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Reviewer's Choice
Handbook on Children's Speech: Development, Disorders, and Variations
Raymond D. Kent
Plural Publishing
https://www.pluralpublishing.com
9781635506204, $129.95, HC, 400pp
https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Childrens-Speech-Development-Variations/dp/1635506204
Synopsis: Written by renowned basic and clinical scientist, Raymond D. Kent, the "Handbook on Children’s Speech: Development, Disorders, and Variations" provides comprehensive and systematic coverage of the topic of how speech develops and how it can be disordered or otherwise, a departure from typical patterns of a mainstream dialect.
This extensive study emphasizes relevant biology and psychology of speech development; contemporary models of spoken language; typical speech development; bilingualism and dialect; motor learning and motor control; clinical assessments of articulation, phonology, voice, prosody, and intelligibility; populations in which speech disorders and differences often occur; and methods and strategies for prevention and treatment.
"Handbook on Children’s Speech: Development, Disorders, and Variations" also covers both speech development and pediatric speech disorders focusing on the ages of birth to puberty. Because speech disorders in children occur against a complex developmental background, the understanding of these disorders requires knowledge about how speech develops and how it is affected in children with disorders or with exposure to languages other than American English.
A major theme of the "Handbook on Children’s Speech: Development, Disorders, and Variations" is that speech development is a constructive, goal-directed phenomenon that weaves together several different processes having their own individual trajectories that generally reach maturity only in puberty or adolescence.
For clinicians, researchers, and students, the "Handbook on Children’s Speech: Development, Disorders, and Variations" will serve as a valuable compendium of the many different tools and methods that have been developed to study speech development in diverse populations and to assess and treat speech disorders and variations.
Critique: Enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of thee Appendices (International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA); Variations of the Oral Mechanism Examination; Cranial NerveSummary), a ninety-six page listing of References, and a forty-page Index, the "Handbook on Children’s Speech: Development, Disorders, and Variations" is an ideal textbook and unreservedly recommended for professional, medical school, and college/university library Speech Development/Disorders collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Raymond D. Kent, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of Communicative Sciences and Disorders at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His publications include more than 250 journal articles, book chapters, and reviews on various topics in speech science and speech pathology. He has authored or edited 18 books. He served as editor of the Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, associate founding editor of Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics, and associate editor of Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica. His awards include: Honors of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association; Docteur Honoris Causa from the Universite de Montreal; Honorary Professor, The University of Queensland, Australia; Visiting Erskine Fellow, University of Canterbury, New Zealand; and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Oulu, Finland.
The Education Shelf
Rethinking Multicultural Education, third edition
Wanye Au, author/editor
Rethinking Schools
www.rethinkingschools.org
9780942961409, $24.95, PB, 378pp
https://www.amazon.com/Rethinking-Multicultural-Education-Wanye-Au/dp/0942961404
Synopsis: From book bans, to teacher firings, to racist content standards, the politics of teaching race and culture in schools have shifted dramatically in recent years. This newly updated third edition of "Rethinking Multicultural Education" has been greatly revised and expanded to reflect these changing times, including sections on "Intersectional Identities," "Anti-Racist Teaching Across the Curriculum," "Teaching for Black Lives," and "K-12 Ethnic Studies," among others.
Practical, rich in story, and analytically sharp, "Rethinking Multicultural Education" can help current and future educators as they seek to bring racial and cultural justice into their own classrooms.
Critique: With examples of governmental policy makers like Florida's governor Ron DeSantis prohibiting and restricting the teaching of Black History in America, and the increasing statistics about book banning in public schools (as reflected in such extreme 2024 examples of a Florida school district that banned dictionaries because having defined words having to do with sex they would violate the prohibitions and restrictions about teaching sex in schools), this fully updated third edition of "Rethinking Multicultural Education" is a vital and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, school district, and college/university library Education Philosophy & Practice collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Wayne Au (https://lannan.org/bios/wayne-au) is an educator, activist, and scholar who focuses on issues of race, class, and power in schooling. He is a professor in the School of Educational Studies at the University of Washington-Bothell, where he currently serves as dean of diversity and equity. Au is an editor of the social justice teacher magazine Rethinking Schools and the author or editor of numerous other publications, including Teaching for Black Lives, Rethinking Ethnic Studies, and A Marxist Education: Learning to Change the World.
The Political Science Shelf
Election Hacks: Zeidman v. Lindell
Bob Zeidman
Swiss Creek Publications
9780970227683, $25.00, HC, 292pp
https://www.amazon.com/Election-Hacks-Zeidman-Exposing-election/dp/097022768X
Synopsis: Forensic Scientist Exposed the Truth Behind the 2020 Presidential Election Claims
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell declared that he held proof of voting machine tampering that threw the 2020 U.S. presidential election from Donald Trump to Joe Biden.
Bob Zeidman is a forensic scientist who invented the field of software forensics. He examined the data and found Lindell's claims to be the result of bogus information, manipulated results, and dangerous conspiracy theories.
"Election Hacks: Zeidman v. Lindell: Exposing the $5 Million Election Myth" is the story of Bob's successful $5 million lawsuit against Lindell and his uncovering of a scandal leading to some of the top political leaders and advisors in America.
More than a bit of political history, "Election Hacks" is a very current warning about the 2024 election. That's because it is also a personal story about going up against a rich, powerful, influential businessman. It is a combination of technological mystery, courtroom drama, and a character study of extremists and their enablers. It is also about human nature and how people can so easily be led astray.
And perhaps even more importantly, it is about standing up for the truth, even when that truth may turn out to belie your beliefs and alienate your friends.
Critique: A simply fascinating read from start to finish, "Election Hacks: Zeidman v. Lindell: Exposing the $5 Million Election Myth" is a core and essential pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Political Science collections and supplemental Presidential Electoral Policy/Process curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of political science students, academia, political activists, poll workers, governmental election policy makers, Maga Republicans, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Election Hacks" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9780970227690, $15.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.00).
Editorial Note: Bob Zeidman (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Zeidman) is the creator of the field of software forensics and the founder of several successful high-tech Silicon Valley firms including Zeidman Consulting and Software Analysis and Forensic Engineering. He is the author of textbooks on engineering and intellectual property as well as screenplays and novels. Bob holds 29 patents and earned two bachelor's degrees, in physics and electrical engineering, from Cornell University and a master's degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University.
Disproven
Ken Block
Forefront Books
https://www.forefrontbooks.com
9781637632857, $28.00, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Disproven-Unbiased-Campaign-Improve-Elections/dp/1637632851
Synopsis: If you value the integrity of our elections (or want a behind-the-scenes look at an attempt at overturning one), "Disproven: My Unbiased Search for Voter Fraud for the Trump Campaign, the Data that Shows Why He Lost, and How We Can Improve Our Elections" by Ken Block takes you out of the voting booth and into the chaos that was the Donald Trump led attempt to challenge and overthrow the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
In November 2020, data specialist Ken Block received a phone call from the Trump Campaign. They wanted to hire him to find evidence of election fraud. What followed were late night and early morning requests to assess fraud claims at a blistering pace and ultimately find definitive evidence about the role voter fraud played in the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
Multiple subpoenas later, Block reveals the truth about being one of the few professionals hired to prove the Trump Campaign's allegation that voter fraud cost Donald Trump the 2020 presidential election. In the pages of "Disproven", Black explains what the voter data tells us and exposes the sobering truth that our federal elections are operating on hundreds, if not thousands, of disparate voting systems prone to error -- a threat to national election integrity.
"Disproven" is a true insider's exposure and reveal of the results of an inflammatory claim, a flawed system, and the changes drastically needed before the results of another election are threatened or contested starting with the 2024 presidential campaign that will face even greater threats to the survival of our American democracy.
Critique; Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Disproven: My Unbiased Search for Voter Fraud for the Trump Campaign, the Data that Shows Why He Lost, and How We Can Improve Our Elections" is a chilling expose and a clarion call for electoral reforms to prevent any future attempts to replace our American system of governance with that of an authoritarian and anti-democratic regime taking power through fraud, force, and Russian/Chinese intervention. "Disproven" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, governmental, and college/university library Contemporary Political Science collections and supplemental curriculum syllabus. It should be noted for students, academia, political activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Disproven" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: Ken Block (www.KenBlock.com) is an expert in voter data, a technology entrepreneur, a two-time candidate for governor, an advocate for good government, and the founder of a centrist political party. His work in data analytics uncovered the truth of how our elections are conducted and was the basis for some legal actions regarding elections. A lead attorney for Donald Trump's campaign testified to the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on the January 6 Attack that he had complete confidence in Block's work. Block has also been credited with helping the State of Texas save more than a billion dollars in food stamp fraud and inefficiencies.
The Biography Shelf
The Gatekeepers of Sycamore Springs
Bonnie Dornes Hanni
Anamcara Press
https://anamcara-press.com
9781960462350, $38.99, HC, 196pp
https://www.amazon.com/Gatekeepers-Sycamore-Springs-Historical-Journey/dp/1960462350
Synopsis: The Gatekeepers of Sycamore Springs: Kansas Historical Journey To "Healing Water" by historian Bonnie Dornes Hanni is about Sycamore Springs, Kansas and it's "healing waters" presented in a progression of documented events (a collection of observations along the historical journey) that lead us to the sycamore land and bring us to the present day. A journey well worth taking.
History gives us perspective, but the future is still untold. People, places, and time determine the past. Our ancestors set the course. What and where and how they lived brings every one of us to the present.
Alice Gray had a story too. It has made an impact on many lives. Her history provided her a perspective of exploration and determination to understand the healing waters. Her story remains the beginning of the author's story.
This well worn path is part of Hanni's history. Her family is associated with Sycamore Springs in a very small way. They owned and lived at this historical resort from 1949 - 1966. They called it home and added to the history of Sycamore Springs. Each person who came to Sycamore Springs contributed to this story; including you. You, the reader, are a vital part of this history.
"The Gatekeepers of Sycamore Springs" is not only a history book and a Native American biography, but it adds a human perspective through the author's eyes of how they lived at this place. This is a personal story of Sycamore Springs told with humor and joy.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Gatekeepers of Sycamore Springs: Kansas Historical Journey To "Healing Water"" is an appropriate and unreservedly recommended addition to community and college/university library Kansas State History and Native American biography/memoir collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Gatekeepers of Sycamore Springs: Kansas Historical Journey To "Healing Water" is also available in a paperback edition (9781960462343, $24.99).
Editorial Note: Historical research is at the center of Bonnie Dornes Hanni's life. In addition to "The Gatekeepers of Sycamore Springs" Bonnie has also written and illustrated a children's book, "Where is Bob?", a story relating our currency to historical places in the United States. She has several other books in the making. She lives in Lawrence, Kansas, and is presently the House Director for Tri Delta Sorority at the University of Kansas.
When Business Is Love
Jan Ryde
Forefront Books
https://www.forefrontbooks.com
9781637631973, $26.00, HC, 368pp
https://www.amazon.com/When-Business-Love-H%C3%A4stens_At-Everywhere/dp/1637631979
Synopsis: Love. It isn't everything. It's the only thing. Despite the world being such a rich and abundant place, love is one thing that all the world is longing for, yet (as the old song goes) just can't seem to get enough of.
With the publication of "When Business Is Love: The Spirit of Hastens -- At Work, At Play, and Everywhere In Your Life", Jan Ryde (the fifth generation CEO of family-owned Swedish bed manufacturer Hastens), reveals the secrets to running a business and living a life rooted in love.
"When Business Is Love" is about what can happen when one approaches business and life with the single intention to give everyone involved the opportunity to experience their best life.
"When Business Is Love" shares Jan Ryde's mission to make the world a better place by putting people first and leading with values of humility, honesty, integrity, mastery, gratitude, forgiveness, encouragement, joy, peacefulness, and -- above all else: LOVE.
Readers will follow Jan's personal journey from business school professor to CEO of a modest family business that he built into a global company, and learn from his successful leadership philosophy and learn: Why you must embrace your whole story -- even the dark times; The importance of a clearly-defined mission; The magic of imagination and retaining one's child-like creativity; How to step into and live in abundance through connection to the Source; The myth of competition and how you only have to create to succeed; The power of modeling and acting on the clues that success freely leaves for you; The miracles that show up in your life when you invest in helping people to have their best life ever.
Readers following Jan Ryde's example of business as love will find themselves asking the transformative question that motivates the entire Hastens team: how good do you want to have it?
Critique: Inspired and inspiring, practical and iconoclastic, exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "When Business Is Love: The Spirit of Hastens -- At Work, At Play, and Everywhere in Your Life" will be of major interest to readers concerned with workplace morale, motivational management/leadership, and self-improvement/self-help. While unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, corporate, and college/university library Business Management collections and supplemental MBA curriculum lists, it should be noted for MBA students, academia, corporate executives, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "When Business Is Love: The Spirit of Hastens -- At Work, At Play, and Everywhere in Your Life" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).
Editorial Note: Under Jan Ryde's management, Hastens, founded in Sweden in 1852 as a one-man saddlery, has grown into one of the world's most beloved brands with stores from Los Angeles to London, from Istanbul to Singapore. Hastens enjoys an outstanding international reputation for creating the finest beds in the world, as evidenced by a client list that includes everyone from Hollywood royalty to actual crowned heads of state. Its luxurious, handcrafted, top-of-the-line Grand Vividus sells for as much as a million dollars. (www.hastens.com)
The General Fiction Shelf
Two Degrees: A Climate Change Novel
William Michael Ried
CK Books Publishing
https://ckbookspublishing.com
9781949085884, $15.99, PB, 332pp
https://www.amazon.com/Two-Degrees-Climate-Change-Novel/dp/1949085880
Synopsis: In a world where the devastating effects of climate change can seem inconsequential to the lives of the wealthy, Daniel Lazaro thrives as a powerful Washington lawyer.
Lobbying for the fossil fuel industry, with a dream life on the Guadalupe River, a loving wife and a young daughter, Daniel is blind to the repercussions of his work. But when a flash flood in the Texas Hill Country sweeps away his home and his family, Daniel is left shattered and haunted by even the sight of water.
Daniel descends into a bleak abyss, burdened by guilt and his debilitating phobia. But a charismatic activist appears and tries to convince Daniel to use his political access to challenge the industry he once championed. Daniel is torn between his own personal grief and his urgent need to make amends. Will he redeem himself or stand aside as the world plunges toward chaos?
Critique: Original, exceptional, compelling, deftly crafted, a prophetic story of redemption and the fight for our dying planet, author William Michael Ried's Climate Change themed novel, "Two Degrees", puts Daniel Lazaro and the fascinated reader at the intersection of power politics and climate change, where a collision is inevitable and tragic. While also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99), "Two Degrees" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary Fiction collections.
Editorial Note: William Michael Ried (www.wmrauthor.com/about-the-author) is the author of
"Five Ferries" (a finalist in the 2019 American Fiction Awards for Best New Fiction). In 2021 his second novel, "Backstory", won the New York City Big Book Award for Mystery and a Silver Medal from the Wishing Shelf Book Awards for Adult Fiction, was a semifinalist for the Kindle Book Award for Literary Fiction and was named a 2022 Eric Hoffer Award Category Finalist. His third novel, "Pandion", was named a 2022 Distinguished Favorite Mystery by the NYC Big Book Awards and a Red Ribbon Winner of the 2022 Wishing Shelf Awards, was named to the 2023 Eric Hoffer Award Grand Prize Short List, was a semifinalist in the 2023 Kindle Book Awards for Mystery/Thriller and was awarded Honorable Mention in the category of Mystery/Crime in the 2023 Eric Hoffer Awards.
Daughter of a Promise
Jeanne Blasberg
https://jeanneblasberg.com
She Writes Press
www.shewritespress.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9781647426088, $17.95, PB, 344pp
https://www.amazon.com/Daughter-Promise-Jeanne-McWilliams-Blasberg/dp/1647426081
Synopsis: Days after graduation, Betsabe? Ruiz's life in New York is turning out to be nothing less than cinematic. Although her first job at a white-shoe, Wall Street investment bank is the opportunity of a lifetime, she is not prepared for the magnitude of wealth swirling about her, the long hours and close quarters that infuse her professional relationships with intimacy, nor an unexpected attraction to her boss. And like all great films, Betsabe?'s New York dream comes with a twist that challenges her to find a balance between where she came from and where she's going.
Narrated in the retrospective as a letter of wisdom to her unborn son, "Daughter of a Promise" captures not only Betsabe?'s coming of age but also her journey to understand that deep-seated forces such as desire and love are more complicated than she ever could have imagined.
Critique: A unique and inherently fascinating novel that will hold immense interest to fans of cultural heritage fiction, women's fiction, and coming of age stories, "Daughter of a Promise" showcases author Jeanne Blasberg's impressive literary skills and whose distinctive style of narrative driven storytelling fully engages her reader's total attention from start to finish. While a fully recommended pick for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Daughter of a Promise" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.49) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, : 9798874713065, $31.95, CD).
This Impossible Brightness
Jessica Bryant Klagmann
Lake Union Publishing
https://amazonpublishing.amazon.com/lake-union-publishing.html
9781662513121, $28.99, HC, 319pp
https://www.amazon.com/Impossible-Brightness-Jessica-Bryant-Klagmann/dp/1662513127
Synopsis: After the mysterious disappearance of her fiance, Alma Hughes moves to a remote island in the North Atlantic, where she hopes to weather her grief and nurture her ailing dog. But the strange town of Violette has mysteries as well.
Townsfolk say that the radio tower overlooking their town broadcasts messages through their home appliances, their dreams, even the sea itself. When lightning strikes the tower, illuminating the sky in a brilliant flash, Alma finds herself caught in the unexplainable aftermath of one of Violette's deadliest storms.
As the sea consumes the island, threatening its very existence, the deaths and lost memories of the recently departed also devastate the community. Alma, with a unique link to the lost, may be the only one who can help them move on. But to do so, she must confront a tragic loss of her own.
On this doomed island haunted by echoes of the departed, Alma searches for meaning in her future -- and dares to discover the power of hope among the living.
Critique: An original and inherently fascinating novel by an especially gifted author, "This Impossible Brightness" by Jessica Bryant Klagmann will have a particular attraction for readers with an interest in family life/women's domestic life novels raised whose deft crafting raise them to an impressive level of literary excellence. "This Impossible Brightness" is particularly impressive when considering that it is also author Jessica Bryant Klagmann's debut as a novelist. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "This Impossible Brightness" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781662513114, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99) as well.
Editorial Note: Jessica Bryant Klagmann (www.thehillsdranktheriver.com) studied writing in Fairbanks, Alaska. Every good idea she's ever had came while she was running, so she tries to stay within sight of a mountain or canyon trail at all times. She and her family live in northern New Mexico, but they also spend time in Maine, where they're restoring a hundred-acre forest. Her work has been published in environmental journals like Whitefish Review and Terrain.org.
Blank: A Novel
Zibby Owens
Little A
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662516696, $28.99, HC, 268pp
https://www.amazon.com/Blank-Novel-Zibby-Owens/dp/166251669X
Synopsis: Pippa Jones is a fortyish former literary sensation who fears she will be a one-hit wonder. After the follow-up book she was almost done writing, Podlusters, had to be tossed (it ended up sharing a plot and title with superstar author Ella Rankin's summer blockbuster!), she couldn't write a thing.
Months of staring at a blank page made her confidence vanish like a one-night stand. When she finds out that she has only five days left to finish (or rather, start) or repay an advance she's already spent, Pippa has a brilliantly original idea. Okay, fine, her twelve-year-old son came up with it as a joke, but Pippa and her teenage daughter approved.
Pippa's not only going to make a bold statement, but she'll change the book world while she's at it! Can she pull it off? At this point, she doesn't have a choice.
When Pippa's publisher gets intimately involved, it unlocks a series of plot twists she never saw coming. From the courtyards of posh Beverly Hills hotels and Malibu mega-mansions to Brentwood and Santa Monica bookstores, Pippa races against time (in her used Volvo) and discovers more about her career, marriage, family, friends, and herself than she ever could have dreamed up.
Critique: A fun read from start to finish (especially for anyone who has experienced the bane of 'Writer's Block', "Blank" by novelist Zibby Owens is certain to be an immediately welcome and enduringly prized addition to community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of those with an interest in family life/domestic life fiction that "Blank" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781662516702, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Zibby Owens (www.zibbyowens.com) is also the author of "Bookends: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Literature" and the children's book "Princess Charming". She is the editor of two anthologies: "Moms Don't Have Time to Have Kids: A Timeless Anthology" and "Moms Don't Have Time To: A Quarantine Anthology". Zibby is the creator and host of the award-winning daily podcast "Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books", and is the founder and CEO of Zibby Media, dubbed "the Zibby-verse" by the Los Angeles Times. It includes publishing house Zibby Books, online magazine Zibby Mag, Zibby's Book Club, retreats, classes, and events. She also owns Zibby's Bookshop, an independent bookstore in Santa Monica, California. Zibby can be followed on Instagram @zibbyowens and on Substack.
The Young of Other Animals
Chris Cander
www.chriscander.com
Little A
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781662514999, $28.99, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Young-Other-Animals-Novel/dp/1662514999
Synopsis: Mayree and Paula are a mother and daughter drifting apart, separated by grief and more, after the death of Mayree's husband.
Mayree faces a future with no income, career, or social life. Even ties with her best friend have been severed. Paula, feeling abandoned by the father she loved, is left with only a bitter mother. When Paula reveals that she narrowly escaped a violent assault, Mayree's initial reaction is dismissal and disbelief. But as details unfold, it's clear that it was real and not just one random night gone horribly wrong -- someone is out to destroy their lives.
With each new threat from Paula's assailant, harrowing family secrets reemerge that force the mother and daughter to confront the shared traumas of their pasts. Drawing on courage and hope, they must save the relationship they never realized they'd lost.
Reflective, suspenseful, and moving, with the publication of "The Young of Other Animals explores the psychic intergenerational damages that can alter relationships with loved ones forever.
Critique: An absolute 'must read" pick for fans of mother/daughter domestic thriller/suspense novels, "The Young of Other Animals" by author Chris Cander's a deftly crafted, narrative driven, and entertaining read from cover to cover. While especially and particularly recommended as an addition to community library Contemporary General Fiction collections it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Young of Other Animals" is also avalable in a paperback edition (9781662515002, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Chris Cander (www.chriscander.com) is the author of the novels A Gracious Neighbor, The Weight of a Piano, Whisper Hollow, and 11 Stories, as well as the children's picture book The Word Burglar. Her fiction has been published in twelve languages.
The Historical Fiction Shelf
Mockingbird Summer
Lynda Rutledge
Lake Union Publishing
https://amazonpublishing.amazon.com/lake-union-publishing.html
9781662504501, $28.99, HC, 303pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mockingbird-Summer-Novel-Lynda-Rutledge/dp/1662504500
Synopsis: In segregated High Cotton, Texas, in 1964, the racial divide is as clear as the railroad tracks running through town. It's also where two girls are going to shake things up.
This is the last summer of thirteen-year-old Corky Corcoran's childhood, and her family hires a Haitian housekeeper who brings her daughter, America, along with her. Corky is quick to befriend America and eager to share her favorite new "grown-up" novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. America's take on it is different and profoundly personal. As their friendship grows, Corky finds out so much more about America's life and her hidden skill: she can run as fast as Olympian Wilma Rudolph!
When Corky asks America to play with her girls' softball team for the annual church rivals game, it's a move that crosses the color line and sets off a firestorm. As tensions escalate, it fast becomes a season of big changes in High Cotton. For Corky, those changes will last a lifetime.
Critique: A brilliantly written coming-of-age novel that is set on the eve of massive cultural shifts throughout Texas and the American south, "Mockingbird Summer" is a deftly crafted novel by Lynda Rutledge that explores 'the impact of great books, the burden of potential, and the power of friendship with humor, poignancy, and exhilarating hope'. While especially and unreservedly recommended as a very special pick for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections, it should also be noted for the personal reading lists of southern fiction fans that "Mockingbird Summer" is also available in a paperback edition (9781662504518, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Lynda Rutledge (www.lyndarutledge.com) is the author of "West with Giraffes" which was selected by Library of Congress-affiliated Texas Center for the Book as their 2023 Great Read. She's also the author of "Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale" which won the 2013 Writers' League of Texas Fiction Award and adapted into the major 2018 French film La dernière folie de Claire Darling starring Catherine Deneuve. Her fiction has won awards and residencies from Atlantic Center for the Arts, Illinois Arts Council, and Ragdale Foundation, among many others. In her eclectic career before becoming a novelist, she was a copywriter, freelance journalist, film reviewer, book collaborator, and travel writer.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Almost Surely Dead
Amina Akhtar
Mindy's Book Studio
c/o Amazon Publilshing
9781662507571, $28.99, HC, 302pp
https://www.amazon.com/Almost-Surely-Dead-Amina-Akhtar/dp/1662507577
Synopsis: Dunia Ahmed lives an ordinary life -- or she definitely used to. Now she's the subject of a true crime podcast. She's been missing for over a year, and no one knows if she's dead or alive. But her story has listeners obsessed, and people everywhere are sporting merch that demands "Find Dunia!"
In the days before her disappearance, Dunia was a successful pharmacist living in New York. The daughter of Pakistani immigrants, she was coping with a broken engagement and the death of her mother. But then something happens that really shakes up her world: someone tries to murder her.
When her would-be killer winds up dead, Dunia figures the worst is over. But then there's another attempt on her life... and another. And police suspect someone close to her may be the culprit. Dunia struggles to make sense of what's happening. And as childhood superstitions seep into her reality, she becomes convinced that someone (or something) truly is after her.
Critique: An original, deftly crafted, psychological, pulse-pounding, suspense thriller of a read from start to finish, "Almost Surely Dead" by novelist Amina Akhtar. Unreservedly recommended for the personal reading lists of dedicated murder mystery fans and community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted that "Almost Surely Dead" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781662507588, $9.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: Amina Akhtar (www.aminaakhtar.work) is an accomplished novelist and former fashion editor. Her satirical first novel, "#FashionVictim", drew critical acclaim. "Kismet", her second book, was set in the stunning and creepy world of wellness. Akhtar has worked at Vogue, Elle, the New York Times, and New York Magazine, where she was the founding editor of the women's blog The Cut. She currently lives not too far from the Sedona vortexes. "Almost Surely Dead" is Akhtar's third novel.
The Intruder
Pete Blauner
Dead Sky Publishing
https://deadskypublishing.com
9781639511297, $29.99, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Intruder-Peter-Blauner/dp/1639511296
Synopsis: What would a good man do to protect his family? How far will he go and how far is too far?
Jake Schiff is a successful New York lawyer trying to do right by his family. John Gates is a mentally disturbed man barely surviving on the streets. Their worlds collide violently when Jake's wife Dana tries to help John as a psychiatric patient.
John decides that Jake has somehow usurped the life that was meant for him. He begins showing up outside the Schiffs' house and demanding his family back. Suddenly everything is called into question. Including the matter of who the real intruder is.
First published in paperback (2021), "The Intruder" is a tale of two lives, two cities, and how fate can quickly turn and go from saving lives to completely destroying them.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a genuine thriller of a read from start to finish, this new edition from Dead Sky Publishing, "The Intruder" by Peter Blauner will be of particular interest to fans of psychological suspense novels. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Suspense/Thriller collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this new edition of "The Intruder" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Peter Blauner (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Blauner) is the author of nine novels, including Slow Motion Riot, winner of the 1992 Edgar award for best first novel from Mystery Writers of America, and The Intruder, a New York Times bestseller and a bestseller overseas. He began his career working for legendary newspaper columnist Pete Hamill and first broke into print as a journalist, writing cover stories for New York magazine about crime and politics. His novels have been published in twenty languages and his short fiction has been anthologized in Best American Mystery Stories and NPR's Selected Shorts from Symphony Space.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
The Warriors of Atlantis and the Fallen Knight
Christopher Sage Nelson
PublishDrive edition
c/o RoseDog Books
https://rosedogbookstore.com
c/o Dorrance Publishing Company
https://www.dorrancepublishing.com
9798890272522, $24.00, PB, 349pp
https://rosedogbookstore.com/the-warriors-of-atlantis-and-the-fallen-knight
Synopsis: Thousands of years ago, before its famous descent into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, the island of Atlantis was home to a wondrous kingdom, ruled by a noble king.
Upon his mysterious death, the kingdom erupted into a whirlwind of chaos and confusion. An army of brave knights, a coven of bloodthirsty vampires, a village of magical elves, a forest of ferocious beasts, a race of killer machines, and a hoard of ravenous zombies will fight for control of the kingdom.
The only hope to return harmony to the once peaceful kingdom lies the hands of the Warriors of Atlantis!
Critique: An impressively original, carefully crafted and thoroughly fun read from start to finish, "The Warriors of Atlantis and the Fallen Knight" will be of special and particular interest to dedicated fans of Sword & Sorcery style action/adventure fantasy novels. All the more impressive when considering that it is author Christopher Sage Nelson's debut as a novelist, "The Warriors of Atlantis and the Fallen Knight" showcases his genuine flair for the kind of distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style that will keep the readers rapt attention from first page to last. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Warriors of Atlantis and the Fallen Knight" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.00).
Editorial Note: Christopher Sage Nelson was born in American Fork, Utah in 1990. He started writing stories in third grade, and at age 22, began creating characters and writing stories for the Warriors of Atlantis series. After ten years of writing, he finally set out to get the first book published. (https://www.facebook.com/christopher.nelson.756)
Ride the Snake Road
LeRoy Wow
Wolf-Wise Press
9780964074729, $21.99, PB, 316pp
https://www.amazon.com/Ride-Snake-Road-Wasteland-Adventures/dp/0964074729
Synopsis: The gang is run by Beamo's former best friend, Tee Sal, a dashing bandit leader. Tee plans to use Beamo to find the greatest payload in history. Beamo has skills the gang desperately needs, including prowess with his famous titanium steel Bowie knife.
Aggressive, genetically-modified wild beasts and bizarre post-humans won't stop Beamo, but he might not have the know-how to handle Tee's younger sister, Little Bit. The strong-willed woman falls for her brother's hostage-guide and he falls for her. Tee ratchets up pressure on Beamo to steer clear of his sister.
All the while a vicious empire of chopper-riding, human-skin-collecting marauders is hot on their trail. It all leads to a desperate showdown at an ancient U.S. base hidden in what was once Nevada.
Beamo wants the gold and wants to stay alive. He needs to deal with Tee to keep his hardcore reputation. After discovering a gold laptop that contains information to heal the planet, he realizes he wants a life of redemption with Little Bit more than anything else.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a fun read from start to finish, "Ride the Snake Road: Beamo Roamer's Hard Core Jaunt to the Wasteland" by LeRoy Wow is a science fiction novel that fans of dystopian aftermath novels and Road Warrior films will find of special interest. Mutants, road warrior gangs, a desolate and dangerous landscape, hardcover action, and complicated personal relationships amidst a struggle to survive, "Ride the Snake Road" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community library Action/Adventure Science Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicates science fiction fans that "Ride the Snake Road' is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note: LeRoy Wow has been writing sci-fi stories since 1st grade. His micro-fiction horror collection is titled "Man-Corn in the Promised Land: Tales of Cannibalism & Other Extreme Folklore" (2013)
The Art Shelf
With Brush and Pen: The First Century of Napoleonic Artists
Robert Gillespie
Dorrance Publishing Company
www.dorrancepublishing.com
9798888121603, $55.00, PB, 166pp
https://www.amazon.com/Brush-Pen-Century-Napoleonic-Artists/dp/B0CR1TYQH5
Synopsis: For more than 220 years, visual artists have attempted to illustrate the political and military cataclysm that descended upon Europe between 1792 and 1815.
With the publication of "With Brush and Pen: The First Century of Napoleonic Artists", and for the first time the oldest genre of historical art is brought to life bu art historian Robert Gillespie through the works created by an international cast of artists.
Never before have so many examples of battle art, uniform studies, and maritime art been brought together in a single volume. And for the first time, the artists who created this feast for the eyes are the center of attention. Long hidden in the shadows, these men and women are now revealed.
The other half of "With Brush and Pen: The First Century of Napoleonic Artists" focuses upon the evolution of the market that consumed these works and the technical improvements in printing technologies that made their proliferation to a mass audience possible.
Critique: This large format (8.5 x 0.43 x 11 inches, 1.21 pounds) paperback edition of "With Brush and Pen: The First Century of Napoleonic Artists" by Robert Gillespie is an inherently fascinating, impressively informative, profusely and beautifully illustrated volume that is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library European 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 "With Brush and Pen: The First Century of Napoleonic Artists" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $50.00).
Editorial Note: Robert Gillespie has both a bachelor's and a master's degree in history from Clemson University in 20th Century U.S. Military and Diplomatic History. He spent nine years teaching history at Tri-County Technical College. Gillespie is also the author of The Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Escalation of the Vietnam War, published by Clemson University and Black Ops Vietnam: The Operational History of MACVSOG, published by the U.S. Naval Institute Press. His special interests include photography, military art, and the graphic arts in general.
The LGBTQ Studies Shelf
Bumpy Rides and Soft Landings
James Pauley, Jr.
https://www.jpauleyauthor.com
Take Flight Publishing
9798986751603, $23.99, HC, 300pp
https://www.amazon.com/Bumpy-Rides-Soft-Landings-Learning/dp/B0BX7HXH24
Synopsis: Since the late 1970s, James Pauley, Jr. has been jet-setting around the world as a flight attendant. During his time on this planet and in the skies, he's pretty much seen and heard it all. With the publication of "Bumpy Rides and Soft Landings: Stories of Coming Out, Flying High, and Not Learning to Play the Piano", Pauley chronicles his life-both in the air and on the ground-one meaningful adventure after another.
As someone whose innate filter doesn't always work, Pauley says it exactly as he sees it. Written in his uniquely humorous, poignant, sarcastic, self-deprecating, honest, and mildly outrageous style, he recounts stories of growing up different, while learning important lessons from even the most unlikely of sources: a chili dog, a nasty queen, a cursing coworker, a Porta-Potty, a stranger's judgment, a sore butt, a new piano, a tiny scar, a grieving widow, and a hateful bully.
With the millions of miles he's logged in over the years, along with the thousands of diverse and colorful characters he's met and observed along the way, he knows one thing for certain: On this journey called Life, with no GPS or autopilot to help us navigate, no one truly knows what their final destination will be. And, because the ride will undoubtedly be turbulent at times, it's best to just fasten your seat belts, learn from the experience, and always hope for a soft landing.
Critique: Of special recommendation to the attention of readers with an interest in LGBTQ+ memoirs, "Bumpy Rides and Soft Landings: Stories of Coming Out, Flying High, and Not Learning to Play the Piano" is a fun and thought-provoking read from start to finish. Laced with humor, travel commentary and behavioral insight, "Bumpy Rides and Soft Landings" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library LGBTQ+ Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Bumpy Rides and Soft Landings" is also available in a paperback edition (9798986751610, $15.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).
Editorial Note: James Pauley, Jr. (www.jpauleyauthor.com) began his career as a flight attendant in 1978, a job that he continues to enjoy. Throughout his life, he's worn many other hats as well: massage therapist, real estate agent, house flipper, painter, busboy, groundskeeper, delivery person, wine steward, waiter, babysitter, caterer, house cleaner, bartender, cake decorator, window washer, substitute teacher, janitor, and salesman. He is the co-author of "Granny and the Gay Guy" with Charlene Potterbaum.
The Pets Shelf
Kitty Wisdom
Michelle Gamble
3L Publishing & PR
https://3lpublishing.com/3l
9798989414901, $19.95, PB, 117pp
https://3l-publishing.myshopify.com/products/kitty-wisdom-a-cat-lovers-guide-to-adopting-and-caring-for-kitties
Synopsis: Welcome to the world of "Kitty Wisdom" -- a place filled with happy, funny, cute, and entertaining kitty stories. Cat owners and first-time kitty parents alike will enjoy this informative guide written to make you laugh over the escapades of the author's fur babies, Slurpee and Icee, while also learning all about cat behaviors.
"Kitty Wisdom" features information about: How to find and adopt the kitty that is right for you; What certain cat behaviors mean; Different cat foods and health information; How to keep your cats safe and secure; Funny and heartwarming stories about kitties being, well, kitties.
"Kitty Wisdom" is author Michelle Gamble's love letter to her own two fur babies and all cats that make our lives that much sweeter. You will smile, laugh and nod as you read about cats and pet ownership. "Kitty Wisdom" is a fun read for adults and young people alike.
Critique: With cute little photo ovals of kittens scattered throughout, "Kitty Wisdom: A Cat Lovers Guide to Adopting and Caring for Kitties" by dedicated kitten enthusiast and expert Michelle Gamble is a must for the legions of readers with feline companions of their own. Informative and fun, "Kitty Wisdom" is unreservedly recommended for personal, family, school, and community library collections.
Editorial Note: Michelle Gamble is a pet rescue advocate and an award-winning author with over 20 years in the publishing, public relations and marketing business, and who has formed her own agency in 2006, which eventually led to the launch of 3L Publishing in summer of 2009.
The Christian Studies Shelf
God Greatest Commandment: A Guide
Andrew Oghena
Dorrance Publishing Company
www.dorrancepublishing.com
9798889259961, $53.00, HC, 146pp
https://www.amazon.com/God-Greatest-Commandment-Andrew-Oghena/dp/B0CJSNKCF3
Synopsis: In "God Greatest Commandment: A Guide", Andrew Oghena eloquent discusses in impressive detail the two greatest commandments given by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that will enable all humans to live a godly life during their earthly pilgrimages.
The objective of "God Greatest Commandment: A Guide" is to provide the reader with instructional steps on how to achieve loving God with all your heart, soul and mind, love your neighbor as yourself, as well as to outline rewards that you will receive by loving God and neighbor.
"God Greatest Commandment: A Guide" reminds that we are all one, that we all came from one God, just like the billions of rays of sunlight all come from one source, the sun. Since all humanity is from God the Father, we should endeavor to love our Creator and also love all created people. If we all love each other, then our communities, our countries, and our world will be better places to live, without war, but with peace and harmony.
Critique: Presented from a Roman Catholic perspective, "God Greatest Commandment: A Guide" is an enlightening and spiritually motivating read for all members of the Christian community regardless of denominational affiliations. Exceptionally well written and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "God Greatest Commandment: A Guide" is a life enhancing, spiritually embracing, and especially recommended pick for personal, clergy, seminary, and college/university library Christian Theology collections. It should be noted that "God Greatest Commandment: A Guide" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9798889250562, $40.00).
Editorial Note: Andrew Oghena was born and brought up as a Christian in the Roman Catholic faith and is a member of both the Blue Army, a Catholic society that promotes the message of Our Lady of Fatima, and the Knights of Columbus, a society that promotes family and defends the Christian faith.
Hail Mary Ever Virgin
Andrew Oghena
Christian Faith Publishing
https://www.christianfaithpublishing.com
9798889431930, $17.95, PB, 84pp
https://www.amazon.com/Hail-Mary-Virgin-Andrew-Oghena/dp/B0CLQ2Z86J
Synopsis: With the publication of "Hail Mary Ever Virgin" by Andrew Oghena, both Christians and non-Christian readers will be able to correct misconceptions on the virginity of Mary as this eloquent study provides answers using the facts in the Scripture to the question on the virginity of Mary, the mother of Jesus the Christ.
"Hail Mary Ever Virgin" will lead people to the truth that Jesus Christ is the only Son of Mary. It will benefit Catholics to increase their faith based on the fact that Jesus is the only son of Mary and will enlighten other Christians and encourage nonbelievers to have a change of mind and repent from dishonoring the Blessed Virgin Mary.
"Hail Mary Ever Virgin" clearly explains the common mistakes that some people make on the perpetual virginity of Mary. People usually recount the Bible, saying that the brothers of Jesus, James, Joses, etc. are mentioned in the Bible; whereas the truth is clear in the scriptures that they are merely close relatives of Jesus.
Using facts from the Old Testament and in the New Testament, "Hail Mary Ever Virgin" clearly repudiated this common error on the assumption about the perpetual virginity of Mary. This approach of using scripture only in a way it has not been used before on this subject will insure that "Hail Mary Ever Virgin" becomes a classic since it will be referenced for ages to come.
Using artificial intelligence (AI) technology, Andrew Oghena was able to gather facts from the Bible to develop this study that others have not presented previously. It is the first book on the virginity of Mary that outlined several truths contained in the Bible to support this subject. "Hail Mary Ever Virgin" does not present truths that are based on tradition. It is this approach that makes it easier for everyone to believe that the facts in this book are from the Bible only but were not made clear to them previously.
Because the truths in laid out in "Hail Mary Ever Virgin" are based on the Bible alone, it will increase the faith of Christians on this subject, providing them with answers that are based on the scriptures. Finally, "Hail Mary Ever Virgin" is simply written in few pages so that the readers can quickly read and finish it.
Critique: Inspired and inspiring, thoughtful and thought-provoking, an invaluable and seminal contribution to our understanding of Mary within a biblical context, "Hail Mary Ever Virgin" unreservedly recommended for church, seminary, and college/university library Christian Studies collections. It should also be noted available for the personal reading lists of clergy, seminary students, theologians, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Hail Mary Ever Virgin" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Andrew Oghena was born and brought up as a Christian in the Roman Catholic faith and is a member of both the Blue Army, a Catholic society that promotes the message of Our Lady of Fatima, and the Knights of Columbus, a society that promotes family and defends the Christian faith.
James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
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