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Volume 26, Number 9 September 2016 Home | IBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Computer Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Christian Studies Shelf Buddhist Studies Shelf Islamic Studies Shelf
Crafts Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf
Self-Help Shelf Travel Shelf Music Shelf
Cookbook Shelf Military Shelf Audiobook Shelf
Fiction Shelf Writing/Publishing Shelf Automotive Shelf
Coloring Book Shelf American History Shelf World History Shelf
Civil War Shelf Railroading Shelf Needlecraft Shelf
Poetry Shelf Graphic Novel Shelf Library CD Shelf
Library DVD Shelf Hunting/Fishing Shelf Aviation Shelf
Biography Shelf LGBT Studies Shelf Sports Shelf
Education Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Art Shelf
Science Shelf Parenting Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Photography Shelf Literary Studies Shelf Psychology Shelf
Divorce Shelf Gardening Shelf Business Shelf
Money/Finance Shelf Jobs/Careers Shelf Architecture Shelf
Language Studies Shelf Human Sexuality Shelf Genealogy Shelf
Judicial Studies Shelf Pets/Wildlife Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Agriculture Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

How to Get a Green Card, twelfth edition
Ilona Bray, Loida Nicolas Lewis, and Kristina Gasson
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.nolo.com
9781413322552, $39.99, PB, 416pp, www.amazon.com

It is no secret that the U.S. immigration system is an enormous bureaucracy and difficult for ordinary people to navigate. Yet it is vital for millions of people to understand it before starting an application for a green card. Making a mistake can ruin any chances for a successful application -- and can even leave desperate men and women to fall victim to scam artists. Now in a fully updated twelfth edition, "How to Get a Green Card" provides everything necessary to know about qualifying for permanent U.S. residence -- especially if the aspiring applicant doesn't have an employer-sponsor. "How to Get a Green Card" fully covers how to work with U.S. officials and prepare and present the right documents at the right time to get a green card for parents, siblings, a spouse or fiance. It also covers such issues as: green card lotteries; political asylum or refugee status; U visas; Deferred action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA); and all other categories. This newly revised twelfth edition of "How to Get a Green Card" covers the expanded provisional waiver of unlawful presence, which helps people unlawfully in the U.S. make sure they can travel for their visa interview without being barred from returning. Enhanced with the inclusion of new sample forms, updated poverty guidelines, and more, "How to Get a Green Card" is an indispensable reference for anyone seeking a Green Card, and should be a part of every immigration NGO, community, college, and university library instructional reference collection. It should be noted that "How to Get a Green Card" is also available in a Kindle format ($23.99).

I Can't Save You But I'll Die Trying
Dr. Burton A. Clark, EFO
Premium Press America
PO Box 58995, Nashville, TN 37205
www.premiumpressamerica.com
9781887654579 $29.95 amazon.com

I Can't Save You But I'll Die Trying: The American Fire Culture challenges the status quo inherent in American culture that is getting both firefighters and civilians killed. Every year, 3,250 people in America die from fires. Changes in attitude and policy are desperately needed to reduce the death toll, but they are too slow in coming. "The NIOSH [National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health] line-of-duty death studies report that we [professional firefighters] do not follow our own safety SOPs, national standards, and training doctrine. We do not use our safety equipment. We do not hold firefighters, officers, or chiefs responsible and accountable when it comes to safety." I Can't Save You But I'll Die Trying addresses one example after another, and proposed ways to change fundamentally problematic behaviors. I Can't Save You But I'll Die Trying is highly recommended, especially for public library collections, and an absolute "must-read" for every volunteer or professional firefighter.

Figures of Memory
Michael Bernard-Donals
State University of New York Press
State University Plaza, Albany, NY 12246-0001
www.sunypress.edu
9781438460772, $80.00, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is the United States' official memorial to the Holocaust. Adjacent to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the museum provides for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust history. It is dedicated to helping leaders and citizens of the world confront hatred, prevent genocide, promote human dignity, and strengthen democracy. "Figures of Memory: The Rhetoric of Displacement at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum" by Michael Bernard-Donals (Nancy Hoefs Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin Madison) deftly examines how the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum uses its space and the design of its exhibits to move its visitors to memory. From the objects and their placement to the architectural design of the building and the floor plan, the museum was meant to teach visitors about the Holocaust. But what Michael Bernard-Donals found is that while they learn about and remember the Holocaust, visitors also call to mind other, sometimes unrelated memories. Partly this is because memory itself works in multidirectional ways, but partly it's because of decisions made in the planning that led to the creation of the museum. Enhanced with six pages of Notes, a sixteen page Bibliography, and a seventeen page Index, "Figures of Memory" is an impressive work of seminal scholarship and unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library collections. For the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject it should be noted that "Figures of Memory" is also available in a Kindle format ($76.00).

Big Data: Does Size Matter?
Timandra Harkness
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.bloomsbury.com
9781472920058 $27.00 www.amazon.com

Big Data: Does Size Matter? considers the definition of "big data" and its applications and takes computer and information analysis a step further into social issues realms as it considers the process of applying big data to everyone life. From how such data helps solve crimes, improve scientific knowledge, or define and identify human habits to why it's as much a part of human society and culture as the cyberworld, this survey is filled with engaging stories, personalities, big data fetes and challenges, and bigger questions about where big data is taking the human race. The result is a powerful analysis highly recommended for any social issues shelf: a lively read, in contrast to similar-sounding examinations oriented to computer analysts and users.

Frontier Grit
Marianne Monson
Shadow Mountain
ShadowMountain.com
9781629722276 $19.99 amazon.com

Frontier Grit: The Unlikely True Stories of Daring Pioneer Women lives up to its title as an anthology of true-life stories about twelve courageous frontier women. One disguised herself as a man to become a skilled stagecoach driver; one became a frontier doctor long before the profession was widely considered open to women; others championed social justice and women's rights. Frontier Grit is an invaluable contribution to American History shelves and utterly absorbing from cover to cover. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library collections.

The Art of Calm
Rebecca Ascher-Walsh
National Geographic Press
101 West 104th Street, Suite 8, New York, NY 10025
www.nationalgeographic.com
9781426216374, $19.95, HC, 192pp, www.amazon.com

A perfect antidote for today's time-stressed, not-enough-hours-in-the-day urban life style, "The Art of Calm: Photographs and Wisdom to Balance Your Life" compiled by Rebecca Ascher-Walst is packed from cover to cover with inspirational ideas to help her readers bring their lives back from the brink of emotional exhaustion. A perfect antidote to reducing the chaos of everyday life, "The Art of Calm" is replete with exquisite photographs and insightful quotations that combine to provide an opportunity to enjoy guilt-free "me" time, as well as easy suggestions for a more peaceful existence with ideas that range from keeping a bud vase on your desk to tucking yourself into bed an hour early with a book you love. Of special note are the simple tips for how to unwind, ideas for spending quality time with loved ones, and illuminating quotes offer ideas on how to slow down and savor life's simple moments. "The Art of Calm" is enthusiastically recommended for personal reading lists and community library collections -- and would make an ideal gift selection to give a loved one who is working too hard and enjoying life too little.

Circles of Delight
Aaron Shepard
Shepard Publications
PO Box 280, Friday Harbor, WA 98250
www.shepardpub.com
9780938497691, $25.00, PB, 122pp, www.amazon.com

A carousel is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders. The "seats" are traditionally in the form of rows of wooden horses or other animals mounted on posts, many of which are moved up and down by gears to simulate galloping, to the accompaniment of looped circus music. This leads to one of the alternative American names, the galloper. Other popular names are jumper, horseabout and flying horses. "Circles of Delight: Classic Carousels of San Francisco" is a compilation of beautifully photographed San Francisco carousels -- and not just the marvelous horses, but all the other elements ranging from reindeer, rams, giraffes, lions, tigers, and more! An inherently fascinating browse from first page to last, "Circles of Delight: Classic Carousels of San Francisco" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to family and community library collections. For the personal reading lists of carousel enthusiasts it should be noted that "Circles of Delight: Classic Carousels of San Francisco" is also available in a Kindle format ($3.00).

Finding the Flavors We Lost
Patric Kuh
Ecco
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
9780062219541 $26.99 www.harpercollins.com

Finding the Flavors We Lost: From Bread to Bourbon, How Artisans Reclaimed American Food is a fascinating book about America's culinary heritage. Food writer Patric Kuh presents profiles "artisanal" food creators, who re-learned the all-but-forgotten crafts of making unique breads, cheeses, and beers, in contrast to the bland homogeneity of mass-produced food. Finding the Flavors We Lost also raises questions such as, "How big of an operation can a food company be before it is no longer 'artisanal'?", and "Does technological progress have to come at the expense of flavor?" Finding the Flavors We Lost is enlightening reading for culinary enthusiasts, highly recommended.


The Computer Shelf

Microsoft Access 2016 Programming Pocket Primer
Julitta Korol
Mercury Books
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
www.internationalpubmarket.com
9781942270812, $29.95, PB, 211pp, www.amazon.com

A qualified expert, Julitta Korol has published over two dozen computer books on using and programming Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Access. As part of the Pocket Primer series, Korol specifically wrote and designed "Microsoft Access 2016 Programming Pocket Primer" for Microsoft users who needs to master Access programming fundamentals without spending too much time at it. "Microsoft Access 2016 Programming Pocket Primer" is a short, succinct, instruction manual and guide to getting started. "Microsoft Access 2016 Programming Pocket Primer" nicely covers only the things an Microsoft user needs to know to feel at home with VBA. What Microsoft users will learn about Access programming will also apply to Excel programming. "Microsoft Access 2016 Programming Pocket Primer" is divided into nine chapters that progressively introduce you to programming Microsoft Access 2016 and includes a companion disc with all of the "Hands-On" files needed to complete the chapter projects and all the images from the text. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in tone, content, organization and presentation, "Microsoft Access 2016 Programming Pocket Primer" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Computer Science collections in general, and Microsoft Access supplemental studies reading lists in particular.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

A Mystic Guide to Cleansing & Clearing
David Salisbury
Moon Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing, Ltd.
Laurel House, Station Approach, Alresford, Hants, SO24 9JH, UK
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781782796237, $15.95, PB, 140pp, www.amazon.com

David Salisbury is Wiccan clergy within Coven of the Spiral Moon, a coven based in Washington DC. He is author of various book on witchcraft and mysticism and co-organizes The Firefly House, one of the largest witchcraft traditions in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. In "A Mystic Guide to Cleansing & Clearing" he takes a new approach to the practice of cleansing our lives. Using energetic methods from a variety of traditions and philosophies yet geared for the pagan mind, metaphysical students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject will uncover energetic burdens and learn how to transform and clear them from daily life. These teachings from the Western magical traditions will arm the reader with the tools necessary to clear their space, cleanse their body, cast out negative entities, and clear the slate for a fresh start. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "A Mystic Guide to Cleansing & Clearing" is enthusiastically recommended for personal and community library Metaphysical Studies collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "A Mystic Guide to Cleansing & Clearing" is also available in a Kindle format ($5.99).


The Christian Studies Shelf

Christianity in the Light of Science
John W. Loftus, Editor
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
www.prometheusbooks.com
9781633881730 $19.00 www.amazon.com

Christianity in the Light of Science: Critically Examining the World's Largest Religion provides Christian collections with a fine anthology of new critical essays written by experts who consider Christianity's foundations using established scientific criteria. These foundations range from the scenario of a Christian god presiding over the universe to issues of free will, ideas of sin, why intelligent design isn't science, and the power of prayer. Christian collections strong in inquiry and debate and science holdings interested in analyzing Christian foundations will find this a powerful survey.

I Loved Jesus in the Night
Paul Murray
Paraclete Press
PO Box 1568, Orleans, MA 02653
9781612618951 $11.99 www.paracletepress.com

Written to celebrate the canonization of Mother Teresa (who was beatified in 2003 by Pope John Paul II), I Loved Jesus in the Night: A Secret Revealed is the testimony of a priest who met with Mother Teresa firsthand. Drawing upon anecdotes, primary testimonies, and Mother Teresa's own correspondence, I Loved Jesus in the Night is emotionally moving, completely candid, and a choice pick for Christian Studies shelves. Highly recommended!

Walking Home Together
Michael Mercer
Twenty-Third Publications
1 Montauk Ave #200, New London, CT 06320
www.23rdpublications.com
9781627851497 $14.95 amazon.com

Chaplain Michael Mercer presents Walking Home Together, an end-of-life guide especially for Christians, covering the practical, psychological, and spiritual aspects of coming to terms with the end of one's life. Chapters describe ways to experience God's presence in the final season of life, coping with fear, financial issues, ways in which to help and serve others, and more. "Advance directive forms are available from many sources, including attorneys, health care providers, and senior citizen groups. Please be aware that each state has its own requirements for advance directives and what they cover." Highly recommended.

Through Her Eyes
Deborah Spink Winters, editor
Judson Press
PO Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851
9780817017699 $13.99 www.judsonpress.com

Through Her Eyes: Bible Studies on Women in Scripture is an anthology of essays by a variety of authors about 20 different women from the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Not all of the women portrayed are given specific names, yet each has something important to teach students of the Bible. Spotlighted women include Abigail, Tamar, Joanna, Queen of Sheba, Peter's mother- in-law, Woman with the Alabaster Jar, Pontius Pilate's wife, the mother of James and John, and more. Through Her Eyes is highly recommended for group-based or personal Bible study, as well as church library collections.

God So Loved the World
Robert Spitzer, S.J.
Ignatius Press
PO Box 1339, Fort Collins, CO 80522
www.ignatius.com
9781621640363, $19.95, PB, 439pp, www.amazon.com

Robert J. Spitzer, S.J., Ph.D. is the former president of Gonzaga University and the founder of the Magis Institute, which educates the public about the relationship between physics, philosophy, reason, and faith. He is the chief education officer of the Ethics and Performance Institute, which delivers web-based ethics education to corporations and individuals, and President of the Spitzer Center of Ethical Leadership, which delivers similar curricula to non-profit organizations. In "God So Loved the World: Clues to Our Transcendent Destiny from the Revelation of Jesus" Fr. Spitzer probes in detail the major question that if an intelligent Creator God - manifest in logical proofs, scientific evidence, and near death experiences - who is the source of our desire for the sacred, and the transcendental desires for truth, love, goodness, and beauty, would want to reveal himself to us personally and ultimately. Fr. Spitzer then shows this is reasonable not only in light of our interior experience of a transcendent Reality, but also that a completely intelligent Reality is completely positive (implying its possession of a completely positive virtue) namely "love", defined as agape. Erudite, informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, "God So Loved the World" is a deftly crafted and consistently compelling read from beginning to end. While very highly recommended for seminary and academic library Christian Studies collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "God So Loved the World" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Desperately Seeking Spirituality
Meredith Gould
The Liturgical Press
2950 Saint John's Road, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
www.litpress.org
9780814648506, $16.17, PB, 136pp, www.amazon.com

Meredith Gould, PhD, is a sociologist with well over a decade of hands-on experience with communications at all levels of church across denominations. She's the author of nine books about faith and everyday life. In "Desperately Seeking Spirituality: A Field Guide to Practice", Meredith combines practical wisdom with lived experience to explain why and when traditional practices don't work for today's seeker and then how to choose ones that will. In short, easy-to-read chapters and with characteristic wit, Gould provides counsel for reframing perception to discover the sacred in everyday life. This guide is for self-identified seekers who have tried some, many, or even all the classic spiritual practices and then, given up on them when they stop working. In "Desperately Seeking Spirituality", Gould invites readers to embrace a broader definition of practice that shifts focus from doing to being. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Desperately Seeking Spirituality" is unreservedly recommended for members of the Christian community. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Desperately Seeking Spirituality" is also available in a Kindle edition ($13.99).

Windows Into Christ
Laurence Duthoit
Pauline Books & Media
50 St. Paul's Avenue, Boston, MA 02130-3433
9780819883681, $16.95, PB, 96pp, www.amazon.com

Coloring books for adults are proving to be enormously popular. Now Pauline Books & Media has published "Windows Into Christ: A Coloring Book for Prayer and Meditation" that is an ideal do-it-yourself activity based on medieval images taken from the Chartres Cathedral in Paris, France. The each remarkable picture to be colored is accompanied by prayers and/or scripture readings taken from the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. "Windows Into Christ" is an extraordinary and unique way to quietly meditate and deepen personal spiritual reflection. Simply stated, "Windows Into Christ" is enthusiastically recommended for Christians of all ages.

God's Human Future
David Galston
Polebridge Press
c/o Westar Institute
P.O. Box 346, Farmington, Minnesota 55024
www.polebridgepress.com
9781598151732, $28.00, PB, 221pp, www.amazon.com

The "death of God" movement famously declared that belief in the God of Christian tradition is meaningless in the modern world. Does this herald the death of theology, too? No, suggests David Galston in "God's Human Future: The Struggle to Define Theology Today". At its best, theology is the place where tradition pushes itself to the limits of its own thought. Problems arise when theology holds onto an old version of God, emphasizing a closed approach to religion. How can communities foster a more open-minded and flexible approach to theology? How can theologians respond to the pressing concerns of modern culture sensitively and intelligently without clinging to outdated metaphors for God? Marking key features and turning points in Western theology, Professor Galston (a University Chaplain and Adjunct Professor of Philosophy at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, Academic Director at Westar Institute) combines expertise in the philosophy of religion with practical experience as a facilitator in a wisdom-based community, to guide readers through questions surrounding the future of religion. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, commentary, organization and presentation, "God's Human Future" is as informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking. While very highly recommended for community, seminary, and academic library Christian Studies collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of clergy, students, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "God's Human Future" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).

Between Pain & Grace
Gerald W. Peterman & Andrew D. Schmutzer
Moody Publishers
820 N. LaSalle Blvd., Chicago, IL 60610
www.moodypublishers.com
9780802409676, $22.99, PB, 350pp, www.amazon.com

One of the oldest questions every asked by mankind is: Why does suffering exist? When will it end? Where is God in it? Despite how common suffering is, we still struggle to understand it, and even more, to bear through it. "Between Pain and Grace: A Biblical Theology of Suffering" by Gerald W. Peterman (Professor of Bible and Director of the Master of Arts, Biblical and Theological Studies at Moody Bible institute) and Andrew D. Schmutzer (Professor of Biblical Studies at Moody Bible Institute) gets to the heart of this struggle. Born from a popular college course on suffering, "Between Pain & Grace " answers many critical questions including: Is God personally involved in our pain and suffering?; How should Christians handle emotions like grief and anger?; What does the Bible say about issues like mental illness, sexual abuse, and betrayal? Striking an elegant balance between being scholarly on the one hand and heartfelt on the other, "Between Pain and Grace" is useful both in the classroom and for personal reading. "Between Pain & Grace" draws from Biblical Scripture, personal experiences, and even psychological research to offer a well-rounded and trustworthy take on suffering. "Between Pain and Grace" will provide confidence in God's sovereignty, comfort in His presence, and wisdom for life this side of paradise. Inspired and inspiring, "Between Pain & Grace" is unreservedly recommended to all members of the Christian community regardless of denominational affiliation. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Between Pain & Grace" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).

Mormonism For Beginners
Stephen Carter
For Beginners LLC
155 Main Street, Suite 211, Danbury, CT 06810
www.forbeginnersbooks.com
9781939994523, $15.95, PB, 176pp, www.amazon.com

"Mormonism For Beginners" by Stephen Carter is a balanced, richly engaging introduction to the history, tenets, practices, traditions, and yes, debates and controversies of the Salt Lake City based Mormon church. Designed for the non-specialist general reader and/or younger members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), "Mormonism For Beginners" presents the history of the movement from Joseph Smith form its beginnings in the 1830s down to the present day, along with the key doctrines of the faith in the context of everyday life, as well as the essential scriptures. "Mormonism For Beginners" also provides a Mormon perspective on such current social issues as polygamy, same-sex marriage, and the role of women in the LDS church in dispassionate, even-handed terms. "Mormonism For Beginners" sheds a clear light on an often misunderstood belief system and way of life. While unreservedly recommended for school and academic library Christian Studies collections in general, and Mormon Church supplemental studies reading lists, it should be noted for students and anyone with an interest in learning about the Mormon church that "Mormonism For Beginners" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).

Glory and Honor
David C. Ford, et al.
SVS Press
575 Scarsdale Road, Yonkers, NY 10707
www.svspress.com
9780881415407, $32.00, PB, 456pp, www.amazon.com

The Orthodox Church embodies a living Tradition that integrates a long, unbroken practice of marriage with its theology, cosmology, liturgy, mystical asceticism, and anthropology. As such, the Church has a great deal to offer all those who desire to come to a deeper understanding of marriage and family life. "Glory and Honor: Orthodox Christian Resources on Marriage" is collection of thirty-one contributions that draw upon the riches of this Tradition to present an inspiring vision of Christian marriage, and to offer insights and guidance about marriage and family life that are adapted to modern questions and challenges, yet grounded firmly in the global teaching and practice of the Church. The experienced clergy, scholars, and theologians contributing to this volume come from a wide variety of Orthodox Christian communities present in North America, including the Orthodox Church in America, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, and the Antiochian, Greek, and Serbian Orthodox Archdioceses of America. Enhanced with the inclusion of an appendix (Hierarchical Statements on Marriage); an eight page listing of Suggest Resources, and a three page listing of the contributors and their credentials, "Glory and Honor: Orthodox Christian Resources on Marriage" is unreservedly recommended for personal, pastoral, seminary, and academic library Orthodox Christian Studies collections in general, and Orthodox Marriage supplemental studies reading lists in particular.

Union With Christ
Rankin Wilbourne
David C. Cook
c/o Cook Communications
4050 Lee Vance View, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
www.cookministries.com
9781434709387, $19.99, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com

The central and core message of "Union with Christ: The Way to Know and Enjoy God" by Rankin Wilbourne (Pastor of Pacific Crossroads Church in Los Angeles, California) is that to experience why the gospel is good news and answer life's most foundational questions about identity, destiny, and purpose. We as Christians must understand what it means to be united to Christ. The Bible says that with respect to faithful Christians, that Christ has united his life to theirs, that they are now in Christ and Christ is in them. This almost unfathomable truth is the central theme of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Yet few Christians today experience or enjoy this reality. Union with Christ reveals the transformational power of this ancient doctrine while addressing the basic questions of the human heart: Who Am I?; Why Am I Here?; Where Am I Headed?; How Will I Get There? Nothing is more practical for living the Christian life than union with Christ. The recovery of this reality provides the anchor and engine for your life with God for your destiny is not only to see Christ, but to actually become like him. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, commentary, organization and presentation, "Union With Christ" is as insightful and inspiring as it is informed and biblically grounded. While unreservedly recommended for all members of the Christian community regardless of their denominational affiliation, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Union With Christ" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).

Christ in Every Hour
Anthony Sweat
Deseret Book Company
57 West South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
www.deseretbook.com
9781629721996, $12.99, HC, 166pp, www.amazon.com

A favorite hymn of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as Mormons) supplicates Christ for His help in ''every hour'.' And while that's certainly true, how is it true? Are we such sinners that we need constant access to Christ's Atonement? Or is there something more to the Atonement, something in addition to forgiveness for our sins? What help does Christ offer in moments when we may not need His forgiveness but do need help beyond our own capacities? We know Christ's Atonement can save us from death and sin, but we may not always remember that we can draw on His Atonement for help in other ways. In "Christ in Every Hour", gospel educator Anthony Sweat (an Assistant Professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah) deftly explores six of Christ's divine powers, explaining what they mean, why they're relevant, and what they can do for us as we live life each day. Discover more about Christ's power to cleanse, heal, restore, identify with, strengthen, and transform us, and learn how to draw upon the Lord's grace and power in every hour of your life. Which power of Christ's Atonement do you need today? Or in this very hour? Enhanced with the inclusion of seven pages of Notes, and a four page Index, "Christ in Every Hour" is impressively well written and exceptionally 'reader friendly' in tone, commentary, organization and presentation. Informative, thoughtful, insightful, inspiring, "Christ in Every Hour" is very highly recommended and instructive. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Christ in Every Hour" is also available in a Kindle edition ($12.99) and in an CD audio book format (Covenant Communications, 9781524400279, $15.99).


The Buddhist Studies Shelf

When Awareness Becomes Natural
Sayadaw U Tejaniya
Shambhala Publications, Inc.
300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-4544
www.shambhala.com
9781611803075, $17.95, 186pp, www.amazon.com

Sayadaw U Tejaniya is a Burmese monk in the lineage of Mahasi Sayadaw who teaches meditation at Shwe Oo Min Dhamma Sukha Forest Meditation Center in Yangon (Rangoon), Myanmar. One of his major teaching is that the flame of wisdom can be kindled in the midst of any life, even one that might seem too full of personal and professional commitments to allow for it. Tejaniya himself learned to cultivate awareness in the raucous years he spent in the Burmese textile business before taking his final monastic ordination at the age of thirty-six. He draws upon his years of experience and expertise in writing "When Awareness Becomes Natural: A Guide to Cultivating Mindfulness in Everyday Life" for the purpose of enabling his readers to train themselves to be aware of the clinging and aversion that arise in any situation. Tejaniya teaches that in the Buddhist tradition, if you can learn to do that, calm and deep insight will naturally follow. It's a method that works as well for sorting the laundry or doing data entry as it does in formal sitting meditation. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, commentary, organization and presentation, "When Awareness Becomes Natural" is unreservedly recommended as an invaluable addition to personal, community, college, and university library Buddhist reference collections in general, and supplemental Buddhism studies lists in particular. It should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "When Awareness Becomes Natural" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.99) and in an MP3 format (Brilliance Audio, 9781531864989, $9.99).


The Islamic Studies Shelf

Islam Evolving
Taner Edis
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
www.prometheusbooks.com
9781633881891 $28.00 www.amazon.com

Islam Evolving: Radicalism, Reformation, and the Uneasy Relationship With the Secular West provides college-level readers of social, religious and Middle East issues with a hard-hitting examination of how Islam is adapting to modern world changes. Professor Taner Edis, an American physicist who was raised in Turkey, argues here that many Muslim societies are refining Islam to their own perceptions of its applications in modern life. His examples come from a blend of personal observation and analysis and consider how Muslim societies embrace science and technology, how they handle consumer pressures and market forces, and how they are often misunderstood as Western social and political analytic strategies are applied to very different structures that defy such approaches. The result is key to anyone who would better understand the forces at work in contemporary Muslim societies around the world.


The Crafts Shelf

LaFosse & Alexander's Essential Book of Origami
Michael G. LaFosse & Richard L. Alexander
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805312681, $16.95, PB, 96pp, www.amazon.com

Origami ("ori" being a Japanese word meaning "folding", and kami meaning "paper") is the art of paper folding. The collaborative work of Michael G. LaFosse (an origami artist for decades, and is considered a leading authority and master of the art) and Richard L. Alexander (the co-founder of the Origamido Studio with Michael G. LaFosse in 1996), "LaFosse & Alexander's Essential Book of Origami: The Complete Guide for Everyone" is a complete course of instruction that is an ideal do-it-yourself introduction to the Japanese art of paper folding. Profusely illustrated, "LaFosse & Alexander's Essential Book of Origami" is a compilation of sixteen step-by-step presented lessons for a wide variety of origami creations that are thoroughly 'user friendly' in tone, content, and presentation. Enthusiastically recommended, it should be noted that "LaFosse & Alexander's Essential Book of Origami" is enhanced with the inclusion of an instructional DVD.

The Art of Paper Flowers
Bobby Pearce
Creative Publishing International
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9781589239364, $26.99, HC, 192pp, www.amazon.com

Paper is pretty much the least expensive craft material you'll find. It's also one of the most versatile. With a pile of colored sheets, a pair of scissors, and "The Art of Paper Flowers: Creating Realistic Blossoms from Ordinary Papers" by Bobby Pearce, anyone can now create gorgeous bouquets to give away or keep for themselves. "Offering a complete course of instruction, "The Art of Paper Flowers" provides fully illustrated, step-by-step instructions for creating beautiful roses, orchids, tulips, and more, and all completely out of paper. There are thirty-five flowers showcased in this instructive compendium, and each pattern is accompanied by a complete list of materials required, step-by-step instructions for creating the flower, original paper-folding techniques from the author, full-size patterns, and color photos for reference. Enhanced throughout with interesting bits of trivia, myths, or folklore for each delicate flower, "The Art of Paper Flowers", also includes a foreword by Rosie O'Donnell. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in tone, content, organization and presentation, "The Art of Paper Flowers" is an extraordinary and enthusiastically recommended addition to community library DIY Crafts instructional collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Art of Paper Flowers" is also available in a Kindle format ($12.99).

Bead Sparkle
Susan Beal
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470
www.taunton.com
9781631861543, $24.95, PB, 187pp, www.amazon.com

Susan Beal blogs at WestCoastCrafty.com and is a jewelry designer and the author of many outstanding craft books, including "Bead Simple", "Button It Up", and "Hand-Stitched Home". In "Bead Sparkle" she draws upon her years of experience and expertise to create an beautifully illustrated, do-it-yourself, step-by-step instructional compendium showcasing 120 original designs for using beads to create earrings, necklaces, bracelets, pendants, brooches, and barrettes. Of special note is the chapter devoted to Embellishments, including botanical decor, pretty jars, holiday sparkle, little gifts, vintage gone modern, and more. Enhanced with the inclusion of a list of Metric Equivalents, a listing of Guest Designers, a list of Resources, and a two page Index, "Bead Sparkle" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal and community library DIY Crafts instructional resource collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Bead Sparkle" is also available in a Kindle format ($18.99).

The Art of Leather Inlay and Overlay
Lisa Sorrell
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310
www.schifferbooks.com
9780764351211, $34.99, HC, 176pp, www.amazon.com

More than 470 color photos bring in-depth detail to "The Art of Leather Inlay and Overlay: A Guide to the Techniques for Top Results" by Lisa Sorrell who is an award-winning leather artist and master cowboy boot maker known for her colorful and intricate designs. Profusely illustrated, impressively well written, exceptionally and accessibly organized and presented, "The Art of Leather Inlay and Overlay" provides a comprehensive look at the almost forgotten decorative art of leather inlay and overlay. Leather is an often-overlooked textile, with very little documentation on its tools and techniques, and this thoroughly 'user friendly', step-by-step guide will fill a crucially important gap for the aspiring leather worker. These skills have historically been passed along orally, and "The Art of Leather Inlay and Overlay" begins with a brief introduction of the cowboy boot, since this is the discipline that's become a repository for the art of leather inlay and overlay. Leather working novices can learn what these decorative methods can bring to their work with details on the tools and machinery needed, and clear explanations of the techniques. Also covered in the pages of "The Art of Leather Inlay and Overlay" are the history of leather inlay and overlay, choosing the best leather, how to pattern and create leather art, and basic sewing machine maintenance. "The Art of Leather Inlay and Overlay" finishes with an illustrated, do-it-yourself guide to three outstanding leather projects. Simply stated, "The Art of Leather Inlay and Overlay" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library Leather Working instructional reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Elmore Leonard: Four Later Novels
Elmore Leonard
The Library of America
14 East 60th Street, New York, NY 10022
9781598534924 $40.00 www.loa.org

Elmore Leonard: Four Later Novels gathers four crime fiction novels by American mystery author Elmore Leonard (1925-2013). They are "Get Shorty", in which a Miami loan shark with a movie idea cons his way into becoming a Hollywood producer; "Rum Punch", in which a bail bondsman getting on in years joins forces with an airline stewardess to get the better of both cops and criminals; "Out of Sight", in which a deputy U.S. marshal Karen Sisco and an escaped bank robber become the unlikely couple of a thriller-romance; and "Tishomingo Blues", a tangled saga of gangsters, hustlers, Civil War reenactors, and... exhibition high divers? The short story that introduced Karen Sisco, "Karen Makes Out", is also included as a bonus. Elmore Leonard: Four Later Novels is a choice pick for connoisseurs of the genre, and enthusiastically recommended especially for public library Mystery/Suspense shelves.

The Sins Of The Father
C. B. Hanley
Magna Large Print Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9780750542678, $35.00, HC, 324pp, www.amazon.com

The year is 1217 A.D. and England has been invaded. Much of the country is in the grip of Louis of France and his collaborators, and civil war rages as the forces of the boy king try to fight off the French. Most of this means nothing to Edwin Weaver, son of the bailiff at Conisbrough Castle in Yorkshire, until he is suddenly thrust into the noble world of politics and treachery as he is ordered by his lord the earl to solve a murder which might have repercussions not just for him but for the future of the realm. Edwin is terrified but he must obey, uncovering a horrific secret which might kill them all. A brilliantly crafted medieval mystery, "The Sins Of The Father" is a consistently compelling read from first page to last. Simply stated, "The Sins Of The Father" is unreservedly recommended for all mystery buffs and in this large print format would prove to be an enduringly popular addition community library Mystery/Suspense collections.

A Quiet Place
Seicho Matsumoto
Bitter Lemon Press
37 Arundel Gardens, London, W11 2LW, United Kingdom
www.bitterlemonpress.com
9781908524638, $14.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com

While on a business trip to Kobe, Tsuneo Asai receives the news that his wife Eiko has died of a heart attack. Eiko had a heart condition so the news of her death wasn't totally unexpected. But the circumstances of her demise left Tsuneo, a softly-spoken government bureaucrat, perplexed. How did it come about that his wife (who was shy and withdrawn, and only left their house twice a week to go to haiku meetings) ended up dead in a small shop in a shady Tokyo neighborhood? When Tsuneo goes to apologize to the boutique owner for the trouble caused by his wife's death he discovers the villa Tachibana near by, a house known to be a meeting place for secret lovers. As he digs deeper into his wife's recent past, he must eventually conclude that she led a double life! The late Seicho Matsumoto was Japan's most successful thriller writer. Now ably translated into English for an appreciative American readership, "A Quiet Place" is a deftly crafted novel that is unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated crime thriller enthusiasts that "A Quiet Place" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.40).

Deadly Jewels
Jeannette de Beauvoir
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.minotaurbooks.com
9781250045409, $25.99, HC, 352pp, www.amazon.com

When Martine LeDuc, publicity director for the city of Montreal, is summoned into the mayor's office, she's pleasantly surprised to find the city is due for a PR coup: a doctoral researcher at McGill University claims to have found proof that the British crown jewels were stored in Montreal during WWII. Martine is thrilled to be part of the excavation project, until it turns out that the dig's discoveries include the skeleton of a man with diamonds in his ribcage and a hole in his skull. Is this decades-old murder leading her too far into the dangerous world of Canada's neo-Nazi networks, or is there something going on that makes the jewels themselves deadly? Is history ever really completely buried? With pressing personal issues crowding into her professional life, Martine needs to solve not only the puzzle of the jewels, but some more recent crimes (including another murder, a kidnapping, and the operation of an ancient cult in Montreal) and do it before the past reaches out to silence her for good. "Deadly Jewels" is another riveting read from the pen of author Jeannette de Beauvoir and continues to demonstrate her total mastery of the mystery/suspense genre. While highly recommended and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs who appreciate a particularly well crafted novel that "Deadly Jewels" is also available in a Kindle format ($12.99).

Deep Six
D. P. Lyle
Oceanview Publishing
595 Bay Isles Road, 120-G, Longboat Key, FL 34228
www.oceanviewpub.com
9781608091812, $26.95, HC, 337pp, www.amazon.com

Ex-professional baseball player Jake Longly adamantly refuses to work for his father, wanting no part of Ray's PI world. He prefers to hang out at his beachfront bar and chase bikinis along the sugary beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama. But Ray could be persuasive, so Jake finds himself staking out the home of wealthy Barbara Plummer, a suspected adulteress. The mission seems simple enough hang around, take a few pictures, sip a little bourbon. Except Barbara gets herself murdered right under Jake's nose. When Jake launches into an investigation of his target's homicide, he quickly runs afoul of Ukrainian mobster Victor Borkov. Aided by his new girlfriend Nicole Jemison and Tommy "Pancake" Jeffers, his behemoth employee with crazy computer skills, Jake tries to peel away the layers of the crime. The deeper the intrepid trio delves, the more murders start to pile up, leading them to Borkov's massive yacht -- where they just might be deep-sixed. In "Deep Six", author D. P. Lyle has once again written a consistently compelling novel that will riveting his reader's total attention from beginning to end. This is the stuff from which block-buster movies are made! While unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Thriller Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading list that "Deep Six" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

The Widower's Wife
Cate Holahan
Crooked Lane Books
2 Park Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781629537658, $25.99, HC, 296pp, www.amazon.com

Ana Bacon, a beautiful young wife and mother, tumbled off a cruise ship into dark and deadly waters. Ana is gone--leaving behind her wealthy husband and adorable daughter--but not everything about her disappearance adds up. What secrets did she leave behind? Investigator Ryan Monahan is a numbers man. So when his company sends him the Bacon case, which could net a ten-million-dollar payout, Monahan doubts that her death is just a tragic accident. But the husband has a substantial alibi and a number of witnesses claim to have seen Ana fall, and the official ruling seems to hold up. Still, the more Monahan uncovers about Ana's life, the more he realizes how many people would kill to keep her secrets hidden. And the closer he gets to the truth, the greater the odds grow that he, too, will take a fatal fall. Impressive, exceptional, original, "The Widower's Wife" is a compelling page-turner of a novel from beginning to end -- and clearly establishes author Cate Holahan as an especially skilled novelist of the first order. While unreservedly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Widower's Wife" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.59).

Shadows on a Morning in Maine
Lea Wait
Perseverance Press
c/o Daniel & Daniel, Publishers
PO Box 2790, McKinleyville, CA 95519
www.danielpublishing.com
9781564745774, $15.95, PB, 240pp, www.amazon.com

Maggie Summer is making big changes in her life. The antique print dealer has taken a sabbatical and moved to Maine to run an antiques mall with Will Brewer, her significant other. And she will finally adopt the daughter she's been longing for. However, the troubled girl doesn't want any part of the plan, showing affection only for the harbor seals, which remind her of her "real mother". But someone starts shooting the seals -- and a young fisherman is murdered. Then Will confesses a secret from his past, and Maggie begins to wonder if all her dreams will turn into nightmares. Deftly plotted with unexpected storyline twists and turns, populated with recognizable and memorable characters, "Shadows on a Morning in Maine" is an extraordinary novel by a master of the Mystery/Suspense genre. Simply stated, Lea Wait's "Shadows on a Morning in Maine" is unreservedly recommended for community library collections and the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs.

Lies of the Land
Chris Dolan
Vagabond Voices
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, 124 Byers Road, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
www.dufoureditions.com
9781908251688, $25.00, PB, 281pp, www.amazon.com

Prosecutor Maddy Shannon awakens in her West End Glasgow flat to a hangover and several mysteries, starting with who is the strange man in her bed? Shortly after discovering the man's identity, Maddy learns that his boss, a successful defense lawyer, has met a gruesome end in his posh Merchant City office. With a bad reputation for getting too close to her cases, Maddy tries to stand back from this one. But as the murders continue, and Maddy herself receives a disturbing message, she realizes too close is unavoidable, and winds up in a race against the measured malevolence of an unknown killer. "Lies of the Land" is another deftly crafted classic in author Chris Dolan's outstanding 'Maddy Shannon Mystery' series. A consistently compelling novel of suspense from beginning to end, "Lies of the Land" is enthusiastically recommended for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery fans, and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections.

Berkley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com

Two excellent mysteries are powerful new arrivals recommended for any who enjoy different themes running through their series selections. Monica Ferris adds a new "Needlecraft Mystery" with Knit Your Own Murder (9780425270127, $26.00), a story that revolves around a local knitting group. Here the group is working on a fundraising auction by knitting toys and stuffed animals as they are being auctioned. One wouldn't think this would be a scenario for murder; but when a feisty businesswoman expires in the middle of proceedings and investigation shows that she's been poisoned, it's up to Betsy to go to bad on behalf of a suspect who claims innocence. Rhys Bowen's Crowned and Dangerous (9780425283466, $26.00) adds to the 'Royal Spyness' series in telling of a woman who is thirty-fifth in line for the British crown, with plans to elope rather than face stringent royal rules. Lady Georgiana finds out about the plans when beau Darcy is taking her out of town - and she's not sure about the future for two broke lovers. When her future father-in-law is arrested, tension mounts in an engrossing blend of mystery and insights about the British, the Irish, and family ties. Both are excellent mystery reads for newcomers and prior series fans alike.


The Theatre/Cinema/TV Shelf

Dashing, Daring, and Debonair
Herbie J. Pilato
Taylor Trade Publishing
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.rowman.com
9781630760526, $27.95, HC, 306pp, www.amazon.com

"Dashing, Daring, and Debonair: TV's Top Male Icons from the 50s, 60s, and 70s" by Herbie J. Pilato is an impressive compendium of information on actors, comedians, singers, dancers, or talk show hosts and personalities. Here are to be found everyone from George Burns and Milton Berle to Jack Benny and Jackie Gleason to Sid Caesar and Caesar Romero, men who ignited their own particular brand of "man-erisms". In the process, they each inspired their audience to cheer them on whatever their guise. "Dashing, Daring, and Debonair" also features a foreword by Adam "Batman" West. "Dashing, Daring, and Debonair" explores and celebrates the men who invented manliness and became stars in the process. It also profiles teenage heartthrobs including Leave it to Beaver's Tony Dow and The Partridge Family's David Cassidy, stars who left an indelible impression on a generation of young girls. Inherently fascinating, informed and informative, "Dashing, Daring, and Debonair" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community and academic library Theater/Cinema/TV collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Dashing, Daring, and Debonair" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).


The Self-Help Shelf

Discover Your Purpose
Rhys Thomas
Jeremy P. Tarcher
c/o Penguin Group, USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014-3657
www.tarcherbooks.com
9780399169243, $18.95, PB, 366pp, www.amazon.com

Rhys Thomas is a visionary author, speaker, and teacher in the field of energy medicine. Creator of the Rhys Method(R) Life Purpose Profile System and founder of the Rhys Thomas Institute in the Boston area, he employs energy medicine techniques to help people achieve personal and professional transformation. In "Discover Your Purpose: How to Use the 5 Life Purpose Profiles to Unlock Your Hidden Potential and Live the Life You Were Meant to Live", Rhys draws upon his years of experience and expertise to write a life-changing do-it-yourself instruction manual that shows his readers how they can discover the purpose of their lives and align their decisions with their deepest core self, so that their lives are fulfilling, productive, and full of joy. As insightfully informative as it is thoughtfully practical, "Discover Your Purpose" is consistently compelling and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, commentary, organization and presentation. While unreservedly and enthusiastically recommended for community library Self-Help/Self-Improvement instructional reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Discover Your Purpose" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).


The Travel Shelf

Japan by Rail
Ramsey Zarifeh & Anna Udagawa
Trailblazer Publications
www.trailblazer-guides.com
9781905864751, $24.95, PB, 480pp, www.amazon.com

Japan has one of the most extensive railway systems in the world. One of the best wasy to take advantage of Japan's impressive railway systems is to use the Japan Rail Pass. For visitors to Japan, Trailblazer Publications has a newly updated and expanded edition of "Japan by Rail". Utilizing this comprehensive guide in conjunction with a rail pass is the best and most economical way to get the most out of any trip to Japan. The collaborative work of Ramsey Zarifeh and Anna Udagawa, "Japan by Rail" offers: Practical information for planning your trip including when to go; suggested itineraries; what to take; festivals and events; City guides and maps for planning where to stay, where to eat, what to see in30 towns and cities; historical and cultural background; Kilometer-by-kilometer route guides that cover train journeys from the coast into the mountains, from temple retreat to sprawling metropolis; 33 route maps; Railway timetables and frequency charts including Bullet trains and main routes; Customs, etiquette, Japanese words and phrases - with kanji; kanji/hiragana/katakana for all place names mentioned in this new edition of "Japan by Rail" so readers can point to the text when asking Japanese speakers for directions; The extension of the shinkansen route from Nagano toKanazawa (which is now called the Hokuriku shinkansen); Additional side trips from Tokyo including to Kawaguchi-kofor magnificent views of Mt Fuji, and to Mito for Kairakuen, the only one ofthe three great landscape gardens in Japan not currently mentioned in the book; Expanded coverage of Nikko, Nagasaki, the side trip to Asosan, Beppu, and many places in the Kansai region. Whether for business or for pleasure, "Japan by Rail" is a 'must' for any and all American tourists, exchange students, and commercial travelers.


The Music Shelf

Chord Master, updated edition
Rikky Rooksby
Backbeat Books
c/o Hal Leonard Performing Arts Publishing Group
33 Plymouth Street, Suite 302, Montclair, NJ 07042-2677
www.halleonard.com
9781495001512, $24.99, PB, 256pp, www.amazon.com

Now in a newly updated and expanded edition, "Chord Master: How to Choose and Play the Right Guitar Chords" by Rikky Rooksby (a guitar teacher, songwriter, composer, and writer on popular music) is a chord dictionary that rather than just show chord shapes (which are all there in the Chord Matrix) also explains how to use chords, with information about the theory behind them, and attempts to answer the questions guitarists often have about chord shapes. Also presented are usable groups of chords for beginners in relation to a variety of song styles. There is an emphasis on the practical that is even more useful to beginners, with expanded exercises and more audio. The multimedia component has roughly doubled the number of tracks and is 30 minutes longer. Some audio examples have a backing track arranged to stress melodic and rhythmic elements so that when the reader puts the chords alongside, the effect is marked, sometimes allowing for re-harmonizing the same music with a different chord progression, or a chord progression played in more than one area of the guitar. The notation of the chord progressions is partly redesigned, making it easier to read. In this newly revised edition more chord types have been added to Chord Master 's Matrix (dictionary) section, with new material about balanced chords (which remove ineffective or unnecessary doublings of notes) and about effective chord voicing. The section about chords from famous songs is expanded with more examples of unusual chords, including ones that players are often curious about one of the most famous examples is the first chord of A Hard Day's Night. Thoroughly 'student friendly' in organization and presentation, and including Online Media, "Chord Master" is an ideal instruction manual that is unreservedly recommended for novice guitar players and would be an ideal for music department curriculums as an introductory guitar studies textbook.


The Cookbook Shelf

Better Homes and Gardens Skillet Meals
Better Homes and Gardens Editorial Staff
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
www.hmhco.com
9780544800878, $24.99 HC, $11.99 Kindle, 304pp, www.amazon.com

A frying pan, frypan, or skillet is a flat-bottomed pan used for frying, searing, and browning foods. It is typically 200 to 300 mm (8 to 12 in) in diameter with relatively low sides that flare outwards, a long handle, and no lid. Larger pans may have a small grab handle opposite the main handle. The skillet is an essential piece of kitchen equipment for all home cooks. It's perfect not only for frying eggs, but also for stove-top lasagna, jalape o cornbread, apple pie, cookies, spatchcocked chicken, crowd-pleasing casseroles, and so much more! Beautifully showcasing more than 150 recipes and featuring 100 color photographs, "Better Homes and Gardens Skillet Meals" is an outstanding collection that aptly demonstrates the culinary range of the skillet and its adaptability to various techniques like sauteing, braising, baking, and browning. "Better Homes and Gardens Skillet Meals" includes innovative breakfast dishes, stir fries, pasta tosses, flavorful braises, surprising desserts, and more. Icons for Cast-Iron, Budget, Calorie-Smart, and Super-Fast recipes let readers identify special dishes in a snap. A front-of-book index gathers cast iron skillet - appropriate recipes into a quick reference. All of the featured recipes include full nutrition information. Thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and presentation, "Better Homes and Gardens Skillet Meals" is unreservedly recommended for personal, family, professional, and community library cookbook collections.

Ziggy Marley and Family Cookbook
Ziggy Marley
Akashic Books
232 Third Street, #A115, Brooklyn, NY 11215
www.akashicbooks.com
9781617754838, $24.95, HC, 102pp, www.amazon.com

As the oldest son of Bob and Rita Marley, Ziggy was raised with both traditional Jamaican food and the more natural and healthy "ital" food of the family's Rastafari culture. The fifty-four recipes comprising the "Ziggy Marley and Family Cookbook", each of which was inspired by Ziggy's youth is accompanied by beautiful photos, were contributed by Ziggy, his wife Orly, his sister Karen, as well as renowned chefs Bruce Sherman (Coconut Carrot Curry), Ben Ford (Escabeche, Escovitch), and Leonie McDonald (Caribbean Salsa). Many of the recipes are vegetarian, vegan, and/or gluten-free. Featuring thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' step-by-step recipes, the dishes range from Breakfast Hash with Asparagus Sauce; Coconut Curry Squash Soup; Jamaican Rice and Peas; and Roasted Cauliflower; to Roasted Yam Tart; Vegetarian Hash; Jamaican Dumplings; and Orange Almond Chocolate Truffles. Of special note is a fish dinner -- Whole Roasted Branzino with Caramelized Okra and Preserved Lemons. Enhanced with the inclusion of a one page listing of Conversions, and a two page listing of Friends and Resources, "Ziggy Marley and Family Cookbook" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

Vegans Go Nuts
Celine Steen & Joni Marie Newman
Fair Winds Press
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartous.com
9781592337255, $22.99, PB, 176pp, www.amazon.com

To be a vegan is to abstaining from eating animal products. Providing protein to a vegan-based diet is the roll of nuts and seeds. Celine Steen and Joni Marie Newman are to practicing vegans who draw upon their years of experience and expertise in "Vegans Go Nuts" to provide a beautifully and profusely illustrated culinary compendium of more than one hundred dishes featuring nuts and seeds. Beginning with an opening chapters on 'In the Kitchen with Nuts and Seeds' and 'Nuts and Seeds Basics', the featured recipes are presented in four specific chapters: Cheers to Nut-ritious Mornings; Simple Nuts Make Mean Mains; Substantial Soups, Sides, and Salads; Ending Things on a Sweet Nut. The recipes themselves range from Pepita Pepper Hummus; Strawberry Almond Horchata; Pea Scramble with Peanut Miso Drizzle; and Hawaiian Macadamia Tacos; to Autumnal chestnut and Carrot Bisque; Roasted Hazelnut Brussels Sprouts; Peacan Radicchio and Grilled Apple Salad; and Fruity Cashew Oat Squares. Unique and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly, "Vegans Go Nuts" will prove to be an extraordinary and enduringly popular addition to personal, family, professional, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted the "Vegans Go Nuts" is also available in a Kindle format ($11.99).

Healing the Vegan Way
Mark Reinfeld
Lifelong Books / Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Book Group
250 W. 57th St., Suite 1500, New York, NY 10107
www.perseusbooksgroup.com
9780738217772, $22.99, PB, 352pp, www.amazon.com

It is accepted medical wisdom that plant-based diets are better for the health of both people and the planet. Veganism (the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products, particularly in diet) is a philosophy and attitude that is leading a dietary revolution in this country. The collaborative work of Dr. Michael Klaper, Dr. Michael Greger, and Dr. Joel Kahn, "Healing the Vegan Way: Plant-Based Eating for Optimal Health and Wellness" is a straightforward compendium of some two hundred whole-food, plant-based recipes. Enhanced with practical tips for plant-based living including preventable health challenges, nutritional theories, raw whole food health benefits and more, the thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes rages from Curried Garbanzo Cakes with Poppy Seeds; Black Bean and Corn Salad; Moroccan Chickpea Stew; and Lemon Tempeh with Kale and Rice Noodles; to Sweet and Spicy Baked Plantain; Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies; Sun-Dried Tomato Tapenade; and Coco Bacon (one fo the best bacon substitutes ever!). Offering a thorough and comprehensive introduction to all aspects of vegan menu planning, "Healing the Vegan Way" is enthusiastically and unreservedly recommended for personal, family, professional, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Healing the Vegan Way" is also available in a Kindle format ($13.99).

Rise and Shine
Katie Sullivan Morford
Roost Books
c/o Shambhala Publications, Inc.
300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-4544
www.shambhala.com
9781611802948, $24.95, HC, 224pp, www.amazon.com

Katie Sullivan Morford is a freelance food and nutrition writer with more than twenty years of professional writing experience. With the publication of "Rise and Shine: Better Breakfasts for Busy Mornings", Katie has created a beautifully illustrated culinary compendium of thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes for breakfasts that are as appetite satisfying as they are palate pleasing. Organized into thematic sections (Smoothies and Drinks; Everyday Eggs; Granola, Oats, and Breakfast Grains; Yogurt and Fruit; Sandwiches and Wraps; Toast; Pancakes, Waffles, and French Toast; Make-Ahead Muffins, Breads, and Bars; Weekend Favorities), the recipes range from Almost Instant Chocolate Breakfast Drink; Pimento and Cheddar Egg Pie; Slow Cooker Coconut Rice Pudding; Savory Yogurt Bowls; and Tex Mex Tofu Wraps; to Turkish Toast; One-Bowl Chile Cheese Cornmeal Pancakes; Baked Applesauce Molasses Donuts; and Buckwheat Blender Crepes. Of special note is the recipe for Farmers' Market Salad with Warm and Crispy Goat Cheese! A unique and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, professional, family, and community cookbook collections, it should be noted that "Rise and Shine" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).

Savvy Southwest Cooking
Janet E. Taylor
Rio Nuevo Publishers
PO Box 5250, Tucson, AZ 85703
www.rionuevo.com
9781940322155, $16.95, PB, 188pp, www.amazon.com

Previously published as "The Green Southwest Cookbook", "Savvy Southwest Cooking " has been republished for a new generation of kitchen cooks by Janet Taylor and features a fresh new title and cover. Anyone can now set a healthy sustainable table by taking advantage of the tips and recipes to eat healthier and help our planet along the way. The recipes comprising "Savvy Southwest Cooking" are ideal for menu planning, supporting local agriculture, finding food in your own garden, and using fresh season ingredients with Southwest flavors. Nicely illustrated throughout, and featuring more than 100 palate pleasing, appetite satisfying dishes that range from Beef Fajitas; Breakfast Tacos; Tortilla Soup; and Spicy Vegan Chili; to Chipotle Enchiladas; Chocolate Lava Cake; Chard-Wrapped Chipotle Halibut; Meme's French Toast Fingers with Berry Dip; and Extraordinary Southwest Burger. An impressive culinary collection of truly outstanding dishes that are as nutritious as they are delicious, "Savvy Southwest Cooking" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

Whole Food Baby
Michele Olivier
Barron's
250 Wireless Boulevard, Hauppauge, NY 11788
www.barronseduc.com
9781438008325, $18.99, PB, 176pp, www.amazon.com

Michele Olivier started making baby food after her first baby girl was born. Soon her innovative recipes were being converted by local moms and Michele decided to share her creations (and her baby's reactions) on her blog, babyfoode.com. In "Whole Food Baby" Michele draws upon her considerable experience and expertise to create a culinary compendium showcasing some two hundred nutritionally balanced recipes to give babies and toddlers a healthy start in life. Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with full color photography, the thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes range from Pear and Cinnamon Puree; Steamed Green Beans with Lemon Zest; Simple Oat Pancakes with Cherry and Almond Syrup; and Caprese Sandwich Station with Basil Dip; to Nectarine and Basil Ice Pops; PB & J Nut Bars; Double Chocolate Banana Ice Cream; and Kid-Friendly Orange Poppy Seed Muffins. Of special note is the concluding chapter devoted to Nutritional Information including Notes for the Recipes in This Book; Choosing a Recipe for Your Baby; Top 5 Recipes for Essential Nutrients, Index of Recipes by Key Nutritional Benefit; and a General Index. Simply stated, "Whole Baby Food" is ideal for new mothers and will prove to be an enduringly popular and appreciated addition to community library cookbook collections.

Cast-Iron Cooking
Rachel Narins
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
www.storey.com
9781612126760, $12.95, PB, 96pp, www.amazon.com

A graduate of the California Culinary Academy, Rachael Narins is a professional chef, a culinary educator, and a food writer based in Santa Monica, California. In "Cast-Iron Cooking: Recipes & Tips for Getting the Most out of Your Cast-Iron Cookware" she draws upon her years of experience and expertise to write an informed and informative compendium of instruction and recipes for preparing memorable dishes that will please any palate and satisfy any appetite utilizing a cast iron skillet. Profusely illustrated throughout, "Cast-Iron Cooking" begins with a complete introduction to cast-iron cookware and then continues with showcasing an impressive number of thoroughly kitchen cook friendly recipes ranging from Cheesy Fondue with Beer; Mango Curry with Cashews; Brick Chicken with Sage; and Sausage & Kale with Lentils; to Steaks with Red Wine Sauce; Flatbreads Perfect for Dips; Baked Apples with Walnuts; and Cranberry Upside-Down Cake with Fresh or Frozen Berries. A delight to browse and inspiring to plan menus with, "Cast-Iron Cooking" is certain to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, family, professional, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Cast-Iron Cooking" is also available in a Kindle format ($6.99).

The Best Homemade Vegan Cheese and Ice Cream Recipes
Marie Laforet
Robert Rose Inc.
120 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 800, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4P 1E2
www.robertrose.ca
9780778805434, $19.95, PB, 144pp, www.amazon.com

"The Best Homemade Vegan Cheese and Ice Cream Recipes" is a culinary compendium of information and recipes written specifically for vegans and those needing to go on diets that are dairy-free, but who do not want to give up enjoying the creamy simple pleasure of ice cream or cheese. This collection of completely vegan but completely delicious recipes range from Cheddar with Roasted Red Pepper; Cashew Cheese; Creamy Shallot and Chive Cheese Spread; and Nacho Cheese Sauce; to Pistachio Ice Cream; Pineapple Lime Sorbet; Banana Blueberry Milkshake Pops; and Black Sesame Ice Cream with Raspberry Coulis. All the featured recipes contain natural and organic ingredients, making them healthy and surprisingly easy to prepare. With just some organization and preparation, even the most novice kitchen chef can be creating sorbets, ice cream, ice pops and frozen desserts along with flavorful artisanal cheeses in the warmth and comfort of their own kitchen. Profusely illustrated throughout with full color throughout "The Best Homemade Vegan Cheese and Ice Cream Recipes" is an ideal addition for personal and community library cookbook collections for established vegans, as well as anyone simply looking to embrace a dairy-free lifestyle.

SNAC it Up Cookbook with Shi
Shiona 'Shi' Curry
Spirit Reign Publishing
www.snacitup.com
9781940002798, $19.98, PB, 120pp, www.amazon.com

Shi is the 11-year old CEO of S.N.A.C. it Up! (She's Natural Approach to Cooking). Her passion for eating healthy has translated into a desire for all children to be healthy while enjoying their food. Since the age of four, Shi's has been fascinated by cooking shows, and has kept busy reading every cookbook at her disposal. After "Shi" got off to a rocky start at home, she began to speak positive affirmations over herself, and found that this made it super easy to choose healthy foods. Furthermore, she took it to the next level by transforming healthy foods that are usually considered "unappealing" and made them inviting and "SNACalicious". A profusely illustrated compendium of thoroughly 'kid friendly' recipes, the featured dishes range from Simple Summer Fruit Salad; Barbeque Crunch TLT; Cornbread Taco Pie; and Crazy 8 Pasta; to Honeydew Lemon Cupcakes; Frozen Strawberry Raspberry Yogurt Pops; Cucarrot Salad; and Healthy Sugar Juice. A pure pleasure to browse through, "SNAC it Up Cookbook with Shi" is ideal for parents wanting to instill healthy eating habits and the satisfaction of kitchen cooking in their children. Simply stated, "SNAC it Up Cookbook with Shi" is unreservedly recommended for family and community library cookbook collections.

175 Best Instant Pot Recipes
Marilyn Haugen
Robert Rose Inc.
120 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 800, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4P 1E2
www.robertrose.ca
9780778805427, $19.95, PB, 224pp, www.amazon.com

Simply stated, the 'Instant Pot' is a busy woman's best friend when preparing meals for her family. Instant Pots have become hugely popular over the years because they ingeniously combine so many features into one appliance. While officially categorized as an electric pressure cooker, it's actually a 7-in-1 programmable cooker with the functions of a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, saute, yogurt maker and warmer -- all in one appliance! Culinary expert Marilyn Haugen brings her extensive and creative recipe development skills to bear in "175 Best Instant Pot Recipes: For Your Programmable Electric Pressure Cooker" with an impressively variety of recipes that range from Tahi Coconut Chicken Soup; Cheesy Macaroni with Prosciutto and Peas; Soul Food Oxtails with Tender Root Vegetables; and Creamy Scalloped potatoes and Parsnips; to Spicy Maple Chicken Wings; Mississippi Delta Baby Back Pork Ribs; Slow-Braised Ham with Maple Mustard Glaze; Tex-Mex Black Bean Dip; Dreamy Apricot, White chocolate and Almond Cheesecake; Pumpkin Pie Custard; and Homemade Yogurt. A pleasure to browse through and inspiring to plan meals with, "175 Best Instant Pot Recipes" is an extraordinary and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

Bread Illustrated
Editorial Staff
America's Test Kitchen
17 Station Street, Brookline, MA 02445
www.americastestkitchen.com
9781940352602, $29.95, PB, 432pp, www.amazon.com

For most of human history bread was made individually, loaf by loaf, in the home. With the advent of bakery technology and modern life fewer and fewer women make their own bread at home but rely on buying mass produced bread at their local grocery store. With the publication of "Bread Illustrated: A Step-By-Step Guide to Achieving Bakery-Quality Results At Home",the editorial staff of America's Test Kitchen have now produced an beautifully illustrated compendium of do-it-yourself instructions on baking breads, rolls, flatbreads, and more at home. Each master recipe is presented as a hands-on and reassuring tutorial illustrated with 6 to 16 full-color step-by-step photos. Organized by level of difficulty to make bread baking less daunting, "Bread Illustrated" progresses from the simplest recipes for the novice baker to artisan-style loaves, breads that use starters, and more complex project recipes. The recipes cover a wide and exciting range of breads from basics and classics with recipes for American Sandwich Bread; Potato Dinner Rolls; Spinach-Ricotta Calzones; and St. Lucia Buns; to Portuguese Sweet Bread; Pumpernickel; Fig and Fennel Bread; Bakery-Style French Baguettes. Simply stated, no personal, family, or community library cookbook collections should be considered complete or comprehensive without the inclusion of a copy of America's Test Kitchen's "Bread Illustrated"! It should be noted that "Bread Illustrated" is also available in a Kindle format ($28.99).

Caramel, Caramel & More Caramel!
Michal Moses & Ivana Nitzan
Imagine Publishing
c/o Charlesbridge Publishing
85 Main Street, Watertown, MA 02472
www.imaginebks.com
9781623540753, $18.95, HC, 128pp, www.amazon.com

Michal Moses graduated with a Grand Diploma for Cuisine and Patisserie from the Cordon Bleu in Paris, France, and has had cookbooks published both in the USA and Israel. As the title clearly indicates, in "Caramel, Caramel & More Caramel!: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Creative Caramel Cuisine", Michal has assembled a culinary compendium of recipes that each feature caramel (a beige to dark-brown confectionery product made by heating a variety of sugars). Beautifully illustrated throughout with full color photography of finished dishes, the recipes range from Honey Candy Apples; Chocolate Topped Maple Pecan Brittle; Salted Caramel & Peanut Bars; Molten Chocolate Cakes with Caramel Lava; and Dulce de Leche & Toasted Coconut Yeast Cakes; to Caramelized Onion Tart; Salted Caramel Eclairs with Espresso Chocolate; Banana Pancakes with Peanut Butter Caramel Sauce; and Marbled pavlovas with Chocolate Caramel Mousse. Of special note for caramel lovers is the recipe fo Panna Cotta with Coffee Caramel. Thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and presentation, "Caramel, Caramel & More Caramel!" is unreservedly recommended for personal, family, professional, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Caramel, Caramel & More Caramel!" is also available in a Kindle format ($10.99).


The Military Shelf

Military Life 101
Janet I. Farley
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
www.rowman.com
9781442256019, $36.00, HC, 207pp, www.amazon.com

Anyone joining America's modern all volunteer military will have a multitude of questions about what they (and their families) can expect. "Military Life 101: Basic Training for New Military Families" by Janet I. Farley (a long-time respected career transition expert within the greater military community" answers many of the questions that service members and their family may have about life in and around the armed forces. Organized into eight comprehensive chapters (Great Expectations; Military Money and Benefits; Military Family Support; Mastering Military Moves; Military Spouse Careers and Education; Difficult Topics in Military Life; Mission Transition), "Military Life 101" addresses what to expect from life on the home front in the military and how this career path not only affects the service members but their families. "Military Life 101" is a practical, useful, comprehensive, concise guide effectively introduces new service members and their families to the culturally relevant and need-to- know information required to survive and thrive in the ever-evolving military lifestyle. Enhanced with the inclusion of two appendices ('Military Life 101 Recommended Reading List' and 'Common Military Terms and Expressions'); Notes, and an Index, "Military Life 101" is unreservedly recommended for highschool, community, college, and university library Jobs/Careers collections in general, and Military Studies supplemental reading lists in particular. For the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject it should be noted that "Military Life 101" is also available in a Kindle format ($36.00).

A Complete History of U.S. Combat Aircraft Fly-Off Competitions
Erik Simonsen
Specialty Press
99 Spring Street, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10012
www.specialtypress.com/fly-off
9781580072274 $44.95 www.amazon.com

No military or aviation history collection should be without A Complete History of U.S. Combat Aircraft Fly-Off Competitions: Winners, Losers, and What Might Have Been. It offers a fine history of these competitions and how they were conducted over the years, surveys competing aircraft designs and building strategies, discusses operations and competition victories, and packs in over five hundred photos - some created just for this book - in the course of surveying the lasting effects of military fly-off competitions and their contributions toward innovative new strategic aircraft development. Discussions of how developments might have been different had some of the losers of these competitions actually won completes a history that is a well-written, engrossing read.

A Semester in the Sandbox
Adam Davidson
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
9781476665696, $19.99, PB, $19.00, www.amazon.com

"A Semester in the Sandbox: A Marine Reservist's Iraq War Journal" by former Marine Reservist Adam Davidson is basically his war journal and provides an un-glamorized narrative of a common reservist's deployment to Iraq, beginning with his notification of mobilization to his final trip home. The visceral experiences of combat are all described in candid detail, along with hazards of homesickness, boredom and loss. In light of the rise of the Islamic State in the area described in "A Semester in the Sandbox", Adam's personal story presents a timely account of the challenges of restoring peace in this restive area. Exceptionally well organized and presented, "A Semester in the Sandbox" is a welcome and informative contribution to the growing library of Iraq War studies, memoirs, and biographies. While very highly recommended for community and academic library American Military History collections in general, and Iraq War supplemental studies reading lists in particular, it should be noted for personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "A Semester in the Sandbox" is also available in a Kindle format ($7.99).


The Audiobook Shelf

A Bee in Her Bonnet
Jennifer Beckstrand
Read by Amy Melissa Bentley
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
9781515905127 $39.99 www.tantor.com

A Bee in Her Bonnet is the unabridged audiobook rendition of a country love story. Poppy Christner is an independent-minded woman who has been standing up for the weak ever since she was a young girl. She has known Luke Bontranger since they were schoolmates, and his arrogant personality grates on her. Now an unknown vandal is causing trouble on her farm, and Luke seems a little too keen on helping her find the culprit! Reluctant attraction rises between a strong-willed couple, in this choice pick for connoisseurs of the genre. 8 CDs, 9.5 hours.

Hellmaw: Eye of Glass
Marie Bilodeau
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
www.tantor.com
9781494519179, $39.99, CD, www.amazon.com

Following a slight misfire with a prank (on a cop, involving herself as the dead body), Jaeda finds herself confined to a small room, with only a TV as company. Relaxing will help her regenerate her mostly missing body, but that's entirely too boring for her liking. Besides, she has better things to do with her time, like becoming a model. But when her guardian and keeper vanishes, Jaeda has to move quickly to avoid capture and save herself, her guardian, and her new human pets. Regenerating will simply have to wait. A unique and unusual science fiction story from the unique and unusual imagination of Marie Bilodeau, "Hellmaw: Eye of Glass" is a riveting 'theatre of the mind' listening experience superbly narrated by Charles constant. Complete and unabridged, "Hellmaw: Eye of Glass" is unreservedly recommended to the attention of science fiction enthusiasts and would be an enduringly popular addition to community library audio book collections. (7 CDs, 8.5 Hours).

Almost Innocent
Jane Feather
Performed by Rosalind Ashford
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
9781511320429 $14.99 www.brillianceaudio.com

Almost Innocent is a romance audiobook on MP3-CD (plays on MP3-CD players or transfers to portable devices). The story is about forbidden love between an illegitimate princess and the knight who is sworn to protect her. She is destined for a political marriage, and the blood-soaked battlefields of France are an ever-present threat, yet the passion he feels for her will not die. A sensual, evocative novel, Almost Innocent is a treat for those who love the genre.1 disc, 16 hours 20 min.

Bullseye
James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge
Read by Danny Mastrogiorgio
Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9781478928164 $35.00 www.HachetteAudio.com

Bullseye: A Detective Michael Bennett Thriller is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of a tense modern novel. The president of the United States is in New York for a summit at the United Nations with the leader of Russia. But an assassination plot threatens to upend the delicate diplomatic balance, and trigger a catastrophic world war. Detective Michael Bennett must work quickly to uncover a cat-and-mouse plot before the unthinkable happens! Brought to life by Danny Mastrogiorgio's talented performance, Bullseye is a choice pick for connoisseurs of action-packed mysteries. 6 CDs, 7.5 hours.

Fire Bound
Christine Feehan
Narrated by Carol Monda
Recorded Books, LLC
270 Skip Jack Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
9781501925993 $TBA www.recordedbooks.com

Available in CD, MP3 CD, or eAudio formats, Fire Bound: A Sea Haven Novel is the unabridged audiobook adaptation of a dangerous yet sensual romance. Lissa Piner is a strong- willed redhead and a talented glassblower. Her skills earn her a commission to design chandeliers for a string of luxury hotels in Italy, but her true purpose is much darker, for she has a mission to avenge a terrible wrong. Her bodyguard, Casimir Prakenskii, harbors secrets of his own as a trained assassin. A spark ignites between kindred spirits in subterfuge... but will their blaze illuminate the darkness, or consume all? Fire Bound is a choice pick for connoisseurs of the genre. 11 CDs, 13.25 hours.

Cosega Search
Brandt Legg
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
www.tantor.com
9781494519872, $34.99, CD, www.amazon.com

Ripley Gaines is a brilliant archaeologist who has spent his life searching for an elusive artifact to prove his controversial theory about the origins of human beings. The ancient apparently eleven million year old artifact he uncovers on an archaeological dig shocks even him. His discovery rewrites human history and promises to change the planet's future. It's a find that the Roman Catholic Church determines it must be suppressed -- and everyone connected with it killed to keep them silent. The most powerful forces of the Federal Government and the Catholic Church are align against Gaines, his friends and companions as a deadly competition for the artifact ensues. Gaines only hope is to stay alive long enough to decode the Cosega Sequence. Very highly recommended to the attention of dedicated science fiction fans and an enduringly popular addition to community library audiobook collections, "Cosega Search" is the first volume in Brandt Legg's The Cosega Sequence series and is deftly narrated by actor Danny Campell in a complete and unabridged audiobook edition. (6 CDs, 6.5 Hours).

Hachette Audio
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
www.HachetteAudio.com

James Patterson and Mark Sullivan's The Games (9781478928195, $35.00) is narrated by Jay Snyder, who does a fine job of bringing to life this gripping thriller which revolves around an Olympics event in Rio de Janeiro. Jack is in Rio for the Olympics, assigned to protect some prominent clients; but when they vanish and murders begin, he's drawn into Brazil's most dangerous games. A cat-and-mouse game evolves that holds deadly implications for the world and leads listeners into an involving race against time. Two 'Stories at the Speed of Life' collection from James Patterson, called 'Bookshots', are recommended for listeners who want fast-paced action in succinct listens. Cross Kill (9781478967453, $10.00) is narrated by Ruben Santiago-Hudson and provides a new Alex Cross adventure as Alex faces a killer who has been dead for a decade - or, has he? The possibility of ghosts, revenge, and more charge a powerful story line especially recommended for prior Alex Cross fans. James Patterson works with Max DiLallo on Zoo 2 (9781478967538, $10.00), which offers a compelling sequel to Zoo as it tells of the human species' ongoing onslaught by animals. This earns its own evolutionary response and humans become a part of what they are fighting. Jay Snyder's invigorating narrative style brings it all to life. Joyce Meyer's Worry-Free Living: Trading Anxiety for Peace (9781478909439, $18.00) is read by Jodi Carlisle and recommended for spiritual listeners as it pairs advice on how to invoke God's Word and how to apply it to life's challenges for the ultimate goal of living in peace. These aren't generalities, but offer specific strategies to connecting to God with an ultimate goal in mind: worry-free living. Brad Meltzer and Tod Goldberg's The House of Secrets (9781478929864, $35.00) receives a dual narration by veteran readers Scott Brick and January LaVoy, who bring to life a riveting saga story of Hazel, who awakens in the hospital with amnesia. She's told she's been in a car accident that killed her father, host of a popular TV conspiracy show, and that her father has held some dubious associations - but she recalls nothing. As clues build up to the truth, Hazel finds herself on a desperate hunt to understand a past that's no longer part of her present world. Melanie Raabe's The Trap (9781478935032, $30.00) is narrated by Julie Teal and tells of a famous author who never leaves her home, producing masterpieces in seclusion. She's haunted by the unsolved murder of her younger sister twelve years earlier, and by the man she saw fleeing from the crime - but her isolation doesn't solve her nightmares. In fact, they are just beginning. A tense thriller based on Linda's memories and struggles makes for a powerful murder mystery that's hard to put down, with Julie Teal's voice accenting and helping drive the drama. These are powerful audio recommendations that should be in every audio library.


The Fiction Shelf

The Other Cisco Kid
Sydney J. Bounds
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
9781444828221 $TBA www.ulverscroftusa.com

Short stories, comics, and television shows about the Cisco Kid have thrilled Western connoisseurs since 1907. The Other Cisco Kid is an action-packed, large-print western novel. The story follows young Billy Baxter, who strikes a daring bargain with the legendary Cisco Kid. The Cisko Kid has been offered the position of marshal in two separate towns, and can only fulfill one - it's up to Baxter to protect the town of Prospect. But guarding the residents from outlaws may be far more perilous than Baxter could ever have imagined! The Other Cisko Kid is sure to thrill connoisseurs of the genre, and is especially recommended for fans of the genre.

Whitefern
V. C. Andrews
Pocket Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 13th fl., New York, NY 10020
www.pocketbooks.com
9781471158605, $7.99, PB, 368pp, www.amazon.com

Audrina remembers a better time, when her husband, Arden, was a young man with a heart filled with devotion for her. He didn't used to be this ambitious, expansive or this cruel. But then, the death of Audrina's father changed a great many things. When the reading of her father's will reveals that Audrina herself will control fifty-one percent of the family brokerage -- the halls of Whitefern again don't feel safe. Arden's protestations become frantic, nearly violent. And while Audrina didn't anticipate running the family business, she's curious to do so. And she can't help but wonder what had made her father change his will at the last minute? What did he know about Arden that she didn't? Trapped in the middle of it all: her fragile, simple sister-the beautiful, trusting Sylvia. Audrina promised her father she'd watch over the young woman. But after years of relative quiet, the dark days of Whitefern may have returned. "Whitefern" is the sequel to V. C. Andrews "My Sweet Audrina" and once again establishes Andews as one of the most popular and gifted authors of our time. A 'must' for the legions of V. C. Andrews fans, "Whitefern" is an unreservedly recommended and memorably read.

Sunday's on the Phone to Monday
Christine Reilly
Touchstone Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
www.simonandschuster.com
9781501116872, $25.00, HC, 325pp, www.amazon.com

Claudio and Mathilde Simone, once romantic bohemians hopelessly enamored with each other, find themselves nestled in domesticity in New York, running a struggling vinyl record store and parenting three daughters as best they can: Natasha, an overachieving prodigy; sensitive Lucy, with her debilitating heart condition; and Carly, adopted from China and quietly fixated on her true origins. With prose that is as keen and illuminating as it is whimsical and luminous, debut novelist Christine Reilly tells the unusual love story of this family. Poignant and humane, "Sunday's on the Phone to Monday" is a deft exploration of the tender ties that bind families together, even as they threaten to tear them apart. A deftly written and original story, "Sunday's on the Phone to Monday" is an extraordinary and enthusiastically recommended addition to community library General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Sunday's on the Phone to Monday" is also available in a paperback edition (9781501116889, $15.00) and in a Kindle format ($12.99).

Broken Ground
Karen Halvorsen Schreck
Howard Books
c/o Simon and Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl., New York, NY 10020
www.simonandschuster.com
9781476794839, $14.99, PB, 336pp, www.amazon.com

A pure and joyous read from beginning to end, "Broken Ground" clearly demonstrates author Karen Halvorsen Schreck as an impressively skilled storyteller of the first order. "Broken Ground" is that story of a young oil rig widow who escapes her grief with the death of her husband in an oil rig accident, and the deprivations of the Texas Dust Bowl. When she travels to California to accept a scholarship from a college in the city of Pasadena in pursuit of her dream of becoming a teacher. Then, unexpectedly, she also finds the possibility of true love and the healing of her broken heart. While enthusiastically recommended for community library Romance Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Broken Ground" is also available in a Kindle format ($10.99).

Dark Mesa
Hank J. Kirby
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
PO Box 1230, West Seneca, NY 14224-1230
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444828252, $20.99, PB, 248pp, www.amazon.com

When Ross McCall provides aid to wounded bandit Ace Morgan (the last surviving member of an outlaw gang, and his pa's old comrade) the dying man repays his kindness by sharing the location of the outlaw band's last bank robbery haul, which he had hastily hidden away on McCall's land. But a great many others are after the loot, imprisoning McCall and searching his spread for the money. Now a released convict from the Yuma Prison, McCall only wants to be left alone to establish his small homestead and rounder-up maverick cattle thereby creating his own small herd. Can McCall face down those who would snap up his land - and succeed in finding his supposed legacy? "Dark Mason" is a consistently compelling read from beginning to end as once again author Hank Kirby writes a stirring western action/adventure story complete with unexpected twists and turns. In this large print edition, "Dark Mason" is enthusiastically recommended for the personal reading lists of western buffs and would be an enduringly popular addition to community library Western Fiction collections.

As Good as Gone
Larry Watson
Algonquin Books
PO Box 2225, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2225
www.algonquin.com
9781616205713, $26.95, HC, 400pp, www.amazon.com

It's 1963, and Calvin Sidey, one of the last of the old cowboys, has long ago left his family to live a life of self-reliance out on the prairie. He's been a mostly absentee father and grandfather until his estranged son asks him to stay with his grandchildren, Ann and Will, for a week while he and his wife are away. So Calvin agrees to return to the small town where he once was a mythic figure, to the very home he once abandoned. But trouble soon comes to the door when a boy's attentions to seventeen-year-old Ann become increasingly aggressive and a group of reckless kids portend danger for eleven-year-old Will. Calvin knows only one way to solve problems: the Old West way, in which scores are settled and ultimatums are issued and your gun is always loaded. And though he has a powerful effect on those around him--from the widowed neighbor who has fallen under his spell to Ann and Will, who see him as the man who brings a sudden and violent order to their lives--in the changing culture of the 1960s, Calvin isn't just a relic; he's a wild card, a danger to himself and those who love him. Clearly author Larry Watson is an extraordinary and gifted novelist with a genuine knack for originality. "As Good as Gone" is a consistently compelling and deftly crafted read from beginning to end. While enthusiastically recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "As Good as Gone" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.43).

A Million Windows
Gerald Murnane
David R. Godine, Publisher
Fifteen Court Square, Suite 320, Boston, MA 02108-2536
www.godine.com
9781567925555, $18.00, PB, 200pp, www.amazon.com

"A Million Windows" by Gerald Murnane is a deftly written and unsettling investigation into the glories and pitfalls of storytelling. Focusing on the importance of trust and the inevitability of betrayal in writing as in life, its series of nested stories impressively explore the fraught relationships between author and reader, child and parent, boyfriend and girlfriend, husband and wife. Murnane's fiction is woven from images-the reflections of the setting sun on distant windowpanes, seemingly limitless grasslands, a procession of dark-haired women, a clearing in a forest, the colors indigo and silver-grey, and the mysterious death of a young woman-which build to an emotional crescendo that is all the more powerful for the intricacy of its patterning. An extraordinary and consistently compelling read from beginning to end, "A Million Windows" is unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library Literary Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "A Million Windows" is also available in a Kindle format ($7.37).

Honor Redeemed
Christine Johnson
Revell
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.bakerbooks.com
9780800723514, $14.99, PB, 352pp, www.amazon.com

Two years ago, Prosperity Jones waved farewell to her beloved David as the army sent him to faraway Key West. Now with her parents gone, she has but one prospect for the future: make the dangerous journey from Nantucket to Key West to reunite with David and secure a happier life. Arriving penniless in the South, Prosperity is dismayed to find David married to someone else. Scrambling to survive and nursing a broken heart, she gains the friendship (and the affection) of a kind doctor. Could he be the answer to her loneliness? Or will her life be upended by circumstance yet again? Once again author Christine Johnson demonstrates her impressive mastery of the Romance genre with "Honor Redeemed", a deftly crafted and riveting read from beginning to end. Certain to be another enduringly popular addition to community library Romance Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Honor Redeemed" is also available in a Kindle format ($8.13). Librarians should also note that "Honor Redeemed" is available in a Library Binding edition (9781683240679, $35.95).

Liberty's Last Stand
Stephen Coonts
Regnery Publishing, Inc.
300 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001
www.regnery.com
9781621575078, $27.99, HC, 511pp, www.amazon.com

The president of the United States stands on an outdoor stage, flanked by powerful members of his administration and party. Television crews are preparing for broadcast. High above the stage, on a nearby rooftop, a decorated sniper adjusts the scope on his rifle. Afterwards, America will never be the same. Jake Grafton and Tommy Carmellini suddenly find themselves on the wrong side of the law when a public act of violence throws the country into chaos just before a presidential election. After martial law is declared and rioting begins, Grafton and Carmellini must risk everything to unravel a massive conspiracy and help a new resistance movement rise up against an unimaginable enemy. A riveting read by a true master of the political thriller genre, Stephen Coonts' "Liberty's Last Stand" is unreservedly recommended for community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Liberty's Last Stand" is also available in a Kindle edition ($15.87).

Fatal Identity
Marie Force
Harlequin HQN
c/o Harlequin Books
225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada, M3B 3K9
9780373789955, $7.99, PB, 393pp, www.amazon.com

As the first anniversary of her marriage to Vice President Nick Cappuano approaches, Lieutenant Sam Holland is dreaming of Bora Bora -- sun, sand and a desperately needed break from the DC grind. But real life has a way of intervening, and Sam soon finds herself taking on one of the most perplexing cases of her career. Government worker Josh Hamilton begs Sam to investigate his shocking claim that his parents stole him from another family thirty years ago. More complicated still, his "father" is none other than the FBI director. When a member of Josh's family is brutally murdered, Sam begins to question how deep this cover-up goes. Is it possible the revered director was part of a baby-napping ring and that others involved are also targets? With a killer intent on deadly revenge and her team still reeling from a devastating loss, Sam's plate is full -- and when Nick and their son, Scotty, take ill, is her dream of a tropical anniversary celebration in peril too? Another terrific read from author Marie Force who once again with the publication of "Fatal Identity" demonstrates her complete mastery of the romance/suspense genre. While very highly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Fatal Identity" is also available in a Kindle edition ($6.99).

Her One and Only
Becky Wade
Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55438
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764211102, $13.99, PB, 400pp, www.amazon.com

The latest romance novel from a true master of the genre, "Her One And Only" by Becky Wady is the story of Gray Fowler, star NFL tight end, who finds himself being pursued by a stalker. So his football team hires a protection agency to keep Gray under the watch of a bodyguard at all times. When Gray meets Dru Porter, the agent assigned to protect him, he's indignant. How can an attractive young female half his size possibly him safe? But Dru is a former Marine, an expert markswoman, and a black belt. She's also ferociously determined to uncover the identity of Gray's stalker. And she's just as determined to avoid any kind of romantic attachment between herself and the rugged football player with the mysterious past. But the closer they get to finding the stalker, the closer they grow to each other. As the danger rises, can Dru and Gray entrust their hearts (and their lives) to one another? "Her One And Only" is a terrifically entertaining and consistently compelling read from beginning to end. While enthusiastically recommended for community library Romance Fiction collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of author Becky Wade's legions of fans that "Her One And Only" is also available in a Kindle format ($7.88). Community librarians should noted that "Her One And Only" is available for their collections in a Library Binding edition (Turtleback Books, 9780606390637, $25.75, 390pp).

A House for Happy Mothers
Amulya Malladi
Lake Union Publishing
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
www.brillianceaudio.com
9781503933316, $14.95, 305pp, www.amazon.com

In trendy Silicon Valley, Priya has everything she needs, including a loving husband, a career, and a home. But the one thing she wants most is the child she's unable to have. In a Southern Indian village, Asha doesn't have much and is raising her two children in a tiny hut. She and her husband can barely keep a tin roof over their heads, but Asha wants a better education for her gifted son. Pressured by her family, Asha reluctantly checks into the Happy Mothers House: a baby farm where she can rent her only asset (her womb) to a childless couple overseas. To the dismay of friends and family, Priya places her faith in a woman she's never met to make her dreams of motherhood come true. Together, the two women discover the best and the worst that India's rising surrogacy industry has to offer, bridging continents and cultures to bring a new life into the world -- and renewed hope to each other. An inherently fascinating and consistently compelling read from the pen of an impressively skilled and original storyteller, "A House for Happy Mothers" by Amulya Malladi is unreservedly recommended for community library General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "A House for Happy Mothers" is also available in a Kindle format ($4.99) and in an MP3 audio book edition from Brilliance Audio (9781511366847, $9.99).


The Writing/Publishing Shelf

The Jane Austen Writers' Club
Rebecca Smith
Bloomsbury Press
175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10010
www.bloomsbury.com
9781632865885, $27.00, HC, 352pp, www.amazon.com

While creative writing manuals tend to use examples from twentieth- and twenty-first-century writers, "The Jane Austen Writers' Club: Inspiration and Advice from the World's Best-loved Novelist" by Rebecca Smith (who teaches creative writing at the University of Southampton; was the Writer in Residence at Jane Austen's House Museum from 2009 to 2010; and who still works closely with the Museum, running writing workshops and judging their competition for young writers) is the first 'how to' for aspiring writers to look at the methods and devices used by the world's most beloved novelist. Austen was a creator of immortal characters and a pioneer in her use of language and point of view; her advice continues to be relevant two centuries after her death. Rebecca Smith deftly examines the major aspects of writing fiction (plotting, characterization, openings and endings, dialogue, settings, and writing methods) sharing the advice Austen gave in letters to her aspiring novelist nieces and nephew, and providing many and varied exercises for writers to try, using examples from Austen's work. "The Jane Austen Writers' Club" also provides a number of exercises and functions perfectly as a timely primer on writing that features utterly timeless advice. As informed and informative as it is thoroughly 'user friendly', "The Jane Austen Writers' Club" is an invaluable instructional study that is unreservedly recommended for personal, community, college, and academic library 'how to' collections on writing truly memorable fiction. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Jane Austen Writers' Club" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).

The Writer's Garden
Jackie Bennett, author
Richard Hanson, photographer
Frances Lincoln Publishers
www.franceslincoln.com
c/o Quarto Publishing Group
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9780711238404, $25.99, PB, 176pp, www.amazon.com

Jackie Bennett is a former editor of "The Garden Design Journal","English Garden Magazine", and "Gardening with the National Trust". With "The Writer's Garden: How Gardens Inspired Our Best-Loved Authors" Jackie draws upon her years of experience and expertise to provide an informed and informative commentary on how their gardens influenced and even inspired such writers as Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, Beatrix Potter, Charles Dickens, Virginia Wolf, George Bernard Shaw, Henry James, Thomas Hardy, William Wordsworth, Walter Scott, Rudyard Kipling, and more! Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with the superb photography of Richard Hanson, each entry includes an 'info box' called Written in Residence listing the works credited with being written at the garden graced residence of that particular author. Unique, inherently fascinating, consistently compelling, "The Writer's Garden" will prove to be of special interest to aspiring and practicing authors, as well as garden and gardening enthusiasts everywhere. While unreservedly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Writer's Garden" is also available in a Kindle format ($11.91).


The Automotive Shelf

Lost Road Courses
Martin Rudow
CarTech Inc.
39966 Grand Avenue, North Branch, MN 55056
www.cartechbooks.com
9781613252222, $29.95, PB, 176pp, www.amazon.com

It was a fictional movie, Cannon Ball Run, that brought coast to coast automotive racing to the attention of the general public. But long before the film, road racing had roots in North America that reach from coast to coast and to Canada. Some of the greatest drivers to ever compete raced wickedly fast machines, staged epic duels on winding strips of asphalt, and created history. This history left an enduring legacy that is revealed and celebrated in "Lost Road Courses: Riverside, Ontario, Bridgehampton & More by road racer and road racing expert Martin Rudow who deftly retraces road racing's glorious past and visits the defunct classic road courses across the United States and Canada. Enhanced with photography throughout, "Lost Road Courses' will prove to be of special interest to all dedicated fans of classic sports cars, Can-Am, Trans-Am, IndyCar, Formula 1 races, as well as classic and unique tracks of yesteryear. Simply stated, "Lost Road Courses" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal and community library Automotive Racing History collections.


The Coloring Book Shelf

Laughter Is the Best Medicine: Coloring Book
Samantha Snyder
AKA Associates, Inc.
6007 North Sheridan Road, Apt. 15A, Chicago, IL 60660
www.akabooks.com
9780997102178, $9.95, PB, 104pp, www.amazon.com

Samantha Snyder's "Laughter Is the Best Medicine" is the eleventh and newest addition to the hugely popular Doodle Art Alley Books series of her coloring books for adults. " Laughter Is the Best Medicine" presents 50 doodle art images of inspiring proverbs, quotes, and sayings printed on one side of the page for people of all ages to color. The quotes from famous authors include Aristotle, Benjamin Franklin, Eleanor Roosevelt, William Shakespeare, Mark Twain, and more. "Laughter Is the Best Medicine" also includes sayings from Always find a reason to smile, and Don't forget to smile, to Everyone smiles in the same language, and Every survival kit should include a sense of humor. Offering hours and hours of quiet and contemplative fun, "Laughter Is the Best Medicine" is enthusiastically recommended.


The American History Shelf

Reconstruction
Laurie Collier Hillstrom
Omnigraphics
155 West Congress, Suite 200, Detroit, MI 48226
www.omnigraphics.com
9780780815100, $60.00, HC, 246pp, www.amazon.com

The latest addition to Omnigraphics outstanding 'Defining Moments' series, "Reconstruction" by Laurie Collier Hillstrom is a reference work on the history of the Post-Civil War American Reconstruction era and is organized into three major sections: Narrative Overview; Biographies; Primary Sources. Enhanced with a useful 'How to Use This Book' introduction; a six page listing of Important People, Places, and Terms; an eight page Chronology; a two page list of Sources for Further Study; a four page Bibliography, a two page listing of Photo and Illustration Credits, and a three page Index. An ideal and exceptionally well organized and presented resource for student papers, "Reconstruction" is unreservedly recommended for community, highschool, college, and university library American History collections in general, and Post-Civil War Reconstruction Era supplemental studies reading lists in particular.

Pembroke: A Rural, Black Community on the Illinois Dunes
Dave Baron
Southern Illinois University Press
1915 University Press Drive, SIUC Mail Code 6806, Carbondale, IL 62901
9780809335022 $26.50 www.siupress.com

Pembroke: A Rural, Black Community on the Illinois Dunes examines the history of the Pembroke Township, one of the most impoverished locations in America. During the Great Migration, black farmers from the South who disliked the crowded living conditions of Chicago settled in Pembroke, where land was sold at low prices. Yet the sandy soil made profitable farming all but impossible, and economic opportunity has remained out-of-reach of Pembroke residents for decades. Author and constitutional litigator Dave Baron enriches this history with portraits of well-known Pembroke residents, dating back to Pembroke's first black settlers, as well as reminiscences of his own visits to the community. Notes, a bibliography, and an index round out this multifaceted portrait, which vividly illustrates persistent modern challenges in America's ongoing struggle against racial discrimination and systemic poverty.

The War of 1812 in Wisconsin
Mary Elise Antoine
Wisconsin Historical Society Press
816 State Street, Madison, WI 53575
www.wisconsinhistory.org
9780870207389 $28.95 hc / $9.99 Kindle amazon.com

The War of 1812 in Wisconsin: The Battle for Prairie du Chien is a scholarly examination of a battle in the War of 1812 for the control of Prairie du Chien and the western country, a struggle with origins stretching years before the three-day siege in July of 1814. Control of the territory was potentially extremely lucrative, as it was inhabited by American Indians who traded valuable furs. The shifting balance of alliances with different Indian tribes was a major component of the deadly armed conflict. Extensively researched and objectively presented, The War of 1812 in Wisconsin is highly recommended especially for public and college library American History collections.

Convict Cowboys
Mitchel P. Roth
University of North Texas Press
1155 Union Circle #311336, Denton, TX 76203-5017
9781574416527 $32.95 www.unt.edu/untpress

Convict Cowboys: The Untold History of the Texas Prison Rodeo is an extraordinary, in-depth history of America's prison rodeo, which existed from 1931 to 1986, and drew 30,000 spectators at the height of its popularity. How did the state government lease prisoners to participate in the rodeo? Who were the convicted criminals who willingly chose to participate, risking life and limb to earn a handful of dollars and perform for the crowds? Researched with the craft of a historian, and succinctly presenting incredible true stories accessible to readers of all backgrounds, Convict Cowboys is highly recommended for public and college library collections as well as personal reading lists.

Quarry Quest
Mark Sakry
North Star Press of St. Cloud
PO Box 451, St. Cloud, MN 56302-0451
www.northstarpress.com
9780878397532, $20.00, PB, 159pp, www.amazon.com

"Quarry Quest: The History of Stearns County Quarry Park and Nature Preserve" by Mark Sakry (executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota and retired Stearns County Commissioner) is a remarkably thorough history of Minnesota's Stearns County's Quarry Park and Nature Preserve. Profusely and beautifully illustrated with full color photography throughout, "Quarry Quest" not only highlights the granite heritage of Central Minnesota and the many features of the park, but captures the natural beauty and serenity of this magnificent place. Informed and informative, "Quarry Quest" is exceptionally well organized and presented. Indeed, "Quarry Quest" would be an excellent template and example for other local and regional histories. A model of informed and informative local Midwest American history, "Quarry Quest" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library collections.


The World History Shelf

The Story of Egypt
Joann Fletcher
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10004
9781681771342 $29.95 www.pegasusbooks.com

Professor Joann Fletcher presents The Story of Egypt: The Civilization that Shaped the World, a complete history of ancient Egypt spanning more than 4,000 years, up to roughly 30 B.C. From evidence of Egypt's oldest art and the earliest settlers of the Nile River valley, to stories of Egypt's pharaohs (some of whom were women - on at least ten occasions!), and violent wars with other nations. Notes, a bibliography, an index, and a handful of color photographs round out this fascinating history, accessible to readers of all backgrounds. Highly recommended.


The Civil War Shelf

"The Bloody Fifth"
John F. Schmutz
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
9781611212044 $32.95 www.savasbeatie.com

"The Bloody Fifth": Vol. 1: Secession to the Suffolk Campaign is an extensively researched accounting of the 5th Texas Infantry, colloquially known as "The Bloody Fifth", during the American Civil War. The first of two volumes, "Secession to the Suffolk Campaign" covers the regiment's performance during the first half of the war, while the forthcoming installment "Gettysburg to Appomattox" covers the remaining half. Black-and-white maps enhance this descriptive, expertly researched and thoroughly accessible work of military history, highly recommended especially for public and college library Civil War collections.


The Railroading Shelf

Cape Breton Railways
Herb MacDonald
Cape Breton University Press
P.O. Box 5300, Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, B1P 6L2
www.cbupress.ca
9781897009673, $24.95, PB, 264pp, www.amazon.com

Herb Macdonald has been researching and publishing in the field of Canadian railway history since 1999 when he completed a Saint Mary's University MBA thesis on Nova Scotia's first locomotive-powered railroad. A frequent contributor to Canadian Rail, the journal of the Canadian Railroad Historical Association, he is a three-time recipient of the CRHA annual award for best article in that journal. The most recent of those awards was for his 2010 study of early horse-powered railways at coal mines in Cape Breton. Macdonald's work has also been published in England by the Railway and Canal Historical Society, the Stephenson Locomotive Society and the Institution of Civil Engineers. In "Cape Breton Railways: An Illustrated History" MacDonald draws upon his years of research and expertise to provide a profusely illustrated history of the Cape Breton Rail Lines which are perhaps best known for their substantial roles in the coal and steel industries. The Cape Breton railroad was shaped by such factors as physical geography, the availability of both capital and customers, and the distribution of population and industries. Playing a critically important role in the life of the island, for more than a century-and-a-half after 1829 (when the railway age first came to Cape Breton) have had a central role in supporting change as some areas of the island evolved from a rural and agricultural society into an urban and industrial one. Enhanced with the inclusion of illustrated with photographs, drawings, maps and documents "Cape Breton Railways" provides an interesting and colorful picture of Cape Breton's railways in the contexts of the economic, cultural and political events on the island and beyond. Informed and informative, exceptionally well written, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, content, commentary, organization and presentation, "Cape Breton Railways" is unreservedly recommended for railroad buffs, as well as community, college, and university library Railway collections in general, and Canadian Railroading History supplemental studies reading lists in particular.


The Needlecraft Shelf

Stitches from the Garden
Kathy Schmitz
Martingale & Company
19021 - 120th Avenue NE, Suite 102, Bothell, WA 98011
9781604687767 $24.99 www.shopmartingale.com

Stitches from the Garden: Hand Embroidery Inspired by Nature is a fine collection of hand embroidered works that uses easy embroidery basic techniques to create keepsake pieces from tote bags and pincushions to notions keepers and more. The look says 'vintage' but the techniques incorporate embroidery designs and approaches designed to streamline results and produce the best professional-looking results. Any who want to blend nature and garden images with useful gifts and projects that support sewing materials will find this an excellent collection.

Applique for Modern Beginners
Eva Birch, Nancy Gano, Jodi Robinson
American Quilter's Society
PO Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290
www.americanquilter.com
9781683390053 $24.95 www.shopAQS.com

Applique for Modern Beginners provides a new modern twist on the topic by introducing bold shapes and designs that move beyond the usual one-dimensional traditional applique approaches of other books. Configurations of these applique additions to a quilt create unusual, often geometric, patterns that become more of an integral part of the quilt's design than an overlay addition, and chapters show how to achieve this look with a combination of cutting, piecing, and assembly diagrams. The end result goes beyond most applique how-to guides to show how these techniques may not just embellish a quilt, but become an important part of its overall design.

Crochetterie
Molla Mills
Jacqui Small LLP
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9781910254899, $29.99, HC, 272pp, www.amazon.com

Crocheting is a process of creating fabric by interlocking loops of yarn, thread, or strands of other materials using a crochet hook. The name is derived from the French term "crochet", meaning small hook. "Crochetterie: Cool Contemporary Crochet for the Creatively-Minded" by Finnish designer, seamstress, craftswoman and expert in the needlecraft art of crocheting Molla Mills, is a compendium of approximately 30 trendy crochet projects that are ideal for the novice and will prove to be of very special interest to even the most experienced practitioner. "Crochetterie" will help anyone master crocheting basics and teach how to make a variety of pieces for different occasions. Readers will learn how to crochet clothes and accessories for the men, women and children in their life. They will see how to go about creating useful items for their travels such as handy little bicycle bags and passport cases, as well as beautifully patterned rugs and cushions for home life. "Crochetterie" also aptly demonstrates how to effectively customize clothes and bags by adding crochet elements. With simple step-by-step instructions accompanied by clear and detailed images as an extra guide, these stylish and unique projects will inspire readers to start crocheting! Thoroughly 'user friendly' in tone, content and commentary, "Crochetterie" is profusely illustrated throughout and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal and community library Needlecraft instructional and reference collections.

The Encyclopedia of Sewing Techniques
Wendy Gardiner
Search Press USA
c/o Publishers Group West
1700 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.searchpressusa.com
9781903975664, $19.95, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com

Internationally accredited sewing machine expert Wendy Gardiner has been editor of leading sewing magazines, Vogue Patterns, Sewing World and Sew Hip and has produced major books and DVDs on sewing, which she passionately promotes as a fun, affordable hobby. She runs a sewing resource website, iSew.co.uk which is packed with projects, tips and techniques. Wendy also teaches, runs creative sewing weekends and is a regular guest presenter on shopping channels Ideal World and Create & Craft TV. In "The Encyclopedia of Sewing Techniques" Wendy draws upon her years of experience and expertise to create a unique and thoroughly 'user friendly', step-by-step visual directory enhanced with a beautifully illustrated and inspirational gallery of finished pieces. A complete and comprehensive instruction manual, "The Encyclopedia of Sewing Techniques" is ideal for novice needlecrafters while having a great deal of enduring instructional value for even the more experienced sower. Simply stated, "The Encyclopedia of Sewing Techniques" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and community library Needlecraft collections in general, and instructional sewing supplemental studies reference reading lists in particular.


The Poetry Shelf

Celebrate Survival
Lon Cole
A&T Publishing
13017 73rd Ave. Ct. E., Puyallup, WA 98373
www.aliveandthankful.net
9780692842553, $20.00 pbk, 295pp, amazon.com

"Celebrate Survival" by Lon Cole is a combination of a personal (and inherently fascinating) Vietnam military memoir and a volume of exceptionally well crafted poetry. On the military side, Cole tells of how he might well have been left for dead in the jungles of Vietnam, well behind enemy lines, if it weren't for one particular Vietnamese solder. It is also the story of him having to fear for his life in boot camp, coming home from the war suffering from PTSD, and at the age of sixty-one being diagnosed with the onset of Alzheimer's. Cole began writing poetry after coming home from the horrors of war as a means of coping first with PTSD, and then again years later with the emotional stress of knowing of his Alzheimer's diagnosis and all that it portended. Ultimately a true celebration of survival against formidable odds, "Celebrate Survival" is a consistently compelling read and one that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book has been finished and set back upon the shelf. 'Made in the US of A': Where is America where has it been / Is it the same country we used to live in // What's made in America is always the best / American made will pass every test // Some things have turned upside down / When you look for the best it's never around // Where can we go what can we do / Everything is cheaper for me and for you // What do we stand for where do we go / Is made in China the best we can show // We better wake up before it's too late / For our children's sake we really can't wait // We must get back to made in the US of A / Or our rights and freedoms can be taken away

Roads Taken
Tucker Carwile
Belle Isle Books
c/o Brandylane Publishers
5 South First Street, Richmond, VA 23219
www.brandylanepublishers.com
9781939930606, $15.95, PB, 130pp, www.amazon.com

Simply stated, Tucker Carwile is an extraordinary poet able to take the ordinary and present it as extraordinary, to take the simple and transform it into something profound. "Roads Taken" is a compendium of some of Carwile's favorite poems. They were selected for publication in a single volume because they show the various roads he has taken through his life, whether right or wrong, and express the emotional range of a life well lived. Written over a period of years, this collection of work is the expression of his true vocation. These are poems of sorrow and pain, battles and spirituality, the loss of friends, the beauty of nature, humor reminiscent of the past, changes over time, and love and joy found. Tucker's decision to pursue a career instead of following his passion for writing led him down many roads away from poetry, and away from his true soul mate. The fifth and powerful final section of poems, "Roads to Happiness," captures the long-awaited reunion with his beloved. After traveling miles of roads, they both ultimately discover the true contentment that only real devotion can give. "Roads Taken" is one of those rare volumes of verse that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself is finished and set back upon the shelf. 'Never Leaving': Ever wonder about / wandering souls. / Those never leaving, / waiting for what? // Religions say this / can never be true, / people testifying / they have left and / then returned. // Can a soul be around / once the body / has ended?


The Graphic Novel Shelf

Shackleton: The Voyage of the James Caird
Text by Gavin McCumiskey
Illustrations by David Butler
Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, 124 Byers Road, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
9781848892811 $16.00 www.dufoureditions.com

Intended for readers ages ten and up, Shackleton: The Voyage of the James Caird is a full color graphic novel recounting the astonishing true story of explorer Ernest Shackleton. Shackleton dreamed of being the first to cross the Antarctic, but when his ship "Endurance" became immobilized in the icy floes of the Weddell Sea, his voyage became a quest to save the lives of the twenty-seven members of the crew. An odyssey of survival under taxing conditions, culminating in a lifeboat (the titular "James Caird") journey with five others in hope of securing aid and rescue, Shackleton: The Voyage of the James Caird is an extraordinary tale brimming with excitement, hardship, and daring. Highly recommended, especially for public and school library graphic novel collections.

Pocahontas: Princess of the New World
Loic Locatelli-Kournwsky
Translated by Sandra Smith
Pegasus Books
80 Broad Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10004
9781681772172 $25.95 www.pegasusbooks.com

Superbly translated from the original French, Pocahontas: Princess of the New World is a black- and-white graphic novel about the life story of Pocahontas, daughter of Chief Powhatan, an American Indian princess who earned a legendary place in history. She defied her father's taboos to aid British colonists with food, intervened to protect the life of Captain Smith... and fell in love with an outsider from her tribe. Although Pocahontas: Princess of the New World reads like an adventure story, it stays close to what is known of historical events, and does not shy from depicting the violence that erupted between colonists and native peoples. Highly recommended, especially for public library graphic novel collections.

Marie Antoinette: Phantom Queen
Rodolphe & Annie Goetzinger
NBM Publishing
160 Broadway, Ste. 700, East Wing, New York, NY 10038
9781681120294 $18.99 www.nbmpub.com

Marie Antoinette: Phantom Queen is a full-color, hardcover graphic novel ghost story spanning two time periods. The tale switches between the life of Marie Antoinette in eighteenth-century Versailles, and a female artist in 1930s France who is able to see the now-ghostly queen, and accepts the task of helping Antoinette find eternal rest. The dignified art style lends the perfect touch to his supernatural blend of biography and historical fantasy. Highly recommended!

Tokyo ESP 6
Hajime Segawa
Vertical, Inc.
451 Park Avenue South, 7th floor, New York, NY 10016
9781942993032 $15.95 www.vertical-inc.com

Tokyo ESP 6 continues the black-and-white manga (Japanese graphic novel) series set in a world where an unexpected event has given a sizeable portion of the population of Tokyo psychic powers. Volume 6 concludes the arc in which Rinka, a principled young woman trained in martial arts, risks her life in a psychic-powered underground fighting tournament to expose a cruel slavery ring. But the tournament is only one extension of a shadowy, world-spanning, and utterly monstrous organization, from which no one is truly safe! Action-packed excitement and three-dimensional characters distinguish this excellent series, highly recommended.

Witchcraft Works 9
Ryu Mizunagi
Vertical, Inc.
451 Park Avenue South, 7th floor, New York, NY 10016
9781942993155 $12.95 www.vertical-inc.com

Witchcraft Works 9 continues the black-and-white manga (Japanese graphic novel) fantasy series about Takamiya, a mostly-ordinary young man mixed up in the machinations of powerful witches... including his own little sister! Displeased by the thought of sharing her beloved older brother with anyone else, young Kasumi jumps at the opportunity spirit Takamiya into a world where she doesn't have any rivals for his attention. But is the magical dream really a deadly trap? And could there be a traitor undermining the stability of the witches' Workshop? The sweeping art style beautifully expresses this saga of magic, danger, and just a dash of whimsy!

Nichijou My Ordinary Life 4
Keiichi Arawi
Vertical, Inc.
451 Park Avenue South, 7th floor, New York, NY 10016
9781942993339 $10.95 www.vertical-inc.com

Nichijou My Ordinary Life 4 is part of a flippantly comedic manga (Japanese graphic novel) series, consisting of short skits about ordinary school kids... well, mostly ordinary. Other than the child genius who created a living robot and gave a cat the power to talk. Or the girl with a mysterious connection to a cruel, ill-tempered, fantasy princess. Or the male teacher with a highly inappropriate crush on a female student. Or the female teacher who tries to capture the robot student by drugging her and digging pits. The mayhem comes frantic and feisty, volume 4 is as good a starting point as any given the skit-comedy nature of the series!

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

Three full-color graphic novels from Cinebook featuring dramatic adventure and danger. Vehlmann's and Bonhomme's "The Marquis of Anaon: The Beast" (9781849182782, $13.95) continues the historical fiction adventures of a hardy cosmopolitan and freelance problem-solver, who takes it upon himself to hunt down a monstrous beast and end its deadly predation. Rosinski's and Dufaux's "Kyle of Klanach: Lament of the Lost Moors" (9781849183000, $13.95) concludes a fantastic, medieval saga of intrigue, murder, and royal birthright. Mezieres' and Christin's "Valerian and Laureline: The Wrath of Hypsis" (9781849183048, $11.95) is a science fiction saga spanning alien worlds and spacefaring cultures. All three are choice picks for connoisseurs of action-packed stories in fantastic settings, and highly recommended.


The Library CD Shelf

Crossroads
Marc Enfroy
www.marcenfroy.com
Privately Published
$14.00 CD / $9.99 download cdbaby.com

Crossroads is a new age album created by Marc Enfroy, featuring original songs and extraordinarily beautiful female vocals by Aili Laine and Lila Ives. A confluence of piano, rhythm guitar, violin, and more, Crossroads evokes the profound emotions of life-changing events, from the heartbreak of ending a relationship to the fear of starting anew to the wonder of unexpected hope. Highly recommended, especially for connoisseurs of the genre. The tracks are "Crossroads" (3:03), "Toxic" (4:13), "Your Silence is a Razor (feat. Aili Laine)" (4:45), "Sepia" (3:45), "Betrayed" (1:43), "Fading White (feat. Lila Ives)" (4:58), "Dying in Degrees" (4:21), "Shattered" (3:18), "Shed my Skin (feat. Lila Ives)" (4:29), "Moonlight Obsession" (6:06), "Fading White Reprise" (6:43), "Wildfire Rising" (5:07), "In that Moment" (4:03), "Unbounded Reprise" (3:52), "Shed my Skin instrumental version" (4:29), and "Your Silence is a Razor instrumental version" (4:43). 69 min. 39 sec.

Nova
Kevin Bowers
kevinbowersmusic.com
Machinery Music/BMI
$TBA CD / $9.99 download cdbaby.com

Nova is an album that feels like a movie soundtrack, featuring intense Brazillian music. Vocals soar above a backdrop of electric bass, resonating drumbeats, piano and keyboards, electric and acoustic guitar, and much more. Together, the songs form a loose narrative, sweeping the listener along in a raptuous saga. Highly recommended! The tracks are "Two Vagabond Lovers" (2:43), "Sofia (Walking With Her Shadow)" (2:58), "Ground Motion" (2:28), "Imagination Voodoo" (3:05), "Without A Sound" (2:39), "Forward Rhythm Agenda" (2:28), "Wrong Side Of The Tracks" (3:57), "Lady Day Fortune" (4:26), "Breaking For Conversation" (3:24), "The Last Night In June" (3:23), "Intuition (Someday, Someday)" (7:07), and "Two Vagabond Lovers - French Version" (2:54).

At Peace Beneath the Shade of My Father's Tree
Terry Lee Nichols
www.terryleenichols.com
Heart Dance Records
www.heartdancerecords.com
$14.99 CD / $9.99 download cdbaby.com

At Peace Beneath the Shade of My Father's Tree is an instrumental album composed of piano, keyboards, and virtual instruments, reflecting upon the hard-gathered wisdom earned from facing a lifetime of challenges. Evocative and inspirational, At Peace Beneath the Shade of My Father's Tree uplifts the spirit, even its songs reflect upon life's darkest moments as well as its brightest. The tracks are "At Peace Beneath the Shade of My Father's Tree" (3:00), "Only You" (3:59), "Follow Me..." (3:06), "Reflections" (1:15), "Appassionato" (3:50), "Timekeeper" (3:05), "Train to Dachau" (5:55), "Pamela's Time" (3:00), "On My Way to See the Dancing Sisters Figg" (2:55), "A Winter's Tale" (3:16), "Sailing" (4:33), "Crossroads" (2:50), "A Curious Life" (3:38), "Last Train Home" (5:34), "Autumn" (2:48), "Lullaby" (2:56), and "Requiescat" (4:33). 60 min. 16 sec.

Rowing in Eden
Rebekah Eden
www.rebekaheden.com
Privately Published
$15.00 CD / $7.99 MP3 amazon.com

New age and modern-classical singer-songwriter Rebekah Eden presents Rowing in Eden, a beautiful album for listeners of all ages. The songs draw inspiration from classic realms of fantasy, including J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings", and C.S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia". Also included is a cover of the beloved Led Zeppelin tune "Ramble On". Sweeping and rapturous, Rowing in Eden is a joy for the senses and highly recommended. The tracks are "A Message From the Stars", "Iachtach", "Prince Caspian's Prayer", "The Wind", "Ramble On", "There and Back Again", "Light of Destiny", "The Two Trees", "A King's Farewell", "In the Days", "Wild Nights", and "A Message from the Stars (Virtual Choir)".

Heritage
Richard Bona and Mandekan Cubano
richard-bona.com
Privately Published
$9.99 CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com

Heritage is the eighth album by Richard Bona, also called "The African Sting" by his fans, and the Afro-Cuban band Mandekan Cubano. The music draws upon the roots of Cuban music, and its incorporation of African rhythms. A vibrant cultural fusion, the richness of Heritage incorporates bass, guitars, electric sitar, vocals, percussion, keyboards, and more into a passionate, stimulating listening experience. Highly recommended, especially for world music collections. "Aka Lingala Te" (1:19), "Bilongo" (5:37), "Matanga" (2:54), "Jokoh Jokoh" (4:59), "Cubaneando" (4:04), "Essewe Ya Monique" (1:57), "Santa Clara Con Montuno" (3:08), "Ngul Mekon" (0:49), "Muntula Moto" (5:02), "Eva" (4:36), "Kivu" (4:28), and "Kwa Singa" (1:15).

Wandering Soul
Hirie
www.hiriemusic.com
Rootfire Cooperative
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3 amazon.com

Wandering Soul is the second album by the talented reggae artist Hirie, with contributions from various special guests. The smooth, suave vocals flow into a soundscape that connects with the senses and lifts one's spirit. Highly recommended, especially for reggae connoisseurs! The tracks are "Wandering Soul", "Good Vibration Ft. Trevor Hall", "Renegade Ft. Nahko Bear", "Don't Take My Ganja", "Woman Comes First Ft. Nattali Rize", "Boom Fire", "Melody of a Broken Heart", "You Won't Be Alone", "Queen", "Almost Home", and "Ride the Wave".

Inside Out
Kristen Lee Sergeant
www.kristenleesergeant.com
Whaling City Sound
www.whalingcitysound.com
c/o Naxos of America, Inc. (dist.)
www.naxosusa.com
$13.99 CD / $8.99 MP3 www.amazon.com

Vocalist Kristen Lee Sergeant presents the debut release Inside Out, an album that transforms three 80s pop classics into smooth jazz, as well as beautifully re-imagining jazz standards, some of which are fairly obscure. Bonus enhanced video content enriches this stylish, suave performance. Highly recommended for connoisseurs of the genre! The tracks are "Never Will I Marry" (3:32), "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (4:06), "Old Devil Moon" (4:28), "Lullaby of the Leaves" (3:38), "I Melt With You" (5:44), "So Many Stars" (4:02), "Every Breath You Take" (3:16), "Wish I Were In Love Again" (2:06), and "It Never Entered My Mind" (2:45).

Ghost Stations
Marconi Union
www.marconiunion.com
Just Publishing
www.justmusic.co.uk
$12.99 CD / $8.99 MP3 amazon.com

UK-based group Marconi Union presents Ghost Stations, an album of atmospheric, relaxing songs to soothe the mind and the spirit. The drifting, quiescent quality of the instrumental music gently eases one's mind and heart after a hard day. Ghost Stations is quietly beautiful and highly recommended. The tracks are "Sleeper", "Remnants", "Shadow Scheme", "Abandoned", "In Silence", and "Riser".

Steppin' Up
Eric Hargett Trio, featuring Joey DeFrancesco & Gerry Gibbs
Whaling City Sound
www.whalingcitysound.com
c/o Naxos of America, Inc. (dist.)
www.naxosusa.com
$13.49 CD / $8.99 MP3 amazon.com

Baritone sax player and band leader Eric Hargett presents the funk album Steppin' Up, along with Joey DeFrancesco on the Hammond B3 organ and piano, and Gerry Gibbs on drums. Vivacious and proud, Steppin' Up resonates with passion, from its love songs to its all-out funk overdrive compositions. Highly recommended, especially for fans of the genre. The tracks are "Steppin' Up" (4:01), "West" (6:05), "Hackensack" (3:40), "Woody's Dream" (4:16), "Baretta" (6:16), "You Don't Know What Love Is" (7:19), "Brunswick Avenue" (5:07), "Pacific Voyage" (5:46), "Myra's Song" (6:42), and "Sunday Fog" (8:04).


The Library DVD Shelf

Tanks: A Century of Dominating the Battlefield
Produced by Clyde Hoch
Privately Published
$19.95 amazon.com

Tanks: A Century of Dominating the Battlefield is a DVD documentary about American tanks, from their origins in World War I to their latest modern technological innovations. Producer Clyde Hoch, a USMC volunteer who served in the Vietnam War and became a tank commander, applied his personal experience as well as objective reporting to this fascinating documentary. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library military history collections! 38 min.

Hard to Believe
Ken Stone
Swoop Films, LLC
www.HardToBelieveMovie.com
$19.99 amazon.com

Hard to Believe is a documentary on DVD questioning the world's lack of response to an atrocity perpetrated by the Chinese government - the imprisonment and execution of its own citizens for their beliefs (especially those who engaged in the spiritual practice of Falun Gong), followed by the deliberate harvest of their organs. Two-time Emmy award-winner Ken Stone investigates evidence of the nightmare, and questions why a 2014 U.S. House Resolution condemning the crime of forced organ harvesting from tens of thousands of Chinese prisoners of conscience was proposed, but never voted on. A horrifying expose of monumental mass-murder, Hard to Believe is highly recommended especially for public and college library DVD collections. 56 min.

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Series 1-3 Collection
Starring Essie Davis
Based on novels by Kerry Greenwood
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$119.99 www.acornonline.com

Available in both DVD and Blu-Ray formats, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Series 1-3 Collection is a murder mystery anthology of the first three seasons of a murder mystery based on the popular novels by Kerry Greenwood, and set in 1920s Australia. Miss Phryne Fisher is a cultured, glamorous, yet uniquely insightful detective with a dual talent for solving crimes and navigating high society. Armed with a pearl-handled lady's pistol for self-dense and a supremely keen wit, Miss Fisher is dapper, distinguished, and determined to catch culprits! Highly recommended, especially for connoisseurs of mystery. It should be noted that Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries is intended for mature audiences, as the episodes contain violence, coarse language, drug use, nudity, and sexual situations. 11 DVDs or 8 Blu-ray discs, 31 hours, SDH subtitles.

Being Poirot
Featuring David Suchet
Hosted by Stanley Tucci
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
9781621722991 $14.99 www.acornonline.com

Being Poirot is a must-see documentary for connoisseurs of the Poirot series of television murder mysteries based on the classic detective hero created by Agatha Christie. David Suchet, the actor who played Hercule Poirot for twenty-five years, openly shares his personal experience of bringing the beloved detective to life on the screen. From recounting his meeting with Christie's family after he was first cast as Poirot, to his travels to Belgium in order to explore the roots of a legendary Belgian character, to what Belgians themselves have to say about their famous fictional compatriot, Being Poirot is descriptive, insightful, and highly recommended. Bonus materials include interviews with David Sucheet on Poirot, and with Agatha Christie's grandson Matthew Prichard. 62 min., SDH subtitles, widescreen.

Meet the Guilbys
A film by Arthur Delaire and Quentin Reynaud
First Run Features
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036
$19.95 www.firstrunfeatures.com

Meet the Guilbys is an eyebrow-raising comedy movie about a blended family road trip. Claire and Maurice, each of whom endured a previous marriage, are bringing their entire family on the road to attend Claire's father's funeral. This includes Claire's vegetarian son Alex, who carries a secret torch for Maurice's rebellious daughter Lucie; Claire's poet brother; and Claire and Maurice's daughter Prune, who harbors a growing fascination for the bovines of France. Meet the Guilbys is a wacky adventure of misfits and bungles, uproarious fun! 80 min., French language with English subtitles.

Clean Break
Written by Billy Roche
Acorn Media
c/o RLJ Entertainment
www.us.RLJEntertainment.com
$39.99 www.acornonline.com

Clean Break is a four-part crime drama on DVD by award-winning wrier Billy Roche. Frank Mallon is a car dealer on the edge of bankruptcy; his wife has left him and his teenage daughter is openly rebellious. Desperate for money, he devises a handsomely profitable revenge scheme against the people who he feels have wronged him the most. But when his plans spiral out of control, old hatreds come to light an innocent lives are at risk! A tense, riveting drama about secrets lurking beneath the surface of a small Irish town, Clean Break is highly recommended for suspense connoisseurs. 4 episodes on 2 DVDs, 214 min., widescreen, SDH subtitles.

John Bunyan: The People's Pilgrim
Written and Directed by Gary Wilkinson
Vision Video
P.O. Box 540, Worcester, PA 19490
$19.99 DVD / $7.99 digital www.visionvideo.com

John Bunyan: The People's Pilgrim is an enlightening DVD documentary about John Bunyan (1628-1688), author of the Christian allegory "The Pilgrim's Progress", one of the most well- known and influential works of spiritual literature. Bunyan lived an incredible life; from humble origins as the uneducated son of a tinker, he miraculously survived the deadly English Civil War, and spent years in jail for his faith; "The Pilgrim's Progress" was written during his imprisonment. John Bunyan: The People's Pilgrim vividly portrays an extraordinary true story, and is highly recommended for personal viewing and church library collections. 50 min., optional English subtitles.


The Hunting/Fishing Shelf

Bird Dog Days, Wingshooting Ways
Archibald Rutledge
Edited with a new introduction by Jim Casada
University of South Carolina Press
718 Devine Street, Columbia, SC 29208
9781611176544 $29.99 www.sc.edu/uscpress

Bird Dog Days, Wingshooting Ways is a compilation of writings by South Carolina poet laureate and avid hunter Archibald Rutledge (1883-1973). Most of the stories are true tales of his life hunting deer, turkey, quail, or grouse in the Southern heartland, from the traits of the dogs that aided him, to the traditions surrounding Carolina Christmas hunts. Although Bird Dog Days, Wingshooting Ways is mostly nonfiction, one long fictional story is included, "The Odyssey of Bolio". Bird Dog Days, Wingshooting Ways is the closest one can come to the thrill of an outdoors hunt in South Carolina without leaving one's reading chair, and highly recommended.


The Aviation Shelf

To Lasso the Clouds
Dan A. Aldridge, Jr.
Mercer University Press
1400 Coleman Avenue, Macon, GA 31207-0001
9780881465747 $29.00 www.mupress.org

To Lasso the Clouds: The Beginning of Aviation in Georgia corrects the record of the first airplane flight in Georgia. Disputing prior claims that give the year for Georgia's first flight as 1907 and give all credit for the feat to Ben T. Epps, Sr., To Lasso the Clouds elaborates on the story of two intelligent young Georgians, Epps and Zumpt A. Huff, whose efforts to build a machine that could engage in sustained, controlled flight earned them regard as a "second pair of Wright brothers" according to at least one newspaper. A handful of vintage black-and-white photographs, a bibliography, and an index round out this extensively researched account. To Lasso the Clouds is a highly recommended contribution to public and college library aviation history shelves.


The Biography Shelf

Ross Calvin, Interpreter of the American Southwest
Ron Hamm
Sunstone Press
PO Box 2321, Santa Fe, NM 87504-2321
www.sunstonepress.com
9781632931146, $29.95, HC, 168pp, www.amazon.com

Many people appreciate and enjoy the American Southwest without truly understanding it. But Ross Randall Calvin, a discerning and erudite observer did, and we are all the richer for it. Calvin began his search as a pilgrim health-seeker, believing he had left the ''known world'' behind when he fled the East for New Mexico. There he soon found to our benefit that he could use his observational skills and intellect to fashion a picture that helped him and us comprehend those unique factors that make New Mexico what it is -- including its history, people, culture, climate, and so much more. Those lessons learned he shared with us. His books and essays opened our eyes to New Mexico if we but heed them. In Ron Hamm's impressively well researched, written, organized and presented biography, "Ross Calvin, Interpreter of the American Southwest", Calvin's story as discoverer and interpreter unfolds in rich detail from beginning to end. Enhanced with the inclusion of an informative Introduction, a five page listing of Descendants of Ross Randall Calvin, and a twenty-one page listing of Notes and Sources, "Ross Calvin, Interpreter of the American Southwest" is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library American Biography collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Ross Calvin, Interpreter of the American Southwest" is also available in a paperback edition (9781632931153, $22.95) and in a Kindle format ($7.99).

West Texas Middleweight
Frank Sikes
Texas Tech University Press
PO Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
9780896729759 $24.95 www.ttupress.org

West Texas Middleweight: The Story of LaVern Roach is the biography of a small-town boxer who became one of the sport's most well-known figures during the 1940's. At the time, boxing and baseball were the two most popular professional sports in America. LaVern Roach's life ended abruptly when he died from injuries received in the ring during a nationally televised event. His death brought the sport of boxing under greater scrutiny than ever before. West Texas Middleweight chronicles Roach's endeavors, from boxing amateur to enlistment in the US Marines, his time as captain of the nation's most successful military boxing team, to being named "Rookie of the Year" for 1947 in "The Ring Magazine" and a top ten contender for the middleweight world championship. A handful of vintage black-and-white photographs, notes, appendices, and an index round out welcome contribution to sports biography collections, highly recommended especially for boxing fans.

The Life and Death of Leon Trotsky
Victor Serge and Natalia Sedova Trotsky
Haymarket Books
PO Box 180165, Chicago, IL 60618
9781608464692 $17.95 www.haymarketbooks.org

The Life and Death of Leon Trotsky is a biography of Marxist revolutionary, Soviet politician, and founding leader of the Red Army Leon Trotsky (1879-1940). Although Trotsky was a major participant in Russia's 1917 Revolution, he was scapegoated during Stalin's murderous rise to power, which replaced the ideals of Communism with an iron-fist dictatorship. In 1940 Trotsky was assassinated, allegedly on Stalin's orders. Unlike other biographies, The Life and Death of Leon Trotsky is unique in that it is by two people close Trotsky: his widow Natalia Sedova Trotsky (who was also a Bolshevik) and Victor Serge, a revolutionary and novelist. An index rounds out this "must-read" for anyone studying Trotsky's life and philosophy, or major figures in modern Russian history. Highly recommended, especially for public and college library collections.

Entwined
Joyce Wallace Scott
Beacon Press
24 Farnsworth Street, Boston, MA 02210
www.beacon.org
9780807051405 $26.95 hc / $25.99 Kindle amazon.com

The intensely personal, true story of the bond between fraternal twin sisters, Entwined: Sisters and Secrets in the Silent World of Artist Judith Scott is part memoir, part glimpse into the story behind an artist's blossoming potential. As young children, Joyce was inseparable from Judy, her sister with Down syndrome. After their separation, it would be many years until Joyce came of age and won the struggle to become Judy's legal guardian. After Joyce and Judy reunited, Judy's untapped talent for fiber art came to light, and her winding fiber sculptures remain prestigious in museums and galleries to this day. Entwined is highly recommended especially for artist biography collections, and makes for rapturous reading.


The LGBT Studies Shelf

A Day in May
Charlie Bird
Merrion Press
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR, 97213
9781785370762 $25.00 www.isbs.com

On May 23rd, 2015, Ireland became the first nation in the world to legalize same-sex marriage equality via popular vote. A Day in May: Real Lives, True Stories gathers true stories from people across Ireland who were directly affected by this historic decision. Occasional black-and- white photographs enrich this moving anthology of firsthand testimonies from members of Ireland's LGBT community. Highly recommended!


The Sports Shelf

Outside The Game
Jim Mandelaro
RIT Press
Rochester Institute of Technology
90 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623
9781939125156, $17.95, PB, 218pp, www.amazon.com

Jim Mandelaro is a writer for the Democrat and Chronicle in Rochester, New York. He is a three-time winner of the New York State Associated Press award for outstanding sports feature writing, a two-time recipient of the Rochester Press-Radio Club Sportswriter of the Year Award, and a member of the Frontier Field Walk of Fame. In "Outside the Game: A Collection of Inspirational Sports Stories" Mandelaro showcases a collection of truly exceptional sports stories, each of which was previously published in Rochester's Democrat and Chronicle, and now are available to a national audience. In "Outside The Game" Mandelaro describes the triumphs and tragedies of both local and national athletes. These narratives go beyond the wins and losses of the game to illuminate the perseverance of the human spirit over challenging life situations. While certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Sports/Athletics collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Outside The Game" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).

Soccer Science
Tony Strudwick, Editor
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
PO Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61820-5076
9781450496797 $27.95 www.humankinetics.com

Soccer Science: Using Science to Develop Players and Teams gathers a wealth of scientific research on athletics and soccer under one cover, and is a 'must have' reference for any sports collection serious about representing the latest soccer options. It gathers articles and insights from a range of international experts on the sport, it discusses the latest research and findings in physiology, psychology, coaching and game analysis, and it offers coaches and soccer players keys to incorporating this science into game strategies and training regimens. From innovations that can advance the game to using statistical evaluations in soccer, this powerful player's guide shouldn't be missed.


The Education Shelf

Talk to Me, Baby! second edition
Betty S. Bardige
Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company
PO Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
www.brookespublishing.com
9781598579208 $29.95 amazon.com

Now in an updated second edition with more strategies grounded in up-to-date research, Talk to Me, Baby! How You Can Support Young Children's is a guide for parents and early childhood educators to helping young children engage their minds and their language skills. Chapters discuss how to include young children in everyday conversations, even when they're too young to talk; games, songs, and activities for boosting language skills; ways to help bilingual children improve their skill in both languages; and more. A list of references and an index round out this excellent resource, highly recommended especially for college library Education shelves and professional educator's reading lists.

Big Ideas in Education
Dr. Russell Grigg
Crown House Publishing
6 Trowbridge Drive Suite 5, Bethel, CT 06801
9781785830273 $35.95 www.crownhousepublishing.com

Big Ideas in Education: What Every Teacher Should Know is a guide written especially for professional teachers about core concepts of the profession. Chapters discuss such ideas as the importance of cultivating a positive disposition; moral purpose and ethics that guide teachers; how providing personalized, accurate, and timely feedback improves learning; the role of research in the development of teachers; and more. "...great teachers vary considerably in their style - some were quiet, others animated; some kept to the basics, while others veered away from the set curriculum. Yet what emerged was the capacity of these teachers to adapt new ideas to their own contexts as well as common practices that proved effective across the board." A bibliography and an index round out this excellent reference, guide, and resource.

Your Classroom Guide to Special Education Law
Beverly H. Johns
Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company
PO Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285-0624
www.brookespublishing.com
9781598579710, $27.95, PB, 164pp, www.amazon.com

Over the past couple of decades there has been a budget-cut driven curtailment of Federal and State mandates requiring public school systems to educate disabled children. "Your Classroom Guide to Special Education Law" by Beverly H. Johns (a Professional Fellow for MacMurray College, where she teaches courses on special education law, emotional and behavior disorders, and diverse learners)is an essential guide for classroom teachers with respect to teaching students who have special needs. Professor Johns addresses the issues of legal responsibilities; the provision of appropriate, legally compliant special education services; and avoiding pitfalls that could lead to due process hearings and court dates. "Your Classroom Guide to Special Education Law " is an interactive quick guide featuring concise and accessible answers. Thoroughly 'user friendly in organization and presentation, "Your Classroom Guide to Special Education Law" gives educators and administrators the basics of special education law in an engaging, easy-to-read format. With the jargon-free definitions and reader-friendly descriptions of laws and court cases, "Your Classroom Guide to Special Education Law " is a veritable storehouse of knowledge teachers can apply in their own classrooms. And with the thought-provoking activities and real-life scenarios in each chapter, "Your Classroom Guide to Special Education Law " illustrates law-abiding practices in action and put classroom teacher knowledge to the test so that they will be ready to fulfill their important responsibilities to special education students and their families. While very highly recommended for school district, community, and academic library Special Education instructional reference collections, it should be noted that "Your Classroom Guide to Special Education Law" will prove to be an invaluable guide for the parents of special education children as well.

Literacy Unleashed
Bonnie D. Houck & Sandi Novak
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
www.ascd.org
9781416622338, $29.95, PB, 162pp, www.amazon.com

In "Literacy Unleashed: Fostering Excellent Reading Instruction Through Classroom Visits", Bonnie D. Houck (the coordinator of the K-12 Teacher of Reading Program at the University of Minnesota) and Sandi Novak (an education consultant with more than 30 years of experience as an assistant superintendent, principal, curriculum and professional learning director, and teacher) deftly collaborative explain why ensuring high-quality reading instruction is one of school leaders' most important jobs and introduce their Literacy Classroom Visit (LCV) Model. Meticulously researched and refined through years of application in the field, the LCV Model enables administrators to evaluate and improve literacy instruction in their school or district. "Literacy Unleashed" will help classroom teachers to: Identify the elements of effective literacy instruction and establish common beliefs, practices, and language within the education community; Convene a team to conduct classroom observations and pinpoint common patterns that indicate your school or district's areas of strength and need; Provide targeted professional development and resources that reduce unnecessary budget expenditures; Implement the LCV Model across your entire school including all grade levels and content areas or district; Ensure that all students are mastering grade-level standards and expectations. "Literacy Unleashed" is a comprehensive guide that includes a repertoire of tools, checklists, and templates to support teachers on their LCV journey, along with scenarios and videos of real schools and practitioners to illustrate what the model looks like in action. With both academic standards and 21st century jobs requiring higher-level literacy skills, quality reading instruction is more important than ever. "Literacy Unleashed" provides everything you need to create a culture of literacy, reflective practice, and continual learning among staff and students alike. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Literacy Unleashed" is unreservedly recommended for college and university library Teacher Education collections and curriculum reading lists.

Now That's a Good Question!
Erik M. Francis
ASCD
1703 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
www.ascd.org
9781416620754, $28.95, PB, 175pp, www.amazon.com

In "Now That's a Good Question! How to Promote Cognitive Rigor Through Classroom Questioning", author and educator Erik M. Francis (who is also the owner and lead professional education specialist for Maverik Education LLC, providing professional development, guidance, and support in teaching and learning for cognitive rigor) explores how one of the most fundamental instructional strategies (questioning) can provide the proper scaffolding to deepen student thinking, understanding, and application of knowledge. "Now That's a Good Question!" covers: Techniques for using questioning to extend and evaluate student learning experiences; Eight different kinds of questions that challenge students to demonstrate higher-order thinking and communicate depth of knowledge; How to rephrase the performance objectives of college and career readiness standards into questions that engage and challenge students. "Now That's a Good Question!" offers myriad examples of good questions across content areas and grade levels, as well as structures to help teachers create and use the different kinds of questions. By using "Now That's a Good Question!" to fine-tune the approach to questioning, classroom teachers can awaken the spirit of inquiry in their classroom and help their students deepen in knowledge, understanding, and ability to communicate what the students think and know. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in tone, content and commentary, "Now That's a Good Question!" is unreservedly recommended for professional and academic library Teacher Education instructional collections and curriculums.

NLD From the Inside Out
Michael Brian Murphy
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
400 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19106
www.jkp.com
9781849057141 $21.95 www.amazon.com

NLD From the Inside Out: Talking to Parents, Teachers, and Teens About Growing Up with Nonverbal Learning Disabilities is written by and for teens with NLD, and addresses the concerns of young adults, their parents, and their educators with its blend of research into brain and learning processes and its practical applications to stories of now-thriving teens who grew up with and successfully overcame hurdles. Chapters don't just focus on education: they address common problems in relationship and life during school and in the years after graduation, and they blend humor with practical insights that lead to better understanding and coping mechanisms for those with NLD and others who interact with them.

Working With Kids Who Bully
Walter B. Roberts Jr.
Corwin Press, Inc.
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218
9781506333878 $34.95 www.corwin.com

Working With Kids Who Bully: New Perspectives on Prevention and Intervention advocates a different approach to handling bullies by working more with the kids who are bullies. It provides new thoughts and approaches to handling them based on information from a range of school situations, includes cyberbullying and other kinds of aggressive acts, and includes specific strategies and sample dialogue educators can use when working with these children. From applying restorative justice techniques and handling first-time bullies to analyzing intervention choices and their results, Working With Kids Who Bully is a key informational reference for any educator who wants not just an overview of the problem, but tested solutions and various options to open communication with bullies.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

The Best of Bova V. II
Ben Bova
Baen Books
PO Box 1188, Wake Forest NC 27588
www.baen.com
9781476781594 $16.00 www.amazon.com

The Best of Bova V. II gathers a wide range of Bova classic short stories that are deeply rooted in hard science and diverse, appealing characters. Whether Bova is investigating Mars and interstellar signals from other races or revealing the problems of a machine designed to make people feel good, his tales are ever-winding, more firmly rooted in science than many, and represent a broad and wonderful sampling of Bova's literary prowess when assembled under one cover, side-by-side. The Best of Bova V. II is thus highly recommended for both prior fans of the master and newcomers who appreciate science-rooted short stories.


The Art Shelf

Outside the Lines
Matteo Torcinovich & Sebastiano Girardi
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Publishing
236 Park Avenue, New York NY 10017
www.octopusbooksusa.com
9781784721497 $19.99 www.amazon.com

Outside the Lines: Lost Photographs of Punk and New Wave's Most Iconic Albums packs in hundreds of lost photos that represent rare pictures of some of the biggest names of new wave music, and accompanies these images with anecdotes, interviews, and insights from the photographers who made them. Details of album covers, artists who rendered them, and photographer perspectives provide clear insights into the evolution of not just new wave music, but the eclectic influences that led to artistic experimentation in the 80s. The result is an important survey recommended not just for music collections, but for arts libraries interested in documenting social perspectives, as well.


The Science Shelf

The Vital Question
Nick Lane
W. W. Norton & Company
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
www.wwnorton.com
9780393352979 $16.95 www.amazon.com

The Vital Question: Energy, Evolution, and the Origins of Complex Life comes from a biochemist and professor of evolutionary biology who offers a different hypothesis about how life began on Earth, and is recommended for lay readers and science collections interested in a different perspective. Here Lane argues that the cellular structure of life itself posed a physical limitation to life. Studying these cells offer clues on how and why they evolved, making for a lively discourse that requires no biology or natural history background in order to prove accessible, understandable, and interesting.


The Parenting Shelf

Parenting Gifted Children 101
Tracy Ford Inman & Jana Kirchner
Prufrock Press
PO Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813
www.prufrock.com
9781618215185, $16.95, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com

Tracy F. Inman, Ed.D., has devoted her career to meeting the needs of young people, especially those who are gifted and talented. She has taught at both the high school and collegiate levels, as well as in summer programs for gifted and talented youth. Tracy serves as associate director for The Center for Gifted Studies at Western Kentucky University. Dr. Jana Kirchner is Instructional Supervisor for Simpson County Schools in Kentucky. The collaborative work of Inman and Kirchner, "Parenting Gifted Children 101: An Introduction to Gifted Kids and Their Needs" is practical, easy-to-read book explores the basics of parenting gifted children, truly giving parents the "introductory course" they need to better understand and help their gifted child. The subjects directly addressed include myths about gifted children, characteristics of the gifted, the hows and whys of advocacy, social and emotional issues and needs, strategies for partnering with your child's school, and more. "Parenting Gifted Children 101" explores ways for parents to help their child at home and maximize their child's educational experience with strategies that are based on research, but easy to implement. Each individual chapter (from parenting twice-exceptional students to navigating the possible challenges that school may hold for your child) contains accessible resources for further reading and insights from more than 50 parents and educators of gifted children. Of special note are the chapters on 'How Can I Communicate and Partner with My Child's Educators' and 'What Can I Do at Home to Help My Child?'. Enhanced with the inclusion of a ten page listing of References, and a four page Glossary, "Parenting Gifted Children 101" is strongly recommended for personal, school, and community library Parenting instructional reference collections. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, commentary, organization and presentation, it should be noted that "Parenting Gifted Children 101" is also available in a Kindle format ($9.99).


The Social Issues Shelf

Choosing Sharia?
Machteld Zee
Eleven International Publishing
c/o International Specialized Book Services
920 Northeast 58th Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR, 97213
9789462366343 $58.50 www.isbs.com

Choosing Sharia? Multiculturalism, Islamic Fundamentalism & Sharia Councils is a harsh criticism of how the free rein of Sharia councils in Europe, particularly Britain, enables oppression and injustice. Women suffer the most; even though a civil court may grant her a lawful divorce, a Sharia council may dissuade or refuse her from obtaining a "religious divorce", meaning that she could be scorned, shunned, or even targeted for execution if she seeks to begin a new relationship or remarry. "Marital captivity" (forcing a woman to remain married against her will) is a real problem, enabled by the degree of power and freedom that is allowed to Sharia councils. Dutch political scientist and legal scholar Machteld Zee openly questions the vagueness of multicultural principles that permit such oppression, and notes the relative effectiveness of certain countermeasures - such as laws criminalizing marital captivity in such a manner that they hold both recalcitrant spouses and Sharia council members who refuse to grant a divorce accountable. Author Machteld Zee draws upon direct experience observing Sharia councils as well as individual case studies as she analyzes the problem and prospective solutions. Choosing Sharia? is highly recommended.


The Photography Shelf

Lonely Planet's Guide to Travel Photography, revised edition
Richard I'Anson
Lonely Planet Publications
150 Linden Street, Oakland CA 94607
www.lonelyplanet.com
9781760340742, $22.99, PB, 376pp, www.amazon.com

In the pages of "Lonely Planet's Guide to Travel Photography", internationally renowned travel photographer Richard I'Anson shares his wealth of experience and knowledge about travel photography in a jargon-free guide to taking better photographs. Now in a newly revised edition has been thoroughly updated and refreshed with up-to-the minute advice, information and instructions on how to take amazing travel photographs using the latest digital cameras, "Lonely Planet's Guide to Travel Photography" also includes tips on how to get great results from smartphones, DSLR cameras, drones and GoPro action cameras. "Lonely Planet's Guide to Travel Photography" covers: How to get started in travel photography; What kit is required and how to use it; Types of software and computers needed to process pin-sharp images; On-the-ground advice, including photography etiquette, safety and security Essential advice and know-how on lighting, composing and shooting great images; How to choose the best lense, set aperture, shutter speeds and exposure; Detailed instructions on taking photographs of moving subjects, portraits of people, landscapes, cities, wildlife, festivals, food and drink; Processing, saving and sharing digital images using various software programs, and even selling travel images. The "Lonely Planet's Guide to Travel Photography" continues to be the definitive and thoroughly 'user friendly' instructional handbook for anybody keen to improve the photographs they take on their travel trips and wow their friends and family at home. While unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and academic library Photography instructional reference collections, it should be noted that "Lonely Planet's Guide to Travel Photography" is also available in a Kindle format ($13.79).


The Literary Studies Shelf

The Death of the Book
John Lurz
Fordham University Press
2546 Belmont Avenue
University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458-5172
www.fordhampress.com
9780823270972, $90.00, HC, 199pp, www.amazon.com

"The Death of the Book: Modernist Novels and the Time of Reading" by John Lurz (Assistant Professor of English at Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts) is an examination of the ways major novels by Marcel Proust, James Joyce, and Virginia Woolf draw attention to their embodiment in the object of the book, "The Death of the Book" considers how bookish format plays a role in some of the twentieth century's most famous literary experiments. Tracking the passing of time in which reading unfolds, these novels position the book's so-called death in terms that refer as much to a simple description of its future vis- -vis other media forms as to the sense of finitude these books share with and transmit to their readers. As Professor Lurz interrogates the affective, physical, and temporal valences of literature's own traditional format and mode of access, he shows how these novels stage intersections with the phenomenal world of their readers and develop a conception of literary experience not accounted for by either rigorously historicist or traditionally formalist accounts of the modernist period. Bringing together issues of media and mediation, book history, and modernist aesthetics, "The Death of the Book" offers a new and deeper understanding of the way we read now. Enhanced with the inclusion of twelve pages of Notes, a twelve page Bibliography, and a two page Index, "The Death of the Book" is a model of seminal scholarship that is as informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking. While unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library Contemporary Literary Studies collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Death of the Book" is also available in a paperback edition (9780823270989, $25.00) and in a Kindle format ($16.99).

Troika
Carol Rocamora
Smith & Kraus Publishers
177 Lyme Road, Lyme NH 03755-6610
www.smithandkraus.com
9781575258911, $21.95, PB, 399pp, www.amazon.com

"Troika" is an anthology of three Russian plays translated for an American readership and interested community theatrical groups by educator, playwright, biographer, and literary critic Carol Rocamora who is a professor at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. "Troika" is comprised of Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev's play 'A Month in the Country'; Sukhovo Koblin's play 'Rasputin's Brother'; and Maksim Gorky's play 'Summerfolk'. Enhanced with an informative ten-page Introduction, "Troika" is unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library Russian Literature collections in general, and Turgenev, Koblin, Gorky supplemental studies reading lists in particular.


The Psychology Shelf

Technology in Mental Health, second edition
Stephen Goss, Kate Anthony, LoriAnn Sykes Stretch, and DeeAnna Merz Nagel
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
2600 South First Street, Springfield, IL 62704
9780398091057 $81.95 www.ccthomas.com

Now in an updated second edition, Technology in Mental Health is an anthology of essays by an array of different experts, each written especially for professionals in the field. Chapters discuss how modern advances in technology can be used to aid patients with psychological problems. Topics include "Using Forums to Enhance Client Peer Support", "The Role of Blogging in Mental Health", "Using the Telephone for Conducting a Therapeutic Relationship", "Using Chat and Instant Messaging (IM) to Enrich Counselor Training and Supervision", and much more. An index rounds out this "must-have" for both college library and private practice Psychology shelves.

Supporting Positive Behavior in Children and Teens with Down Syndrome
David Stein, Psy.D.
Woodbine House
6510 Bells Mill Road, Bethesda, MD 20817
9781606132630 $21.95 www.woodbinehouse.com

Down syndrome is a genetic disorder frequently associated with physical growth delays, characteristic facial features, and mild to moderate intellectual disability. Supporting Positive Behavior in Children and Teens with Down Syndrome: The Respond but Don't React Method is a timely guide for caregivers, parents, and psychology professionals, and is especially relevant considering that 30 percent of children with Down syndrome are diagnosed with behavior disorders (compared to 10% of typically developing children). Pediatric psychologist David Stein, Psy.D. emphasizes proactive means for guiding the behavior of children with Down syndrome, rather than reactive and punitive approaches. The methods are grounded in research and clinical findings, yet accessible to readers of all backgrounds. For example, in working with one family whose Down syndrome daughter would "stop and flop" during trips to the store, the focus included gradually building up the young girl's tolerance to the noise and crowds. "Over time, Luz's grocery trips gradually became longer and longer until she could tolerate a full grocery trip. But remember, slow and steady wins the race; we have to build up to long outings slowly and with a lot of success and encouragement along the way." Supporting Positive Behavior in Children and Teens with Down Syndrome is a "must-read" for anyone who interacts with young people who have Down syndrome.

Stopping the Noise in Your Head
Reid Wilson
Health Communications, Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190
www.hcibooks.com
Tantor Media, Inc.
6 Business Park Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475
www.tantor.com
9780757319068, $16.95, PB, 375pp, www.amazon.com

Worrying can be an important asset when it forces our attention on problem-solving. But anxious worrying can cause us to unnecessarily focus on threat, to retreat and avoid, and to seek reassurance and safety -- which is no way to foster a life of growth and excitement. In "Stopping the Noise in Your Head", Reid Wilson (a licensed psychologist who directs the Anxiety Disorders Treatment Center) proposes a groundbreaking, paradoxical approach to overcoming anxiety and worry by moving away from comfort, confidence, and security and willingly moving toward uncertainty, distress and discomfort. Through the use of unconventional strategies, readers will learn how to confront anxiety head-on and step forward into the face of threat. Drawing on sources ranging from firefighters and fitness instructors, to Sir Isaac Newton and Muhammad Ali, "Stopping the Noise in Your Head" demonstrates the importance of shifting our perspective and stepping toward our challenges in order to regain control of our lives. As informed and informative as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, "Stopping the Noise in Your Head" is thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, content, commentary, organization and presentation. While highly recommended for community and academic library Self-Help instructional reference collections and Contemporary Applied Psychology & Counseling supplemental studies reading lists, it should be noted for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Stopping the Noise in Your Head" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99) and in a complete and unabridged CD auto book format ably narrated by Eric Michaelian (Tantor Audio, 9781515952428, $29.99).


The Divorce Shelf

Nolo's Essential Guide to Divorce, sixth edition
Emily Doskow
Nolo Press
950 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
www.nolo.com
9781413322675, $24.99, PB, 514pp, www.amazon.com

With approximately half of all marriages in American ending in divorce, this newly revised and expanded sixth edition of "Nolo's Essential Guide to Divorce" is a critically important addition to every community library collection, and vitally necessary reading for any man or woman contemplating or entering a divorce who is seeking to make the legal process as simple, inexpensive, and conflict-free as possible. Drawing upon her years of experience and expertise, family law attorney Emily Doskow deftly explains how to make divorce less painful by helping the reader: understand the divorce process; minimize day-to-day conflict with your spouse; work with lawyers or mediators without breaking the bank; avoid costly, exhausting court battles; and to stay calm and make good decisions. Fully updated with the latest state rules on divorce, "Nolo's Essential Guide to Divorce" covers all legal rights and options and how to tackle the tough issues, including: child support; child custody; alimony; dividing property, including pensions and real estate; and drafting a marital settlement agreement. Of special note is how well "Nolo's Essential Guide to Divorce" is written, organized and presented, making it fully accessible for the non-specialist general reader. For personal reading lists it should also be noted that "Nolo's Essential Guide to Divorce" is also available in a Kindle format ($15.72).


The Gardening Shelf

Wild Suburbia
Barbara Eisenstein
Heyday Books
PO Box 9145, Berkeley, CA 94709
9781597143639 $18.00 www.heydaybooks.com

Illustrated with full-color photography throughout, Wild Suburbia: Learning to Garden with Native Plants lives up to its title. Wild Suburbia contains descriptions of 20 native American plants, six lawn-removal methods, a suggested garden calendar, and much more. Written especially to be accessible to gardeners of all skill and experience levels, Wild Suburbia is informative, easy-to-use, and highly recommended. "The first thing most people do [when selecting nursery plants] is look at a plant's leaves, and that's the perfect place to start. Minor damage is not a big concern, but browned tips or yellowing of leaves can indicate an accumulation of salts in the potting mix, whether from overfertilizing, disease, or a nutrient imbalance. Some native plants are deciduous, dropping their leaves seasonally or in response to heat, or frost, and they may look unhealthy when in fact they are fine."

Drought-Resistant Planting
Beth Chatto, author
Steven Wooster, photographer
Frances Lincoln Publishers
www.franceslincoln.com
c/o Quarto Publishing Group USA
400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1722
www.quartoknows.com
9780711238114, $25.99, PB, 192pp, www.amazon.com

A gardener and writer, Beth Chatto has no formal horticultural training, but was inspired by her parents' enthusiastic gardening, her husband's lifelong study of natural associations of plants, and friendship with the great plantsman and artist Sir Cedric Morris. The Beth Chatto Gardens began at Elmstead Market, Essex in 1960. By applying the principles of ecological gardening, she transformed an overgrown area of wasteland into informal gardens that harmonie with the surrounding countryside. Complementing the gardens is a large plant nursery producing a wide range of unusual plants, which attracts thousands of visitors each year. Beth has won ten Gold Medals the Chelsea Flower Show and was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Victoria Medal of Honour (1987), the Lawrence Memorial Medal and an honorary doctorate from Essex University. In "Drought-Resistant Planting: Lessons From Beth Chatto's Gravel Garden" she draws upon her years of experience and expertise to prove a compendium of insightful, practical, and immediately applicable ideas, applications, and practices that will material assist gardens in water limited conditions to have gardens that are as pleasing to the eye as they are comforting to the soul. Profusely and wonderfully illustrated with the full color photography of Steven Wooster, "Drought-Resistant Planting" is thoroughly 'user friendly' in tone, commentary and content, making it an absolute 'must' for personal, professional, and community library Gardening instructional reference collections.


The Business Shelf

Get Scrappy
Nick Westergaard
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
www.amacombooks.org
9780814437315, $21.95, HC, 240pp, www.amazon.com

In the commercial world of today, no business can afford not to utilize social media as an integral part of their marketing plan. The use of digital content (in web sites for one example) or other forms of virtual communication is critically important in attracting customers for whatever goods or services the business is offering. That's why "Get Scrappy: Smarter Digital Marketing for Businesses Big and Small" by Nick Westergaard (Chief Brand Strategist at Brand Driven Digital; host of the popular On Brand podcast; and producer and host of the Social Brand Forum, the Midwest's premier digital marketing event) will prove to be an enduringly valued instruction manual on the use of marketing executives and personnel in the utilization of social media to compete in local, regional, national, and international markets. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in tone, content and commentary, "Get Scrappy" is an essential and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, company, community, college, and university library Business Management collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Get Scrappy" is also available in a Kindle edition ($12.99).


The Money/Finance Shelf

The Modern Couple's Money Guide
Lesley-Anne Scorgie
The Dundurn Group
3 Church Street, Suite 500, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5E 1M2
www.dundurn.com
9781459729773, $22.99, PB, 179pp, www.amazon.com

The leading cause of divorce in America is not infidelity, it is differences with respect to the handling of money. "The Modern Couple's Money Guide: 7 Smart Steps to Building Wealth Together" by Lesley-Anne Scorgie (the founder of MeVest, a money school helping Canadians reach their financial potential) is specifically written to help men and women avoid heartache by learning how to merge, manage, and grow their finances together. "The Modern Couple's Money Guide" will be of practical help to couples in collaboratively building a powerful financial, personal, and professional foundation by following specific seven steps to build wealth together: Getting on the same page; Scraping emotions and sorting out accounts; Curbing overspending; Getting the hell out of debt; Owning the walls they live in; Investing like a pro; Designing a master money plan. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Modern Couple's Money Guide" is an extraordinary, 'user friendly', and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university library Money/Finance Management reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists. For the personal reading lists of non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject it should be noted that "The Modern Couple's Money Guide" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.59).


The Jobs/Careers Shelf

High-Risk Patrol: Reducing the Danger to You, third edition
Gerald W. Garner
Charles C. Thomas, Publisher
2600 South First Street, Springfield, IL 62704
http://www.ccthomas.com
9780398091118, $44.95, PB, 273pp, www.amazon.com

Law enforcement is one of the most hazardous occupations there are in this country. A great many questionable encounters between police officers and members of the community they serve that have given rise to the current 'Black Lives Matter" movement arose out of sense of personal peril on the part of the officer. Now in a newly revised and updated third edition, "High-Risk Patrol: Reducing the Danger to You" by Gerald W. Garner covers a compendium of relevant issues including an examination of the training and culture of law enforcement; personal preparation for risk; vehicle stops and contacts; defusing disturbances; domestic violence; dealing with people under the influence of alcohol or narcotics; 'suspicious persons incidents'; burglaries and structure searches; barricades and hostage takers; 'man with a gun' calls; vehicle pursuits; ambush tactics; mentally ill persons; off-duty confrontations; prisoner control and transfers; terrorist threats; and accidents. Of special note is the chapter on 'Reducing Your Emotional Risks'. Very highly recommended as a police academy textbook, the general public would be well served by community libraries having a copy of "High-Risk Patrol" being available to the general public they serve.


The Architecture Shelf

Vertical Urban Factory
Nina Rappaport
Actar D
c/o Actar Publishers
355 Lexington Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10017
9781940291635 $42.00 http://actar.com

Architectural historian, curator, and educator Nina Rappaport presents Vertical Urban Factory, an architectural study of urban factories throughout the world and throughout history. As factories have evolved to be cleaner, smaller, taller, more environmentally friendly, and more flexible, they can be more effectively integrated into urban life and city planning. Vertical Urban Factory explores how these design changes have been and continue to be applied, complementing its luminary text with a wealth of full-color photography. A studious resource created especially for aspiring and practicing professionals, Vertical Urban Factory is especially recommended for college library architecture collections.


The Language Studies Shelf

The Vulgate of Mark with the Synoptic Parallels
Dale A. Grote
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers
1570 Baskin Road, Mundelein, IL 60060
www.bolchazy.com
9780865168350 $29.00 amazon.com

The Vulgate of Mark with the Synoptic Parallels is a text especially for intermediate Latin students. Presenting Latin passages from the gospels of Matthew and Luke, along with historical and grammatical notes, The Vulgate of Mark with the Synoptic Parallels encourages students not only practice their comprehension of Latin vocabulary and grammar, but also to think critically about the texts they study. Notes, a complete Latin-to-English glossary, a map of sites mentioned in the synoptics, and much more round out this accessible, student-friendly resource.


The Human Sexuality Shelf

Dating and Sex: A Guide for the 21st Century Teen Boy
Andrew P. Smiler, PhD
Magination Press
PO Box 92984, Washington, DC 20090-2984
9781433820458 $14.95 www.maginationpress.com

Even though Dating and Sex: A Guide for the 21st Century Teen Boy is written especially for young men, it is filled with practical, invaluable wisdom for readers of all ages and both genders. Developmental psychologist Andrew P. Smiler, PhD gives the lowdown on asking someone out, the demands of a long-term relationship, the critical importance of consent (giving or receiving) in sexual situations, masturbation and partnered sex, how to stay safe, gender roles and sexual orientation, and more. "Birth control pills aren't fool-proof. If a girl forgets to take the pill for a day or two, even though she knows - or expects - to have sex that day, she isn't protected against pregnancy. If a girl is also taking antibiotics or other medications, the effectiveness of the pill might decrease." Highly recommended, for public and school library collections, and a "must-read" for teenagers everywhere.

Learning Good Consent
Edited by Cindy Crabb
AK Press
370 Ryan Ave. #100, Chico, CA 95973
9781849352468 $13.95 www.akpress.org

Learning Good Consent: On Healthy Relationships and Survivor Support is an anthology of brief writings for teens and adults about human sexuality and the importance of consent. Sexual relationships are fraught with perils. The harsh realities of sexual abuse/violence have lifelong consequences. Learning Good Consent discusses ways to stay safe, the importance of delivering and recognizing clear, unambiguous consent, the difficulties unique to sharing a relationship with a survivor of sexual abuse or assault, and much more. Learning Good Consent is a "must-read" for young adults, and worthy of the highest recommendation for personal reading lists as well as public and school library collections.


The Genealogy Shelf

American Place Names of Long Ago
Gilbert S. Bahn
Genealogical Publishing Company
3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 260, Baltimore, MD 21211
9780806315577 $35.00 www.genealogical.com

American Place Names of Long Ago is a genealogical listing outdated American place names, sorted by state/territory, as collected from an 1898 atlas published by George F. Cram. A brief introduction offers a modicum of guidance, but nearly all of American Place Names of Long Ago consists of the lists themselves. American Place Names of Long Ago is a solid primary resource for genealogical reference libraries.


The Judicial Studies Shelf

Constitutionalism, Executive Power, and the Spirit of Moderation
Edited by Giorgi Areshidze, Paul O. Carrese, and Suzanna Sherry
State University of New York Press
State University Plaza, Albany, NY 12246-0001
9781438460413 $95.00 www.sunypress.edu

Intended for advanced students, researchers, and professionals, Constitutionalism, Executive Power, and the Spirit of Moderation is an anthology of scholarly essays by learned authors about constitutional, legal, and philosophical subjects. Individual writings include "Is Judicialization Good for Democracy?", "The Necessary and the Good in Lincoln's Wartime Reconstruction Policy", "Tocqueville on Liberal Democracy and the Philosophy of Moderation", and much more. Extensive essay-specific notes round out this critical anthology, highly recommended for college library Judicial Studies collections. "We most regret the cases inwhich the Supreme Court failed to prevent constitutional majorities from making serious constitutional mistakes. If we wish to avoid such regrets in the future, we should encourage more judicial activism, not less."


The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

Rabbit Breeds
Lynn M. Stone
Storey Publishing
210 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247
9781612126029 $10.95 www.storey.com

Illustrated with full-color photography on almost every other page, Rabbit Breeds is a pocket- sized reference featuring 49 different breeds of rabbit. Each breed is profiled with a list of quick facts about its country of origin, year recognized as a distinct breed, average weight, body type, fur type, colors and more, as well as a brief text passage about the breed's history and usage. Rabbit Breeds is an excellent identification resource for anyone involved in rabbit husbandry or pet shows, and also a delight for rabbit fans to simply page through.


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Kinesiology Taping for Rehab and Injury Prevention
Aliana Kim
Ulysses Press
PO Box 3440, Berkeley CA 94703-3440
www.ulyssespress.com
9781612435534, $12.95, PB, 104pp, www.amazon.com

Aliana Kim is a kinesiologist, biologist, licensed massage therapist, registered yoga teacher, CrossFit level 1, and gymnastics trainer. In Kinesiology Taping for Rehab and Injury Prevention: An Easy, At-Home Guide for Overcoming Common Strains, Pains and Conditions" Kim draws upon her years of experience and expertise to provide clear step-by-step instructions supported by helpful photos on how to tape the most common injuries and conditions anywhere on the body for a wide variety of medical purposes including: Neck pain; Frozen shoulder; Bicep strain; Tennis elbow; Wrist sprain; Tight IT band; ACL/MCL sprains; Achilles tendonitis; Ankle sprain; Plantar fasciitis. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in content, organization and presentation, "Kinesiology Taping for Rehab and Injury Prevention" is unreservedly recommended for personal, family, professional, community, college, and university library Health/Medical instructional reference collections in general, and Kinesiology supplemental studies reading lists in particular. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Kinesiology Taping for Rehab and Injury Prevention" is also available in a Kindle format ($7.61).


The Agriculture Shelf

A Farmer's Guide To Corn Diseases
Kiersten Wise, et al.
APS Press
3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121
http://www.apsnet.org
9780890544549, $29.95, 168pp, www.shopapspress.org

One of the largest and most important cash crops in American agriculture, corn is a large grain plant that was first domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mexico about 10,000 years ago and has since come to be a food staple for the entire world for humans and domesticated animals. There are six major types of corn: dent corn, flint corn, pod corn, popcorn, flour corn, and sweet corn. "A Farmer's Guide To Corn Diseases" is a complete course of instruction on corn diseases and disorders. Profusely illustrated and exceptionally well organized and regionally presented, "A Farmer's Guide To Corn Diseases" with general information on the impact of corn diseases; the diagnosis corn diseases; and offering comprehensive chapters on folic and aboveground diseases; crown and root disease; stalk rots; ear rots; and noninfectious diseases. Of special note is the chapter covering fijiviruses, maize streak, late wilt, and Asian downy mildews. Enhanced with a chapter covering the use of a hand lens, microscopic images, and creating a moist chamber, "A Farmer's Guide To Corn Diseases" also features a two page Glossary and an eight page Index. "A Farmer's Guide To Corn Diseases" will prove to be an invaluable and core addition to professional and academic library Agricultural Reference collections in general, and Corn instructional supplemental studies reading lists in particular.

A Farmer's Guide To Soybean Diseases
Daren Mueller, et al.
APS Press
3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121
http://www.apsnet.org
9780890544556, $29.95, 160pp, www.shopapspress.org

Soybeans are edible bean which have numerous uses for both human and animal consumption. The plant, classed as an oilseed rather than a pulse by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, produces significantly more protein per acre than most other uses of land. It is one of the most important cash crops in American agriculture. Profusely illustrated, informed and informative, "A Farmer's Guide To Soybean Diseases" begins with a chapter on how farmers can use the information in this manual to best advantage in understanding and dealing with soybean diseases and disorders. "A Farmer's Guide To Soybean Diseases" covers diagnostics of soybean problems, then rooting out and stemming soybean diseases. Also covered are noninfectious soybean disorders. Of special note is the chapter devoted to Diseases of Quarantine (Bacterila Tan Spot and Red Leaf Blotch). The concluding chapter covers using a hand lens, looking at microscopic images, and creating a moist chamber. Enhanced with the inclusion of a two page Glossary, six pages of Image Credit, and a thirteen page Index, "A Farmer's Guide To Soybean Diseases" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library Agricultural reference collections in general, and Soybean supplemental studies reading lists in particular.


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