MBR: Library Bookwatch, August 2024 (2024)

	BookReviews,Book Lover Resources, Advice for Writers and Publishers
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Volume 19, Number 8 August 2024 Home | LBW Index

Reviewer's Choice	Social Issues Shelf	Environmental Studies Shelf
AI Shelf	Education Shelf	Health/Medicine Shelf
Science Shelf	Psychology Shelf	Wildlife Shelf
Cookbook Shelf	Art Shelf	Photography Shelf
Railroading Shelf	American History Shelf	World History Shelf
Military History Shelf	Civil War Shelf	Biography/Memoir Shelf
General Fiction Shelf	Literary Fiction Shelf	Romantic Fiction Shelf
Western Fiction Shelf	Mystery/Suspense Shelf	Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Graphic Novel Shelf	Audiobook Shelf	Library CD Shelf
Library Blu-ray Shelf	Architecture Shelf	Sports Shelf
Aviation Shelf	Native American Studies Shelf	Criminology Shelf

Reviewer's Choice

Masses and Man
George L. Mosse
University of Wisconsin Press
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299347642, $28.95, PB, 382pp

https://www.amazon.com/Masses-Man-Nationalist-Perceptions-Collected/dp/0299347648

Synopsis: "Masses and Man: Nationalist and Fascist Perceptions of Reality" is comprised of fourteen essays that speak to the full breadth of George L. Mosse's intellectual horizons and scholarly legacy. "Masses and Man" explores radical nationalism, fascism, and Jewish modernity in twentieth-century Europe.

Breaking from the conventions of historical analysis, Mosse shows that "secular religions" like fascism cannot be understood only as the products of socioeconomic or intellectual histories but rather must be approached first and foremost as cultural phenomena.

"Masses and Man" is comprised of three parts. The first lays out a cultural history of nationalism, essentially the first of its kind, emphasizing the importance of sacred expressions like myths, symbols, and rituals as appropriated in a political context. The second zeroes in on fascism's most dramatic eruptions in European history in the rise of Italian Fascism and the Nazi Party in Germany, elucidating these as not just political movements but also cultural and even aesthetic ones. The third part considers nationalism and fascism from the particular standpoint of German Jews.

Taken in full, "Masses and Man" is an eloquent summation of Mosse's groundbreaking insights into European nationalism, fascism, and Jewish history in the twentieth century. A new critical introduction by Enzo Traverso helpfully situates Mosse's work in context and exposes the many ways in which "Masses and Man", first published in 1980, remains relevant today.

Critique: A part of the University of Wisconsin Press 'The Collected Works of George L. Mosse' series, and of special appeal to readers with an interest in European politics, nationalism, and German history, "Masses and Man: Nationalist and Fascist Perceptions of Reality" is enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of an informative Introduction (Nationalism and Human Perceptions), fifty pages of Notes, and an eleven page Index. "Masses and Man" is unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library collections.

Editorial Note: George L. Mosse (September 20, 1918 - January 22, 1999) was a legendary scholar, teacher, and mentor. A refugee from Nazi Germany, in 1955 he joined the Department of History at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, where he was both influential and popular. Mosse was an early leader in the study of modern European cultural and intellectual history, the study of fascism, and the history of sexuality and masculinity. Over his career he authored more than two dozen books. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Mosse)

The Journey
Greg Kaplan
Health Communications, Inc.
https://hcibooks.com
9780757325045, $16.95, PB, 208pp

https://www.amazon.com/Journey-Prepare-Competitive-Changing-World/dp/0757325041

Synopsis: Young people face an increasing medley of challenges as they pursue higher education -- rising tuition costs, daunting prospective student debt, and a talented and competitive applicant pool. After a decade of preparing students for the ever more difficult admissions process, college counselor Greg Kaplan wishes parents would stop thinking, "What should I do to get my kid into a good college?" and instead ask: "How can I best prepare my child for what comes next?"

Having practiced law and worked in investment banking early in his career before pivoting to working with students, parents, and educators, Kaplan knows what the world (and its population of college admissions officers) is looking for in today's youth and tomorrow's leaders: Grit. Leadership. Passion.

Emphasizing these fundamental tenets of successful adulthood, "The Journey" paints a realistic picture of the lack of preparedness among today's youth. Using stories of parents and students who have struggled and succeeded, Kaplan pushes students to consider: What do you want to get out of your college and work career? How can you jumpstart your journey into the real world? He asks parents: Are you preparing your children to attain a life of health, happiness, and financial independence?

Rooted in humorous stories sprinkled with bits of brutally honest advice, "The Journey" goes beyond the well-chronicled college admissions madness and cuts to the core of parental angst. This is the definitive guide in preparing children for a competitive and rapidly changing world.

Critique: Informative, comprehensive, exceptionally 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Journey: How to Prepare Kids for a Competitive and Changing World" by Greg Kaplan is an invaluable and inspiring read from start to finish. "The Journey" must be considered essential reading for the parents of children with college and/or university in mind. Candid and 'real world' practical, "The Journey" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, and community library Parenting/Education collections. It should be noted that this edition of "The Journey" from Health Communications is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) as well.

Editorial Note: Greg Kaplan (https://gregkaplan.me) is an internationally recognized college admissions strategist and speaker. Headquartered in Newport Beach, his firm, the Kaplan Educational Group (www.kaplaneducationalgroup.com), helps hundreds of high school seniors and over 1,000 underclassmen reach their educational and career potential each year. Greg draws on his experience as an investment banker and lawyer to tie one's education to their long-term goals. Beyond earning admission, Greg and the Kaplan Educational Group Team are committed to helping all of their students become healthy, happy, and financially independent adults.

The Social Issues Shelf

Forgetting and Forgotten
W. Lee Hansen
Little Creek Press
https://littlecreekpress.com
9781955656559, $17.95, PB, 200pp

https://www.amazon.com/Forgetting-Forgotten-Dementia-Right-Die/dp/195565655X

Synopsis: Author W. Lee Hansen's wife Sally suffered and died after a decade-long struggle with dementia. With the publication of "Forgetting and Forgotten: Dementia and the Right to Die" by Little Creek Press her experiences retold here, along with his own as her caregiver.

The purpose of "Forgetting and Forgotten" is to help people making a similar end-of-life journey. To assist them, Hansen propose and discuss a humane way to deal with dementia at the end of life, one that Sally believed in and would have enthusiastically endorsed for herself: the Right to Die.

Because Sally could not exercise her right to die, he had to endure her traumatic final years in memory care as she struggled with her steadily worsening affliction, forgetting who she was and what gave meaning to her life, with the result that both she and he were relegated to the ranks of the forgotten.

"Forgetting and Forgotten" includes a "Tool Box" of resources to assist individuals who are seeking help and support in their caretaking endeavors. "Forgetting and Forgotten will stimulate readers to think differently about how we die and how we should be allowed to die.

Critique: Unique, poignant, candid, memorable, and of particular interest to readers with concerns about quality of life, terminal illness, and the right to die according to one's own wishes, "Forgetting and Forgotten: Dementia and the Right to Die" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Public Health Laws collections and supplemental Right to Die curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that W. Lee Hansen's "Forgetting and Forgotten: Dementia and the Right to Die" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: W. Lee Hansen (https://www.wleehansen.com), University of Wisconsin Madison professor emeritus, economics, earned undergraduate and master's degrees at UW-Madison (1950, 1955), and a Ph.D. in political economy from Johns Hopkins University (1958). He taught at UCLA, held a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Chicago, was a senior staff economist for the President's Council of Economic Advisers, and had visiting appointments at the London School of Economics, the University of Sydney, the University of Western Australia, and Maastricht University. He became professor emeritus in 1998.

The Environmental Studies Shelf

Water Management: Prioritizing Justice and Sustainability
Shimon C. Anisfeld
Island Press
www.islandpress.org
9781642830057, $50.00, PB, 440pp

https://www.amazon.com/Water-Management-Prioritizing-Justice-Sustainability/dp/1642830054

Synopsis: Flooding in California. Drought and famine in the Horn of Africa. Massive fish kills in Texas and Australia. "Forever chemicals" in US drinking water. Similar headlines are sure to dominate the news in the years ahead. What is sometimes missing from the headlines, though, is an understanding that these diverse problems are related: manifestations of serious underlying stresses on our water systems. These stresses require sustained attention from water managers, scientists, policymakers, and the public, even after the headlines have faded. That attention, in turn, requires a shared understanding of how water systems function, the problems facing them, and the tools available to increase their resilience.

With the publication of "Water Management: Prioritizing Justice and Sustainability", Dr. Shimon C. Anisfeld fills that need by providing the necessary knowledge base for understanding and managing complex water problems. It is geared primarily towards students in water management courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels but will also be a helpful resource for practicing water professionals who want to get new ideas or a broader view of the subject.

Rather than focusing on one type of water problem (as many water books do), "Water Management: Prioritizing Justice and Sustainability" explores the entire gamut of water issues, from dams to desalination, from flooding to famine, from prior appropriation to pumped storage, from sanitation to stormwater. And rather than teaching from one disciplinary perspective (as many water books do), it looks at water problems through a variety of lenses: hydrology, climate science, ecology, and engineering, but also law, economics, history, and environmental justice. The result is a concise yet comprehensive introduction to one of the most critical and demanding challenges of our time: developing just and sustainable solutions to water management.

Critique: This large format (8.5 x 1.2 x 11 inches, 2.45 pounds) paperback edition of Shimon Anisfeld's "Water Management: Prioritizing Justice and Sustainability" from Island Press is informatively enhanced for the reader's beneft with the added inclusion of a four page listing of Abbreviations, an eighteen page Glossary, twenty-four page listing of References, and a nine page Index. A seminal and comprehensive study, "Water Management: Prioritizing Justice and Sustainability" is exceptionally well organized and presented, making it an ideal curriculum textbook and an unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Natural Resources/Environmentalism collections and supplemental Environmental Science curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Water Management: Prioritizing Justice and Sustainability" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $47.500.

Editorial Note: Shimon C. Anisfeld is Senior Lecturer II and Research Scientist at the Yale School of the Environment, where he teaches courses in water management, coastal ecology, organic pollutants, and physical science for environmental managers. His research and writing interests include both freshwater and coastal issues, which he sees as central to the challenges facing the world in the coming decades. (https://cbey.yale.edu/our-community/shimon-anisfeld)

The AI Shelf

Staying Human In an Era of Artificial Intelligence
Joseph Vukov
Magenta
c/o New City Press
www.newcitypress.com
9781565485990, $19.95, PB, 154pp

https://www.amazon.com/Staying-Human-Era-Artificial-Intelligence/dp/1565485998

Synopsis: In the words of Professor Joseph Vukov:

"AI poses a real and present danger. It contains the capacity to amplify social problems, drive a wedge further into our already-polarized society, and sow seeds of distrust in communities and personal relationships. When approached without a robust sense of human dignity, AI also threatens to undermine our self-understanding. To a degree beyond any previous technology, AI can make us forget ourselves. In this new era of AI, we must consciously make a choice: to stay human. In this book (Staying Human In an Era of Artificial Intelligence) I provide a map and the tools for doing just that."

Critique: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now a highly controversial subject in terms of how we should view its impact upon human activities. These diverse views range from AI as the basis for Utopia to it being the cause of human extinction. "Staying Human In an Era of Artificial Intelligence" by Professor Joseph Vukov is an inherently fascinating and thought-provoking read from cover to cover -- and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library AI collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Staying Human In an Era of Artificial Intelligence" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).

Editorial Note: Joseph Vukov (www.josephvukov.com) is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Loyola University Chicago. He is the author of Navigating Faith and Science (2022) and numerous academic articles on topics ranging from the ethics of neuroscience to the philosophy of mind.

The Education Shelf

Making Every PE Lesson Count
James Crane, author
Shaun Allison & Andy Tharby, editors
Crown House Publishing
www.crownhousepublishing.com
9781785837197, $19.95, PB, 160pp

https://www.amazon.com/Making-Every-Lesson-Count-Principles/dp/1785837192

Synopsis Written by James Crane (and co-edited by Shaun Allison and Andy Tharby), "Making Every PE Lesson Count: Six principles to support great physical education teaching" provides realistic and practical strategies that will help physical education teachers make abstract ideas more concrete and meaningful in all PE lessons, both practical and theoretical.

One of the main aims of any PE teacher is to ensure that all students leave school with a lifelong love of physical activity and the enthusiasm to continue participating in sports. The physical, mental and social health benefits are undeniable. The place PE holds in the curriculum is therefore fundamental to society in that it acts as a vehicle to promote resilience, determination and perseverance.

Writing in the engaging style of the award-winning the Making Every Lesson Count series from Crown House Publishing, author/PE instructor James Crane articulates the fundamentals of great PE teaching and shares evidence-informed strategies designed to challenge students across all aspects of the subject. In an age of educational quick fixes and ever-moving goalposts, "Making Every PE Lesson Count" is precise and timely book that returns to the fundamental questions that all PE teachers must consider: 'What can I do to help my students thrive in the wide world of physical education?'

"Making Every PE Lesson Count" is underpinned by six pedagogical principles -- challenge, explanation, modeling, practice, feedback and questioning. Good PE teaching is littered with all these principles, not as a checklist or plan as such, but to ensure that teaching is well structured and thought out.

"Making Every PE Lesson Count" brings research around effective teaching and learning to life through the lens of a physical education teacher. It will enable all PE teachers to implement the six pedagogical principles in their own settings and provides them with accessible and transferrable ideas that they can use to make every PE lesson count.

Finally, "Making Every PE Lesson Count" focuses on all aspects of PE in secondary schools with reference to real-life examples and experiences from a huge range of sports and physical activities and classroom theory. James links his findings back to the subject throughout and offers reflective questions for teachers to sharpen their practice.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Making Every PE Lesson Count: Six Principles to Support Great Physical Education Teaching" although primarily focusing on the secondary school student, is essential and beneficial reading for all aspiring and practicing K-12, college and university Physical Education instructors -- and any non-specialist general reader called upon to coach a sports event involving children outside of a school environment. Highly recommended for personal, professional, school district, community, and college/university library Physical Education collections, it should be noted that "Making Ever PE Lesson Count" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.95).

Editorial Note #1: James Crane went to school in Cyprus before moving back to the UK to study Sports Coaching and Physical Education at University. He is now Assistant Headteacher at Durrington High School and Deputy Director at Durrington Research School. James is a keen sportsman having competed in tennis, swimming and athletics at regional levels, and has also represented England Colleges at an international level in football.

Editorial Note #2: Shaun Allison leads on CPD in his school and is interested in supporting teachers to grow and develop their classroom practice. He is the author of the widely acclaimed Perfect Teacher-Led CPD and a popular speaker. Shaun's background is in science teaching and he is currently deputy head teacher at Durrington High School. Andy Tharby, a practicing English teacher, is a research lead with an interest in helping ordinary classroom teachers enhance their practice through engagement with a wider evidence base. His well-regarded blog, Reflecting English, covers a range of subjects from improving student writing to finding solutions to the problems and dilemmas faced by busy teachers.

Editorial Note #3: Andy Tharby is a practicing English teacher with over a decade's classroom experience at a secondary school in West Sussex. He is co-author of the award winning Making Every Lesson Count and the author of Making Every English Lesson Count. Andy is also interested in helping fellow teachers enhance their practice through engagement with research evidence.

The Health/Medicine Shelf

Head and Neck Cancer
Elizabeth C. Ward & Corina J. van As-Brooks
Plural Publishing
www.pluralpublishing.com
9781635506907, $149.95, HC, 648pp

https://www.amazon.com/Head-Neck-Cancer-Treatment-Rehabilitation/dp/1635506905

Synopsis: The past decade has seen the continued advancement of head and neck cancer care. This newly updated and expanded third edition of "Head and Neck Cancer: Treatment, Rehabilitation, and Outcomes", continues in the tradition of the prior editions, providing the reader with the most up-to-date evidence relating to head and neck cancer, its management, and its rehabilitation from a multidisciplinary perspective.

As in the prior editions, the content is enriched by the contributions of a large team of internationally recognized experts from both the medical and allied health communities. Beginning with an update of what is known about cancer of the head and neck, the reader is then introduced to the multidisciplinary team and the importance of the multidisciplinary approach in head and neck cancer management. Chapters then cover nonsurgical and surgical management, and the communication and swallowing management of cancers of the oral/oropharynx and larynx/hypopharynx.

Other chapters guide the reader through current best practice management of lymphedema, tracheostomy, nutrition, neuromuscular disorders, as well as psychological supports and survivorship. A further six chapters are dedicated specifically to supporting the laryngectomy patient population and their complex rehabilitation needs. The final chapter presents the ever-expanding world of technology and its use in the management and delivery of head and neck cancer care.

Together these chapters provide the core theoretical and clinical knowledge for healthcare professionals managing patients with head and neck cancer. The content has also been presented at a level suitable for both undergraduate and graduate students.

New to this third edition of "Head and Neck Cancer": All chapters have been revised and updated with relevant research and clinical insights to reflect the current state of practice; New chapters have been created to cover in more depth specific content relating to neuromuscular management, lymphedema management, and psychological supports; New collaborators have joined the author groups bringing new insights and learnings; All chapters are illuminated with clinical images, illustrations, and/or case studies; Accompanying video examples and supplementary resources to illustrate key clinical presentations are on the companion website.

Critique: With its companion website, this large format (11 x 8.5 x 2 inches, 4.5 pounds) hardcover third edition of "Head and Neck Cancer: Treatment, Rehabilitation, and Outcomes" is an ideal textbook and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, medical school, and college/university library Cancer Research/Treatment collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note #1: Elizabeth C. Ward is a speech pathologist. She is also the Director of the Centre for Functioning and Health Research, Metro South Hospital and Health Service, Queensland Health, and a conjoint Professor with the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. (https://www.pluralpublishing.com/author/elizabeth-c-ward)

Editorial Note #2: Corina J. van As-Brooks is a speech-language pathologist. Her professional career started at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and has evolved around research and rehabilitation in head and neck cancer patients for more than 25 years. She specializes in voice, pulmonary, swallowing, and olfactory rehabilitation after total laryngectomy and is dedicated to improving the quality of life of laryngectomized patients and their families through contributing to product innovation, access to devices, scientific research, and clinical education. She is currently a consultant for Atos Medical in medical education, clinical research, clinical evaluations, regulatory affairs, innovation, and clinical expertise.

The Science Shelf

The Handy Quantum Physics Answer Book
Charles Liu
Visible Ink Press
www.visibleinkpress.com
9781578598373, $69.95, HC, 480pp

https://www.amazon.com/Handy-Quantum-Physics-Answer-Book/dp/1578598370

Synopsis: Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory in physics that describes the behavior of nature at and below the scale of atoms. It is the foundation of all quantum physics, which includes quantum chemistry, quantum field theory, quantum technology, and quantum information science. (Wikipedia)

Quantum physics is all around us. It's in electrical lights, lasers, and the color of the sky. Without it, the sun wouldn't shine. It even explains how human eyes work. With its role in photosynthesis, it literally supports life. Yet, it had Schrödinger wondering whether his cat was alive or dead. It tells us that something can be both a wave and a particle and that two linked particles can communicate across the universe instantaneously! And it might even explain how the multiverse is real. Quantum physics is the key to understanding our complex world, yet even our most brilliant minds haven't figured it all out yet.

Engaging and approachable for students and the non-specialist general readers, "The Handy Quantum Physics Answer Book" by astrophysicist Charles Liu helps untangle this complex subject, making quantum physics and its impact on us, the world, and the universe entertaining and easy to grasp.

From the basics to the theories and from the practical applications to the future, this illuminating volume answers more than 800 fascinating questions so you can easily understand quantum physics, including:

Did the Big Bang arise from quantum foam?
When did philosophers first consider the existence of atoms?
What is the largest nuclear weapon ever detonated?
What are quarks?
What is quantum teleportation?
What is the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle?
What is the quantum principle used in MRI machines?
Does entangled time mean the present can affect the past?
Why did Albert Einstein say, "God does not play dice with the universe"?
How is a black hole a quantum object?
How does quantum physics appear in portrayals of space?
Do we live in a multiverse?
What is artificial intelligence?
Are human brains actually quantum computers?
How does quantum physics affect me?

"The Handy Quantum Physics Answer Book" provides a bridge between scientific concepts and everyday understanding, allowing you to grasp the wonders and implications of quantum physics. This compelling resource is for the casually curious as well as those seeking a deeper understanding of one of the most captivating scientific fields of our time. With 135 photos and graphics, this tome is richly illustrated. Its glossary of commonly used terms cuts through the jargon, a helpful bibliography provides sources for further exploration, and an extensive index adds to its usefulness.

Critique: Simply stated, "The Handy Quantum Physics Answer Book" by Dr. Charles Liu should be a part of every highschool, community, and college/university library Science/Physics collection and supplemental Quantum Physics curriculum studies lists. It should also be noted for personal reading lists that this edition of "The Handy Quantum Physics Answer Book" from Visible Ink Press is readily available in paperback (9781578598052, $29.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note: Charles Liu (https://cliuus.wordpress.com) is a professor of astrophysics at the City University of New York's College of Staten Island, an associate with the Hayden Planetarium and Department of Astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History, and host of the podcast The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles Liu. He earned degrees in astronomy, astrophysics, and physics from Harvard and the University of Arizona, and he held postdoctoral positions at Kitt Peak National Observatory and at Columbia University. His research focuses on colliding galaxies, starburst galaxies, quasars, and the star formation history of the universe. In addition to his research publications, Liu also writes for students and general audiences, including Visible Ink Press' popular The Handy Physics Answer Book and The Handy Astronomy Answer Book; StarTalk with Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Jeffery Lee Simons; and The Cosmos Explained. Among his many professional honors, Charles has been awarded the American Astronomical Society Education Prize and the American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award. He currently serves as president of the Astronomical Society of New York and is a Fellow of the American Astronomical Society.

The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs, third edition
Gregory S. Paul
Princeton University Press
https://press.princeton.edu
9780691231570, $39.95, HC, 384pp

https://www.amazon.com/Princeton-Field-Guide-Dinosaurs-Guides/dp/0691231575

Synopsis: Now in a fully updated and expanded third edition, the "Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs" remains the essential reference for anyone who is fascinated with dinosaurs, from amateur enthusiasts to professional paleontologists. Now extensively revised and expanded, this dazzlingly illustrated large-format edition features nearly 100 new dinosaur species and hundreds of new and updated illustrations, bringing readers up to the minute on the latest discoveries and research that are radically transforming what we know about dinosaurs and their world.

Written and illustrated by acclaimed dinosaur expert Gregory Paul, "The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs" continues to be a simply stunningly beautiful volume that includes detailed species accounts of all the major dinosaur groups as well as a wealth of breathtaking images including skeletal drawings, "life" studies, scenic views, and other illustrations that depict the full range of dinosaurs, from small feathered creatures to whale-sized supersauropods.

Gregory Paul's extensive introduction delves into dinosaur history and biology, the extinction of nonavian dinosaurs, the origin of birds, and the history of dinosaur paleontology, and also gives a taste of what it might be like to travel back in time to the era when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

This new third edition of "The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs": Covers more than 800 dinosaur species, including scores of newly discovered ones; Provides startling perspectives on the famed Brontosaurus and Tyrannosaurus; Reveals that the largest dinosaurs weighed as much as the biggest whales, and shows why that happened; Features hundreds of color and black-and-white drawings and figures, including life studies, scenic views, and skull and muscle drawings; Includes color paleo-distribution maps and a color time line; Describes anatomy, physiology, locomotion, reproduction, and growth of dinosaurs --- as well as the origin of birds and the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs

Critique: This large format (9 x 1.2 x 11.1 inches, 3.95 pounds) hardcover edition of Gregary S. Paul's "The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs: 3rd Edition" from the Princeton University Press is an essential, core, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Dinosaur Biology & Fossil Studies collections and supplemental Palenotology curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Gregory S. Paul (www.gspauldino.com) is a leading dinosaur illustrator and researcher who helped establish the "new look" of the Mesozoic creatures seen in contemporary documentaries and movies, including Jurassic Park, for which he served as a consultant. His books include Predatory Dinosaurs of the World: A Complete Illustrated Guide. His work has appeared in Scientific American, Nature, the New York Times, and many other publications.

The Psychology Shelf

Our New World of Adult Bullies
Bill Eddy
Health Communications, Inc.
https://hcibooks.com
9780757325106, $16.95, PB, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Our-New-World-Adult-Bullies/dp/0757325106

Synopsis: Bullies exist everywhere including: families, workplaces, neighborhoods and communities, politics and government, and organizations of all types and sizes. And in a social media landscape where conflict, crisis, chaos, and fear reign supreme, every day we see the worst behavior of celebrities, politicians, and other public figures who serve as role models.

Winners and losers. Friends and enemies. Heroes and villains. People with high-conflict personalities think almost solely in these extremes. They regularly express unmanaged emotions, routinely blame others, and do harmful things that 90% of people would never do. Bullies share these characteristics, plus a drive to dominate or destroy their victims.

But all bullies act in the same highly predictable patterns, regardless of their demographics and situation. By focusing on the ten hidden powers bullies employ (from their unrestrained nature and bully story to manipulating emotions and playing the victim), with the publication of "Our New World of Adult Bullies: How to Spot Them - How to Stop Them", attorney, therapist, and mediator Bill Eddy unpacks the way bullies rely on primitive emotions and nonverbal behavior. He helps readers spot these behaviors and offers practical actions before they become immobilized by helplessness, blame, and shame.

In today's world, we will all have an adult bully in our lives sooner or later. For anyone who has a bully in their life now, for professionals who counsel victims of bullying, and for anyone who is concerned about the fraying of our culture and society, "Our New World of Adult Bullies" gives effective strategies to prevent bullies from taking over.

Eddy's six-step approach includes useful advice on how to:

Recognize the patterns of bully behavior
Pull the plug on the bully's story
Set limits with credible threats
Impose serious consequences
Communicate effectively about bullies to others
Stand strong with others against bullies

Critique: A universal problem intensified and exacerbated by the advent of social media, "Our New World of Adult Bullies: How to Spot Them - How to Stop Them" must be considered essential reading for readers with an interest in the dangerous behavior of bullies with the intent of learning tools and techniques for avoiding, preventing, stopping, and recovering from bullying behavior in others. While especially and unreservedly recommend for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Popular Psychology and Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections, and supplemental Personality Disorder curriculum studies lists, it should be noted that "Our New World of Adult Bullies" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99) as well.

Editorial Note Bill Eddy (https://highconflictinstitute.com/our-team) is an attorney, therapist, mediator, and the Chief Innovation Officer of the High Conflict Institute based in San Diego, California. He develops methods to help resolve high conflict family, workplace, and legal disputes, including EAR Statements(TM), BIFF Response(R) emails, New Ways for Families(R) skills training methods for potentially high conflict parents in divorce and New Ways for Work(TM) coaching for potentially high conflict employees. He has trained lawyers, judges, mediators, and therapists in 38 states and 13 countries in managing high conflict personalities. He is the author of over 20 books and manuals for managing high conflict disputes. As a mediator, he was the Senior Family Mediator at the National Conflict Resolution Center based in San Diego for 15 years. Previously, as a lawyer, he was a Certified Family Law Specialist in California for 15 years representing clients in family court. Prior to that, he provided psychotherapy for 12 years to children, adults, couples and families in psychiatric hospitals and outpatient clinics as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. His Psychology Today blog has received over 6 million views.

The Wildlife Shelf

Feather Trails
Sophie A. H. Osborn
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
www.chelseagreen.com
9781645022428, $32.50, HC, 384pp

https://www.amazon.com/Feather-Trails-Journey-Discovery-Endangered/dp/1645022420

Synopsis: With the publication of "Feather Trails: A Journey of Discovery Among Endangered Birds" by the Chelsea Green Publishing Company, wildlife biologist and birder Sophie A. H. Osborn reveals how the harmful environmental choices we've made (including pesticide use, the introduction of invasive species, lead poisoning, and habitat destruction) have decimated Peregrine Falcons, Hawaiian Crows, and California Condors.

In the Rocky Mountains, the cloud forests of Hawai'i, and the Grand Canyon, Sophie and her colleagues work day-to-day to try to reintroduce these birds to the wild, even when it seems that the odds are steeply stacked against their survival.

With humor and suspense, "Feather Trails" introduces us to the fascinating behaviors and unique personalities of Sophie's avian charges and shows that what endangers them ultimately threatens all life on our planet.

More than a deeply researched environmental investigation, "Feather Trails" is also a personal journey and human story, in which Sophie overcomes her own obstacles -- among them heat exhaustion, poachers, rattlesnakes, and chauvinism.

Ultimately, "Feather Trails" is an inspiring, poignant narrative about endangered birds and how our choices can help to ensure a future not only for the rarest species, but for us too.

Critique: "Feather Trails: A Journey of Discovery Among Endangered Birds" is the story of one woman's remarkable work with a trio of charismatic, endangered bird species -- and her discoveries about the devastating threats that imperil them. On a par with "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carlson, this hardcover edition of "Feather Trails: A Journey of Discovery Among Endangered Birds" by Sophie A. H. Osborn is a fundamental and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Ornithology & Environmentalism collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and avian wildlife protection activists that "Feather Trails: A Journey of Discovery Among Endangered Birds" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.26) as well.

Editorial Note: Sophie A. H. Osborn (www.wordsforbirds.net/about) is an award-winning environmental author and wildlife biologist whose work has included the study and conservation of more than a dozen bird species in the Americas and small mammal research in the backcountry of Grand Canyon National Park. She has contributed to reintroduction efforts for several endangered birds and served as the field manager for the California Condor Recovery Program in Arizona for nearly four years. Her books include Condors in Canyon Country, which won the 2007 National Outdoor Book Award for Nature and the Environment. Her writings have been published in BirdWatching, Wyoming Wildlife, and Sojourns magazines.

Field Guide to Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras of the East Coast of North America
David A. Ebert & Marc Dando
Princeton University Press
https://press.princeton.edu
9780691206387, $35.95, HC, 432pp

https://www.amazon.com/Field-Sharks-Chimaeras-America-Nature/dp/0691206384

Synopsis: The waters off the East Coast of North America are home to an amazing variety of sharks, rays and chimaeras. This groundbreaking, comprehensive and easy-to-use field guide covers all 173 species found along the eastern seaboard of the United States and Canada, including Bermuda and the Bahamas, and extending into the Gulf of Mexico to the Yucatan Peninsula. These are all the species that are encountered in the shallow waters of estuaries and coasts and in the open ocean, including rarely seen deepsea species.

Lavishly illustrated throughout, "Field Guide to Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras of the East Coast of North America" is an essential and informative guide that includes detailed species accounts describing key identification features, habitat, biology and status. It also features illustrated key guides that enable users to accurately identify species, comparison plates of similar species, dentition plates and illustrations of egg cases, where known. This is also an essential guide for fisheries management, trade regulation and shark conservation.

"Field Guide to Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras of the East Coast of North America" covers all 173 species; features hundreds of color illustrations and photos; describes key features, habitat, biology and status; includes depth guides, at-a-glance icons and distribution maps, and offers illustrated key guides, species comparisons and dentition plates.

Critique: Simply stated, "Field Guide to Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras of the East Coast of North America" co-authored by David A. Ebert and Marc Dando, and published in a flexibound edition by the Princeton University Press is the definitive field guide to all the sharks, rays and chimaeras of eastern North America. Impressively well organized and throughly 'user friendly' in presentation, "Field Guide to Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras of the East Coast of North America" is an essential, core, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Marine Wildlife/Biology reference collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Field Guide to Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras of the East Coast of North America" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $31.16).

Editorial Note #1: David A. Ebert has devoted his life to studying the ocean's most elusive and fascinating predator - the shark. His adventurous global search for "lost sharks" has taken him to over 35 countries and has resulted in the discovery of more than 50 new shark species. He is the author of over 30 books, including the bestselling Sharks of the World (Princeton). A popular television guest, Ebert has appeared on the BBC, National Geographic and the Discovery Channel. He is director of the Pacific Shark Research Center, scientific advisor to the United Nations, a member of the Executive Committee of the IUCN Shark Specialist Group and honorary research associate at the California Academy of Sciences and the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity. He is also a former president of the American Elasmobranch Society.

Editorial #2: Marc Dando is a scientific illustrator with an honors degree in zoology. Combining his love for art and the natural world, especially sharks, Dando has emerged as one of the world's leading shark illustrators. His work has been used worldwide in aquaria, displays and many books, ranging from children's literature to field guides, including Marine World, Guide to the Manta and Devil Rays of the World (Princeton) and Sharks of the World (Princeton). Dando also teaches at scientific illustration workshops, where he loves to encourage people of all ages and abilities. When time allows, he works on more artistic pieces inspired by nature. This work has been exhibited at the Musee Oceanographique de Monaco, the Mall Galleries in London and the NSU Art Museum in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, among other venues. Dando is a patron of The Shark Trust.

The Cookbook Shelf

The Cherished Table
Lovina Eicher
Herald Press
www.heraldpress.com
9781513813394, $24.99, PB, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Cherished-Table-Recipes-Stories-Kitchen/dp/1513813390

Synopsis: With the publication of "The Cherished Table: Recipes and Stories from an Amish Kitchen" from the Herald Press, cookbook author and food columnist Lovina Eicher shares well-loved recipes and heartwarming stories about life with her growing Amish family and community. With "The Cherished Table" family cooks can learn more about Amish traditions and treasured dishes for gatherings large and small, including canning and butchering days, birthdays and weddings, and funerals and family reunions. More than one hundred delectable recipes invite family cooks to share a meal (and create new memories) with their own loved ones.

"The Cherished Table" features beautiful photographs of comforting, wholesome dishes and life in an Amish home. Fans of Eicher's earlier cookbooks will find new recipes in chapters devoted to breads and other baked goods, garden produce, farm-raised meats, carry-in dishes, snacks, desserts, and more.

Throughout the chapters comprising "The Cherished Table", Eicher weaves in stories about the seasons of family life. Join her as she plans simple menus for busy workdays, prepares a meal for parents with a new baby, and tallies lessons from earlier family weddings as she anticipates another round of marriage celebrations. While you may not be cooking for five hundred dinner guests, in the pages of "The Cherished Table" will be found a wealth of information and inspiration to share as you gather with family and friends around the family dining table in the style of an Old Order Amish family

Critique: Impressively authentic, exceptionally well organized, thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in presentation, a delight to browse through, and inspiring to plan menus with, "The Cherished Table: Recipes and Stories from an Amish Kitchen" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, family and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "The Cherished Table" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note: Lovina Eicher (https://lovinasamishkitchen.com) is the author of the syndicated column, Lovina's Amish Kitchen, which appears in 40 newspapers around the United States and on a weekly blog. She is also the author of several cookbooks.

Mediterra
Ben Tish
chefbentish.co.uk
Bloomsbury Press
www.bloomsbury.com
9781526661135, $35.00, HC, 304pp

https://www.amazon.com/Mediterra-Recipes-Islans-Shores-Mediterranean/dp/1526661136

Synopsis: Across the Mediterranean, one delicious cuisine gives way to the next. From Spain and Italy, through Greece and Turkey and down to North Africa, the region is rich with deeply delicious food.

With the publication of "Mediterra: Recipes from the Islands and Shores of the Mediterranean" renowned chef and cookbook author Ben Tish gives the culinary tour of a lifetime. With seven-spice falafel from Lebanon, pork belly gyros from Greece, classic tiramisu from Italy, and grilled smoky sardines from Crete, the full flavors of the region are on glorious display for recipes that work across diets and seasons.

But while each country has its own unique dishes and distinct cultures, there is a distinct Mediterranean signature that brings them all together: hot summers, dry winters, coastal briny winds, alfresco eating, street markets, sacrosanct meal times, and bringing the best out of as many local seasonal ingredients as possible.

In this mouthwatering collection, Ben Tish creates outstanding simple, modern recipes whose flavors transport you across the Mediterranean sea with minimal effort in the kitchen, delivering the flavors, sights, and smells right to your own table.

Critique: Replete with full page, full color photographs of finished dishes, "Mediterra: Recipes from the Islands and Shores of the Mediterranean" by chef Ben Tish is one of those fabulous cookbooks that is a fun to simply browse through as it is inspiring to plan memorable menus with. Exceptionallh well organized and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in presentation, "Mediterra: Recipes from the Islands and Shores of the Mediterranean" is unreservedly recommended as a particularly prized pick for personal, family, professional, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Mediterra: Recipes from the Islands and Shores of the Mediterranean" is also readily available from Bloomsbury Press in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.46).

Editorial Note: Ben Tish (www.chefbentish.com) is the Chef Director of Cubitt House, where he oversees the food offerings across a number of pubs and eateries in London. With a love of Mediterranean food and history, Ben is passionate about recreating the flavors and dishes of his travels in his own home and restaurants. Ben regularly appears on Saturday Kitchen, Sunday Brunch, and Masterchef, and writes for Delicious, Guardian, Telegraph, Times, Noble Rot and Chef Magazine, among others. He has published four books including Moorish and Sicilia hew can be followed @ben_tish

The Oldest Kitchen in the World
Matay de Mayee
Tra Publishing
https://trapublishing.com
9781962098083, $35.00, HC, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/Oldest-Kitchen-World-Generations-Cookbook/dp/1962098087

Synopsis: From the world's oldest recorded cuneiform recipes, some 4,000 years ago, there is a straight line to the kitchen of Smuni Turan. Her recipes have been collected by her son and comprise "The Oldest Kitchen in the World: 4,000 Years of Middle Eastern Cooking Passed Down through Generations" from Tra Publishing..

Richly and beautifully illustrated throughout with full color photography, "The Oldest Kitchen in the World" Matay de Mayee describes both the oldest cuisine in the world and the culture of the Assyrians. Now scattered all over the world, they all still speak dialects of Aramaic, and more importantly: they still cook the dishes that all Middle Eastern kitchens are indebted to.

Critique: This large format (10.04 x 0.79 x 7.68 inches, 2.31 pounds) hardcover edition of "The Oldest Kitchen in the World: 4,000 Years of Middle Eastern Cooking Passed Down through Generations" is a culinary delight to simple browse through and an ideal resource for kitchen cooks wanting to create truly memorable menus with for both formal and informal dining occasions. Blending historical information with clear step-by-step recipe preparations instructions, "The Oldest Kitchen in the World" will prove a prized addition to personal, family, professional, and community library Middle Eastern Cooking, Food & Wine collections.

Editorial Note: Matay de Mayee was born in Hengelo as the child of one of the first Suryoye (also called Assyrians or Arameans) established in the Netherlands. In 2020, he opened De Stijlkamer Amsterdam, a high-end B&B in a historic canal house, which he also uses for culinary events or as a photo and film location. With the publication of "The Oldest Kitchen in the World" from Tra Publishing he makes his debut as a cookbook author.

Japanese Homestyle Cooking: Quick and Delicious Favorites
Susie Donald, author
Masano Kawana & Adrian Lander, photographers
Tuttle Publishing
www.tuttlepublishing.com
9780804857994, $16.99, Spiral Bound, 96pp

https://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Homestyle-Cooking-Delicious-Favorites/dp/0804857997

Synopsis: Few home cooks prepare the dishes typically served in restaurants and nowhere is that truer than in Japan. Fortunately, with the publication of "Japanese Homestyle Cooking: Quick and Delicious Favorites", Susie Donald introduces Western taste buds to the flavorful, delicious, and easy-to-prepare foods that Japanese home cooks make every day for family and friends.

Readers will delight in this easy-to-follow Japanese cookbook's step-by-step recipes (including how to use a rice cooker) and their families will love trying tasty new dishes such as sukiyaki, shabu-shabu, and teppanyaki. Many home style Japanese dishes are meat-free and instead feature seafood or tofu along with a wide variety of vegetables, making them perfect for vegetarians.

The Art Shelf

The Complete Guide to Manga Composition
Shinji Matsuoka
Tuttle
https://www.tuttlepublishing.com
9784805318010 $18.99 pbk / $18.04 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Manga-Composition-Illustrations/dp/4805318015

Synopsis: In this beautifully illustrated book and complete coursebook, award-winning illustrator Shinji Matsuoka presents 80 striking case studies from leading Japanese manga artists. He explains in detail how these artists use the time-honored principles of composition, framing, cropping, color use, perspective and character posing!

In hundreds of detailed notes and tips, Matsuoka also teaches you how to use color, shapes, framing, shadows and focal points to communicate your stories in a clear and engaging way.

The illustrated case studies in this book show you how to:

Ground your illustrations by using time-tested compositional principles as you position elements on the canvas
Make the main character stand out through the use of framing to direct the viewer's gaze
Create a sense of dynamism by using the lines formed by elements on the page to form a flowing path around the canvas
Depict scenes from unexpected angles like low angle, telephoto and bird's-eye views to make a dramatic impression

And much more!

Critique: The Complete Guide to Manga Composition: Learn the Art of Perspective and Dynamic Storytelling is an advanced guide ideal for artists who already understand the basics of drawing. The focus is on teaching aspiring illustrators and comic creators about perspective, composition, framing, cropping, color use, and character posting to bring their vision to life, whether in a simple character image, a complex work of art, or a panoramic graphic novel. Although The Complete Guide to Manga Composition uses colorful examples of characters drawn in the style of manga (Japanese comics), the lessons have universal principles applicable to any art style. Author Shinji Matsuoka, an award-winning illustrator and art school teacher, explains complex concepts in thoroughly accessible terms with a wealth of appealing illustrations. The Complete Guide to Manga Composition is highly recommended for artists and comic creators seeking to improve their visual storytelling and compositional skills. Even lay readers who enjoy manga but don't seek to create it will find their appreciation expanded as they page through this beautifully illustrated guide. It should be noted for personal reading lists that The Complete Guide to Manga Composition is also available in a Kindle edition ($18.04).

Cats in Art: From Prehistoric to Neo-Pop Masterpieces
Alix Pare
Tra Publishing
https://trapublishing.com
9781962098052, $24.00, HC, 108pp

https://www.amazon.com/Cats-Art-Prehistoric-Neo-Pop-Masterpieces/dp/1962098052

Synopsis: Did you know that, until the Middle Ages, people were wary of cats -- their being half-domestic, half-wild animals? That cats evoked laziness, cruelty, greed, and even lust? And that "having a cat's nose" was a serious physical defect at the time?

The cat traverses the history of civilizations and the history of art. Its symbolism fluctuates: revered in ancient Egypt, assimilated to Satan in medieval religious painting, companion to the free and independent artist in the 19th century.

Throughout the pages of "Cats in Art: From Prehistoric to Neo-Pop Masterpieces", Alix Pare explore the feline as represented in the works of Lorenzo Lotto, Leonardo da Vinci, Francisco de Goya, Auguste Renoir, Pierre Bonnard, Fernand Leger, Balthus, Andy Warhol, and more.

This edition of "Cats in Art" includes: A precise selection of essential and unexpected works; Clear visual cues: timelines, maps, graphs; A variety of sidebars: anecdotes, background information, influences.

Critique: Fascinating, informative, compelling, memorable, "Cats in Art: From Prehistoric to Neo-Pop Masterpieces" is a seminal and unique study that will prove to be of immense interest to anyone who has a feline companion of their own. The combination of history and art is simply brilliant, making this profusely illustrated hardcover edition of "Cats in Art" a welcome and deservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library cat themed Art History & Culture collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Alix Pare, a graduate of the Ecole du Louvre, is a lecturer specializing in Western painting of the 17th, 18th, and 20th centuries. After an eight-year tenure at both the Louvre Museum and the Palace of Versailles, she now gives art history lessons and takes part in major Parisian exhibitions.

From Shanghai to Ohio: Woo Chong Yung (Wu Zhongxiong), 1898-1989
Hou-mei Sung, author
Julie F. Andrews & Kuiya Shen, contributors
Giles
https://gilesltd.com
9781913875503, $49.95, HC, 152pp

https://www.amazon.com/Shanghai-Ohio-Chong-Zhongxiong-1898-1989/dp/1913875504

Synopsis: Woo Chong Yung, (Wu Zhongxiong), (1898-1989), also known in the USA as C. Y. Woo, was a highly accomplished painter, calligrapher, and poet from Shanghai. During the 1920s to 1940s, Woo was at the center of China's cultural world, feted in art circles in both Shanghai and Beijing. However, faced with political persecution in the 1960s, he migrated to Ohio before the onset of the Cultural Revolution.

Once in the United States, he became an active presence in the local community, teaching classes in Chinese painting and martial arts, exhibiting and lecturing in local colleges, and contributing his talents to local arts councils and ethnic festivals in Columbus and central Ohio. His lifetime works were collected almost exclusively by Cincinnati Art Museum and the Frank Museum of Art at Otterbein University which, until now, have gone unseen by the public.

"From Shanghai to Ohio: Woo Chong Yung (Wu Zhongxiong), 1898-1989" is ground-breaking catalog illustrates Woo's unique position in Chinese painting history. His remarkable experience of emigrating from China in the face of political persecution in the 1960s and becoming an American utterly transformed and reshaped both his life and painting.

Critique: This large format (9 x 0.75 x 10 inches, 2.05 pounds) coffee-table style hardcover edition of "From Shanghai to Ohio: Woo Chong Yung (Wu Zhongxiong), 1898-1989" is a remarkable and impressive compendium of museum quality Chinese works of art and calligraphy. Deftly edited by Hou-mei Sung and featuring informative essays by Julie F. Andrews, Kuiyi Shen, and Hou-mei Sung, "From Shanghai to Ohio: Woo Chong Yung (Wu Zhongxiong), 1898 - 1989" is a stunning, informative, and truly exceptional choic for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Art & Artist collections.

Editorial Note: Hou-mei Sung is curator of East Asian Art, Cincinnati Art Museum. Julia F. Andrews is Distinguished University Professor in the Department of History of Art, the Ohio State University. Kuiyi Shen is professor of Asian Art History, Theory, and Criticism, vice chair and director of Ph.D. Program, University of California, San Diego.

The Photography Shelf

Farcountry Press
www.farcountrypress.com

Farcountry Press is a premier publisher of travel and photography books with two new entries in their 'A Photographic Journey' series.

https://www.amazon.com/Grand-Canyon-Photographic-Larry-Lindahl/dp/1560378433

"Grand Canyon: A Photographic Journey" by Larry Lindahl (9781560378433, $14.95, PB, 80pp) is an intimate look at one of America's grandest and most iconic national parks. Within the pages comprising "Grand Canyon: A Photographic Journey", readers will enjoy full color and informatively captioned visual images many of the trails, wildlife, waterfalls, rivers, creeks, and impressive geologic features of the Grand Canyon.

https://www.amazon.com/Arizona-Photographic-Journey-Larry-Lindahl/dp/1560378425

"Arizona: A Photographic Journey" by Larry Lindahl and Jake Case (9781560378426, $14.95, PB, 80pp) is a truly impressive collection of spectacular and informatively captioned photographs conveys the visual beauty of the Copper State. From Tucson to Flagstaff and the Petrified National Forest to the Grand Canyon, "Arizona: A Photographic Journey" explores and illustrates Arizona's most iconic sights and the startling beauty to be found along the way.

Critique:"Grand Canyon: A Photographic Journey" and "Arizona: A Photographic Journey" are both a pleasure to simply browse through one fascinating page at a time. Both titles are ideal, welcome, and highly recommended additions to personal, family, and community library American Travel Guide and Travel Photography collections.

Editorial Note #1: Larry Lindhal (https://www.larrylindahl.com) is a professional travel and nature photographer with images published in international magazines, award-winning books, and scenic calendars.

Editorial Note #2: Jake Case (www.mountaintripper.com) is a naturalist, writer, and landscape photographer here in Arizona. After graduating from Northern Arizona University, he went on to work as a tour guide at the Grand Canyon South Rim and a park ranger for the National Park Service at Lake Powell.

The Railroading Shelf

All Aboard: The Railroad in American Art, 1840-1955
Thomas Busciglio-Ritter, et al.
Giles
https://gilesltd.com
9781913875602, $44.95, HC, 168pp

https://www.amazon.com/All-Aboard-Railroad-American-1840/dp/1913875601

Synopsis: "All Aboard: The Railroad in American Art, 1840-1955" covers the environmental impact of the railroad on the environment and social landscape; its role in the western expansion of the USA, and the lasting and hugely detrimental impact of this on Native American populations. A wide array of comparative images includes archival and historic views, other related artworks and ephemera, as well as a railroad map.

In the early years of the nineteenth century artists including Thomas Cole and George Inness, of the Hudson River School, feared the impact of the railroad on the natural landscape; later artists were inspired by the newly opened-up landscapes of the West, including Albert Bierstadt and Theodore Kaufmann; others like Edward Hopper, Jacob Lawrence, Reginald Marsh, George Bellows, and John Sloan, were fascinated by movement of freight and people across the railroad network. Ben Shahn, Tomas Hart Benton, and Joe Jones's portrayals of railroad workers become emblems of the very backbone of America on which the country's social and industrial expansion was built.

Such industrial expansion is captured in the dramatic views of Pittsburgh and mid-west industry in paintings by Otto Kuhler, George Luks, and Charles Sheeler. And finally, there are a raft of artists for whom the railroad was both at the heart of a great new machine age, celebrated in paintings by Georgia O'Keeffe, John Marin, Joseph Stella, and Charles Goeller, but also the creator of a more lonely and alienated urban industrial world, most strongly captured in Edward Hopper's railroad landscapes.

Critique: This large format (9.75 x 0.75 x 11.25 inches, 2.55 pounds) coffee-table style hardcover edition of "All Aboard: The Railroad in American Art, 1840 - 1955" is the collaborative effort of co-authors Thomas Busciglio-Ritter, Ellen Daugherty, Thomas Denenberg, Julie Pierotti, and Kevin Sharp. An impressive compendium of museum quality artwork on the theme of the American railroad of a 75 years time frame. Exceptionally informative, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, deftly edited by Julie Pierotti, and enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a Bibliography, a Railroad Chronology, an Exhibition Checklist, and an Index, "All Aboard: The Railroad in American Art, 1840-1955" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Railroading & American Art History collections.

Editorial Note: Thomas Busciglio-Ritter is Richard and Mary Holland Assistant Curator of American Western Art, Joslyn Art Museum. Ellen Daugherty is assistant curator, Dixon Gallery and Gardens. Thomas Denenberg is the director of the Shelburne Museum. Julie Pierotti is Martha R. Robinson Curator, Dixon Gallery and Gardens. Kevin Sharp is Linda W. and S. Herbert Rhea Director, Dixon Gallery and Gardens.

The American History Shelf

The Explorers
Amanda Bellows
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9780063227408, $32.50, HC, 384pp

https://www.amazon.com/Explorers-New-History-America-Expeditions/dp/0063227401

Synopsis: The archetype of the American explorer, a rugged white man, has dominated our popular culture since the late eighteenth century, when Daniel Boone's autobiography captivated readers with tales of treacherous journeys. But our commonly held ideas about American exploration do not tell the whole story -- far from it.

With the publication of "The Explorers: A New History of America in Ten Expeditions" historian Amanda Bellows rediscovers a diverse group of Americans who went to the western frontier and beyond, traversing the farthest reaches of the globe and even penetrating outer space in their endeavor to find the unknown. Many escaped from lives circ*mscribed by racism, sexism, poverty, and discrimination as they took on great risk in unfamiliar territory.

Born into slavery, James Beckwourth found freedom as a mountain man and became one of the great entrepreneurs of Gold Rush California. Matthew Henson, the son of African American sharecroppers, left rural Maryland behind to seek the North Pole. Women like Harriet Chalmers Adams ascended Peruvian mountains to gain geographic knowledge while Amelia Earhart and Sally Ride shattered glass ceilings by pushing the limits of flight.

In this hardcover edition of "The Explorers" from Dutton, readers will travel across the vast Great Plains and into the heights of the Sierra Nevada mountains; they will traverse the frozen Arctic Ocean and descend into the jungles of South America; they will journey by canoe and horseback, train and dogsled, airplane and space shuttle. Readers will experience the exhilarating history of American exploration alongside the men and women who shared a deep drive to discover the unknown.

Across two centuries and many thousands of miles of terrain, historian Amanda Bellows offers an ode to our country's most intrepid adventurers -- and reveals the hidden history of America in the process.

Critique: Each of the ten chapters comprising "The Explorers: A New History of America in Ten Expeditions" showcases a specific individual from Sacagawea to Sally Ride and is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a six page Epilogue (The Future of American Exploration), a four page listing of Acknowledgments, eighty-eight pages of Notes, and a fifteen page Index. A simply fascinating, seminal, and impressively presented study, "The Explorers" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library American History/Biography collections. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Explorers" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798874622176, $45.95, CD).

Editorial Note: Amanda Bellows is a historian of the United States and teaches undergraduates at the New School. She received her PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Bellows served as a Project Historian for the New-York Historical Society's major exhibit Black Citizenship in the Jim Crow Era, supported by a significant National Endowment for the Humanities grant, and has published writing in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and elsewhere. She is the author of American Slavery and Russian Serfdom in the Post-Emancipation Imagination, published by UNC Press.

The World History Shelf

Searching for Franklin
Ken McGoogan
Douglas & McIntyre
www.douglas-mcintyre.com
c/o Harbour Publishing
https://harbourpublishing.com
9781771623681, $29.95, HC, 360pp

https://www.amazon.com/Searching-Franklin-Answers-Arctic-Mystery/dp/1771623683

Synopsis: Two of Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin's expeditions were monumental failures -- the last one leading to more than a hundred deaths, including his own. Yet many still see the Royal Navy man as a heroic figure who sacrificed himself to discover the Northwest Passage.

"Searching for Franklin: New Answers to the Great Arctic Mystery", is author Ken McGoogan's sixth title about Arctic exploration, challenges that vision. It rejects old orthodoxies, incorporates the latest discoveries, and interweaves two main narratives.

The first treats the Royal Navy's Arctic Overland Expedition of 1819, a harbinger-misadventure during which Franklin rejected the advice of Dene and Metis leaders and lost eleven of his twenty-one men to exhaustion, starvation and murder. The second discovers a startling new answer to that greatest of Arctic mysteries: what was the root cause of the catastrophe that engulfed Franklin's last expedition?

The well-preserved wrecks of Erebus and Terror (located in 2014 and 2016) promise to yield more clues about what cost the lives of the expedition members, some of whom were reduced to cannibalism. Contemporary researchers, rejecting theories of lead poisoning and botulism, continue to seek conclusive evidence both underwater and on land.

Drawing on his own research and Inuit oral accounts, McGoogan teases out many intriguing aspects of Franklin's expeditions, including the explorer's lethal hubris in ignoring the expert advice of the Dene leader Akaitcho. Franklin disappeared into the Arctic in 1845, yet people remain fascinated with his final doomed voyage: what happened? McGoogan will captivate readers with his first-hand account of travelling to relevant locations, visiting the graves of dead sailors and experiencing the Arctic -- one of the most dramatic and challenging landscapes on the planet.

Critique: An inherently fascinating and thought-provoking read from start to finish, "Searching for Franklin: New Answers to the Great Arctic Mystery" by Ken McGoogan is a compelling read that is exceptionally well written, organized and presented. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798874768010, $45.95, CD), "Searching for Franklin" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, community, and college/university library Arctic Exploration History/Biography collections.

Editorial Note: Ken McGoogan (https://kenmcgoogan.com) is a Canadian author who travels the world researching for his writing. He has published numerous fiction and non-fiction books, including several Arctic histories. His best-selling books include Dead Reckoning (Patrick Crean Editions, 2017), Fatal Passage, 50 Canadians Who Changed the World and Lady Franklin's Revenge (Phyllis Bruce Books: 2001, 2013 and 2005). McGoogan has appeared in several documentaries to discuss Arctic exploration and is a fellow of the Explorers' Club and the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.

The Military History Shelf

Super Slick
Tom Feigel & Larry Weill
Stackpole Books
c/o Globe Pequot
www.stackpolebooks.com
9780811775663, $29.95, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Super-Slick-Death-Helicopter-Vietnam/dp/0811775666

Synopsis: Helicopters loom large in how we picture the Vietnam War. Kilgore's birds coming in hot (and Wagnerian) out of the rising sun in Apocalypse Now. The infantry/helicopter assault at Ia Drang in the climax of We Were Soldiers. A chopper flying over green rice paddies, with a teenaged door gunner manning a .50-cal. A slick dropping into an LZ whirling with purple smoke.

We can only imagine it. But Tom Feigel lived it. As a twenty-year-old crew chief in a Huey."Super Slick: Life and Death in a Huey Helicopter in Vietnam" (co-written with Larry Weill) is the story of his year in Vietnam.

Tom Feigel grew up a typical post-World War II kid who wrestled in high school, had a steady girl, and loved working on cars -- and then everything changed. Less than a year out of high school, he was drafted into the army and assigned to aviation, ultimately to helicopters. In Vietnam in 1970, he first worked as a "hangar rat," part of the ground crew responsible for maintaining the company's thirty Hueys (the Warriors and Thunderbirds) of the 336th Assault Helicopter Company, which operated in southern South Vietnam, in the Mekong Delta and U Minh Forest.

In short order, Feigel volunteered for a flight mission to replace the rotors of a damaged chopper -- which led to his becoming a crew chief on a transport slick called Warrior 21. Before long, he and 21's crew asked the company commander for permission to re-outfit their ship for thicker, more dangerous missions -- and they ended up flying an up-gunned helicopter call sign Super Slick, tasked with similar missions but into more dangerous zones.

Feigel's memoir recounts the thick and thin of helicopter combat in Vietnam. Heart-pumping missions into hot landing zones (sometimes inserting and extracting Navy SEALs). Adrenaline-fueled flights into enemy-infested jungles and free-fire zones. Low-level reconnaissance. "Hash and trash" runs to deliver supplies to far-flung units. Terrifying nighttime operations where trees posed nearly as much danger as the enemy. Razor-thin margins between life and death.

It was dangerous; it was thrilling. The crews loved it; the crews hated it. They were proud of it. And they never wanted to do it again. "Super Slick" is as close as you can get to being inside a Huey -- to hearing the radio chatter, feeling the thrum of the rotors, the pounding of the door guns.

Critique: Written with a kind of 'Your Are There" feeling from beginning to end, this edition of co-authors Tom Feigel and Larry Weill, "Super Slick: Life and Death in a Huey Helicopter in Vietnam" from Stackpole Books is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended high priority pick for personal, community, and college/university library Vietnam War history/biography collections. Also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $28.45), it should be noted that 100% of the author royalties are being donated to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

Editorial Note #1: Tom Feigel is a native of Rochester, New York, where he returned after the war and worked for Xerox for forty years. His service in Vietnam earned him a Purple Heart, the Air Medal, and four Army Commendation Medals.

Editorial Note #2: Larry Weill is a retired U.S. Navy Reserve captain who later earned promotion to Rear Admiral and served as Commander of the New York Naval Militia. A former ranger in the Adirondacks, he is the author of a handful of books on the Adirondack Mountains of New York, including Excuse Me, Sir... Your Socks Are on Fire: The Life and Times of a Wilderness Park Ranger in the Adirondack Mountains.

The Battle of Bong Son
Kenneth P. White
Casemate Publishers
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636244013, $34.95, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Bong-Son-Operation-Masher/dp/1636244017

Synopsis: "The Battle of Bong Son: Operation Masher/White Wing, 1966" by Kenneth P. White is a detailed account of Operation Masher/White Wing, which targeted the regiments of the North Vietnamese Army Sao Vang Division operating in the Bong Son area in northeast Binh Dinh Province in central South Vietnam. The operation started on January 24, 1966, immediately after the Vietnamese New Year (Tet) and ended six weeks later. It was led by newly promoted Colonel Harold G. Moore, who as a lieutenant colonel commanded the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry in the battle of Landing Zone X-Ray in the Ia Drang Valley two months earlier.

In 41 days of sustained fighting, the 1st Cav battled each of the three regiments of the Sao Vang Division, resulting in enemy losses of more than 3,000 KIA. This came at the cost of 199 Americans killed on the battlefield and 46 more who died in the crash of a U.S. Air Force C-123 aircraft en route to the battlefield, making it one of the deadliest battles of the entire Vietnam War.

Operation Masher/White Wing was an American military success. The 1st Cav demonstrated that it had the firepower, mobility, and leadership to find the enemy and deliver a severe blow to it in terms of personnel and equipment losses and in forced evacuation from formerly "secure" base areas, seemingly proving the value of the search-and-destroy strategy.

However within a few weeks, intelligence reports indicated that North Vietnamese soldiers were returning to the Bong Son area in small groups. By late April, the Sao Vang Division was back in the area in force.

Operation Masher/White Wing proved to be the start of a very long and deadly struggle between the 1st Cav and North Vietnamese for control of Binh Dinh Province -- multiple search & destroy operations eventually resulted in more than 9,000 enemy KIA and 2,358 enemy detained, with friendly losses of more than 1,200 KIA, 5,775 WIA, and 27 MIA.

While Masher/White Wing demonstrated that search & destroy operations were very effective at the tactical level but without a high-level strategy to stop the unabated flow of fresh Communist troops and supplies into South Vietnam, it wasn't clear just how they contributed to overall victory. At the start of 1968, General Westmoreland ordered the 1st Cav to terminate its operations in the Bong Son area, bringing the battle to a close.

Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of Maps, a section of historic photographs, three Appendices, a four page Glossary, a four page Bibliography, and a four page Index, "The Battle of Bong Son: Operation Masher/White Wing, 1966" by Kenneth P. White is an extraordinarily well presented, documented, and detailed account of a major American military effort in the Vietnam War. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.49), "The Battle of Bong Son: Operation Masher/White Wing, 1966" from Casemate Publishers is a high value addition to community and college/university library Vietnam War collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Kenneth P. White served 18 months in Vietnam as an infantryman in the 1st Cavalry Division's Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol unit. He was a member of a six-man recon team that supported the brigades of the division in the Bong Son area by searching out and locating enemy troop encampments, reporting enemy movements, and directing fire power at targets of opportunity. He lives in Fairfax, Virginia, and is active in the 1st Cavalry Division Association as a contributor to the association's SABER newspaper.

Taking Fire!
David L. Porter
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476680514, $19.99, PB, 182pp

https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Memoir-Aerial-Scout-Vietnam/dp/1476680515

Synopsis: As a first lieutenant in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, U.S. Army pilot David Porter was section leader in an Aerial Scout platoon in Vietnam. Their mission was to conduct reconnaissance in OH-6 aircraft (a.k.a. Light Observation Helicopter or "Loach") near the Cambodian border.

Finding and engaging the enemy at low altitude in coordination with an AH-1 Cobra gunship circling above, these units developed a remarkable method of fighting the Viet Cong: Hunter-Killer Operations.

The tactic had great local success but died with the war. Few today are aware of the hazards these pilots faced during times of intense combat. Porter's vivid memoir, "Taking Fire!: Memoir of an Aerial Scout in Vietnam" recounts the internal workings of a legendary air cavalry troop, in-the-co*ckpit combat actions, and the men who were key players on this perilous battleground.

Critique: A 'must read' memoir for readers with an interest in the role of the helicopter in the Vietnam War, "Taking Fire!: Memoir of an Aerial Scout in Vietnam" by David L. Porter is a dramatically informative personal account that is bolstered for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a two page Glossary, a two page Index, and a five page Index. Highly recommended as a core addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Vietnam War History/Biography collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, this paperback edition of "Taking Fire!: Memoir of an Aerial Scout in Vietnam" from McFarland & Company is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.49).

Editorial Note: David L. Porter is a retired Regular Army Colonel with twenty-seven years' service as an Army Combat Arms officer. In addition to his year in Vietnam, he served multiple tours in the inter-zonal border between East and West Germany during the cold war. He also served tours in combat divisions, the Armor School, and various staff positions including the Pentagon. Upon retirement, he became the Director of Admissions at Colorado Technical University, in Colorado Springs, Colorado followed by a nineteen year career as a Government contractor. His contractor responsibilities focused on training American Soldiers at various locations throughout the United States and Germany.

Pop a Smoke
Rick Gehweiler
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476688640, $19.99, PB, 182pp

https://www.amazon.com/Pop-Smoke-Memoir-Helicopter-Vietnam/dp/1476688648

Synopsis: By 1969, the Sikorski H-34 was an older helicopter with severe limitations for combat duty in Vietnam. For pilots like U.S. Marine Lieutenant Rick Gehweiler, the good news was it could still take significant damage and keep flying. With the publication of "Pop a Smoke: Memoir of a Marine Helicopter Pilot in Vietnam", he vividly narrates his harrowing (and at times deadly) flight missions under fire, as experienced in the co*ckpit, along with anecdotes of tragedy and humor from his 13-month tour through Da Nang and Phu Bai.

Critique: Another fascinating and personal story of combat missions in Vietnam, "Pop a Smoke: Memoir of a Marine Helicopter Pilot in Vietnam" by Rick Gehweiler is especially recommended reading for anyone with an interest in the history of American involvement in the Vietnam War. Highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Vietnam War History/Biography collections, it should be noted for students, academia, and military history buffs that "Pop a Smoke: Memoir of a Marine Helicopter Pilot in Vietnam" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99) as well.

Editorial Note: Rick Gehweiler graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1967, attended Marine Corp Officer Candidate School at Quantico, Virginia, earned his navy wings in Pensacola, Florida, and served a tour in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot flying combat missions. He currently manages a fly fishing lodge on the Bighorn River in Montana.

Texas South Plains War Stories
Larry A. Williams & Katherine McLamore
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476683072, $35.00, PB, 334pp

https://www.amazon.com/Texas-South-Plains-War-Stories/dp/1476683077

Synopsis: Every veteran in every war has a story to tell -- often war stories that they have not told their own families. But as one vet in this collection of original interviews succinctly said of his combat experiences: "Some things are better left unsaid."

Documenting recollections from survivors of World War II, Korea, Vietnam and other conflicts (all residents of the Texas Panhandle) "Texas South Plains War Stories: Interviews with Veterans from World War II to Afghanistan", collaboratively compiled by Larry A. Williams and Katherine McLamore presents narratives from men and women whose young lives, for good or ill, were defined by their participation in military warfare in service to their country.

Critique: Illustrated with B/W photos and featuring a two page Veteran's Honor Roll, a four page Bibliography, and a twenty-one page Index, "Texas South Plains War Stories: Interviews with Veterans from World War II to Afghanistan" is an extraordinary and unique contribution to American Military History/Biography collections. While also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.99), "Texas South Plains War Stories: Interviews with Veterans from World War II to Afghanistan" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library American Military History/Memoir collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note #1: Larry A. Williams is a U.S. Air Force veteran and a retired purchasing manager. He has written articles for the Army Chapter of the Chosin Few Newsletter, the Lubbock Avalanche Journal, the Lubbock Magazine and the Lubbock Senior Link Magazine. He lives in Lubbock, Texas.

Editorial Note #2: Katherine McLamore has recruited and trained hospice volunteers for over a decade. She has written for the Lubbock Avalanche Journal, Prize 31 Ministries, and the Lubbock Senior Link Magazine. She lives in Lubbock, Texas.

Bombing Hitler's Hometown
Mike Croissant
Citadel Press
c/o Kensington Publishing Corp.
www.kensingtonbooks.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9780806543024, $28.00, HC, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/Bombing-Hitlers-Hometown-Untold-Bomber/dp/0806543027

Synopsis: In April 1945, Linz was one of Nazi Germany's most vital assets. It was a crucial transportation hub and communications center, with rail yards brimming with war materiel destined for the front lines. Linz was also the town Hitler claimed as home and had long intended to remake as the cultural capital of Europe, filling its planned Fuhrermuseum with world-famous art stolen from his conquered territories.

Inevitably, Linz was also one of the most heavily defended targets remaining in Europe. The airmen of the Fifteenth Air Force were a mix of seasoned veterans and newcomers. As their mission was unveiled in the predawn hours of April 25, audible groans and muffled expletives passed many lips. The reality of that mission would prove more brutal than any imagined.

In the unheated, unpressurized B 24 Liberator and B 17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers, young men battled elements as dangerous as anything the Germans could throw at them. When batteries of German anti aircraft guns opened fire, the men flew into a man made hell of exploding shrapnel. Aircraft and men fell from the sky as Austrian civilians on the ground also struggled to survive beneath the bombs during the deadly climax of Hitler's war.

Drawing on interviews with dozens of America's last surviving World War II veterans, as well as previously unpublished sources, with the publication of "Bombing Hitler's Hometown: The Untold Story of the Last Mass Bomber Raid of World War II in Europe", Mike Croissant compellingly relates one of the war's last truly untold stories -- a gripping chronicle of warfare, the death of Nazi Germany, and the beginning of the Cold War. It is also a timeless tale of courage and terror, loss and redemption, humanity and savagery.

Critique: An impressive work of historical military research, "Bombing Hitler's Hometown: The Untold Story of the Last Mass Bomber Raid of World War II in Europe" is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a two page listing of Acknowledgments, a two page Reading Group Guide, a sixteen page collection of B/W historical photos, a ten page listing of Sources, forty-six pages of Notes, and a seven page Index. An inherently fascinating and extraordinary history of the last major Allied/American bombing mission in the European Theater of World War II, "Bombing Hitler's Hometown" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library World War II Military Aviation collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Bombing Hitler's Hometown" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798874708504, $46.99, CD).

Editorial Note: Mike Croissant (www.mikecroissant.com) retired from the CIA in 2021 after serving for more than twenty years as an analyst and targeting officer in locations ranging from Washington DC to the Middle East and South and Central Asia. More than a decade ago, he started seeking out veterans who served with his uncle in Italy during World War II. In the quest to learn about his uncle, who survived the war without a scratch but died in a plane crash shortly after the war ended, Mike discovered the facts revealed in "Bombing Hitler's Hometown". He spent the next several years traveling across the United States and Europe, interviewing American veterans and Austrian civilians and visiting locations showcased in this book.

The Civil War Shelf

The Cavalry of the Army of the Ohio
Dennis W. Belcher
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476692326, $45.95, PB, 289pp

https://www.amazon.com/Cavalry-Army-Ohio-Civil-History/dp/1476692327

Synopsis: At the outset of the Civil War, the cavalry of the Army of the Ohio (Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Tennessee) was a fledgling force beginning an arduous journey that would eventually make it the best cavalry in the world.

In late 1862, most of this cavalry was transferred to the Army of the Cumberland and a second cavalry force emerged in the second Army of the Ohio.

Throughout the war, these two regiments fought in some of the most important military operations of the war, including Camp Wildcat; Mill Springs; the siege of Corinth; raids into East Tennessee; the capture of Morgan during his Great Raid; and the campaigns of Middle Tennessee, Perryville, Knoxville, Atlanta, and Nashville.

"The Cavalry of the Army of the Ohio: A Civil War History" by Dennis W. Belcher is their complete history.

Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a twelve page Bibliography, thirty-four pages of Notes, and an eight page Index, Dennis Belchr's "The Cavalry of the Army of the Ohio: A Civil War History" this large format (7 x 0.78 x 10 inches, 1.53 pounds) paperback edition from McFarland & Company is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Civil War history collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. Extraordinarily well written, organized and presented, it should be noted for students, academia, and American Civil War buffs that "The Cavalry of the Army of the Ohio: A Civil War History" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $29.99).

Editorial Note: Dennis W. Belcher has edited or authored nine books on the Civil War and has published in the North & South magazine.

The Biography/Memoir Shelf

Revolutionary Woman
Donna Tesiero
McFarland & Company
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476694535, $39.95, PB, 198pp

https://www.amazon.com/Revolutionary-Woman-Elizabeth-Freeman-Abolition/dp/1476694532

Synopsis: At the end of the American Revolution, Elizabeth Freeman was an enslaved widow and mother living in Massachusetts. Hearing the words of the new Massachusetts state constitution which declared liberty and equality for all, she sought the help of a young lawyer named Theodore Sedgwick, later Speaker of the House and one of America's leading Federalist politicians. The lawsuit that she and Sedgwick pursued would bring freedom to her and her daughter, as well as thousands of other enslaved people.

After leaving her enslaver's family to work for the family of Theodore Sedgwick, she effectively became the foster mother to his seven children when his wife Pamela became a chronic invalid, enabling Sedgwick to pursue his political career. Two of his sons would credit her with saving their lives. His daughter Catharine Maria Sedgwick, one of the most famous female novelists of the early decades of the nineteenth century, would make her the model for one of her most celebrated heroines.

"A Revolutionary Woman: Elizabeth Freeman and the Abolition of Slavery in the North" is a biography by Donna Te4siero that details Elizabeth Freeman's life and the far-reaching influence of her battle for freedom.

Critique: Rescuing from obscurity the remarkable story of a remarkable woman who was critically important to the ending of slavery in the northern state of Massachusetts, "A Revolutionary Woman: Elizabeth Freeman and the Abolition of Slavery in the North" includes a four page Bibliography, twenty pages of Notes, and a five page Index. The result of meticulous and detailed historical research, "A Revolutionary Woman: Elizabeth Freeman and the Abolition of Slavery in the North" is a unique and treasured addition to personal, community, and college/university library African American & Abolition of Slavery history/biography collections. An extraordinary account, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "A Revolutionary Woman: Elizabeth Freeman and the Abolition of Slavery in the North" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $25.99).

Editorial Note: Donna Tesiero holds a bachelor's degree from Cornell, a law degree from Columbia, and master's degrees from Harvard and Lesley University.

The Wanderer: James Butler Hickok and the American West
Craig Crease
Caxton Press
https://www.caxtonpress.com
9780870046544, $27.95, HC, 540pp

https://www.amazon.com/Wanderer-James-Butler-Hickok-American/dp/0870046543

Synopsis: With few notable exceptions, most of the men who gained fame in the post-civil war American West, once stripped of the fanciful myths that made up their public persona, have little left to justify that fame and regard.

But James Butler Hickok was one of the notable exceptions. He excelled in almost everything he did, and his precocious proclivities were evident very early. He fell in love with a half-Indian girl, was a bodyguard for a U.S. Senator, took part in two battles in the border war skirmishes leading up to the Civil War, rode in the saddle day and night as a scout and spy in the border war in Missouri and Kansas, and worked his first assignment as a frontier lawman... all before his 21st birthday. He was not even known yet as Wild Bill!

After stripping away the myths and legends, the reader of "The Wanderer: James Butler Hickok and the American West" by biographer Craig Crease will see that the real life of James Butler Hickok (aka Wild Bill Hickok) was every bit as exciting and unique, compelling and dramatic as any myth or legend. It's no wonder that his real life was such fertile ground for the mythmakers. His real life spoke of infinite possibilities, and the mythmakers seized upon that in describing the exploits and life of Wild Bill Hickok in books and movies.

Critique: A seminal and ground-breaking biography of one of the most iconic figures of the American West, "The Wanderer: James Butler Hickok and the American West" by Craig Crease is an inherently fascinating and informative read from cover to cover. Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of 3 Appendices, twenty pages of Notes, a ten page Bibliography, and a twenty-four page Index, this hard cover edition of "The Wanderer" from Caxton Press is a solid and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library American Western History/Biography collections.

Editorial Note: Craig Crease is an investigative historian and award-winning writer on the historic frontier trails and the American West. His historical research and articles have appeared in many publications including the Kansas City Star, The Kansas Anthropologist, Wagon Tracks, and the Overland Journal. His research has appeared in several books on the American West. A popular speaker, Crease has appeared many times giving presentations on frontier America. For over thirty years he was an independent historical consultant for the National Park Service.

Lula
Fernando Morais
Verso
www.versobooks.com
9781804294925, $34.95, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Lula-Fernando-Morais/dp/1804294926

Synopsis: Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is among the greatest political figures in Brazilian history. The only president in the country with a working-class background, combined with a party that was profoundly original in its roots, he exercised charismatic power and influence in a more lasting way than any other public figure in the republican period.

Since 2011, Fernando Morais, one of Brazil's leading writers, has gained direct, frank and frequent access to Lula. To these dozens of hours of testimonies, he has added a reporter's flair and captivating prose to compose a biography that paints a picture in all its grandeur and complexity.

In a narrative that makes use of flash-forwards and flashbacks to maintain an electrifying pace, Morais goes from Lula's childhood to the annulment of his convictions, in 2021, passing through the new unionism, the ABC strikes, the foundation of the PT and the first election campaign.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Lula" by Fernando Morais and published by Verso for an American readership, is an extraordinarily informative and unreservedly recommended addition for community and college/university library Brazilian History/Biography collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Lula" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Fernando Morais was born in Mariana, Minas Gerais, in 1946. Journalist, he worked for Jornal da Tarde, Veja, and several other Brazilian titles. He received the Esso Award three times and the Abril Journalism Award four times. He was a deputy (1979-1987) and Secretary of Culture (1988-1991) and Secretary of Education (1991-1993) of the State of Sao Paulo. He is the author of many books including The Last Soldiers of the Cold War: The Story of the Cuban Five from Verso and which was turned into a film for Netflix under the title Wasp Network - Who Were the Cuban Five? (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Morais)

The General Fiction Shelf

Side Effects Are Minimal
Laura Essay
She Writes Press
www.shewritespress.com
9781647427047, $17.95, PB, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/Side-Effects-Are-Minimal-Novel/dp/1647427045

Synopsis: When ambitious attorney Claire Hewitt is asked to represent the Satoris, one of Philadelphia's most prominent families, in a lawsuit over the death of their daughter, she is thrust into an opioid nightmare with deadly impact -- and not for the first time.

Claire's guilt for not saving her sister, Molly, has not subsided in the twenty years since Molly's almost certainly opioid-related death. Now, with this new assignment, her guilt comes full circle. Who was really at fault in Molly's death? And who is at fault now?

What begins as a quest for truth becomes infinitely more complicated as Claire struggles to balance her desire for justice with the Satoris' thirst for revenge. She knows she needs to expose the greed that transforms legal opioid production into illicit fabrications and the neglect that is the breaking point between physicians and their patients. But there are powerful people who will seemingly stop at nothing to prevent these truths from seeing the light of day, and she is sabotaged at every turn. Can she push past the obstacles in her way to build a winning case?

Critique: Although a work of fiction, "Side Effects Are Minimal" by author Laura Essay is based on true events -- including a corrupt pharmaceutical industry, the guilt of physicians prescribing the opioids that kill, and the pain experienced by families who've lost loved ones to an epidemic that has brought the United States to its knees. A deftly crafted novel of our times, "Side Effects Are Minimal" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community/public library Contemporary General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Side Effects Are Minimal" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).

Editorial Note: Laura Essay (https://lauraessay.com) "Side Effects Are Minimal" is her debut novel. Her knowledge of the opioid crisis stems from her penchant for research and innumerable hours spent searching for the truth about opioids in America. She also has devoted a great deal of time to working with youth programs in her state, assisting the homeless, and setting up new homes for refugees relocating to Nebraska. In 2016, she launched a fundraiser that provided hundreds of car seats to infants in need and served as a court-appointed special advocate for foster children.

Plays Well with Others
Sophie Brickman
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063371200, $28.00, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Plays-Well-Others-Sophie-Brickman/dp/0063371200

Synopsis: Annie Lewin is at the end of her rope. She's a mother of three young children, her workaholic husband is never around, and the vicious competition for spots in New York City's kindergartens is heating up. A New York Times journalist-turned-parenting-advice-columnist for an internet start-up, Annie can't help but judge the insanity of it all -- even as she finds herself going to impossible lengths to secure the best spot for her own son.

As Annie comes to terms with the infinitesimal odds of success, her intensifying rivalry with hotshot lawyer Belinda Brenner (a deliciously hateful nemesis, what with her perfectly curated bento box lunches and effortless Instagram chic) pushes her to the brink. Of course, this newly raw and unhinged version of Annie is great for the advice column: the more she spins out, the more clicks and comments she gets.

But when she commits a ghastly social faux pas that goes viral, she's forced to confront the question: is she really any better than the cutthroat parents she always judged?

A shimmering epistolary novel incorporating emails, group texts, advice columns, newspaper profiles, and more, "Plays Well with Others" is a whip-smart, genuinely funny romp through the minefield of modern motherhood. But beneath its fast-paced, satirical veneer, Brickman gives us a fresh, open-hearted, all-too-real take on what it means to be a parent -- fierce love, craziness, and all.

Critique: A masterfully written work of recognizable satire arising from the frustrations of modern parenting for the ambitious, "Plays Well with Others" by Sophie Brickman is a fun and thought-provoking read from start to finish. A very highly recommended pick for community/public library Contemporary General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this William Morrow edition of "Plays Well with Others" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (HarperCollins, 9798874623883, $45.95, CD).

Editorial Note: Sophie Brickman (www.sophiebrickman.com) is a writer, reporter, and editor who has written for the New Yorker, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Elle, Saveur, the San Francisco Chronicle, and other outlets. Her work has also appeared in the Best Food Writing and the Best American Science Writing anthologies.

The Literary Fiction Shelf

Crazy Like a Fox: The Classic Comedy Collection
S. J. Perelman
The Library of America
www.loa.org
9781598537789, $10.49, PB, 312pp

https://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Like-Fox-Classic-Collection/dp/1598537784

Synopsis: When asked about himself the writer Sidney Joseph Perelman once quipped, "before they made him, they broke the mold". Nowhere is S. J. Perelman's one-of-a-kind, madcap sensibility (his gift for wordplay, witticism, spoofery, and sheer nonsense) on better display than in his classic collection "Crazy Like a Fox", originally published in hardcover in 1944 and here restored to print for the first time in decades by the Library of America publishers.

In a playful, loving tribute to the funny man, novelist Joshua Cohen (who is also an erudite wordsmith and punster) introduces Perelman's sui generis comic pieces to a new generation of readers, certain to fall in love with the writer whom The New York Times once noted for his ability "to transform the common cliche or figure of speech into an exploding cigar".

Included here in this paperback edition of "Crazy Like a Fox" are such beloved classics as:
The Joycean virtuoso performance "Scenario"; "A Farewell to Omsk," Perelman's hilarious homage to Dostoevsky; and "Farewell, My Lovely Appetizer," his side-splitting send-up of the hardboiled detective fiction of Raymond Chandler.

Here is Perelman's own selection of the very best of his inimitable humor, restored to print for the first time in decades.

Critique: Rescuing from an undeserved obscurity for the benefit of a new generation of appreciative readers, this edition of "Crazy Like a Fox" perfectly showcases the wit and literary talent of S. J. Perelman. While also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99), "Crazy Like a Fox" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library American Literary Fiction & Humor Essay collection and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note #1: Sidney Joseph Perelman (February 1, 1904 - October 17, 1979) was a longtime contributor to The New Yorker, in which he first published many of his humorous essays and sketches, and travel pieces. He also wrote film scripts for the Marx Brothers and shared an Oscar in 1956 with James Poe and James Farrow for the screenplay of Around the World in Eighty Days. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._J._Perelman)

Editorial Note #2: Joshua Cohen (https://joshuacohen.org) is the author of The Netanyahus, winner of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and several other works of fiction, including Witz (2010), Book of Numbers (2015), and Moving Kings (2017) as well as the nonfiction work ATTENTION: Dispatches from a Land of Distraction (2018).

Walker Percy: The Moviegoer and Other Novels 1961-1971
Walker Percy, author
Paul Elie, editor
The Library of America
www.loa.org
9781598537758, $45.00, HC, 1000pp

https://www.amazon.com/Walker-Percy-Moviegoer-1961-1971-Gentleman/dp/159853775X

Synopsis: A physician-turned-writer and self-described diagnostician of "the malaise" Walker Percy plumbed the depths of modern American angst and alienation as few other writers have. Now he joins the Library of America series with a volume collecting his first 3 books.

"The Moviegoer" (1961), winner of the 1962 National Book Award for Fiction, is the story of John Bickerson "Binx" Bolling, a New Orleans stockbroker who finds in movies a resplendent reality that lifts him, for a time, out of the mire of everydayness. Binx is a modern-day pilgrim whose progress unfolds in what editor Paul Elie calls "the first work of what we call contemporary American fiction, the earliest novel to render a set of circ*mstances and an outlook that still feel recognizably ours."

In "The Last Gentleman" (1966), Percy portrays another troubled, searching young man, this time a southerner living in New York whose intermittent amnesia and odd moments of deja vu lead him to imagine that the world catastrophe everyone fears has already occurred.

A satirical work of speculative fiction, "Love in the Ruins" (1971) introduces lapsed-Catholic psychiatrist Dr. Thomas More, inventor of the lapsometer, a devise that measures the spiritual sickness of a near-apocalyptic America torn apart by the forces of the far right and left.

Critique: The 103rd title in the Library of American series, this hardcover edition of "Walker Percy: The Moviegoer & Other Novels 1961-1971: The Moviegoer / The Last Gentleman / Love in the Ruins" edited by Paul Elie is an extraordinary and welcome pick for personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library American Literary Fiction collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note #1: Born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1916, Walker Percy was trained as a physician at Columbia University. After a year's internship at Bellevue Hospital in New York, he contracted tuberculosis and abandoned medicine for a literary career. His first novel, The Moviegoer, was awarded the 1962 National Book Award for Fiction. His other books include the novels The Last Gentleman, Love in the Ruins, and The Thanatos Syndrome as well as the collection of essays The Message in the Bottle. Percy died in Covington, Louisiana, in 1990.

Editorial Note #2: Paul Elie is a senior fellow at Georgetown University's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs. His first book, The Life You Save May Be Your Own, received the PEN/Martha Albrand Prize and was a National Book Critics Circle award finalist in 2003. He is also the author of Reinventing Bach, a finalist for National Book Critics Circle award in 2012. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Elie)

Quincas Borba
Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis, author
Margaret Jull Costa & Robin Patterson, translators
Liveright Publishing Corporation
c/o W. W. Norton & Company
www.wwnorton.com
9781324090687, $29.99, HC, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/Quincas-Borba-Joaquim-Maria-Machado/dp/1324090685

Synopsis: Hailed in his lifetime as one of Latin America's greatest writers, Machado de Assis (1839 - 1908) was a storyteller known for his wholly innovative narrative techniques and uncanny talent for unraveling the social and political milieu of nineteenth-century Brazil. These signature traits are on full display in "Quincas Borba", a novel that sees Machado satirize a rapidly changing Rio de Janeiro.

Originally published in 1891, the story begins with the death of its titular character, a mad philosopher infamous for spouting pessimistic theories of "Humanitism." Borba leaves his fortune (including his dog, also named Quincas Borba) to Rubiao, his loyal caretaker and a schoolteacher by trade. Bestowed with opulence beyond his wildest dreams, Rubiao is quickly coaxed into the comforts of a rich man's life - the only stipulation being that he continues to care for the canine Quincas Borba with the same dedication he once did the human. Adrift in the big, bad, bustling world of late-1860s Rio de Janeiro, it isn't long before Rubiao is targeted by the city's sycophants, who can smell his naivete from a mile away.

Playfully told by an omniscient and possibly unreliable narrator, as a novel, "Quincas Borba" is at once irreverent and ambitious, brimming with barbed wit and keen philosophical inquiry.

Brilliantly and collaboratively translated by Margaret Jull Costa and Robin Patterson (the duo credited with introducing a new generation of readers to Machado through their translations of Dom Casmurro, The Collected Stories, and Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas -- "Quincas Borba" is another strikingly modern tale from a blazing progenitor of twentieth-century fiction.

Critique: A classic of Brazilian literature and now available in English for an American readership from Liveright Publishing Corporation (an imprint of W. W. Norton & Company), "Quincas Borba" is unreservedly recommended for community/public and college/university library Literary/Satirical Fiction collections and supplemental Brazilian Literature curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Quincas Borba" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) as well.

Editorial Note #1: Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis (1839 - 1908) was born in Rio de Janeiro and, as well as his seven short-story collections, wrote such groundbreaking novels as Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas, Dom Casmurro, Quincas Borba and The Alienist.

Editorial Note #2: Margaret Jull Costa has translated Javier Marias and Jose Saramago. She lives in England.

Editorial Note #3: Robin Patterson has translated Jose Luandino Vieira. He lives in England.

After Oz
Gordon McAlpine
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781639107858, $29.99, HC, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/After-Oz-Novel-Gordon-McAlpine/dp/1639107851

Synopsis: Kansas, 1896. After a tornado destroys the Gale family farm, eleven-year-old Dorothy goes missing. As the days pass, the Gales are increasingly terrified the worst has happened. But when the girl turns up unharmed four days later, the townsfolk breathe a sigh of relief. That is, until Dorothy herself relates her account of the events that took place during her disappearance.

In vivid detail, Dorothy describes a fantastical land and its magical inhabitants: a scarecrow, a tin man, a cowardly lion, a wizard, a witch. Her recollections are not only regarded as delusional, but also as pagan and diabolical in nature, especially when the body of a local spinster is found matching Dorothy's description of a witch she claims to have killed. Authorities find incriminating evidence tying Dorothy to the real murder, and they sentence Dorothy to the Topeka Insane Asylum.

When twenty-eight-year-old psychologist Dr. Evelyn Grace Wilford arrives at the asylum to interview Dorothy, she begins to wonder if Dorothy truly committed the crime or if something unfathomable has really occurred.

In a small town full of insidious secrets, Evelyn sets out to save Dorothy from her terrible circ*mstances, but can't help but fear whether something menacing may be lurking just out of sight.

Critique: A simply brilliant re-working of the Frank Baum 'Wizard of Oz' series by continuing the story of Dorothy as one of psychological mystery, murder mystery thriller, and tragedy, "After Oz" is unique, riveting, and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Literary Fiction and Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of the legions of Wizard of Oz fans that "After Oz" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).

Editorial Note: Gordon McAlpine is the author of Girl with a Blue Pencil and Holmes Entangled and a contributor to Orange County Noir. An Edgar Award finalist, he taught creative writing and literature at U.C. Irvine, UCLA., and Chapman University.

The Romantic Fiction Shelf

The Plot Twist
Victoria Walters
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781835189603, $42.00, PB, Large Print, 298pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-plot-twist-victoria-walters/1144919048

Synopsis: Stevie Phillips has just landed her dream job working for a publishing company and it seems like this is page one of her new, improved life.

But her first day throws more curveballs than she thinks she can handle: there's been a takeover and the whole publicity team has been fired. And her new boss is the last face she expected to see.

Because Noah Anderson also happens to be her ex-boyfriend.

Thrown together on a campaign for a book the rest of the staff don't want to touch with a barge-pole, Stevie resolves to make the best of a bad situation. This is her chance to prove herself, and she's not going to let the man who broke her heart ruin it for her.

When Noah starts hinting that there was more to their break up then him just not loving her, Stevie's resolution starts to wobble. Getting back with your ex is never a good idea, is it? Especially not when your ex is also your boss...

Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a fun read from start to finish, "The Plot Twist" by Victoria Walters will have particular and special appeals to fans of paranormal romance novels. This large print paperback edition from Boldwood Books is especially and unreservedly recommended for both personal reading lists and community library Romance Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Victoria Walters (https://victoria-writes.com) is a full-time author living in Surrey who writes sweet and spicy RomCom novels including "The Love Interest" She used to work in publishing and a bookshop, and has been a bookworm since childhood. Victoria is also the romantic series "Glendale Hall" and the cosy crime series "The Dedley End Mysteries" She can be followed on Instagram at @vickyjwalters, on X at @Vicky_Walters, or on Facebook and TikTok at Victoria Walters author.

The Secret Life Of A Lady
Darcy McGuire
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781836035312, $42.00, PB, Large Print, 410pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-secret-life-of-a-lady-darcy-mcguire/1144901147

Synopsis: Lady Hannah Simmons is a quintessential wallflower, unassuming, dowdy yet ignored by most. But underneath her plain exterior, Hannah is hiding a thrilling secret! Unbeknownst to the rest of the ton, she is Queen Victoria's leading femme fatale, slipping unnoticed through the streets of London and listening to scandalous whispers from lords and ladies. But with daggers in her stockings and pistols in her pockets, Hannah's mission is to apprehend a deadly killer.

Private Investigator to the Prime Minister, damaged, yet devastatingly handsome ex-war hero Duke Robert Killian always puts duty first. However, when he finds himself competing with the intriguing Lady Hannah on the same daring task, his blood boils with frustration - and desire! Is it possible to seduce this vexing woman whose not afraid to put herself in danger and achieve the upper hand?

Hannah enjoys Killian's attempts to distract and tempt her, but she has never faced an adversary she couldn't overthrow. And Killian has never met a challenge he couldn't conquer...until now. The gauntlet has been thrown, can they finish their jobs and resist the temptation?

Critique: Launching a unique series, "The Queen's Deadly Damsels", that will have enormous interest to fans of spicy historical romance novels laced with suspense and featuring deadly female protagonists, "The Secret Life of a Lady" by Darcy McGuire is a superbly crafted, fascinating and fun read from first page to last. This large print paperback edition of "The Secret Life of a Lady" from Boldwood Books is a very special and highly recommended addition to both personal reading lists and community library Historical Romance Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: The second title in this simply outstanding series by Darcy McGuire is the forthcoming "A Lady's Lesson in Scandal" ($3.99 Kindle).

The Western Fiction Shelf

Bad Guy - Rough Justice!
Ethan Flagg
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444853100, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 234pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bad-guy-rough-justice-ethan-flagg/1136775915

Synopsis: In pursuing the notorious Silver Dollar Gang, undercover agent Drew Henry is catapulted into a bizarre criminal conspiracy in the Wyoming town of Bridger. Three deputies have disappeared in mysterious circ*mstances, leading Drew to place himself in the firing line as the fourth potential victim.

Suspicions abound as to the identity of the culprits. But only when he accidentally stumbles upon a robbery do the grim facts begin to emerge. A break comes when an outlaw Drew thought had escaped the long arm of the law suddenly turns up. The outlaw's objective is to blackmail the perpetrators of the robbery scam with exposure.

Drew must use all his skills as a BAD boy to bring all the guilty parties to justice. But this proves far more dangerous than he could ever have foreseen.

Critique: Simply stated, as an author of western action/adventure novels, Ethan Flag stands out with his distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style. Original, compelling, and a fun read from beginning to end, this large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library series of his novel "Bad Guy - Rough Justice!" is an absolute 'must' for the personal reading lists of all dedicated western fiction fans and a certain to be popular pick for community library Western Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: on collections. Editorial Note: Ethan Flagg is the pen-name of Graham Dugdale. He acquired his interest in American Western history following a period working as a teacher in New Mexico. He also compiles crossword puzzles for a weekly country sports newspaper and has produced 11 walking guides all based in the north of England. There is an online listing of his books at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/673765.Graham_K_Dugdale

The Return Of The Pinfire Lady
P. J. Gallagher
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444853476, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 252pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-return-of-the-pinfire-lady-pj-gallagher/1132682529

Synopsis: Lady Abigail Penraven returns to her native England to deal with family matters, but a visit to a London gunsmith to repair her trusty Pinfire revolver leads to the kidnapping of her Ute Indian friend Minny.

The subsequent gunplay results in Abbie killing a thug who, unbeknown to her, is involved in a conspiracy to thwart the USA's purchase of Alaska. Abbie returns to the USA in a new role as a British Government agent working with the US, but finds herself caught up in treachery, intrigue, and skulduggery, and has to draw on all the skills that first led her to become known as the "Pinfire Lady."

Critique: "The Return of the Pinfire Lady" is the highly anticipated sequel to author P. J. Gallagher's western novel "The Pinfire Lady" and continues the adventures of the lady gunslinger and her native American girl who has become her sidekick. With action aplenty in the form of gunplay and more unexpected plot twists and turns than a Texas Tornado, "The Return of the Pinfire Lady" is a fun read from start to finish and this large print paperback edition from the Linford Western Library series is a welcome and recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: P.J. Gallagher served in the British Army. He has written and had published close on 20 articles for The Journal of the Royal Artillery. He has competed for the past 20 years in Cowboy Action Shooting and is a collector of antique firearms. He lives in Woodville, Ontario.

The Sons Of Some Dear Mother
Matt Cole
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9780719830075, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 160pp

https://www.amazon.com/Sons-Mother-Black-Horse-Western/dp/0719830079

Synopsis: The five sons of Dorothy Daniels (Frank, a notorious gunman; Hugh, an attorney; Urban, a drifter who works odd jobs; Virgil, a sober and serious rancher; and the youngest, Casey) reunite in their hometown of Blue Springs Creek, Missouri, for their mother's funeral, after she is murdered.

The townspeople are shocked, and an eyewitness claims it was the outlaw leader Henry Lowe and the Murdock Gang who were responsible. When the brothers become disillusioned with the local law and their lack of pursuit, they decide to track down the gang themselves and get their vengeance.

On the trail of the murderous outlaws, the brothers start to find some of the brotherly love they had lost since they were kids. The trail is filled with danger, duels, and death. The brothers will risk everything to get justice for their mother -- especially Frank, the toughest and most ruthless of Dorothy's sons.

Critique: A simply riveting read from first page to last, "The Sons Of Some Dear Mother" is a superbly crafted vengeance quest western of the first order. A seasoned author of western fiction, with "The Sons Of Some Dear Mother" author Matt Cole continues to demonstrate his complete mastery of the genre with a novel that is especially and unreservedly recommended. This large print paperback edition of "The Sons Of Some Dear Mother" from the Linford Western Library series is an ideal pick for personal reading lists and community library Western Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Matt Cole was born in Oberlin, Ohio and grew up in Central Florida. Most of his heroes growing up as a boy rode horses and saved damsels in distress. They wore white hats and shot six guns. He is the author of more than 20 published books. He currently teaches English at several higher education institutes and universities. He lives in Plant City, Florida.

The Flames Of Alvorado
Peter Wilson
Linford Western Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781444853162, $25.00, PB, Large Print, 276pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-flames-of-alvorado-peter-wilson/1130920559

Synopsis: Matt Brogan, wrongly imprisoned for the murder of his wife and son, escapes to go in search of the real killers whose evidence brought about his conviction. In the remote town of Alvorado, a hideaway for outlaws on the run and the power base of the McLagan family, Brogan links up with lawman Jed Harding and the pair set out to rid the territory of the rule of fear.

When hot-headed Roy McLagan sets out to burn the farmers from their homes, Brogan and Harding persuade the locals to fight back. But to bring an end to the killings Brogan has to call on help from an unlikely source - Alex McLagan, the man he had vowed to kill.

Critique: Another riveting read from western novelist Peter Wilson, this large print paperback edition of "The Flames Of Alvorado" from the Linford Western Library collection is an ideal pick for the personal reading lists of all dedicated western action/adventure fans and community library Western Fiction collections.

Iron Star
Loren D. Estleman
Forge
c/o Tor/Forge Books
www.tor-forge.com
9781250892515, $29.99, HC, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Star-Loren-D-Estleman/dp/1250892511

Synopsis: From his youth as a revolutionist to his time as a Deputy U.S. Marshal, aging lawman Iron St. John has become a larger-than-life figure -- and in the process, the man has disappeared behind the myth. During his brief, unsuccessful political career, St. John published his memoirs -- a sanitized version of his adventures to appeal to the masses. A generation later, the clouded truth of this giant of the Old West has been all but lost.

Now, Buck Jones, a pioneering film star, is vying for a cinematic story that will launch his career to incredible heights. He approaches Emmet Rawlings, a retired Pinkerton detective, to set the record of St. John's life straight once and for all. Twenty years ago, Rawlings accompanied St. John on his final manhunt, and in desperate need for the funding a successful book promises, he dives deep into St. John's past (and his own buried memories) to tell the truth about this part-time hero.

As the story of St. John unfolds, the romance of the period is stripped away to reveal a reality long-forgotten in this unvarnished, heart-racing depiction of the American West.

Critique: Loren D. Estleman is an accomplished veteran of the western genre and with "Iron Star" adds still another outstanding credit to his literary legacy. With his own distinctive storytelling style, Estleman's "Iron Star" is a 'must' for his legions of fans and an especially, unreservedly, recommended pick for community library Historical Fiction & Western Action/Adventure collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Iron Star" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note: Loren D. Estleman is the author of more than eighty novels, including the Amos Walker, Page Murdock, and Peter Macklin series. The winner of four Shamus Awards, five Spur Awards, and three Western Heritage Awards, he lives in Central Michigan with his wife, author Deborah Morgan. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loren_D._Estleman)

The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

A Body by the Henhouse
Kate Wells
Boldwood Books
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroft.com
9781785134395, $42.00, PB, Large Print, 320pp

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-body-by-the-henhouse-kate-wells/1145183414

Synopsis: The time for celebrations is over. Jude Gray's farm is going from strength to strength, and even though her grumpy neighbour has concerns about the new campsite in the lower field, she is undeterred.

When a hen party arrives for a weekend away, she does her best to cater for their celebrations. But with a sheep needing urgent care - an accidental mishap or something more nefarious? She finds herself consulting the group, which coincidentally contains four vets. When one of the hens goes missing, it becomes clear there are more sinister forces at play, and someone is targeting her farm.

With the help of close friend Detective Inspector Binnie Khatri, Jude once again dons her amateur sleuthing hat. They uncover a web of deceit, affairs and rivalries, but will they find the perpetrator before events turn murderous?

Critique: The third title in novelist Kate Wells' 'A Malvern Farm Mystery' series, "A Body by the Henhouse" is a fun read and unreservedly recommended to the attention of all dedicated cozy mystery fans! Offering more unexpected plot twists and turns than an Oklahoma tornado, this large print paperback edition of "A Body by the Henhouse" from Boldwood Books is a riveting and deftly crafted thriller that will prove to be an popular pick for personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections.

Editorial Note: Kate Wells grew up in Malvern on the Herefordshire/Worcestershire border and still spends much of her time there. It is her heart's home and the muse for a lot of her writing. Her first two novels in her outstanding Mavlern Farm Mystery series are "Murder on the Farm" and "Stranger in the Village".

A Farewell to Arfs
Spencer Quinn
Forge
c/o Tor/Forge Books
www.tor-forge.com
9781250331809, $27.99, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Farewell-Arfs-Chet-Bernie-Mystery/dp/1250331803

Synopsis: Chet the dog, and his human partner PI Bernie Little, are on to a new case, and this time they're entangled in a web of crime unlike anything they've ever seen before.

Their elderly next door neighbor, Mr. Parsons, thought he was doing the right thing by loaning his ne'er do well son, Billy, some money to help get himself settled. But soon, Mr. Parsons discovers that his entire life savings is gone. A run-of-the-mill scam? Bernie isn't so sure that the case is that simple, but it's Chet who senses what they're really up against.

Only Billy knows the truth, but he's disappeared. Can Chet and Bernie track him down before it's too late? Someone else is also in the hunt, an enemy with a mysterious, cutting-edge power who will test Chet and Bernie to their limit -- or maybe beyond. Even poker, not the kind of game they're good at, plays a role.

Critique: A finely crafted and original cozy animal mystery, "A Farewell to Arfs" by Spencer Quinn is a fun read from cover to cover. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community/public library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated cozy mystery fans that "A Farewell to Arfs" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note: Spencer Quinn is the pen name of Peter Abrahams, the author of many novels, including the Chet and Bernie mystery series, Mrs. Plansky's Revenge, The Right Side, and Oblivion, as well as the Bowser and Birdie series for younger readers.

The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Descent
Marko Kloos
47 North
c/o Amazon Publishing
9781542036153, $16.99, PB, 203pp

https://www.amazon.com/Descent-Palladium-Wars-Marko-Kloos/dp/1542036151

Synopsis: POW Aden Jansen has lost a decade of his life to both the war and internment when he's recruited by the Alliance. He's to return to Gretia as an undercover Blackguard operative and destroy Odin's Wolves -- an insurgency that's setting his home world afire. The mission comes with a full pardon and a chance to reclaim his identity. It also means rejoining his friends and family in space. That's motive enough. If he can succeed -- and survive.

Dunstan Park is on piracy patrol to track down the spaceborne arm of the uprising. Meanwhile, the rebels' insidious terrorist cells are targets for battle-hardened insurgent hunter Idina Chaudhary and her Palladian commandos. As for Aden's sister, Solveig, she's put herself in the line of fire before, but discovering who's bankrolling Odin's Wolves is as dangerous as it is personal.

As Aden works his way back into the confidence of his comrades, the stealth campaign to sow discontent descends into chaos. At risk: Aden's legacy, and the very stability of a galaxy struggling for peace against all odds.

Critique: Book 4 of the Palladium Wars series by novelist Marko Kloos, "Descent" is an action packed science fiction adventure that is a 'must' for the growing legions of Marko Kloos fans. A fun read from cover to cover, "Descent" will hold special appeal to fans of deftly crafted Space Marine/Space Fleet combat stories. While "Descent" is readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99), it is especially and unreservedly recommended for community/public library Science Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Marko Kloos (www.markokloos.com) is the author of two military science fiction series: The Palladium Wars, which includes Aftershocks, Ballistic, Citadel, and Descent, and the Frontlines series, which includes, most recently, Centers of Gravity. A member of George R.R. Martin's Wild Cards consortium, Marko writes primarily science fiction and fantasy -- his first genre loves ever since his youth, when he spent his allowance on German SF pulp serials.

The Heir of Venus
Laura Shepperson
Alcove Press
www.alcovepress.com
9781639108435, $18.99, PB, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Heir-Venus-Novel-Laura-Shepperson/dp/1639108432

Synopsis: Lavinia never asked to be fought over. But now her childhood sweetheart has waged a war that threatens to destroy everything she holds dear, all because Lavinia's father has promised her to somebody else -- Aeneas.

Aeneas, rumored to be the son of Venus, is famed for his bravery, cunning, and his vision for a new great Empire. He is also secretive, slippery, and Lavinia wonders why he will never discuss the past he left behind.

So when a stranger arrives in the camp with stories about Aeneas that suggest he is not what he seems, Lavinia realizes she has to take her future, and that of her people, into her own hands.

With striking prose and an inquisitive eye cast back on mythology, "The Heir of Venus" is an impactful and relatable story of a fight for the truth, set in the rich world of Greek mythology.

Critique: A fascinating and fun read from cover to cover, "The Heir of Venus" will have a tremendous appeal to readers with an interest in the retelling of ancient Greek myths with a new modern sensibility and imagination. With her narrative driven and distinctive storytelling style, novelist Laura Shepperson's "The Heir of Venus" is a unique, memorable, and unreservedly recommended pick for community/public library Historical Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "The Heir of Venus" from Alcove Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) as well.

Editorial Note: Laura Shepperson was born in the UK and has always been fascinated by myths and myth retellings, studying classical studies at the University of Auckland. Her first novel, Phaedra, was a UK Sunday Times bestseller. (under the title The Heroines). In 2017 she was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Prize for Fiction. Laura holds a master of studies in creative writing from the University of Cambridge. Laura lives outside London with her husband and two children. She can be found on Twitter and Instagram @LauraShepperson

The Graphic Novel Shelf

Vincent: A Graphic Biography
Simon Elliott
Francis Lincoln
Quarto Publishing Group USA
www.quartoknows.com
9780711294967, $19.99, HC, 160pp

https://www.amazon.com/Vincent-Graphic-Biography-BioGraphics/dp/0711294968

Synopsis: The artist Vincent Van Gogh once remarked: 'I know for sure that I have an instinct for color, and painting is in the very marrow of my bones.'

The life of Van Gogh has gone down in legend as the archetypal artist's existence. He was irascible and short-tempered, hugely passionate and emotional, absurdly talented and, for most of his lifetime, notoriously misunderstood and under-appreciated. And yet today, we see him as one of the most inventive, influential and admired painters of the entire Western canon, if not a artistic genius.

Taking us through his short but explosive life, "Vincent: A Graphic Biography" by Simon Elliott paints a vivid picture of Van Gogh's unusual youth, his famous early failures, his discovery of a new style of painting, his tragic suicide, and the meteoric artistic legacy that followed.

For those looking for a novel introduction to this incredible artist, or searching for a fresh take on his story "Vincent: A Graphic Biography" is Vincent Van Gogh's life as you've never seen it before.

Critique: A simply impressive and novel presentation on the tragic life and career of the artist Vincent Van Gogh, "Vincent: A Graphic Biography" uses a graphic novel approach to the painter's non-fiction biography. The result is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, community, and college/university library Biography/Memoir collections.

Editorial Note: Simon Elliott is a criminal barrister, art obsessive and standup comedian. Inspired by Hockney's message 'spring cannot be cancelled', and with time to fill (thanks to Covid), Simon engrossed himself in all things Hockney, learned how to paint on an iPad and began a journey to create this colourful, joyous and thought provoking biography with a twist.

The Audiobook Shelf

It Had To Be You
Beth Moran
Boldwood
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print (USA), Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
2940191742724, $20.99, MP3-CD (11 Hours 14 Minutes)

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/it-had-to-be-you-beth-moran/1145532030

Synopsis: Their parents fostered children of all ages, and although the girls loved playing their part in providing a safe haven, it meant that life was rarely peaceful.

Now as a single mother of two, Libby's life is still anything but peaceful. In her work as an antenatal coach, as well as for the charity she and Nicky run for teenage mothers, Libby uses all the skills she learnt growing up surrounded by children. Her days are full, caring for her family, the mothers-to-be and the latest strays she has welcomed into her home. But in the dark of the lonely nights, Libby worries she's falling apart at the seams.

One troubled boy and a reckless decision she made thirteen years ago still haunts her.

Two hearts that were broken, still not mended.

The time has come for Libby to look out for herself. As her family, friends and her community have known forever, Libby is one of a kind, and if she can just learn to love herself, she may be able to welcome back the love she let slip through her fingers.

Critique: Masterfully narrated by Rosalind Steele, this complete and unabridged audio book edition of "It Had To Be You" by author Beth Moran brings to life in a true 'theatre of the mind' experience this deftly crafted, entertaining and memorable story that will have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in contemporary women's fiction. While highly recommended for personal and community library audio book collections, A 'must' for the growing legions of Rosalind Steele fans, it should be noted that "It Had To Be You" from Boldwood Books is also readily available in a hardcover edition (9781804833711, $29.99), in large print edition (9781804833711, $17.99), and in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).

Editorial Note #1: Beth Moran (https://bethmoranauthor.com) is the author of twelve novels including the number one bestseller, Let it Snow. These are mostly set in and around Sherwood Forest, where she can be found most mornings walking her spaniel, Murphy. Prior to becoming an author, she worked as a biochemist doing cancer research and was an antenatal educator. While her older children have all now flown the nest, she is a foster carer for teenagers so life is never boring.

Editorial Note #2: There is an extensive on-line listing of books narrated by Rosalind Steele at https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=Rosalind%C2%A0Steele

The Familiar
Leigh Bardugo, author
Loren Fortgang, narrator
Macmillan Audio
www.macmillanaudio.com
2940159945839, $39.99, 11 CDs

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-familiar-leigh-bardugo/1144086938

Synopsis: In a shabby house, on a shabby street, in the new capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil as a scullion. But when her scheming mistress discovers the lump of a servant cowering in the kitchen is actually hiding a talent for little miracles, she demands Luzia use those gifts to improve the family's social position.

What begins as simple amusem*nt for the nobility takes a perilous turn when Luzia garners the notice of Antonio Perez, the disgraced secretary to Spain's king. Still reeling from the defeat of his armada, the king is desperate for any advantage in the war against England's heretic queen - and Perez will stop at nothing to regain the king's favor.

Determined to seize this one chance to better her fortunes, Luzia plunges into a world of seers and alchemists, holy men and hucksters, where the lines between magic, science, and fraud are never certain. But as her notoriety grows, so does the danger that her Jewish blood will doom her to the Inquisition's wrath. She will have to use every bit of her wit and will to survive -- even if that means enlisting the help of Guillen Santangel, an embittered immortal familiar whose own secrets could prove deadly for them both.

Critique: Artfully narrated by the spell-binding storytelling talents of narrator Laren Fortgang, this complete and unabridged audio book edition from Macmillian Audio of Leigh Bardugo's compelling and original fantasy novel, "The Familiar" is unreservedly recommended for personal and community college audio book collections.

Editorial Note #1: Leigh Bardugo (www.leighbardugo.com) is the author and creator of the Grishaverse (now a Netflix series) which spans the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, The Language of Thorns, and the King of Scars duology -- with more to come. Her other works include Wonder Woman: Warbringer and Ninth House (Goodreads Choice Winner for Best Fantasy 2019).

Editorial Note #2: Lauren Fortgang (www.laurenfortgang.com) is an actor and voiceover artist. Following training at A.C.T.'s Young Conservatory in San Francisco, she attended Fordham University: College at Lincoln Center, where she majored in theater. Her curiosity for tapping into varied niches of the industry has afforded her a broad career spectrum, both in and out of the 'spotlight' as actor, singer, spokesperson, audiobook narrator, producer, and, on the odd occasion, costume designer.

Every Time We Say Goodbye
Natalie Jenner, author
Juliet Aubrey, narrator
Macmillan Audio
www.macmillanaudio.com
9781250348883, $39.99, 9 CDs

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/every-time-we-say-goodbye-natalie-jenner/1143881682

Synopsis: In 1955, Vivien Lowry is facing the greatest challenge of her life. Her latest play, the only female-authored play on the London stage that season, has opened in the West End to rapturous applause from the audience. The reviewers, however, are not as impressed as the playgoers and their savage notices not only shut down the play but ruin Lowry's last chance for a dramatic career.

With her future in London not looking bright, and at the suggestion of her friend, Peggy Guggenheim, Vivien takes a job in as a script doctor on a major film shooting in Rome's Cinecitta Studios. There she finds a vibrant movie making scene filled with rising stars, acclaimed directors, and famous actors in a country that is torn between its past and its potentially bright future, between the liberation of the post-war cinema and the restrictions of the Catholic Church that permeates the very soul of Italy.

As Vivien tries to forge a new future for herself, she also must face the long-buried truth of the recent World War and the mystery of what really happened to her deceased fiance.

Critique: "Every Time We Say Goodbye" by novelist Natalie Jenner is a brilliant exploration of trauma and tragedy, hope and renewal, filled with dazzling characters both real and imaginary, from the incomparable author who charmed the world with her novels The Jane Austen Society and Bloomsbury Girls. This complete and unabridged audio book edition from Macmillan Audio is superbly narrated by the BAFTA award winning actress Juliet Aubrey and is an very special and unreservedly recommended pick for personal and community library audio book collections.

Editorial Note #1: Natalie Jenner (www.nataliejenner.com) was born in England and raised in Canada, Natalie has been a corporate lawyer and career coach and once owned an independent bookstore in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, where she lives with her family and two rescue dogs.

The Women
Kristin Hannah, author
Julia Whelan, narrator
Macmillan Audio
www.macmillanaudio.com
9781250317964, $44.99, 12 CDs

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-women-kristin-hannah/1143461662

Synopsis: Women can be heroes.

When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances "Frankie" McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.

As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets (and becomes one of) the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost.

But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.

"The Women" is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm's way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, "The Women" is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era.

Critique: Now available as a complete and unabridged audio book impressively and deftly narrated by the vocal acting talents of Julia Whelan, this Macmillan Audio edition of "The Women" by novelist Kristin Hannah is a welcome and highly recommended pick for both personal and community/public library Women's Coming Of Age themed audio book collections.

Editorial Note #1: Kristin Hannah (https://kristinhannah.com) is the author of more than twenty novels, including The Nightingale, The Great Alone, and The Four Winds.

Editorial Note #2: Julia Whelan (https://jmwhelan.com/narrator) has narrated over 600 audiobooks in all genres, Whelan is, by industry standards, considered one of the top narrators recording today. She's repeatedly featured on Audiofile Magazine's annual Best-Of Lists. She was named Audible's Narrator of the Year in 2014 and is a Grammy-nominated audiobook director. Julia has acquired multiple Audies and SOVAS (Society of Voice Arts) Awards, including for the performance of her own novel, My Oxford Year. She has won dozens of Earphone Awards, The Audie Award for Best Female Narrator of 2019, and was presented with Audiofile Magazine's Lifetime Achievement Golden Voice Award in 2020.

The Library CD Shelf

Sojourn
Russ Brannon
russbrannon.com
Privately Published
$14.00 CAD CD / $7.00 CAD digital

https://russbrannon.bandcamp.com/album/sojourn

Sojourn is an album of original compositions by Russ Brannon, a Canadian guitarist with a talent for improvisation. With contributions from a wealth of talented music artists on vocals, tenor saxophone, keyboards, bass, drums, percussion, and strings, Sojourn is an extraordinary album featuring richly crafted songs that describe a lifelong journey, from traveling the world to raising a family. Thoughtful, beautiful, and joyful, Sojourn is a treasure for connoisseurs of fine listening and public library music collections, highly recommended. The tracks are Casco Viejo, Pauline, From The Mountain, Ville Bleu, Bluesold, Free Flight, Sojourn, Thistle Street, Grace, Passage, Raltzy, Prayer to Somewhere, and Casco Viejo Reprise.

The Sixth Dimension
Doug Wilde
dougwilde.com
Privately Published
$TBA CD / $9.49 MP3

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D8JZ12Z3

The Sixth Dimension is an extraordinary musical experiment - an original, instrumental album created with unconventional six-note scales, also known as hexachords, as opposed to the more commonly used seven note scales and their derived major and minor chords. Keyboardist Doug Wilde created each of The Sixth Dimension's ten tracks with a different, specially selected six-note scale. The result is a creative, inspiring breakaway from traditional constraints, that is nonetheless beautifully melodic. Performed by Doug Wilde on keyboards, Colleen Allen on saxophones and bass clarinet, James Ervin on trumpet and flugelhorn, Charlie Cooley on drums, and Paul Novotny and Henry Heilig on electric and acoustic bass, The Sixth Dimension is a wondrous showcase of what music can become when it reaches beyond arbitrary boundaries, and highly recommended for both personal and public library collections. The tracks are The Sixth Dimension, Hextopia, Category Noon, Blue Sky Day, A Conversation, Zephyr, Backstory, Water Music, Summer Calling, and Sketches of Tomorrow.

Brian Landrus Plays Ellington & Strayhorn
Brian Landrus
brianlandrus.com
Palmetto Records
$10.00 CD / $9.49 MP3

https://www.amazon.com/Plays-Ellington-Strayhorn-Brian-Landrus/dp/B0D22YGY3K

Brian Landurs, a music artist specializing in low woodwind, presents Brian Landrus Plays Ellington & Strayhorn, a tribute album to jazz pianist and composer Duke Ellington (1899-1974) and Ellington's frequent composing partner, composer-arranger-pianist Billy Strayhorn (1915-1967). Landrus plays songs composed by Ellington and Strayhorn on a wide assortment of instruments including baritone and bass saxophones, bass and contra alto clarinets, piccolo, and C, alto, and bass flutes. With aid from Grammy-winning engineer and producer John Kilgore, Brian Landrus' performances have been mixed into a flowing recreation of beloved twentieth century jazz, supported by rhythms from guitarist Dave Stryker, bassist Jay Anderson, and drummer Billy Hart. Brian Landrus Plays Ellington & Strayhorn is a choice pick for classic jazz connoisseurs and public library music collections, highly recommended. The tracks are Agra, Chelsea Bridge, A Flower is a Lovesome Thing, Daydream, Praise God, Prelude to a Kiss, Come Sunday, The Telecasters, Lotus Blossom, Lush Life, Isfahan, Star-Crossed Lovers, Warm Valley, and Sophisticated Lady.

Echoes of Harlem: A Salute to Duke Ellington Vol. 2
Planet D Nonet
Eastlawn Records
https://www.eastlawnrecords.com
$TBA CD / $10.00 digital

https://planetdnonet.bandcamp.com/album/echoes-of-harlem-a-salute-to-duke-ellington-vol-2

Echoes of Harlem: A Salute to Duke Ellington Vol. 2 is Planet D Nonet's follow-up album to "Blues to Be There: A Salute to Duke Ellington". Both albums pay homage to legendary American jazz pianist and composer Duke Ellington (1899-1974), who is especially known for his creative orchestra and big band compositions. The talented members of Planet D Nonet combine their music artistry to bring to life new arrangements of more of Ellington's beloved classics. Smoothly and superbly performed, Echoes of Harlem: A Salute to Duke Ellington Vol. 2 is a "must-have" for both personal and public library jazz collections, highly recommended. The tracks are Happy Anniversary, Flirtibird, Rocks in My Bed, Echoes of Harlem, Addi, Blood Count, Juniflip, Azalea, La Belle Plus Africaine, Caravan, Frustration, I'm Gonna Go Fishin', Happy Reunion, The Shepherd (Who Watches Over the Night Flock), and Sophisticated Lady.

The Library Blu-ray Shelf

Dance Me Outside
Bruce McDonald, director
Studio: Unobstructed View
B0D4RLND88, $29.98, 1 Blu-ray Disc (1 Hour 24 Minutes)

https://www.amazon.com/DANCE-ME-OUTSIDE-BLURAY-Blu-ray/dp/B0D4RLND88

Synopsis: In his Blu-Ray drama, "Dance Me Outside", director Bruce McDonald explores live in a northern Ontario native reservation. This Canadian drama based on a book by W.P. Kinsella, examines the tension between Native Canadians and Anglos in Canada from a Native perspective. Silas Crow, who lives on a Northern Ontario reserve, wants to take a mechanic's course in Toronto with his friend Frank Fencepost. But before he can enroll, the teen must write a short narrative describing his home. The film is a series of alternatively poignant vignettes from Crow's narrative.

Critique: Exceptional, fascinating, impressive, memorable, "Dance Me Outside" will prove to be a prized pick for personal, community, and college/university library Native American themed Blu-Ray video collections.

Meeting The Beatles In India
Paul Saltzman, director
David Lynch, actor
Pattie Boyd, actor
https://thebeatlesinindia.com
SUN1066, Blu-Ray, $24.98, Documentary, 1 Hour 19 Minutes

https://www.amazon.com/MEETING-BEATLES-INDIA-BLURAY-Blu-ray/dp/B0D4RL4TH4

Synopsis: "The Beatles In India" is a full color documentary of the Beatles trip to India in 1968 by Canadian documentary maker Paul Saltzman. Included as a bonus are 57 minutes of extra scenes and a trailer.

Critique: Brilliantly narrated by Morgan Freeman, "The Beatles In India" is a 'must' for the legions of Beatles fans and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and college/university library Documentary Video collections.

Subversives: The History of Lowest of the Low
Simon Head, director
Studio: Unobstructed View
B0D47S5Z77, $24.98, 1 Blu-ray Disc (2 Hours 2 Minutes)

https://www.amazon.com/SUBVERSIVES-History-Lowest-BLURAY-Blu-ray/dp/B0D47S5Z77

Synopsis: "Lowest of the Low" is a Canadian Band that has been together for over 30 years. They had the record for most albums sold until Barenaked Ladies outsold them in the early 1990's. This is the story of how a band that stuck to their guns flying the "indy flag" until the major labels came calling in the mid-nineties. It's a story of tenacity and the will to create art without the corporate fingers in the pudding.

The documentary film "Subversives: The History of Lowest of the Low" was funded and directed by Simon Head with some contributions from fans of the band. The making of the film parallels the bands ethics and beliefs regarding art & commerce.

Featured Extras for "Subversives: The History of Lowest of the Low" include: Shakespeare My Butt Song For Song Brown Hawkins Stanley - City Full Of Cowards Don't Call Me A Sellout Fights Nazis And Other Delights Greg Broke A String Lazy Days Life Imitating Art Toronto And Buffalo Fans.

Critique: A superbly produced Blu-ray video, "Subversives: The History of Lowest of the Low" is a 'must' for the legions of Lowest of the Low fans and is especially and unreserved for personal, community, and college/university library Popular Music/Musicians video collections.

The Architecture Shelf

Socializing the Sky
Robert Oxman
ORO Editions
www.oroeditions.com
9781957183954, $55.00, PB, 300pp

https://www.amazon.com/Socializing-Sky-Robert-Oxman/dp/1957183950

Synopsis: With the publication of "Socializing the Sky", Robert Oxman presents the remarkable history of the emergence in the past two decades of the dramatically new design of multi-tower and multi-functional tall building clusters. Based upon a decade of architectural research, "Socializing the Sky" provides a definition of the new typology, here termed The Tower Cluster, and its major concepts, design characteristics, and the typological knowledge required to design creative sub-variants. It provides the detailed analysis of a large series of recent case studies of the typology.

In addition, "Socializing the Sky" categorizes various types of sky amenities such as sky pools, sky plazas, outlook decks, and other functions that have been, in this new typology, distributed through the vertical order of the tower cluster in order to create a new form of Vertical Campus which contains a designed selection of social, cultural, commercial, and entertainment facilities. The various types of groupings of advanced amenities in multi-story residential buildings, hotel buildings, office buildings, and high-tech headquarters/research buildings are presented and discussed in detail.

The design knowledge and architectural knowledge of tower clusters and their vertical amenity structures are defined, and the definition and general application of typological knowledge in design provides to the reader a valuable knowledge base for the future designs of creative sub-variants tower clusters, as well as for their urban and landscape development. Thereby, the highly articulated knowledge component contained in the book becomes a valuable contribution to the future design of tower clusters as well as to the creation of a model of how to define architectural knowledge. "Socializing the Sky" constitutes a brilliant working guide for the design of new skyscrapers.

This work is part of a broad historical quest for an architectural medium (a typology of design) that might be capable of transferring certain urban social places to new locations above their traditional ground-based urban locations. That is, "Socializing the Sky" provides a new medium in the architecture of skyscrapers.

Critique: This large format (8.25 x 0.75 x 10.75 inches, 2.46 pounds) paperback edition of Robert Oxman's "Socializing the Sky" from Oro Editions is of particular relevance to readers with an interest in the evolution of skyscraper architecture. Illustrated throughout with color photos, and featuring Notes, a Bibliography, and an Index, "Socializing the Sky" is a critically important and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and college/university library Contemporary Architecture collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Robert Oxman is a Professor and Dean Emeritus of the Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning, The Technion, Israel Institute of Technology. At the Technion he is a Professor of Architectural Design History and Theory. He is a Registered Architect in Massachusetts, and The State of Israel.

The Sports Shelf

Golf's Majors
Gary Player & Randy O. Williams
Dey Street Books
c/o William Morrow & Company
www.harpercollins.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9780063277847, $32.50, HC, 480pp

https://www.amazon.com/Golfs-Majors-Inside-Unforgettable-Performances/dp/0063277840

Synopsis: In the game of golf, four tournaments stand alone: The Masters. The U.S. Open. The British Open. The PGA Championship. Each of them boast histories that stretch back a century or more. Winning a major is the capstone of a golfer's career, a guarantee that they will be remembered by history. Gary Player has won nine, a figure that ranks him fourth all time. Player has been at the heart of the golf world for more than six decades (his first major victory was in 1959) and is uniquely positioned to write the definitive history of golf's greatest tournaments.

Over the course of four thrilling sections, one for each of the majors, Player takes readers inside the minds of the game's greatest competitors at the most dramatic moments. There are pulse-pounding finishes: Phil Mickelson roaring back from five shots down to win the 2013 British Open; Jack Nicklaus's stunning comeback to take the 1986 Masters at age 46; Player's own thrilling victory in a playoff at the 1965 U.S. Open to complete the Career Grand Slam. There is great glory: Johnny Miller dropping a Sunday 63 to win the 1973 U.S. Open; Tiger Woods's thunderous coronation at the 1997 Masters. And there is heartbreak, as well: Roberto De Vincenzo signing the wrong scorecard in 1968; Jean van de Velde's meltdown in 1999 at Carnoustie.

Throughout "Golf's Majors: From Hagen and Hogan to a Bear and a Tiger, Inside the Game's Most Unforgettable Performances" Player (with the assistance of Randy O. Williams) shares his insider wisdom on what makes each tournament unique. While the Masters returns to Augusta National each spring, the other three majors cycle between a variety of courses that reward different styles of play. He reveals his personal opinions on the craziest finishes, the toughest courses, the most challenging holes to play, and whom he believes to be the greatest golfer of them all.

Critique: An absolute 'must' for the legions of golf enthusiasts, "Golf's Majors: From Hagen and Hogan to a Bear and a Tiger, Inside the Game's Most Unforgettable Performances" by co-authors Gary Player and Randy O. Williams is a fascinating, informative, and fun read from cover to cover. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798874622442, $41.99, CD), this edition of "Golf's Majors" from Dey Street Books is especially and unreservedly recommended for community/public and college/university library Sports/Golfing collections.

Editorial Note #1: Gary Player has won 167 professional golf tournaments worldwide and is one of only five men to capture golf's coveted career Grand Slam. He won nine Major championships on the PGA Tour and nine Major championships on the Senior Tour, and is the only player in history to complete the career Grand Slam on both tours. He is the author of the acclaimed book Sports Cinema--100 Movies: The Best of Hollywood's Athletic Heroes, Losers, Myths, and Misfits. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Player)

Editorial Note #2: Randy O. Williams has written on sports and entertainment for major publications and websites such as Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, NFL.com, and ESPN.com. He is the coauthor, with Jerry Rice, of "50 Years, 50 Moments and America's Game".

The Aviation Shelf

The Dangers of Automation in Airliners
Jack J. Hersch
Casemate Publishers
www.casematepublishers.com
9781526773142, $32.95, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Dangers-Automation-Airliners-Accidents-Waiting/dp/1526773147

Synopsis: Automation in aviation can be a lifesaver, expertly guiding a plane and its passengers through stormy weather to a safe landing. Or it can be a murderer, crashing an aircraft and killing all on board in the mistaken belief that it is doing the right thing.

Lawrence Sperry invented the autopilot just ten years after the Wright brothers' first flight in 1903. But progress was slow for the next three decades. Then came the end of the Second World War and the jet age. That's when the real trouble with aviation automation began.

Aviation automation has been pushed to its limits, with pilots increasingly relying on it. Autopilot, autothrottle, autoland, flight management systems, air data systems, inertial guidance systems. All these systems are only as good as their inputs which, incredibly, can go rogue. Even the automation itself is subject to unpredictable failure. Can automation account for every possible eventuality?

And what of the pilots? They began flight training with their hands on the throttle and yoke, and feet on the rudder pedals. Then they reached the pinnacle of their careers - airline pilot - and suddenly they were going hours without touching the controls other than for a few minutes on takeoff and landing. Are their skills eroding? Is their training sufficient to meet the demands of today's planes?

"The Dangers of Automation in Airliners: Accidents Waiting to Happen" by Jack J. Hersch delves deeply into these questions. You will be in the co*ckpits of the two doomed Boeing 737 MAXs, the Airbus A330 lost over the South Atlantic, and the Bombardier Q400 that stalled over Buffalo. You will discover exactly why a Boeing 777 smacked into a seawall, missing the runway on a beautiful summer morning. And you will watch pilots battling (sometimes winning and sometimes not) against automation run amok.

"The Dangers of Automation in Airliners: Accidents Waiting to Happen" also investigates the human factors at work. You'll learn why pilots might overlook warnings or ignore co*ckpit alarms. You will observe automation failing to alert aircrews of what they crucially need to know while fighting to save their planes and their passengers.

The future of safe air travel depends on automation. "The Dangers of Automation in Airliners: Accidents Waiting to Happen" tells its story

Critique: Given the new public awareness of the problems of aviation automation in general and Boeing in particular, "The Dangers of Automation in Airliners: Accidents Waiting to Happen" by Jack J. Hersch is an extraordinarily timely and informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a nineteen page Glossary, a ten page listing of Resources, and a five page Index. An essential pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Commercial/Military Aviation History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Dangers of Automation in Airliners: Accidents Waiting to Happen" from Casemate Publishers is also available in a paperback edition (9781526798275, $28.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).

Editorial Note: Jack Hersch (https://jackhersch.com) is an expert in the field of troubled and distressed companies. He is a strategic advisor to corporate managements and investment institutions, has served as a corporate board member, and has guest-lectured in the business schools of M.I.T., U.S.C., and U.C. Berkeley, among others.

The Native American Studies Shelf

To Banish Forever
Cathy Coats
Minnesota Historical Society Press
www.mnhs.org/mhspress
9781681342559, $19.95, PB, 174pp

https://www.amazon.com/Banish-Forever-Ho-Chunk-Cleansing-Minnesota/dp/1681342553

Synopsis: In 1863, after the end of the US - Dakota War, a group of men in Mankato, Minnesota, formed a secret society. At the beginning of every meeting, members of the Knights of the Forest recited its ritual pledge, including these words: "I sincerely hope this meeting may be profitable to each one of us, and that we may go forth from this Lodge stronger and braver in the determination to banish forever from our beautiful State every Indian who now desecrates our soil."

The Ho-Chunk people, who had not participated in the war, occupied a reservation about two miles south of Mankato on some of the state's richest agricultural lands. The Knights (determined to claim these lands for their own profit) advocated for the removal of the Ho-Chunk, who had already been forced to move three times before settling in Blue Earth County of south-central Minnesota. Exploiting the fears of white people living in the area at the end of the brutal war, the Knights sent armed men to surround the Ho-Chunk reservation, threatening to shoot anyone who crossed the line. Within just a few years, the Ho-Chunk had been kicked off their land and removed to reservations outside of the state.

"To Banish Forever: A Secret Society, the Ho-Chunk, and Ethnic Cleansing in Minnesota" by Cathy Coats is a true history of the Knights, the Ho-Chunk, and the ethnic cleansing of southern Minnesota.

Critique: An extraordinary, seminal, and ground-breaking history of 19th Century Minnesota and the mistreatment of the Native Americans comprising the Ho-Chunk nation, with the publication of "To Banish Forever: A Secret Society, the Ho-Chunk, and Ethnic Cleansing in Minnesota" by Cathy Coats rescues from an undeserved obscurity still another story of the maltreatment of Native Americans at the hands of racist and avaricious whites. A model of scholarly research, "To Banish Forever" is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of four Appendices, fourteen pages of Notes, an eight page Bibliography, and a seven page Index. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99), "To Banish Forever" from the Minnesota Historical Society press is especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Minnesota History, 19th Century American History, and Native American history collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Cathy Coats (www.lib.umn.edu/about) is the metadata specialist at the University of Minnesota Libraries. She previously worked at the James W. Miller Learning Resources Center at St. Cloud State University.

The Criminology Shelf

A Murder on the Hill
Roger Barr
Minnesota Historical Society Press
www.mnhs.org/mhspress
9781681342894, $24.95, PB, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Hill-Secret-Mysterious-Munson/dp/1681342898

Synopsis: At 7:00 a.m. on December 9, 1937, St. Paul firefighters battling an arsonist's fire in the abandoned Aberdeen Hotel discovered the badly burned body of a woman. The victim was soon identified as 31-year-old Ruth Munson, a waitress at the Union Depot -- a "small-town girl" who had moved to the big city in search of a new life.

Using original police records, Ruth's own diary and letters, newspaper accounts, public documents, and other primary sources, with the publication of "A Murder on the Hill: The Secret Life and Mysterious Death of Ruth Munson", author Roger Barr meticulously retraces the investigation, as detectives examined Ruth's background, work history, relationships, and social life in search of clues to her killer. As they looked into her sexual relationships, the detectives uncovered hints of Ruth's secret, double life, which included legal but culturally taboo connections with Black men. Despite years of searching, police never caught the murderer. Their work was met with mistrust, silence, and denial among both white and Black people. Barr provides a careful examination of the missed opportunities, secrets, and racism that hampered the investigation.

Rich in period detail and fascinating anecdotes, "A Murder on the Hill" constructs a procedural investigation worthy of a high-profile case. Readers see for themselves what it is like to winnow important information from a flow of rumors, tips, and leads. What emerges is a remarkable view of a racially and economically divided time in the not-too-distant past. The murder of a working-class white woman in a Midwestern city was sensationalized by journalists due to racial prejudice; as a result, the historical record offers glimpses into the lives of dozens of individuals whose story might have otherwise been ignored all (like Ruth) trying to scratch out a living in a Depression-ridden, segregated city.

Critique: A seminal study enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion an informative Preface, an Afterword, twenty-two pages of Notes, and a twenty page Index, "A Murder on the Hill: The Secret Life and Mysterious Death of Ruth Munson" is an inherently fascinating read from start to finish. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "A Murder on the Hill" from the Minnesota Historical Society Press will prove to be of special interest to True Crime fans and a prized addition to community and college/university library True Crime collections and supplemental Criminology curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that "A Murder on the Hill" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).

Editorial Note: Roger Barr is a writer and writing teacher living in St. Paul. He is the author of ten published books, more than thirty published short stories, an award-winning play, and newspaper and magazine articles. Barr's short story "Puzzle Pieces" received the 2021 Hal Prize for short stories. His short story "Forgiveness" was a finalist in Narrative's 2020 Winter Short Story Contest.

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