to learn from, expand, and develop for the healthy growth of cities and regions around the world.
Critique: This large format (8 x 1.5 x 9.75 inches, 3.53 pounds) hardcover edition of "City Science: Performance Follows Form" from Actar D is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, governmental, and college/university library collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, and featuring a four page Atlas of Global Cities and an extended Bibliography, "City Science: Performance Follows Form" is a seminal and exceptional study that will prove of immense value to readers with an interest in Architectural Criticism, Materials, City Planning and Urban Development.
Editorial Note #1: Ramon Gras Aloma recently presented insights from the new Aretian Urban Analytics and Design book "City Science: Performance Follows Form", at the first Urban AI conference held at the prestigious UCL Bartlett School of Architecture and Urban Design. During this conference on AI and Urban Design, the different speakers explored how artificial intelligence can help urban designers shape better, more sustainable and inclusive cities. This conference created a much-needed link between academia and industry which allowed people in the field to meet with other urban experts and discuss novel advances, methodologies and technologies.
Editorial Note #2: Jeremy Burke is a City and Architectural Designer and Researcher interested in how new modeling techniques can describe complex social systems. At Harvard, Jeremy graduated from the inaugural cohort of the Harvard MDE program, where he developed research around design criteria for innovation districts operating in synergy with logistics hubs and developed industrial infrastructure to support local agriculture. Jeremy explores how traditional design methodologies can be informed through computational thinking. The resulting systems-level understanding of a space can be used to inform the design and development of sustainable architectural and infrastructure projects and to foster healthy communities. Prior to his joint thesis with Ramon at Harvard, Jeremy worked with Kennedy Violich Architecture, BRU Architects, and Alon Development, and has experience completing a wide range of projects from smart sustainable houses, to modern renovations within historical contexts, and the master plan and design of a four million square foot resort and entertainment facility.
Participatory Design Thinking in Urban Design Education
John Odhiambo Onyango
Actar D
c/o Actar Publishers
https://actar.com
9781638400714, $44.95, HC, 164pp
https://www.amazon.com/Participatory-Design-Thinking-Urban-Education/dp/1638400717
Synopsis: Since the Boyer of 1996 of 'Building Communities: A New future for Architectural Education and Practice' there has been some movements in architectural and design schools and practitioners exploring ways to inculcate a concern for larger social issues in the design process.
Several alternative approaches to the education, practice of architecture and urban design have emerged rooted in the Social Architecture based on four groups of participants; the private visionary; the public professional with a vision; the professional based at non-profit organizations, and the activist university. The urban laboratory model is one such model housed in the activist university. One of the arguments for this methodology is that it would lead to a better place-making process.
With the publication of "Participatory Design Thinking in Urban Design Education" John Odhiambo Onyango provides literature of the social movements that led to the rise of alternative design methods. Onyango also critically examines the methodologies used and how they contribute to best practice in place-making; and it suggests universal application that may be incorporated in the use of the urban design laboratory model as a tool for educating future architecture & urban designers.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Participatory Design Thinking in Urban Design Education" from Actar D is a seminal contribution to the growing field of Architecture & Urban Planning literature and an ideal textbook Urban Planning curriculum studies lists. Featuring occasional and informative illustrations, "Participatory Design Thinking in Urban Design Education" is solidly recommended for personal, professional, and college/university library Urban Planning/Architecture collections.
Editorial Note: John Odhiambo Onyango, Ph.D. is an academic, scholar and is currently an Associate Professor of Architecture at the School of Architecture, University of Notre Dame (USA). He has a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Architecture from the University of Glasgow (Scotland, UK); a Master of Architecture degree from University of Notre Dame, (USA); Certificate in Professional Practice & Management in Architecture (RIBA Part 3-Architect's License in the United Kingdom) from the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, (England, UK) and a Bachelor of Architecture (honors) degree from University of Nairobi (Kenya).
The Education Shelf
Engaging Young Engineers, second edition
Angela K. Stone, et al.
Brookes Publishing Company
www.brookespublishing.com
9781681257495, $42.95, PB, 248pp
https://www.amazon.com/Engaging-Young-Engineers-Teaching-Problem-Solving/dp/1681257491
Synopsis: Boost young children's problem-solving skills and set them up for long-term success with the second edition of the practical guidebook "Engaging Young Engineers: Teaching Problem-Solving Skills Through STEM". Enhanced with new lessons and timely topics (including equity and the use of makerspaces), this newly updated and expanded second edition of "Engaging Young Engineers" will help get all children ready for kindergarten by teaching them basic practices of engineering design and critical thinking skills.
Using a clear instructional framework and fun lesson plans tailored for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, teachers and caregivers will be able to guide their "emerging engineers" as they explore big ideas and develop new ways of thinking through engaging and challenging learning experiences.
Practical materials include classroom-tested activities that incorporate children's books, self-reflection checklists, practical strategies and modifications, Early Childhood UDL Planning Sheets, and blank Experience Planning Templates.
"Engaging Young Engineers" will: Introduce hands-on learning experiences that teach critical thinking skills - curiosity, persistence, flexibility, reflection, and collaboration; Demystify and teach key phases of engineering design: think about it, try it, fix it, and share it; Support school readiness by helping children work toward kindergarten standards, including Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards; Use universal design for learning (UDL) principles to ensure that learning experiences work for all children, with and without disabilities; Encourage language and literacy development with suggestions for weaving reading into problem-solving experiences and using language to prompt children's thinking skills; Promote other skills needed for school success, including social-emotional skills, self-regulation, and executive functioning.
This new edition of "Engaging Young Engineers" features three new themes: computational thinking, makerspaces, and inclusion and equity in STEM. Every lesson plan is updated. More lessons are based on new children's books. Included are new art/music/drama lesson options for STEAM-focused schools. There is more coverage of spatial development. Also features are | expanded information on assessment , as well as updated book resources and references.
Critique: This large format (8.46 x 0.33 x 10.96 inches, 1.48 pounds) paperback edition from the Brookes Publishing Company, and co-authored by the team of academicians and education specialists Angi Stone MacDonald, Kristen Wendell, Anne Douglass, Mary Lu Love, and Amanda Wiehe Lopes is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, family, daycare center, preschool, community, school district, and college/university Science/STEM education collections and supplemental Education Lesson Planning curriculums for children ages 1-5. It should be noted that "Engaging Young Engineers: Teaching Problem-Solving Skills Through STEM" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $40.80).
Editorial Note #1: Angi Stone MacDonald, Ph.D., is a professor and chair for the Special Education, Rehabilitation, and Counseling Department at California State University, San Bernardino.
Editorial Note #2 Kristen Wendell, Ph.D., is an associate professor of mechanical engineering and education at Tufts University.
Editorial Note #3: Anne Douglass, Ph.D., is a professor of early childhood education and founding executive director at the Institute for Early Education Leadership and Innovation at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Editorial Note #4: Mary Lu Love, M.S., is a retired lecturer/director of early childhood services at the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston, where she managed grants, evaluation projects, and a variety of grant work in the early childhood field.
Editorial Note #5: Amanda Wiehe Lopes has been a teacher, program leader, and curriculum consultant at early learning organizations across the U.S. including developing creative arts immersive early education and professional learning programs at the New York State Theater Institute, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Children's Theater, Pacific Science Center, and Woodland Park Zoo.
The Jobs/Careers Shelf
Job Interviewing For Dummies
Pamela Skillings
For Dummies
c/o Wiley Professional Trade Group
https://www.dummies.com
Tantor Media
https://tantor.com
9781394192915, $24.99, PB, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/Job-Interviewing-Dummies-Pamela-Skillings/dp/1394192916
Synopsis: With the publication of "Job Interviewing For Dummies", Pamela Skillings (Top Career Coach and Co-Founder of Big Interview) will teach you how to prepare for your next job interview, deal with tough questions, and gain the tools and skills to interview with confidence and poise.
"Job Interviewing For Dummies" offers a structured, step-by-step approach for succeeding in virtual and in-person interviews. You will find information, strategies, and examples to empower you to present your best self to potential employers. You will also learn how to anticipate and prepare for the most likely questions, regardless of your level or industry, and be prepared for anything -- an interview on short notice, explaining gaps on your resume, changing careers, and beyond.
With examples and stories from the interview trenches, this friendly Dummies guide will help you breathe new life into your job search; Gain the poise you need to own the interview room (or the video chat); Brush up on your interview skills if you haven't done this in a while; Come prepared with impressive answers and questions to ask; Overcome common challenges like resume gaps.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Job Interviewing For Dummies" is the ideal DIY instructional reference manual and 'how-to' guide to being successful in searching for employment. Replete with tips, tricks and techniques of effective job interviewing, "Job Interviewing For Dummies" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as professional, community, highschool, and college/university library Jobs/Careers and Vocational Guidance/Counseling collections. It should be noted that "Job Interviewing For Dummies" is also available in a spiral bound edition ($45.54), in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.00), and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Tantor Audio, B0CT6B79JX, $20.99, MP3-CD).
Editorial Note: Pamela Skillings (biginterview.com) has 15+ years of experience as a career coach, corporate training professional, and hiring consultant.
The World History Shelf
Vandal Heaven: Reinterpreting Post-Roman North Africa
Simon Elliott
Casemate Publishers
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636242873, $34.95, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Vandal-Heaven-Reinterpreting-Post-Roman-Africa/dp/1636242871
Synopsis: North Africa was one of the richest parts of the Roman Empire and the agricultural powerhouse of the Mediterranean. It was also home to some of the emperor's biggest imperial estates, and prosperous cities of all kinds.
Its loss to the Vandals in the first half of the 5th century AD was the mortal blow which both precipitated the fall of the western empire, and set the eastern empire back for decades. Its re-conquest then became an obsession with each new emperor in Constantinople. Time and again the eastern Romans failed in this goal, until Justinian I finally succeeded in the AD 530s. Although North Africa's restoration to the world of Rome only lasted a short time, it has widely been regarded as a positive development.
However, new research (published in "Vandal Heaven: Reinterpreting Post-Roman North Africa" for the first time) shows that post-Roman North Africa thrived under the Vandals. To them it was Vandal heaven, a place where they found a way as the new incumbent elite to live comfortably alongside the late Roman inhabitants, despite their different interpretations of Christianity.
Together, the two cultures flourished.
When the eastern Romans (now known as the Byzantines) returned, they were not welcome. This is evidenced in the surviving built environments of this new period of North African history, namely chains of small forts along the frontier and interior, where the Byzantines used mounted troops to keep an unhappy local population under control.
With the publication of "Vandal Heaven: Reinterpreting Post-Roman North Africa", Dr Simon Elliott not only presents a brand-new interpretation of post-Roman North Africa, but makes the case that the Arab Conquest was so successful in this region because the Byzantine overlords were so unpopular. Furthermore his argument explains how the region today came to be part of the Arab world, in contrast to the regions along the northern Mediterranean freeboard, which maintain their Roman-ness to this day.
Critique: A seminal and ground-breaking study, "Vandal Heaven: Reinterpreting Post-Roman North Africa" is deftly organized into six chapters: The Romans; The Barbarians; Vandal Origins; Vandal Migrations; Vandal Conquests; Vandal Apocalypse). Also included for the reader's benefit is a seven page Bibliography and a three page Index. An extraordinary, fascinating, informative, thought-provoking read from first page to last, "Vandal Heaven: Reinterpreting Post-Roman North Africa" is highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Roman History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Vandal Heaven: Reinterpreting Post-Roman North Africa" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99).
Editorial Note: Dr Simon Elliott (www.simonelliott20.com) is an award-winning archaeologist, historian and broadcaster. He has written numerous books on themes related to the classical world and military history, and frequently appears on broadcast media as a presenter and expert. Amongst others, his books published by Casemate Publishers include Ancient Greeks at War (2021), Old Testament Warriors (2021) and Romans at War (2020). Dr. Elliott is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Kent, Trustee of the Council for British Archaeology, Ambassador for Museum of London Archaeology, President of the Society of Ancients, and Guide Lecturer for Andante Travels and Hidden History Travel.
The Military History Shelf
Legion: Life in the Roman Army
Richard Abdy
The British Museum Press
c/o Getty Publications
www.getty.edu/publications
9781606069189, $99.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com.au/Legion-Life-Roman-Richard-Abdy/dp/1606069187
Synopsis: With the publication of the J. Paul Getty Museum edition of "Legion: Life in the Roman Army", historian Richard Abdy tells the story of everyday life in the Roman army (including the experiences of women and enslaved people) through a range of rare objects and testimonies. These include letters from Apion and Terentianus, young Egyptian soldiers writing home to their families; the tombstone of 4-year-old Vacia, a touching reminder of the presence of children near forts; the remains of a soldier found at Herculaneum, killed in the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79; and a board game played by soldiers in their spare time.
Human experiences are set within the context of the first three centuries of the common era, widely recognized as the heyday success for the Roman army. During this period, forces were split into legions of citizen-only troops and auxiliary units of non-citizen troops, with the latter offered a chance at citizenship and social advancement after around 25 years of service. As well as describing the social forces behind the army, "Legion: Life in the Roman Army" also addresses its violent reality for civilians and troops -- battle tactics, weaponry and the risk for convicted soldiers of becoming amphitheatre entertainment are all explored.
Traveling from the deserts of North Africa to the freezing climes of Scotland, and moving from the gruesome life of a medic to loving correspondence between friends, with "Legion: Life in the Roman Army" readers gain a vivid picture of life in the Roman army, with all the spectacular and ordinary experiences it involved.
Critique: Profusely and beautifully illustrated throughout, this large format (15 x 2.4 x 22 cm) paperback edition of "Legion: Life in the Roman Army" from the J. Paul Getty Museum is a remarkably informative and inherently fascinating read from cover to cover. Of special and particular value for readers with an interest in Roman Military History, this extraordinary volume will prove to be a prized and enduringly significant pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Roman History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Richard Abdy is curator of Roman coins in the department of coins and medals at the British Museum. (https://britishmuseum.academia.edu/RichardAbdy)
Patton's Tactician
James W. Holsinger Jr., editor
The University Press of Kentucky
www.kentuckypress.com
9780813198712, $40.00, HC, 502pp
https://www.amazon.com/Pattons-Tactician-Lieutenant-Geoffrey-American/dp/0813198712
Synopsis: Nineteen months after Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor and forced the United States to enter World War II, boats carrying the 7th US Army landed on the shores of southern Sicily. Dubbed Operation Husky, the campaign to establish an Allied foothold in Sicily was led by two of the most noted American tacticians of the twentieth century: George S. Patton Jr. and Geoffrey Keyes.
While Patton is the subject of numerous books and films, Keyes's life and achievements have gone unrecognized, but his anonymity is by no means an accurate reflection of the value of his contributions and dedicated service in World War II and the succeeding cold war.
Deftly compiled and edited by James W. Holsinger Jr. and published by the University of Kentucky Press, "Patton's Tactician: The War Diary of Lieutenant General Geoffrey Keyes" is the first transcribed edition of Keyes's personal diary to be published.
The diary begins in October 1942, prior to the invasion of French Morocco and Keyes's engagement in World War II and the Cold War. Holsinger has integrated a variety of related sources, including correspondence between Keyes, Patton, and Eisenhower. A day-to-day chronicle of Keyes's experiences in the World War II Mediterranean Theater and the early days of the Cold War in occupied Germany and Austria, "Patton's Tactician" is an invaluable primary source that offers readers a glimpse into the mind of one of America's most important World War II corps commanders.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of two Appendices, forty-six pages of Notes, a two page listing of References, a two page listing of Oral History Interviews, and a ten page Index, "Patton's Tactician: The War Diary of Lieutenant General Geoffrey Keyes" will be of particular interest to students, academicians, historians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in World War II Histories/Biographies. An exceptional and inherently interesting read for American military history buffs and a prized pick for community and college/university collections, it should be noted that "Patton's Tactician" is also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $30.49).
Editorial Note: James W. Holsinger Jr., M.D., Ph.D., is the Charles T. Wethington Jr. Chair in the Health Sciences at the University of Kentucky. He also served as secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services from 2003 to 2005.
The Cookbook Shelf
Vibrant Vegetables
Janneke Philippi
Tra Publishing
www.trapublishing.com
9780966438871, $40.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Vibrant-Vegetables-Delicious-Recipes-Veggies/dp/0966438876
Synopsis: With the publication of "Vibrant Vegetables: 100+ Delicious Recipes Using 20+ Common Veggies", Janneke Philippi provides an impressive strikingly beautiful compendium packed from cover to cover with delightful and versatile vegetable-forward recipes that fully showcase the vibrant flavors of more than 20 vegetables through over 100 delicious recipes, offering new inspiration for anyone seeking creative and satisfying vegetarian meals.
From quick and easy everyday recipes like Eggplant Satay and Mushroom Lasagna to impressive dinner party dishes such as Pumpkin Wellington and Crispy Camembert, "Vibrant Vegetables" provides a culinary wealth of options for vegetarian meals suitable every day of the week, as well as any special or formal dining occasions.
Critique: A visually gorgeous, elegant, and thoroughly kitchen cook friendly collection, "Vibrant Vegetables: 100+ Delicious Recipes Using 20+ Common Veggies" is ideal and inspirational for planning menus with and will prove of very special and particular resource for anyone with an interest in vegetarian dining and international vegetable based cuisines. Simply stated, "Vibrant Vegetables: 100+ Delicious Recipes Using 20+ Common Veggies" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections.
Editorial Note: Janneke Philippi (www.studiophilippi.nl) is a recipe writer, food stylist and regular columnist for Delicious, the leading food magazine of the Netherlands. She is the author of various cookbooks. Janneke lives with her family in the Netherlands.
The 5-Minute Noodle Salad Lunchbox
Alexander Hart
Smith Street Books
c/o Rizzoli
www.rizzoliusa.com
9781923049000, $19.95, HC, 128pp
https://www.amazon.com/5-Minute-Noodle-Salad-Lunchbox-Healthy/dp/1923049003
Synopsis: Sometimes it seems like too much of a chore to get our lunch prepped for the day ahead. We can often run out of inspiration too, meaning we end up with the same dull dailey lunch menu that makes healthy eating so much harder than it should be.
With the publication of "The 5-Minute Noodle Salad Lunchbox: Happy, Healthy & Speedy Meals to Make in Minutes", Alexander Hart aims to make prepping your lunch each day a breeze -- while also ensuring they are deliciously healthy.
The 52 recipes comprising "The 5-Minute Noodle Salad Lunchbox: Happy, Healthy & Speedy Meals to Make in Minutes" cover a range of diverse salads, utilizing the power of noodles, from vermicelli to udon to rice noodles, as well as low-carb zoodle options. There's also advice throughout on how to make bulk lunches for your week, if that's your style, and how to overhaul last night's leftovers into a great midday meal.
Critique: Featuring palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, health supportive recipes utilizing hokkien noodles, ramen noodles, rice noodles, soba noodles, and veggie noodles, along with beautifully inspiring, full page, full color photos of finished dishes -- coupled with the thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' step-by-step recipes, "The 5-Minute Noodle Salad Lunchbox: Happy, Healthy & Speedy Meals to Make in Minutes" an ideal and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections.
Editorial Note: Alexander Hart is a cook, food writer, and long-time health-food advocate based in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, Australia. Alexander has previously authored Jar Salads and The 5-Minute Salad series of books, published by Smith Street Books.
The Pets Shelf
Barking Up the Right Tree
Dr. Ian Dunbar
New World Library
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608687718, $29.95, HC, 376pp
https://www.amazon.com/Barking-Up-Right-Tree-Practice/dp/1608687716
Synopsis: When Dr. Ian Dunbar introduced his SIRIUS(R) Puppy Training in 1982, dog training mostly comprised punishing adult dogs for bad habits and lack of compliance. Dunbar focused on verbally cuing and creatively luring to achieve desirable behavior and using "life rewards" (sniffing, walking, play with dogs, and interactive games) to reinforce speedy compliance and good habits from the outset. His "dog's point of view" approach revolutionized the field, and today there are few trainers who have not been strongly influenced by it.
While positive reinforcement is now widely adopted, in "Barking Up the Right Tree: The Science and Practice of Positive Dog Training" Dr. Dunbar details how other reward-training techniques have strayed from his original, quick and easy, highly effective lure-reward approach for teaching dogs ESL, in which we can verbally cue specific responses, offer heartfelt praise for success, and give guidance when dogs err. With Dr. Dunbar's method, we can teach dogs when and where to eliminate, what to chew, when and for how long to bark, and when and how to appropriately let off steam.
"Barking Up the Right Tree" offers proof that aversive punishment seldom works to eliminate undesirable behavior or to get the dog back on track. Dr. Dunbar presents numerous nonaversive yet highly effective solutions for misbehavior and noncompliance -- simply by using the words you teach, and without even raising your voice.
The culmination of fifty-plus years at the vanguard of dog behavioral science, "Barking Up the Right Tree: is an indispensable guide for anyone who wants harmonious, two-way communication with a calm, confident, well-behaved, happy canine companion.
Critique: Simply stated, "Barking Up the Right Tree: The Science and Practice of Positive Dog Training" by veterinarian and animal behavior expert Ian Dunbar must be considered as essential reading by veterinarian students and anyone who has a canine companion of their own. Exceptionally well written and thoroughly 'user friendly in organization and presentation, "Barking Up the Right Tree: The Science and Practice of Positive Dog Training" is unreservedly recommended as a core pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Pets, Zoology, and Dog Training collections. It should be noted that "Barking Up the Right Tree: The Science and Practice of Positive Dog Training" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing, 9798874709587, $51.99, CD)
Editorial Note: Dr. Ian Dunbar (www.DunbarAcademy.com) is a veterinarian and animal behaviorist who developed the SIRIUS Puppy Training method in 1982, which revolutionized how puppies and dogs were trained. His unique lure-reward, off-leash training techniques provided an alternative to leash jerks, alpha rollovers, training collars, and other aversive means. SIRIUS techniques and philosophy have influenced almost all dog trainers worldwide. Dunbar is also the author of numerous bestselling books, including Before and After Getting Your Puppy, How to Teach a New Dog Old Tricks, and Doctor Dunbar's Good Little Dog Book.
The Wildlife Shelf
Return of the Condor
John Moir
The Lyons Press
www.lyonspress.com
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
9781493076659, $24.95, PB, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Return-Condor-Race-Largest-Extinction/dp/1493076655
Synopsis: "Return of the Condor: The Race to Save Our Largest Bird from Extinction" is the riveting account of one of the most dramatic attempts to save a species from extinction in the history of modern conservation.
With the condor's population down to only twenty-two birds in the 1980s and their very survival in doubt, the condor recovery team flouted conventional wisdom and pursued a controversial strategy to pull the bird back from the brink of extinction. Thus began the ongoing, decades-long program to reestablish America's largest bird in its ancient home in Western skies.
In "Return of the Condor, award-winning science writer John Moir takes his readers into the backcountry to get to know the recovery program scientists as well as some of the individual condors. These are stories of peril, uncertainty, and controversy. Woven throughout these tales of heartbreak and triumph is the extraordinary dedication of the humans who have sometimes risked their lives for this charismatic, intelligent, and social bird.
Despite the program's remarkable successes, the condor's narrative is still unfolding with a number of challenges remaining. This includes the dilemma of lead poisoning among free-flying condors that is a major obstacle to the bird's recovery.
Critique: This new paperback edition of "Return of the Condor: The Race to Save Our Largest Bird from Extinction" from Lyons Press features a new Afterword by author John Moir in the form of a compelling examination of the progress and continuing adversity facing the condor recovery effort since the first edition of the book was published in 2006. Highly recommended for personal, professional, community, highschool, and college/university library Wild Life and Nature Conservation collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that "Return of the Condor: The Race to Save Our Largest Bird from Extinction" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.50).
Editorial Note: John Moir is an author and environmental journalist whose special interest is the preservation of biodiversity. He is the author of two nonfiction books, has contributed to four anthologies, and has won more than two dozen writing awards. Moir is a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists, National Association of Science Writers, Authors Guild, American Society of Journalists and Authors, and a Fellow in the International League of Conservation Writers. For the past 20 years, Moir has volunteered as a docent naturalist at the Elkhorn Slough Reserve.
The Biography Shelf
Joyce Carol Oates: Letters to a Biographer
Greg Johnson
Akashic Books
www.akashicbooks.com
9781636141169, $28.95, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Joyce-Carol-Oates-Letters-Biographer/dp/1636141161
Synopsis: Joyce Carol Oates (born June 16, 1938) is an American writer. Oates published her first book in 1963, and has since published 58 novels, a number of plays and novellas, and many volumes of short stories, poetry, and non-fiction. Her novels Black Water (1992), What I Lived For (1994), and Blonde (2000), and her short story collections The Wheel of Love (1970) and Lovely, Dark, Deep: Stories (2014) were each finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. She has won many awards for her writing, including the National Book Award, for her novel them (1969), two O. Henry Awards, the National Humanities Medal, and the Jerusalem Prize (2019).
"Joyce Carol Oates: Letters to a Biographer" is comprised of a generous selection of Joyce Carol Oates's letters to her biographer and friend Greg Johnson. In them readers will discover a never-before-seen dimension of her phenomenal talent.
In 1975, when Johnson was a graduate student, he first wrote to Oates, already a world-famous author, and drew an appreciative, empathetic response. Soon the two began a fairly intense, largely epistolary friendship that would last until the present day. As time passed, letters became faxes, and faxes became emails, but the energy and vividness of Oates's writing never abated.
Her letters are often sprinkled with the names of famous people, from John Updike and Toni Morrison to Steve Martin and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. There are also descriptions of far-flung travels she undertook with her first husband, the scholar and editor Raymond Smith, and with her second, the distinguished Princeton neuroscientist Charlie Gross. But much of Oates's prose centered on the pleasures of her home life, including her pet cats and the wildlife outside her study window.
Whereas her academic essays and book reviews are eloquent in a formal way, in these letters she is wholly relaxed, even when she is serious in her concerns. Like Johnson, she was always engaged in work, whether a long novel or a brief essay, and the letters give a fascinating glimpse into Oates's writing practice.
Critique: Compiled and edited by Greg Johnson, "Joyce Carol Oates: Letters to a Biographer" is essential reading for students, academia, and fans of Joyce Carol Oates. A welcome and invaluable addition to community and college/university library American Biography collections, and supplemental Joyce Carol Oates curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that "Joyce Carol Oates: Letters to a Biographer" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Greg Johnson has a PhD in English from Emory University and has published three novels and five collections of short stories, including Pagan Babies, I Am Dangerous, and Night Journey, in addition to five books of nonfiction, including Joyce Carol Oates: A Study of Short Fiction and Invisible Writer: A Biography of Joyce Carol Oates. He has published essays and reviews in the New York Times Book Review, the Washington Post, the Yale Review, and many other publications. Johnson has twice been named Georgia Author of the Year.
The General Fiction Shelf
Love and Hot Chicken
Mary Liza Hartong
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063304796, $30.00, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Hot-Chicken-Delicious-Southern/dp/0063304791
Synopsis: When PJ Spoon returns home for her beloved daddy's funeral, she doesn't expect to stick around. Why abandon her PhD program at Vanderbilt for the humble charms of her hometown, Pennywhistle, Tennessee? Mamma's broken heart, that's why. But truth be told, PJ's own heart ain't doing too good either. She impulsively takes a job as a fry cook at Pennywhistle's beloved Chickie Shak, where locals gather for Nashville-style hot chicken. It may not be glamorous, but it's something to do.
Fate shakes up PJ's life again when the town rallies around the terribly retro and terribly fun Hot Chicken Pageant. PJ finally notices her cute redheaded coworker Boof, a singer-songwriter with a talent as striking as her curly hair, and learns to fear her smack-talking manager, Linda.
As PJ and Boof fall for each other, Boof's search for her birth mother (a Pennywhistle native) catapults the budding couple into a mystery that might be better left unsolved. The Chickie Shak pageant takes off, spurring old rivalries and new friendships in this tale of unexpected connections and new beginnings.
Critique: With a very special appeal to readers with an interest in the rural/small town life and experiences of women thoroughly laced with humor and originality, "Love and Hot Chicken: A Delicious Southern Novel" is all the more impressive when considering that it is author Mary Liza Hartong's debut as a novelist. A deftly crafted and fun read from start to finish, "Love and Hot Chicken" is a solid pick for personal and community library Contemporary Fiction collections and is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing, $40.76, CD).
Editorial Note: Mary Liza Hartong lives and writes in her hometown of Nashville. She graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in English and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She also holds a master's from Dartmouth in Creative Writing and a master's from the University College Cork in British and American Literature via Fulbright grant. Mary Liza is the aunt of five boisterous nieces and a proud member of the queer community. When she's not writing, you can find her combing yard sales for treasures.
The Historical Fiction Shelf
A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure
Angela Bell
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764242717, $29.99, HC, 384pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ladys-Guide-Marvels-Misadventure/dp/0764242717
Synopsis: London, England, 1860 -- When Clara's ex-fiance begins to spread rumors that her family suffers from hereditary insanity, it's all she can do to protect them from his desperate schemes, society's prejudice, and a lifetime in an asylum. Then Clara's Grandfather Drosselmeyer brings on an apprentice with a mechanical leg, and all pretense of normalcy takes wing.
Theodore Kingsley, a shame-chased vagabond haunted by the war, wants a fresh start far from Kingsley Court and the disappointed father who declared him dead. Upon returning to England, Theodore meets clockmaker Drosselmeyer, who hires him as an apprentice, much to Clara's dismay.
When Drosselmeyer spontaneously disappears in his secret flying owl machine, he leaves behind a note for Clara, beseeching her to make her dreams of adventure a reality by joining him on a merry scavenger hunt across Europe. Together, Clara and Theodore set off to follow Drosselmeyer's trail of clues, but they will have to stay one step ahead of a villain who wants the flying machine for himself -- at any cost.
Critique: A fun read from cover to cover, "A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure" is impressively original storytelling by Angel Bell, an author with a genuine knack for the kind of imaginative and narrative driven storytelling style that is especially effective when crafted an historical romance. While especially and unreservedly recommended as a popular addition to community library Historical Romance collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists that "A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventure" is also available in a paperback edition (9780764242137, $17.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.49).
Editorial Note: Angela Bell is a 21st-century lady with 19th-century sensibilities. One might categorize her books as historical romance, but Angela likes to describe them as a cuppa Victorian whimsy. Whenever you need a respite from the 21st-century hustle, you're welcome to visit her imaginary parlor at www.authorangelabell.com, where she can be found waiting with a pot of tea and a great book.
The Literary Fiction Shelf
Once Persuaded, Twice Shy
Melodie Edwards
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin/Random House
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9780593440797, $18.00, PB, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Once-Persuaded-Twice-Shy-Reimagining/dp/059344079X
Synopsis: When Anne Elliott broke up with Ben Wentworth, it seemed like the right thing to do. But now, eight years later, she's not so sure.
In her scenic hometown of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Anne is comfortable focusing on her successful career: filling her late mother's shoes as town councilor and executive director of her theater company. She certainly keeps busy as the all-around wrangler of eccentric locals, self-centered family members, elaborate festivals, and the occasional attacking goose.
But the more she tries to convince herself that her life is fine as is, the more it all feels like a show -- and not nearly as good as the ones put on by her theater company. She's the always responsible Anne, always taken for granted and cleaning up after other people, and the memories of happier times with Ben Wentworth still haunt her.
So when the nearby Kellynch Winery is bought by Ben's aunt and uncle, Anne's world is set ablaze as her old flame crashes back into her life -- and it's clear he has not forgiven her for breaking his heart.
A joint project between the winery and Anne's theater compels both Ben and Anne to confront their complicated history, and as they spend more time together, Anne can't help but wonder if there might be hope for their future after all.
Critique: Inspired by the Jane Austen's classic novel "Persuasion" (which was published in 1817 and was her final literary work), "Once Persuaded, Twice Shy: A Modern Reimagining of Persuasion" is a fun read from start to finish. "Once Persuaded, Twice Shy" showcases author Melodie Edwards' genuine flair for the kind of narrative driven storytelling style that will particularly impress readers with an interest in contemporary romance fiction. While unreservedly recommended as a popular pick for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Once Persuaded, Twice Shy: A Modern Reimagining of Persuasion" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Penguin Audio, B0C6YKNQ7J, $18.20, 10 Hours 23 Minutes).
Editorial Note: Melodie Edwards (https://melodieedwards.com) is the author of "Jane & Edward". She has a BA from the University of Toronto, a master's degree from McMaster University and Syracuse University (2023), studied comedy writing at the Second City Training Centre, and currently works in communications.
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
Deep River
June Davies
Linford Romance Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444851779, $TBA, PB, Large Print, 276pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/uk/search/Deep%20River
Synopsis: Lucy Sinclair grew up with her family in their red-roofed homestead near the prosperous Missouri settlement of Deep River during the turbulent 1860s. After the Civil War ends, Lucy secures a responsible post within the grandest household in the town. She falls in love, happily looking forward to her future. Until the man she thought she'd never again set eyes upon mysteriously returns to Deep River, determined to unearth long-buried secrets and exact justice for old wrongs...
Critique: Of particular interest to fans of Civil War era frontier romance novels, "Deep River" is a memorably crafted and entertaining read from start to finish. This large print paperback edition from the Linford Romance Library series will prove a popular pick for personal reading lists and community library Historical Romance collections.
Editorial Note: June Davies writes historical romantic and family suspense, serials, short stories and stories for children. (www.goodreads.com/author/list/5088290.June_Davies)
It Takes a Rake
Anna Bennett
St. Martin Paperback
c/o St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250793959, $8.99, PB, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Takes-Rake-Rogues-Lovers/dp/1250793955
Synopsis: Since she was a girl, Miss Kitty Beckett has been adept at finding trouble: sneaking brandy, running away, and getting under the skin of the boy who, like her, was an apprentice to an architect. Now Kitty's a talented heiress who can take a dry building plan and breathe life into it with her pencils and paints. Also? She can spot a rake at a hundred yards - and she won't be tricked or charmed into marriage. Certainly not by a man who might interfere with her dreams. When Bellehaven Bay announces its first ever architectural design contest, she vows to win - with a little help from her childhood rival.
Leo Lockland, a hardworking architect with a gift for numbers, has returned home after a few years in London, and he has secrets. The biggest? He's been in love with Kitty since they were both apprentices. She refuses to give her heart to any man, but Leo's determined to beat the odds -- even if it means learning how to be a rake. Fortunately, Kitty's willing to tutor him in the nuances of fashion, flirtation, and seduction in exchange for his help with the contest. But the whole plan would fall apart if she knew how he felt, so he'll have to be very convincing.
Leo proves to be a surprisingly quick study in the ballroom, on the beach, and in the bedchamber. Before long, he's softening Kitty's hard edges with his wicked words and kissing his way past all her defenses. Perhaps she's a bit too skilled at teaching, because her lessons are threatening to backfire, putting her closely guarded heart in grave danger!
Critique: Simply stated, as a novelist, author Anna Bennett is a master of the Regency Romance genre. "It Takes a Rake" is an original, carefully crafted, and fun read from start to finish. Memorable characters, emotional ups and downs, a dramatic conclusion, "It Takes a Rake" has every thing a dedicated fan of Regency Romance could want. While highly recommended for community library Historical Romance collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "It Takes a Rake" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).
Editorial Note: Anna Bennett is the award-winning author of the Debutante Diaries and Wayward Wallflowers series. Her dream of writing romance began during a semester in London, where she fell in love with the city, its history, and its pubs. Now Anna's living happily-ever-after in Maryland with her family, who try valiantly not to roll their eyes whenever she quotes Jane Austen. (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15094106.Anna_Bennett)
The Western Fiction Shelf
Last Train to Gun Ridge
Cole Shelton
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850352, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 213pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/uk/search/Last%20Train%20to%20Gun%20Ridge
Synopsis: It was the riskiest job Shane Preston and Jonah Jones had ever taken on. The Texas Rangers wanted them to ride into a lawless town called Sombrero and kidnap Lobo Dawson, a prominent member of Sam Hashknife's notorious outlaw gang.
If they could fetch him back to Ranger headquarters, it was hoped that he'd reveal the location of Hashknife's hideout in return for his own freedom. But Lobo Dawson proved to be a tough prisoner to hold, especially when they joined a band of mismatched passengers aboard the last train to Gun Ridge, and the final leg of their journey back to safety.
As the old loco hauled them across the pitiless Llano Estacado, Shane and Jonah found themselves faced with all kinds of treachery... and to save a young newlywed from life as an outlaw's woman (and to get even with the sadist who'd dared to whip Shane's horse Snowfire), the two gunmen crossed the blazing desert on foot to take part in an explosive showdown.
Critique: Originally published as a Black Horse Western (2020), "Last Train to Gun Ridge" by Cole Shelton is now newly available in a large print paperback edition from Linford Western Library. As an author of action/adventure westerns, "Cole Shelton is one of the very best and his "Last Train to Gun Ridge" is a fun and fascinating read from first page to last. This new edition of "Last Train to Gun Ridge" is a highly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library collections.
Editorial Note: Roger Norris-Green, writing under the pseudonym of Cole Shelton, was born in Brighton, UK, emigrated with his parents to Australia when he was a schoolboy. Since leaving school, he has written 137 published westerns under 6 pen names plus 2 under his own name. Some of his westerns have received 'Best Western of the Month' awards. Roger lives with his wife Elaine in Moonta Bay, South Australia. Although retired, he is still writing. "Last Chance Saloon" (written specially for Black Horse Westerns), is his 140th western.
Deception Point
Alex Frew
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850598, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 243pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/uk/search/Deception%20Point
Synopsis: When the going gets tough the men who are being hunted turn into the hunters.
A young man is suspected of a crime that he denies, but he has a secret that can't be revealed. He has nothing to do with those who want to kill, but young Wheeler has a secret that will turn not just his world upside down if it is revealed but that of other people.
One of them is Betsy, young daughter of the Brand household, keeping a simple guest house catering for cowboys and travelers in the territory of Wyoming.
Will James, the hard man of the district who has been away making his fortune, returns to find that his younger brother has been killed under mysterious circumstances -- and he is prepared to kill anyone who has harmed the last remaining member of his family.
When Wheeler is accused of a terrible crime, Will can help. However, when a person goes on the run, hard questions are asked about the man who helps the fugitive. Deception piles on deception in a story where no one can really be trusted -- not even the hero.
Critique: Alex Frew is a gifted novelist and this large print paperback edition of his western novel, "Deception Point" is a great read that will have a particular attraction for fans of deftly crafted western novels. With a thoroughly 'reader friendly' and a distinctive narrative driven storytelling style, "Deception Point" is an ideal pick for both community library Western Fiction collections and the personal reading lists of western action/adventure enthusiasts.
Editorial Note: Aelx Frew is a descendant of the Canadian branch of the Blackfoot Sioux. He has had eight Black Horse Westerns published. An avid fan of cowboy films and fiction, Alex also writes short stories, screenplays and comedy sketches. He lives in Scotland.
Stage to Nowhere
E. Jefferson Clay
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850505, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 235pp
https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/uk/search/Stage%20to%20Nowhere
Synopsis: The sheriff of Tumbleweed took an instant dislike to Duke Benedict and Hank Brazos, so he gave them one-way tickets to Flintlock. Once the stagecoach left town, it became a target.
Among the other passengers was a federal marshal delivering his prisoner, Jack Savage, to Flintlock for trial. Savage's gang had other ideas -- like stopping the stage and rescuing him.
But they reckoned without Benedict and Brazos.
The stranded passengers took refuge in a deserted town, and found themselves up against hot lead -- and stone-cold ghosts from the past!
Critique: The fourth novels in the Benedict & Brazos series by western novelist E. Jefferson Clay, "Stage to Nowhere" has humor, gunplay, reluctant heroes, and grimly lethal bad guys. Another fun read from start to finish, "Stage to Nowhere" is a 'must' for fans of action/adventure western novels and a prime pick for both personal reading lists and community library collections.
Editorial Note: There is a comprehensive listing of books by E. Jefferson Clay online at https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/19422823.E_Jefferson_Clay
The Sitka Killings
Paul Bedford
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850529, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 228pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sitka-killings-paul-bedford/1137480143
Synopsis: It's 1867. The USA has just purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire, and sent Colonel Jefferson Davis and part of the 9th Infantry to take possession of the 'last frontier'.
Replacing the 'Russkies' would prove to be the easy part though; governing the new territory something else entirely, because the soldiers are barely off the steamship before two officers are brutally slain in Sitka's cathedral.
Jake Pierce is an embittered army scout, assigned to 'handle' any troublesome Indians that might be encountered. The problem is, for a man filled with hate, the only good Indian is a dead one!
And that could lead him and his new partner, Cleetus Payne, into more trouble than even he can handle. Especially as they are tasked with tracking the two assassins into mainland Alaska. With the reason for the killings unclear, this proves to be only the start of something very nasty indeed!
Critique: A compelling page turner of a read from start to finish, "The Sitka Killings" by Paul Beford was original publishing in 2021 as a Black Horse Western and has now been released in a large print paperback addition as part of the Linford Western Library series. This newly published edition of "The Sitka Killings" is highly recommended as a prize addition to the personal reading lists of western fans and a welcome pick for community library Western Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Paul Bedford lives in England. With a strong interest in the history of the American frontier, he tries to make his westerns as factually accurate and realistic as possible.
Six-Gun Avengers
Frank Callan
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850536, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 211pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/six-gun-avengers-frank-callan/1137480144
Synopsis: 1866. In Randal, Grayson County, Montana, the court is in session. Most of the leading citizens are gathered in the courthouse, as it's the day Bill Serlich is being tried for the murder of his wife, Sarah, and her lover, Dan Beech.
Then a stranger checks in to stay a few days. He's smart, looks wealthy, reckons to be a preacher, and talks like a gentleman. For some, however, the stranger has all the hallmarks of a hired killer. Some report that the man is a ruthless criminal with a violent past.
Bill's father-in-law, Declan Rorke, owns most of the town and has paid big money to ensure a guilty verdict, but if the rumors about the stranger are true then he could be here to change all that: there's a score to settle.
Everything happening in Randal points to big trouble, and the stranger is there for his last vengeance, and he doesn't work alone. Someone else is heading to town...
Critique: An impressively crafted and original suspense thriller of a novel that is set in the Old West, from first page to last, author Frank Callan's "Six-Gun Avengers" is a riveting and truly memorable read that will hold a particular attraction for fans of the genre. Simply stated, this large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library series is particularly and unreservedly recommended, both for the personal reading lists of dedicated western fans and community library Western Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: Born and raised in Yorkshire, Stephen Wade aka Frank Callan has held a long fascination with the West. He has written five Black Horse Westerns.
Return Of The Buffalo Hunter
Ralph Hayes
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850550, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 233pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/return-of-the-buffalo-hunter-ralph-hayes/1137640884
Synopsis: Fur trapper O'Brien just wants a quiet life without looking for trouble. But after two outlaws invade his home and threaten his wife Sarah, he's tangled up with Wade Guthrie's deadly gang -- whether he likes it or not.
In the wake of a bloody robbery at a Wells Fargo depot, Sheriff Purvis requests his help in running Guthrie and his murderous thugs to ground. O'Brien must assume the role of a lawman, and carry iron against this man without a conscience.
Critique: A perfectly crafted novel of the Old West featuring dastardly bad guys and a hero who knows just how to bring them -- with guile and a fast gun, "Return of the Buffalo Hunter" by western novelist Ralph Hayes (author of nine Black Horse Westerns) is a ripping great read from first page to last. This large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library series is a welcome and recommended addition to personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.
Chronicle Of A Bounty Hunter
Dave Hooker
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444850543, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 225pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chronicle-of-a-bounty-hunter-dave-hooker/1137480145
Synopsis: Settlers are travelling west by wagon train, beginning a new life on the wild prairie. It is a land for adventurers -- exhilarating, yet brutal and lawless.
Jack Hoffmann is a bounty hunter. Survival has made him a legend, this tall, dark loner whose eyes alone can hold a man in fear. Before the law can reach cow-town, homestead or hovel, he is there, dispensing instant justice from Peacemaker and scattergun among the most degenerate humans imaginable.
Critique: Novelist Dave Hooker is a master of the hard-bitten, gun slinging, Old West. "Chronicle of a Bounty Hunter" is a thrilling read from start to finish and will prove of particular interest to all dedicated fans of blazing westerns and deftly crafted action/adventure stories.
Editorial Note: Dave Hooker is also the author of "Bad Men Die Hard" and "Gunman's Contract".
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Driven To Murder
Debbie Young
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781804831472, $42.00, PB, Large Print, 306pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/driven-to-murder-debbie-young/1144284652
Synopsis: Change is coming to Wendlebury Barrow -- and not everyone is happy about it.
When the local bus company announces it will be stopping its route through their quaint Cotswold village, the people of Wendlebury Barrow are up in arms. Not least Sophie Sayers, whose driving lessons with her boyfriend Hector get off to a bumpy start.
But the locals' peaceful protests against the decision turn deadly when a body is discovered on the Number 27. No one can work out how Janice Boggins met her demise, let alone how the driver didn't notice. While the police wait for the postmortem results, Sophie immediately suspects foul play, and launches her own investigation.
Can she solve the murder before another passenger is hurt?
Critique: Another simply outstanding Sophie Sayers cozy mystery by novelist Debbie Young, "Driven to Murder" is a fun read from start to finish for fans of deftly crafted 'whodunnit' murder mysteries featuring an amateur female sleuth and more unexpected plot twists and turns than a Coney Island roller coaster. This large print paperback edition of "Driven to Murder" from Boldwood Books is strongly and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections.
Editorial Note: Debbie Young (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debbie_Young) is a British writer of cozy mystery novels, UK ambassador for ALLi the (Alliance of Independent Authors), and founder in 2015 of the now annual Hawkesbury Upton Literary Festival. Her debut novel, "Best Murder in Show", was published in 2017 as the first part in a series of seven novels that spans the course of a village year.
Murder At Merewood Hospital
Michelle Salter
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781837510795, $42.00, PB, Large Print, 402pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-at-merewood-hospital-michelle-salter/1144228957
Synopsis: The patients who survived the Great War now have to face a new danger.
In 1916, Sister Helen Hopgood was sent with a team of nurses to care for wounded soldiers at Merewood Farm, a temporary military hospital in Hampshire. Now the war is over, only five patients remain -- and she is the only nurse. The last ward must close, and Helen is doing all she can to find new homes for the injured servicemen.
Joseph Wintringham has to sell the farm to keep Merewood Manor. But since the murder of Nurse Taplin, locals believe the place is cursed -- perhaps by the doomed nurse or by the patients who perished from their war wounds.
Is the hospital haunted? Or is someone very real behind the unnatural deaths that begin on Midsummer's Night 1919? Can Helen discover the truth before it's too late...?
Critique: An impressively original, deftly crafted, and gripping murder mystery from start to finish, this large print paperback edition from Boldwood Books Ltd. of novelist Michaelle Salter's "Murder At Merewood Hospital" will prove an immediate and enduringly popular addition to personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections.
Critique: Michaelle Salter (https://www.michellesalter.com) is an historical crime fiction writer based in Hampshire, United Kingdom. Many of her novels are set in the area where she lives and are inspired by real-life events in 1920s Britain. She brings a love of social history to her novels, which reflect how issues of 100 years ago are not so different from the challenges we face today. Michelle is a member of The Society of Authors and The Crime Writers' Association.
Tom Clancy's The Division: Hunted
Thomas Parrott
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
9781839082740, $16.95, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Tom-Clancys-Division-Operation-Crossroads/dp/1839082747
Synopsis: Division agent Maira Kanhai is alive. Maira Kanhai has gone rogue. When Brenda Wells learns that her old recruit's (and close friend's) watch has turned red, she refuses to believe it. Yet the agents sent to track Maira down have irrefutable evidence saying otherwise.
With the threads holding the Division together fraying under heavy assault, Brenda desperately assembles a specialized Division cell and heads out to learn the truth. In the blistering heat of the American Southwest, they face grave danger at every turn. There they learn that other deadly parties are stalking Maira too, hoping to use her to destroy the Division once and for all.
Critique: A riveting read from start to finish, "Tom Clancy's The Division: Hunted" by Thomas Parrott is an Operation Crossroads novel and of particular interest to fans of military and technothriller stories that are action/adventure packed from cover to cover. While also avalable in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95), "Tom Clancy's The Division: Hunted" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library collections.
Editorial Note: Thomas Parrott has written Isha's Lament, The Test of Faith, and Loyal to the End, all for the Warhammer 40,000 setting, as well as short fiction for Arkham Horror and KeyForge anthologies. (www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Thomas-Parrott/170692120)
Fur Love or Money
Sofie Ryan
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin/Random House
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9780593550243, $9.99, PB, 288pp
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Money-Second-Chance-Mystery/dp/0593550242
Synopsis: Sarah Grayson is taking a break from her bustling secondhand shop in small-town Maine to spend time with a friend and her dog. But their purr-fect visit comes to an end when the dog leads them to a storm cellar on a nearby property, where they discover a dead body.
The deceased turns out to be a sticky-fingered financial adviser who swindled millions from investors and who has been presumed dead for almost three years. Unfortunately, suspicion falls on the owner of the property where the body was found -- and that owner is a good friend of Charlotte's Angels', the senior citizen sleuths who work out of Sarah's shop.
It's all paws on deck, as the Angels are determined to clear his good name. But with a tight-lipped widow, a possibly shifty sister, and a slew of unhappy investors in the mix, the list of murder suspects seems endless. Sarah, Elvis, and the Angels have a lot of webs to untangle before they can catch the culprit.
Critique: Simply stated, "Fur Love or Money" (a pare of author Sofie Ryan's 'Second Chance Cat Mystery series) is Animal Cozy Mystery writing at its best. This time it is seniors who must once again become amateur murder mystery solvers. With more unexpected plot twists and turns than an Oklahoma tornado, "Fur Love or Money" is a terrific read from cover to cover. While highly recommended for personal and community library Cozy Mystery collections, it should be noted that "Fur Love or Money" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Sofie Ryan (https://sofiekelly.com) is a writer and mixed-media artist who loves to repurpose things in her life and in her art. She is the author of Scaredy Cat, Totally Pawstruck, and Undercover Kitty in her Second Chance Cat Mysteries series. She also writes the Magical Cats Mysteries under the name Sofie Kelly.
Murder in Masquerade
Mary Winters
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin/Random House
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9780593548783, $18.00, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Masquerade-Lady-Letters-Mystery/dp/0593548787
Synopsis: Victorian Countess Amelia Amesbury's secret hobby, writing an advice column for a London penny paper, has gotten her into hot water before. After all, Amelia will do whatever it takes to help a reader in need.
But now, handsome marquis Simon Bainbridge desperately requires her assistance. His beloved younger sister, Marielle, has written Amelia's Lady Agony column seeking advice on her plans to elope with a man her family does not approve of. Determined to save his sister from a scoundrel and the family from scandal, Simon asks Amelia to dissuade Marielle from the ill-advised gambit.
But when the scoundrel makes an untimely exit after a performance of Verdi's Rigoletto, Amelia realizes there's much more at stake than saving a young woman's reputation from ruin. It's going to take more than her letter-writing skills to help the dashing marquis, mend the familial bond, and find the murderer. Luckily, solving problems is her specialty!
Critique: A cozy mystery set in Victorian England, "Murder in Masquerade" is the latest addition to novelist Mary Winters 'A Lady of Letters' mystery series. Impressively original, exceptionally well written, and a simply fun read from first page to last, "Murder in Masquerade" will prove an extraordinary and enduringly appreciated addition to personal and community library Cozy Mystery collections. It should be noted that "Murder in Masquerade" is also readily available for cozy mystery fans in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Mary Winters (https://marywintersauthor.com) is the author of a number of cozy mystery series (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22862888.Mary_Winters).
Fatal First Edition
Jenn McKinlay
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin/Random House
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9780593639337, $28.00, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Fatal-First-Library-Lovers-Mystery/dp/0593639332
Synopsis: Briar Creek Library director Lindsey Norris and her husband, Sully, are at a popular library conference in Chicago to hear book restoration specialist Brooklyn Wainwright give a keynote address. After the lecture, Lindsey looks under her seat and finds a tote bag containing a first edition of Patricia Highsmith's Strangers on a Train, inscribed to Alfred Hitchcock. Brooklyn determines the novel is one of a kind and quite valuable, so Lindsey and Sully return the book to the conference director, not wanting to stir up any trouble.
But just hours after the pair boards the train back to Connecticut, rumors that the Highsmith novel has gone missing buzz amongst the passengers, and they soon find the conference director murdered in his private compartment. And worse -- the murderer planted the book in Lindsey and Sully's room next door, making them prime suspects! Now, they must uncover the murderer and bring them to the end of their line, before they find themselves booked for a crime they didn't commit.
Critique: "Fatal First Edition" by Jenn McKinlay is a fun and riveting read from cover to cover and will have a very special appeal for bibliophiles and cozy mystery fans. Original, deftly crafted, and a compulsive page turner of a read, a husband and wife must turn amateur sleuths if they are to exonerate themselves from an unexpected murder accusation by uncovering 'whodunnit'. "Fatal First Edition" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and is unreservedly recommended for personal and community library Cozy Mystery collections.
Editorial Note: Jenn McKinlay (https://www.jennmckinlay.com) author of several mystery and romance series. Her work has been translated into multiple languages in countries all over the world.
Murder in the Tea Leaves
Laura Childs
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin/Random House
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com
9780593200988, $20.00, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Tea-Leaves-Shop-Mystery/dp/0593200985
Synopsis: When Theodosia Browning reads the tea leaves on the set of the movie, Dark Fortunes, things go from spooky to worse. Lights are dimmed, the camera rolls, and red hot sparks fly as the film's director is murdered in a tricky electrical accident.
Or was it an accident? Though the cast and crew are stunned beyond belief, nobody admits to seeing a thing. And when Theodosia's friend, Delaine, becomes the prime suspect, Theodosia begins her own shadow investigation. But who among this Hollywood cast and crew had murder on their mind? The screenwriter is a self-centered pot head, the leading actress is trying to wiggle out of her contract, the brand new director seems indifferent, and nobody trusts the slippery-when-dry Hollywood agent.
Between hosting a Breakfast at Tiffany's Tea, a Poetry Tea, and trying to launch her own chocolate line, Theodosia doggedly hunts down clues and explores the seemingly haunted Brittlebank Manor where the murder took place. And just when she's ready to pounce, a Charleston Film Board member is also murdered, throwing everything into total disarray. But this clever killer will go to any lengths to hide his misdeeds as Theodosia soon finds out when she and her tea sommelier, Drayton, get caught up in a dangerous stakeout.
Critique: An amateur female sleuth who must come to the rescue of a friend who is the 'innocent accused' and determine 'whodunnit' with respect to a puzzling murder, "Murder in the Tea Leaves" by novelist Laura Childs has all the elements of a classic cozy mystery. Of special note is the inclusion of delicious recipes and tea time tips! A fun read from start to finish, "Murder in the Tea Leaves" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated cozy mystery fans that "Murder in the Tea Leaves" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Laura Childs (https://cozy-mystery.com/Laura-Childs.html) is the author of the Tea Shop Mysteries series, the Scrapbook Mysteries series, and the Cackleberry Club Mysteries series.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
So You Wanna Run a Country?
Kevin Holohan
Akashic Books
www.akashicbooks.com
9781636141602, $27.95, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/So-You-Wanna-Run-Country/dp/1636141609
Synopsis: "So You Wanna Run a Country?" by Kevin Holohan is a satirical cyberpunk romp that pits fascist feudalism against rampant reality television corruption, with the future of humanity at stake "So You Wanna Run a Country?" is a brilliant parable about the perils of authoritarianism, nationalism, and device-dependent group-think.
After almost a century of being shut off from the rest of the world in self-imposed isolation, the small neo-medieval state of Inner Azhuur suddenly volunteers to host the next season of the global streaming sensation So You Wanna Run a Country? The producers must now assemble the next crew of unqualified misfits whose ineptitude as they attempt to run the country will entertain billions across the globe.
From Newer York, where homelessness has been eliminated by rebranding it as a Thoroughfarian lifestyle choice, come Mooney and Wendy who meet while sleeping in discarded pipes on a vacant lot -- one seemingly directed by Captain Dude, a statue attached to a skateboard, and one on the run after deliberately crashing a large chunk of the speculative economy.
Cast as Regent of Inner Azhuur and Consort to the Regent, they are joined by Skid, a Dubliner kicked out of his fledgling band and eager to escape a stultifying job as a tourist ambiance fake street menace in Glasgow.
Arriving in Inner Azhuur, these three encounter a world of antiquated and indecipherable customs, all meant to glorify the vanished ruler, General D'Izmaie, and return Inner Azhuur to some perceived former glory. As the reality show unfolds, our misfits are enmeshed in a mad power grab of overweening global ambition and find themselves in a struggle against the all-too-real, ruthless and sinister power brokers of Inner Azhuur. Holohan's mischievous literary voice is sure to please fans of cyberpunk greats like Philip K. Dick and William Gibson.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, iconoclastic, thought-provoking, entertaining, and very definitely a novel for our times, "So You Wanna Run a Country?" will have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in cyberpunk/post-apocalyptic science fiction. While unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Science Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "So You Wanna Run a Country?" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note: Kevin Holohan's debut novel was "The Brothers' Lot". A native of Dublin, Kevin now lives in Brooklyn with his wife and son. Holohan has performed the works of Beckett, Joyce, and others at the Irish Arts Center, An Beal Bocht Cafe, and Dixon Place. His stories and essays have appeared in the Sunday Tribune, Whispers and Shouts, the Irish Echo.
The Graphic Novel Shelf
Degas & Cassatt: A Solitary Dance
Salva Rubio, author
EFA Technology Group - artist/colorist
Edward Gauvin - translator
NBM Publishing
www.nbmpub.com
9781681123240, $24.99, HC, 95pp
https://www.amazon.com/Degas-Cassatt-Solitary-Salva-Rubio/dp/168112324X
Synopsis: One of the founders of the Impressionist movement while also one of its most ruthless critics, too bohemian for the bourgeois and too bourgeois for the artists, Edgar Degas was a man of paradoxes.
He was a loner who only loved one woman without ever courting her. That was the American painter Mary Cassatt. It is there unique relationship whom we follow closely with the publication of "Degas & Cassatt: A Solitary Dance" by author/storyteller Salva Rubio and artist/colorist EFA.
And it is in the company of Mary Cassatt in the twilight of Edgar Degas's life, that Efa and Rubio open the pages of Degas's notebooks to try to unravel the mystery of this genius steeped in contradictions.
Critique: Ably translated into English for an American readership by Edward Gauvin, "Degas & Cassatt: A Solitary Dance" this large format (9 x 0.5 x 11.75 inches) hardcover graphic novel edition from NBM Publishing is an inherently fascinating read from start to finish. Engaging and memorable, "Degas & Cassatt: A Solitary Dance" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.49) and an ideal and unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists, as well as community, college, and university library collections.
Editorial Note #1: Salva Rubio is a graphic novel author and screenwriter.He is an associate member of the WGA (Writer's Guild of America, West) and he is a member of the Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematograficas de Espana.
Editorial Note #2: EFR Technology Group www.efrtechgroup.com) provides support for computers and network devices.
Editorial Note #3: Edward Gauvin (https://reedsy.com/edward-gauvin) for the past two decades is a full-time freelance translator focusing on comics, literature, and speculative genres, He has been published in the New York Times, Harper's, the Guardian, the Paris Review, and McSweeney's.
The Audiobook Shelf
The House at the End of the World
Dean Koontz, author
Natalia Nadus, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781799789840, $29.99, MP3-CD (10 Hours 22 Minutes)
https://audiobookstore.com/audiobooks/the-house-at-the-end-of-the-world.aspx
Synopsis: In retreat from a devastating loss and crushing injustice, Katie lives alone in a fortresslike stone house on Jacob's Ladder island. Once a rising star in the art world, she finds refuge in her painting.
The neighboring island of Ringrock houses a secret: a government research facility. And now two agents have arrived on Jacob's Ladder in search of someone (or something) they refuse to identify. Although an air of menace hangs over these men, an infinitely greater threat has arrived, one so strange even the island animals are in a state of high alarm.
Katie soon finds herself in an epic and terrifying battle with a mysterious enemy. But Katie's not alone after all: a brave young girl appears out of the violent squall. As Katie and her companion struggle across a dark and eerie landscape, against them is an omnipresent terror that could bring about the end of the world.
Critique: "The House at the End of the World" is author Dean Koontz at his very best and this complete and unabridged MP3-CD format audio book from Brilliance Audio is deftly narrated from start to finish by the vocal acting talents of Natalie Naudus. Of particular and special interest to fans of dystopian novels, science fiction, and suspense thrillers, "The House at the End of the World" is unreservedly recommended for the legions of Dean Kontz fans and community library Science Fiction & Fantasy audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: Dean Koontz (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Koontz) is the author of many bestsellers. His novels are billed as suspense thrillers, but frequently incorporate elements of horror, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and satire.
Editorial Note #2: Natalie Naudus (https://www.natalienaudus.com) is an Audie and Earphones award winning audiobook narrator of over 400 titles. She relishes the emotional journey through each book, finding a unique and honest voice for each character, doing her utmost to honor the words of the author.
One Brilliant Flame
Joy Castro, author
Krysta Gonzales, et al., narrators
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781799790747, $19.99, MP3-CD, (9 Hours 44 Minutes)
https://audiobookstore.com/audiobooks/one-brilliant-flame.aspx
Synopsis: Key West, 1886. The booming cigar industry makes it the most prosperous city in Florida. As a rebel base for the anti-colonial insurgency in Cuba, it's also a tinderbox for six young friends with ambitious dreams.
They all brim with secrets: Zenaida, the daughter of an assassinated Havana journalist; power-hungry Sofia, who plots a fast track to success; Chaveta, Zenaida's loyal comrade in arms who fearlessly flouts tradition; Feliciano, a charismatic Spanish anarchist; Libano, the cafetero, silent and watchful; and Maceo, a daring guerrilla soldier who fights a brutal undertow. As lives intertwine, revolution smolders, and passions ignite, the bustling coral island is set to explode.
Against the backdrop of the Great Fire of Key West, "One Brilliant Flame" explores the luminous fates of consuming passion and encroaching peril in the face of insurrection, sacrifice, and inextinguishable hope.
Critique: This complete and unabridged MP3-CD edition of "One Brillian Flame" by novelist Joy Castro is artfully performed by a team of talented narrators: Krista Gonzales, Tania Possick, Franie Corzo, Gary Tiedemann, Jonathan Villanueva, and Andre Santana. With impressive production values, this impressively performed audio book from Brilliance Audio will have a very special appeal to listeners with an interest in historical Carribbean/Hispanic American literature audio book collections.
Editorial Note: Joy Castro (https://www.joycastro.com) is the author of the memoir 'The Truth Book,' two literary thrillers set in post-Katrina New Orleans: 'Hell or High Water' and 'Nearer Home,' the essay collection 'Island of Bones,' and the short fiction collection 'How Winter Began'. She is a former Writer in Residence at Vanderbilt University and the Willa Cather Professor of English and Ethnic Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she teaches creative writing, literature, and Latinx studies.
Through A Darkening Glass
R. S. Maxwell, author
Eidilh Beaton, narrator
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781713668763, $14.99, MP3-CD (12 Hours 10 Minutes)
https://audiobookstore.com/audiobooks/through-a-darkening-glass.aspx
Synopsis: England, 1940. Literature student Ruth Gladstone evacuates Cambridge University for Martynsborough, a tiny English village with a shadowy history. For Ruth, retreating to a forgotten corner of the country is more than a safety maneuver; it's an opportunity to end an undesirable engagement and begin writing her first novel.
But upon her arrival, Ruth learns of a ghostly wraith haunting the villagers after decades of silence. Although Ruth is enthralled by the legend, the locals are less charmed by the wraith's return. They blame the evacuees (and among them, Ruth) for stirring up restless spirits.
Undeterred, Ruth joins forces with Malcolm, an injured soldier, to unravel the mystery of the wraith. As Ruth and Malcolm draw closer to the truth, they'll unearth long-buried secrets that could threaten them both -- even as they craft a forbidden love story of their own.
Critique: A deftly crafted novel "Through A Darkening Glass" by R. S. Maxwell is World War II era themed literary fiction at its best. Now brought to vivid life by the narrative talents of Eilidh Beaton this complete, unabridged, and fascinating story from Brilliance Audio is especially and unreservedly recommended as a welcome and enduringly appreciated pick for personal listening lists and community library Literary Fiction audio book collections.
Editorial Note #1: Having earned an Arts degree from York University many moons ago, R.S. Maxwell continues to read and study voraciously across multiple subjects that include cookery, gardening, English literature, music, art and art history. Maxwell currently resides in Canada.
Editorial Note #2: Eilidh Beaton (https://www.eilidh-voice.co.uk) is a fully trained actor who chose to specialise in voice so that she could make the most of being a vocal chameleon but always with truth at each character's core. Every story, be it novel, advert or corporate tale, needs authenticity, and this is a quality she brings to each project.
The Library CD Shelf
Kinishba
Deborah Martin and Erik Wollo
Spotted Peccary Music
www.SpottedPeccary.com
$16.00 CD / $10.00 digital
https://ambientelectronic.bandcamp.com/album/kinishba
Deborah Martin and Erik Wollo present Kinishiba, a music CD created through years of study, on-site research, and recordings with Apache tribal members including Edgar Perry. Kinishiba (named for an abandoned pueblo on the White Mountain Apache Reservation) pays homage to American Indian traditions. The songs balance the electronic ambient sound that is Martin and Wollo's specialty with traditional tribal instrumentation throughout, in compositions inspired by and respectful to remembrance ceremonies of the Apache people. Kinishba is highly recommended for both personal and public library collections. The tracks are Burial Ground, Creation Story, Kinishba, Voices of Nature, Fort Apache Meadowlarks, Heart of the Warrior, Prayer Song, Natures Paths, Mountain Spirit, and Life Spiral.
You Remind Me
Greg Murphy
Whaling City Sound
https://whalingcitysound.com
$18.99 CD
https://whalingcitysound.com/recordings/greg-murphy-you-remind-me
Pianist and composer Greg Murphy presents You Remind Me, an album about the beauty and immeasurably precious quality that is love. Dedicated to Murphy's late wife Nancy, You Remind Me is extraordinarily moving, timeless, passionate, and memorable. You Remind Me is a welcome addition to both personal and public library music collections, and also makes an excellent romantic gift. The tracks are After Dark, The Cure, Nights Over Egypt, You Remind Me, Nancy (with the Laughing Face), Shrimp Fried Rice, Mr. Day, Mornin', Takeoff, Simone, Night Flight, and A Night to Remember.
A Canadian Songbook
Ernesto Cervini's Turboprop
ernestocervini.com
TPR Records
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQRXZ1QK
JUNO award-nominated Toronto drummer and composer Ernesto Cervini presents A Canadian Songbook, a showcase of contemporary jazz music composed by Canadians. The songs are performed by the talented and long-running musical sextet Ernesto Cervini's Turboprop: Tara Davidson on alto saxophone, Joel Frahm on tenor saxophone, William Carn on trombone, Adrean Farrugia on piano, Dan Loomis on bass, and Ernesto Cervini on drums. A Canadian Songbook showcases both original songs and arrangements of pop/rock numbers, and is a transcendent listening experience highlighted by the improvisational flourishes that make jazz an artform with a boundless sense of adventure. Highly recommended! The tracks are Skeletons (James Hill), When I Fall (Ed Robertson & Steven Page), If, Then (Ernesto Cervini), Stuck Inside (Ernesto Cervini), Clumsy (Raine Maida & Arnold Lanni), Aureole (Allison Au), and The Inertia of Complacency (William Carn).
Dissolve
Richard Nelson and the Makrokosmos Orchestra
richardnelsonmusic.com
Adhyaropa Records
adhyaroparecords.com
$20.00 CD / $10.00 digital
https://richardnelsonmusic.bandcamp.com/album/dissolve
Composer and guitarist Richard Nelson works with the 15-piece Makrokosmos Orchestra to present Dissolve, an original album consisting of three multifaceted, instrumental compositions blending of elements of jazz and classical music. Beautiful, inspirational, and mind-expanding, Dissolve is a treasure of rich orchestral sound woven into a transcendent listening experience. Dissolve is highly recommended for both personal and public library orchestral music collections. The tracks are Dissolve (15:16), Float (11:38), and Cohere (12:24).
Sones de Mariachi
Mariachi Los Camperos
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
https://folkways.si.edu
SFW40586, $16.98 CD, $9.99 Digital Download
https://folkways.si.edu/mariachi-los-camperos/sones-de-mariachi
Synopsis: With its driving energy and spirited flair, the son has held the essence of mariachi music for more than 150 years. Even today, the modern mariachi dips into the son repertoire to punctuate its performances, evoking boisterous yells and percussive zapateados from its listeners.
In "Sones de Mariachi", multi-Grammy-winning Mariachi Los Camperos makes its mark on the son legacy, powered by the group's lauded signature sound and leader Jesus "Chuy" Guzman's uplifting arrangements. This meticulously curated mix of popular and lesser-known sones rooted in the western Mexican heartland of mariachi tradition is played with the typical virtuosity, superb vocals, and rhythmic precision of one of the world's greatest mariachis.
Critique: "Sones de Mariachi" from Smithsonian Folk Way Recordings features the Guitarron, Trumpet, Vihuela, and Violin. The lyrics are in Spanish. Comprised of 16 mariachi compositions, this CD edition of "Sones de Mariachi" is a flawlessly produced and unreservedly recommend addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Latin Music collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. Folkways is dedicated to supporting cultural diversity and increased understanding among peoples through the documentation, preservation, and dissemination of sound. Folkways believes that musical and cultural diversity contributes to the vitality and quality of life throughout the world. Through the dissemination of audio recordings and educational materials Smithsonian Folkways seeks to strengthen people's engagement with their own cultural heritage and to enhance their awareness and appreciation of the cultural heritage of others. Smithsonian Folkways is part of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.
The Library DVD Shelf
Imagining the Indian
Directed by Aviva Kempner
First Run Features
www.firstrunfeatures.com
www.imaginingtheindianfilm.org
$19.99 DVD
https://www.amazon.com/Imaginging-Indian-Against-American-Mascoting/dp/B0CS664SCQ
Synopsis: Directed by Aviva Kempner (The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg) and Cheyenne filmmaker Ben West, Imagining the Indian is a comprehensive look at the movement to eradicate the words, images, and gestures that many Native Americans and their allies find harmful, demeaning, and offensive. The film examines mascoting issues through archival footage and interviews with those involved in the fight.
Critique: Imagining the Indian is a documentary on DVD (also available on AppleTV and Amazon Prime Video) about the fight to end the use of Native Americans as commercial icons and mascots, especially sports team mascots in the United States. Native American activists, athletes, and community organizers explain why mascoting harms not only Native Americans (by perpetuating stereotypes and demeaning treatment) but also society at large (by normalizing racism). Imagining the Indian briefly discusses the horrors and outright massacres that American colonization inflicted upon Native Americans, although the preponderance of the documentary is about modern history and present day struggles. Some major American sports teams have changed their mascots from Native American images to animals, but a great deal of mascoting remains, especially for junior high and high school sports teams - change for the better can be as simple as raising enough money for a public school to buy new uniforms! Imagining the Indian presents a candid, straightforward, passionate, and logical case for the end of mascoting, and is highly recommended especially for public school and library DVD collections. 95 min., optional English subtitles.
The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
Stage Rigging Handbook, Fourth Edition
Joy O. Glerum, author
Shane Kelly, author
Southern Illinois University Press
www.siupress.com
9780809339266, $49.00, PB, 436pp
https://www.amazon.com/Stage-Rigging-Handbook-Fourth-Glerum/dp/0809339269
Synopsis: First published in 1987 and then revised in 1997 and again in 2007, this new fourth edition of "Stage Rigging Handbook" by co-authors Jay O. Glerum and Shane Kelly remains the primary textbook that covers the design, operation, and maintenance of stage rigging equipment.
Though often unnoticed, these systems are critical in both easing the workload of stage technicians and creating storytelling magic for the audience. This newly updated and expanded fourth edition from Southern Illinois University Press offers a landmark text that deftly imparts the foundations for understanding and implementing rigging systems, such that upon completion of "Stage Rigging Handbook", the reader is ready to begin hands-on training and practice.
Organized into four sections, this new edition of "Stage Rigging Handbook" is a complete and comprehensive handbook combines research and practical experience to guide riggers through their work. It begins by explaining the construction and care of basic lifting media. Part two analyzes types of rigging systems; then the handbook details the forces that impact rigging, from Newtonian physics to calculating expansive modern systems. Finally, it presents day-to-day best safety practices, including brand new sections on risk assessment and fall protection.
This reorganized and greatly expanded fourth edition of "Stage Rigging Handbook" features industry standard text updates for much of the information in the previous editions with the addition of new chapters on truss (the framework that supports lighting, screens, and other accessories), motorized chain hoists, hardware, and job safety, including fall protection systems.
Award-winning production manager Shane Kelly preserves Glerum's voice while bringing fresh information to a new generation of riggers, supplementing the text with updated versions of earlier photographs and drawings as well as an additional one hundred illustrations. The handbook facilitates the development of a rigging practice rooted in safety, precision, and professionalism.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a four page Glossary, a four page Selected Bibliography, and a nine page Index, this large format (.5 x 1.2 x 11 inches, 2.65 pounds) paperback edition of "Stage Rigging Handbook: 4th Edition) is an essential, up-to-date, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and college/university library theatre stagecraft and performing arts instructional reference collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #2: Jay O. Glarum (August 16, 1939 - June 26, 2014) was an American theatre consultant and author, who was widely recognized in the technical theatre circles as the author of the Stage Rigging Handbook, referred to by many stagehands as the bible of the industry. Published by Southern Illinois University Press and continually in print since 1987, the book has been revised each decade to stay current with the rapidly changing field of technical theatre. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_O._Glerum)
Editorial Note #2: Shane Kelly is professor and head of the theatre technology program at The Theatre School at DePaul University and is an Entertainment Technician Certification Program (ETCP) certified rigger and OSHA Authorized General Industry outreach trainer. His company, Shane Kelly Rigging, conducts rigging inspections, system and safety consultations, and rigging and safety training. Shane has worked as production manager for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Society, and the DePaul School of Music Opera. He cofounded and served as executive director of Cloudgate Theatre and has worked as a technical director, carpenter, rigger, craftsperson, and sound and lighting designer at theaters all over the country and internationally.
How Broadway Works
Sharon Grace Powers
Applause Books
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
www.rowman.com
9781493059942, $22.95, PB, 284pp
https://www.amazon.com/How-Broadway-Works-People-Curtain/dp/1493059947
Synopsis: With the publication of "How Broadway Works", singer and actor Sharon Grace Powers celebrates the unsung, out-of-sight people on Broadway who bring a production to the stage and shows young people interested in theater that there are myriad of performance art relating vocations other than acting.
What an audience sees is what is presented on stage: the actors, lights, orchestra, musicians, and sometimes stagehands. What they don't see is backstage, where many theater professionals collaborate to bring the production to an audience. The most visible career in a production is acting, but not everyone can act or even wishes to be in the spotlight, but still yearns to be part of the theater world. There are several jobs in the theater community where their talents may fit.
An experienced theater professional, Sharon Grace Powers highlights the positions behind the curtain that work together to put on a show. She also focuses on an area of theater production on Broadway, including what the job is, what the job requirements are, what an artist's process is, and how that specific job is integrated into the fabric of a show's production.
Critique: Exceptionally informative, impressively comprehensive, deftly written, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and publication, "How Broadway Works" is essential reading for anyone who aspires to a career in the performing arts in a supporting production crew capacity. While also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.49), "How Broadway Works" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, theatre department, college/university library Performing Arts collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Sharon Grace Powers (https://www.sharongracepowers.com) is a singer and actress who has appeared on Broadway, in regional theater, and in cabaret and choral work in New York City.
The Greatest Westerns Ever Made and the People Who Made Them
Henry C. Parke
The Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
9781493074396, $24.95, PB, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Westerns-Ever-Made/dp/1493074393
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Greatest Westerns Ever Made and the People Who Made Them", Henry C. Parke provides an eclectic review of the Western film and television genre, from John Ford's classic, black and white films, to Deadwood and indie darlings.
A professional screenwriter, Henry Parke presents a nuanced look at Hollywood's dramatization of historic events, the common themes and archetypes of Western movies, and the characters we love (and sometimes love to hate).
"The Greatest Westerns Ever Made and the People Who Made Them" also features essays and interviews with influential Western filmmakers, character actors, the women of Western films (in front of and behind the cameras), and the Native American perspective on Western films and Hollywood's portrayal of Native American people.
Critique: Drawing from the resources of True West Magazine and elsewhere, film historian and screenwriter Henry C. Parke has created a unique study focusing on the genre of western movies and reveals the importance and relationships of the various production elements, human and technological) that made them iconic with respect to American popular culture. A fascinating and informative read fro start to finish, "The Greatest Westerns Ever Made and the People Who Made Them" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Cinematic History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for film students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Greatest Westerns Ever Made and the People Who Made Them" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99) as well.
Editorial Note #1: Brooklyn-born, L.A.-based screenwriter and wanna-be cowboy Henry C. Parke graduated from New York University's School of Film and Television. He has been Film & TV Editor for True West since 2015, has written Henry's Western Round-up, the on-line report on Western film production, since 2010, and writes twice-monthly articles for the INSP Channel's blog. His screenwriting credits include Speedtrap (1977) and Double Cross (1994). He's the first writer welcomed into The Western Writers of America for his work in electronic media. Henry has done audio commentary on about twenty Western Blu-rays and was interviewed in the Turner Classic Movies documentary short TCM Movie Fanatics: Westerns.
Editorial Note #2: True West Magazine has been bringing the history of the American frontier to readers since 1953. For over 65 years True West has been telling the stories of the American West. Whether it's Wyatt Earp and the cowboys behind the OK Corral or Wild Bill Hickok's final "dead-man's" hand, True West brings the unvarnished truth of the American West to readers around the world.
The Music Shelf
Bass Notes: Jazz in American Culture
Chuck Israels
Backbeat Books
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
www.globepequot.com
9781493074846, $37.95, HC, 240pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bass-Notes-American-Culture-Personal/dp/1493074849
Synopsis: From his upbringing as a "red-diaper baby" among some of the leading lights of American music and Left politics, to his legendary work as bassist for the Bill Evans trio, to his collaborations with such figures as Charles Mingus and Billie Holiday, Chuck Israels has witnessed over a half-century of change and innovation in American jazz music.
With the publication of "Bass Notes: Jazz in American Culture: A Personal View " he offers up both an engaging memoir and a meditation on the history of jazz music and its prospects for the future.
In addition to fascinating stories from his work with musicians like John Coltrane, Joan Baez, and Herbie Hancock, he gives an inside view into the mysterious alchemy that happens when skilled jazz improvisers get together. As he explains, the combination of disciplined collaboration and individual freedom is not just exhilarating for musicians, but an inspiring reflection of, and model for, democracy and the potential for true racial equality.
Israels recounts his decision to leave Bill Evans's trio to deepen his musical education and develop as a composer -- and his choice to not rejoin the trio in Evans's last years.
Citing such developments as the dominance of conservatory training and ill-advised crossover attempts with classical and pop, he also gives an impassioned but unsentimental account of how jazz lost its primacy in the pantheon of American music, even though it is America's most distinctive contribution to world music.
He also explores the obstacles that today's best young jazz musicians face following the giants of earlier generations and the dwindling opportunities to make a living as a musician. But despite it all, Israels argues that jazz's enduring and rich legacy will not be lost and shows how it can be not just sustained but broadened in the years to come.
Critique: Absolutely essential reading for all jazz musicians and fans, "Bass Notes: Jazz in American Culture: A Personal View" by Chuck Israels is a seminal work offering a true 'insider's
perspective on the business and cultural aspects of jazz music as it has evolved over the past several decades. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Music History/Criticism collections and supplemental Jazz History curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, jazz musicians and fans that "Bass Notes: Jazz in American Culture: A Personal View" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $27.49).
Editorial Note: Chuck Israels (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Israels) is a composer, arranger, and bassist who has worked with Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, Coleman Hawkins, Stan Getz, Herbie Hancock, J. J. Johnson, John Coltrane, Gerry Mulligan, Nina Simone, the Kronos Quartet, and many others. He is best known for his work with the Bill Evans Trio from 1961 through 1966 and his pioneering accomplishments in jazz repertory as director of the National Jazz Ensemble from 1973 to 1981.
The Art Shelf
Drawing on Blue: European Drawings on Blue Paper, 1400s - 1700s
Edina Adam, author
Michelle Sullivan, author
Getty Publications
www.getty.edu/publications
9781606068670, $35.00, PB, 160pp
https://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Blue-European-Drawings-1400s-1700s/dp/1606068679
Synopsis: Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Edina Adam and Michelle Sullian, "Drawing on Blue: European Drawings on Blue Paper, 1400s - 1700s" reveals the rich history of art and blue paper, ranging from the late fifteenth to the mid-eighteenth centuries, and illuminates themes of transcultural interchange, international trade, and global reach.
Through the examination of significant works, "Drawing on Blue: European Drawings on Blue Paper, 1400s - 1700s" investigates considerations of supply, use, economics, and innovative creative practice. How did the materials necessary for the production of blue paper reach artistic centers? How were these materials produced and used in various regions? Why did they appeal to artists, and how did they impact artistic practice and come to be associated with regional artistic identities? How did commercial, political, and cultural relations, and the mobility of artists, enable the dispersion of these materials and related techniques?
Bringing together the work of the world's leading specialists, "Drawing on Blue: European Drawings on Blue Paper, 1400s - 1700s" is striking publication that is destined to become essential reading on the history, materials, and techniques of drawings executed for a three century span on blue paper.
Critique: Profusely and beautifully illustrated throughout, this large format 8 x 0.6 x 10 inches, 1.5 pounds) trade paperback edition of "Drawing on Blue: European Drawings on Blue Paper, 1400s - 1700s" is comprised of eight erudite and insightful articles, a bibliography, and an index. A work of impressive and informative scholarship, "Drawing on Blue: European Drawings on Blue Paper, 1400s - 1700s" is an extraordinary and fully recommended addition to personal, professional, community, art school, and college/university library Art History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for art history students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Drawing on Blue: European Drawings on Blue Paper, 1400s - 1700s" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $33.25).
The Mythology Shelf
Encyclopedia of the Holy Grail
Jeffrey John Dixon
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476687940, $29.95, PB, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Holy-Grail-Jeffrey-Dixon/dp/1476687943
Synopsis: In the twelfth century, a French poet wrote a verse romance about a young knight who witnesses a mysterious procession centered on a radiant vessel called a "grail". Left unfinished, the poem inspired other writers of prose and verse, until the story was completely rewritten into the Arthurian romances, in which the vessel becomes a relic of the Last Supper, the Holy Grail.
For hundreds of years, the Grail story has haunted the western imagination. But the original medieval texts are full of inconsistencies, as different writers attempted to complete the story in various ways. "Encyclopedia of the Holy Grail" by Jeffrey John Dixon is an encyclopedic informational resource that illuminates a path through the Perilous Forest of literature and legend.
The entries comprising "Encyclopedia of the Holy Grail" summarize the stories of the principal characters, sacred objects and places associated with the Grail. An Afterword shows how mysteries of the grail continue to enchant the scholars and creative writers who have transformed the medieval legend into modern mythology.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of an informative Introduction (The Absent Path), an Afterword (Higher Mysteries: Grail Initiation as Twentieth Century Mythology), three Appendices (The Grail Chronology; The Medieval Grail Literature; The Company of the Grail: Some Twentieth Century Writers), a six page Bibliography, and a two page Index. Of special interest and value to students, academicians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in European Mythology in general, Arthurian Folklore in particular, "Encyclopedia of the Holy Grail" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library collections. It should be noted that "Encyclopedia of the Holy Grail" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) as well.
Editorial Note: After studying English literature at Sussex University, Jeffrey John Dixon traveled widely and now lives and writes in the United Kingdom,
The Egyptology Shelf
Dendera, Temple of Time
Jose Maria Barrera
Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
www.innertraditions.com
9781644118344, $60.00, HC, 208pp
https://www.amazon.com/Dendera-Temple-Time-Celestial-Ancient/dp/1644118343
Synopsis: Egypt is famous for its pyramids, the Sphinx, the temples at Luxor, and the Valley of the Kings, but 40 miles north of Luxor lies the best-preserved temple complex in all of Egypt: The Temple of Dendera, known for the famous "Zodiac of Dendera" now housed in the Louvre Museum. Within the portico leading into the Hathor temple at Dendera is a little-known outstanding achievement of humanity: an extensive colored bas-relief (larger than the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel) meticulously encoded with the sophisticated astronomical knowledge of ancient Egypt.
Drawing on more than 5,000 high-resolution photographs he has taken at the Temple of Dendera, photographer and computer scientist Jose Maria Barrera, "Dendera, Temple of Time: The Celestial Wisdom of Ancient Egypt" presents a complete full-color photographic reconstruction of the ceiling of the pronaos at Dendera and reveals in detail how each panel represents celestial cycles of time from the Precession of the Equinoxes to the annual cycles of life found along the Nile.
Barrera also explains the meaning of the layout of the ceiling as it relates to the present, the past, eternity, the hours of the day, the phases of the moon, the constellations used in ancient Egyptian astronomy, and the Great Solar Year.
Barrera also provides detailed analysis of each panel, including close-up photos, and explains each panel's astronomical and spiritual significance from the ancient Egyptian perspective as well as examining the myths, gods, and goddesses depicted.
Also included is an appendix exploring the meaning and symbology of ancient Egyptian iconography.
Allowing the reader to experience the vivid details of this ancient work of art and science, this photographic exploration also recreates the sense of spiritual awe and power the Temple of Dendera radiates to its visitors, whether today or millennia ago.
Critique: This magnificent, large format (12 x 0.8 x 9 inches, 2.88 pounds), hardcover edition of "Dendera, Temple of Time: The Celestial Wisdom of Ancient Egypt" is an impressive study that will prove of special value for readers with an interest in Ancient Egyptian history, art, astrology, astronomy, and metaphysics. A volume to be savored page by page, "Dendera, Temple of Time: The Celestial Wisdom of Ancient Egypt" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university supplemental Egyptology curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Dendera, Temple of Time: The Celestial Wisdom of Ancient Egypt" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $40.99).
Editorial Note: Jose Maria Barrera is a software engineer and application architect, specializing in data representation and languages, who has been fascinated by alchemy and Egyptian culture for more than 20 years. An avid photographer, his work has been exhibited in galleries in Chicago and New York City and sold at Sotheby's Auctions. Born in Colombia, he holds a master's degree in computer science.
The Native American Studies Shelf
Sharing Our Knowledge
Sergei Kan, editor
University of Nebraska Press
www.nebraskapress.unl.edu
9780803240568, $65.00, HC, 544pp
https://www.amazon.com/Sharing-Our-Knowledge-Tlingit-Neighbors/dp/0803240562
Synopsis: "Sharing Our Knowledge: The Tlingit and Their Coastal Neighbors" brings together Native elders, tradition bearers, educators, cultural activists, anthropologists, linguists, historians, and museum professionals to explore the culture, history, and language of the Tlingit people of southeast Alaska and their coastal neighbors. These interdisciplinary, collaborative essays present Tlingit culture, as well as the culture of their coastal neighbors, not as an object of study but rather as a living heritage that continues to inspire and guide the lives of communities and individuals throughout southeast Alaska and northwest British Columbia.
"Sharing Our Knowledge: The Tlingit and Their Coastal Neighbors" focuses on the preservation and dissemination of Tlingit language, traditional cultural knowledge, and history from an activist Tlingit perspective. It also highlights a variety of collaborations between Native groups and individuals and non-Native researchers, emphasizing a long history of respectful, cooperative, and productive working relations aimed at recording and transmitting cultural knowledge for tribal use and promoting Native agency in preserving heritage.
By focusing on these collaborations, the contributors demonstrate how such alliances have benefitted the Tlingits and neighboring groups in preserving and protecting their heritage while advancing scholarship at the same time.
Critique: A seminal and ground-breaking work of collective scholarship, the twenty-four articles comprising "Sharing Our Knowledge: The Tlingit and Their Coastal Neighbors" are informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the addition of illustrations, an Appendix (An Outline of the Traditional Tlingit Social and Ceremonial System), a complete listing of the contributors and their credentials, and a three page Index. A welcome and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university Native American Studies collections and supplemental Indigenous Anthropology curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Sharing Our Knowledge: The Tlingit and Their Coastal Neighbors" is also available in a paperback edition ($45.00).
Editorial Note #1: Sergei Kan is a professor of anthropology at Dartmouth College. He is the editor and author of several books, including Russian American Photographer in Tlingit Country: Vincent Soboleff in Alaska; Memory Eternal: Tlingit Culture and Russian Orthodox Christianity through Two Centuries; and Symbolic Immortality: Tlingit Potlatch of the Nineteenth Century. Kan visits southeastern Alaska regularly and has been actively involved in organizing periodic Tlingit clan conferences.
Editorial Note #2: Steve Henrikson is a curator of collections at the Alaska State Museum and is an adjunct instructor at the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau. He specializes in Tlingit material culture and art. Henrikson has lived in Alaska, for many years.
The Business Shelf
Winning with Data Science
Howard Steven Friedman, author
Akshay Swaminathan, author
Columbia Business School Publishing
c/o Columbia University Press
https://cup.columbia.edu
9780231206860, $27.95, HC, 272pp
https://www.amazon.com/Winning-Data-Science-Handbook-Business/dp/0231206860
Synopsis: Whether you are a newly minted MBA graduate or a seasoned project manager at a Fortune 500 company, data science will play a major role in your career. Knowing how to communicate effectively with data scientists in order to obtain maximum value from their expertise is essential.
Co-authored by Howard Steven Friedman and Akshay Swaminathan,"Winning with Data Science: A Handbook for Business Leaders " is a compelling and comprehensive guide to data science, emphasizing its real-world business applications and focusing on how to collaborate productively with data science teams.
Taking an engaging narrative approach, "Winning with Data Science" covers the fundamental concepts without getting bogged down in complex equations or programming languages. It also provides clear explanations of key terms, tools, and techniques, that are illustrated through practical examples.
"Winning with Data Science" walks readers through each step of managing a data science project, from understanding the different roles on a data science team to identifying the right software. It equips readers with critical questions to ask data analysts, statisticians, data scientists, and other technical experts to avoid wasting time and money.
Critique: Impressively informative, exceptionally well written, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in both organization and presentation, "Winning with Data Science: A Handbook for Business Leaders" is essential reading for anyone who works with data science teams or is interested in the practical side of the subject. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, academic, corporate, and college/university library Business Management, Decision Making, and Data Mining instructional reference collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, corporate executives and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Winning with Data Science: A Handbook for Business Leaders" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note #1: Howard Steven Friedman, an adjunct professor at Columbia University, is a data scientist with decades of experience leading analytics projects in the private and public sectors. His previous books, including Ultimate Price (2020) and Measure of a Nation (2012), have been translated into many languages and featured on national media.
Editorial Note #2: Akshay Swaminathan is a data scientist who works on strengthening health systems. He has more than forty peer-reviewed publications, and his work has been featured in the New York Times and STAT. Previously at Flatiron Health, he currently leads the data science team at Cerebral and is a Knight-Hennessy scholar at Stanford University School of Medicine.
The Archaeology Shelf
New Deal Archaeology in the West
Kelly J. Pool, editor
Mark L. Howe, editor
The University of Utah Press
www.uofupress.com
9781647691301, $65.00, HC, 392pp
https://www.amazon.com/Deal-Archaeology-West-Kelly-Pool/dp/1647691303
Synopsis: From 1933 to 1944, a wide range of archaeological and cultural heritage projects were funded across this country as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs. The results of work east of the Mississippi River are amply documented in other publications. However, little has been reported or synthesized regarding western archaeological work, its role in economic recovery, or its impact on the direction and knowledge of the discipline. Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by the team of Kelly J. Pool and Mark L. Howe, "New Deal Archaeology in the West" shares previously untold stories of New Deal archaeology from across the American West and explores insights into the past revealed by these projects.
Descriptions of New Deal projects and their contributions to our understanding of the past, as well as the stories of those involved (archaeologists, avocationalists, and others) are deftly woven together across the chapters comprising "New Deal Archaeology in the West".
Also documented are lost or scattered artifacts, records, and ancestors' remains; incomplete analyses; unpublished reports; inconsistent application of scientific methodology; and the loss of Native sacred sites and traditional lands and lifeways.
The contributors also highlight characteristics that distinguished the American West from the East during the Depression and affected the nature of New Deal projects, including the extent of federal land available in the West, the reliance of sparsely populated areas upon tourism, the presence of large resident Native populations with deep histories, and the wide-ranging degree of existing archaeology infrastructure in each state.
"New Deal Archaeology in the West" demonstrates that despite regional differences, New Deal-funded archaeological and cultural heritage projects created a legacy of knowledge and practice across the nation.
Critique: A seminal and ground-breaking work of meticulous collective scholarship, "New Deal Archaeology in the West" is comprised of 12 erudite articles and is additionally enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of Figures and Tables, sixty-eight pages of References, a two page listing of the contributors and their credentials, and a seventeen page Index. "New Deal Archaeology in the West" is especially and unreservedly recommended as a core addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Archaeological History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Kelly J. Pool is an archaeologist and principal investigator at Metcalf Archaeological Consultants, Inc. in Eagle, CO.
Editorial Note #2: Mark L. Howe is the cultural resources specialist at the United States Section, International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC), in El Paso, TX.
The Holocaust Studies Shelf
Mistress of Life and Death
Susan J. Eischeid
Citadel Press
c/o Kensington Publishing Corp.
www.kensingtonbooks.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9780806542850, $28.00, HC, 464pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mistress-Life-Death-Overseer-Auschwitz-B/dp/0806542853
Synopsis: By the time of her execution at thirty-six, Maria Mandl (10 January 1912 - 24 January 1948) had achieved the highest rank possible for a woman in the Third Reich. As Head Overseer of the women's camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau, she was personally responsible for the murders of thousands, and for the torture and suffering of countless more.
In this riveting new biography, Susan J. Eischeid explores how Maria Mandl, regarded locally as "a nice girl from a good family", came to embody the very worst of humanity. Born in 1912 in the scenic Austrian village of Munzkirchen, Maria enjoyed a happy childhood with loving parents - who later watched in anguish as their grown daughter rose through the Nazi system.
Mandl's life mirrors the period in which she lived: turbulent, violent, and suffused with paradoxes. At Auschwitz-Birkenau, she founded the notable women's orchestra and "adopted" several children from the transports -- only to lead them to the gas chambers when her interest waned. After the war, Maria was arrested for crimes against humanity. Following a public trial attended by the international press, she was hanged in 1948.
For two decades, Professor Eischeid has excavated the details of Mandl's life story, drawing on archival testimonies, speaking to dozens of witnesses, and spending time with Mandl's community of friends and neighbors who shared their memories as well as those handed down in their families. The result is a chilling and complex exploration of how easily an ordinary citizen chose the path of evil in a climate of hate and fear.
Critique: To most Americans, World War II and the Holocaust have become ancient history as the members of that generation have mostly passed from among us. But the clarion cry of "Never Again" is still as vital a summons to action as it was more than 80 years ago. That's why it is so highly valued that books are still being written about the genocidal slaughter of millions of Jews. Because the past continues to be prelude to the present, and the present predictive of the future.
With the publication of "Mistress of Life and Death: The Dark Journey of Maria Mandl, Head Overseer of the Women's Camp at Auschwitz- Birkenau", Professor Susan J. Eischeid brings back from obscurity and prime example of the horrific evil that the Holocaust represents and which continues to break out in the form of anti-semitic acts of prejudice, discrimination, and violence here in America and around the world. Exceptionally well researched, written, organized and presented, "Mistress of Life and Death" in unreservedly recommended as an important and timely addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library World War II history collections and supplemental Holocaust curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Mistress of Life and Death" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798874694043, $46.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Susan J. Eischeid (www.SusanEischeid.com) is a performer and teacher specializing in the music of the Holocaust. Professor of Oboe at Valdosta State University, she was drawn to the Maria Mandl story through her involvement with members of the women's orchestra at Auschwitz-Birkenau. In the course of twenty years devoted to her subject, she has been privileged to interview many survivors of the Holocaust, as well as dozens of persons with ties to Mandl including family members and perpetrators. Eischeid has also presented multiple recitals and lectures about music and musicians of the Holocaust period across the United States and in Europe.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
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